Tea Journal

Hi Everyone! It's been a lonnnnng time since I've posted anything to my blog... and I decided it's time to change it just a bit... it's going to still be a tea journal, but I'm going to add some visual interest as well... I mean, I've got my art, why not include it?

To the right, you'll see one of my very first ATCs I ever made, for a 'color' themed swap. ATCs are "Artists Trading Cards" -- much like baseball cards are trading cards amongst baseball fans... ATCs are trading cards amongst artists.

So, you're probably wondering what the heck I've been up to, to keep my blog dangling for so long! Well... I've been working hard to get my site back up, I had a bit of a problem with my server. Now that it's back up, I am making changes to it left and right, including a big change to the way I handle my Tea of the Month club. These changes were designed to make the club more efficient and a better experience for my customers.


I've also been very busy trying to make my dream of creating a 'zine a reality. I'm actually at the point where I see the light at the end of the tunnel and have started to accept pre-order payments! I've already SOLD OUT of my artist edition... the Artist Edition is the same as the first edition except that the Artist Edition will include a different, unique, one of a kind, hand collaged cover, where the first edition will be a printed cover. If your interested in purchasing your own copy, email me at mailto: eccentricpastiche@yahoo.com or you can join my yahoo group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eccentricpastiche/

Above is a scan of one of my most recent works. This is an "Altered Sherriff's Badge" (Purchased from http://www.outsidethemargins.com ) that was part of an art challenge from one of the yahoo groups I'm a member of. I really wasn't sure what I was going to do with the badge... but I knew I wanted to cover it with clay, since clay is one of my favorite mediums. So I started working the clay to make it soft, and I came out with this really cool blue green swirl that reminded me of the painting Starry Night by Van Gogh (my favorite painting) so I let my muse take it from there.

As far as tea blending goes, I've been busy in that department too! I've been working on 2 new blends, the first, my own breakfast blend. I felt a little weird being a business called "LiberTEAS" and selling English Breakfast Blend... it just sounded weird, you know? So, I decided I needed a LiberTEA blend! And I set out to create a deliciously different breakfast blend that would be deeelish! I wanted it to have a unique base of flavors, so I brought together the exceptional flavors of High grown Ceylons, Flavorful Yunnans, Robust Assams, and Lively Nilgiris. Then I added a bit of honeybush to give it a nice, rounded flavor with a hint of sweet honey-like flavor and then I added just a touch of vanilla to make it smooth and creamy. The results is a taste sensation unlike any you've yet to experience! This blend will be available in October.

The second blend is a Caramel flavored tea. I wanted something smooth and yummy... something that made you want to curl up in front of a fireplace with a cuppa on a chilly fall evening. Something that whispered of the delights of Autumn! What more enticing than Caramel? My caramel blend combines the finest Ceylons and Assams together providing a full-bodied, malty textured base along with the sweet buttery flavor of caramel... making a smooth, rich flavorful cup!

Yum!

I had a cup of the caramel this afternoon, and all I can say is that this tea definitely met my expectations... I recommend trying it with a sprinkling of sugar (brings out the sweetness of the caramel) and a splash of milk (brings out the creamy consistency of the caramel) and then let it cool just a few moments before indulging. It's a much tastier tea when it's had a chance to cool just slightly (where it's not piping hot, but still quite warm!)

Well, I guess that's enough for me for today... maybe I can keep my commitment to posting to this on a regular basis now that I've decided to incorporate my art into it too! Let's hope so!

Tea-lightful Cheers to all!
~Anne