Tea and Crumpets

Yes, it was another weekend of Tea and Crumpets and Tennis. However, no creating. Hmmmm, will get some of that done this week. As you know, I have one last Alphabet ATC to finish and will have it as a "completion" goal by next weekend! I am looking for the perfect image and I have another Z word. My dear friend Patty told me yesterday that the German word for Gypsy is also a Z word! I am leaning toward the "The Gypsy Heart" theme..... Patty, can you give me the German for that one?

Speaking of Patty. Patty has a very beautiful blog, Magpie's Nest, which was one of the first blogs I found right after I had started my blog. So since September-October 2008, I have been crusin' her blog and she mine. She is the one who got me started with my PaperWhimsy group and the Hilda Quotes - and then she kind of dropped out of that. I have been inspired by her creations even to the point of printing them off and putting them in an "inspiration" journal. When I hit a blank wall -- yes, I look at her creations to get me started again, and it works.

The fun thing about this story is that we live in the same area and took a class together a number of years ago on beeswaxing. I certainly was not blogging at that time and I am not sure if she was or not. My gut tells me no she wasn't. But then our paths never crossed again, or if they did, we didn't know it - funny since we frequent the same stamp store, Angela's Happy Stamper and before Angela's - we both frequented another store Artfully Scribed. So, you know, it had to be Kismet that we meet again in blogland and not in person. We were in Angela's once not long ago and passed by each other and didn't realize it. How did I know - someone walked back in the store and said, "I ran into Patty in the parking lot." Well, this just wasn't going to work.

As it is in blog land - we all get to know each other on a personal level of just reading what each other writes. We then email each other and get to share more of our stories. Patty and I made a date to meet for tea at a lovely tea house, Aylesbury Tea Room, in Leesburg, Virginia. We started tea at 1:00pm, we ate, we drank tea, we ate, we drank tea and chatted until 3:00pm when we decided to take in some antique stores in Leesburg. What an absolutely lovely day it was and we parted around 5:15 to head our separate ways.

I did not take photos of the tea service since we were both so excited to be able to sit and chat like long lost friends. We exchanged lovely gifts. I will show you the beautiful creations she gave me later this week - I am just so excited to have some Patty Originals. So I will share a few of our antiquing finds in our travels. Yes, we both bought and enjoyed shopping together. I loved this pillow and lamp.

And last but not least - this "crazed duck" who also had a "crazed mother duck" too...... Check the one eye - crazed if I have ever seen crazed...... nope, passed this baby by...

And then in closing, always, always, stop to smell the roses, real or otherwise! Yes, my little ones, all in a day's travels among the Honeysuckles!

Hello my little honeysuckles.... I'm back

I really have to apologize to you all for disappearing for a week. It was not my intention..... truly, but life got in the way of my fun. Do tell! I won't go over the last week, let's just say it got really busy at work and after work. Three nights of tennis and two nights of working out and a weekend with the craftchixs! Left on Friday to spend time with the girls!


And it was fun, got back today. Driving to Harper's Ferry with the top down - 85 degrees and beautiful. The drive was lovely... except for a short stretch of driving behind the trash truck that smelled. What do you do cruisin' down the highway.... Pray that the trash truck will turn off and go pick up more trash. He did.


Once I got checked in to the Quality Inn and the car unloaded, Louise, MariPat, and I went to lunch in Harper's Ferry. The "Cafe" had one of the best little cheeseburgers I have had in a long time and was situated next door to a small cemetery. I will have to go back to get more photos of this cemetery. .. Suffice it to say that everyone had their "stone" angels dressed..... you know like at Christmas time when all the homes are trying to out do each other with Christmas lights..... keep that in mind when you see the next photo....

You gotta admit - that is one cool dude angel watering dear Terry Lee. That's all I've gotta say. Just remember, it is West Virginia...... and what is strange - I just noticed while posting this photo that this angel has a Confederate flag. Never caught my eye when snapping.....

Our big outing for Friday was a tea at Hillbrook. Oh so much fun to put on our hats and pearls! We had a lot of food, laughs, and tea.

Watch it my little honeysuckles, it reads "Bullskin" Tavern...... not the way I read it when first seeing the sign and I stopped dead in my tracks....

A little game of chess......
A spring swing.....
Whewwww... did we eat enough, yes we did! The food was fantastic. OK -- back to the crop, I worked on my "Stairway to Heaven" book I made at my Michelle Ward workshop last October. This has been the first time I have pulled it out and concentrated just on it. Got "four" pages done to begin with:

I loved the clip art I had with the Madonnas and they worked out great once "framed"....

The next pages....

I added the gold mesh which I really liked the effect.... (bought it at the crop once a friend "walked" it over to me saying - this will go with your book! Boy were you right Susan!)

This will be a work in progress for a while...

I am glad I had this weekend to work on it and just get-away!

I have the car unloaded and now "organizing." I bought this wonderful printer drawer that I managed to get "positioned" in the craft room - it was not easy. I bought it not knowing if I could make it work or not. OK, I was totally determined to make it work. I will show you more photos tomorrow. Did get some stamps in the little nooks and crannies. I need to get some sanity brought to this chaos surrounding me.... My craft room is way out of control! More tomorrow. I love you all and missed you so much last week..... sorry I disappeared on you .....

