Been Busy!

Hi Everyone!

I've been busy lately... as some of you know, what you now see at my new website is merely temporary. I'm currently setting up a whole new website behind the scenes. I've been truly lucky to find such a good friend in Rebecca -- her website is here -- and she has been helping me with the set up of my new site, from templates to servers to shopping carts! When all is done, I will have an awesome site that will allow for the use of coupons & discounts, have all the bells and whistles and gadgets I want in a site, plus... (and this is most important, at least from my point of view) I'll be able to charge a more accurate amount for shipping!

Right now, I have the paypal shopping cart, and it's great, especially considering it's free. But free does have it's limitations. I can't offer discounts and coupons, and I have to have a flat rate shipping table OR a percentage of sale shipping table. I can't charge according to WEIGHT... which became very problematic, especially when I was selling scones mixes, because while they are not very expensive, they are heavy, so I found myself in a quandry... do I overcharge everyone for their shipping to make up for this, or do I charge more for the scones mixes and potentially lose sales because of the high markup? So, rather than do either of these, I ended up just breaking even on my scones mixes.

Which is one of the reasons I chose to not sell the scones mixes anymore. Another reason is that I really wanted to simplify things. I wanted to focus on my strengths within the tea market, and I feel my strengths consist of blending superior quality teas. My tea blends are uniquely delicious, not your everyday garden variety! I create blends that are stimulating to the senses, not just flavorful, but also delightful to smell and to see! I believe that tea should be a total experience to behold, something that brings joy and exuberance ... not just a casual and almost careless activity.

So, you won't find scone mixes, petit fours, fancy strainers and teaspoons, nor fine china and cast iron teapots at my site. The only accessory available on my site now will be T-Sacs, which I will continue to carry because I use them for my free samples (every purchase 'earns' a free sample!) and also because they are in great demand from my customers.

And of course, you'll find the best tasting tea at my site. But you already knew that!

Well, that's all for now. More changes are afoot with Liberteas... but I will inform you of them as they begin to manifest themselves...

Thanks for reading along!
~Anne

Well, it's been a few days since I've last posted here... but I do have a pretty good excuse! I've been pretty busy (still working at getting all caught up, and it seems like the closer I get, the further behind I fall!). I have been working on some artwork though, mostly my two 'zines, but also some other fun stuff.

This is a picture of a recent button/card swap I participated in. I made the buttons out of polymer clay and embossing powder, and then after curing I brushed with a light coat of lacquer laminate to give them a seal and some shine. They were a lot of fun!

As I mentioned earlier, I've been working on my two 'zines. I've got all the material copied, I'm just assembling now. I have two 'zines that I'm working on, the first is an extremely personal issue that where I've focused on "Moving" ~ a quick, non-reflective look at my past tells me that I've moved some nearly 30 times in the less than 40 years that I've been alive, and that certainly gave me a lot of material to reflect upon.

The second 'zine I've dedicated to "decos" ~ one of my favorite little artforms! If you don't know what a deco is, perhaps you should order a 'zine from me to learn more! hehe!

As far as tea goes, this morning I'm enjoying an Irish Breakfast blend I received from a vendor recently. Quite nice. I like the robust edge of Irish Breakfast, and I've played around with my own recipes of Irish Breakfast blends. The recipe I finally came up with was a Creamy Irish Breakfast. The addition of vanilla creme flavor brings out the subtle, naturally caramel-ly characteristics of the teas, and helps to smooth out the vigorous flavors which make the Irish Breakfast blends... well... an Irish blend.

I'm all sold out on my Creamy Irish Breakfast for this year, and I will only be blending it once a year, just in time for St. Patty's day!

Over the past few days, I've come to a decision about my tea business, and how I'll be shaping my little company, but more on that at a later time. I have an appointment today that I'll be late for if I am to sit here all day and tell you about that!

Lookie! I'm here!

Incredible! Only two days have lapsed since I last posted to my blog. Let's hope this is the start of a more productive trend.

Not that I've not been productive in the past, just with other things.

I'm FINALLY finished with my 'zines. The last of them are going out tomorrow and Wednesday. It's been a long journey... a very fulfilling and happy one, but still, long! I hadn't anticipated that it would take me so long to complete these.

I've actually been able to focus on other artwork as well. I'm nearing completion a mini-zine for the Gleaner swap, as well as the mini-zine that I'll be submitting for the swap within my own yahoo group.

