Tea Tuesday Creativity

Happy Tea Tuesday!

 I love to fill my own tea bags

with purchased bulk tea,

or my own tea blends.

Tea balls and tea strainers are all good,

but sometimes tea bags are just quick and easy,

and good to take on the road with you.

I buy my empty 'press and brew' tea bags

from Mountain Rose Herbs.

I filled some bags yesterday with Yerba Mate.

Then I needed a container to put my newly filled tea bags in....

one I can travel with easily, if I choose to.

 I love to recycle, so

for my tea bags

I recycled a small tea container I already had,

( just about anything will do ).

Decorate the container with whatever you happen to have on hand...

 (I had some bits of decorative paper from a previous project )...

and finally, put a label on the container.

 (I used a scrap of yarn to tie the label on,

so it's easy to change out ).

 You may want to add a date on the label too.

 The green sticker at the bottom says,

"Enjoy the simple things in life".

While preparing and drinking my tea,

I will think of this quote for the day.

This quote was in my paper scraps,

but you could print out any quote you choose

 and add it to your new container.

Get creative!  Have fun!

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

H D I -- Lampshade

 This last week I have been changing up

things in the house,

getting things in 'order'....

which btw is my word for 2012.

Long story short....

I got this drum shaped lampshade

for free a few years back,

recovered it,

decopaged it.

I no longer liked it on the lamp it was on,

so now it had no home.

Should I get rid of it, donate it, or what?

Well, I went with the or what.

I began looking around at what I already had,

and found a metal ring, a light kit,

 and some silverware pieces.

So, I had this great idea to put them all together.

I believed it would make a great lamp 

to hang above my breakfast table

in the kitchen

It would also give me more light.

Total cost ....zero.

So, I threw out the idea to my husband,

and since it's raining outside,

he got to work on my idea,

and it's already done!

He is just the greatest!

The metal ring is suspending the silverware.

I didn't even bother polishing the silverware.

 I like it the way it is.

 It is hanging over my old dutch extension table,

which I have yet to paint and mark off my 'to do' list.

The chairs were free too btw.

All I did was paint them white.

Here it is turned off.

I may recover it one day,

when I redo my kitchen.

Years ago when I first got this shade,

I tore the old fabric off,

leaving the wire frame,

put muslin on,

and then decopaged some old

skeleton leaves onto the fabric.

It actually makes a pretty glow in the room,

when the light is turned on.

So, there it is!

Another DIY,

except mine is a

HDI,

(husband did it).

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Where the quiet coloured end of evening smiles....

 7 inch by 7 inch

 'plein air' watercolor

  Langford store

 Hotsprings, Tx.

Today it is considered a ruin...

a building that has fallen into decay.

It once had a low tin roof, plastered interior walls, and casement windows.

  It sits on the river in the

Texas Big Bend National Park.

You can't go inside now,

but through the wire of this main bulding and the back buildings,

you can still see the murals on the wall.

The store was also a post office, in it's first days.

The building was made of native flagstone, typical of the area.

A few cacti and native grasses are in front,

along with a large palm.

Large round river stones used to be at the main entrance.

Excerpt from the book

Lizards on the Mantle, Burros at the Door

by Etta Koch....

The stock ranged from Baby Percy cough syrup to sardines, from cones (pilones)

of raw brown sugar to bandana handkerchiefs.  There were huge jars of candies (dulces) and chewing gum (chicles)., stacks of shoestrings and socks, tins of tobacco and baking powder, sacks of flour and cornmeal, and of course a goodly supply of pinto beans which Maggy sold for eight cents a pound or 'three pounds for a quarter' in spite of customer objection.  There was also a fair assortment of handmade articles the Mexicans brought in for trade: braided leather quirts, ropes and morrales (nosebags) woven of twisted agave fiber. 

There are actually hot springs about 1/2 mile down the river from the store.

