Greetings! ...from Kimberly Shaw

Aqua Footed

  Today I'm bring this charming teacup to the Teacup Thursday party hosted by Miss Spencers Tea Room.

A teacup that really stands out on little gold feet, adorned in my favorite aqua color, and accented with a gold handle.

 

It was a gift from my thoughtful friend, Sandy, who makes the amazing Springerly cookies I included in my Hospitalitea Club packs last July. 

You'll discover the other pretty teacups that are attending todays Teacup Thursday party at Miss Spencer's Tea Room, which is where I'm headed.  Thanks for visiting.

Royal Sealy Teacup

A vintage Royal Sealy teacup probably from the 50's.  With a lustre finish, little gold feet, and cutout design on the saucer, I couldn't resist it.  I found it at a home sale of a collector who was parting with all his teacups for $2 each which made it all the more irresistible.

Today I'm joining Martha and Terri for Teacup Tuesday where you'll find more pretty teacups.

I'm also joining A Breath of Fresh Air for Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday and Sandi's Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage for the first time.

Thanks for visiting!

Vintage Tea Party

So I'll be honest here, this is nothing more than a little same-less self promotion of a new section in my vintage Etsy shop called "Vintage Tea Party." I love tea parties, but to save me from having to purchase another shelf or china cabinet, I'm passing on some pieces I haven't used.  Aren't they all adorable?  Each is very different from the other, yet they all serve the same purpose.

The Blue Willow teacups are from Japan made of very fine porcelain during the "Post War" era (1945- ) and have an amazing stamp of an Asian woman in the bottom, seen when held up to the light, called a lithophane.

The mini violet creamer from Lefton holds  just the right amount of milk for two teacups when a bit is required for a rich black tea. The clear glass luncheon/snack set is my personal favorite with its charming teardrop design.  All the way from Czechoslovakia, this very pretty teacup with a pheasant surrounded by colorful flowers tapers to an octagonal base.

 

Claremont Teacup

By Nikko, Japan, in the mid to late 80's, this pattern is now discontinued.

Very late to Martha and Terri's Teacup Tuesday party, especially considering I'm on the west coast, I thought I'd join in the fun anyway with so many lovely teacups to visit.

Pink Staffordshire Teacup

Less than 2" tall, this pink Staffordshire demitasse teacup made a big tug on my heart recently at a local estate sale, along with the petite vintage doily under it and the hand painted Limoges plate in its luscious pink, green, and aqua.

I'm a bit late to the Teacup Tuesday party today, but didn't want to miss it.  It's been a while since I had time to participate, and it's fun to join in the festivities again. Want to see other lovely teacups, pop over to our gracious hostesses Martha & Terri for the whole list. You wont be disapointed.

Aqua Royal Grafton

 

It's amazing how certain colors effect each of us personally.  For me, that color is aqua, also known as teal or turquoise depending on how much white is in the mix with blue and green.  When I saw this Royal Grafton teacup I couldn't resist it.  What color, or color combination, are you most drawn to?

Tea Towels

Who doesn't love a new tea towel or two? I enjoy making my own with a double layer of soft flour sack fabric and a ruffle of cute fabric. This fabric was sent to me from my Tea Swap partner, Sharon. I love the birds and their encouraging messages of love, hope, support, faith, and courage. I finally found a use for the jumbo pink rick rack I bought on a whim.

This second tea towel has a lovely green ruffled fabric "Flower Power, Loopy Vintage Floral" designed by Jennifer Paganelli. I added a piece of vintage trim from my stash.

New tea towels always make cleanup a bit more fun, don't you think so?

Humongous Tea Bell

I went to the Woman's Club semi-annual sale and found this humongous tea bell sitting on the table for a couple of bucks.  I imagined it being used in a commercial kitchen in a gigantic pot for large ladies functions, no that doesn't sound right, I mean functions with a large number of ladies. 

Well the jokes on me, because when I got it home and opened it I found the directions for making, can you guess...