I've even managed to get involved with a few other art swaps. It felt good to do those, because it had been so long since I've worked on things other than my 'zines. And... of course, I've managed to finish a few decos along the way too!

Well... that's all for now... maybe I'll be able to sign on again in a couple days!

~Anne

Neglectful me...

Hi there... again, with the neglect. I should be turned in for blog abuse.

But... I think my life is finally settling to the point where I can feasibly set myself a goal of updating on a regular basis.

As some of you may have noticed, I no longer have an accessable website. This is because I am working on a new site. It will be up and running within a couple of weeks, and of course, I'll update you when that happens. I will have an all new (more reliable and cost efficient) server, and an all new look on the website. I hope that the changes are agreeable!

Another change that has occured as a result of the aforementioned change in server, is a change in URL. My previous server was unrelenting in the release of my domain, so I will have a different URL and then when the old domain is available again, I'll obtain that and have it forwarded to the new site.

Because of everything going on, it's set me back on a lot of projects that I had planned, and a lot of things that people have been waiting on... and I'm terribly sorry about that. I'm nearly caught up though, and I feel really good about that. Things are definitely on the upswing. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they remain that way!

What's new in the land of LiberTEAS? Well, if I haven't mentioned it before, I finally have finished/perfected and blended my first batch of LiberTEAS Breakfast Blend. This is a very complex blend of teas. Most breakfast blends are a blend of broken Assams and Ceylons, mine is a blend of high grown Ceylons, Whole and Broken Assams, Niligiris and Yunnans. I've also added a touch of African Honeybush and vanilla to round out and smooth the flavors of these exceptionally unique tea flavors. This tea is a delight to all the senses!

To accompany my Breakfast Blend, I've also created a uniquely different Decaffeinated Breakfast Blend. This is not merely a decaffeinated attempt at the regular blend; rather, my Decaf LiberTEAS Breakfast Blend possesses it's own, unique flavors and characteristics that stands on it's own. This tea is amazingly satisfying... you won't miss the caffeine!

Both teas are absolutely incredible and must be experienced to be believed!

What else have I been up to? Well... in time for St. Patrick's day, I created a sublime Creamy Irish Breakfast Blend. I blended very limited quantities of this tea, and it has already sold out! Ahhh... but it is delicious! Be sure to check back with me next year for a new batch!

And... I haven't been blending only black teas recently... I've also been working on some unique Oolong and Green tea blends, as well as an amazing herbal Tisane.

The first I'll talk about is my new herbal tisane. This one I only have limited quantities of at the moment, because I wasn't sure of the result! I was just kind of messing around one day at the tumbler and I concocted this amazing tisane of lemongrass and mint. It's got a zesty fragrance that is enticing and the flavor is lively and invigorating and oh! so! good!

Unfortunately, I've yet to concoct a name that I'm satisfied with... so for now, it's known as "My New Tisane with No Name" ha!!!

The second blend is a green and black tea blend that I have called Shangri-la! It's another tea that simply defies explanation... it's one that must be experienced. So amazingly good.

The final blend is a blend of Oolong tea and sweet summer melon flavors. I was skeptical at first, because I simply adore Oolong tea and it's naturally occuring sweet fruitiness... and I wasn't sure how it would pair with the flavor... but, it is very good. The melon flavor is not overwhelming, it's subtle and dreamy!

Well... that's all for now, I've got a lot to get done, and the time is ticking away!!!

Thanks for reading along!

I've been neglecting my tea journal... and I'm very sorry for those of you who actually read this thing! The past few months have been really nuts for me. We had to move from our house earlier this month because the owners (we were renting) sold the house. It was something that came pretty much out of left field for us, totally unexpected, and having to find a place and move within 30 days isn't always easy, especially when you want to stay in the same town! Here in Ridgefield, rental house availability is a feast or famine situation... either there are a lot of houses available or there are very few! Well, unfortunately for us, there were very few, so we had to settle for a smaller house, but, at least we've got a roof over our heads, right?

The best thing about our new house is that we have a nice size garage that I'm going to be able to turn into an art studio, so I'm excited about that.

If having to move from our house wasn't enough craziness for us, right before the move, my husband was hospitalized for kidney failure. Fortunately, he pulled through it well and is doing really good now, but he had to be in the hospital for 9 days, including the days that the major part of the move took place.

