Tuesday, December 14, 2010

It's looking like Christmas tea





This has not been a very good day. I just hope the rest of the day is better. Early this morning, I made some hot chocolate to drink with Kimmie and the gals who are listed on her sidebar,
then went to open my Day 2 package and it is NO WHERE to be found. It was from Jan at
Dandelion and Daisy, and if the art square (5 X 5) was as lovely as the sneak peek I got of the packaging, I am kicking myself all over the place for not counting and making sure I had all of mine. And my cocoa is getting cold and the tree mug is looking grungy from cold chocolate, but thankfully, Jan sent me photos of her art.


See what I mean about the packaging? If the art square is as great as the packaging, I'm in for a real treat. (Above photo courtesy of Jan at Dandelion and Daisy. Please do not copy.)


And Jan did NOT disappoint. Her lovely art square is even more beautiful (if that is possible) than the packaging. This is Jan's first swap ever, and I would say she hit a home run, a touchdown, scored extra points, and any other metaphor I can think of. This is STUNNING, and I'm so missing out on it. (Above photo courtesy of Jan at Dandelion and Daisy. Please do not copy.)



I got all my Christmas dishes out this morning and, since several people wanted to see all the designs, I started to photograph them. I swear, I had the hardest time, because I thought I would use my camera with the flash. Well, the flash washed everything out, and I had a dark mess otherwise. I lightened in PS, then decided, after taking over 200 photos, I would get out my Zi6, the one I normally use that has no flash, and


look at the difference. No touch-up, no nothing. Just straight off the camera. And I even noticed the eye glasses in this photo. This is a large bowl, but because it has a crack, I can't use it. I usually wrap rolls in a towel and place them in this one.


This even larger bowl I broke a couple of years ago, but repaired it, knowing I wouldn't use it, but still enjoyed the image.

Here is a far better shot.


Ye olde Curiosity Shoppe is the picture on the dinner plates.


A snow covered theme is on the meat platter.


Don't you love that bay window and the carriage in the background?


This is the salad bowl. It's quite small, and I'm not sure you could get much salad in it.


Believe it or not, this is the saucer. Not sure you can tell, but there is a slight dip in the center circle to hold the cup in place.


After standing on my head, doing a jig, and holding my mouth just right, I still never got a good photo of these (creamer and sugar bowl) until I switched cameras. And this was from the overhead and natural light.


Of course, by this time, dawn had broken, my hot cocoa was cold, and I noticed I hadn't taken a photo of the dessert/bread/all purpose plate with the grandfather clock on it. It's on the right middle end and I have 36 of these. My grandmother must have decided they were good for just about anything, because she collected so many of them. Now I am ready to see what everyone else is drinking today and get a hot cup of cocoa.

My blog pick of the day belongs to the very talented Jan, who recently joined our Altered Book Club. She has some terrific AB pages, has a keen sense of color and design, and is an all around sweet person. I've only "known" her for a few weeks, but love her blog, love her design style, and totally enjoy reading about her art journey, as well as her decorating skills. I had a laugh at her telling about her lovely china cabinet she finally finished after 12 years and calling herself the Queen of Procrastination. In my books, there is no procrastination, just time spend making a decision. And Bleubeard wants to meet Al, one of her fur babies. In her post today, Jan describes how she made her art square and package, so please stop by and tell Jan hi. I would consider it a personal favor, since she's an excellent altered and collage artist. And have an awesome Tea Tuesday, too.

17 thoughtful remarks:

Caterina Giglio said...

happy t day, I mean cocoa! your plates are wonderful, and yes i adore the bay window! xo

Steph said...

aah these are soo pretty....Happy day to you dear friend!!

~*~Patty S said...

That IS a very special set of Christmas china...hoping your day is already better...hot cocoa sounds good...it's really cold and windy here in N VA
Happy T E ;)
oxo

Darla said...

Glad we got to see pice of Day 2 (and hope the real thing shows up for you).

I love you china set. Isn't it fun to get out things that are loaded with memories. I have so red glass dishes that were Mom's and I use them during the holidays.

Darla

Darla said...

OOPS! It is obviously too early in the morning for me to be typing - sorry.

Off to get more coffee! Then I'll explore the link you posted.

Darla

Terri Kahrs said...

I'm hoping that your day is "perking up" and that you find the missing package soon. A recalcitrant elf must be responsible for such a dastardly deed! Beautiful china, Elizabeth! Hugs, Terri xoxo

voodoo vixen said...

Some days it's best to just go back to bed and try again later... but i hope the missing turns up for you and you enjoy a nice hot cup of tea after the cold chocolate fiasco!! Love your Granma's dinner service, it must be great to get them out and relive moments through them.
PS... as it had a bird in a cage on the front, have you checked out Bleubeard's hidey holes???

margaret said...

Stunning artwork from Jan, I can't believe it's her first swap, what a way to go! Love your plate collection, the Curiosity shop is my fav! M

Dandelion and Daisy said...

Thank you so much for making me your featured artist today, I am thrilled. Please e-mail your address to me and I will send you a replacement "2nd Day" ASAP. Love the dishware and YOUR creative blog!

Unknown said...

Well I can see by reading the above comment, that you have an angel in your swap group :) Lucky you! Your cocoa looks yummy - and thank goodness for microwaves - you can zap it piping hot all over again :)

Happy Tuesday!

Shelinwa said...

Love these. I love cups of hot beverages LOL

donnalouiserodgers said...

Ha - I have a 'photo face' that apparently (so my Son's tell me) appears when ever I am working hard to get 'The Shot' it has them rolling on the floor laughing - Luke took a picture once without me knowing

I Now Consciously Keep My Mouth Shut when I use a camera, and I do try not to distort the whole half side of my face that trys to go in the opposite direction of the other half of my face.

off to see Jan now, see you tomorrow...

Dx.

Marfi-topia said...

elizabeth...when i was a child someone in our family had plates like these and i cannot remember who it was, but I DO remember looking at the curiosity shop one, the cobble stones look so familiar!
thank you for this.
hope your day is much improved.

*jean* said...

oo i heart your dishes so much! i hate it when i can't get the pics i want...hope your day got better!

Dianne said...

Your dishes are lovely...

Unknown said...

I have settled in with a nice cup of java to catch up on all the blogging I missed- and am I glad I've backtracked! I would have hated to miss this post! I love your china, and thank you SO much for all the detail shots! I love how each piece tells a different story of such a different time and place- they are wonderful and I can tell you treasure them (as you should!)
Also I hope you find your tip in piece- it's lovely too! Tip ins are actually how I got involved in altered art- I was part of an art teacher trade that went on for years while I was still teaching, so tips ins have a very special place in my heart!
Have a happy day, my friend- I'm off to read the next post I missed.....I hope you don't get tired of reading my comments today :D

Dianne said...

well, at least you could find the camera...I keep misplacing mine! found it in time to get some shots of my Santas for my blog. And that cocoa looked so yummy in your first photo! beautiful dishes too...hope you get the comment problem figured out! how frustrating...