art in red wagons

dish garden

2012-02-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

I made this easy dish garden using a big glass serving plate and a cake cover

the soil is cactus mix with a layer of sand on the top

I give it a little drizzle of water about every 10 days

the glass dome makes it quite humid

I originally had just succulents in it, but I've recently added mosses and lichens

they seem to be very happy

living up here in the Northwest, moss and lichen are abundant

... all of these pieces I found while out walking ...

a different sort of frame

2012-02-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

I did these little watercolor studies of mosses from our garden

and wasn't sure how to frame them

you see - they are just so - L I T T L E

(only about 2 and half inches)

and I had these little tart pans on my desk

an "aha" moment

born out of not putting things away and just leaving them out

I punched little holes and threaded a wire for a hanger

... framing problem solved!

not just tea ...

2012-02-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

... but a taste of spring tea ...

like this light and delicate shortbread cookie ... all it might need is a sprinkling of pink sugar

and this perfectly blue sky with the buzzing sound of a small plane

and a chance meeting at the park with some parachutes

spring feels like it's just around the corner on a day like this!

how are you this fine tuesday?

a dream?

2012-02-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

this morning's sky was brilliant and beautiful

it set everything aglow

(above) a painting from the car

and (below) a valentine matchbox

in yesterday's post I said I was "living the dream"

and I'm feeling like that was a braggy thing to say

honestly - it's a day to day thing

most days are actually really very complicated with the stuff of life

like today:

a child with a sore throat

another one with a skinned knee

late to pick up another one after school

the dog dragging me down the street

(even saying my favorite swear word in combination with my dog's name)

a broken plate that was an heirloom

gross leftovers for dinner

dusty dirty house

unfolded laundry

and on and on

you know what I mean

and the living the dream part is:

hugs

kisses

sweet text messages

being asked "how was your day?"

and replying

"I am living the dream"

completed matchbox

2012-02-01T15:41:00.000-08:00

either

I'm crazy

I'm living a dream

because this is what I do

I make weird stuff

(etsy)

just hope I never have to knock on walmart's door for a job!

and speaking of living a dream

this was my sky today as I was gabbing on the phone around lunch time

( w o w )

wintry tea

2012-01-30T19:40:00.000-08:00

I am taking my tea today at my desk

mandarin orange spice tea with cerulean blue hue water

a tasty combo for the senses

senses that are dulled in winter by an everlasting oystershell sky

paynes grey hue

but with a little photo editing I have a change in latitude

cerulean blue hue

***

how are things at your latitude?

I think it's thrilling to share tea with the far reaches of the world

I imagine us all under the same sky - varying degrees - different hues

stuff and sky

2012-01-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

I've stuffed 6 matchboxes

I like to make these with a theme in mind

such as:

(top row)

time for love, ocean memory, heartland

(bottom row)

spring fever, journey, a stitch in time

I like to think of these as the contents of an 8 year old child's pockets

emptied out before wash day

my next task is creating the outer sleeve

(a future post)

my sky picture today is taken from the car at dusk

matchbox stuffing

2012-01-27T13:02:00.000-08:00

... well, getting ready to that is ...

(previous posts: matchbox stuffing)

isn't it pretty?

all this fairy treasure sparkling in the sunlight?

Tomorrow:

creating the matchbox

my sky

2012-01-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

I have no art to brag about today

just this beautiful sky not made by human hands

(see Jill Ruth for her sky)

we are all under the same and different sky

xoxo

snow water

2012-01-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

Snow Water

a poem

-by Michael Longley

A fastidious brewer of tea, a tea

Connoisseur as well as a poet,

I modestly request on my sixtieth

Birthday a gift of snow water.

Tea steam and ink stains. Single-

Mindedly I scald my tea pot and

Measure out some Silver Needles Tea,

Enough for a second steeping.

Other favorites include Clear

Distance and Eyebrows of Longevity

Or, from precarious mountain peaks,

Cloud Mist Tea (quite delectable)

Which competent monkeys harvest

Filling their baskets with choice leaves

And bringing them down to where I wait

With my crock of snow water.

our snow is melting now

and our weather forecast is back to it's rainy self portrait

either way is fine

we like it damp around here

good weather for ducks, mushrooms and trees

... and tea!

are you taking tea?

... perhaps you have some snow water to brew it in ...

I'm curious about Silver Needles Tea

or Clear Distance Tea

are they real or poetic?

walking in a winter wonderland

2012-01-19T19:12:00.000-08:00

some photos from a walk with my love today

studying

2012-01-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

with all of this snow I have been rather house bound

(7 and a half inches so far)

a good time to "study"

these are my attempts at a "naturalist study" type of painting

(what I learned in watercolor class from high school is slowly coming back to me)

I had a classical watercolor artist (Ross Shellenberger) as a teacher

... I wish I could call him up with a question or two!

I am finding this to be a good escape right now

(all 5 of us are housebound)

but when I get into a painting I lose track of place and time and find quiet amid the commotion

... exactly what got me through the high school years ...

snowy day tea

2012-01-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

we have a lot of snow right now

and it's a big deal

(it's hit or miss from year to year whether we'll get a big snow or not)

(bengal spice tea again)

we had 6 inches on Sunday

school has been cancelled

and more snow (they say 6 more inches??) is in the forecast for Wednesday

definitely something to smile about

how about you?

what is putting a smile on your face today?

voice

2012-01-15T18:03:00.000-08:00

"find a voice in a whisper"

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Why We Can't Wait

mindless

2012-01-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

meditative?

mindless repetition?

however you look at it ...

