Wednesday 25 March 2015

Tea Bag Art and Recuperation

Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you for all the good wishes I have received over the last week, your visits and kind words have meant a lot to me.
  When I knew I was imminently going into hospital I prepared a handful of teabags! I ironed Vilene on to the back of each one, and added some fabric and machine stitching to them.  Now that I am recuperating I have my bag of prepared teabags and a bag of 'bits and bobs' by me so I can sit and quietly decorate them with beads, braids and embroidery.  It's been nice having a gentle activity to do while I'm on enforced rest!  The theme is the Winter Garden, in case you hadn't guessed, and this is what is on my desk this week for WOYWW









30 comments:

  1. Wow. They are all so lovely. and what a way to recycle. Hospital is never fun, but having something pretty to work on must make the time pass more tolerably. And fab art at the end too.

    feel better!
    Happy WOYWW day!
    Mary Anne (2)

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  2. All completely gorgeous, but I simply adore the last shots with those sea green beads in the folds of the fabric. I'm in love :-)
    I hope that you're healing well and enjoying the spring weather....
    Hugs, LLJ 24 xx

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  3. Good to know you are feeling well enough to do some sewing Diana. Thank You for such wonderful inspiration, each and every image is a joy:-) xxx

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  4. I'm glad you are on the mend, Diana! Your tea bag art is gorgeous!! I love all of them. The one with the pleated fabric is great! But, they are all beautiful!

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  5. Hi Diana, pleased you are able to do some crafty stuff which means you must be feeling a bit better.
    I just love your use of the tea bags. I have to get my mum to save them for me as we don't drink much tea but when I get a good collection going!! do I love them! and these little stitched pieces are gorgeous. Thanks for the visit and I am sending you extra big hugs, Angela x 42

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  6. So pleased to hear you are beading away and happy after your hospital visit, they are not nice places to be in. Love what you are doing to those Tea Bags, never seen anything like it before and they are stunning. You and Judy would get along like a house on fire with your beading. I can't fiddle with things so small it gets me irritated, strange how it can calm some but not others.

    Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful week, take care of yourself.

    Hugs Eliza & Yoda
    Happy WOYWW

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  7. Those are amazing and what a wonderful idea! I just want to break this down--are these actual used tea bags that you then dried out? I love the textures, the fabric you used, and I can't believe how neat the satin stitches are on those branches on the "winter" tea bag. Did you do that by hand? I'm just so inspired by you today. I hope you are feeling and healing well! Hugs! Sandy Leigh #46

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    1. Thank you so much Sandy - the stitching on the winter tea bag is machine stitching I'm sorry to say - I wish I could say I'd done it by hand but I'm just not that neat an embroiderer!

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  8. Well.... there is nothing like being prepared. These are so delicately beautiful Diana. It's good that you can still be creating under the circumstances and I hope you are back on your feet again soon. Thank you so much for visiting earlier and for your lovely comments. They are praise indeed.

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  9. These are incredibly beautiful. Great idea. Glad you are on the mend, no pun intended.

    Happy WOYWW
    Thx for sharing
    Pat #15 do drop by if you get a chance

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  10. Glad you're on the mend. Your work is gorgeous! So pretty! It's nice to while the time doing something nice.
    Thanks for visiting earlier,
    Have a great week,
    Lisca#10

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  11. Oh my goodness I am totally in love with your teabags Diana. I want to do some. I hope I can make it fit into my papercraft course. Well it is paper after all.
    Stay well dear friend. If this is you ill, what will you be like at full steam
    Lynn xx

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  12. Completely incredible. Re-purposing at it's prettiest. Wishing you a speedy recovery :D

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  13. Your work is so beautiful and so special ... makes me feel like hunting out a needle and threads (but sadly I don't do sewing!)

    I had to smile - when you said about getting your tea bags ready I initially thought you meant for going to hospital! You know.... to drink!!!! Silly me!

    Get well soon.... enjoy your enforced rest :)

    Karen xxx

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  14. Be You Tea Full !!
    Sorry... couldn't resist it. But they are lovely.

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  15. These are lovely, Diana. Well done. Take care, and recuperate slowly.
    Thanks for visiting already - yes - lots going on here - even managed to do some gardening as well, today! I reckon the word "boredom" has been missed out of my dictionary! Never seem to get to that point anyway.
    Take care of yourself. God bless.
    Margaret #8

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  16. Glorious work, intrigued by how you prepared the tea bags and just so delightful...particularly like the circular ones. A joy to visit as always! Ruth x

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    1. Thank you so much Ruth - I just dry out the used bags on the radiator, then make a small slit in the back and pour out the leaves. If I'm sewing on them I then stiffen them by ironing a piece of Vilene on the back.

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  17. I love your miniature teabag art, Diana. This is the sort of thing I was hoping to start doing this year with all the teabags I've collected. I hadn't thought of iron on vylene to stabilise them - great idea. I am glad you are able to do something while resting. I hope you are soon over your surgery and feel yourself again. Thank you for your good wishes for mine on Friday - it's so close now.

    Happy WOYWW,
    Shoshi #38

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  19. Diana, these are each so beautiful.....I love your beading and stitching, and of course your theme! The whole collection would make a sweet little "quilt" or book....look forward to seeing what you do with these. Meanwhile, so glad to hear you are on the mend. xx Lynn

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  20. These are so beautiful, good thinking to get them prepared ahead of time. Hope you get better soon but in the mean time enjoy doing your gorgeous teabag art.
    Have a great week,
    Von #69

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  21. Diana your embroideries on tea bags are all so so wonderfully made, I love the natural colors you work with.
    Anni

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  22. Your work is always so stunning. Hope your recovery is blessedly short.
    sandra de @50

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  23. More stunning inspiration! Good excuse to put the kettle on! Need to keep going back to these to drool! Sending best wishes for continuing good recovery! X

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  24. Wow! Wonderful pieces, i know all about recuperation time and you are using yours brilliantly. You were so clever to make all the tea bag paper, and what a great background it makes! I may think of using some in my sewing too. I hope you are making sure you take it easy, happy sewing!

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  25. What an inspired way to use tea bags! Your tea bags are lovely little art creations and so detailed! I never would have thought to do this. Sorry to hear you are in the hospital and best wishes to you! Get out soon! Hugz and happy crafting! ~Niki

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  26. I hope you're recovering quickly and recovering well! I'm sure it's easier to deal with when you're able to create such beautiful little art pieces. Those teabags are incredible. Really stunning.

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  27. so amazing and beautiful work. hope by now you are well recovered and continuing to create incredible work on tea bags.

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