Chocolate Rose Romance - It's Almost Gone!

Greetings!

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I have only 2 (yes, that's TWO) refill packages (approximately 4 ounces each) of Chocolate Rose Romance left. After it's gone, I won't be blending it any more... so if you want some of this amazing tea - you should get it while the getting is good!
This tea is rich, decadent and delicious - it is just perfect to soothe that inner beast that's just craving some yummy chocolate!

Stop by my Artfire Tea Shop to see what else is available!

~Anne

A New Etsy Shop!

Greetings!

OK, so you're probably reading the title of this post and thinking... doesn't she already have an Etsy shop? Why, yes I do. When I first signed up with Etsy (way back in 2005) I signed up with the name of my 'zine, because I had originally intended it to be the place to purchase my 'zine (when ever I might get around to actually publishing one haha!) and only put my teas there temporarily until my website was up and running.

However, I hadn't intended for the EccentricPastiche Etsy store to be my tea shop. And then, once people started buying teas there, I kept them there, because I didn't wish to create confusion. I know that I'm always confused when I encounter a shop that has moved... and I didn't wish to cause confusion for someone else.


So, now, I've finally set up shop for my tea on Etsy... appropriately named LiberTEAS!

I don't have all my teas listed there yet... it's a slow process. Please be patient with me.

If you go shopping at my Etsy TEA shop (and you SHOULD!) and you don't find what you're for -- please feel free to either convo me and if I have it in stock, I'll list it just as soon as I can... OR if you'd like, you can shop at either of my other two tea shops: My Artfire Tea Shop ~ OR ~ My 1000Markets Tea Shop.

Thank you for your patience with this ... and a most sincere thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years... I truly appreciate it!

~Anne

PS: Don't forget about my FREE SHIPPING offer in my Artfire Tea Shop! Get free shipping on all orders $25 or more! Just use the coupon code: THANKS (Valid for US and Canadian Customers only)

International customers can save too! On orders $25 or more, just use the coupon code: INTERNATIONAL and receive $5 off your order.

Thanksgiving ... and all that SHOPPING!

Greetings everyone!

This will just be a quickie blog post, just wanted to update everyone on the **Sales** I have going on in my Artfire Tea Shop.

As I posted previously, throughout the month of November, you can use the code NOVEMBER to receive 20% off your total order of $20 or more (not including shipping). And, of course, that sale is still active (since it is still November!)

But, for the upcoming BLACK FRIDAY (one of my favorite shopping days -- certainly don't like the crowds, but I love the sales!) and CYBER MONDAY ... I am also offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders of $25 or more for all US and Canadian customers. Just use coupon code THANKS.

For my international customers, I want to give you a reason to shop with me too... so I am offering $5.00 off your order of $25 or more. Just use the coupon code INTERNATIONAL. Of course, anyone can use this code with a qualifying order.

OK... so now for some fine print...

Discounts are limited to stock on hand, sorry no rain checks. Coupon codes are limited to one per customer, and one per order. (However, if you'd like to take advantage of all three coupons, I'd be happy to accept three separate, qualifying orders.) Coupon codes are valid through December 1, 2009. Discounts/Coupons valid for my Artfire Tea Shop only.

So, that's that! Time to shop!

~Anne

PS: Also... as it is that time of year, I'd like to offer a big THANKS to each and every one of you for your support over the past five years. I truly appreciate it!

November's Sale!

Baby, it's cold outside, and it's a perfect time to curl up with a hot cup of tea! And what could be better than tea? Maybe 20% off on your tea purchase! Check out this sale!

Now throughout the month of November (Hey! That's this month!) you can receive 20% off your entire order ($20.00 or more, not including shipping charges) from my Artfire Tea Shop! Just use the coupon code: NOVEMBER at checkout and your discount will be applied.

mmm... Chocolate Rose Romance Tea!

Fine Print: Coupon valid from November 6 - November 30. Limited to stock on hand only (no rainchecks), and can not be combined with any other discount. This coupon is valid for my Artfire Tea Shop only.

That's it... Just place your order of $20 or more, use the coupon code - November - and get 20% off your order!

~Anne

FREE SHIPPING offer!

Greetings!

To celebrate Autumn, and all that goes with it, including my Masterpiece Chai! -- I'm having a free shipping offer now through the end of October!

mmmm.... Masterpiece Chai!