as mandala

simple pattern in the round

the brain finds relief

getting out

2012-01-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

I've been getting out and doing some painting from my car

no more excuses

maybe my word for the year is:

justdoit

january 5th

january 6th

january 10th

january 11th

I'm getting into the swing of it

it's about an hour of my time in the morning

and I can feel my brain loosening up

... my eyes opening

it's a difficult time of year up here

(translate: d e p r e s s i n g)

and if you're not looking for the beauty it's just gloomy and gray

but honestly,

it's amazing how much color there is lurking in the gray

" j u s t d o i t "

2 0 1 2

wag the dog

2012-01-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

today, I took my tea with me on the dog walk (or dog pull)

our dog is a puller

he's a bouvier and they are used for pulling carts in belgium

in fact, they pulled the stretchers of wounded soldiers off the battle field in WWI

and because of that dangerous duty, they were nearly wiped out as a breed

I was walking him myself for a daily 3 mile walk until I wrenched my ankle

I think it was all his pulling that did it

now the child walks him and I follow along

"wag the dog"

Meaning:

An item of minor importance dominating a situation.

Origin:

This expression probably originated in the USA. There isn't a specific incident that it refers to that can be located there but there are many instances of it in print in US publications from the 1870s onwards, whereas there are none that come from any other country until well into the 20th century.

The earliest citation that I can find is from The Daily Republican, April 1872:

"Calling to mind Lord Dundreary's conundrum, the Baltimore American thinks that for the Cincinnati Convention to control the Democratic party would be the tail wagging the dog."

Dundreary is a character of Tom Taylor's play Our American Cousin. He was an amiable but dim nobleman, who frequently coined nonsensical riddles and twisted metaphors. These 'Dundrearyisms' were similar to Malapropisms and were briefly in vogue amongst US theatre-going circles in the 1850s; for example, 'a stitch in time never boils', 'better late than sorry'.

- phrases.org.uk

I don't know if it's my dog who has dominated the situation

or my ankle

... trying not to let it get me down at any rate ...

how are you having your tea today?

on the go?

kicking back?

wagging the dog?

inspiration

2012-01-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

I have been inspired by the "on the go" sketching and painting (plein air) done by

Steph

and

Lynn

I usually comment on their blogs something along these lines,

"wow! thanks for sharing your sketchbook! you have inspired me to get out and paint something!"

but do I?

... no ...

I have the best excuse:

rain

oh, and cold too

today I did it!

from inside the car

hey, it works for me

it's all in how you look at it

2012-01-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

this is a piece I was working on before the holidays

(you can read more about it here)

I finally completed it and put it in my Etsy shop yesterday

but the point of this post is to share something about placement and photography

(especially for showcasing a piece)

when I photographed it yesterday, I used my old painted cabinet as a backdrop

it looks good in person

but didn't photograph well for the little thumbnail sizes you get on Etsy

after sleeping on it

I remembered how great these linens look with light coming through them

so, today, I re-shot the piece after hanging it in a window

I think it shows more detail this way and is much more striking

in fact, I like it so much,

I may just keep this piece in the window

(until it, hopefully, sells)

thank you

2012-01-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

for coming to tea

2011

was a very good year for tea

I raise my teacup to you in 2012

cheers!

xoxo

kimmie

hauoli makahiki hou

2011-12-31T22:56:00.000-08:00

that's happy new year in hawaiian ;)

may your ship sail

on gentle seas

with warm breezes

safe harbors

shelter from storms

islands of peace

happy 2012

health(ier) tea

2011-12-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

I've been for a walk today already

and plan to go on another walk after tea

- boxing day -

does that come from the idea of boxing up treats and getting them out of the house?

and this is just the candy

never mind the

cake

waffles

cinnamon rolls

truffles

egg nog

uff da

happy tea on tuesday

a very healthy thing to do

I've been off the grid all weekend and hope to get around to everyone

a s a p

!!!

xoxo

lo, how a rose

2011-12-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Merry Christmas dear friends!

beachcombing tea

2011-12-19T20:55:00.000-08:00

it was a good day to get out of the house

and get some fresh air

and sunshine

December 19th ... a great beach day on Puget Sound

how are you holding up during this busy busy time of year?

what do you do when you need to take a break?

where do you go when you have cabin fever?
happy tuesday ... I hope all is well where you are!

p.s. please visit Bleubeard and Elizabeth... She is in the midst of computer woes and is unable to link back from a comment box :(

noel

2011-12-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

we have a December birthday in our family

she is twelve ears old and almost as tall as me

where does the time go?

(elizabeth, my cake making friend, I made a red velvet cake!)

sit down a while

2011-12-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

after school I made myself a cup of tea

and this was my view

it felt good to sit down and watch some busy hands at work

my 10 yr old is making waldorf tissue paper stars

(here's the link for a great how-to)

they are a spot of color in an otherwise dreary day

hanging in the window the light transforms

and the color spills

my tea today: Bengal Spice by Celestial Seasonings

oh, and don't forget the cookies to go with that tea!

***

are you able to take a break?

what do you see?

I hope it's a spot of color in your day

candy dish

2011-12-09T15:43:00.000-08:00

this once was my grandmother's candy dish

she always had this type of candy in it

as kids we weren't too crazy about it ... wishing for chocolate I guess

and even now, the only good thing in there is the raspberry filled one

but they sure do look pretty

my little town ...

2011-12-06T06:54:00.000-08:00

... has a really neat little tea shop

I was in there yesterday and picked up a little pudgy british teapot

but I always stop to admire the exotic asian ones too

and I picked up some tea as well,

but I also stopped to admire the exotic teas from china

the shop is all decorated for christmas

and all the talk was about how busy they were this weekend

and how business is looking up

this beautiful teapot is in the front window

a lovely gift for any elegant tea drinker

and this one was on the shelf below it

... my personal favorite ...

***

do you have any holiday shopping tales to tell?

don't forget to slow down and sip a hot cuppa

orange wreath

2011-12-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

remember the dried orange slices?

