tea for two?

or in this case, just one; but the one in question is my aunt judie, so it has to be extra special. aj--in common with the rest of the women in our family-- loves and collects vintage china and glassware. we're all especially fond of tea sets, too. so when i saw the tea party challenge at shabby tearoom, i immediately thought, "THAT is the one for me!" here's the card i came up with:

(patterned paper: mambi, pink paislee, creative imaginations; teacup image from a vintage postcard enlarged and printed twice on kodak premium glossy paper; florals: prima, recollections, petaloo + tiny ribbon flowers with pearl centers from the trimmings shop; resin flower brad of unknown origin; vintage lace and a strand of tiny flower trimming from my stash. adhesives: staples brand gluetape runner, 3m foam tape, gluedots, scotch tape (to secure ends lace and ribbon on back), low temp hot glue gun (for bulky flowers) and of course my trusty sewing machine!)

here's the inspiration pic from shabby tearoom (#218); in addition to the general vibe, they specifically requested we add a teacup (or other tea accessory) plus lace or ribbon and pearls. check, check and check!

since i knew i'd be seeing my aunt in person, i didn't really have to consider making a card that was flat or mailable. so i didn't. not even a little bit! :) i used my bulkiest flowers and loaded on the trimmings. enough so that i actually had to break out the hot glue gun to make sure everything was on there good and tight! i also added quite a bit of machine stitching to the panel. there are horizonal bands across the tiny flower trimming and the scalloped border strip; as well as an outline around the entire perimeter. as with most of my sewing, it's a nice decoration, and i love how it looks, but mostly, it's intended to keep textural items like the lace (which i've wrapped around the center panel and taped on the back) securely in place.

i wish i could also make some yummy little cakes like the ones in the photo, but my kitchen skills pretty much consist of planning meals, stocking the fridge, and cleaning up after lovely husband jeff has prepared a delicious dinner. luckily, there's quite a nice bakery on the way to aj's house! ♥♥♥