Thursday, February 14, 2013

A Valentine Wish for You...

Hello, Dearest Friends!
Again, wishing all a wonderful
Valentine's Day!

It's a busy project day,
here at The Tearoom
and I would like to show you
some of what I have been working on.

This is Thursday.



Last year at this time, she was still packed away,
 in a box in the basement, in pieces,
as I had bought her at a flea market over 30 years ago.



As you can see from her face,
she has not had the easiest of lives.
When I bought her, she had many scratches
on her lovely face and no longer had hair,
only the glue that had once held a wig
on her dear little head,
which as it happens, is cracked.

But this summer, I started a project.
I decided to go in search of my mother's old dolls.
I found them, many of whom are 
in much sadder shape than
My Dear Thursday.


I also found where she was packed away,
restrung her parts back together
and began to hand-sew clothes for
all of these dear old things!
Who knows when was the last time any
of them had had new dresses!

I named her Thursday because of the old
children's rhyme:
"...Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go..."

This little doll had far to go to be loved again.

In spite of her flaws,
I love her just the way she is.

Today, she is modeling for you my most
recent outfit from her now-growing collection...
a drop-waist gown of deep red velvet,
with burn-out roses and trim of crimson satin,
an over-sized black taffeta bow,
decorated with one of my
and on her feet,
her favorite new accessory...

...a vintage pair of doll's rollerskates
I found for her on Etsy!





This is not exactly the first time
you have seen Thursday.
I posted a picture of her here this summer,
(along with her new adopted sister Bebé Agnès).

You will be hearing more about Thursday soon...


This is my dear little Charlotte Framboise.

I had wanted a Frozen Charlotte doll and last year,
I treated myself at Christmastime.
And, just recently, I decided that if I didn't make
a dress for her, she really would be
Frozen Charlotte!
It is really too cold in Maine to be
running around nakey!
So, I took some black taffeta, black tulle and
black and white cord and made her a 
festive little dress!
There!
That's better!

She lives on my bed-side table and here she is pictured
with her friends, the mother cat and kittens,
Boston Terrier puppy and teeny, tiny duckling.

Here she is again,
posing on top of my favorite lip gloss treat,
Sweet dreams are assured if you go to sleep
with the taste of vanilla cream cake
on your lips...!

And because I just can't be happy working on
just one project at a time,
later today, this new collage sheet will be available

"The Rose Garden" is just the first of my new
collection of digital collage sheets
for spring!

And, what am I listening to on this
Happy Valentine's Day?

Something sweet,
just a bit trippy
and brand-new.

Enjoy two tracks from a new band called inc.
Their debut album will be released on 4AD on the 19th.

In the meanwhile, if you like what you hear,
you can stream the entire album on Fader.





Friday, February 8, 2013

A Rose & Violet Cream Tea...

Welcome Once Again, Dearest Friends....


....welcome to my special Valentine's Day Tea...

A Rose and Violet Cream Tea,
with a few unconventional additions
from London and Paris...


Princess Sugar Verbena,
wearing her
Drop-of-Cream Royal Crown,
 is sitting
 inside one of the giant roses
I found and brought into The Tearoom!
I thought they would be
a fun and comfortable 
(and not to mention, fragrant!)
place to sit
while having our treats!
I am so happy to see her again and
The Tearoom is very honored
she accepted our invitation for today!


dAdA doll Rose de Blanc
and her baby,
Rose Lapin
are here for
the Valentine festivities
as well!

Shall we see what awaits us in the samovar?


Harney & Sons
chocolate tea with rosebuds...

or,
perhaps you'd prefer
like Princess Sugar is having...?



In a cream tea,
scones are traditionally served with strawberry jam
and clotted cream....

....but may we try something
a bit more adventuresome than
the strawberry jam?

Today, shall we try
from Fauchon of Paris,
 with rose petals, 
strawberries
and
passionfruit
instead?


Will you take cream or sugar in your tea,
whipped cream for your hot chocolate?

...And so, I take you for a few moments,
to my favorite cinematic vacation spot
"Les Vacances de M. Hulot"
(Mr. Hulot's Vacation)...
It is the night of the masked ball,
there at the hotel,
and the eccentric but always-polite Monsieur Hulot
has a chance to dance with that
charming young lady, also staying at the hotel!
(Notice how gallant he is as he tries
not to touch her bare back as they dance!!!)
If you have not yet seen this movie,
please do so.
If you have seen it,
please see it again!


...and something romantic and wistful from Duran Duran



Before you leave, please allow me to spoil you once more...
...from Paris, 

or...


from London, Rose and Violet Cream Chocolates
from Rococo of London...

Thank you so much for joining me
and my guests!
Wishing you a Most Happy Valentine's Day!



Images used in my collages from:
The Graphics Fairy
Tumblefish Studios
and many of the images used
were from my collage sheets
from Velvet Revived,
my shop on Etsy.
The image of the scone from
my Pinterest board
"Tea at The Tearoom".

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Don't Forget...


...tomorrow's Valentine's Day tea,
here, 
at
The Tearoom!