WELCOME TO TEAPOT TUESDAY
THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING TEAPARTY
AND CHALLENGE #226
TIME FOR TRANQUILI-TEA
Note: Anyone is welcome to play! You automatically become a Teapotter the first time you play in our challenge. Also, you do not have to write a story. You just have to be inspired by the teapot or by the story about this week's location! Have fun! If this is your first Teapot Tuesday Challenge, please mention that in your commentary so we can be sure to greet you properly, in pure Teapot Tuesday fashion! Your participation in Destination Station is 100% voluntary and not at all required. Just have fun!
This is my story!
Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is on the way. Life is busy, busy, busy.
But sometimes we just need to press the pause button and take some time out. Sit back, de-stress, relax.
Why not take a (tea) leaf out of the Japanese book and enjoy the serenity and tranquility of a tea ceremony. To get us started I have an authentic Japanese teapot, brought back many years ago by the sea-captain uncle of an old family friend. I wish I could tell you more of its history than that, but Beth, who gave it to me, is dead about 15 years or more now, and since she was in her eighties, you can imagine how long ago it might have been that her uncle was travelling the seas.
Here are some fun facts about tea for us to enjoy while we sip our soothing brews ~
*Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water, and can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households. It is the only beverage commonly served hot or iced, anytime, anywhere, for any occasion. On any given day, nearly 127 million people, or half of all Americans are drinking tea.
*Tea bags were invented in America in the early 1800s, and were initially used to hold samples of teas brought from India. Today, 96% of all cups of tea served around the world were made using teabags.
*Loose tea is, for connoisseurs, the best way to taste tea: the quality of the tea leaves, which are often whole, and not broken up as in tea bags, is often higher, and retains more of their original flavor.
* There are many different kinds of tea, but they are all derived from just one plant: Camellia sinensis. The color and variety of the tea (green, black, white, oolong) depends, however, on the way the leaves are treated.
*Vitamins. Tea is a natural antioxidant, and rich in vitamins: it contains vitamins B2, B1 and B6. Tea, however, is also rich in potassium, manganese, folic acid and calcium.
So let's take some time out; sit back, enjoy some delicious tea of your choice, and then get going again all relaxed and vitamin-ised
and ready to face all the Christmas organisation.
CHALLENGE TRANSLATION: Make an oriental themed card - easy peasy.
EPEC ~ (EXTRA POINTS FOR EXTRA COOKIES!) Use a tea-related image!
DESTINATION STATION:
The Destination this week is each other! Once a month, we send our cards to each other! A little payback and reward to the teapotters for always sending their cards to the recipient of the Destination Station.
It is our goal to surprise each and every Teapotter that is participating in this monthly card swap by each of us sending a handmade card to another! You know, give em a little tickle! Ha! Tickle a Teapotter!
This week is Tickle A Teapotter Week!
To see how this is accomplished please visit
Post #325 in the Teapot Tuesday Destination Station thread. Please remember that just because you participate in a Teapot Tuesday challenge that is combined with a card drive request, it does not mean that you are REQUIRED to send your cards. It is totally 100% voluntary!
Here is
my card .
Here is a Quick Link to the
Teapot Tuesday #MMTPT226 Challenge Gallery.
Be sure to use KEYWORD MMTPT226 in your upload and post a comment here so we can all see your card!
Ever want to get a jump on next week's challenge card? SCS has given Mothermark permission to create an email Teapot Tuesday Cheater Group and email the challenge out on the Saturday before the Tuesday of the challenge so you girls can have the weekend to make your card. Send her a pm with your email address if you wanna be a Cheater!
If you are confused about these challenges, see the first sticky post of this thread for more information. There is also a directory of individual challenges. Feel free to grab this I survived Teapot Tuesday Badge for your blog!