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Craf-tea project: Tea Pot Fountains

Looking for a little project? This is a super way to use up garage sale finds or mismatched pieces when parts of a set start to break.

Isn't this fun and whimsical for your next tea-themed occasion? The water pours from the teapot into the cup and from the cup it is recirculated using a pump back into the teapot, creating a never-filling cup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During my how-to investigation, I found that there are battery operated pumps that are not as loud as elecric pumps, which, for an indoor display means the display is not as noisy and you might hear the water better.

Here is how one crafter made indoor table top teapot fountains:

I started with a big basket and a plastic basket liner to hold the water. Yes, you need to drill a hole in the bottom of the teapot. Then, run tubing from the pump through the hole in the teapot.

You have to wire the teapot to a stake or something and wire the stake tightly to the basket so it doesn't tip over.

I put a piece of oasis in the basket liner and put a saucer and teacup on top of the oasis lined up so the water would pour from the teapot spout to the teacup. As the teacup filled, it overflowed into the saucer and then into the basket liner below. I hid the pump behind the oasis and twined artificial greenery around the stake, the edge of the basket and all the mechanics. I added fresh flowers to it as well. It was really pretty. Oh, I used cold coffee as the water that was pumped...it is more colorful than tea.

Another one I made was for a friend's wedding. Her husband was a fisherman in Alaska. I also did it in a basket. I cut some bare twigs and spray painted them white and then sprinkled them with glitter. I put some white Christmas decoration leaves around the top edge of the basket, then spray painted the basket, the white leaves and basket edge with artificial snow. I attached battery-operated white lights to it, hiding the wiring in the white leaves, then also sprayed more artificial snow to help hide the light wires completely. I attached the twigs to represent the tree line along the back edge of the basket. I had some big frosted glass chunks that I put in the basket liner. When I added the water, they looked like icebergs. I put 2 tiny ceramic polar bears on one of the icebergs. Water was pumped like a waterfall over the icebergs. I put some dry ice in the back, so it had a foggy mist over it.

Their wedding colors were siver and blue, so I added a big silver and blue bow to the handle of the basket with long "tails" hanging across the snow scene.

I've had a lot of fun with indoor fountains, and they're really easy to do once you've figured out the simple mechanics of it all. Just be sure you have a basin deep enough to cover the pump with water or you can burn the fountain out.

 

This version uses a submersible pump and depending on the size and number of pots and cups could be built quite a bit larger for a permanent outdoor display.

From e-how.com, here is how to assemble this version:

1. Seal a 14-inch-diameter terra cotta planter saucer with terra cotta sealer. Allow the sealer to dry according to the manufacturer's directions.

2. Invert a metal scrolled, footed candle holder that's at least 4 inches in diameter and 6 to 8 inches tall onto the inside of the planter saucer's platform. You can find scrolled, footed candle holders in home accessory and discount stores.

3. Glue the candle platform section of the candle holder to the inside platform of the planter saucer, near the saucer wall, with one-part epoxy adhesive. Sit a small teapot on top of the inverted candle holder; the scrolled, footed base of the candle holder supports the teapot. Angle the teapot spout downward over the planter saucer platform.

4. Glue the bottom of the tea cup to the center of a matching saucer with one-part epoxy adhesive. Position the tea cup and saucer on the platform of the planter saucer so that the teapot's spout falls over the tea cup. Glue the underside of the tea cup's saucer to the planter saucer platform with one-part epoxy adhesive.

5. Place a small, submersible fountain pump on the planter saucer platform beside the inverted candle holder. Cut a length of clear, flexible plastic tubing to fit from the pump to inside the teapot. Attach one end of the tubing to the water spout on top of the pump; insert the other end inside the teapot.

6. Position the teapot lid over the teapot opening, on top of the plastic tubing. Angle the lid so that part of it touches the section of the teapot closest to the teapot spout. Glue the lid in place where it touches the teapot with one-part epoxy adhesive. It's important that part of the lid be raised so that you can add water to the teapot. The plastic tubing elevates the lid. Wait 24 hours for all of the glued sections to dry.