... a rice ball.  Yep, this is a rice ball cooker.  I haven't used it for rice because it's so fun displaying it with my other tea bells. 

Pink Rosebud Teacup with Blackberry Leaf Tea

This is one of my favorite teacups with the sweet pink rosebuds. I found it at an estate sale waiting to be adopted.  I'm serving Blackberry leaf tea in it for Georgia. I went to the Farmer's Market and came home with a Blackberry Vine.  Reading about how to care for it, I discovered you can make Blackberry tea from the leaves. I was so excited, like the time I discovered how to make tea from Fig leaves. Most of the information I found suggested using dried leaves, but when I read that the leaves are high in vitamin C and can be chewed for mouth and gum ailments, I chopped up the leaves fresh to made a small pot.

 

I steeped them for 10  minutes as directed.  If you enjoy a light green tea with a sweet fruity aftertaste then I think you would like this tea. I also discover Blackberry leaves are an ingredient in Celestial Seasonings popular Sleepytime tea.

 

Thanks to the very gracious hostess at Miss Spencer's Blog for organizing this Teacup Thursday. Please visit for links to other pretty teacups and blogs. 

Coral Pink Tea Set

This is one of my favorite tea cups. I love the soft coral pink color with the creamy white and the gold trim.  I found this Limoges set of four teacups, saucers, and plates with a few small bowls at an estate sale marked $35. As I claimed the set for myself the seller announced,

"Everything is now half off!" 

I'm happy to have the time to participate in Tea Cup Tuesday again.  I'm grateful to our gracious hostesses  Martha and Terri for organizing another fun day!

I used this teacup as a model to paint a series of watercolors honoring the art of handmade doilies.

Butterfly Teacup

Out of the blue, this beautiful teacup arrived at my house, sent from my sweet Aunt Wynona. It wasn't my birthday, anniversary,  and nowhere near Christmas or Mother's Day. Seeing the box was marked Franz, I was ecstatic!  My family watched me in equal anticipation as I carefully lifted the pieces out of the box, we admired them, and then I put them back in the box for safe keeping.

As we sat there together, I thought, silly me, these teacups are meant to be enjoyed, "Who wants tea!"  I enjoyed my tea in this gorgeous teacup and saucer as the family was forced to enjoy their tea in more common English and Bavarian teacups. :) 

When Martha at Martha's Favorites announced last week that she was going to share her Franz tea set this week for Tea Cup Tuesday, I thought I'd share mine also.  What a joy, she has the same teacup! But check out her tea pot and spoon, too. GORGEOUS! 

Today I'm serving Earl Grey, Afternoon Darjelling, or English Breakfast tea.  Or if you prefer something chilled, may I suggest this Sparkling White Jasmine tea. 

I need to drink a lot of tea today to keep up with the orders that came in for my new line of Recipe Cards.  To cellebrate I'm having a GIVE AWAY, 4 winners in all will win 2 sets of cards! 

May Teacup

I couldn't show you this sweet May teacup earlier in the month because it's been hiding, waiting to be given to my daughter for her birthday. I love May's birth flower, the Lily of the Valley, with their small white bells.

Miss-Matched Haviland

Even though this teacup & saucer, both marked Haviland France, are miss-matched, I didn't see it as a problem, but a blessing to get two lovely patterns in one.

 

The history of the Haviland China Company is interesting, spanning several generations. I am still searching for these patterns and am not worried if I discover they a fake. They are hand painted and I can picture china painters creating these lovely designs sitting at sturdy wood tables coated in layers of paint.

This little cutie pie with a bakers hat on is ready to receive your used teabag.  In my favorite aqua color it's made by Josef Originals, probably in the 1960's.

Next, if you are interested, I'll share how this tea set inspired a French themed Teacup Card. For now, I'm wishing you a very happy Tea Cup Tuesday, grateful to our gracious hostesses  Martha and Terri for organizing another fun day!