Just place your order of $25 or more worth of product from my Artfire Shop, and use coupon code: Autumn and get FREE SHIPPING on your order! This is good through the end of October, limited to stock on hand only, no rainchecks, and for orders in my Artfire Shop only.

~Anne

FALL IS COMING!

Hello Everyone!

I am kicking off my Fall is Coming sale in my Artfire store this weekend! For the time being, I am offering this sale only in my Artfire store, however, if you would prefer to purchase from my Etsy Store or my 1000Markets store, please simply contact me through the store of your choice and I'll post a special listing for you.

Here's the scoop:

Chocolate Rose Romance

All teas sold in tins (full-sized only) is 25% off the regular price! The prices are already marked down in my Artfire store, so all you need to do is place your order to take advantage of this sale.

This sale is limited to stock on hand only, and only on tea sold in tins (I'm running low on my refill bags!), and sale prices are good through August 31, 2009... so time is ticking and products are flying off the shelves... so better place your order NOW! Just visit my Artfire store, and take advantage of my excitement for my favorite time of year -- AUTUMN!

Potpourri Tea

Please keep in mind that I do relist products after their sold, so if you visit my store and don't see what you're looking for, don't dispair! I probably DO have the tea in stock, I just haven't had a chance to relist yet! So, just contact me through my Artfire store if you don't see what you're looking for, and if I have it in stock, I'll relist it for you!

It's Time for Tea!!!

Green Apple Tea now available!

Yay! I am so glad to have my Green Apple Tea back in my collection! It truly is one of my personal favorites - I love the crisp apple flavor, and it will be absolutely perfect for iced tea brewing!
I was inspired to create this tea because I have always loved Aspen soda (do you remember it?) I loved it so much that even now, when I go grocery shopping I check the soda aisle very carefully for Aspen soda, hoping that it will somehow magically appear again!

I am not beginning to suggest that this green tea tastes anything like Aspen, but it has one of the characteristics that made Aspen soda so memorable for me: a crisp, clean apple flavor that seems to sparkle! The sparkle in the Aspen soda probably came a bit from the carbonation of the soda, and while the green tea doesn't taste carbonated (or even at all like soda), it has a certain crisp, sparkling flavor that I find irresistible.

How to brew Green Apple Tea:

As with all green teas, it is important to note that water temperature is a KEY factor in brewing success. If your water is too hot, you are likely to scorch the delicate green tea leaves and this will leave the tea with a bitter, almost "burnt" taste. It is better to have the water "not hot enough" than to have it too hot. (Note: If the water is "not hot enough" you should allow the tea to brew for a slightly longer period of time)

The water temperature should not exceed 180 degrees F. Not all of us have thermometers on our tea kettles (I don't!) so I generally just pull the kettle when small bubbles form at the bottom of the kettle and begin to start jumping about -- not quite boiling, but generating a good amount of steam.

Use 1 teaspoon of loose leaf tea for each cup you'd like to make. I recommend that you allow your leaves to brew "loose" because this is the best way to get the most flavor from your loose leaf tea... so put them directly into your teapot, and allow them to brew without an infuser. If you absolutely MUST have an infuser, use a very large one, one that is at least three times larger than the amount of dry tea that you place in it to allow for tea leaf expansion. Or use a T-Sac (I do carry these, if you would like a box, you can order one by emailing me: anneliberteas@yahoo.com), and use a larger size than the tea that you're going to place into the T-Sac.

Allow your tea to steep for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes for the first infusion. Because I use a very high quality tea in my blends, you can always get at least 2 infusions out of my teas, sometimes more! For the second infusion, you should add at least 30 seconds to 1 minute of additional brew time.

I recommend using a small amount of sweetener (my favorite is agave nectar) to bring out the most in the flavors of any flavored tea!

Thanks for reading along!
~Anne

Spotlighting...

Hello Everyone!

I'm hooked on Spotlighting! And just what is spotlighting? Spotlighting is a super-cool feature at the artisan website byhand.me that is similar to the Etsy Treasury feature, with a couple of significant exceptions: 1) You don't have to wait until the spotlights drops to 333 before you can score a spotlight -- how many times have you waited until 1 am in the morning to get in on the treasuries, only to miss it by like 4 seconds? and 2) You can use listings from sites other than Etsy, such as Artfire, 1000Markets, Made it Myself, and others!

Here's an example of a spotlight I recently created... featuring just some of the things I have on sale right now!

So as you can see, spotlighting can be an effective marketing tool! They're very addictive (and you don't have to create one just to promote yourself... you can create one based on a favorite color scheme, or a favorite theme... you are only limited by your imagination!)

