Tuesday 4 January 2011

My first Tea Cup Tuesday!

This is my first post on the new blog I have set up to let me take part in Teacup Tuesday. I found out about Teacup Tuesday through the Artful Affirmations blog of a fellow crafter Terri. I have linked to her blog in my side bar. I loved the idea of joining in as I have quite a collection of lovely chintz china, but sadly, I do not have the space to display it properly in my little house. I thought I would use this blog as a virtual china cabinet so I could enjoy my collection more and hopefully other people can too!

Tea drinking is an important part of my life, one way I like relax. Tea is the cup that cheers. I like some usunual tea blends and will share some of those here too. I also love to bake and to bake with love. So from time to time I may also share some of my favorite sorts of home-baked goodies along the way!

So here is my first tea cup to share. A beautiful Shelley Chintz cup and saucer in the Summer Glory pattern. I wish I could manage a slightly sharper picture but the light was terrible today.

I won't show you a close up of the cup as it is badly cracked and has seen better days - but it is a pretty pale green colour. Here is the saucer in close up.
Here is the backstamp. This pattern was manufactured in Staffordhsire in England in the 1940s. My cup is the pink version of summer glory.
To celebrate my first ever post I baked some cupcakes. These are golden gingerbread cupcakes with lemon frosting and are based on a slightly adpated recipe from this amazing cookery book - Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World -  how could you not love a book with a title that crazy! I cannot recommend this book highly enough, these recipes are so inventive and so reliable. These cakes are a little extra special as they are spiced with a lebkuchen spice mix I bought back with me from our last holiday in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. One of our most favourite places in the world and where I always leave a little part of my heart.
Once I had added the lemon frosting and some crystallised ginger and lemon peel, I thought I might give one of my chintz cake stands an outing!
So here is how I enjoyed my reward for setting up my new blog, a cup of my very favourite Marrakech Mint Tea - a very special and refreshing blend of green tea and spearmint made by Liptons and one I can only seem to find in France and a golden moment with my cupcake, using some of my modern chintz china, that may get another outing here on another day.
Thank you for joining me on my first ever Teacup Tuesday!

Elaine x

14 comments:

  1. Wonderful first tea post! Love both teacups and your baking! Well done! Happy Tea Day and Happy New Year!

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  2. Hello Elaine,
    nice idea to make a virtual cabinet to enjoy your tea cups. And so I have the opportunity to enjoy them, too. I love your Summer Glory cup althought it is cracked. Your cupcakes looks very delicious. I will follow your new blog now.
    Greetings, Johanna

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  3. What a lovely way to start the new year. Pretty things to look at and I can almost taste the tea and cakes. I'm not a regular tea drinker but I can appreciate the associated rituals and look forward to seeing some more of your virtual cabinet and the results of your baking sessions.

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  4. Your first post is lovely. The Shelley chintz teacup is beautiful - what a pretty pale green inside the cup. The gingerbread cupcakes look delicious. I'll look forward to seeing more of your chintz collection.

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  5. Brilliant first tea cup post Elaine! Yea!
    The Shelly cup is so gorgeous. The colors are very beautiful, and it is fab that you are enjoying it so much even though it has cracks and all. I feel the same way.
    Your new blog is lovely. Thank you so much for joining in Tea Cup Tuesday.
    Btw, I love the idea of a "virtual china cabinet"!
    Hugs,
    Terri

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  6. a delight to find you and share in your first teacup post! thx for sharing it with us - goodies and all :)
    luving your chintz ! we'd love to have you join the FHC TeaCup trade that began yesterday for a Valentine exchange. several other uk bloggers are participating if that's helpful to know :)
    tea's always on at FHC ~ WELCOME!

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  7. Meeting you has been a pleasure you are really wellcome
    Your tea Cup is lovely,very,very pretty I love it!
    Hugs

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  8. Elaine - a really classy first post. Your china is beautiful, and the cakes look scrummy.

    Hugs
    Valxx

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  9. I love your teacup.. so sweet and pretty.. I dream of finding one like yours! thanks for sharing!

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  10. What a wonderful post! I collect stoneware pottery, but I can fully appreciate a delicate tea cup. I am drooling at the cupcakes you have baked!

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  11. themessycraftroom7 January 2011 at 07:26

    Hi Elaine , what a lovely cup and saucer . Also a lovely first post, your cup cakes look really scrummy. I hate tea or coffee, but can appreciate your lovely china. Hugs x ChrisB

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  12. Sorry I'm late catching up Elaine. Love your new blog even though I'm not a tea drinker as you well know. I do not collect pretty chine either but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it's loveliness. Both the cups in your post, both old and modern and both really pretty.

    Now the baking is another matter altogether and again,although I don't bake myself any more I have been lucky enough to sample some of your baking delights so can just imagine how scrummy these cupcakes are.

    Well done with the pretty new blog.

    Lots of love
    Lesley Xx

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  13. I missed this first post sorry, and me being your fisrt follower- naughty me! Yourcup is really pretty, and those cakes look delicious! As a sampler of your delectable cooking, I can only imagine how gorgeous they taste. The second set of crockery is equally lovely too, Judith xx

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  14. Elaine, I am in my glory seeing your Summer Glory. I sure do love your blog and have left a comment this morning on every one.
    Ruthie from:http://www.ladybstimefortea.blogspot.com/

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