A Haven for Vee

Monday, April 19, 2010

Blue Tea Cozy



My titles are so uninspired these days. That's because I am trying to make finding a former post easier than it had been back in the day when I wrote those fussy foo-foo titles that meant zip. It's all about being able to find it again. And I finally started using the post labeler, also in hopes of making finding things easier.

I've had a few questions about yesterday's post so wanted to explain. My mother told me that my grandmother loves to color. I had no idea that she enjoyed coloring; although, I love to color, too. Perhaps that's where I get it. Anyway, I printed off a spring picture of tulips and daffodils and she happily colored and colored and colored. Two days worth of coloring. On the same picture. I think that I must find out how to do a wax crayon transfer so that we can preserve her efforts. (She tells me that crayons used to be much better. Anyone know anything about that?) Anyway, at one point, I turned the corner and there she was still coloring and that little pang hit and I wanted to save the moment. (It is that picture I used for yesterday's post.)

While she colored, I worked on the tea cozy you see above. Now that I'm so smart about digital images and everything (those of you who truly are must be snickering behind your hands ;>), I reattempted one of Miss Sandy's tips of Quill Cottage and it worked this time. Perfectly! It just goes to show that I must read directions carefully and follow them closely.

I also got inspiration from Becky's recent post at Sweet Cottage Dreams. You can find that right *here.* Becky does beautiful work!

Things are looking up around here...no snow. Enjoy a wonderful Monday!

28 comments:

  1. good morning, vee!

    i have the sweetest picture in my mind
    of your grandmother coloring. mine
    loved it, too.

    maybe some regulation has force crayola
    to omit a wonderful ingredient in colors
    these days. maybe the paper feels
    different, too.

    your tea cozy is adorable!

    have a lovely day!

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  2. I love to color too!!!

    The smell of a new Crayola box has the power to make me very happy!

    I am so very happy you learned this about your Grandmother. Hopefully this means many quiet and relaxing hours ahead.

    Your tea cozy is very sweet. I love the design and soft color.

    Becky K.

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  3. Beautiful tea cosy, Vee, and a wonderfully simply pleasure for your Grandmother. I am so glad your mother told you - it is not something that would have crossed my mind. And if she is happy, and loving it, brilliant! The thought of a big box of Crayola is still a real treat to me now. The 64 pack. with the sharpener in the back. That is, if they make them like that now!

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  4. Vee, thanks for referring us to Miss Sandy's tutorial! I love your tea cozy - such a soft blue and it looks old and soft and lacy - perfect! I'm gonna have to attempt something like this!

    I bought some crayons and coloring books for my MIL. I don't know if she's used them yet. She used to like to color with my kids. I'd heard that Alz. patients sometimes like to do things like that. She DOES still like crossword puzzles. It's kind of sad, tho, because all along I thought that she was still doing them perfectly. Well, she's still filling in all the letters and she DOES get some of them right. But the ones she doesn't know she just fills in now. I started checking them.

    Maybe I can really encourage the coloring books now...

    Have a wonderful day!

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  5. I'm glad you told the story behind yesterday's picture as it is so sweet. It seems as though your haven must have been a peaceful place as you created that pretty blue tea cozy and Nan worked on her coloring.

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  6. What a wonderful moment that you captured! Give that gals LOTS of pictures to color and all the coloring pages she could possibly want! Keep 'er busy and contented, LOL!

    That tea cozy is adorable. I can't wait to get my studio room all set up and be able to start creating again! I could do very little while the house was on the market for almost 3 years because we had to keep everything spotless at all times for showings. It's been a long lull period!

    Thank you for sharing Becky's post. Her creations are beautiful!

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  7. I'm smiling...because I love colouring as well! One day...when there is not much else left that we can do...you and I will spend our days with crayons, Vee. I think that is a most precious picture...on yesterday's post.

    On last night's news...we watched a little clip about a gentleman who turned 100. On his birthday he went skating! He was a former Canadian figure skating champ...had been a skating coach all his life...and his only wish for his b'day was to skate. How nice if they can still enjoy a few of their life's pleasures.

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  8. I'm back...after checking out Miss Sandy's crafty ideas. What a wonderful method of printing on fabric. And your tea cozy...a beautiful creation!

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  9. BTW, they make special crayons for transfering designs to fabric.
    http://www.dharmatrading.com/products/tfc.html

    As an alternative, you can scan her coloring pictures and then print them out on fabric, just like you did with the tea cozy picture.

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  10. I was moved by your post, picture and Psalm yesterday and wondered if it was your grandmother. Lovely - and what a great idea to have something to color nearby.

    Have you ever noticed at restaurants where there are a few crayons and a "kids' menu, or perhaps white paper over the cloth, that is often the adults who grab the crayons first and keep coloring while talking to the youngster at hand? I think that there is something calming about it - something rhythmical.