Roses on Teacups

How fun to be coming back to Tea Cup Tuesday with Martha and Terri again! Thanks everyone who came by to visit me for my first Tea Cup Tuesday post last week. I was greeted so warmly, which goes to show you the sweet character of tea-loving gals with the gift of hospital-tea.

This week I've been drawn to my rose tea cup by Hammersley & Co., England, as all my roses are in full bloom.  Hows your garden blooming after all the rain & snow we had this winter? The little rose pendant is a gift from my neighbor, who creatively took this pin from the set I gave her for May Day on the 1st.

Want to see a little sneak peak of a watercolor painting I'm working on? It's called, "High T at the Great Wall of China."

 
Can you guess what the rest will look like?

Just one more thing before we part to visit everyone else's amazing tea cup collection this Tuesday. I joined a TEA SWAP that's a lot of fun participating in. It's a simple little swap, two teabags and a hand made card, sent off to someone sending you the same.  I've met some very nice ladies and tasted some incredible teas I had not known of.  In case this is your "Cup of Tea" let Fran know at Little Paper Studio and she'll link you up with someone, maybe me! Here's what I received this month, which I enjoyed in the same teacup,...

 

... all the way from Hawaii! Thanks Dori, the Pineapple Strawberry tea was amazing flavorful!

OK, are you with me to visit all the pretty Tea Cup Tuesday post?  Let's go...

So I went to all the amazing blog posts listed above my name on Martha's blog but my Typepad is a little cranky from lack of sleep last night (I kept it up past it's bedtime) so it's not letting me leave comments on your friendlier Blogger. Something about not recognizing my http:// link. 

After that spectacular tour, I'm speachless. Wow, you all have incredable teacups, teapots, china and table settings that I confess, I'm pinning over.  Thanks for sharing and sorry I could leave the comment I had written for each of you.

Roses for Mother's Day

I served my mom and dad a high tea for Mother's Day on my new rose china and vintage rose tablecloth. After Potato Leek soup, Strawberry Almond salad and Quiche, we enjoyed mom's homemade Carrot Cake and strawberries capped with whipped cream. 

The tea was Blue Lady, an organic black tea flavored with a blend of grapefruit and citrus, served with Lemon Sugar.

LEMON SUGAR is very easy to make.

3     lemons

2     cups sugar

Using a citrus zester, remove the zest of all 3 lemons.  Roughly chop zest and transfer into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.  Add 1 cup sugar to the zest in the food processor and pulse until the zest is finely ground, about 3 minutes.  Transfer the ground mixture into a medium bowl.  Add the remaining 1 cup sugar and toss until evenly mixed.  Spread the lemon sugar on a baking pan and let sit at room temp until dry, about 1 hour.  Store the sugar in an air tight container in a cool dry place for up to one month.  I doubled the recipe and sent some home with mom.  

I’m sorry I can’t credit the origin of this recipe. I cut it out of a magazine a couple of years ago and recently found it in a pile when I organized my recipe book. It may be from Better Homes and Garden or Martha Stewart, hard to say. 

This is the first time I am participating in TEACUP TUESDAY with Martha & Terri. Thanks you two, I'm having fun visiting all the beautiful blogs who have posted their pretty teacups, while enjoying a cup of Chamomile tea as I'm feeling a little under the weather today.

The vintage tablecloth was my mother’s day gift from my family. I saw it posted on The T Cozy announcing it was going to be available in her Etsy shop T Party.  Without hesitation, I retrieved it for myself and told the family the pressure was off trying to find the perfect gift.  It was a very enjoyable day!!!

Coming up next: The worlds largest TEA TIN collection, you won't want to miss it.

Breakfast Tea

In my cup this  morning is the most satisfying Irish Breakfast tea, delicious with milk and honey. It comes from my favorite local tea and coffee hangout, Pannikin Coffee & Tea.  The coffee cakes, pies and blueberry muffins are irresistible.  When I'm there in the morning I always order their Greek breakfast of scrambled eggs, feta cheese and basil with a mug of fresh brewed coffee, Ethiopian being my favorite.