I didn't get a photo of that

as many people were enjoying the 'healing' 105 degree water

in the old 20 foot square rock 'tub',

all that remains of the old bathhouse.

We will enjoy it another day.

Gene and I had lunch under a very large stand of about 8 palms,

down the river, in front of the old store.

We both enjoyed sitting under their spreading fronds

which gave us much welcomed shade.

Where the quiet-coloured end of evening smiles...

Those are the words that came to mind while I was having our picnic.

I just love that line!

It is the first line in the poem

Love Among the Ruins

by Robert Browning.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Wabi Sabi Ghost Town

What IS wabi sabi anyway?

- an appreciation for that which is not perfect.

Well, I found it in the

 GhostTown of Terlingua, Tx.

This being my second trip to the Big Bend area

of Texas, I saw some of the same at

Big Bend National Park...

but I found wabi sabi at

the place we stayed at in the ghosttown...

Upstairs at the Mansion.

Outside, it is a mansion no more, as time and harsh conditions

have taken their toll on the old Perry mansion

But inside you are very comfortable

and surrounded by wabi sabi.

Handmade, hand quilted quilts are available

for the deserts cold nights.

The curtains are made of gauze or burlap,

draped over a native 8 ft long sotol yucca stem

(this is the part of the yucca plant that shoots up

and holds the massive blooms)

that acts as a curtain rod.

Then the curtains are pulled back by spiraled wire,

enabling you to enjoy the great views.

Upstairs is an extensive library.

It's nice to sit and read and enjoy the views

of the mountains and desert below.

In the kitchen is a make do table, coverd with lovely linens and

old vintage car seats for sitting.

Art is on the walls.

A wire fence panel piece holds hooks for pots and pans above the

unique 6 burner stove.

A beautiful  vintage looking ornate mirror is above the sink.

A glow surrounds the room 

thanks to a very old Mexican wrought iron lantern hanging above

in the tall ceiling.

Twinkling lights greet you when you come in at night.

The grounds are native rock and native plants

drawing many unique birds to the house.

The ghost town is full of ruins of

a once thriving community.

You can see most of them from the porch.

When you pull up to the mansion,

you are not quite sure of this place.

But like they say,

never judge a book by it's cover.

The sunsets and sunrises can't be beat.

And yes, that is a wifi connection tower

coming out of the top of the mansion.

Now that's wabi sabi with benefits!

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

More fabric collage

In my previous post

I showed you some of the

beach themed fabric collages

I'm making for gifts.

Here are just a few more I've made,

with different themes.

You can click on each photo to enlarge if you like.

Copyright free photos are found online,

or use your own vintage photos.

This one uses some of my pieces of rusted fabric,

and also a dictionary page for the word

Cowboy.

You can add anything.

Sometimes I add my paper fabric,

pieces of old maps etc.

This one uses a piece of sari ribbon.

I save even the smallest pieces

for projects like this.

I like to mix florals, stripes and solids.

I also alternate often with lights and darks.

Remember balance and design principles,

even for things such as these fragments.

If you make some, let me know,

I would love to see them.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Fragment Fabric Collage

What do you do with lots of pieces of assorted fabrics

that are given to you?

Make fabric collages.

I have been having more fun making these.

Copyright free photos are the focal point.

and I always add a quote.

Vintage buttons and embellishments are used also.

I make them anywhere from 8" by 10" to 16" by 20".

Here are some with a beach theme.

"Don't wait for your ship to come in.

Swim out to it."

"You can comb the sands or lie in the sun,

the choice is yours, as long as it's fun!"

"A real friend is someone who takes a winter vacation

on a sun drenched beach, and does not send a card."

"Live in the sunshine,

Swim the sea,

Drink the wild air."

---Emerson

Each one has raw edges on each fabric layer.

Denim or some similar heavy fabric is used on the back

to stiffen the piece, so it hangs nicely.

It is added last, to cover up all the stitching that was done.

Then I stitch a hanger on the back,

and it's ready.