Stop by byhand.me today, and join (registration is free!) in the fun!

~Anne

PS: don't forget my sale: 15% off all orders; 20% off all orders $20 or more; 30% off all orders $30 or more! Valid at all my stores, through March 1 at midnight!

A New Blend, A New "Job" & A New Sale!

Hello Everyone!

Well, let me start out with the most exciting news of all, my herbal blend designed to enhance calm and relaxation is ready! I sampled it last night, and I really like it! I have tried other "night time" herbal teas, and I must say (not biased at all, mind you!) that I really think that this tea is better!

Some of the subscribers to my newsletter (if you're interested in subscribing, please enter your information into the subscription form in the left column of this blog) have volunteered to be my taste testers, their job will be to not only taste a sample of this new tea, but also to offer some ideas for a name for the blend! The subscriber who submits the winning name will receive a tin of the tea when it's ready (it won't be ready for release until late March).

Next on my list of exciting news ... I have been "moonlighting" as a tea reviewer on The Tea Review Blog! Now, I do not review my own teas here (as it might be considered biased), but I do enjoy other teas as well as my own... this past weekend, I managed to get three reviews submitted.


I'm enjoying this new position, hey, it gives me another excuse to drink tea (not that I need another excuse! LOL) and it also opens the door of opportunity for me to try something different, which expands my palate and my own ideas for what tea blend I might create next.

Finally, I want to announce my end of the month sale:

15% off all orders
Buy $20 or more, the discount is increased 5% (20% off the entire order)
Buy $30 or more, the discount is increased 10% (30% off the entire order)

This sale is valid at all of my stores: My Etsy Store, My Artfire Tea Shop, My Artfire Art Studio, and my Made it Myself Store.

OH... and I almost forgot... on ARTFIRE... no account necessary to purchase!

Paypal customers: Please process your order and process your payment. Upon receiving payment notification from Paypal, I will issue you a refund for your discount.

Prefer to mail a check or money order? No problem! Process your order, and then please wait for my confirmation email, I will calculate your discount, and email you with an adjusted total to reflect the discount.

Fine Print: Offer expires on March 1, 2009 at midnight (Pacific Time) and is limited to stock on hand. Discount applies to entire order before shipping charges are added, and is valid only on product, not on shipping charges.

Thanks for reading along, have a great week!
~Anne

My Valentine's Weekend Special!

Hello Everyone!

Well, here it is, Valentine's Day is here already! To celebrate, I'm having a special sale all weekend, through Sunday, February 15, at midnight (Pacific Time).

Receive 25% discount on all tea purchases that include either Chocolate Rose Romance tea ~or~ Breakfast in Bed tea!

This means you can purchase a tin of my Sweet Caramel o'Mine tea, and a tin of my Chocolate Rose Romance tea, and you qualify for the 25% discount on your entire order!

Or you can purchase any other combination of tea, and as long as you've included the Chocolate Rose Romance Tea, *OR* the Breakfast in Bed tea (or you can, of course, purchase both of them!) -- you'll receive the 25% discount!


Just visit my Artfire tea shop or my Etsy store, and place your order this weekend... and be sure to include either the Chocolate Rose Romance tea, or the Breakfast in Bed tea to receive a 25% discount off your entire order!

Discount offer is limited to stock on hand, and is good through Sunday, February 15, 2009, at midnight. Discount on product only, does not apply to shipping charges.

TO RECEIVE YOUR DISCOUNT:

Paypal customers: Just place your order, and process your payment as you normally would. When I've received notification of payment, I will process a 25% refund.

Check/Money Order customers: If you prefer to mail your payment, please wait for me to send you an invoice with your adjusted total, then mail your payment within 5 days.

Thank you, everyone, for helping to make my Artfire tea shop a success!

~Anne

These are too cool!

Hi Everyone!

I want to share a few items that I found on Artfire with you. I know that I usually do my hotfire lists on my Art Blog, but because these items were tea related, I thought I'd share them here...

These first three items come from BudandLucyskid Studio... all of their stuff is really fabulous... but they have a few CHOICE tea items that I have fallen completely in love with!

This Exotic Romance Teapot is beautiful and amazingly detailed! The seller describes it as...

Lacework medallions of hearts are on a field of orchid pink. The accent color of a mysterious violet glaze covers the handle, spot, foot and lid. Wonderfully romantic flowers and leaves spill from the handle and spout.