Want more craziness? Ha! I've only just begun! My computer hard drive died and then I went in to negotiations with my server to get my domain back from them. So that's why you can't find my site! I hope to get it back up and running soon, but in the meantime, if you need teas, be sure to contact me via email. I'll get you hooked up!

With all this stress, I've hardly had time to focus on the things I really love (tea and art, of course!) I've fallen very behind on everything and for that I apologize sincerely! I hope to get everything back up to normal and running smoothly as soon as possible, not just for you... BUT for me!!!

Thanks for reading!

Wow... I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted on my blog! I'm really sorry (for those of you who actually read this thing!) but I've been really busy working on 'zines. Since I last posted, I've published 4 'zines, 3 for various swaps I've been in, and 1 is my full-scale 'zine. The 'zine is currently being assembled, which takes a lot of time, so that is why I haven't been here blogging much.

To the left is my first attempt at a zetti-ish artwork, and also my first attempt at an art doll. I think she turned out ok. I made her for one of my aforementioned 'zines... the "Popcorn Issue." I made this 'zine for the 'Zine Pool swap that ended September 30th. I thought the little clapperboard that I used for this doll was really neat and I wanted to do some sort of project that highlighted this alterable item. (I also included one of these clapperboards -- not the finished doll -- just the clapperboard -- as a freebie goodie in the 'zine)

Tea-wise ... I have a great deal to report! My Masterpiece Chai is finally back in stock! Another tea that is back in stock (in limited quantities!) is my Sweet Caramel O'Mine. These two teas are my best sellers!



To the right is one of my newest additions to my inventory --tea gift bags! These bags are lovingly handmade, with vintage materials such as ivory satin, ribbons and beads. The picture simply does not do these bags justice, they really are beautiful.

These bags are available on my Tea Time Gift page.

Other great additions to my inventory include J&M Tea Cookies... these are so good. They are light and delicious, and simply melt in your mouth.

Well... I don't have a lot to report this time around, mostly because my mind is on my 'zine and assembly... which I need to return to now~

Thanks for reading along!

September 10, 2005 ~ 2:16 pm

Hiya!

Again, quite a lapse between postings... but with good cause! I've been busily working on my 'zines, trying to meet my deadlines. I'm still working on the discipline issues, maybe eventually, hopefully, I'll be able to work on it so that I'm posting nearly every day.

To the left is one of my more recent efforts, an ATC that I made using Grace's Hand Dyed Silk Fibers. I used them, gluing them in strips, side by side, overlapping only just slightly. The result is a funky kind of pattern that plays off nicely with the dancing blue abstract figure that I painted(using Twinkling H20s) on foreign text ephemera.

I would post a link for the twinklers, but, I don't have a current link... my previous supplier has decided to stop carrying the twinkling H20s... so now I need to find a new source! They are wonderful watercolors! I just love them!

Now... on to tea matters... this morning, I've had 3 cups of tea already, now working on cuppa #4! I started out with two cups of my new breakfast blend (LiberTEAS breakfast Blend - available soon!) -- quite an interesting side effect with tea blending... is that in the course of working on just the right blend... you make a blend that is equally as delicious (if not more so) than the blend you're looking for, but still doesn't exactly fit what you're looking for.



That happened to me as I worked on blends for my breakfast blend... I made a blend that is quite adaptable as a breakfast blend, although it wasn't quite what I was trying to acheive for my "LiberTEAS" blend... so now I have 2 breakfast blend recipes!

The second one won't be introduced to my line for some time however, perhaps not until next year... which will give me ample time to think about how I will market it, and what to call it!

The second tea that I have enjoyed today is my Sweet Caramel O' Mine (Yes, I'm an Axl fan). The depth of flavor to this tea is really remarkable, it surprises even me! I created a complex base of tea, using High Grown Ceylons and Malty Assams. The result is a full bodied, robust yet smooth and malty tea which compliments the rich and smooth creamy flavor of the caramel. It's so delicious... it may just qualify as my new (current!) favorite tea!

To the right is one of my ATCs I made a couple of months ago, featuring a background technique I call "Wax Splotch". I paint Twinkling H20 quickly on the surface of the cardstock, and while the paint is still wet, I turn the cardstock over, and press it firmly against a piece of wax paper, creating a "splotched" appearance on the background. It looks really cool... even though the pic doesn't really show it... it's much more impressive in person. I use this technique on dominos (works really well on dominos because the twinklers don't absorb or dry on the dominos quite as quickly as they do on cardstock) and on puzzle pieces (primed with gesso first).