When the origonal supplier for the tea I was planning to provide with my HospitaliTea Club packages wasn't available, I looked to my local shop and have been pleasently surprised at the variety and quality of teas. My March HostitaliTea Club packages came with this wonderful Irish Breakfast tea which I will never tire of.  The May Club packs I just sent out on Saturday have Queen's blend tea, and the next Club packages for July will come with Blue Lady tea.

The Pannican is family owned, cozy and welcoming with a line out the door that's worth waiting in. It's located in the charming historic Santa Fe Railroad Station built in 1888. Pannikin means a small pan or cup usually of tin. If you are unable to visit personally, you can order their fresh roasted coffees & teas online.

When it's Time for Tea

Ahh, the always glamorous pink, black & white.

 

I love these Tea For Ones when it's time for tea. Weather I'm at my desk or relaxing over a good book, there's no need to get up for a second cup with the matching tea pot on hand. 

 

Just as stunning is this black & white baroque, WOW!  

Beautiful floral designs with roses and daisies have always been a favorite of mine, especially on tea ware, and this one is way too pretty to keep stashed in a cupboard.

Perfect gift for mom, to let her relax in the garden or curl up with a book, without having to get up for a refill as soon as her cup is empty. 

If you are wondering where to get one, you're in luck.  I made some available for you in my Store. 

 

Each Tea For One tea set comes in a pretty floral gift box and a stash of delicious tea to enjoy as soon as the tea set arrives. If you need a gift sent directly to your mom this Mother's Day, I'll be happy to tie a pretty bow around the box and send it to her directly with a Mother's Day card hand written with your sweet message inside. Please call my shop directly to make the arrangements at 1-800-489-6839 Monday-Friday 10am-5pm PST.

Glamorously Pink

Aren't you glad pink will never go out of style?

I love this glamorous pink tea pot! Part of a Tea For One Set, it's my personal favorite. With this pretty duet, I'll be able to work at my desk longer without having to brew a second cup of tea. The generous Tea pot serves 14 oz., with the teacup holding an additional 6 oz.  Plus, it just looks great on my desk.

Garden Party Tea For One

This beautiful floral design looks like a lush garden with roses, daisies, and rich foliage interspersed with pink ribbons. It's way too pretty to keep stashed in a cupboard. I like how the pretty flowers continue inside the teacup, also.

It's generous tea pot holds 12 oz. and the cup an additional 8 oz. I think it will be perfect for relaxing in the garden this Spring with my morning read, without having to get up for a refill as soon as my cup is empty.  If you are wondering where to get one for yourself or to give as a gift, you're in luck. I've made a few available for you in my Store.

 

Royaltea

Isn't this black baroque Tea For One stunning?  WOW!  I knocked my own socks off making a U-turn at the LA Gift show when I spotted this set in the corner of my eye.  This is no scrimpy Tea For One, either.

It's generous tea pot holds 12 oz. and the cup an additional 8 oz., perfect to pair with a book in a big comfy chair next to the fire place without having to get up for a refill as soon as your cup is empty.  If you are wondering where to get one for yourself or to give as a gift, you're in luck. A few are available in my Store. 

Does anyone recognize the pretty floral fabric underneath? It's "Nosegay" in Black by Paula Prass. Beautiful, isn't it?

Four O'clock Shadow

The low Winter Sun peeked through the clouds momentarily, producing a four O'clock shadow letting me know it was Tea Time.  OK, so maybe it's closer to 4:30 or 5:00, but it works for me, I need some tea.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

Pink Teacup Christmas Tree

My newly acquired 7' tall pink Christmas tree gets the same reaction as seeing an elderly woman at the hair salon who just had a pink rinse put in her gray hair.  It's one of those take-a-deep-breath-before-you-exclaim reactions until your brain can conceive what your eyes are showing it.

But I like it in my studio with my vintage Christmas balls I found last year hanging with my collection of Demitasse teacups on the tree.