7. Cut a section of wet floral foam with a serrated knife to fit beneath the teapot. Insert silk greenery into the foam so that the greenery camouflages the fountain pump and the candle holder.

8. Fill the teapot with water, up to the base of the spout. Fill the tea cup with water. Fill the planter saucer with water, up to within 1/2 inch of the rim. Plug in the fountain pump. The pump pushes the water through the plastic tube to the inside of the teapot. The new water inside the teapot forces the existing water to flow out of the spout and into the tea cup. The tea cup overflows onto the tea cup saucer and then onto the planter saucer.

If you have lots of room in your backyard, perhaps you'll want to create this project on a larger scale, like this artist did!

One of the boards I was on suggested that solar pumps will also work for the outdoor project.

They also suggested that using distilled water, especially for the indoor version, will reduce the maintenance required to keep stones, leaves, and cups looking nice, and also keeps the pump working cleanly and efficiently.

You can also visit here to see a pdf document with instructions and photos for an indoor version.

 

Christmas Tea Cup

Angela McCrae authors a tea blog I enjoy reading.  Angela is an avid teacup collector, in just about any form, china cups, ornaments, jewellry, tea towels, fabrics and quilts. If it is about tea cups, she collects it. She recently shared several photos of an early Christmas gift.

Isn't this cup just lovely? A friend of hers, who is well-known as a baker in that area, and clearly a wonderful sugar artist, presented Angela with this gorgeous handmade teacup that she crafted from gumpaste.

Made from sugar, it will last for years on display in Angela's collection.

Have you ever tried your hand with sugar art?

Are you a teacup collector? Which cup is the most extraordinary in your collection? Are you hoping for a new tea cup this Christmas?

 

Airstream Teapot

Yesterday I shared a teapot that had been repurposed into a display item, covered in shells.

Check out this teapot:

As a kid, I can remember seeing campers like this being pulled down the highway. In fact, you still see some preserved ones from time to time.

The Tea pottery of North Yorkshire, England designed these unique, earthenware teapots exclusively for Airstream. The Airstream teapots are individually hand-painted with a beautiful mirror-like finish to replicate the shiny aluminum trademark of the Airstream.

Do you have a fun teapot? Do share!

Airstream Teapot

Yesterday I shared a teapot that had been repurposed into a display item, covered in shells.

Check out this teapot:

As a kid, I can remember seeing campers like this being pulled down the highway. In fact, you still see some preserved ones from time to time.

The Tea pottery of North Yorkshire, England designed these unique, earthenware teapots exclusively for Airstream. The Airstream teapots are individually hand-painted with a beautiful mirror-like finish to replicate the shiny aluminum trademark of the Airstream.

Do you have a fun teapot? Do share!

Real Men Drink Tea!

This article appeared a few weeks ago on T Ching and is written by Fahl Dharlene Marie. With Father's Day this weekend, it's a great time to be thinking about tea for men and encouraging the guys in our lives to drink some if they don't already. The guys reap health benefits from tea drinking too!

Real men drink tea!

YES!  You better believe it - real men sure do drink tea!  This is a growing market in the tea industry; men are drinking tea and they are not just your grandfathers.  In fact, President Obama is among the men who drink tea!  Yes, men from the Baby Boomer generation are tea drinkers too, but a younger crowd of men are taking up the cup every day - college men are becoming tea savvy as well.  Men are gravitating towards the darker teas, including pu-erh, from the Yunnan province of southwest China.

Usually aged and pressed into cakes, pu-erh teas begin life as damp green tea leaves, which ferment microbiologically to a black leaf, resulting in a very earthy and musty, but smooth-tasting, tea.  Never mind raising the pinkie for these teas - these are real-men teas.  Sure, I know many ladies who prefer pu-erh teas, but some of these will indeed “put hair on your chest!”

