Tea Party Birthday

Enjoy this blog post and along with its predecessors at http://www.artfultourist.blogspot.com/.

I’m behind again…I have all these blog posts I want to make and yet the congestion of my mind is rivaled only by the congestion of my sinuses as I fight an infection. …sigh.

So, when all else fails just start one at time and go from there. August-October is birthday season in my world. Many family members and cherished friends were born during this three month period.

While I hope to post many of the birthday cards and gifts I’ve worked on I will just start with Miss Betty’s tea party. My dear and delightful friend Betty invited me to a tea party celebrating her birthday this weekend. Since the party was in Richmond and I couldn’t arrange a trip up there, I decided to mail in my contribution. Now Miss Betty said no gifts, so I decided to send a bit of presence instead of present. I just loving playing with words—grin.

The photos shown here represent the collection of items I mailed off to Miss Betty:

--A vintage navy hat that reminded me of my Aunt Minnie. Miss Betty says she wore it to work on Tuesday for her birthday and she channeled “Aint Bee” from Mayberry all day. I created a digital sign and used a hat pin to attach it so that it might be used as décor for the party too.

--A dozen green tea bags enclosed in print papers with stamped images of women’s faces and ribbon embellishments

--A mini pizza box filled with more little tea bags. I used the same pattern I worked with for Sir Henry’s father’s day gift but enlarged it. Our friends at Split Coast Stampers http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/pizzabox/ I provided the template.

--A 5” square card that coordinated with the tea bags—decorated both inside and out because I’m really in to decorating all of the card lately.

General overview of supplies: Spellbinder’s tea time die set, Ranger Inks, EK Success circle punch, Offray ribbon, Face stamps from Post Modern and Stamper’s Anonymous, sentiment stamp from A Country Welcome, solid cardstock from WorldWin, marbled cardstock from Murphy’s, print papers from scrap pile. I did all the scoring on my EK Success cutter with a stylus.



Regular Features

Surf stops—web sites I’ve visited recently:
If you ever read my newsletter, “Get the kNACk” then you might recall links to a kids’ web site called Making Friends. I visited there again recently thinking about some back-to-school projects for my neighbor girls. Take a look at the traveling swap book for Girl Scouts here: http://www.makingfriends.com/scouts/travel.htm
Wouldn’t that be fun to do with some art friends near and far?

Get five free fonts from Scrap ‘n Fonts by clicking this link: http://www.scrapnfonts.com/searchprod.php?showingonly=Free
I downloaded them this week and used the architect one on the two photo collages of Betty’s birthday. The dot matrix one would be fun for distress stuff, techno game layouts, and maybe even Halloween. Face it, fonts are just fun.

Touch of color—what color(s) influenced me— pink, pink, glorious pink. Miss Betty really isn’t a big fan of pink, but I didn’t have a lot of other colors working for me on this project. Turns out the china she’s using for the party has some pink in it…hurray for pink.

Most played song- “Wait and See” by Brandon Heath. You can hear it and see the lyrics on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJwlmb4V-0Y

Studio progress: Did I mention I’ve been bedridden with a sinus infection?

In the kitchen— Sir Henry went on a quest to find tea bags with Cardamom in them since I had read that this particular spice is good for infections. Turns out there are brands of Chai tea with this valuable spice in them. Whether it was the power of suggestion or the magical ingredient—the tea really seemed to soothe and help.

---Progresso chicken and wild rice soup is good for my pitiful feeling self and good enough for the husband to enjoy too. He fixed some Winn Dixie™ brand whole wheat canned biscuits with it and they were quite tasty too. Best canned biscuits we’ve eaten…Austerity Plan progress ($15.00 per month for art supplies and tools): Well, if I’m sick I can’t exactly get out and about to spend…Wait, before you think it, I also refrained from online spending and shopping channels too—grin.

Points of Interest: (random things I’ve paid attention to lately)
--- I’ve been resting and reading a lot as I heal. If you enjoy fantasy epics I have enjoyed the first two books in Tad Williams’ series “Shadowmarch.”
---I’m creating a book with the working title “Memoir Triggers” about creating your memoirs with word and image. I’m envisioning sort of an advanced “Book of Me’ that scrapbookers sometimes work on with a more edgy and universal appeal.

My opinion and where it may lead: Being kind to yourself makes you strong. It’s time for me to take my own advice, swallow my own medicine, and go back to bed.

Picture Post Overload

It's past time for me to catch up on some phot posts so here they are in no particular order except top to bottom:
1. The decorating for Henry's birthday dinner. one of the digital scrap party decorations I made for Henry's birthday.
2. Henry and I eating our anniversary wedding cake that Henry insisted on freezing...I liked the frozen wedding punch better but the cake did hold up pretty well in the air tight bag...

3. My favorite picture of my beloved Sir Henry at his birthday dinner. Daddy sent him that bandana so he could be a "biker dude."
4. Daddy and me at the gardens in Westminster in July

5. I finally got a photo of the balloon bouquets I keep talking about. Get the sticks from Oriental trading and make instant festivity. Most parties, including this one, include digital scrappy signs too. I'll try to get one of those up too..

But wait, there's more....But I guess I will wait since this is plenty for now. As a reminder to myself I'll put up: newest wedding scrap page (what a pair), more digi Henry decor, four new cards (as soon as I find the scans...sigh), and perhaps even more...grin

Regular Features:

Surf stops: http://www.craigslist.com/ find everything from jobs, to discount services, to curb alerts for freebies you didn't know you needed and much more. If you scrap or do other paper art for money try advertising your services there--it's all free.

Touch of Color: Bronze and glitter showed up in my most recent traditional layout.

My opinion and where it may lead: Or in this case, where it has lead. Last Thursday I had an aspiration performed on two troublesome cysts in my breast. This procedure was preceeded by two years of frequent self-exams, mamograms, and sonograms every 3-5 months. I never felt these cysts until they started to cause me pain in the last 3 months. The point is all the self exams in the world won't catch lumps in your breast--do them, by all means BUT also get your mamograms regularly. Please...your life matters to me and to many.

Now, I'm off to change the ice pack in my bra and give thanks to my great Creator that an aspiration was all I needed done.