Well, that's all for today... thanks for reading along!
~Anne

September 3, 2005 ~ 11:04 pm

Hello Everyone~ Wow... I'm actually posting to my blog 2 days after I posted previously... something I've not done in a while... so, I'm proud that I've mustered the disicpline to do so.

To the left is a picture of one of the first ATCs I ever made, called "Pretty Tied Up," inspired by one of my favorite songs by my favorite band, Guns N' Roses. The ATC was made as part of a Song Title/Lyric swap I took part in several months ago, and it remains one of my favorite ATCs that I've created.

Today I've injured my shoulder, not sure exactly what I did, not sure if I slept on it wrong or what... although I don't recall it hurting earlier this morning, so I'm thinking I must have reached wrong or something... either way, it's left my right side pretty stiff and painful. Hopefully after a good night's sleep, it will be less painful tomorrow.

However, the pain has kind have left me somewhat unable to work on anything artistic, because my shoulder won't let me forget it hurts! I guess it is fortunate that over the past couple of days I've been somewhat productive... and hopefully this won't keep me disabled too long.



To the right is a picture of a puzzle piece I've recently altered for a swap. This wasn't for a group puzzle effort, but instead just a puzzle piece swap with an Asian theme.

I enjoyed several wonderful teas today, after several months of not trying any new teas (trying to focus onnot over expanding my collection) I've decided that instead I'm going to change my collection pretty regularly, this way I'll have the opportunity to enjoy many different teas, as will my customers.

So with that thought in mind, I tried the following flavored green teas today: blueberry green, lemon green, Earl Grey green and Vanilla Green. I really enjoyed all of them, but I think my favorites thus far are the blueberry and the Earl Grey. The vanilla in the vanilla green was a bit too delicate for me -- which is something I've found with most of the vanilla flavored teas I've tried. I find that I prefer vanilla as PART of a blend, rather than being the main focus of flavor.


To the left is my final picture to be featured this evening. It's a picture of a porcelain mask that I recently embellished for another swap I took part in. These little masks are a lot of fun to paint... I love working with Twinkling H20s on them because the porcelain really absorbs the colors so deeply. One of my favorite techniques (and one I used for this particular mask) is to paint a base color (or several base colors as I did here, with a dark blue, a raspberry and a bronze colored paint), then, after the paint has dried, I take it to the sink and rinse it off. Remnants of the color remains deeply embedded in the porcelain, and while it looks like the color is completely gone under water, when it begins to dry, the color reappears. Then, I take the mask and paint a coating of white twinkling H20 over it and it gives it an almost pearlescent look.

You can get a mask of your own at B-muse and if you click on the gallery, you'll see some more examples of amazing masks for inspiration! Be sure to tell Vickie (the owner of B-Muse that I sent you! She's a wonderful person... fast with shipping out orders too!

OK, so I think I'm going to head off to bed, and hopefully some rest is just what this shoulder needs.

Thanks everyone for reading along! Have a perfectly tea-lightful, artful day!

~Anne

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

June 22, 2005 ~ 6:14pm

Oh wow! It's been well over a month since my last entry... I'm sorry to those of you who check regularly on this only to find that I've not entered anything! I can't believe a whole month has passed! Wow, time really does fly when you're having fun (or... in my case... drowning in a pile of work!)

The weather up in the Pacific Northwest has been quite odd... it's been cold and rainy, rather than warm, which is the norm for June. Not that I'm complaining... I actually enjoy the change... but it has been really rough on my allergies, which has left me pretty debilitated, I have to rinse out my contact lenses at least 4 times daily just to see, because of the buildup.

I guess it could be worse, couldn't it? I'm not going to bore my readers with a bunch of fodder!

Well, even though the weather hasn't been extraordinarily warm, I've pretty much switched my tea drinking to iced tea! I still enjoy my hot cup of tea in the morning to get me started, and I usually wind down at night with a warm tisane, but during the day, I'm drinking lots of iced tea! My favorite teas to drink iced have been:

• Strawberry -- this tea tastes extraordinary iced! It is so refreshing, not overly sweet, with just enough of a strawberry taste to taste like Summertime!
• Sweet Summer -- this is a tisane made from Rooibos. The flavor is a sparkling, tingling sensation! It reminds me of sweet berries that have been macerated in wine, and then served over bread pudding! It's one of those flavors that you've to got to try!!! It's also great because it's naturally caffeine free... plus you get lots of health benefits from Rooibos!
• Mango Tango -- This was the first tea that I started brewing as iced tea... and for a week, it was all that I was drinking, because it just tasted that good! A nice tropical taste shines through on this one!

