Monday, December 20, 2010

Tea For Me (and Art too!)

I'll be the first to admit I am a tea hound. And the worst part of it is that a long time ago I started saving the tags and wrappers the tea comes with.
I mean, I have a couple of large plastic zip bags of these things, and they have been taking up space and more space and I kept thinking, "Yeah, I'm gonna use them on something...." so I would stash a few more into the bags, and a few more, then push all the air out and shove in a few more.
Finally, the other day I was working with a cradled birch panel (I had ordered a bunch from Cheap Joe's as I thought these might be good for more aggressive mixed media pieces---read that *nailing stuff on*) and was looking at the bare gessoed back. Okay, what do you DO with that? This was not like my box canvas pieces that could be turned around, but I hated the white with smears of paint from the edges and figured since it was wood, maybe it would be wise to collage something on it to seal it.
And that dim bulb, that slow *Bzzzzzzt!*.....that ah-ha moment arrived. 
I can try the tea bag wrappers. It isn't going to matter; it's on the back. If it looks bad, no worries.
I grabbed the exploding bags and pulled pieces with great zeal---trimming the edges so they would lay flat and slopped on the collage medium. (for the record, Traci Bautista's Collage Pauge in matte)
At first I wasn't too sure, but as with any collage, the more you put the better it looks and soon the whole back was covered with interesting tea images. So I had been right all along---this would work and look good!
I gave it all a chance to dry, but still, I saw those paint edges and decided a slight wash of the same color over everything would be good, and a second wash of another iridescent color would make it even better! It was finished with a coat of satin varnish and is perfect.
I really like it.....very simple, some color and pattern, a definite part of *me* there, and no glaring white back!
Some days it pays to be a pack rat.   ;-D


Pax....

24 comments:

Karen S said...

Very nice idea -- I also drink a lot of tea, but I've just been saving those little tabs with the "words o' wisdom" -- I guess I should have been saving the whole bag paper. Although I do have a couple of bags full of those little tabs...

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

LOL!
Glad I am not the only one who saves things meant to be disposed of....
I thought maybe I was just really *odd*. ;D

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Georgina said...

Gawd, you save tea packets like I save beer bottle tops...there's always something that can be done with them!!LOL

Glad you're up and around, sort of. As for your collage, I love it!! It's great!!! Take care and think of me today...Miss Daisy and WalMart!! aaaahhhhh...imagine me pulling my hair out!!!

Loves ya,
G

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

OMG!!!
Georgina, you make me glad I'm home with the unhappy-innards! Wal-Mart...today???
I think I would kill myself.
And yes, I save bottle caps too.
I save everything...*sigh*

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Janet Ghio said...

Great idea Anne!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Thanks Janet!

My little brain is rolling about, trying to see what else they would work for....I'm thinking with gesso over them a bit, they would be a great collage BG.

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Jan said...

Cute Facebook badge. Wonderful use of your tea items. You know, people are probably going to be sending you their tea labels because they will think, "Oh, Anne saves these I will send her mine!" ha ha! I have some I won't send you. I use them for various things too but this collage really used a lot in a nicely productive fashion. Well done!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

LOL!!
The FB badge is when I was MUCH YOUNGER (but still fat...)---heehee!
Hey, people can send me whatever. I tend to drink one or two brands of tea and am not venturesome about trying others. Too many I don't like, or don't have the wrappers.
I was pleased with how it turned out considering I was just slapping and gluing. Which occasionally I think is best!
Just glue, don't think. ;)

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Cathy Bueti said...

Great idea for those wrappers Anne! Looks great! :)

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Cathy,

I bet you could incorporate elements from the wrappers in your mixed media work with success!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Silke Powers said...

Such a great idea! I did NOT know that you were a tea drinker as well. Daniel and I totally are and just LOVE tea! You don't even want to know how many different kinds we have in our kitchen right now. Our favorites come in tins and we have saved them all and use them for art supplies... Here's to tea and pretty labels and ART!! Love, Silke

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Silke, I think if you bled me, tea would run from my veins! Hot, cold, whatever.....I consume far too much of it! Have to remember to get the water in there too!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Unknown said...

Been busy like everyone and just coming by to say hello and Merry merry Christmas. I say tea bags too, especially unusual ones. I love the foil ones. I am busy right now trying to get all my stash orderly put away so we can get to the table for Christmas dinner. Blessings dear girl to you and yours. Love your music.
QMM

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Oh Peggy,

I too am in the throes of trying to keep the table clean and figure out Christmas.
I'm beginning to think pizza is the solution to my problems! LOL!!!
Have a very Merry Christmas!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

studio lolo said...

Anne,

ItryandtryandTRY to like tea but I just don't. I have a few yummy sounding ones in the cabinet that are there to entice me away from the pinot grigio, but the pg almost always wins :P
I love water, thank goodness, and my coffee in the morning.
I won't give up on tea yet though.
Perhaps this will be the winter it works for me1

I love the collage!! The colors and patterns are great, and what I also love is that it's so cohesive...colors and theme working together. Synchronicity!!

Great job girlfriend. And thanks for sharing!

~♥Lolo♥~

Bella Sinclair said...

Neato! That looks really great. And just imagine, many many years from now, those labels will be vintage and REALLY cool to see.

I read about a lady who saves all her tea bags. Not the labels or tags, the BAGS. She dries them and write where, when, and with whom she drank that tea. Hmmmmmmmm, quirky.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Lolo,

I am not a fan of all the fancy-schmancy teas; I'm pretty stodgy about what I drink and I wish I liked the others because they have beautiful wrappers!
Now and then, at Big Lots, I buy some just for the outsides....not the insides! ;-)

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Bella,

Okay, I am really glad you posted that. Because at my age, I am always looking for someone who makes me looks semi-normal.
I don't think I've ever saved the bags, though I have mixed spent tea with Golden gel mediums for texture in mixed media work.
Hmmmmmmm......maybe I'm not all that far from that woman after all.
*YIKES*

XXOO~~♥
Anne

yoborobo said...

I save all sorts of things, and I am truly worried about starring on Hoarders if I don't get a grip!!! Your solution is lovely, and I will have to remember it. :) Happy, happy, jolly, merry, cough cough - haha! xoxo
Pam

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

You think they would consider having us both on the same segment??? :D
I've told DH numerous times that if we don't purge some things, when we get old and the paramedics have to haul us off, they'll be walking thru a little mouse trail......
heeheehee!!
And a Happy cough-gasp-wheeze in return!

XXOO~~♥
Anne

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I've used tea 'bits' in art too but don't make a real habit of saving them. The amount of tea that gets consumed in this house would mean I'd be surrounded by labels in short order! Horrible thought. I figure if I need tea labels I just have to wait a day or two and I'll have all I need for a project (or, barring that, I can just cannibalize them off the bags and then it will be a crap shoot as to what we're drinking!!).

Timaree said...

This is the back side? It turned out really nice. With a focal piece like a teapot it'd make a wonderful front side!

*Ulrike* said...

Love, love tea! I can also see that you have been to Aldi's!
Take Care,
Ulrike

ch said...

i also collect tea bags and chocolate and candy wrappers with the i'm-gonna-use-them-for-my-art-someday kind of thinking haha! :D
This is really niceeee, i love your blog :D

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