It's a Whatsis and the Titanic Tea

If you've been here before you might remember I won a beautiful bracelet from Mich L. in LA.  Well, in March she posted another wonderful creation made from something that is or was pretty common - a glass knob or drawer pull.  I saw hers and knew I had to give this one a try myself. 

Thirty-one years ago (Dear Lord am I really that old?  Yes, Lorraine.  You are!) when HWNSNBP and I moved into our little house, there wasn't much left behind by the previous occupant except a console television set that didn't work and a wood cheese box that contained various brass door catches and hooks, a metal file, and two glass drawer knobs.  Well, she also left several layers of contact paper in the kitchen and bathroom but we won't talk about that.  The tv went to the curb and the cheese box got tucked away, eventually ending up in our laundry room after we renovated the house.  It didn't take much to find the knobs and I already had some beads and silver findings that I thought would work, I just needed to get the chains.

I managed to drag myself, and I do mean drag myself - remember I'm getting old and my leg isn't working well these days, but that's a story for another day - to Michael's and picked up a couple of ball chains and got out my stash of beads and findings.  Of course there had to be a diversion, that being the fact that I had to look several places before I could find my jewelry pliers.  Scavenging between performances on Dancing With the Stars can be very invigorating even with a bum leg!  But once I had everything ready in front of me I started playing around with some possible combinations and this is what I came up with.............

My glass knobs are two different sizes, and because I didn't really read Michelle's clear instructions carefully enough, I used the largest head pin that I had to string the beads on instead of using craft wire, which was a tight squeeze, but it worked.  I used some Swarovski crystals I had at the top and bottom of the knob and I was even able to add some smaller ones inside the channel which gives a nice effect that I'm sorry you can't see too well in the pictures.

I wore one of these when I went to a special tea with my mother and a friend and her mother last weekend.  It was called the Titanic Tea as it was very near the anniversary of the fateful voyage.  In addition to a wonderful meal, there was a historical storyteller who entertained us with information about the Titanic.  Meet Eliza Blackwell Dupree.....

That's the name she went by during her presentation.  Her real name is Alisa Dupuy and she does these wonderful historical sessions.  I've seen her on a couple of ocassions at Teaberry's Tea Room in Flemington and I would recommend their specialty teas to anyone who is looking for a good meal and entertainment.

Waiting at our tables were lovely china dishes, each with a blossom of butter on them which we used a little later on a wonderful slice of fresh warm bread.  We chose our hot tea from the very lengthy tea menu and while we waited we were served a sparkling jasmine tea.

Our next course was a choice of soups.  I chose the potato leek.  They were all served in a beautiful little china tea cup and saucer.

We also had a choice of salads - I chose the strawberry spinach salad.

During this time, the storyteller regaled us with her story as a second class passenger on the Titanic.  She provided us with an information sheet of facts and passed around copies of other artifacts for us to peruse as she continued her talk. 

These were the finger sandwiches that came next.

After the sandwiches we were treated to scones with clotted cream, lemon curd, and raspberry jam.  I admit I could not finish mine and asked to take that and the dessert home.  So did my dining partners.  We had a slice of lemon tart and an eclair to enjoy at home later.

There was a gorgeous sunset as my mother and I returned to my house.  I took a slight detour to be able to take an unobstructed picture without any power lines - so hard to do anymore.