Tea Time Thursday #105 ATAA Tea Exchange

My tea group...ATAA or Afternoon Tea Across America...decided to to have a tea cup exchange for Easter instead of our usual card exchange. We were to send a tea cup, card and tea only. I was paired up with a lovely lady in Vancouver WA. Jennifer gifted me this this spring time cup and saucer, a darling card and delightful tea.

I love the colors of the tea cup....so perfect for this time of the year.

It's English made bone china made by Royal Patrician.

I posted these cute Easter Bunny clothespin dolls for Dolly Thursday on my Tasha Tudor site today. I just love this little couple. They are so nicely made and are so sweet.

Mrs Bunny has worked hard painting her egg for Easter!

Mr Bunny has been busy too! He's got a whole little walnut wagon filled with eggs!

Happy Tea Time Thursday. Easter will soon be here...it's so early this year. 

Monday Made....Valentine Mailbox

My TAKE PEACE  Tasha Tudor group, enjoys a sharing day on Monday. It is a day to post things that we have made or that someone else has made for us. I shared a variety of handmade Valentine cards last week. Since I save all my Valentine cards and letters until February 14th, I thought it would be fun to make a mailbox. My friend Belinda made one for her cards too. At first I was thinking of a rounded top mailbox but decided to look online to get inspired. I happened upon a YouTube tutorial that was made by a blogger friend of mine....Terri at Artful Affirmations. I mentioned her last Monday as I had used her idea for a little paper slipper Valentines.

Anyway, I really had fun making this box out of a shoebox. I wanted mine to open on the side so that I could get my envelopes out on the big day! She was kind enough to send some ideas and I figured it out. The box I had was just perfect as it was hinged on one side. I can just open it and retrieve my mail!

I had the perfect saying to decorate the box with little flowers, charms and stickers.

A look inside to see all my cards "in waiting"! I have so much fun on Valentine's Day opening all my treasures.

Terri used a real vintage glass door knob on the top of the box, but I used one I found at the craft store. It's smaller and worked well for me.

The little feet are wooden and can be found in packages of two at the craft store. Terri suggested brushing them with a stamp pad and  then use a glue gun to attach them. It all worked well.

So here's my mailbox! It's pretty cute. As with any project, you learn as you go. I would change a few things if I made another one. It is in my tea room holding my paper treasures.

I'll be sharing this with Stephanie on Tuesday for her Roses of Inspiration.

You still have a few more days to sign up for my Give Away!

Tea Time Thursday #77 and a New Craft!

What's this sweet little charm doing hanging around on a lace ribbon? It's part of a new craft and fun adventure I am embarking on! A friend of mine that I first met on ATAA (Afternoon Tea Across America) introduced me to it all! Belinda is also a member of my Tasha Tudor group called Take Peace. She was posting these fun pictures on her FB page and I just had to ask her what she was doing! She very kindly gave me an introduction to POCKET LETTERS and POCKET LETTER PALS. This was all new to me and so fun! This is the finished project below...all rapped up and ready to post.

So, what is a POCKET LETTER?  A POCKET LETTER was created by Janette Lane....a very talented young lady who just took off with this creation. Yes, she has a blog and it is really helpful to pop on over to Janette Lane for more information and instructions. Half of the fun is gathering pretty scrapbook papers, fun embellishments, ephemera, tea...all kinds of fun things that are fairly flat.

You will need to buy baseball card holders...they have 9 pockets and that's where the POCKET LETTER idea comes from. Janette has a plan on her blog that gives you a plan to follow. I didn't follow it that closely as I just got into it and the plan come together! I did use a coordinating little book of scrapbook papers and that made the base very easy for me. I'm a quilter, so it was kind of like putting a paper quilt together....a nine patch! The wording on some of my papers gave me some direction as to what to add to that pocket.

It's not easy to see what I added to my pockets with the shine on the pockets, but I think you can get the idea here. It was fun to use a lot of paper items that I already had in my crafting room...you know, those things that you save (if you're a crafter or a pack rat) that you just might "use" someday! I had the little envelopes for years and they were perfect to hold buttons, vintage stickers, and flowers. The teapot picture in the right hand corner is filled with a tea bag.

This is a better pictures to study the treats in each pocket! I think these would be so very fun to do for the holidays. I'm going to start collecting bits and pieces as I find them. I have 5 snail mail Pen Pals with my ATAA group. This would be great to surprise them with a different type of letter!

