The Matching Game

Hi there and Happy Friday!

Yesterday, we made TADA! seating cards out of blah tea envelopes. Handwritten on it are the guests' names.

Inside are questions that guests are encouraged to answer as they indulge in their meal. Hopefully, these questions spark thoughtful conversations.

Aside from the name, each envelope is numbered. You know why? That's because there's a prize at the end of dinner.

Create this pretty set-up on a blank wall of the party venue. Each envelope has a number, too. All the guest has to do is match the number of their seating card to the prize envelope. 

The prize envelopes are made of empty 

tea sachets as well.

With a little bit of paint...

...who would ever decipher what these envelopes 

were to begin with?

Both sides of the tea sachets are painted and allowed to dry. Now it's time to accessorize!

These flowers from a magazine are just what we need.

Cut around them.

Attach to the sachets and finish with a layer of Mod Podge. Don't forget to assign each one with a number.

Then pop in a prize such as these mini crystal brooches. 

Hang the prize envelopes with wooden clothespins on a piece of ribbon. Spice up the "clothesline" with a few more flowers.

Find them in old magazines.

Match the numbers and take home a prize.

Wouldn't you love to receive a favor from a most memorable dinner party? Have a terrific weekend!

A Floral Soiree

This week, I'm discovering new uses for empty tea envelopes.

These may look familiar to you. Once they're empty, they go straight to the trash. But do you know that from blah, they can be turned into...

 ...TADA!? 

The tea sachets are now dinner party place cards.

Here's how they're made:

Choose a paint color. I'm mixing red and white

to make my own shade of pink. 

Begin painting the tea sachet. You'll need to do at least three coats; allow the paint to dry between each coat. Once dry, paint the other side.

Here's what the painted tea sachets look like (I added some streaks of white/lighter pink paint to add some dimension). However, they need some embellishment.

One of my favorite ways to "embellish" is with decoupage. I found these flowers in one of the pages of Martha Stewart Living. Just by cutting around each flower and attaching them to the tea sachet with glue or Mod Podge...

 ...they now have a lot more personality.

Add the names of your guests and number the envelopes, too.

Secure this to a napkin with ribbon and a wooden clothespin. Once the guests arrive, they know where to sit.

 When everyone is seated, have them open the envelopes...yes, there's something inside!

These are conversation starters. Each guest asks the question they found in their envelope, and everyone on the table takes turns answering. 

It's a good ice breaker before the meal starts.

And it's an interactive way to get to know an acquaintance or a friend you've known forever.

Remember that we numbered each envelope? Well, you'll have to find out tomorrow the reason why. Later!

Creativi-TEA

Hi there! Yesterday, I showed you how to 

make these mini envelopes:

They're made out of empty tea sachets: 

I turned them from blah to TADA! by gluing on a few magazine cut-outs with a spring garden vibe. Today, I'm making them even more TADA! by adding these:

Gift tags with cheerful messages. TADA! 

They're made to look like the tea bags that

were once inside the sachets. 

I used card stock, string and 

construction paper.

 Add a message appropriate for the occasion.

 To celebrate something grand...

 ...or something ordinary.

I hope you enjoyed our simple craft today!

Tea with Me

Thank you for stopping by today! As promised yesterday, we'll have British-themed crafts this week in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebration.

Afternoon tea is a British tradition I've come to love. It's the whole formal set-up of tea pots, cups, saucers, tea caddies, and tiny spoons. The sugar and the cream. The three-tiered stands of finger sandwiches, scones, and sweets.  

This picture is from a lovely afternoon at London's The Orangery a few years ago...indeed, it was a unique travel experience! 

Sometimes, I try to recreate the experience at home. By myself or with a few girlfriends. The tea paraphernalia I own are TADA! finds from flea markets. The loose tea leaves are little treats I pick up when I'm out shopping and stumble upon a store specializing in tea. When I have a few extra hours, I'll make the baked goods from scratch.

A cup of tea is a daily ritual and because, like you, my days are frenetic, it's all too common that I use a regular mug and pull out a tea sachet instead of the elaborate tea set. After the tea has warmed and wakened me, I'm often left with these:

blah: empty tea envelopes 

 Here's what they look like when you flip them.

And here's what I did to transform them 

from blah to TADA!:

 TADA! I made mini envelopes!

I decorated the front and back sides of the tea sachets with magazine cut-outs. I'm using bees, butterflies and flowers for this collection. Have a look:

I think it's a gorgeous way to rescue tea envelopes from the trash.

Tomorrow, I'll show you how I use them. 

See you then! 

A Royal Party

Happy Monday friends! Britain is having a party for Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

via The Diamond Jubilee

She's celebrating her Diamond Jubilee -- that's 60 years on the throne, baby! At 86 years old, doesn't she look fabulous?

AP Photo by Tim Hales, via ABC 7

Yesterday, I spent part of my day watching Day 2 of the four-day event on television. There was a flotilla pageant on the River Thames. More than 1,000 boats of different shapes and sizes (from kayaks to sailboats from all over the world) sailed down the river led by the Gloriana, a gold leaf-trimmed barge powered by rowers. 

AP Photo by Dylan Martinez, via ABC 7

The Royals rode aboard the Spirit of Chartwell. A separate belfry barge's cargo was a chorus of pealing bells, and another carried the London Philharmonic Orchestra that played during the whole journey.

AP Photo by Matt Dunham , via ABC 7

Look at all the revelers -- they stayed even if it rained. Had I been in London, I think I'd want to be part of this historic event, too.

AP Photo by Scott Heppell, via ABC 7

Many shops sold memorabilia, babies born on this day were anointed "Jubilee babies", and artists captured the day by painting on their canvases atop a bridge as the flotilla glided by. What a spectacle!

This week, we'll craft with something that's truly part of the British culture. I'll see you tomorrow for some blah to TADA!, okay?

Ribbons for the Wrist

It's finally Friday...yipee! The sun will be out (compared to the rainy first half of the week) and I can't wait to bask in beautiful weather. But before I bid you a happy weekend, here's a final idea to turn old watches from blah to TADA! 

blah: a collection of old watches, 

beat-up straps removed 

TADA!: Replace the old strap with a ribbon 

in your favorite shade. 

The cool thing about this is you can change the straps as often as you want -- just experiment with different kinds of ribbon. 

Make the ribbon extra long so you can loop it around your wrist several times.  

Make a knot and bow to keep it in place. 

Maybe use some lace? 

It's very lady like. 

It may be a little frilly, but try wearing it to contrast a rock and roll outfit. 

I hope my crafts this week have left you inspired. I wish you all a relaxing weekend!