I've tried others iced too, and they've all been really great... but these three have been my absolute favorites!

To make Iced Tea: I boil enough water for 3 cups of tea. I then add 5 heaping teaspoons of tea to my teapot, and when the water has acheived a boil, I pour it in to the teapot over the loose tea leaves. I allow this to steep for about 4 minutes, and then I pour it in to my pitcher. I usually add about a fourth of a cup of sugar (I don't like my iced tea too sweet, but, I like a little sugar to bring out the natural qualities of the essential oils in the teas), and I add the sugar before adding cold water or ice, so that the sugar can dissolve into the concentrated brew.

Then I fill the pitcher (it's a half gallon pitcher) the rest of the way (after the tea and sugar have been added to the pitcher) with cold water. I know that many people will tell you that this will lead to a cloudy tea, but, it's worked for me.

If you get a cloudy tea, and you don't want a cloudy tea, you shouldn't add the cold water, but instead, the water should be room temp, and allow the tea to come to a room temperature before you refrigerate.

Anyway, that's it for now... I promise to at least TRY to keep my blog up to date... sorry again!

~Anne

May 13, 2005 ~ 10:25 am

Wow! It's Friday the 13th!

I made some changes recently to my website. In particular, quite a few changes to my art page, and I've included links to my group, Eccentric Pastiche, as well as a few art supply business links. I will probably add a few more to this list, right now, it includes a couple of sites that I've conducted trades with, that I'm extraordinarily impressed with both their customer service and their products and like my teas, I feel proud to stand behind them.

I have yet another busy day ahead of me, although not as busy as the past few days have been. I've made most of the major overhauls to my website, now there is a little bit of fine tuning to do, as well as work on the tea of the month club.

I'm going to keep it short and sweet today, so that I can really focus on the things I need to get done! Thanks for reading, and keep drinking tea!

~Anne

May 12, 2005 ~ 9:17 am

Good morning everyone!

Wow... it's early! For me it is, anyway... I had a late night last night -- when I'm working on art, the time seems to fly by and before I know it, it's the wee hours of the morning. And when you have a young one... you have to get up when they do! (otherwise, wake up to a house in ruins!)

Oh well, the tea I'm drinking this morning seems to help me shake off the drowsy feeling... I'm drinking LaVert Pear! Yum! I love the fragrance of this tea. It really helps those sleepy eyes pop open and bring a smile on my face!

This morning, in one of my yahoo groups, I found someone asking me what a "tea artist" is. Well, I recently started calling myself a tea artist, and it wasn't actually me who started calling me the tea artist, but someone I correspond with via email (and a very good customer!) who started calling me a tea artist. I think she decided I was a tea artist based on the fact that I am an artist, and also that I blend teas... and I strive to make my teas as visually exciting as they are to taste, and from that, she started calling me a tea artist.

Basically, tea artist is just a fancy title for someone who blends teas! I make my own blends, and even from the blends that I buy already "blended" from my suppliers, I tend to embellish to enhance flavors or appearance. There are very few blends that I get direct from my suppliers that I do not further embellish.

Anyway... I have a lot of orders to fill today! Yay! So, I better get busy on them!!! (enough chit chat!

Thanks for reading along!
~Anne

PS: Oh... for my Rockin' Rooibos Chai fans... It's back in stock! The blend has "mingled" long enough for the right flavor, so those of you that have ordered it while it was on backorder, will be getting your shipments very soon! (Note: The website will read "temporarily out of stock" for a few more days, I have a few more changes to the website before I can publish the changes!)

May 11, 2005 ~ 9:38 am

Good Morning!

This morning, I pulled out an "old friend" - my Cherry Almond Tea! I "found" this tea because I received a customer request to locate a "cherry almond" black tea. She told me that her local tea shop used to carry the Cherry Almond tea that she loved, and then they discontinued it. Another local tea merchant had tried to imitate the flavor by blending cherry teas and almond teas, but the flavor was lacking. I contacted my merchants and found the flavor for her.