Four coats of color glaze are applied, then two coats of diamond gloss glaze. The lace work is dimensional glaze applied not unlike cake icing.

Wouldn't this be perfect for serving tea on Valentine's Day? Of course, you would need to serve Chocolate Rose Romance tea to make it complete!

The second item I'd like to share with you from BudandLucysKid Studio is a bit more whimsical and fun...

Here it is! The perfect teapot for tea with the girls!

The Sassy Purse Teapot is described by the sellers as...

Sassy in pink and black! This purse shaped teapot has lace lacework accented with small pink handmade flowers. At the base of the handle at at the spout you will find pink roses and buds, accented with other handmade flowers and leaves.

Four coats of color glaze are applied, then two coats of diamond gloss glaze. The lace work is dimensional glaze applied not unlike cake icing.

Both of these teapots are food safe; BudandLucysKid Studio recommends hand washing and handling with care as the flower details are fragile.

What lovely additions to any teapot collection!

BudandLucysKid Studio also has many other cute, whimsical, and beautiful offerings, from teapots, to keepsake boxes, decorative plates... visit them soon!

And while you're at Artfire... don't forget to stop by my Tea Shop and pick up some tea!

~Anne

The Time Has Come!

To announce the winner of this contest!

To select the winner at random, I visited random.org, and put in the names of the entrants, and the lucky winner selected was:

Katina! She selected the "Behind Blue Eyes" photograph...


I will be contacting you via email to obtain your shipping information, which I will then forward on to Infivision ... who will then mail you your photograph. CONGRATULATIONS!

I will be posting a new contest soon... so keep a watchful eye out!

Thanks to all who entered in this contest!
~Anne

Reposting: Enter my Contest - Time is Limited!!!

Contest Announcement!

Win your favorite 8 x 10 Photographic Print from Infivision's Artfire Studio!

Here's just a sampling of what you can choose from...

I know, gorgeous, right?

And then there's this...

and this...

A - MAy- ZinG!

And this is just a small sampling of the 8 x 10 prints he has available. This is a really great opportunity to decorate your home with some fabulous art... He's got mad skills when it comes to the camera!

So, you're probably wondering, OK I so want one of these prints! How do I win?

It's really easy to enter:

1. Visit Infivision's Artfire Studio. Look through all of his amazing artwork. You'll probably drool a little bit. That's ok. It's normal.

2. Now, here's the hard part: Decide on the 8 x 10 Print you'd like to win. I know, I know... how do you choose just one? But, yeah, you have to choose one. I don't know... if it were me, I'd probably choose "Splat" -- that last one I posted above... it would go nicely with my existing artwork. Or... I don't know, I might choose "She Loves Me" -- the first one I posted above, because it would work well with my kitchen decor. I know... like I said, it's hard to choose just one...

3. Once you've decided which one you'd like, come back here to my blog (you've got it bookmarked, right?) and leave a comment on this post. In that comment, you should mention which of the prints is your favorite (in other words, which print you'd choose should you be selected as the winner).

4. On Wednesday, January 28, I'll select the winner. I'll do this some random way, like, maybe I'll put everyone's name in a hat (wait, I don't have a hat)... OK, I'll put everyone's name in a teapot, and then I'll have my daughter pick a name from the teapot. Or, maybe I'll go to random.org and have it randomly selected that way. I'll do it in a way that's fair.

5. I'll contact the winner via email, and get your (well, assuming that you're the winner) shipping information, which I'll then forward to Infivision, who will send you package off to you. And then... here's the really cool part... sometime thereafter, you'll receive a package with your favorite print! I know, right? I told you it'd be the cool part.

So... what are you waiting for? Go visit Infivision's Artfire Studio! And then, after that, if you want to go buy some tea from me, I won't be upset or anything...

~Anne

Caramel Tea & Don't Forget the Contest!!!

Hello Everyone!

If you are a subscriber to my Newsletter, you should already know that my Caramel tea is finally finished and ready to purchase in my Artfire Tea Shop! For the rest of you, here's the official announcement... my Caramel Tea is READY!


This is one of my best sellers, and it doesn't stay around for long... so it's best to get yours now, while the getting is good!

And speaking of my newsletter, you can subscribe to my newsletter by filling out the small form to the right. I don't create newsletters often, I do try to do one at least every month... sometimes I manage it, other times not...

Anyways!!!

CONTEST!

