Tea Party

(this is: Twinings Blackcurrant, Ginseng, Vanilla tea)

Today's tea was sent to me from the other side of the world (practically). Linda (Blue Eyed Girl is her blog) sent a wonderful package of happy goodies including tea, inchies, and wonderful embellie sort of things. See the lace on top of the pile? She made that lace herself using bobbins. Incredible! What I'm sending her is tea, inchies and embellies too - but alas, no handmade lace ;)

Making her own lace using bobbins has set her on some solid footing for making inchies dontcha think? The 1" size is obviously not too small for her to work some magic. Beautiful! She said this was her first time at making inchies!

The disintegration project update will be a final one on Friday May 1st. So no update today. In fact the disintegration project will be going into hiding after May 1st until August 1st (see this post).

I want to start having "Tea Parties" on Tuesdays though. Here's my idea: make yourself a cuppa (tea or coffee), post a picture of it on your blog with a little something to say about your day, and then link back here in the comments. We'll all make the rounds to see what's up with our blogging buddies and take a pause for some friendship over a hot cuppa .... sound like fun?

p.s. In fact, Linda is joining me for tea today .... go Here to see her lovely cuppa and a bit of her day :)

At The Beach

tissue transfer technique

Using tissue paper and decoupage medium is a simple and easy way to transfer a stamped image to any surface. I've done this with great results on wood and on rocks. All I do is stamp my image with a permanent ink (like StazOn) onto a thin white piece of tissue paper. Then I smooth a thin layer of acrylic medium onto my surface and smooth another thin layer over the tissue. It's easy to gently tear the edges of the image to fit the object while the tissue is still wet with the decoupage medium.

.... these are 2 examples ....

I've added a new dangly bit to my peace sign in progress for Mixed Media Monday. Today's theme is "at the beach."

In the Garden

... this is what I did in the garden this morning ... that's about the extent of my green thumb ... good thing my husband has farming roots and the girls are well trained in that area ... I'll be the official chronicler of their progress :)

Cheers - and enjoy your day!

Happy Earth Day

........ we have a beautiful home planet .......

please join in helping to take better care of our home

SunT

Disintegration project - week 13

Sun tea brewing yesterday afternoon (can you see the disintegration project through the handle of the jug?)

Seth Apter is the unifying force behind the Disintegration Project. Go HERE to see his blog and a blogroll of the participants. In a recent e-mail, he mentioned that there are more than 120 participants from all over the world. The big reveal is on May 1st when the artists will post their photos and thoughts about the project. I post a little sneak peek of mine every Tuesday - I can't help myself :) 

What's really exciting is that Seth has a part 2 planned for this project. Using some or all of the "disintegrating" materials, we are to create something new - and reveal part 2 on August 1st. And here's the clincher: he's in the process of contacting several publishers about publishing this project in some form - he's also looking into the possibility of an exhibition. Very exciting stuff!

Illustrated Seashell

I made this little illustrated seashell for my addition this week in my ongoing Mixed Media Monday project. This week's theme is mermaids - and I made the mermaid twinchie a couple of days ago for Art Creations Friday - but it just didn't seem to fit style-wise. So I doodled a little mermaid of my own on the inside of a worn down seashell.

My wood board has a bunch of old nail holes in it - just perfect for threading dangly things. I'll probably keep adding dangly elements until it feels done. I wonder what next week will be for MMM?

 

Let's see, so far it's been:

dots

easter

mermaids

Mermaid Twinchie

Art Creations Friday has offered up this image to work with today. I thought the lower half of her body looked like a mermaid's (if you squint, maybe you can see it the way I did) ...

..... So I made her into a mermaid twinchie (2X2")....

Communication Redux

I re-visited this after posting it yesterday. I just added some more doodling and details with my gel pens and metallic pens. I like it a little better. BTW - I soo appreciate everyone's comments and conversation - it's probably 90% of the fun in blogging!

Communication Rant

This is the backside of an old post card. I should have taken a picture of it before I went after it with my thoughts and rubber stamps. I got to thinking about communicating by (post cards in the old days) e-mail, facebook, myspace, twitter, voice mail .... all the ways we avoid saying too much and get away with saying very little. And still we mess it up. The fine art of communication - is it a lost art?

I made this in participation with Wednesday Stamper: alter the back of a post card. I used all stamps and a little bit of Krylon pen.

Tea and Friendship

Today's tea was a gift from a friend. She only had two teabags left, so she kept one and sent me the other one - what a sweet expression of friendship and sharing! Thank you! It is a truly delicious tea - one that I've never seen over here (stateside) before!

I have my tea pictured with another expression of friendship. A sweet little notebook which was given to me at Christmas. In it I write especially encouraging verses that I come across - I call it my "little book of love." Today I've written: "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice." (John 10:4) I am deeply comforted to know that I am His, He is leading me, I am following Him, and I know His voice. 

