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Sunday, December 8, 2013

Tuesday Cuppa Tea, 1st Blog Anniversary Winner named, Christmas Prep, 2nd Blog Anniversary Drawing, Hockey In Seattle?

Hello and welcome to another December Tuesday Cuppa Tea! Are preparations going well in your home and community?



Christmas is fast approaching. But first...the winner of the 1st of my 2 7th Blog Anniversary Giveaway is...




Do you see the pause? Do you feel the suspense??? That's what they do on TV...huh????...The winner is....Diane at Lavender Dreams! http://lavenderdreamstoo.blogspot.com/
I will try to contact you on your blog, through email or however I can...please contact me by Tuesday, or we'll go with plan B...



And for our part two of my 7th Blog Anniversary Giveaway...is this  group of handmade items...




I did 2 because the mug, infuser, lid and case was so darn heavy, and was for US residents only...but this is open to anyone...

The items include:
 a pair of thick, hand made pot holders in a teacups pattern made by our Peninsula Friends Of Animals to support their no kill shelter

a handmade cone...no it's not an elf hat...it's a hand made, insulated pot lid or knob holder from our local church missions bazaar. It has a cute little cup and mug print and the little verse:
If your lid is hot
I hit the spot!
Lined with Thinsulate
Your fingers will stay cool

I got one last year, and use it for my lid of my teapot. It's amazing how many teapots have broken lids because the lid knob or finial was dropped when the pot was checked, because it was too hot!

Also a handmade...by me...bag filled with lavender buds from my bushes, as we are a lavender growing region. Pesticide free!

A stip of teacup themed stickers

So...please 
1)  leave a comment if you wish to be included for the drawing...and
please 
2)  follow me through Google+, Bloglivin' or one of the other things available and please
3)  follow me on Facebook...the button is on the left sidebar of this blog

Entries will close on Saturday, Dec. 14th at 10PM Pacific...


On to my teacup for today...a Royal Grafton, England Christmas themed teacup in the Noel pattern from the 1950s...




I have always loved this pattern. Other potteries made it...the potteries often got their design sheets from designing businesses if they didn't have an in-house designer or appropriate designer at the time, so you will sometimes see the same pattern on more than one maker. Design copying was a big deal as well...although the pottteries called it stealing...goes on today, doesn't it? So I can't tell you if Royal Grafton came up with the Noel design, but their workmanship is one of the best. Just makes you think of hot cocoa and Christmas cookies, doesn't it? For more info on the Noel teacups at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.

from pinterest


I've gotten some of my favorites out on the tree...like my little sleeping clay friends in their half walnut shells from a Christmas spent in Ashland, Oregon in the 1970s, made by an artist at a Christmas market....



The world centered on the Nativity ornament is on the mantle amid the lights...


My Italian fabric clothed Nativity is on the buffet...


So you can see progress is being made around here! As I've been decorating and busy, I've got dinner in the crock-pot...New England Potato and Corn soup with chicken...a cold weather favorite around here....


Lastly...bet you think it doesn't get very cold here around Seattle...only rains. But....


Yep...that's hockey being played yesterday on Lake Union--of Sleepless In Seattle fame. The local Seattle paper, the PI or Post Intelligencer,  posted these photos with the story of how rare this is for us here...you can read the whole story HERE


I am leaving you with a tea loaf recipe from Tetley Tea, that has tea in it. Tetley is a good black English tea, and a favorite around our house...with a few others...Lol!

Below is the linky for you to link your tea related posts. Don't forget and comment and follow if you would like to be entered in the giveaway.  Have a great week and visiting these great blog friends.