Don't forget about the contest I'm hosting, courtesy of Infivision's Artfire Studio ... This contest closes on Wednesday, January 28, at midnight. Hurry and enter... it's really easy! To learn more, scroll down to my next post, and read all about it!

That's all for now!

~Anne

Contest! Win a Free Print!

Contest Announcement!

Win your favorite 8 x 10 Photographic Print from Infivision's Artfire Studio!

Here's just a sampling of what you can choose from...

I know, gorgeous, right?

And then there's this...

and this...

A - MAy- ZinG!

And this is just a small sampling of the 8 x 10 prints he has available. This is a really great opportunity to decorate your home with some fabulous art... He's got mad skills when it comes to the camera!

So, you're probably wondering, OK I so want one of these prints! How do I win?

It's really easy to enter:

1. Visit Infivision's Artfire Studio. Look through all of his amazing artwork. You'll probably drool a little bit. That's ok. It's normal.

2. Now, here's the hard part: Decide on the 8 x 10 Print you'd like to win. I know, I know... how do you choose just one? But, yeah, you have to choose one. I don't know... if it were me, I'd probably choose "Splat" -- that last one I posted above... it would go nicely with my existing artwork. Or... I don't know, I might choose "She Loves Me" -- the first one I posted above, because it would work well with my kitchen decor. I know... like I said, it's hard to choose just one...

3. Once you've decided which one you'd like, come back here to my blog (you've got it bookmarked, right?) and leave a comment on this post. In that comment, you should mention which of the prints is your favorite (in other words, which print you'd choose should you be selected as the winner).

4. On Wednesday, January 28, I'll select the winner. I'll do this some random way, like, maybe I'll put everyone's name in a hat (wait, I don't have a hat)... OK, I'll put everyone's name in a teapot, and then I'll have my daughter pick a name from the teapot. Or, maybe I'll go to random.org and have it randomly selected that way. I'll do it in a way that's fair.

5. I'll contact the winner via email, and get your (well, assuming that you're the winner) shipping information, which I'll then forward to Infivision, who will send you package off to you. And then... here's the really cool part... sometime thereafter, you'll receive a package with your favorite print! I know, right? I told you it'd be the cool part.

So... what are you waiting for? Go visit Infivision's Artfire Studio! And then, after that, if you want to go buy some tea from me, I won't be upset or anything...

~Anne

Time for Tea!

Good Morning everyone!

Seldom am I up this early... well, I have to get up earlier than this to get my youngest daughter off to school, but, then after I get her on the bus, I usually head back to bed. I'm a night owl, I've always been that way, and it would seem that since the artist in me has re-emerged over the past several years, that the night owl in me has taken full force. Bedtime before midnight or one am just seems impossible for me.

However, today is a bit of an extraordinary day for me and my household as my mother in law will be arriving in just a few short hours. So, I'm up... sipping tea, and trying to get my eyelids to open and my eyes to focus.

This morning, I find myself sampling Darjeeling. I have wanted to add a Darjeeling to my tea collection for some time, however, there are so many excellent Darjeelings out there, and let's face it, also some not so excellent ones as well... so I want to choose just the right one... and I still haven't found what I'm looking for

On to other interesting tidbits... I have been featured in an Artfire Artist's blog... so I'd like to share with you! LibertyDoll has a lovely blog in which she features some of her favorite Artfire items. I may just have to do a post or two soon where I feature some of my favorite Artfire items as well, there are many marvelous items to choose from!

If you haven't yet checked out Artfire, I suggest you do so... right away! It's a great website... and really, why buy commercial items when you can buy handcrafted, the quality is so much better when you buy directly from the artisan rather than buying from an assembly line in some factory! Head on over to Artfire, and see what all the fuss is about!

OK... so that's enough from me this morning, I need to finish up my tea, and get the bedroom in order for my MIL! Have a splendid day!

~Anne

I've been Tumblr'd!

This is one of the coolest blogs I've seen in a long time. It's a blog created by another Artfire artist, and it basically provides a picture of random items that can be purchased from Artfire. The blog is called the Tumblr. Check it out!

And, if you want a new view of different random items from Artfire, just click on the "Random" button on the upper right hand side of the page. You'll get a whole new set of random items.

And... if you really like what you see, all you need to do is click on the picture, and you'll be taken directly to that item's listing on Artfire so that you can buy it... or perhaps browse through the other items that artist has to offer!

How awesome is that?

Please take a moment to check out the Tumblr. You may just have found a new favorite blog spot!

~Anne