And, guys, don’t be afraid when your girl asks you to join her for tea - it could be to a fancy tea parlor or to a hip-and-trendy tea bar.  But guess what?  She is actually doing something that is very good for YOU.  WebMD Health News reports that tea-drinking men have smaller waistlines - and it is abdominal fat that causes most health concerns.

In her book, Stop Aging Now, Jean Carper writes:

“Compelling evidence of tea’s powers to ward off fatal heart disease comes from a five-year study of 805 men, aged sixty-five to eighty-four, in the Netherlands.  Those who took in the most antioxidant flavonoids, mainly by drinking two cups or more of black tea a day, had only one-half the rate of fatal heart disease as those drinking less tea.  Other studies show that tea reduces cholesterol (9 points down in Norwegian men drinking five or more cups a day) and blocks the buildup of plaque in arteries.  Tea drinkers also have displayed younger, less damaged arteries at autopsy.  Dutch men who drank a couple of cups of black tea daily were less apt to die of any health causes, but particularly not of heart disease.  Researchers credited antioxidants, called flavonoids, in the diet, citing tea as a main source.”

And according to the British Journal of Nutrition:

“Telomeres are located at the tips of DNA chromosomes and shorten with cell aging and oxidative stress.  Telomere shortening is associated with human aging and age-related diseases.  Studies show that environmental factors and lifestyle choices can affect oxidative stress (damage caused by free radicals).  Now research reports that male tea drinkers have longer telomeres than non-tea drinkers.  This suggests that antioxidants found in tea may protect telomeres from oxidative damage and shortening.”

Gentleman, please do more than think about it - real men DO drink tea and they live longer, healthier lives!

Share a cuppa with dad this weekend. Happy Father's Day!

The anime artwork "Real men drink tea", comes from mono no aware and I'm unsure if it is an original - still want to give credit... 

Real Men Drink Tea!

This article appeared a few weeks ago on T Ching and is written by Fahl Dharlene Marie. With Father's Day this weekend, it's a great time to be thinking about tea for men and encouraging the guys in our lives to drink some if they don't already. The guys reap health benefits from tea drinking too!

Real men drink tea!

YES!  You better believe it - real men sure do drink tea!  This is a growing market in the tea industry; men are drinking tea and they are not just your grandfathers.  In fact, President Obama is among the men who drink tea!  Yes, men from the Baby Boomer generation are tea drinkers too, but a younger crowd of men are taking up the cup every day - college men are becoming tea savvy as well.  Men are gravitating towards the darker teas, including pu-erh, from the Yunnan province of southwest China.

Usually aged and pressed into cakes, pu-erh teas begin life as damp green tea leaves, which ferment microbiologically to a black leaf, resulting in a very earthy and musty, but smooth-tasting, tea.  Never mind raising the pinkie for these teas - these are real-men teas.  Sure, I know many ladies who prefer pu-erh teas, but some of these will indeed “put hair on your chest!”

And, guys, don’t be afraid when your girl asks you to join her for tea - it could be to a fancy tea parlor or to a hip-and-trendy tea bar.  But guess what?  She is actually doing something that is very good for YOU.  WebMD Health News reports that tea-drinking men have smaller waistlines - and it is abdominal fat that causes most health concerns.

In her book, Stop Aging Now, Jean Carper writes:

“Compelling evidence of tea’s powers to ward off fatal heart disease comes from a five-year study of 805 men, aged sixty-five to eighty-four, in the Netherlands.  Those who took in the most antioxidant flavonoids, mainly by drinking two cups or more of black tea a day, had only one-half the rate of fatal heart disease as those drinking less tea.  Other studies show that tea reduces cholesterol (9 points down in Norwegian men drinking five or more cups a day) and blocks the buildup of plaque in arteries.  Tea drinkers also have displayed younger, less damaged arteries at autopsy.  Dutch men who drank a couple of cups of black tea daily were less apt to die of any health causes, but particularly not of heart disease.  Researchers credited antioxidants, called flavonoids, in the diet, citing tea as a main source.”