I even cut out some images from a few of my Teacup Greeting cards to add to the tree.

 

Wishing you some unexpected surprises mixed with tons of fun and good cheer while huddled close to those you love enjoying a cup of tea, hot cider, or cocoa.

Christmas day is almost here and I'm nowhere close to being ready, but no worries. The 12 days of Christmas begin on December 25th which means I can extend my Christmas to January 5th!

Afternoon Tea in Southern California

It was an exciting day when copies of this amazing new book arrived at work, hot off the press!  Georgia, Steve and I sat in a circle each with a copy in hand shouting out all the wonderful things we discovered: delicious tea sandwich, scone & soup recipes, tea rooms close by, and images of my artwork inside. 

Sherry Evans,  pictured above with her mom,  has beautifully produced and written this wonderful book.  The best part, she has agreed to come for a book signing at my Open House next Saturday!

With my cup tea at hand, I'll reveal a few of the pages inside.

 

 
Sherry is a delightful woman who trusted in the Lord as He has guided her in producing this book which, as she says, "...my purpose is to encourage you, the tea lover, to discover the many places that serve afternoon tea in Southern California." Find her book at www.AfternoonTeaInSouthernCalifornia.com or come  meet Sherry yourself next Saturday, Nov 28th, 10am-4pm at my annual Open House Sale (all my products are 1/2 off) and Tea Tasting. I'll have all the teas out that we use in our cards and stationery for you to try along with fresh baked scones and homemade jams. Scroll down to the next post for more info....

Peach Luster

Doesn't this mug just scream, "Hot Cocoa, Please."

As the nights get chillier we find ourselves gravitating towards warm colors and warm beverages. 

If you can picture yourself sitting around the table with friends and family serving hot beverages from these lustrous mugs, maybe while playing Scrabble, I've made four of these beauties available in my Etsy Shop.

Set To A Tea

Delicate pink rose Teacups, petite Tea Spoons, a sweet Heart tea infuser, luscious Raspberry tea all on a vintage lace table clothe... Well, I can't think of a better way to relax this Mother's Day!  But I cant forget the kids, the husband, and the dog (which my hubby got on Mother's Day).  Without them I wouldn't have a reason to celebrate.  Hurray!!! Mother's Day will be here soon!

Wouldn't this demitasse trio be a perfect grouping on a Mother's Day breakfast tray?  These small spoons and service pieces are hard to find.  If you've been looking for these too, your search is over, I've made them available in my Store.

You Are Special

My mom received this Tea Set from the department store she registered her wedding gift registry with. The complete Moss Rose set includes two Teacups with Sauces, a Teapot, two Plates, Salt and Pepper Shakers.  It now graces my home since my mom gave it to me for my Birthday. To honor her I created this "You Are Special" Teacup Greeting card, but as you can see I redesign the Teapot to fit the size of my cards, left the lid off where I insert an English Breakfast teabag, and gave it a napkin tucked under the saucer.

Charming Yellow Teacup and Saucer

Like the Spring Sun, this vintage Teacup and Saucer brightens up any room with its cheery Sun-shiny Lemon Yellow color.  It's large octagon saucer is generous enough to carry a scone to the breakfast table.  Because I know it will cheer someone up, I've added it to my Etsy Shop. SOLD, THANK YOU!

Blue Wedgwood Demitasse Teacup

Classic Blue Wedgwood Jasperware Demitasse Teacup and Saucer with ivory dancer.  At only 2-1/8" tall this teacup may be petite in size but is large on style.  I've never seen one of these before.  The Ivory dancer on the teacup is surrounded by an ivory garland on the Saucer. For those who collect Wedgwood Jasperware I've made this little gem available in my Etsy shop. It would make a lovely desk accessory for keeping small office supplies organized. SOLD, THANK YOU!

Spode Demitasse Teacup

This vintage Spode Demitasse Teacup & Saucer is adorable!  The saucer looks like a gathered skirt and its pretty pink flowers and gold edges just sparkle! This would make a perfect gift for a girls tea party, use for sipping chocolate, or to hold small office supplies on your desk. I've made it available in my Etsy Shop.

