Saturday, July 26, 2014

Heal Your Heart Class - Week One

Dearest Friends of The Tearoom,
I have been having so much fun this week!  I am taking the class "Heal Your Heart With Dollar Store Art" by my friend Bill on his Purple Moose Heart Art site!   For the first week, Bill talked to us about convincing our Inner Critics to just leave us alone and let us create!  He also shared with us some coloring pages to have fun with.  This is how I did mine:


Bill gave us a cute moose to color and so made
mine a chocolate moose (!!), which reminded
me one of my favorite shops in Washington, DC.  
The Chocolate Moose had so many cool gifts and
 cards and just fun things.  This chocolate moose 
has just woken up and is taking a stroll in the flower 
in the garden, while still wearing his pink and purple
polka dot pajamas and chartreuse slippers!

And this grand peacock is the second coloring
sheet that Bill had available for us to color!
It took me a couple of days to complete it,
but I had fun sitting on the porch coloring!

It is not too late to join in on the fun by
signing up here!

I can't wait to view the video from Week Two!

And, by the way, if you would like to see
some of the great digital collage art that
Bill does, be sure to check out his blog here!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Happy Summer!


We spent so much time outdoors in the lovely summertime in our last post that we are just not ready to go inside! Please click on the image for a larger view.

I made this college for the challenge at Sunday Postcard Art (I'm just slightly late in my submission).  The prompt this week was "Bunting" and so that is how I have decorated the garden in this collage!  We here at The Tearoom are hoping you are all having a very Happy Summer!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

A Mad Tea Party Adventure...

Welcome, Dearest Friends of The Tearoom to the annual Mad Tea Party, hosted by our Dear Friend Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist!!

I have participated in this fun blog party now since 2009 and I have met so many lovely new friends here!

And what fun is in store for you all today?

Well, our own Dear Paperdoll Daughter Victorienne is going to have an adventure today of the Very Mad Variety!!


Victorienne is driving her toy car across the lawn tonight 
with her friend Purple Kitty.  
They are on their way to The Hotel Wonderland!
They have been most kindly invited to A Tea Party!!



Their little car toodles its way to the entrance of the Hotel 
and they are directed by that dapper doorman 
to drive right into the elevator!!  
Oh boy!  
How exciting!




The floor of the elevator begins the lower....

        And down we go...

                Down...

                         Down...


                                  Down....





"Look Kitty!", exclaims Victorienne!
"I was on that street when I went to Paris with
my Mommy and Daddy for Christmas!"


They must go down this dark tunnel in order to get to their room.

They park their car at the end of the tunnel and go in . . .


Victorienne and Purple Kitty find themselves 
in an interesting round room.

On one side, a lovely place to sleep!

(Kitty is testing the bed and finds it cozy!)


On the other side, there is a tiny door,
with a note tacked next to it . . .


"Ooh, these instructions look most serious and so I must read
them most seriously," Victorienne wisely decides.


"What odd, grumpy instructions!"


There's the key and the bottle that are spoken about in the sign...


One swallow...

          Two swallows...

                        Three swallows...

(It's not bad you know.  That cherry-tart, custard, pineapple,  roast turkey, toffee and hot buttered toast flavor  is rather interesting!!

                                     And as expected...


Victorienne feels a bit dizzy, so she closes her eyes...


...and when she opens them again, she feels herself getting smaller...


...until she is the same height as Purple Kitty!!


"C'mon Kitty!  Let's go!"



The first person they see is this interesting Blue Caterpillar Man...
Very politely, Victorienne asks the man for directions.

"Excuse me, Sir Caterpillar.  
Do you know the way to The Tea Party?"

Mr. Caterpillar continues staring off into the distance, but answers
her question, albeit vaguely:
"You could go this way," he states, pointing to the left.
"Or, you could go this way," he adds, pointing to the right.
"Because the Earth is round, you can go either way and end up
at the same place."
Victorienne ponders his advice, but she doesn't want to be late
and she knows that going one way, especially if it took you all
the way around the world, would take a very long time!
"Well!" she thinks to herself.  "That advice wasn't very helpful!"
But, because she is a polite little girl, she still thanks 
The Caterpillar Man graciously, but decides they can find
the party themselves.


So, Victorienne and Purple Kitty look one way...


...and then the next.