Monday Marketplace
Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday
Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday
Teatime Tuesday
Tea With Celia
Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness
Tea On Tuesday
Miss Kathy ~http://www.thewritersreverie.com/
Tuesday Tea       
Tea On Tuesday
Tea Tuesday
Time For Tea
Tuesday Tea Time
Tea On Tuesday
Bernideen’s ~ http://blog.bernideens.com/
Tea In The Garden Tuesday
Lavender Cottage  Tea Time
Tea In Texas
Playing With My Camera Teatime           
Tuesday Blog Shop
Poetry In A Pot Of Tea

17 comments:

  1. tetleys tealoaf a great tradition ,I dont make much with dried fruit that hasnt been soaked in tea

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  2. Hi Ruth,
    Diane is a lucky girl today. She is so fortunate to win your give away. Your Noel Royal Grafton teacup is so pretty. Your handmade teacup treasures are lovely too for your second giveaway. Thank you for hosting Tuesday Cuppa Tea. Have a wonderful week.
    Karen

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  3. I've so excited to be the big winner! Thank you so very much! You are so generous and sweet and I love the pretty handmade items you've made, too. Do you quilt? I love to sew but haven't learned to quilt. Thanks for making my day so much brighter! Warm hugs from Florida, Diane!

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  4. Congratulations to Diane, she'll love receiving your 1st giveaway treats. As for the second, please enter my name as I do follow along on Bloglovin but didn't know you had a FB page, so have liked it too.
    I have only one Christmas teacup and went out looking for another on the weekend at our antique barn - not a one in sight! I like yours shared today and your sweet walnut shell friends.
    Judith

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  5. Hi Ruth,
    What a beautiful teacup! I only have the one Christmas teacup too and I would love to find another. Congratulations to your winner! Thank you for hosting and have a beautiful day.

    Blessings,
    Sandi.

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  6. Oh so lovely for a Christmas cup and saucer for I love the shape and holly motif. Your hockey players playing outside was a surprise but the storm reached Texas and has closed schools on Friday and now on Monday! Please include me in your giveaway and thanks for hosting!

    Pam

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  7. Hi Ruth,
    the tea cup is really wonderful. I love the nice pattern on the shimmering china. The Cookies from pinterest are to pretty to eat, aren't they? The look like much work. I adore your nativity scenes. The Italian one is really very pretty. Thank ypu for sharing this wonderful tea time. Have a great Advent time.
    Best greetings, Johanna

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  8. Wonderful giveaway. Congrats to the winners! The Christmas teacup is lovely...Christine

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  9. I'd love to be entered in the giveaway! And I have a teacup with your pattern but not that shape (I like the shape of yours better!). Also, your soup looks awesome!

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  10. Hi Ruth: I love your Christmas tea cup. Thank you for hosting this fun party each week. Have a great week. Hugs, Martha

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  11. Congratulations to Diane! And congratulations to you too! I do love your holly tea cup. The design is quite nice, that is a great shape.
    I am drooling over those delicious looking star cookies. I would love two with a cup of tea : )
    Hugs,
    Terri

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  12. Congratulations to Diane. Happy Blog-versary! I love holly and ivy -- the red of the berries. Great shape. Thank you for the recipe. Merry Tea Day! Stay warm!

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  13. Your teacup is so pretty! I love your holiday images, Ruth. Merry Christmas!

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  14. Yes, songrats to Diane for her bloggiversary! Thank you for the récipe and for the lovely tea party, sweet lady. Beautiful C'mas teacup too!
    FABBY

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  15. Congrats to Diane on winning your first draw, Ruth. You can add my name to the second draw. Thanks for letting me know about it. I'm so glad I found your blog again. The Christmas teacup is so pretty. There's something so heart warming about the vintage Christmas teacups. Your cloth nativity set is really beautiful. Have a great week. Blessings, Pamela

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  16. Blessings, Ruth! Great post - your ornaments are darling and I do like your teacup today - mine has a holly motif, too! Though - not quite the English pottery. I would love to try that tea loaf, but I fear most of the ingredients are just not on our eating list anymore. I may have to experiment with substitutions . . . Hmmm . . .
    Joy!
    Kathy

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