Thursday, May 29, 2008

Coffee or Tea...




"Molly, my sister and I fell out...

What do you think it was all about?

She loved Coffee and I loved Tea,

That was the reason we couldn't agree..."



What's your Pleasure?........




"I'm a little teapot, short and stout,

Here is my handle,

Here is my spout,

When I get all steamed up,

Hear me shout!.........

Tip me over and Pour me out"



Every piece is individually created... the texture patterns are always different... and the heat from the torch may vary slightly in its intensity... as it moves across the design... therefore altering the manner in which the silver flows across the piece...

No two are ever identical... they each have their own little specialness... color, texture, shape...



...detail of the cup... showing varying texture in the silver and copper...


"Polly put the kettle on,

Polly put the kettle on,

Polly put the kettle on,

We'll all have tea..."



My grandmother Parlee used to sing this song... I remember it so clearly... she was always singing songs as she went about the house...


Coffee or Tea?... Enjoyed socially or privately... Personally, I like both...... with a bit of sugar..



A finished pair ... We have been creating the little "Coffee or Tea" earrings design since January 2000.

I love it when I see people wearing our work.... here and there about the village, the town and city... sometimes they know we are the ones who created them... sometimes they are oblivious to us...

I love it either way.....


Coffee...a widely consumed stimulant beverage prepared from roasted seeds of the coffee plant, Coffea belonging to a genus of the Rubiaceae family... first consumed in the 9th century when it was discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia...
....about ¾ of the coffee cultivated worldwide is Coffea arabica... the remaining is Coffea canephora... ideal storage conditions of coffee beans are air-tight and cool..


Tea... an infusion made by steeping the leaves, buds or twigs of the tea bush, Camellia sinensis, in hot water for several minutes... one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world... second only to water... tea originated in southeast Asia...
..."herbal tea" usually refers to infusions of fruit or herbs that contain no cameillia sinensis..


approx. 1" - 1½" long plus ear wires... handmade antiqued Sterling Silver and Copper...

Limited Production...   ........to see more Desideratum Art Jewelry designs





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20 comments:

Sharon said...

They're beautiful...infused with and exuding soul through your artistry and attention to detail; things sorely lacking in mass produced goods.

Anet said...

How fun to see someone wearing your art, and them not knowing you to be the artist! It must make you smile.
I love the tea and coffee earrings, they are so whimsical!
I'm especially loving the curly handles on the pots:)

Ruth said...

Oh what a fun post. I love it.

Don't ask me to choose between coffee or tea - in your designs. I look at one and think it is my favorite, and then I look at the other and it becomes the better. Together they are so perfectly balanced that I am once again astonished at not just your skills in jewelry making, but at your sense of design.

As for the beverages, I am definitely a coffee drinker. I choose tea only occasionally, it's a mood thing. Don had a student bring him back some black tea from the heart of China, where it was grown in remote hills. THAT tea was a delight, and something I savored when I was writing and reading. I drank it in Istanbul regularly too, with sugar. Here I like Earl Grey every now and then.

But coffee, with cream, or with vanilla Silk, is my morning pleasure.

Wouldn't it be FUN to be able to hear every time someone has remarked on a pair of your earrings?

Ruth said...

Oh, and I love those songs. I remember a James Taylor version of Polly put the kettle on . . .maybe from a Sesame Street album? "Jelly Man Kelly"?

Unknown said...

omg! I love these!
I too, get a kick out of seeing our work (in our case screenprinting) out and about town. We print lot's of hoodies for the schools and soccer club. On the day after any particular promotion is delivered we will see our work everywhere we go. An of course, I'll always have to say "nice sweatshirt!" ;~)
I love the fact that these kids have such a sense of pride and belonging to their school or organization.
But back to these earrings...
do you sell anywhere online?

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks Sharon, They are kind words... speaking of art with soul... we would all love to see more of your beautiful colored quilt with the hand appliqué!!!

Hey Anet Thanks and you've guessed right... They are from our "Whimsical" line of earrings... we have about 30 designs in that that collection...

Thanks Ruth... We love our coffee and tea round here... 2cups coffee each in the morning, then 2 cups tea each then in the afternoon 2 more cups of tea... Think we get enough caffeine?
yes I love to hear stories that people have connected with some of our earrings.. they make me feel so humbled when they tell me how certain designs have special meaning to them... it's very touching..

Teri, that must be so fun to see all those kids with your gear on...
You are making lots of kids happy!!!
We sell directly to customers and to shops scattered across Canada... I hope to one by one have them all shown on here... and use this blog for people to contact me through my email...

Jazz said...

I love those. And I'm definitely a tea person...

David Berube BerubeArt said...

Coffee in the morning when I get to the showroom if i'm working out of the studio, a little milk/soy and one packet of turbanado sugar. Green tea in the late afternoon, straight up, no sugar, no cream.

Nothing in the morning at home if I'm in the studio. But stove top espresso later in the day and a pot of Green tea after dinner. Just the way I do it.

Pretty much like clock work too. Crazy Virgo creature of habits.

Love, Love, Love both equally!!!

sandy said...

Gwen, what a beautiful set. I'm so impressed with your work.

I'm a coffee person more than tea, coffee, black, no sugar, no cream, and strong.

nice post.

sandy

Gwen Buchanan said...

Hey David, I'm a virgo too!
Loved to hear about your coffee and tea taking... It makes things go along smoothly with a few pleasant habits...

Tea for Jazz and Coffee for Sandy.. I'm going to have to do a count!!

Hey Ruth that is pretty special for Don to have tea brought back to him straight from the source.. wow!
so Ruth is a coffee girl too!!

VioletSky said...

I LOVE these earrings.

I would need a pair of each to go with my coffee mornings and my (mostly in summer) tea afternoons.
Strong and black for both.

And the inclusion of the songs are great. People don't sing those old songs as often anymore.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks VioletSky, so another that has definite coffee and tea habits...

I am going to have to toughen up and start drinking my coffee and tea black and without sugar... I dropped using cream last year and it just isn't the same... I should just go cold turkey!

rivergardenstudio said...

Your designs are wonderful. I love the abstract shapes and the combination of metals! Thanks for sharing, Roxanne

J said...

I agree with Roxanne, exquisite designs topped off by the use of various metals...

Oh, and I'm most definitely a tea person...iced tea. I make a new batch every 2-3 days. We don't even own a coffee pot, and I've never drank a full cup ever in my life.

Don said...

Your coffe tea or..., how does that go? I am definitely a coffee boy. Our school secretary often rings my class phone once to let me know the coffee is on!

Your sense of style and design shows that you are doing what you love to do. Keep doing that!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thank you, Roxanne and J.
Another tea... Wow I can't believe you have never drank a cup of coffee...

Well, I never had a cup till I was 35... up till then , only tea.

ArtPropelled said...

Your work is charming!Thanks for leading me to your blog. I can see I'm going to enjoy reading it.
BTW, I collect anything Ethiopian and a friend of mine brought back coffee from her trip there. I swear it is the best coffee I have ever tasted. She also brought me some frankincense in its natural form which we throw onto the braai fire after we have barbecued. The scent is slightly different to insense. Not as heady.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Oh Don... You lucky soul... a bell rings when coffee is ready... count your blessings...

Wow Robyn, Ethiopian coffee.. could it get any better!!!! and to top if off with the fragrance of frankincense .. living in paradise

flyinamber said...

coffee-strong but with the milk or cream and lot of sugar :)
your earrings are so originale and funny!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Flyinamber... that's just the way I like it too!!!