I used some of them to decorate a large willow wreath from the dollar store

I attached the slices with fishing line

and tried to alternate the more "well done" slices with the slices that were more on the "rare" side

it's a nice patch of sunshine on my entry way mirror

a good day to

2011-12-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

paint

rocks

rockin it

sustainable wreath

2011-11-30T15:04:00.000-08:00

every year

I think it would be so cool

to have one of those

giant beautiful evergreen wreaths

on my front door

one year I did ....

it was a secret gift in the middle of the night and I still don't know who it came from

.... it just appeared on my front door ....

big, beautiful, extravagant and, oh so, fragrant

but

... and this is a big but ...

but

many of the branches that go into the making of those wreaths are harvested illegally

poached from local forests

leaving young trees struggling to survive after being denuded of their branches

(you can read an article about it HERE)

this wreath is made entirely from found objects on the forest floor

pine cones, lichen, moss

and one little token piece of imported plastic

I thought he was uber cute

even though he is plastic

just orange

2011-11-29T06:43:00.000-08:00

today I have sunshine streaming in and the oranges are showing off

I slice and dehydrate them for autumn and winter projects

an occasional slice slips into my tea

I mostly use them in garlands

but they're pretty just sitting in a dish too

... captured sunshine ...

***

what is showing off for you today?

is it orange?

or something else?

another pinecone project

2011-11-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

a couple of weeks ago I showed you some deconstructed pinecone ideas

(click HERE)

what I love about these is the complete lack of anything manufactured in a factory somewhere

(except the hot glue sticks I guess)

I used some of the wooden sewing spools from my collection

sticks, moss and pinecones from the forest

and glued the "deconstructed" pinecone parts to rolled up cone shapes I made from sturdy paper

miniature magic .... fit for any elf

thankful

2011-11-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

we have a beautiful sunrise here

wishing you and yours a blessed and happy day

xoxo

tea and stitching

2011-11-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

my tea this morning is irish breakfast

hot, strong, and tempered with a little milk

it's a rainy and dark day

a good day for stitching

... I was gifted with this sweet little needle case ...

a give away from The Red Tin

thank you so much!

all of my favorite things have been gifts

the pincushion is from Patina Moon

the old recipe box is from my sister

and the quilt will be a gift from me to my daughter

it's slow going, but today will be a good day to make some progress!

what are some of the simple gifts in your life that give you joy?

it's been frosty

2011-11-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

we've had some beautiful frost in the mornings

it covers everything like sugar on a cake

this picture below is a cabbage leaf with dew droplets frozen in place:

foxglove:

boxwood:

fennel:

rose:

I'm hoping for a hoar frost .... those are truly magical

p.s. I will link today's post with Rebecca's postcards from paradise ... link link link

snow scape

2011-11-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

I'm in the process of attaching this piece to watercolor paper

I may add words also

... are there words in a snow landscape?

perhaps.

unspoken.

and if spoken - muffled

sweet tea

2011-11-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

my daughter's tea:

well, it's actually hot cocoa

(and Trix cereal)

I know .... lots of sugar

but here is more sweetness:

(above) an unexpected gift from Pat at Ooglebloops ... tea bag papers from around the world, a beautiful photo card of her own creation, and her really cool bricolage calling card ... thank you Pat!

(below) and a soap swap with Yvonne at Inkspiller's Attic ... she convinced me that making soap was not hard if you follow the directions, so when I told her I tried it, we swapped a couple of bars. Hers is made with Texas Rainwater and essential oils .... I wish you could smell it! It's amazing! And the packaging is of her own beautiful paintings ... thank you Yvonne!

what is sweet in your day today?

I hope it's more than just tea

xoxo

playing with nature

2011-11-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

yesterday I was talking about how I live in the evergreen state

this is just some of the bounty from a saturday walk in the woods last weekend:

I tend to get into the minutiae of things

... so I deconstructed them and LOVED what I found!

beautiful pine cone "petals" and "leaves"

ornaments (above)

and a tree topper (below)

nothing beats nature for the coolest of materials to work with

(on etsy)

tea (and) leaves

2011-11-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

I live in "the evergreen state"

but we have much more than evergreens

there are lots of maples and chestnuts

this is a street in "the historic district" of my town

(not my street)

and a historic home on that street

(not mine either)

my tea today?

celestial seasonings "bengal spice"

perfect for that nip in the air

a brilliant day

2011-11-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

blue blue sky

a rare occurrence in November

don't forget to put your clocks back tonight

what I'm working on

2011-11-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

some of the linens I washed and hung out to dry on tuesday

are quite damaged

there are holes and stains and tears

so I am inspired to do the slow sew

I am mending and patching this fragile fabric

with something comparable:

fragile and stained tea bag papers

they are surprisingly strong

and don't detract from the aged beauty of these lovelies

geeky gift

2011-11-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

if you've been reading my blog for a while

you know that I have a special love for matchboxes

and a while back I found an entire flickr pool devoted to "matchbox stuffing"

what a great gift for that geek you know

my etsy listings:

flowers - matchbox treasure

winter dreams - matchbox treasure

***

and because I know you're a do-it-yourselfer

take this idea and run with it

I know you can

tea and linens

2011-11-01T01:59:00.000-07:00

my tea this morning is a peppermint chai tea with plenty of milk

and here are some antique linens I've hand washed and are line drying in my kitchen

they belonged to my great aunt from connecticut

and my grandmother from chicago

beautiful handwork from both sides of my family

washed in the same suds

rinsed in the same water

hanging on the same line

women who would surely have been friends

if there had been the opportunity

it is a much smaller world now

thank you for dropping in on my kitchen in washington state

I know you have come from many miles away ...

what have you been up to?

happy halloween

2011-10-31T06:25:00.000-07:00

haunted bouquet

2011-10-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

one of the things I love about halloween

is how my housekeeping

(or lack of it)

becomes part of the decorations

dust, spiderwebs and dead flowers just add to the spooky atmosphere

project tea

2011-10-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'm working on Christmas gifts for all the teen, between and pre-teen girls in my life

machine sewing is a tedious task.

instead of having a handful of candy corn or m&m's after every seam,

I think I'll have a sip of tea

in fact machine sewing is so tedious

that I just got distracted with the beauty of these scraps

what's the project?