Arf Arf in the Honeysuckles

Hmmmm, and who showed up on my doorstep yesterday while mummy and daddy went shopping...... Hmmmmmm. Yes, it was Oliver, my little 4 legged nephew. Here is a trick question. With all those toys and treats, can someone tell me why he always seeks out Harold and tries to undress him? Does he hate that sweater? That is the only thing he goes after and Harold is not necessarily out in public - try my bedroom.... Oh Oliver, you shouldn't be a bully - that is a no-no.....

Well, after dinner, (I had salmon and roasted veggies. Oliver had fresh green beans with a little bit of shavings of ham - that was after his regular diet food.... just a nibble), Oliver and I watched live tennis on the Tennis Channel from Indian Wells, California. OH, look Oliver, Nadal aced one! wooooohooooo.....


OK, I could go on more about Oliver's visit but I'm rambling about one of my fav topics, Oliver.... so back to the blog. I did tell you yesterday that I was headed down to have tea and cookies and then work on my new calender.... Yes, I did have tea and cookies:

For my birthday, my friend and neighbor, Jenny, gave me this bone china - 3 cups, 3 saucers, and 3 dessert plates. It is so beautiful and I was with her when a kitchen store was going out of business years ago - and this was the last of this china in this pattern - can't remember if it was 75% off or not. She knew how much I loved it and gave it to me this year as a gift.

Besides, tea and cookies, I adid work on my blank "canvas" before dear Oliver showed up:

Finished product - sorry, photo a little dark:

I added an post card image I had from "Carte Postale Classic Cats" - Cavallini & Company... a few little jewels, a flower head dress, and some jade complete the look....


And last but not least, a key........... love my keys....




And then to finish the evening, while watching TV with Oliver, I cut out some unmounted stamps which I am sending off as a belated Birthday gift to a friend.

I love these stamps and use them a lot..... as you know.....

Well, need to get lunch, make a card for the birthday gift, clean work area and it is still wet outside on this wonderful Sunday. I really do love gray days! See you later...

The Honeysuckles are Shaking in the Winds & Snow

OK, I really did think this morning that this was going to be a dud of a snowstorm. BUT, it ain't. The winds are picking up and the snow is blowing. I had trouble getting a good photo of Goyle (and he may look a little fuzzy, you know them gargoyles) but his head is buried in the snow. Wonder if we will be able to see him tomorrow? The snow kept blowing on me so I was moving faster than Goyle.


Here is a photo out toward the parking lot, trust me those streaks are snow, lots of it, at this rate we will be buried by morning....



It is too dark outside to get any good photos, so we will need to wait until the morn. In the meantime, I have been busy working on my PaperWhimsy ATC. I gathered all the items I was going to use...
Got the girl done and am having some issues with the letters and my diamond glaze tonight.... like too much diamond glaze. May redo tomorrow which, once the my "design" is done, will go quickly.

Her name is Faeri Fleur....

Yes, let's take a bath in the Glossy Accents.... (I have just ripped off the letters and will try to do a repair tomorrow.)

I did have tea today at 4:00pm which I do believe is the proper time for tea. Apples, cheese, and I did add some whole grain crackers. It was good and warmed me up. Have a good evening and if you are in my neck of the woods, stay in! Most Haunted is up next...... sounds like a great eve to me. Hugs, my friends.

Winter Wonderland among the Honeysuckles

No, I can't believe the beauty of the morning. Crumbling about the 5" to 6" of snow, I headed out with my trusty dustpan - don't believe in shovels, I live in a condo... To my surprise I was hit with a scene right out of Cinderella.... White Fog.... White Snow.... White Beauty!


The "Requin" (shark) in anticipation of the drive to work.... (yes, I cleaned her.....)

This is my "Julie" tree in her Arboreal series we are doing. However, the next photo of my tree, Madge, will not be taken and put on my blog until March or April. Couldn't pass her up in her Cinderella Gown ready for the ball. Do you hear her singing, "Someday my Prince will come...."

At the office....

And more trees at the office..... Majestic in their glory...

OK, Cinderella - your carriage turned into a pumpkin.... Now - to update you on my tea book. I worked on it Sunday night and Tuesday and here it is completed waiting to head to the tea rooms. Here is the cover layout when I realized it needed some "definition."

Paint and ink slathered on... My tummy did a few flops after I slathered my last paint swipe....





The cover completed.... Once again I used some of my Grandmother's lace, old music -- both on top of the pink ribbon and then a mother of pearl button with a brass heart.... (will still add a variety of ribbons to the binding coil.)



And the inside cover....


Whew.... now moving on to more ink bolts and two challenges over at my paperwhimsy! But, back to basics, I have to go back out tonight to a tennis meeting. After one season as the newbie and the one who said, sure I'll play anytime you need me (love me love me), the one who said sure I'll be co-co-co-captain when the others couldn't show up.... overachiever is my middle name.... or sucker. I was asked to be the co-captain for one year. My buddy who was co-captain is getting married - like that's an excuse??? I still consider myself co-co-captain..... All is well in my world tonight. Stay warm. We have another BIG snowstorm maybe moving our way Friday noontime..... OH no...