I love this tea too! I'm so glad she turned to me to help her find the tea. The flavor has a smooth, silky flavor. The almond flavor is very subtle and adds just a touch of nutty sweetness to the cherry, with just enough of the quality black ceylon tea shining through. When I sip this tea, it makes me think of wrapping myself in satin, it's just so smooth and nice.

Since this is a tea that I've never featured as a tea of the month, I'm thinking that I should do so, probably when the weather is cold once more (the flavors make a better hot tea than an iced, although it is quite palatable iced as well.), perhaps in November.

Yesterday was quite a productive day! I had finally gotten my sample bags in, so I'm busily preparing the orders I have in backlog.

Artistically, I had a great day as well, I didn't finish a lot of projects, but I managed to get myself a little less unorganized. Right now, my art supplies are in our "mud room" on the shelves, in tattered and torn boxes. I'm slowly replacing the cardboard boxes with organizer type bins.

Plus, I managed to get my puzzle pieces set for mailing (I'm in a "puzzle art" group, where we decorate one piece of a puzzle sent out by the host of the puzzle, in the theme they request, and then mail it back to the host, and she puts it together to make a different sort of collage. ) My current puzzle is a Tea puzzle! big surprise? I'd like to hang the finished puzzle in my kitchen, so I can't wait to see what the others come up with.

Anyway, it's a busy morning, with lots to do, so it's time to stop typing and time to get to work!

Thanks for reading along!
~Anne

May 9, 2005 ~ 9:13 am

Good morning everyone!

As I sit here with my tea, (enjoying a cup of English Breakfast this morning), I'm trying to shake off the remnants of my dream last night. I told of this dream in my EccentricPastiche yahoo group too...

My dream is that I visited a relative, and this relative (Name with-held to protect the not-so-innocent), had a "dream" art studio. In the center of the room was the most "pimped out" art table you can imagine! It had everything! It had little drawers and compartments and organizers to keep every gadget, gismo, tool, glean and embellishment that an artist could ever dream of using! It had a place for every thing... it even had a nifty little organizer for fibers (which is the bane of my organization... that and ephemera organization)... It was something that really could only be conceived of in one's dream... because a table like this just simply doesn't exist.

So, in my dream, I'm just in awe of this table. Kind of like a mechanic or car nut might be in awe of a vintage auto in cherry condition. Or maybe the way a sports card fanatic might be in awe of some old, rare card.

So, what does my dream mean? Any ideas? Does it mean that I'm overwhelmed in my feelings of guilt over my lack of organization?

Anyway... I thought I'd share that with you, in case you're interested, if you're not... oh well, too late now, huh?

I have so many things I have to get done today, so I really can't sit here and type very much...

To all, keep creating, and don't forget the tea!

~Anne

May 8, 2005 ~ 10:38 pm

Hello Everyone, and good evening! (And Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!)

It's kind of late for me, I'm not usually typing this late... I'm usually busy at work putting away my art supplies about this time!

You ever have one of those days where it feels like you didn't do anything? I mean, I know I was busy at work on my ATCs today, and also a puzzle piece, but, I just don't feel like I accomplished anything with it! I guess it's because I've got one swap kind of looming over my head, that has been extremely challenging for me and the deadline is approaching quickly. I will have these finished tomorrow... I'm nearly finished with them as it is... I just had hoped to have them finished by now, and I guess that's what's plaguing me.

Today I drank several outstanding teas, among them: my Strawberry Tea, my Potpourri Tea and my Honeybush Vanilla. The Strawberry tea is simply amazing. I used to add just a dash of sugar to this tea, but I've found that it's so much better with honey instead. It really adds to the flavor of the strawberry.

Well, it's time to get off to bed now, thanks for reading along! Have a great week!

~Anne

May 8, 2005 ~ 10:38 pm

Hello Everyone, and good evening! (And Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!)

It's kind of late for me, I'm not usually typing this late... I'm usually busy at work putting away my art supplies about this time!

You ever have one of those days where it feels like you didn't do anything? I mean, I know I was busy at work on my ATCs today, and also a puzzle piece, but, I just don't feel like I accomplished anything with it! I guess it's because I've got one swap kind of looming over my head, that has been extremely challenging for me and the deadline is approaching quickly. I will have these finished tomorrow... I'm nearly finished with them as it is... I just had hoped to have them finished by now, and I guess that's what's plaguing me.