I'm making flowers to stitch onto hair clips

what are you working on while you sip your tea today?

I hope your day is beautiful, peaceful and joy filled

xoxo

kimmie

fingerless gloves

2011-10-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

I had a turtle neck sweater that was too itchy on my neck

so I cut off the ends of the sleeves and made these fingerless gloves

I snipped a hole in the side seam where my thumb could go

... then I blanket stitched around the hole and added a little stitched flower

I folded up the cut edge and hemmed it with embroidery floss

now I'm scavenging my closet for more itchy sweaters that I don't really like

more pogo

2011-10-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

I thought you might like to see some of the fun things I've been doing with my pogo printer

(see this post)

I discovered that you can manipulate the prints to get different effects ...

Try

soaking in water (for about 20 minutes):

and blast with heat (like an embossing tool or blow drier):

or try sanding the photo paper

before printing:

you can also sand it again after printing:

or do all of it ... like in the lower right hand picture here

someone had assumed that it only prints in black and white

(because of my earlier examples)

but you can print whatever is on your digital camera

- whether it's black and white, color, cropped or doodled -

(hey - I ought a get money from polaroid for pushing their product - but that's not gonna happen to this 99%er)

morning tea

2011-10-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

morning tea is in the dark

and in the car

on the way to school

in the fog

today's fog is the good kind though:)right now it's 8 a.m. and the fog has already burned off
where are you having your tea today?

my pogo

2011-10-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

I first saw this on jean's blog (bluebirds in the meadow) a few months agoI just tucked the thought away in my brainand it resurfaced recently when I saw it on another blog (I don't remember which one - sorry)

it's a portable printer that hooks up directly to your camera and prints 2x3 inch photos on their own special photo paper that has the ink embedded in it (no ink cartridges)

since polaroid is the master of instant photography ... I thought it was a good bet that it would be a good product

the prints have a peel off sticker backing which make it ideal for journaling

I did this little journal page this morning in about 45 minutes

what I'm discovering is that the photos alter beautifully

this one was gessoed, sanded, gessoed and sanded again

(I bought mine on e-bay for about $40 including 40 sheets of paper. The individual paper comes in packs of ten - typically running at 3 packs for around $10 - so about 30 cents a sheet)
... I'll show you more possibilities with this little gadget in future posts as I play with it some more ...

verbs

2011-10-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

here's another quilt square I've been working onit was slow going and I'm ready to call it "done"I don't usually work in black and white - so it was a bit of a struggle

I'm calling it "verbs" because of it's other themeI was well into selecting words out of book textwhen I realized all of the words I was choosing were verbs

verbs - those wonderfully alive words that describe the intent and purpose and the world of the doer

for the black and white pictures in the center, I used my new Polaroid PoGo printerone word for that(this time an adjective)F U N !
... more to come regarding the PoGo ....

gifted tea

2011-10-11T06:11:00.000-07:00

today's tea was a gift(from the ever lovely Pat at Artfully Ooglebloops)

the tea is just part of the giftbut what a cool tea it is!the tea bag nests right in your cup(Ineeka is the brand and HERE is the link)

my cup and saucer are stepsistersthe orphaned saucer is happily paired with my saucerless mug

.... and this is the treasure box from Pat ....

I was blown away to tell you the truththere is so much here!lots of vintage treasures ... just begging to be remade into cool stuffI can't wait to dig in and create something special to send back to her :)

thank you Pat!and thank you to all of you who stop by for tea on Tuesdays!it's nice to take a break with you!

slingshot

2011-10-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

this is a piece I made this week

it started as an homage to summertime

... but as I work, other thoughts mingle ...like daughter's reading assignment, "All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury

and Steve Jobs reaching for the sky

and Amanda Knox wanting to lay down in a field of grass

ingredients:bottle labelmat boardshell buttonshand printed flour sack fabricdictionary pagecalico fabricreading primer textembroidery flossstraight pinswatercolor paperwatercolor paint

thanks for coming by, it means the world to me

apple

2011-10-06T08:39:00.001-07:00

October tea

2011-10-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

the girls have been asking me to make caramel apples

you really only need one of these in a yearif you're a kid, maybe 2

it makes my teeth hurt just to look at them:)

the girls can chomp their applesI will enjoy my teaa wonderful blend of cardamom, vanilla and cinnamon

a perfect and beautiful October afternoon

The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives. - Albert Einstein

what is beautiful in your day today?

tea lights

2011-09-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

I found these small sized telephone pole insulation caps at a local flea marketI love them for the irregularity of the glassit's like someone at the factory said, "don't make them perfect, just make them."