You can stiffen it further by adding

spray starch to the back.

Makes great gifts.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Daddy's Little Girl

I have been making some fabric collages.

These are just fragments of raw edged vintage fabric,

trim and buttons from long ago.

I also use copyright free vintage photos

and I usually add a quote.

This one is for my niece Bekah,

who is having a little girl

in December.

I think this little girl holding her doll is so sweet.

The quote says...

"I love being a girl,

because I'm daddy's little girl,

and that rocks!"

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

WIP's to Share

This week I've been working on several new projects.

I'm making some Fragment Fabric Collages,

each with a different theme.

This one is a cowgirl theme and says,

Cowgirls Promise--All Grit and No Quit

As you can see, I have each piece pinned on right now.

I will do some stitching and add some embellishments,

like the vintage buttons and lace you see here.

Then I will add batting and a back to it,

along with a way to hang it.

 Fragments are a fun and easy way

to use up scraps of fabric and lace.

---

I am also making

felted wool wrist pincushions.

While visiting my cousin Paula recently,

I saw that she was using one,

and how handy it was.

She had lots of felted wool and fabric scraps,

so I started making them during my visit with her.

I love using mine,

when I'm doing hand work.

My plan is to make plenty of handmade items

for the Christmas season,

that is quickly approaching.

Do you have any great ideas you would like to share?

If so, I would love to know how to make something new.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Hand dyed and crayola fabric fun!

I visited my cousin Paula last week,

so we could dye fabric together.

She is a very talented quilter,

and wanted to learn to dye fabric

to use in her quilts.

I'm not an expert by no means, but

  I enjoy dyeing fabric myself.

First we mixed up different colors of

Procion MX dye

that we bought from Dharma Trading Co.

Each color made up almost a quart jar.

We were sure to label each one,

but with the warm water inside,

(which was used to dissolve the dye and the urea),

the labels kept coming off, so here we have

masking tape to try to keep the labels in place.

Otherwise you can not tell what the colors are.

Be sure and label everything!

Paula's workshop porch was a great space to dye fabric.

 It kept us out of that hot Texas sun,

 yet gave us a bit of a breeze.

She also had a sink inside, for water rinsing.

This is awashi shibori, or pole wrapping.

It is curing in the hot sun.

We wrapped plastic around it so it wouldn't dry out so quickly.

 

Smaller pieces we just placed in plastic zip lock bags to cure.

Here Paula is holding up one of the shibori pieces.

Here are some greens that are cured, rinsed,

 and ready for the washing machine and dryer.

They didn't lose any more of their color when washing,

as we used one of those color catchers to find out.

A blue shibori piece done.

This piece was done by just mopping up dye that was in the bucket.

We didn't waste anything.

For this long narrow piece of fabric,

Paula started painting on the dye colors.

She was really getting the hang of it by then.

We used both muslin (pre-washed) and PFD fabric.

Below is what she did to it later after I left to come home.

She said some of the blue came out but it still looks good.

 She used kids coloring books for the patterns,

and then colored it in with crayons,

and outlined with a fabric marker.

Great job Paula!

Can't wait to see the finished baby quilt

and other projects.

I have a feeling Paula will come up with some

very creative things in the future.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

 

Moon Tea and fiber arts

Happy tea day!

In celebration of September's full harvest moon

I wanted to share with you a simple how-to

of making moon tea.

You have all heard of 'sun tea',

well there is 'moon tea' as well.

It is said that,

"Just as the sun represents the masculine,

  the full moon will bring

 a feminine (lunar) quality to your tea

 that will help awaken your creativity

 and extract a different healing energy of the herbs."

Directions for making Moon Tea...

Place fresh or dried herbs of your choice

 and water in a jar or glass bowl

and cover with a screen to keep bugs out.

Put it out with the full moon

and leave it while you rest.

Drink upon waking in the morning.