Today I drank several outstanding teas, among them: my Strawberry Tea, my Potpourri Tea and my Honeybush Vanilla. The Strawberry tea is simply amazing. I used to add just a dash of sugar to this tea, but I've found that it's so much better with honey instead. It really adds to the flavor of the strawberry.

Well, it's time to get off to bed now, thanks for reading along! Have a great week!

~Anne

May 8, 2005 ~ 10:38 pm

Hello Everyone, and good evening! (And Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!)

It's kind of late for me, I'm not usually typing this late... I'm usually busy at work putting away my art supplies about this time!

You ever have one of those days where it feels like you didn't do anything? I mean, I know I was busy at work on my ATCs today, and also a puzzle piece, but, I just don't feel like I accomplished anything with it! I guess it's because I've got one swap kind of looming over my head, that has been extremely challenging for me and the deadline is approaching quickly. I will have these finished tomorrow... I'm nearly finished with them as it is... I just had hoped to have them finished by now, and I guess that's what's plaguing me.

Today I drank several outstanding teas, among them: my Strawberry Tea, my Potpourri Tea and my Honeybush Vanilla. The Strawberry tea is simply amazing. I used to add just a dash of sugar to this tea, but I've found that it's so much better with honey instead. It really adds to the flavor of the strawberry.

Well, it's time to get off to bed now, thanks for reading along! Have a great week!

~Anne

May 6, 2005 ~ 11:52 am

Well, here I am... wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since my last post!

As most of you are probably very aware, life has a way of taking hold and distracting you from things!!! I've been busily trying to get myself caught up after my illness, which really seemed to throw me for a loop!

I have a few more orders to get completed, and then I'll be all caught up! Yay!

In the meantime, what kind of teas have you been indulging in lately? This morning, I brewed up a pot of Earl Grey Cream. I love how the vanilla blends so nicely with the bergamot, which can be a bit overpowering in traditional Earl Grey (at least, for my palate!)

I've been making some changes (slowly) to my website as well. I'm going to be changing the Tea of the Month Club around a bit, and also adding a more "artsy" look to the page.

Artwise, I've not been too busy, because my muse has been asleep at the helm! Waking her can prove to be difficult at times! I am hosting a couple of ATC swaps... a Map swap for the Outside the Margins group (run by Aileen, of Outside the Margins) I am a member of, and the second is a Time for Tea swap, for the B-Muse group (run by Vickie, of B-Muse) . The artwork that has been filtering in from both these swaps has been phenomenal! I love it all!

And of course, there have been developments with my own group, Eccentric Pastiche. I've gotten new members! Woo Hoo! :) This group is in the very early development stages, but if you join now... you'll be the "proud" recipient of a copy of the mini-trader 'zine-ette which will precede the full sized 'zine-ette that I'm working on.

Anyway, that's all for now, thanks for reading! Hopefully, I'll be able to contribute more to my blog more often!

~Anne

April 25, 2005 ~ 2:17 pm

Hello Everyone!

I'm very sorry that I've taken such a long absence from my journal. I've been a bit under the weather, which has delayed several orders (sorry!) as well as cut back on my time to do anything except sleep! I couldn't even sit up for any length period of time without feeling queasy (sp?).

I'm still a bit weak, but stronger than I was yesterday.

I'm going to be making some changes to my website (and business) over the next few weeks, so those are things to be watching out for on the tea horizon.

Other than that, I just need to CATCH UP on everything! Thanks for reading!

~Anne

April 20, 2005 ~ 9:55 am

Hello Everyone!

Well, I wasn't able to get to posting a journal entry yesterday, it was a hectic day... I only got to indulge in 2 cups of tea! (My normal daily tea intake is about 6 - 8 cups)

This morning, I made up for yesterday's abstinence by starting my day with my Strawberry tea with a small scoop of creamed honey. I generally use creamed honey as my sweetener because it's not nearly as messy as regular honey. I rarely add milk or cream to my teas, unless I'm feeling in the mood for it or I'm having a breakfast blend, but I almost always sweeten my tea. I'm sure that purists would scoff at the idea... but I've found that -- especially with the flavored teas -- the sweetener tends to bring out the flavors a little better than drinking the tea without embellishment.

This morning's post is going to be a bit short, because I do have a few things I need to get started this morning. I hope to be able to take a moment or two to add to the journal tonight. Until then... take care, and remember... take time to enjoy tea ~ it's something that makes life worthwhile!