be yourself

this week has been a crazy school week for the kids,

but working in my art journal has been very do-able.

sometimes I'd rather be a mad painter in an airy light-filled loft

... but I'm a mom, driver, cook, maid, etc ...

and surely, 

if I were the mad artist in a loft

... I would wish for momming, driving, cooking, etc....

so I doodle

and I blog

:)

Here's how I did these pages:

gesso

*

ink-jet printed image 

(it's me at age 6)

*

mod-podged face down

*

about an hour later, dampen ink jet paper

*

carefully rub and peel away paper, leaving image behind

*

mod podged second image face up

*

a bit of gesso to soften the edges

*

a bit of color (I used watercolor pencils)

*

tea bag paper for my words

*

words mod-podged down

*

a little more gesso, color and doodling

*

just trying to be myself today

good tea tastes better (with a muffin top)

... good tea ...

.... tastes better ....

... with a muffin top ...

todays good tea:

Canadian Ice Wine Tea

a special gift from Jane at

Wilde Thyme Knits

thank you Jane!!!

* * *

for more "good tea," please do visit the blogs listed in my sidebar

(just below the teacup)

Tea on Tuesday Blogs

Art, Heart and Healing Journal - week 1

I first read about this online journaling class on Jan's ArtyATC Journey

The website is Willowing & Friends

and the class is called Art, Heart and Healing

Jan's first week's pages are great and she's so full of good things to say

... I thought I'd give it a go

The first week deals with your inner critic.

The point is to translate your inner critic's really bad and tacky way of communicating to you 

- mostly by put downs and abuse -

into what your inner critic might be really trying to say.

Usually it's going to be something protective and self-preservationist

... but not necessarily with the best advice 

... mostly it will be advice like: "QUIT!!"

So that's where you have to step in and weed out the good from the bad.

It was a really fun exercise ....

the class is free and Tammy is a great teacher.
Maybe I'll see you over there :)

Christmas?

If it's Halloween and Election Season

it must be almost Christmas

right?

... wrong.

But if you're in Penny's 12 Days of Christmas Matchbox Swap,

you're almost out of time!

I signed up for Eight Maids-a-Milking

and then got carried away with Christmas gift ideas

like these matchboxes (matches included)

to pair up with a candle.

Only problem:

you can't mail matches.

They are a hazardous substance.

yikes.

... so these will have to go to friends who are near - but not far.

Alas.

And all this Christmas crafting has me almost sick of Christmas - already!

Maybe I'll get in the mood when this bleeping election is over.

photo cards

I've added these photo cards to my etsy shop

... and these "encaustic" photo cards.

(encaustic photo technique HERE)

chore tea ...

... or chai tea?

I think I'll have the chai tea, thank you!

hmmmmmm!

"Masala Chai"

it says peppercorn on the list of ingredients

and I can taste a subtle kick of pepper

maybe that's what I needed to get these chores done

- a kick!

but first I'll have to put my camera down

and quit my lolligagging

***

... why don't you go lolligag with my tea friends listed in my Tea on Tuesday list in the sidebar?

and today's tea was brought to me (and you) by my friend Teresa and her tea company 4ceylontea.com

stitches in time

....the gulf spill quilt....

stitching inspired by my visits to:

ihannah

pure joy

just in case you need to smile today:

watercolor discovery

I was inspired by this flower bouquet from the weekend ...

... when I sat down to paint it though, 

I was tripped up by my usual approach of painting shapes 

that interlock and connect without overlapping.

It just wasn't working with this many petals.

I went back in my brain to high school art class:

"paint from light to dark"

"paint from back to front"

"utilize the water for transparency"

mid-stream on the first flower,

my hands caught up with my brain.

And frustration fled as the flowers came alive.

Even though the shapes all overlap and intersect each other,

it somehow works.

The transparency gives the effect of light and shadow.

watercolor discovery

like mother ... like daughter

this is my youngest

reading a book and sipping tea

she was home from school complaining of a tummyache

something a little tea and quietude would cure

kids are funny though

she just naturally turned it into a learning experience

very scientifically tasting several teas

... and rating them ...

ginger peach green tea: 2 stars

lady grey tea: 0 stars

merry mint green tea: 5 stars

pomegranate raspberry green tea: 2 stars

tazo green china tips: 4 stars

pomegranate pizzaz: 5 stars

constant comment: 4 stars

staying home and self-learning: priceless

***

Still very busy here today .... hoping for another quiet moment later this afternoon to catch up with all of the very fine tea posts of my blogger friends (you will find them in my sidebar). Stop by and say hello for me! I'll stop by a little bit later .....

making myself scarce ....

... this week.

we have a beloved houseguest

and our home is filled with all kinds of loveliness

laughter

flowers

yummies

hugs

smiles

plans

gentleness

let's put the kettle on

and I'll see you on tuesday

October Tea

It's cold and foggy outside.

Won't you join me for some Cream Caramel tea,

toasted bagels and "homemade" apple butter?

(easy peasy recipe in a minute)

The teacups are from my wedding set for "every day."

2 tea cups and 3 dessert plates are all that's left.

The cup is chipped

and the plate is crazed.

I remember registering for this set at Crate and Barrel ...

that would have been over 15 yrs ago.

It felt so luxurious to fill out a wish list there ...

I was so used to shopping WalMart and Target for everything.

The tea today was a special gift from a fellow blogger

(Teresa at Thoughtful Food)

It turns out she has connections at Ceylon Tea Co ...

and she thought I'd like to taste test it.

Oh My Goodness!

This tea is so smooth.

There is no bitterness or harshness.

With this particular tea, I can really taste the cardamom.

Which brings me to the easy peasy "homemade" apple butter.

All I do is get a large jar of unsweetened apple sauce,

add 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

and simmer until super smooth.

***

I told you about our foggy morning.

Walking to school this morning,

my daughter informed me,

"Charlotte's web was made visible

when the fog descended."

"The next day was foggy. Everything on the farm was dripping wet. The grass looked like a magic carpet. The asparagus patch looked like a silver forest.

"On foggy mornings, Charlotte's web was truly a thing of beauty. This morning each thin strand was decorated with dozens of tiny beads of water. The web glistened in the light and made a pattern of loveliness and mystery, like a delicate veil."

- e.b. white

s o m e    p i g

***

I hope your day is filled with salutations and uncommon friendship.

For more October tea, please visit the tea blogs listed in my sidebar.