Tea and Inchies

Tea and Inchies are going to .......

Elizabeth

This is what you need to do when they arrive:

- make yourself a cup of tea

- park yourself in a comfy chair

- spill them out onto your lap

- and just take a moment to relax

When you're done, put them back into their teacup, set the teacup in your house where someone will say, "What's this?" .... then make your friend a cup of tea, set them in a comfy chair, and spill the inchies out - and let your friend choose one to keep.

That's all there is to some inchie joy.

When you run out of inchies - you might want to make some more to keep the teacup full :)

(or drop me a line and I'd be happy to send you some more - I have hundreds of the little guys)

Tea and Inchies for Someone

(I will keep this post at the top of my page for a few days, so scroll down if you check in daily)

This was some happy mail that came with a gentle suggestion of a tea and inchie "pay it forward" project ...

Here are 20 inchies I made with the happy mail ....

Now the question is what to do with them ....

You see, there is a particular kind of comfort and joy that comes with a handful of inchies to spill out and look at just for the wanting to. There seems to be no apparent purpose to inchies - but the happiness factor they impart in a quiet moment makes "no apparent purpose" a poor judgement of these humble one inch gems.

Do you know anyone who needs a handful of inchies to cheer them up (maybe even you)? I would like to pay them (and some special teas) forward ....

If I get a lot of responses to this post, I'll put names in a hat, pray, and draw a name :)

Come Fly With Me

Mixed Media Monday "Come Fly With Me."  

Foil, cereal box cardboard, wrapping paper, book text, colored pencil, sharpie, copper ink, wire.

A reminder sign to myself to hang up in my personal work space :)

She's Expecting

Purple Day

Today is Purple for Epilepsy Day. Please visit Elizabeth at "a moon, worn as if it had been a shell" to read more about her own adventure and her daughter's personal battle. She is an amazing writer and mom - with a lot of insight on how to get through stuff and stay intact. Please leave her a comment - even it's only a simple (((hug))).

Crazy About Zentangles

I've been a little zentangle crazy the last few days. Making a zentangle is a nice break from inks, paints, gesso, sandpaper, stamps, cut up papers ... all you need is white paper and fine tip sharpie. Plus I found this great video that gave me a lot of new pattern ideas.

Little Gem

Inchy by Inch is a fun challenge blog (here) that's all about inchies and twinchies. This inchie is for this week's challenge using a triple embossing technique (here). I'm not a huge fan of embossing anymore, because it gives me a headache - literally - it IS melted plastic after all. But I was compelled to try this because they turn out like little gems. For this one I used white embossing powder, Ranger Alcohol Inks and a gold edging pen. 

And, yes, I use proper ventilation - but I still get a headache. I don't think it's very earth (or people) friendly, so when I run out, I run out.

T 2Day

... it's a grey day under the maple tree ...

... and wet ...

... and I'm dashing off to run errands (with Tetley ordinary black) ....

... and my Disintegration Project is slogging it's way into week 9.

Cow Search

... we found the cows and their babies ... I think this one could do with a pair of wellies ...

These calves are actually pretty mature. So the search continues for those little skipping newborns.

The Cows are in Bed

I'll write a story about these 2 pictures and put it on my "other" blog later on today.

A 7 year old and her mom in search of the baby cows.

A Green and Pleasant Land

A local dairy farm. The cows have been put to bed for the night.

Birdhouse

I made this birdhouse atc for the ABAA challenge this week.

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring

Six illustrated inchies in One Powerful Hour. Try it some time :)

Shelter

My favorite mug (see previous post) is now a shelter for a little brass froggie. I have a fairy garden every year and here's the early spring beginnings of it. Betty and Matilda are watching over everything (here's their post).

Green Tea

Green Tea Preparation ...

This tea is gyokuro loose leaf tea. It is grown in the shade and has a more delicate flavor and lighter color. I enjoy green tea because a fresh pot of properly brewed green tea tastes like the middle of summer.  Part of the process involves cooling the water before brewing. You need one extra cup to pour the hot water back and forth between the pot and the cups (having the extra cup reminds me of setting a place at the table for Elijah). The reason for cooling the water is that if the water is too hot, or if the tea steeps too long you have a bitter brew. Making a pot of this tea requires stopping and paying attention to what you're doing. It's not a tea bag dropped into a mug fresh out of the microwave. 

Here is the brewed and poured tea. When it is poured, you have to pour a little into the first cup a little into the second cup a little into the 1st and so on until both cups are filled. Since it's just me today, I truly do have a place set for Elijah. Or as I prefer to imagine it: for Jesus.