My Disintegration Project is coming into week 12 now .... it has been showered with Maple tree blossoms .... which until now I had never stopped to notice. Projects like this could be part of a "slow art" movement - like the "slow food" or "slow money" movements - the idea being that patience and enjoying the moment are essential. 

Eggshells as an art material

We enjoyed egg salad sandwiches last night - and I couldn't bear to toss the beautiful shells :)

I envisioned the eggshells on my ongoing Mixed Media Monday piece as a great material for some mosaic texture to go with the dots. It gave me some very lovely decompression time with a very quiet house and a simple but colorful task and after an afternoon of right brain total saturation I feel ready to face the rest of the week .....

I think this piece is turning into a "peace sign"of sorts for my front porch. I'll do more next week using next week's prompt "mermaids." Hmmmm the gears are already turning .....

For previous posts concerning this evolving project click HERE

Happy-ness

I wish you a blessed, happy and safe Easter Holiday ... I'm taking a few days off to enjoy with my family and friends ... I hope that you can too!

(this is our guinea pig "Sweetie Pie Pie")

zeggtangles

I used egg shaped river rocks to make these zentangle eggs (zeggtangles). I used a sharpie regular and a sharpie ultra fine point. Milliande's site has a zendala egg page with some great examples. She's the one who put out that really great zendala youTube video in an earlier post.

2day's T ... SUN TEA!!!

This is just one of the many plum trees on my street in full bloom right now. As I mention in my other blog, plum tree blossoms means pollen means eczema and other stuff for one too many children that I know. But rain is in the forecast for tomorrow - the rains tempers things. But for today - I will be making sun tea - rose hip and hibiscus "Red Zinger" tea to be exact :)

The disintegration project is basking in sunshine too. The colors are amazing from the weathering that is going on. I am so happy and so inspired with this project - of which my hand has had very little to do with. Lumilyon mentioned a book entitled, "In Praise of Shadows," by Japanese writer Jun'Ichiro Tanizaki. It's an amazing little book of appreciation for all things natural, rustic, disintegrating (and those words don't quite fit entirely) ..... a finding of beauty in the ordinary and weathered parts of life.

And I found these beautiful, natural, weathered, river-worn egg shaped rocks. I think I will "decorate" one or 2 of them for Easter. Milliande (the zentangle video lady) has a cool project using egg shaped rocks (or actual eggs) to make zeggtangles.  I think I'll try it :) ..... I hope you have a speggtacular day today .... I hope you are able to make some sun tea too!  (((hugs)))

Stripes and Dots

This is an old board from my "old board collection." I like to chip away the old paint and sand what's left. I scattered dots all over the bare wood parts that were left after chipping and sanding. My husband thinks it looks like aboriginal art :) ....... Actually it's just a base for something more. In fact, I think I'll use Mixed Media Monday prompts (this week is polka dots and/or stripes) to add new layers to this work in progress.  Next week's prompt is "Easter stuff" like rabbits, eggs, etc. Hmmmm the challenge is on.....

pupcake

It seems like ages since I've been in bloggerland .... combine spring break, rainy days and bored kids and you get the idea :)

Yesterday was GORGEOUS though - and today is too for that matter. Our street is lined with pink-petalled plum trees and the sound of lawn mowers and other power tools is filling the air.

Yesterday was our sweet dog's 4th birthday - he is now 28 in dog years. I made him this pupcake (above) and he thoroughly enjoyed his new mint flavored tennis balls (non-toxic and made especially for dogs).

Here's the pupcake recipe:

1/2 c flour

1/2 t baking powder (aluminum free)

2 T peanut butter

2 T vegetable oil

1/2 c shredded carrots (or apples or some other dog-friendly add-in)

2T honey

1 egg

Mix well and pour into 2 muffin sized baking cups, or 4 cupcake sized baking cups. When cooled, frost with a half and half mixture of peanut butter and sour cream. Put a dog biscuit on top. Sing "Happy Birthday," and shock your pooch by giving him a treat he didn't have to steal from the countertop :)

47

Here's the 2X4 I made for today's Wednesday Stamper. I used: cereal box cardboard, dye inks, book text, sharpies, gold krylon pen, wine label, bee stamp, flower stamp, love stamp, german gold foil flowers and edging, brads, tea stained teabag paper and I thinks that's it.

Here's a little something about the number 47: it is a prime number, a safe prime, a supersingular prime, a Lucas prime. 47 is a highly cototient number. It is an Einstein prime. It is a Keith number. 47 is a strictly non-palindromic number. 47 is a prime Thabit number. 47 is a Carol number. It's also the weight of a famous rooster for which the wine "Rex-Goliath 47 Pound Rooster" is named.

What's the big deal about No. 47? I'm currently reading a beautifully written book, "The Housekeeper and the Professor," by Yoko Ogawa. The professor is a mathematician, so the elegance of numbers such as No. 47 is interwoven throughout the book. It's just cool :)