Saturday 26 July 2008

Tea Cosies in the collection of the Powerhouse Art Gallery in Sydney

These images where taken on my phone (naughty, naughty), last time I was at the Powerhouse in Sydney.

They are downstairs in the recreated 'bush crafts'/domestic early Anglo-Australian interiors along with the Kookaburra electric kettles and handmade wooden clothes pegs, etc.

Luckily the tea cosies look quite magestic in their glass case, and the Kookaburra cosy is quite impressive, a wonderful object of vernacular Australian craft and design!

www.powerhousemuseum.com

Three kookaburras, tea cosy, circa 1890's-1930's.


"The cup that cheers" tea cosy, circa 1910-1920.

Teapots in the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia)

I found these images I'd taken on my phone...naughty me, of some fascinating Chinese teapots in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, in Sydney.
They were originally made for the European market, which is why they're so decorated and come in novelty forms...tea time would never be dull!

www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au




Late night cup of tea in our hotel at Trogen, Switzerland



Travel tea...with complimentary Swiss wrapped sugar cubes (collect the whole set of Confederate shields...I can't remember how many there are...23 I think?!)...and restorative Belgian chocolate (for a change from Swiss chocolate!)

Our hotel was near Trogen, which is very close to St Gallen...where there is a fantastic textile museum that is showing a really good exhibition of 100 years of underwear...curated by Paris-based lingerie designer, Chantal Thomass.

St Gallen is a great city, very Swiss-chic and I imagine it's full of ski crazy people in winter.

This is a photo of the Red Carpet for St Gallen Project, created by Architect Carlos Martinez and multimedia artist Pipilotti Rist. It's a permanent public art installation and is a really nice meeting place...easy to find!!





Some useful websites to check out:

www.textilmuseum.ch
www.chantalthomass.fr
www.st.gallen-bodensee.ch
www.MySwitzerland.com
www.unesco.ch

Afternoon Tea delights in Zurich, Switzerland


When searching for a good location for a glamorous Afternoon Tea break in Zurich, I can recommend two famous places: Sprüngli (www.spruengli.ch ), and Confiserie Teuscher (in Bahnhofstrasse 46 8001 Zürich Tel. +41 (0)44 211 13 90 www.teuscher.com).

Just check out their packaging!

No tea cosies though.....sniff sniff....Ah-Ha...more establishments to convert!

Sunday 20 July 2008

Flea Market finds from Zurich, Switzerland



Couldn't resist taking this photo of two cups I bought at the Zurich flea markets two weeks ago...the cat and her kittens were lazing in the sun at my friend's place and it reminds me of my mother and sister's cats...and just the whole afternoon tea thing where people sit down for a cup of tea and the cat will come along for a bout of lap-occupation too!

The teacups are two 'Watteau' themed cups made in England...and yes, I have just packed them up in one of three trunks of personal belongings I have to now ship back to Tasmania! Yeee haaaa...tea cosy making inspiration must never be denied!!!

So I have a huge amount of work to be getting on with when I return to Australia...
EXCELLENT!!

I hope you are enjoying your cups of tea, wherever you are in the world right now, maybe with a tea cosy also? Let me know if you ever want a cosy and I'll see what The Teacosy* Revolution can offer you, either for swaps, future hospitality, or even the dreaded coin (money)?!

Friday 11 July 2008

Revolutionary fervour in Metz, France...



Oh why am I being so limp with my Revolution...I ought to be out there in my Granny Mac (Raincoat), and umbrella and crocheted tea cosy spray painting slogans all over the place...just wait...I'll think of something...as enduring, like graffitting my own promotional Teacosy* Revolution posters that I will make soon......

This delicious morsel of public vandalism I found today in the very pleasant small city of Metz, in North-Eastern France, while my partner and I were looking for somewhere to have lunch. I feel very inspired now...and its really time to give more loving attention to completing the Teacosy* Revolution Manifesto too....so much to do and I'm collecting inspiration all the time!!

Now where's my pot of Darjeeling....

Thursday 3 July 2008

Silver Shiny at the Landesmuseen in Zurich


I know one isn't supposed to 'publish' other people's images, though this is my form of 'assisted promotion' for the museum...no tea cosies in sight though...the Swiss haven't been bombarded with the pleasures of a restrained Protestant Teacosy* Revolution yet!!

www.landesmuseen.ch

Wednesday 2 July 2008

Mint tea at the Mosque (The a la menthe, chez La Mosquee), Paris 2008

This was afternoon tea at La Mosquee in Paris with Rainier and my good friend Armelle...its a very special atmosphere there and the sweet mint tea comes in painted glasses and you sit around tiled tables on the terrace...and have a Shisha if you want too!


Tea Tiara by Anita Dineen, 2007

This amazing piece of jewellery is by a good friend of mine and featured recently in The Financial Review magazine (Australia).
I am fortunate enough to have one of her teapot rings, which I wear all the time and receive lots of good comments about! Its so great to be able to support one's friends and their creativity! Go Anita!

www.minormarvels.com.au