Have a happy tea day everyone

and if you want to read more tea post

visit Kimmie at

http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/

***

The Fiber Art Society met recently

so today while I am having my moon tea with you,

I thought we could look at photos

of our show and tell.

Meet Laura!

She is a very talented fiber artist,

who dyes fabrics of all kinds.

She does some beautiful felting projects,

and I wanted you to see the hand dyed and felted purse she made.

It is gorgeous!

Wonderful job Laura.

I'm always excited to see her creations,

and she always has many.

Below is Happy, our Fiber Art Society president.

She is holding her unfinished art quilt she is creating

for our next show.

It is a bit hard to tell now,

but it is a bird riding on an elephant.

I know it will be beautiful,

as Happy always creates very unique pieces,

with beading and more.

Below are more pieces that were brought to show and tell.

Janet is entering this one in our World Peace show.

I love this mostly all black piece that Janet created for the show also.

These are gourd pins made by one of our basket makers

in the group. 

Aren't they lovely!

She sells them at shows,

and you would not believe how lightweight they are.

How to hang?  Vertical or horizontal?

That is the question!

Pat put lots of work into this piece!

Don't these curves look hard to do?

Cornelia made this bright and beautiful art quilt.

The leaves are 3-D.

Thanks Cornelia for loving and purchasing my

Imagine Peace art quilt.

This last photo shows Laura holding up

her nuno felted scarf.

The holes in it make it beautifiul, in my opinion,

and very unique and interesting.

She also hand dyed the wool,

and hand dyed her shirt and tie/scarf she is wearing.

The meeting was wonderful as always.

It is always fun to get together with women

who enjoy the same things as you do.

It's yet another way to...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Wu-Yi tea and musings

Happy Tea on Tuesday!

This morning I am enjoying a cup

of zesty lemon tea made by

the Wu-Yi Tea Co. out of Austin, Tx.

I found the hand painted lidded cup

and the linens while thrifting

awhile back.

Wu-Yi tea is named after the Wu-Yi mountains in China. 

 This is said to be some of the most sought after tea in the world.

I love their blue leaf logo.

I always drink hot tea early in the morning.

Then I switch to iced tea. 

Most tea I drink is decaf or herbal teas.

To read more tea posts,

visit Kimmie at

http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/

You will also find lots of creative items

when you visit Kimmie's blog

and Etsy shop.

***

MUSINGS

Well, tropical storm Don was a dud,

so we are still in a drought, big time.

The so called eye went right over

us here at Baffin Bay.

We were so hoping for some rain,

but not this time. 

We are still in hurricane season

until November 1st.

***

The Art Center for the Islands director told me yesterday

that the Barefoot show and sale was a success.

I took my Merit show items over

and picked up what I didn't sell at the Barefoot show,

which was only a few things.  Yippee!

Now the reception for my Merit Show

will be August 5th.

I'm so excited!

***

Soon I will be attending

another plein-air watercolor event,

out of town.

My instructor Dolores Price will be there

 and will be giving a demo.

The day includes a salad luncheon.

It should be lots of fun!

Future photos here!

***

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Tree practice--PPF

I love trees of all kinds.

Here in south Texas we have oaks, ebony,
olive, palms, mesquites, and other trees.

Many are twisted by the strong winds here.

Most have interesting bark and lots of character.
Some have small leaves,
and others have larger ones.
Some even have beautiful flowers.

I painted a tree this week for my watercolor class in town.
We are going on a day out artist retreat this month,
and my teacher was teaching us about trees.
I have a very hard time painting trees.
I like to paint loose, and have lots of color
in my paintings,
so here is my first tree.

I put a rope swing hanging from the large branch,

just like I always had when growing up.

I'm not sure about the perspective,

the shadows etc.

I will keep practicing!

This painting is only 8 by 10 inches,

so that is smaller than normal for me.

I used smaller brushes,

and that seemed harder for me also.

So, that's my Paint Party Friday painting,

as it is right now.