I thought they looked pretty cool upside down

and with a candle in them too

they're hanging from my dining room light fixtureit wasn't a hard project ... just a little wire wrapping and twisting ... easy peasy

late to tea

2011-09-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

I'm late to tea this morning!I think I'm coming down with something - and this peppermint tea is really helping

I almost always drink bagged tea - I know it's not very sophisticated -but I save the tea bags

I love the dried and tea stained tea bag paper for art projects

aren't they pretty in the morning light?I'm already inspired!

what ordinary thing out every ordinary day inspires you?taking time for a cuppa is a good time to be inspired :)

I hope your day is going well so far!

printed fabric

2011-09-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

I played around a little with one of my hand carved stampsI really like creating a repeating pattern with it

and then I thought it would look great on fabricI used some flour sack towels I had picked up a few months agothey're big - and the loose weave soaks up the paint readilyI used an unevenly mixed orange and yellow combo of acrylic paintwithout mixing the two colors perfectly, I got a nice variation of color

then was the question, "what to make with it?"

the Japanese crane .... bird of happiness .... and symbol of peace

after school tea

2011-09-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

(I write all of my "tea on tuesday" posts on monday afternoon or evening, so while you are having tuesday morning tea, I'm having monday afternoon tea)

it's as if you all lived in australia :)

my tea this afternoon is at the kitchen tablewhich is dressed in a table cloth I picked up at the goodwill a few weeks agoI can hardly believe it was unwantedit was only $3!and it's pure linen!we have already begun dreaming about visiting there some day

the girls have parked their stuff on the table ... a deluge of school books, snacks, projects ....

today it all seems color coordinated .... like this nancy drew bookand the bane of my existence .... tumbled jumbled bead binsbut through my camera it all looks beautiful

I hope your tuesday is as beautiful as my monday was :)let me know in your comment if you're having tea today and we'll be sure to visit your blog to say hi!

rubber stamps

2011-09-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

I have a small collection of my own carved rubber stampsand yesterday I wanted to carve a crow

only problem was, the rubber had become brittle and was impossible to carveafter a little bit of research, I found out that a non-petroleum oil will recondition the rubber(what I use for stamps is rubber gasket material from the hardware storeit comes in 6 inch square sheets that I cut into fourths)long story short ... I used coconut oil to recondition the rubberin fact I reconditioned my four other stamps as well... just a little helpful tip for my stamping friends :)(p.s. I think vegetable shortening would work just as well)

the day was warm ...

2011-09-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

well it wasn't REALLY ... warm, that is ...but with a little imagination, it seemed that way:)

and the dahlias ARE blooming ... and the bees ARE still buzzing

and with a window or two open(while wearing the first woolen sweater of the season)and the kettle on

all was well:)

ingredients:7x10" book coverwatercolor paperbetter homes and gardens cookbook page (1950's)tea bag papersearly reader primer text (1960's)tea bag stringphoto transfer of my very own dahliasbee stampgesso, paint, beeswax, ink, stitching, tearing, cutting, gluing

twilight tea

2011-09-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

take a twilight tour around my backyard with me

these are the sweet peas .... still blooming ....their fragrance fills this corner of the garden

the grass is beginning to brownthese september days are warm and drywe enjoy relaxing out here on a sunny afternoon

this is my favorite spotunder the maple treemy weathering chair in the winter time .... a reading nook in the summer

evening is here nowmy red clover tea has cooledI think I'll go in now ... thank you for stopping by!

enjoy your tuesday!are you having tea too?tell us about it :)

life's remembrances

2011-09-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

ten years ago - not today - but yesterdaywe received the gift of hilary

her presence was a comfort to me in those daysand in the anxiety I felt about our "new" world

it is a new world in many ways... not in the evil acts of men ...but in the birth and hope of life

blessings on your day as you remember many thingsand hope even more

lightweight hanger

2011-09-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

in my last post, Suki was wondering how to do the same type of wire hanger after the fact
for these lightweight collage assemblages I like a copper wire hangerand if I remember to do it midway through the project,I can add the wire directly through my backer board

but in this example, I wasn't thinking ahead, and had to add it after the factI ought to explain that the wheat thins cardboard was left face up on purposeit's a tongue in cheek nod to recycling and was meant to cheer the person this piece is for

as Jean pointed out to me at one time, this kind of thrift and recycling was known as tramp art in the last centuryI like the idea of tramp art :)

what it became

2011-09-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

I really had fun with this

on the woven background from my previous postI attached this page from an old pentecostal hymnalit says 1885that's even older than my little town

I glued the page to watercolor paperpainted the edgesadded stitchingand tea-dyed it

before attaching it to the woven backgroundI added this wire hanger to the book cover backing I had chosenthe book cover was the perfect size!

and very very old!it all just fit togetherjust like it was "meant to be"

***I'm taking a new approach with this school yearI'm focusing on my art from when the kids get off to school to when they get home(just as if I were putting in time at a job)and now that it's the weekend and I can relax .... which includes catching up with you guys!I look forward to seeing what everyone is up to!

replicated substrate

2011-09-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

I made this collage a couple of years ago and wanted to do something similar

here's the step by step for the woven base:
1) save your cereal boxes;

2) sand and ink the cardboard (I used two colors of ink - purple and green);

3) apply black paint to one of the cardboard pieces;

4) when the black paint has dried, scratch lines into it with a sharp tool.

5) tear or cut one of the pieces into lengthwise strips and the other piece into crosswise strips (I use a straight edge for tearing - and my widths are purposely random and uneven);

6) weave the strips together;

7) apply gesso if desired (in my example at the top of this post, there is no gesso).

now it is ready for the next phaseI love collage and mixed media projects because they grow as you build and build and build upon themthis is my "slab foundation" for what I hope will become a pretty cool "building"

***

I was a flurry of creative activity today, celebrating back to school time:)

dew

2011-09-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

it is a late summer morning

and the sun is just peaking up over the rim of my teacup

the shadows are long and golden

and dew is over everything

a string of gems on every leaf
* * *
school starts tomorrowand "dew" becomes "do"it has been a happy summerbut, as happens every year, we are all happy to get back to our work

wishing you all a happy tuesdayfilled with the refreshment of dewand the inspiration of doing

do you have a tea post to share?mention it when you leave a comment, and we'll pop around to say hi:)

golden tea

2011-08-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

my tea this morning has a golden hueI felt like I was creating a still life when I set up this shotin fact it would be a lovely little painting:)hmmmmm, paint .... what is that?