Pretty Pink Rose Teacup

I adore this vintage pink rose, with a touch of aqua in the leaves and a cute green handle.

It's sitting on one of my pink watercolor designs which I used as a background for my Mum Teacup Greeting Card. 

Simply Elegant

I love how the pearl edges of this Candlewick glass capture and reflect the color of the pink Raspberry Vanilla tea inside.

I've made a set of two teacups and saucers available in my Etsy shop, and I'll even include two delightful Raspberry Vanilla teabags from Harrison & Crosfield for you to brew and enjoy!

No Teacup Left Behind

Like a box of puppies or kittens outside the grocery store, it's hard for me to leave an unwanted teacup at an Estate Sale.

I love this Royal Grafton Tea mug with pretty blue flowers and scalloped shape.

Have you ever seen this Royal Stafford British Centennial teacup before, with an official crest and slogan on it?  The yellow flowers are stunning, especially when you look into the cup.

New in my Etsy Shop, waiting to go to a good home.

BOTH HAVE SOLD, THANK YOU!

Sweet Vintage Teacups and Teapots

A few treasures from my many travels, just around town, over the years.  Sounds adventurous, uh?

Actually, for this homebody, scavenging through estate sales means brushing my hair and putting on shoes, or in today's weather finding my down jacket. 

Once I'm there, of coarse, it's hard to leave for all the decisions there are to make about which vintage finds to claim and which ones to leave for others. 
 
Over the years I've claimed a few too many.  A tea pot here, and a couple of teacups there.  Before you know it, the cupboards are brimming with too many wonderful things to enjoy them all.

So I selected a few vintage goodies I had planned to use as models in my paintings, and added them in my new Etsy shop called "KimberlysTeaCottage."

Now instead of trying to decide what to claim and what to leave behind in other peoples "estates," I'm making those decisions at home...and you'll never know if I brushed my hair, or not.

 THESE ITEMS HAVE ALL SOLD, THANK YOU!

Teacup Nightlights

Nightlights are a wonderful addition, illuminating the way to a dark sewing room, craft room, or guest bathroom.  This sweet porcelain butterfly teacup nightlight would be adorable in a girls bedroom. A little extra light is helpful now that we've just moved our clocks back for daylight savings time.

This sweet bird perched on a flowering branch illuminates my kitchen at night. If you are looking for a Teacup nightlights for yourself or as a de-light-ful gift I have some available in my store.

Teapot Nightlight

Teapot Porcelain Nightlights illuminate a lovely glow in the kitchen, breakfast nook, dining room or dark hall.  Now that we've just turned our clocks back for daylight savings time, a little extra light is always helpful. Assorted nightlights are available in my store if are needing for a little light to guide your way.

Model Teas

My husband took me to a sale he saw in the neighborhood. There we found tables of vintage "everything" from a husband and wife team of collectors who were reducing the size of their collections.
These little cutie-pies will make sweet models for future watercolors.  In the meantime I'll enjoy them with friends over tea at my kitchen table.
 

Can't wait to paint the light shining through these saucers.

 

Foley floral teacup.

Aqua-green German teacup.

 

Floral Tea Set

Once my mom told me I had too many tea cups and dishes. She's right. To solve the dilemma I made gift baskets loaded with greeting cards, notepads, stickers, tea, and one of my teacups to sell at my annual Warehouse Sale. The morning of the sale I unwrapped the baskets, took out the teacups and changed the prices. It just seems wrong to part with all my lovely models. It would be like Spann's Cookie company parting with their cookie jars.

Aqua Tea Cup Surprise!

I was pleasantly surprised when my husband brought this teacup home. I flagged it on eBay to watch, but forgot about it.  Seeing I was interested in it, he bid on it for me. Being my favorite color I use it as a model for a new Birthday Teacup Greeting card and added a Peppermint teabag from Harrisons & Crosfield.