Hope you are having a wonderful and creative week.

If you have any tips on painting trees,

I could sure use some critique on this one.

Thanks!

To see more PPF art,

visit http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

or click on the logo in my sidebar.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Paint Party Friday--Flowers

"Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. 

 They are the hieroglyphics of angels,

 loved by all men for the beauty of the character,

though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning."

---Lydia M. Child

Happy Paint Party Friday!

I love flowers!

The flowers here are starting to bloom,

more and more each day.

I decided that a floral painting

would be appropriate

for this week's PPF photo,

since Spring is well under way.

This is how I did it...

First I sketched the vase and flowers loosely.

Then I did an under painting on wet paper,

letting the colors run.

I put certain colors of paint in places where I knew

 flowers and leaves would be,

background and foreground.

That layer had to dry well before going on.

Using three different brushes and mixing colors,

I painted in the foreground flowers and leaves a bit more,

leaving hard and soft edges.

Then that layer dried well.

The next layer was detailing everything just a bit more.

I like to keep things abstract and loose,

with just the illusion of what it is.

After that layer was dry

I put in the centers of just a few flowers.

Lastly, with a liner brush,

I put in some twirly things,

and splashed different colors here and there.

To see more Paint Party Friday art,

go to

http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

or click on the logo in my sidebar.

Or why don't you join us!

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Elizabeth Barton plus my musings

'Art and Quilts, cogitations thereon' 

is the name of the blog written by Elizabeth Barton.
http://elizabethbarton.blogspot.com/

She says in one of her posts....

"We need some repetition in our lives, rhythms like the rhythm of the seasons, the daily routines and rhythms of our lives…and we do need to be able to predict what will happen…But again, a little variety and syncopation keeps us interested and alert. “They” used to think that human beings required perfect balance – stasis – to function best, but now it’s realised that being a little off kilter is actually much better for you! Don’t always stand 4 square on 2 feet – try balancing on one leg for a while!"

Being a artist and instructor,

her posts touch on subjects

that are all very interesting.

To check it out
click on the link above and

just go to her archives in her sidebar

to find what interests you.

***

MUSINGS

It has been a wonderful week.

Most of my most recent posts are ones

I wrote beforehand

and then scheduled to be published

on a certain day.

This makes it much easier,

and I don't spend as much time every day

on the computer.

Who wants to be inside

when the weather is so gorgeous,

and the birds are calling.

I have noticed that many out there

have stopped their blogs,

and some don't post very often.

Doing your posts ahead of time

really helps, in my opinion.

But it is most important to enjoy

and experience your everyday

however you can.

***

I spent 6 days with my sister Lanette,

and yes, she did laugh when she saw

her picture on my 'sing' inchie art.  LOL

http://inkspillersattic.blogspot.com/2011/04/sing.html

I hardly ever got on the computer those 6 days.

Went to Corpus with my friend Karen,

and my sister,

and had such a fun time.

Ate lunch at the veggie Tango Tea Room

where they say

"It takes tea to tango."

Will get photos next time!
Learned about the first Friday art walk downtown,
and will be going next month.
I'm excited!

***

I finally got time to try out the

caraway tea bread recipe and

it turned out wonderful!

Here it is cooling on the counter...

I couldn't wait to try it!

It was great just by itself!

The castor sugar makes a big difference.

To try it,

go to my post...
http://inkspillersattic.blogspot.com/2011/03/caraway-tea-and-bread-recipe.html

***

I'm working on another watercolor
for my merit show in August.
I will show my progress tomorrow for
Paint Party Friday.
You can see lots of wonderful art
at Paint Party Friday.
If you are an artist,
why don't you join us.
Just click on the logo in my sidebar.
***
It's that time of year for...
art walks,
Botanical Garden events,
the Sand Fest,
Farmer's Markets!
All great fun!
Hope you visit again for photos of all!

Savor the Day!
Yvonne