Exciting find in an Antique Shop yesterday......

I'm so excited about finding this tea set in an antique shop in Deloraine yesterday. I'm sure its a Chinese tea set made of very fine ironstone ceramic, unglazed and in nearly perfect condition. It looks so new that I cannot even start to understand how I would date the tea set...I'm not familiar enough with the design-dating concept...it could be 1920's or earlier...or later, for all I know?!

Anyway, its very beautiful and exquisitely designed and made with only a miniscule chip on one of the cups...so now I can practice my Chinese tea ceremony, pouring tea back and forth into pot and cup until it' 'ready' to drink. A friend gave me some Chinese rolled-leaf oolong tea she bought in Shanghai last year, so this will be perfect!
A tea cosy for this teapot...well, I think I'll make myself an embroidered silk tea-set-cosy instead, something to keep it safe and clean with!

I invite you all for a virtual cup of Oolong with me!

Tara's Birthday Tea Party at Binnalong Bay

For my birthday today, my lovely darling partner Rainier took me for a 'mystery drive' today and we ended up on the east coast of Tasmania at Binnalong Bay for the afternoon...it was lovely, the light was gorgeous and we had tea on a small, white sand filled beach with only a distant fisherman in sight...such a glorious 'day out' and a much needed and appreciated break from working life for both of us...I highly recommend it, ha ha!!!
Cameo shot of my favourite antique silver teapot that's been with me for about ten years!

A friend's film: Ou est passe le 14 juillet?

While not strictly containing any tea cosies, this film by a friend, Nathalie Latham, contains a 'Marianne' hat I made as one of her props.
Hope you enjoy it (it's in French, though easy-ish to understand)...
You can see Nat's other films on the same Google site too:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5496506108973006463