My favorite mug - hmmmm, what to do with it? I'll tell you one thing - it is NOT gong to the landfill ......

Coming into week 8 of the Disintegration Project. The pages are dotted with flecks of "black algae" .... something I never knew existed until living here in the Pacific Northwest ... it's Not nice .... but nevertheless it lends a willing hand in this project.

Spring Color

"twinchie" (top) and 3X4 (bottom)

MMM "Spring Colours" challenge:

These are actual photographs (on photographic paper - not in my photoshop files) that I played with. For both of them, I heavily sanded the edges, gradually lightening up on the pressure as I worked my way to a focal point. Then I applied a beeswax treatment. For the top one I applied beeswax flakes and then heated it up in the toaster oven. I ended up with only a small part of the photograph that was recognizable - the part with the least amount of sanding. The second one I dipped in hot beeswax, which did less to damage the photograph but in some ways is not as interesting. The toaster oven method did emit some interesting smells - probably not that good for my brain - so next time I do it that way, I think I'll move the operation outside.

These are photographs from our yearly tulip festival in Skagit County, Washington. It happens every April and truly is a sight to behold.

In the News

Confidence in the Stock Market?

I made this atc for Linda and Rosie's weekend challenge over at ABAA "Newsprint".  I heard a little play on words in my head the other night while listening to the news. All this talk about confidence in the stock market got me thinking about the other kind of "confidence" ... the big con-men with their big con-games. Just a little play on words - right?

Aloha

(empty beer cartons)

I save these empty beer cartons because I love the art. I used a "Longboard Island Lager" carton for the journal page below. My husband and I have been making plans for a vacation, so Hawaii has been in the forefront of my imaginings :)

(journal page)

"My Dream Vacation is going to Hawaii ... the air is soft .... the water is warm ... the pace is slow ... pack my bags with .... Aloha"

Go to One Powerful Hour to see what other entries there are for "Dream Vacation." Or create an entry of your own - I'm sure you also have a dream vacation!

My Maple Tree is Beautiful

Green

ATC

Today on Wednesday Stamper, it's all about Green. This atc is a single layer of white cardstock with a stamped geisha image, inked background, applied text, gold embossed edge, gold leaf pen edge and beeswax. The beeswax gave the colors a very rich and transparent look which doesn't photograph as well as I'd like. Thanks for looking!

Disintegration Update + Tea

My own personal Disintegration Project is coming into week 7 now. Last time I looked - this worldwide online collaboration was up to 80 participants - with new artists joining up every day. I give weekly updates on the progress of mine - but the main "unveiling" will be on May 1st. Click on the Disintegration tile in my side bar for the original post on Seth's blog - or click here for: "The Altered Page." He's an amazing artist and inspiration of global art collaboration. He has many other ongoing projects and his blog is continually being updated with the latest thing he's creating and is involved in.

It IS Tuesday, isn't it? Time for tea ......

I have this fabulous tea jar from China. You put your loose tea in the screened compartment here ....

Add hot water, screw on the lid and brew - either by shaking, or turning upside down .....

And enjoy! This tea is "Montana Gold" a red rooibus blended tea with oranges and cinnamon - yummmmm!

Stay warm today! Spring is on the calendar - so that must make it real - right!?!

Blogoversary Giveaway

Jean! You are the winner from last week's blogoversary giveaway. My oldest girl picked your name out of the hat. Thank you to everyone for your kind comments on my 1st blog post over at my "other" blog .... it's been a fun 1st week :)

A New Book and it's placekeeper

I made this bookmark using the kind of acetate transparency that you can write and stamp on without smearing. I stamped the kitties and then folded it in the middle .... it works great!

One of my current reads: The Secret Life of Bees

I want to read the book before seeing the movie .......

This challenge and many other fun and fabulous challenges can be found over at the Awfully Big Art Adventure. Thanks Linda and Rosie!

A Crow of Many Colors

colorful crow

(oil pastel on 4X6 canvas board)

This week's Theme Thursday Challenge is "Eggs, Nests or Birds."

Matilda after 10 days

Matilda Now

A little over a week ago I came up with my garden fairy Matilda. She's been dutifully watching over the primroses and hoping for crocuses and as you can see after about 10 days of 24/7 watching over things she's looking a little worse for the wear. I decided to rescue her from the flower bed and put her in my etsy shop to be adopted. As with anything in my etsy shop, I have secret wishes that no one wants them, so I can keep the "art babies" (but that's another story :)

Here's Betty. She's taking over Mathilda's flower watching duties.