    Ah, and there is nothing like when one first opens a box of new crayons! We are children again and again.

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  11. We are having a semi-sunny day here. I watered the garden using rain water and hung out clothes. Oh and importantly, knocked a grackles nest out of a tree. :P A beautiful day here.

    I am a big, big fan of Labels. I did here there is a limit of 2,000 unique labels, but I am nowhere near that number yet on any of my blogs.


    I can believe crayons used to be better. I tried making chunk crayons a few years ago and when they cooled, there was a layer of semi transparent wax on the top of all of them. The ones I we had in a day care years before that, had none of that. Could it be whatever they put in them to make the crayons "washable"?

    Hope you have a lovely day!

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  12. It's amazing how such a simple thing as coloring can make a person's day. I think that is so sweet that your grandmother gets joy from this. It's probably true about the crayons. They've changed so many things over the years with the new and improved line. Improved is not always better. The tea cozy is lovely and that shade of blue is too!
    Hugs,
    Cathie

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  13. Hi Vee,
    Love your tea cozy very much!!! I have a few patterns to knit a tea cozy, but I haven't try them yet...
    I really love the blue and white you used its so pretty and springy.
    Take care and enjoy your day,
    Hugs, Elizabeth

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  14. Your tea cozy is so pretty!
    I like to color too and have a book and a box of crayons of my own! :-)
    I like crayola crayons. They seem the same to me though I don't like any other brands!

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  15. Vee,

    You must get Nana a box of Crayola Fabric Crayons! You can then iron the colored image onto fabric. There are not as many colors as in a larger box but at least you would be able to reuse her pictures.

    Thanks for the sweet mention and I am so glad the printing worked out this time around with no jams.

    Have a wonderful day!

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  16. I am beginning to think too that it doesn't help much to think of a witty title if you can't find it later on.
    I love the picture of your grandma coloring. .
    and the tea cozy is wonderful.

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  17. I was thinking now how the crayons are all so much better. .not necessarily the quality of the wax itself but I buy the ones that can be screwed up to get more crayon and then there are the ones that are shaped more distinctly with little hands in mind .. all made by the same company that started it all.

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  18. Three cheers for descriptive post Titles! Yessssssss!!!.

    I don't call [doing such] uninspired. I call it very, very helpful. [And I do try to do it myself... Try...]

    So glad your Mom finally told you that Nan loves to color! Super wonderful, for both of you.

    Gentle hugs...

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  19. Coloring with crayons is so relaxing .. and that was a delightful photo and caption, Vee. Your grandmamma is blessed that she can still do that!

    Your tea cozy is very pretty! I am now going to check Sandy's link.

    PS: Blogger has a "search" widget among its gadgets that you can put on your sidebar that seaches for key words in a post and puts the links up on the top of your last post. It works well for me.

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  20. So sweet Vee of your grandmother, the way you captured her hand and her profile. Love it!

    Blessings on you this week....

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  21. Love the tea cozy and really love the story and the photo of your Grandma - precious memories!

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  22. What a precious picture of your grandmother coloring. It's a treasure!

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  23. Hi Vee!

    I've been visiting you this morning and once again, drinking in all the goodness of your postings. HMMMM! A breath of fresh air and soul-soothing grace found here! So good to see you are still warming our hearts and refreshing our minds! I'll be back one of these days too...been away on various errands for the King!

    Love you,
    Gwendolyn

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  24. Your tea cozy is beautiful! When I was working I found that many of my patients loved to color. They would do it for hours. Some liked to draw too. Sometimes we would even give them towels and wash cloths. They liked the idea of folding them and would stay very busy doing it. I think they liked to feel needed. You are so good with your grandmother. She is blessed to have you.

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  25. Happy Monday Vee! How sweet of you to color with your grandmother. What a beautiful and precious sight to imagine. I love the blue tea cozy. So charming and sweet.

    There is a little something for you waiting at my blog. Thank you for your strength and courage. It is such an inspiring lesson for me.

    Jen

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  26. Hi Vee,
    What a lovely word picture you made. I can just see you Grandmother coloring. I love coloring too, I think that's why I love erasing backgrounds on Photoshop these days. Very similar to coloring. I think she is right, crayons used to be different. But perhaps it to do with safety regulations. Even our oil paints are different. The old ones had lead in them.

    Meanwhile I love the idea of your Grandmother coloring. Your tea cozy is gorgeous. The weather is looking up these days.

    Have a lovely day Vee.

    Karen

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  27. Ohhhhhhhhhhh, you know I totally LOVE your tea cozy! It is amazing! What an inspiration you are (again!).

    Love
    LaTeaDah

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