And according to the British Journal of Nutrition:

“Telomeres are located at the tips of DNA chromosomes and shorten with cell aging and oxidative stress.  Telomere shortening is associated with human aging and age-related diseases.  Studies show that environmental factors and lifestyle choices can affect oxidative stress (damage caused by free radicals).  Now research reports that male tea drinkers have longer telomeres than non-tea drinkers.  This suggests that antioxidants found in tea may protect telomeres from oxidative damage and shortening.”

Gentleman, please do more than think about it - real men DO drink tea and they live longer, healthier lives!

Share a cuppa with dad this weekend. Happy Father's Day!

The anime artwork "Real men drink tea", comes from mono no aware and I'm unsure if it is an original - still want to give credit... 

Sociabili-tea

Waaay back in March I included an artist's piece, called Green Tea, in a posting. She was thrilled that we used it and invited us to include her work here again, if we like.

With iced tea season just around the corner - wasn't it fabulous to experience the sun and warm temps again this weekend, this piece seems very appropriate.

The artist is Elain Berglund and this piece was created as an 8" x 10" arcylic painting on canvas. It's part of her Sociabili-tea series and is entitled "Ice Tea". She writes, "There are these warm days, umbrellas provide the shade, green foliage,...and ice tea with lemon."

Remember as the evenings get more pleasant that it's fun to take your Steeped Tea party outside onto the deck. Your consultant would be happy to work with you - and iced tea is no problem!

Happy Mother's Day!

We'd like to wish you a happy Mother's Day and hope you enjoy some tea today with someone special!

Plan to Visit Us!

As we move into more spring-like weather, there are more shows and things to do. We encourage you to visit us when we're out and about. Here's a list of events where Peg is planning to set up a booth. Why not stop by and talk tea with her?

April 10th  Vendor Sale, @ Port Elgin Arena Complex 10am to 3pm. Admission $2.

 

April 17  Spring Show @ Luthern Church in Linwood 9am till noon.

 

April 25th Woolwich Lion's Fundraiser  11am to 4 pm.

 

May 5,6,7  from 6pm. till 10 pm.every evening Fergus Home & Leisure Show-Free admission

 

May 8th  9:30 a.m till 3 pm.Calvary United Church at 48 Hawkseville Rd.  St. Jacob's, Sisterhood of Sharing  There is a cost however there is a luncheon and fashion show and other demostrations.

 

May 15th 10am. to 4 pm.-Drayton Tulip Festival, at the Drayton Studio Factory on Wood Street, Drayton free addmission, and an art display.

 

Peg hopes to see you soon!

 

In the interest of giving credit where it's due, the artwork pictured above is a photo of an original 8" x 10" acrylic painting on canvas. It's part of series called Sociabili-tea and this one is entitled Green Tea. The artist is Elaine Berglund. To see more of her work, or purchase it, visit her blog.

Another kind of tea light

Yesterday, we showed you a "tea" light that is a tea bag that lights up. We don't believe it's available on the market yet, just a design at an exhibition stage - but it's fun and it's clever. Now for a different kind of "tea" light.

Did you notice the new gift ware in the new seasonal flyer (if you haven't checked out the flyer yet, just click on the link to the right). This beautiful night light is inspired by the beautiful china used to make teapots and cups.

Use it any room to cast a soft glow in the evening without needing all of the lights on. Plug it in the guest room when you are having visitors so they can find their way around the room after they turn the lights out. Plug it in in the powder room at night so anyone can use the room  in the middle of the night without having to blind themselves with the overhead lights.

Contact your Steeped Tea consultant to order these. If you don't have a consultant and you live in Canada, contact info@steepedtea.com and we'll be happy to connect you to your closest consultant. If there is no consultant nearby, perhaps you would like more information on being the first Steeped Tea consultant in your area - just ask us for a package that you can look through in the comfort of your own home!