I did make one mistake. You are supposed to add a letter in one of the pockets about yourself! I did send Belinda a letter, but I didn't add it to one of my pockets. I guess I know her well enough and I didn't really think I had to introduce myself, as I did with my regular Pen Pals. I am going to meet her in July in Vermont at a Tasha Tudor Gathering. Fun fun fun!I don't think she reads my blog, so I hope she doesn't see this before it arrives in Florida next week.

Oh yes, it is Tea Time Thursday! I thought this new teacup would be a nice one to add with the Pocket Letter. It is so dainty and I love that it has roses AND forget-me-nots. Of course I am going to like it~it has a flower cluster inside the cup.

It is decorated with such pretty flowers and don't you like the footed cup? That's another winner in my book.

I think this would be lovely on a piece of fabric. I would buy it for sure. I live just outside of Portland, Oregon....the City of Roses....so I just love roses, especially pink roses.

The cup is bone china, made in England by Rosina. I didn't use to thing that much about Rosina cup and saucers but I am beginning to really like some of the patterns.

Thank you for sharing my enthusiasm about tea time and crafting. Thank you for your sweet comments on my recent post. I continue to keep these families in my prayers.

St Patrick's Celebration

Happy St Patrick's Day! Since I have a wee bit of Irish heritage, I always have to celebrate a bit!
Jim is off on a little trip with our handyman Duane, so I will have to cook his annual corned beef and cabbage dinner on Thursday.

The Wirth faminly invited us for dinner on Sunday, Our SIL is just a fabulous cook!  The table was all ready for the yummy food....corned beef, hot German potato salad and a mix of cabbage, apple and onion wonderful veggie dish. The soda bread was excellent!

Mama Angie and her little Irish man, Otto!

I caught this one in the kitchen as the "cook' was getting it all ready for the hungry visitors.

Ava and Otto....they are just so cute. They are both really growing up so quickly. They are both such happy kids. Aren't they just adorable all dressed in green?

Daddy Chris took a little time out for some fun dancing and singing with the kiddos.

These little pipe cleaner figures are charming. Chris and Angie decorate for all the seasons and holidays.

I got to bring the dessert tray....Blarney Stones, Melt in the Mouth cookies and Lucky Charm cereal bars for the kids. Yes, I did eat some treats...blew the diet, but it was worth it!

I didn't have a tea today with Jimmy out of town. I did have a cup of tea while I opened  my cards and goodies from my Afternoon Tea Across America (ATAA) tea time group.

I will get to go to a  St Pat's tea this Saturday, so I have one more fun event to look forward to before St Pat's is done and gone for another year.

I hope you had some fun today. 

Tea Time Thursday #65~ ❤Sharing Valentine Exchanges❤

Oh, how I love Valentine card exchanges! Before the month slips away, I want to share some more fun that I had this year with my Tasha Tudor Take Peace group and my Afternoon Tea Across America (ATAA) group. I always have to wait to do these posts as I don't like to give away my surprises before the holiday. The excitement begins with a trip (or two) to the craft store to gather up paper and a variety of goodies for the occasion.

This is my offering for ATAA...I cut out the teapots, glued paper heart doilies onto the card and then deocrated the post with bits and pieces. This year we were to enclose a sample of tea and a favorite recipe. I sent a recipe for Marmalade Muffins that was from a Crabtree and Evelyn cookbook that I love.

My Tasha Tudor exchange was a little bit different. We send a tiny Valentine card from our dolls to the other dolls. I like to include tiny gifts for the dolls too.  It's fun to send tea and little candies too.

I had this glass mailbox that I have had for years. I thought it would be fun to put my incoming Valentines in it, as I like to open my cards on Valentine's Day.

Lots of cards and little fun packages from some special friends.

Here is a look at my cards from ATAA! So fun. I love all the handmade cards. Very pretty. I will probably put them into an album.

Look at all the sweet Tasha Tudor cards from the exchange!

I have shared the fun I have with my friend Lynda and the friendship ball. I have been hoping to find another one to have fun with LaVonne. I found one a few weeks ago...perfect timing!

I filled the ball with tiny gifts for Miss Annabelle. We will send it back and forth now...yes!

My dear friend LaVonne never forgets me! Lots of good things.She even found me dolly Valentines!

The little red shawl was for Hitty! It is tiny and well made. I had to try it on and it fit perfectly.
Hitty was very happy with her gift!

Annabelle asked me t pst some pictures . She has her table all set for Valentines! Tea time!

Annabelle wanted to use her new red teaset. I think it's a lovely set indeed!

This is her other table, set for tea also.

Annabelle's dessert table.

Annabelle found this sweet little blanket box. I love it and she put it to good use!

Hope you enjoyed my little review of Valentine's! Happy Tea Time Thursday. I am off with a friend for the weekend up in the Seattle area.