Pretty Packaging Cups of Friendship

Do you have a Tea Lover in your life?  I think the sharing of a Cup of Tea is so symbolic of friendship, what about you?  I'm not a coffee drinker, but I can do herbal teas, and a number of my friends drink tea. 

This next set called Christmas Tea is beautifully designed by Lauren Pope.  It's delicate and intricate just like a china tea cup, so that's the feel I was going for.  Today's project would be a nice gift for any tea lover in your life.  I created a special box holding various kinds of tea bags, and a tea bag/spoon rest.   This is my favourite project of the release I think.  I'm happy with how it came together from my head to the paper!  And thanks to the encouragement of my sweet friend Broni, I'm entering this into the Moxie Fab World's Plum Crazy Challenge too....

I began by using a box I often use for cards (A2 Box Tutorial here) and  I decorated the lid and bottom of the box before assembling. 

I watercolored the tea cups with reinkers and waterbased markers, then the pretty part, I added watered-down Lumiere to give the tea cups shimmer  - just like a porcelain cup.  Love how it looks!  After I cut it out with my Labels Five Nestabilities, then I masked the cups with Eclipse Tape and sponged with Rich Razzleberry ink.  It really sets off the cups.
 

I thought that it had an old fashioned feel, so I added the large scallops punch along with the crochet lace and Razzleberry ribbon.  The box ties and unties on the right side.

One last closeup of outside to really help you see the shimmer, and then I'll show you the inside. 

Here is what I was able to put inside the box: 

Tazo Passion Tea, Loose Tea bags of Cranberry Apple Zinger (wow it smells good), 2 special Triangular Infusion tea bags from Forte (aren't they a cool shape?) and a Tea Bag Rest/Spoon holder. 

I have to admit, one of my pet peeves is tea bags without tea strings on them.  I hate digging for them in your cup with a spoon and trying to squeeze out the reminaing flavor without a string.  So, on these bags I created my own strings with some linen thread and a circle punch. 

Here is what the box looks like empty.  I took the A2 box and added a separation to it to keep everything from scattering in the box.  Sorry about the photo, I think it's the shadow from my OTT light.

Now head on over to the other Design Team Members blogs for some other fabulous projects with this great set.   Cindy Lawrence, Julie Koerber, Latisha Yoast, Laura Fredrickson, Leslie Miller, and Stacy Morgan.

Join us tonight at 8 PM Mountain time (9 PM Central time) for our power hour Release Party in the Splitcoaststampers Forum!  Games, prizes, and the sets unveiled!

And...to win this great set today head on over to the Flourishes Newsletter to enter!

Recipe:  Stamps:  Flourishes - Christmas Tea;  Ink:  Kiwi Kiss, Rich Razzleberry, Black Stazon;  Paper:  Rich Razzleberry, Kiwi Kiss, Kiwi Kiss Patterns DSP, Flourishes European Watercolor paper;  Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Five Nestabilities, EK Success Scallop Punch, Crochet Ribbon, Rich Razzleberry Ribbon, Reinkers, SW Markers, Aqua Painter, Lumiere, Labels Eight Nestabilities, Sponge, Kaiser Pearls, Dimensionals, Scor Tape, Scor It, Modern Label Punch, Eclipse Tape, 1 inch circle punch.