and some tea

My Grandmothers usual tea making things consisted of a stainless steel tea pot (plus knitted cosy) and either some bone china mugs or some browny green cups and saucers that went with her dinner plates. Very practical. One thing she did give me though was a really pretty pink tea set which is gilded (and still is - one thing that I have managed to prevent M. putting in the dishwasher, unlike Grandma's cake plate that I got.... boy, did he get a tongue kicking when he did that). The tea set was originally her aunt's - my great great aunt - who my sisters and I all "lovingly" called Aunt Smelly (mainly 'cos it rhymed with her name Nelly).

The series of cups are collaged from papers extracted from magazines, old origami calendar paper, and brusho/bleach papers from previous design work.



This not-quite-finished collage was inspired after my recent visit to the V&A. In the British galleries there were a selection of 18th Century teapots and in the shop there were some crafted cups which had been made out of unglazed porcelain which had been stitched into (very messily I might add!).

The large teapot was collaged onto white card using a very pretty napkin that I found in my "weird stuff" box. The teacups to the right where molded from some modelsoft clay. When dry I gouged holes with a thick needle and then used a thiner needle and some embroidery floss to decorate.