Re-Run of Zuni's Adventurous Tea Party

Once again I haven't had time to prepare a tea party, just a cup of tea for me!

So here is a link to Zuni's Adventures from 2010!

http://sha-shajewelry.blogspot.com/2010/06/zunis-mad-tea-party-adventures.html

Zuni’s Mad Tea Party Adventures

I didn’t make it to the party! I tried, I really did! I missed a very Important Date!

Fortunately,  Zuni was able to give me a glimpse of the goings-on for Mad Tea Party hosted by Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist.  Zuni was agreeable to share her adventures here with you as long as she got “something special” (ie. seafood)!

Naturally cats are curious creatures, as evidenced by all the cats in Wonderland and Through the Looking-glass. There was Dinah, Alice’s darling cat and her kittys - the white one and the black one- always playing with balls of yarn and not like getting groomed. And who could forget the Cheshire Cat?

So Zuni was on patrol as folks were setting up for tea parties and even had her entourage with her including a photographer whilst she was yielding to her curiosity.

OK, Truth be told, sometimes, especially in the darkness of night, she very much reminds me of a raccoon. Yes, a raccoon. I could be mistaken for that girl in that commercial letting a raccoon into her house, because I cannot tell you how many times I have gone out at night with a flashlight, spotted her tail and exclaimed, “There’s a Raccoon!”…..only to find out it was our darling Zun-Zun-ikins!

She lead me to some sights underneath the beloved ferns … and frankly I was disbelieving at first…It looked like a Fairy Tale Tea-Party from my childhood dreams…filled with Hansel and Gretel type visions (oops, that’s another story) and lots of honey - could it be?

Zuni cast her glance to me, and then leapt up to meander along the fence as if to say, “But, of course!”. On the other hand, I was still a tad perplexed, but decided I would go along, as she was the one telling the story …

She encountered a chain of temptations as she strolled the fence-line…Butterflies, Honeybees, other Cats (namely Cookie and Web-der), "Something special" - being a coastal kitty that means Fish, and of course Hearts galore - as she is loved, loved, loved! But trudge, trudge along the fence-line she went.

Ok, honestly, I had no idea where this was going!  Trying hard not to get too excited, with the look in her eyes, she let me know JUST what was going on..

The makings of a Mad Tea Party!!! The table was set, the flowers were extra pretty- Gardenias!  I could actually smell their lovely scent!  The tea pot steamed with what?  Chamomile, Mint, Lemon Verbena? Mmmmmm....  I could only imagine the scurrying around that Zuni saw getting this all set up ;)

This was her way of letting me know there were goings-on that were extra extraordinary….she was sooooo excited!

Zun- Zunikins! What would Alice say?.... A wink of her eye and a twist of her head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread, She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work (oops, wrong story – Again!)

The other kitty-cats lined up in a row, ears perked, listening intently.  There was so much going on, it was hard to keep up with her story, yet curiouser and curiouser I became!

And there it was….the through The Looking Glass vision Zuni showed me of my Ancestors. There they were in a corner of the garden looking over us.  She was flipant, of course, as she showed me, but I was quite a bit taken aback. “Yes, they are always here, don’t you know that?"

And so it was, into this madness I accepted all that she showed me. I stepped through the Looking Glass, lost in her adventures as she led the way.

In her impatience, she gave me an inquisitive look as if to say, "Don't you want to see who else was at the Mad Tea Party?

Yet another Fairy Tale tea set awaiting who knows who, maybe you?

Zuni poured her heart into it -

(OK honestly, I did not realize that what I was typing was the layout of the charm brooch! cat=Zuni, poured=teapot, heart=heart), Madness, I tell you!

-Pointing the way to a plethora of A Fanciful Twist inspired  Mad Tea Parties across the world!

Zuni said it was time for her nap - Imagine That!

Did I mention that among her entourage there was an Interpreter?  Well, there was.  Zuni left a little note that read ...

Dearest Vanessa, Mr. Lovee, Baby, Matty, et al,

      Boy, ya'll sure caused a ruckus around here!  You should have seen Blanche running around like a Mad-Woman!  I got my fill of 'something special' for sure!  Between all her photo-shoots and boating/fishing adventures I had about all the fish and shrimp I could stand (not really).  Please accept my sincere thanks and appreciation for your hospitality and kind spirits.

                                                                   

Much love, light, and good naps,

Zuni

P. S.   Special message for Baby -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S.S. Vanessa has posted an update of a turn of events in her houshold.  Our heartfelt best wishes, positive thoughts, and much white light sent your way - To you, Vanessa - and to yours. 

Welcome, Alice In Wonderland!

Inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass, and the release of the Disney - Tim Burton movie, here is my latest in this line:

Alice In Wonderland Charm Bracelet

I used wonderful charms based on the Sir John Tenniel illustrations that were cast in the UK.  I bought them about five years ago - It took me a while to finally pull this piece together.  Carrying over the color palette from my Alice and Queen of Hearts necklaces, I used with CRYSTALLIZED™  Swarovski Elements in Red Magma and Burgandy.  Other charms to round out the theme, all in Sterling Sliver are : Clock, Mushroom, Tea Set and Skeleton Key.   Mother-of-Pearl in spade, diamond, club, and hearts shapes add just another bit of whimsy to this very fun-to-wear bracelet!

Queen of Hearts

The second edition to my Jewelry Wardrobe designs is Queen of Hearts, also inspired by Alice in Wonderland.


This set incorporates gold to accent the 14 karat gold in the middle pendant and earrings. The longest strand is capped off with another Lilly Pilly pendant - that I adore! This one reminds me of Painting the Roses in Alice's Adventures!

The set is created as explained in my Alice in Wonderland post using beads from Artbeads.com CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements for their generous blogging program, which I am honored to be a part of!





Check out the trailers for the new Tim Burton movie scheduled for release in March 2010.

Alice In Wonderland

Last month Artbeads.com gave their blogging team their choice of CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements to blog about. I'm a bit late with this, but I hope it's worth the wait! Artbeads.com made it real easy to design 'In My Mind' just by browsing their offering of jewerly artist supplies.

I came up with an idea and was able to flow through ordering this-n-that components to satisfy my initial design ideas. When I received my order, I laid out the 'bounty' and started lining up patterns, mixing in beads and findings from my own supply. Feeling good about the patterns and colors came quickly. Once Alice came together, I could not have been happier!

Like many others my love for the charismatic Alice in Wonderland / Through the Looking Glass started with the Disney animated classic film. Enamored with Alice's Adventures, when in high school, I choose to read the book/s for an oral book report where I studied the 'backwardness' in Through the Looking Glass. My new line of Jewelry Wardrobes reflect my jeweled interpretation of Alice's Adventures.

In this phase of my Alice in Wonderland line (many more are in various stages of completion and planning) I have used Swarovski Red Magma crystals, Pearls in Bordeaux, Black and White, a Lilly Pilly pendant (I am so in love with these! see Use The Muse posts), and the key to making this Jewelry Wardrobe work - silk ribbon! To round it out I used various beads and findings from my personal stash.

Each necklace is different length and can be adjusted however you like.

The smallest necklace can also be wrapped around your wrist for a stunning bracelet!
Earrings made with Woodland Brass Fleur de Lis are also included in the Wardrobe.


So - luxury designs - worn however you wish! Comment and let me know what you think about Alice & this Jewerly Wardrobe!

-Blanche