I broke the lid to my two cup teapot today:(oh well, a good excuse for a trip to Goodwill

last night was the last night of the county fair for my daughter's 4H cavy (guinea pig) projectwe have so much fun ... and get so tired (the good kind of tired)as you can see, all her hard work was well rewardednow for a little shameless boasting:two of the photographs she entered won champion and reserve champion ribbons!

I'll show you her photos in another postshe's still sleeping and put one of them under her pillow last nightcute :)

happy tea on tuesday .... the last one in august .... can you believe it?if you have a tea post, just mention it in your comment and we'll pop around to say hi!

observations on wrangling

2011-08-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

whether wrangling guinea pigs ....

or pine needles .....

or wool ....

or logs with a chainsaw ....

wrangling is serious business and is never taken lightly by the wranglerstand in awe of skill, expertise and passionit is the power of wrangling
last day of fair is tomorrow ... and this 4h mom is just about wrangled out

it's totally fair ...

2011-08-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

... to boss around an animal 4-10 times your size

... to stare down someone on the other side of your cage

... to express your opinion with some bumper stickers

... to have a cuter face than any supermodel

... to stand as still and be as shiny clean as your best friend

... to kiss in public

I mean, it's TOTALLY fair:)

some favorite pictures from my trip

2011-08-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

we were in the tucson area of arizonathis first picture was taken on a cloudy day at saguaro national park

this next one is in the old barrio neighborhood of the city of tucsonthese old pueblo homes are over a hundred years old

and I love this one just for the memory of me saying, "stop the car! I want to take a picture of that bison!"

it's actually an antelopeI have more .... but I don't want to bore you :)
so happy to be home!
the county fair starts tomorrow and my third child is in 4HI'll have some classic dairy country Americana pictures in the next few daysthen school starts soon after thatI cannot begin to describe how forlorn I would be without my camera this summerabsolutely no time for rocks, paper, scissors ... or paint or glue for that matterbut my camera has been a constant companion ... satisfying the need to express something

vacation tea

2011-08-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

as I write this, we are spending our last day of vacation in arizona we have been spending time with familyrelaxing with a low key schedulereuniting with seldom seen loved onesrejuvenating in the sunshine

mornings are spent on the porch, enjoying early morning warmth and wildlife

august is actually a wonderful time to visit arizona

the almost daily afternoon thunderstorms bring the desert into bloom

all of these flowers are in my mother-in-law's "bee and butterfly" garden

the bees are plentiful .... as are the butterflies, hummingbirds, rabbits, lizards, doves and hawks

it has been such a pleasure to sit outdoors without needing a sweater

the sounds of gentle conversation and of rolling thunder in the mountains

it has been a real treat for the senses

the time has been brief, but fullsweet in the snatches of moments and memorieswe are happy to return home ... and comforted in the knowledge of many homes in many places
happy tea on a tuesday in august!

we are on the other side of winter

2011-08-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

earlier this year, it took a few photos of local houses in the raintoday I revisited those same "grand old ladies"and captured them in summertime's more flattering light
here they are side by sidewhat a difference!

ok, I'm not wild about it

2011-08-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

(shrubs, that is)

last week I made the recipe (see this post)and this week the concoction was ready to tasteof the three that I made, I like the cherry/blueberry one the bestand actually, today it tastes a little better because I ran out of sparkling water and ended up using ginger ale insteadit must be my sweet toothit gets in the way of a more discriminating palate
if you tried making shrubs, I would love to hear about itI'd love to hear about anything you might be having
it's tea on Tuesday
if you have a tea post on your blog, just mention it when you leave a commentwe'll pop by to say hello!

simple goodness

2011-08-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

here is our first humble potato from the garden

cut up and cooked in butter - that's all

when my grandmother was a young mom in WW2 Francea neighbor brought her a potato from their gardenshe sat on the stoop and wept as she ate that potato rawshe wept for her hungry children inside her houseshe wept for herselfand she wept for the baby growing inside her

sea and sky treasury

2011-08-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun collecting "favorites" on Etsy ... here are a few from this week ... I quickly noticed a beach theme .... and a treasury was born

'sea and sky in my eye' by artinredwagons

a longing for the sea is in me

Los Angeles Mid Century Fine... lucysnowephoto... $25.00	ciel 3 labokoff $30.00	Then Summer Fine Art Photogr... JulienDenoyer $25.00	A Saturday in '73 - Vint... donnageissler $30.00
SCOTTISH SEAGLASS in a varie... ScottishSeaGla... $7.50	Digital Collage Surf Inspire... BeachCities $28.00	Opal Avenue - Vintage Pink a... HighlandHouseD... $22.00	I Love You - 8x8 - Fine Art ... SherriConley $30.00
L'Inconnue de la Seine P... Augenblickphot... $8.00	Polar bear swimming yoote $15.00	New 2" Brass Compass Gl... gadgetscollect... $4.99	Five Whales Stacked - Archiv... unitedthread $20.00
How To Transport a Whale sarahogren $12.50	Nesting Scallop Bowls, Coppe... elementclaystu... $150.00	Vintage Bottle Necks SG75 NorthSeaTreasu... $10.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

majoring in phloxophy

2011-08-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

the sweet husband's garden is full of blooming phlox right nowand today's cloudy weather is perfect for some flower portraits

it's not really tea

2011-08-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

they're "shrubs"it was something I heard on the radio from a local blogger(Cook Local)she was talking about a drink she makes for parties and get togethersit's another choice for her friends who don't drink alcoholand when paired with foods it's as interesting as wineperhaps a more elegant choice than diet coke, lemonade or iced tea

now don't get weirded out: It's made with vinegarbut by the time you actually drink it the vinegar is no longer vinegar
here are the links to her recent posts about shrubs: (and recipes)Rosemary Orange Drinking VinegarShrubs (or Drinking Vinegars)

they're easy to make, and once made, will keep in the fridge for several monthsone jar will make about 25 servingsthese pictures are of my shrubs after the first stepthe green one is lime/basilthe middle one is rhubarband the last one is cherry blueberry

