Tuesday's Butterfly

Hello Lovelies!

It's no secret by now that I love butterflies (hence my nickname, for instance!)...
So I decided Tuesday will be from now on the day to show you on this blog, first, an inspiring butterfly I've found on the Net, second, a butterfly I have drawn or doodled myself!

I also started a Flickr gallery called "Butterflies inspire me", check it out!

So without further ado, here's this Tuesday butterfly:

it is a brown butterfly tray, skillfully made of decoupaged glass, and you can see and purchase it here.

And a page from my notebooks, with a doodled butterfly:

Have a nice "butterfly" day everyone!

Vic from TeaButterfly.

Finding the Perfect Outfit For a Winter Marriage

Hello Lovelies!

photo from a colorful DIY marriage, via sunny's blog

Today I'll tell you a bit about fashion, a thing quite not in my habits, or rather my search after the perfect outfit for my younger sister's marriage. The happy event will take place in December '10 (too long story to tell you why). So first of all, I need to find chic clothes that are warm enough! :sigh:

The thing is, I can't wear white - that's for the bride.  ;-)
I can't wear black either - simple choice, but suits more a funeral, alas.
And I simply cannot wear pastels like the lovely ladies in the picture above, since my skin is very fair, and when wearing pastels, I pretty much look sick!

What is a girl aspiring to simple elegance to do?!

Since I love anything related to Japan, as you may have noticed from my tea drawings, I decided to wear a taupe silk obi belt over this taupe Japanesesque-patterned skirt that bears a bright orange bird pattern over it. My top will be a matching deep orange cashmere sweater. That's a bit Halloweeny, black and orange, but taupe saves me here & I'll do my best to wear it with style!

Vic from TeaButterfly

Oh, And Happy Happy Friday!

Hello Lovelies!

Both photos from my flickr photostream - mosaic made using this famous tool. 1. black vintage dress sold on Etsy, 2. black

It's that time of year again... This weekend is the right time to start hunting for the perfect little black dress you'll wear during the upcoming holidays... Have a swell time!

I'll see you Monday!

Vic from TeaButterfly.

PS: About the two dresses shown above: both little black dresses appeared on sfgirlbybay.com, one a long time ago, and the other not so long ago...

Latest TeaButterfly drawings...

Hello Lovelies!

So this time I'm really back home at last and happy to share with you the handmade postcards I drew while staying at the hospital. Here are the goodies:

"Steaming Teapot with Two Dragonflies" - by TeaButterfly - oct. '10

 "Steaming Teapot with Orange-Winged Dragonfly" - by TeaButterfly - oct. '10

I used them both as postcards for friends, so these two won't appear in my Etsy shop (to re-open asap), but I still wanted to share them with you.

During my stay at the hospital, I also drew in different style, did some collages including dried leaves found in the marvelous garden you'll virtually tour with me tomorrow, and got inspired by Hungarian Fauvism, as I mentioned in a previous post... ;-)

So more goodies to come soon!

Vic from TeaButterfly

Just a Hint...

...at where I've been...

photography by me -oct 2010.

Talk to you lovelies soon!

Vic from TeaButterfly.

Back Soon!

Hello Lovelies,

 photography by me - "The Lonely chair"

I have finally very good news. I'm happy to tell you I'm doing fine and will be back home from hospital this coming Wednesday! See you here Thursday for lots of photos and news!

my best,

Vic from TeaButterfly.

Tea With... Alice Melvin.

Hello Lovelies,

I first discovered the lovely art of Alice Melvin through the decor8 blog, which recently featured her. Then I had a thorough look at her website. Oh my! So many teapots, both contemporary and "mod"!

I love art that features tea and teapots, as you may have already noticed... So from now on, more artists and tea-related art to come on my blog, once a week. ;-)

artist: Alice Melvin
website: http://alicemelvin.com

Vic from TeaButterfly.

What I Love...

Hello Lovelies!

 photograph from Adore, the new e-zine (via the decor8 blog)

I wanted to share with you this very ealy morning a picture that says it (almost) all, all the things I particularly love:

• butterflies of course, esp. when hung as art!
• home decor,
• typography as art, esp. ampersand(s)
• and art hung on the walls!

