Tea, Thank You, and Tuesday!

  This last week or so I have truly been on a winning streak - with many thanks to the artists, companies and blogging artists who have generously had giveaways! I mentioned  several of them in my last post. Here is the steeping teacup set I won along with a pkg of art in a recent giveaway by the incredibly talented sketch artist Tracey Fletcher King. It was sponsored by theteaspot.com:

                                                      this is a generous size mug-16oz.!

   The company sent me a packet of their Bolder Breakfast (black tea, Pu'erh and chocolate blend) Loose leaf tea was put in the steeper in the cup. Boiling water was added in.

                                                        The lid is on to steep the tea.

  Once steeped, the steeping cup is lifted out, the lid is reversed and holds it while I drink this tea-which BTW is absolutely DIVINE!!!

  And today the other part of this particular win came when this pkg arrived from Australia:

  Tracey was commissioned by the Tea Spot to illustrate this particular mug and she put  a sticker of her drawing on the pkg:) And inside this is what I found:

  A teacup/teabag poster, a postcard, and a set of note cards- ALL illustrations done by Tracey!! The details in her sketches are stunning and I already plan on framing some of these-so very impressive! Do check all the links I have in my last blog post- I think my T day peeps would be especially interested in Tracey's special project:) Linking to dear Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T Stands for Tuesday.

  We got our first taste of snow this past week too one night:

  Pics aren't the best-the snow came very suddenly and quickly, blowing and coming down like crazy! Thankfully it didn't last( we got no more than the dusting you see here) , and even today my summer hanging baskets of flowers are still intact. Even if I lose them to the very cold expected tomorrow I am grateful for the extended duration of my blooms.

 There has to be an art part and this is it:

   The theme this week at the Simon Wed. Challenge Blog is "seeing stars/ Studio Calico" and this is my entry. The Simon Mon. Challenge Blog theme this week is "to the moon/celestial theme" and stars are celestial are they not? Hence this is my link there also.
  Products: kraft note card (Canvas Corp); patterned background card stock (Studio Calico Take Note Paper Pack); Red Star, Navy card stock- Mat Stacks DCWV); tag (K and Company); rubber stamp (Hero Arts); Memories Midnight Blue ink (Stewart Superior Inc.);  Tea Dye Distress Ink ( Ranger); small star punch; Stickles Starry Night glitter glue ( Ranger).

 Oh, one more thing-I am going to see Celtic Thunder and my guy Keith this Sunday in town!! We have met most of these guys (some more than once in person) and cannot wait to see them again (even though we've seen them at least 4-5 x since their first concert)!! ( I know Patty understands my enthusiasm:)

 Thank YOU for taking the time to stop in and say hello-so appreciated!

" Tea is quiet and our thirst for tea is never far from our craving for beauty. "    James Norwood Pratt