I'll show you a finished one next week .... and I'll be happily sipping it mixed with sparkling water

... and that's my tea on Tuesday post for today ...what are you having for tea? Or not?if you've posted it on your blog, just mention it when you leave a commentand we'll be happy to come around and ooh and ah over it :)

2011-08-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

I am partly to mostly unplugged in this month of August. Stop by for tea on tuesdays or random summer snapshots. I will make the rounds and see what you're up to ... but to be quite honest I have been too lazy for much else :)

seattle love

2011-08-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

a day trip... downtown ...it was a perfect day

hens and chicks tea

2011-08-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm taking my tea in the company of hens and chicksthe weather has finally turned summeryand the garden is where we all want to be
august is a special time for usthis year we will have been married a sweet sixteen yearsand it's been eleven years since we moved to the pacific northwestit seems that we mark the years with months of august

a life without love is like a year without summer- swedish proverb

what is your tea today?

thank you, as always, for stopping by!happy tuesday and happy august too!

christmas ornaments

2011-07-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

... aren't just for christmas trees

hang them in your garden for a little bit of bling under a shady tree

bricolage moo cards

2011-07-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

I needed some business cards - quickand I prefer the "moo" sized cards(roughly 1x3 inches - "roughly," because they are a UK invention = metric)the size is perfect for bloggers or etsians, since all you need is your web address

I used the "bricolage" techniqueor as Thomas Edison said:"to invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk""bricolage" is just a fancy word for making something out of bits and pieces and odds and ends
making something out of nothing
I don't have pictures for the step by step, but basically what I did was:pre-print what I wanted to say, using a mailing label formaton the reverse side - adhere ripped pieces of magazine images, paper scraps and book textlightly gessoed over all of itstamped randomlyused bubble wrap and paint to add texture
and ended up with this:

2 sheets of heavily glued, collaged, painted, messy card stock

but wait, that's not allonce you cut them into smaller shapes, you have magic!each one a mini art pieceafter cutting them down, I went back and added gold edging (gold leaf pen)and in any bare spots, I added a few more bee stamps

mission accomplished - business cards in one day!these are to promote my husband's gardenhe's on the local garden tour this year, so I started a garden blogthat's three blogs now ... call me crazy :)

garden markers

2011-07-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

primitive garden markers you can make yourself
this first one uses a can lidI've punched holes in the metal and bent the edge with pliersthe label is stamped paper that I mod-podged to the lidit's waterproof, but not rust proofthe stake is heavy gauge aluminum wire from the hardware store

this next one is a seed packet that I dipped in beeswax(to waterproof the paper)and then it's staked in place with an old fork

tea break

2011-07-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm having cherry, rose hip iced tea todaywith a whole baby lemon sliced thinand a side of paint water

a few clunky chunky rocks too ... and there you have the perfect tea time menuno crumbs!

I've taken a little break from chores todaymade myself some iced tea and am sitting down to re-paint the rocks of my kitty memorial marker

are you going to take a break from your chores too?I hope your summer is going well .... I know it's been awfully hot for most of you ... a perfect excuse to skip out on chores and sip some iced tea :)
do you have a tea post today?mention it when you leave a comment, and we'll stop by to say hello!

DIY room fragrance

2011-07-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite things about summer is being able to open up the windowsfresh air is the number one cure for house-atosisbut this little recipe runs a close second:)

you will need: rubbing alcohol, essential oil, and a small spray bottle or misterI like to use lemon and lavender - about ten drops each - in this 1 oz. mister

this glass mister is actually from an old sample of l'occitane perfume

(just a word of caution, do not use this on your skin ... it gave me a rash when I did)

on the fence

2011-07-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

I made some garden art for the garden this week(while it rained)these are the "hanging up" things that I made

the medallion is made from 2 pie tins (one large and one small)

the center is made from bottle caps I collected from the local taco shopthey sell lots of glass bottle drinks to go with their tacosthere's a bottle opener at the cash register and a big bin to catch all the capsthey were very kind to let me take a big bag full of caps home with my taco

this next medallion is made from a giant olive can that was a Christmas present last year

this is only half of the can ... and 2 more pie tins ... the other half of the can is another kitschy piece of garden art I will show you in my next post

the cool thing about these metal pieces is that over time they will get beautifully rusted

tea with my shadow

2011-07-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

... or as I usually say, "my little shadow."
my youngest child is usually as close by as any shadow isin fact, when I was getting ready to photograph my tea today,(Twinings, "Herbal Revive" or some such "herbalicious, lemony, gingery, yummy" tea)there she was across the table with her "every single flavor mixed into one big cup" slurpeemuch more interesting than tea :)
what is your tea today?maybe you're having a slurpee too!if you have a tea post on your blog, just mention it when you leave a comment, and we'll be sure to pop round and say hi!

"save the livah"

2011-07-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

remember Dan Ackroyd's Julia Child impersonation?"save the livah!"

with this year's lavender harvest, I've saved the leavesthey have even more fragrance than the flower budsand are perfect for sachets

the sachets can go in the clothes drier, or in a drawerI made them with an old t-shirtpretty simple

zentangled

2011-07-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

I made this weird little zentangle last month and entered into a local craft shop contest

it won third place and a ten dollar gift card

the competition was mostly high school kids

so no wonder I came in third

we all know high school was made for doodling

but what to do with it now?

