Monday, May 30, 2011

tea tome


well, it's not really a "tome"

but it is to a kid
the book is "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
and the kid says she is a power reader

"I'm on page  231 mom!"

the tea is Montana Gold

there is nothing better than a really good book and an equally good cup of tea!

do you have a tea post for today?
put your link here and be sure to visit the other blogs that link here too
it's fun!


Saturday, May 28, 2011

a long weekend


filled with a little bit of this


and a little bit of that


shifting gears and slowing down


a time to reflect on the brief but inexpressible gift of life

wishing you a good memorial day weekend

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

etsy has a new format


I made this 
(not the oil painting!) 
a few days ago and have been putting off
(yes, procrastinating)
listing it in my etsy shop


why?
it is such a hassle!
or I should say
-WAS-


etsy has a new
streamlined
time saving
easy
peasy
format for listing stuff


I love love love all those geeks behind the scenes
:)


Monday, May 23, 2011

tea and gifts


it's funny cuz I played in a chain e-mail a little over a week ago
it was called "moneybags"
it promised that if you forwarded the e-mail, in four days you would get all kinds of moolah oolah


I may have even sent that e-mail to you
:)
carefully packaged handmade goodies


well, I DID win Becca's giveaway on her blog

lavender sachets

(and I also won a raffle at the type-in last weekend)

mini-tart pincushion

some things are better than money

sweet tag and lace crochet

like handmade, beautiful and thoughtful gifts
:)
thank you Becca!!!

* * *
if you play tea on tuesday, I can't promise any "moneybags,"
but I can promise you will make some new friends :)


Saturday, May 21, 2011

what saturday looks like

in between running errands
(well, it really was just trader joe's)


and taking kids to their various destinations
(dog show, birthday party, etc.)


I whipped out new lunchbags
(we lost 2 last week)


yeah, I'm just a super-mom right?
not really
everyone was feeling my pain
believe me
:)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

photo transfer - 3 ways

I made the picture below using the photo transfer technique I describe HERE:


in this next picture, I have added colored pencil to enrich the image:


and then, I added beeswax, my all time favorite finishing product:

because of the large size (about 6X8) I couldn't dip it in beeswax
so I poured the melted beeswax over it
then, because it was an uneven coating,
I set it on foil and put in a 180' oven until the wax melted evenly over the whole thing


I scraped off some of the extra wax with a bone folder
and then buffed it with a rag


it really added the depth I was looking for

*
p.s. this a picture that was taken probably around 1945
it is my dad (on the left) and his brothers
cute, huh?!
I love how it turned out
:)

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

art all around us

pictures from our field trip yesterday
(an estuary in the puget sound: padilla bay)




Monday, May 16, 2011

tea and minor details


as I was having my morning cuppa,
I read over my previous post
and thought I was short on a few details about that so-called super easy box to make


o.k. - laugh at my book
it was FREE
on the FREE BOOKS shelf at my used bookstore

so detail number one is: 
use a book that you (or just about anyone else) won't be needing later
(if you needed this book - sorry, it's too late now)


next detail:
cutting the corners out is easiest done using crummy scissors that cut through ANYTHING


and then:
score your lines on the FRONT side of the book
(also, it WILL have an imperfect and ragged appearance - do NOT strive for perfection)




and lastly:
if you are covering the top edges like I did,
do it BEFORE assembling (folding) the box together

*
now, before you go looking for your local used bookstore and their shelf of free books,
put the kettle on and make yourself a nice hot cuppa
those old books aren't going anywhere
oh,
and thanks ever so for stopping by for tea!
I love it when you do!
(p.s. I'm on a school field trip today, so I'll stop by the blogs later on this afternoon)

***





Saturday, May 14, 2011

an easy box to make


I made these small boxes out of old book covers.
They are the perfect size to organize small things that I also want to display.
Some of the odds and ends on our workdesks are quite beautiful in their own right.
They need a special container to show them off.


 you will need:

old book covers
a ruler
an x-acto knife
twine, ribbon or strips of fabric
(and I added paper folded and glued over the top edges to make them more "finished")


Friday, May 13, 2011

Welcome back ...

... Blogger/Blogspot. That was weird and I'm thankful for the invisible super smart guys who worked all night and most of two days to fix it!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

(paint+paper)=(thread+fabric)

this was the watercolor I did a few weeks ago:


which I then transferred to fabric:


and now I've stitched it:


I used embroidery floss in several different colors


and edged it all around with teabag papers



I think I like it

:)

* * *
I also just realized that it's a summation of lots of peace work ...

the walk in the woods with my camera
+
taking the time in a hectic week to sit down and paint something
+
doing the "slow sew"

and, oh yeah,
the teabag papers came from lots of taking time for tea

Monday, May 9, 2011

"t" is for typewriter ...


... my new old typewriter that is.
I've been scouting around for one for a little while
and saw this blue one from the 60's.
I had to get it


I like the way my tea cup matches it
(Good Earth Tea - bracing and cozy all in one sip)


I'll be cleaning it,
first with rubbing alcohol and a stiff paint brush,


then I'll oil the gears.
It will be ready just in time for the Type-In downtown this weekend
(I hope it will be ready)

***

... and speaking of getting ready for something ....


I think these guys were getting ready all day ... all week ... all month ... all year
(senior prom kids .... the scene across the street on Saturday)

***
thanks for dropping by with your tea today
I love it when you do that
:)





Saturday, May 7, 2011

the mending instinct


between the repairing of knees and jeans and hearts and stuffed bears
the mending pile tends to grow
... and I try to keep up ...
the patches cover rips
the tears leave scars
the holes are filled
the remembrances of broken things are soothed with stitches slow and steady
bright patches of color
covering the calamity
hope is handed back
freshly washed
neatly folded
ready to wear

*

Happy Mother's Day
to 
mothers, sisters, aunties, nannies, grandmothers
women with their piles of mending
and handfuls of hope