XXX,

Vic from TeaButterfly.

PS: I'm home for the fortnight and strangely enough I can't sleep! (must be the excitment to be home again and playing with my cat, too! - I missed poor kitty that was so nicely attended by two of my best friends... Thanks, you awesome gals!

Getting Lost is Good for You

Hello Lovelies!

I got lost in the many halls and corridors of the hospital today, and thus stumbled upon an amazingly beautiful cupboard from Provence, France.

I loved the whole cupboard:

But especially liked this exquisite detail:

Talk to you soon,

Vic from TeaButterfly.

Topiaries & Making Do

Hello Lovelies!

The very charm of gardens "à la française" are the many symmetric, geometric topiaries in them. I have taken many pictures of said topiaries and will show them to you soon!

I also gathered a couple of gingko biloba leaves to make a new collage that I'll show to you in the next few days, if all goes well technically-wise... ;-) To make a good collage, you have to make do with what you have!

Other than that, my health is improving and I'm doodling away.

Talk to you soon,

Vic from TeaButterfly.

Simple Pleasures

Hello Lovelies!

I'm still at the hospital, but small pleasures are part of my life all the same!

I've walked barefoot in the dew-covered lawn this morning. I've taken photographs, which is always a pleasure.
I've met a friend who came to visit me. Even the hospital food wasn't so bad today.

In a word, I feel good and optimistic!

Now off to making a new collage... ;-)

Vic from TeaButterfly.

Trying Something New

Hello Lovelies,

József Nemes Lampérth's self-portrait, 1911, Budapest. 

Image from wiki commons, originally found here.

I love hungarian Fauvism, and I intend to copy this self-portrait one of these days... Actually, I did, inwatercolor form, just need to add a picure of it here.

Now back to my hospital life.

I dreamt of Brancusi last night. Here's why.

Today, in the crisp early morning air, I got out in the Park, feeling pretty excited. My path lead me to a small corner with all kinds of half-carved stones, mostly of the softest kind.

At 8:45 came Joel, our teacher. A nice, tall man, he taught all the men (I was the only woman around!) and me how to carve soft stone or even plaster, which is even better for beginners.

I am an artist at heart.

I have tried with some success - and some interesting "failures" - b/w photography, film editing, oil painting (abstract mostly), insect drawings (now my the specialty at my Etsy shop), Chinese ink sumi-e, creative writing, ceramics and more..

So, yes, I was pretty excited this morning to try a new art form. It always brings some inspiration to your current body of work. This morning, I have tried my hand at stone carving for an hour and half. At the end of the lesson, I felt hot and my back hurt.  

But what I wrote to Joel in the end was that I felt happy trying something new and glad to deal with something "concrete", as opposed to abstract (and usually gloomy) thoughts.

A delightful morning, indeed.

Vic from TeaButterfly.

As usual, pictures will be posted here as soon as I come back from the hospital. ;-)

Cats in the Park

Hello Lovelies!



When one's staying at a hospital, there isn't (seemingly) much to report about. Except the boring: got up at this time, ate at this other time, had a walk in the surrounding park...

The thing is this park is just awesome. You'll get to see lots of pics when I get home, because it is really beautiful. I've never met cats there before, but today I got lucky and met three different ones!

I got the opportunity to play for a long time with a ginger one, that looks a lot like the one pictured here.


So yeah, the day is still young, but it feels good already! Now I'm off to some craft and collage.

Vic from TeaButterfly.

A Little Hello!

Hello Lovelies!

The "asanoha" traditional pattern

I'm writing to you right from the computer-room of the hospital. How neat to let the patients have a couple computers to use daily for free!

The "hospital" is actually set in an old typical house of Provence (near Avignon), and has the most beautiful garden "à la française". I took a gazillion photographs already, but can't show them to you right now. They're safe inside my mobile phone, lol.

Speaking of laughing, I feel pretty well, very rested and not depressed. Fall is such a crisp season, I love it.

Actually, it's my favorite season of all!

Hoping to write here more soon,

Vic from TeaButterfly.

PS: I'm currently obsessed with asanoha (starry net) traditional Japanese pattern. We'll see where it takes me, art-wise!