Thanks to inheriting her father's good sense of direction
and her mother's love of purple pansies,
Victorienne chooses to go this way!
Kitty agrees!


Is it my imagination or are the pansies getting bigger?




"I think it's this way, Kitty!"



"We're here!  Finally, we have made it to the party!"

Victorienne and Purple Kitty are so excited!

"We've been saving seats just for you," Alice explains.


Here are Alice, Victorienne and Purple Kitty, 
happily seated at the table!

Tea will be served momentarily, but first,
let us say "Hello" to all the other dear friends at
the table with us this evening!


Here is Kitty with The Cheshire Cat.
I do so wonder what sorts of kitty cat gossip will go
on between these two between sips of tea!
The Dormouse looks like he invented unruly behavior!


And sitting next to the mischievous little Dormouse
are the all-too-serious White Rabbit and March Hare.
Perhaps some sweets will sweeten their attitudes.


And finally, the Mad Hatter and seated next to him,
his Great Uncle Zero!
It was Great Uncle Zero who convinced The Hatter
to take up hat making!
They are both rather stylish, don't you think?


Tea is served!



And what sort of tea are Victorienne and her new friends
enjoying this evening?  They are having a yummy
strawberry tea, sweet like ripe berries in July!


And just look at all the lovely pastries!
Which one would you choose?


Let's see what tea-time treats everyone is having, shall we?
Dear Alice is having the tangy sunshine-y lemon cake...


...our Darling Victorienne is having an almond meringue,
decorated with candied violets...


...Purple Kitty is having a cherry-flavored shortbread cookie
with pistachios and dried cherries on top...


...the ever-charming Cheshire Cat has chosen a lovely piece of 
layer cake, with two vanilla layers with a chocolate layer
sandwiched in between and frosted with an almond
buttercream...


...Perhaps that yummy-looking vanilla custard tart can
distract that mischievous Dormouse from concocting
any of his shenanigans!


The White Rabbit has wisely chosen the cheesecake topped
with cherries...


Simple, but wonderful chocolate cake with vanilla 
buttercream is a favorite of The March Hare.


Great Uncle Zero's selection is an orange cake.
(Do you suppose he was influenced by his creative
and flamboyant jacket?)


And finally, our friend The Hatter has chosen a
delicious vanilla cake topped with decorative strawberry icing!

And, here's some lovely and inspirational music
from the brilliant and creative Ödland to enjoy while
we have our treats.





(You may remember I introduced you to them here.)


"Would you ladies like some more tea?" asks the nice
young gentleman who is serving.
Victorienne is charmed and Kitty hurries to finish her
tea so she can have more!  
Is is any surprise that her favorite part of the tea is the cream?

This is a most lovely party!
However, it is very late now and the party shows very little sign 
of ending anytime soon.
Victorienne and Kitty are getting a bit tired.
As if to read her mind, Alice whispers to Victorienne,
"When you are ready to leave, I know a shortcut back to your room!"
"That would be most helpful.  Thank you", Victorienne responds
most gratefully, stifling a yawn.


"I can see from here that Luminaria, The Queen of the Fireflies
is resting in that flower over there.  She has volunteered her
services to guide you to The Magical Looking-Glass at the end of
the garden," advices Alice.


Victorienne finds The Queen very accommodating and she
and Kitty find themselves at The Looking-Glass.


"Look Kitty!  I can see us, in our room!  


Victorienne and Kitty thank everyone for the lovely tea
and they step through the mirror...


...And everyone bids them good-bye.
They hope their new friends will return and have tea again
with them one day.


Meanwhile, Victorienne and Kitty have safely arrived back
in their room!  
"Look, Kitty!  I am regular Victorienne size once again!"
Kitty is happy to have stayed the same size throughout
their adventure.  


Oh!  Such a comfy bed!
And we are so tired from our adventure!
But we will spend a few minutes whispering to each other
about it all until our eyes become heavy with sleep...
Good-night!

Thank you so much for joining us here today for
our very Mad Tea Adventure!!
Please visit with Our Very Dear Hostess Vanessa
at her blog A Fanciful Twist and then visit with 
the rest of the participants at their parties too!

Wishing all Friends of The Tearoom a delightful rest
of your day and a Happy Mad Tea Party Weekend!

Images I used for my collages today from the following
lovely sources:
Vintage Images from my personal collection