.... make a puzzle .....

a twenty five piece puzzle

in its own origami box

each piece a lovely thing in its own right

(I've listed this on etsy .... need a cool gift to give?)

tea dyed muslin solution

2011-07-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

it's lavender time and I've been trying to keep up with the harvest

I bundle it up and wrap it with a rubber band and hang it upside downit's hanging from chandeliers, curtain rods and this umbrellathe smell is heavenly

in the past, I've just tied the bundles with raffia or twinethen I hang them in various places for the coming yearbut, over time, they tend to slip out of their string and make a mess
enter the solution:

I've torn muslin into strips and tea dyed it

and I tightly wrapped the bundles this timeI'm not totally sure I like it .... they're like little mummies now :)but I don't think they'll be slipping out and dropping on the floor anymore

lemonade standers

2011-07-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

I had a completely different tea post planned for today, but came across this picture in my camera from a couple of days ago. It made me grin - and I thought you would like it too. It's a good day for lemonade, don't you think?

they sold crystal lite lemonade and homemade chocolate chip cookiesraising $18 towards "the new dog fund"don't worry, our current boy is alive and well - as are the 3 guinea pigs and the teddy bear hamster - but the youngest girl wants a small sized dog she can show in 4Hour Bouvier is too big and too stubborn and too hard to handledon't tell him that though .... he's just doing his job

I hope your day is a good one ... maybe there's a lemonade stand in your neighborhood!leave a comment about your tea today, visit the other blogs who do that too and we'll all get around to say "hi!"

piffle's recipe

2011-07-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

piffle is my great aunt eleanor, from whom all the vaudeville days memorabilia came from(see THIS post)

included in all of the valentines and fan mail, was a little recipe bookI made the bread puddingand my family loved it

we had it for breakfastthe only thing I changed was using a sliced baguette instead of 5 slices of bread

north cascades highway

2011-07-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

we went for a drive yesterday in the north cascades

these mountains are called "the cascades" because of all of the waterfalls created by the snowmelt

the lakes and rivers are a beautiful teal color because of the glaciersthe glaciers grind up stone as they flow and the minerals fill the streams

we went as far as Washington Pass .... stopping for a picnic and a snowball or two

this was the first time I ever went barefoot in snow

today, we are back to our typical cloud cover and possible rain ... a good day for creating art :)

summer reading book list

2011-07-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

after spending two hours yesterday dropping kids and their innertubes upriver and meeting them downriver ... three roundtrips and 30 minutes waits in the car each time, I was very happy to have a book to read! Here are the books you recommended last week. I thought it would be nice to have them in a tidy little list :)

Just started reading Game of Thrones by George R R Martin, I've not read a fantasy novel for absolutely ages. If you fancy a bit of crime I can't recomment Camilla Lackberg's novels highly enough, can't wait for the next one to be released (shabby chic shaz)
Love Garrison Keillor, my list includes, The No! Ladies Detective Agency series (taking me to Africa),Hollywood, by Gore Vidal,Water for Elephants,by Sara Gruen, Very Valentine by Adriana Trigani, and a new novel by one of our friend's Dave Kyger. (ooglebloops)
i'm still on the jodi piccoult...with cutting for stone next on my list (*jean*)
I heard the language of flowers by diffenbaugh is good (la dolce vita)
I have been reading a bit of The Artist Way (Becca)
I'm reading "oogy...the dog only a family could love" by Larry Levin. Non-fiction and heart-rending. (Judy)
Loved the "Girl with the Dragon Tatoo", et al. Awesome series! (Terri Kahrs)
While not funny, a good novel I finished not that long ago, long and juicy and some history is "The Tricking of Freya" by Christina Sunley. (corrine of dos fishes studio)
"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" is a good summer read. It is full of Chinese culture. Also adding "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen. (Dianne)
I just finished The Female. Fascinating reading for those of use who raised our girls in overalls and told our boys that it's alright to cry (suz)
I've been reading ALL of Jodi Picoult's books. I liked The Pact which was my most recent read. (Lynn)
The No1 Ladies Detective Agency is my favourite series and I'm just starting some more Alexander McCall Smith, 44 Scotland Street. (Jane)

mornings with joe

2011-07-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

on a morning like this (last night was a very late night), joe is my morning friend

it's possibly the best coffee I've ever had - a locally roasted coffee I bought through a little league fund raiser.

I would re-order it, but I'm not sure if they have an organic blend :(

anyhow, as I sit with joe and look at my day I can see at least one thing on my list .....

... the lavender harvest.

I hope your 4th of July (and Canada day last Friday) was safe and fun! I love the way summer stretches ahead in these early days of July. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we relish these days! Morning sun! It's a few and far between event!

What are your plans for the today, for July, for the summer? Share your tea and your thoughts with us :)

p.s. I have added a couple of comments myself from friends who posted their tea early ...

tea will be a little later

2011-07-04T18:38:00.001-07:00

... Tuesday to be exact .... I usually post tea on Monday ahead of you guys, but Monday has been a holiday (and a beautiful one at that!). Look for the tea posting around 10 a.m. (pacific time) on Tuesday. Hugs, and hope your 4th was grand!

2011-07-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

DIY laundry soap

2011-07-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

believe it or not this is very simplesimple ingredientssimple savingssimple processI just love to beat the system of consumerism and packaging

Laundry Soap Recipe

1 cup washing soda1 cup borax1 bar fels naptha soap (or 2 bars of ivory soap)

finely grate bar soap by hand or with your cuisinartcombine all ingredientsuse 2 tablespoons per wash load

it is about 5 cents per load, compared to 25 cents or more for store bought detergent