Frilly and Funkie “The Year of…” Challenge: A Cup of Kindness Botanical Tea Folio
Hello, Friends! Have you chosen an inspirational word or phrase for 2018 yet? My word is “kindness.” The latest challenge at Frilly and Funkie is called, “The Year of…” and it’s all about creating a project that represents your word of the year. I created A Cup of Kindness Botanical Tea Folio for the project. But before I share that with you, let’s take a look at what Suzz, our lovely hostess this go round, has to say about this challenge:
Challenge Theme: 2018 – The Year of
Welcome to a brand new year! I am not very good at New Year Resolutions but I do like to think about what I want to focus on in the New Year. To help me do this, I pick a word that is my word for the year and try to use that word to keep me focused on what is important. The challenge to you is to pick a word that will be your inspiration for 2018. Create a vintage or shabby chic project that includes your word of 2018. The word can be part of a sentiment, phrase or stand alone on your project as long as it is featured somewhere in your art.
A Cup of Kindness Botanical Tea Folio
Suzz comes up with challenge themes that really make me think! There are so many good inspirational words to choose from. After mulling this over for several days, I decided that 2018 would be the year of KINDNESS for me. There are many obvious reasons why our world could benefit from a little more kindness in 2018, and I’m sure you are thinking about them right now.
But I chose the word kindness for personal reasons. My dear husband Dale and I are coming up on 42 years of wedded bliss next month. That’s 4 decades plus a tip! We meet a lot of young couples (and not so young couples) who are floored when we tell them how long we’ve been married. The first question they always ask is, “How have you managed to stay married for so long?” Dale and I have talked a lot about this in the past several months, and we both agreed that making the decision to do and say kind things for and about one another is probably one of the top reasons why we are still happily married today.
Daily Acts of Kindness
Kindness does not have to be a big sacrificial act. Although sometimes, it is a personal sacrifice to be kind. But I find its true power lies in the little daily acts of kindness that we do for one another. For instance, Dale fixes me a cup of my favorite tea each morning. It’s a simple act of kindness, but it smooths the pathway of our walk together. So now you can see why I chose to make this tea themed Cup of Kindness Botanical Tea Folio. There was method to my madness!
This little silver spoon was a find on one of my many junkin’ expeditions. Make it shabby chic by painting it with a light coat of Picket Fence Distress Paint. Then fill the bowl with glitter glass shards. The Eiffel Tower Cabochon is the perfect finishing touch!
A Cup of Kindness Botanical Tea Folio: The details
The folio base measures 5″ x 7″ with a 1/2″ spine at the top fold. It’s layered up with Graphic 45’s Botanical Tea papers. The stacked teacups are die cut with Tim’s Tea Time Bigz Die. I’ve tucked a little tag inside the top cup, just for fun.
The real “meat” of this project can be found on the inside. In addition to a tea wallet and honey stick in the large bottom pocket, I’ve prepared a 5″ x 5.5″ gatefold folio.
The folio is held shut with a ribbon closure.
Open it, and you’ll find lots of lovely little pockets, tags, fold outs and flip pages.
These G45 Ivory ATC tags are more than just pretty faces. I’ve added a quote about kindness to the back of each tag.
And the fold out pages have quotes in them too. I wrote the quotes in my own hand for two reasons. One, I like to write. The other reason is that I cherish handwritten notes from friends and family. My handwriting may not be perfect, but it’s an expression of who I am. The older I get, the more I value a hand written message.
Because this folio is hard to photograph, I decided to do a short video walk through.
A Cup of Kindness Botanical Tea Folio Video on YouTube
If you’re a fan of Botanical Tea (I sure am!) you’ll be happy to know that you can pre-order the Deluxe Collector’s Edition at an unbeatable price right now at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.
Now it’s YOUR Turn!
What word will you choose to represent 2018? You are cordially invited to join in on this fun challenge. Simply create a vintage or shabby chic project that represents your word for 2018. Then link it up over on the Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog before midnight on Tuesday, January 30th.
The Frilly and Funkie team will choose our top four picks. We’ll invite the creator of our favorite project to join us as a Guest Designer at Frilly and Funkie. The next three favorites will receive Top 3 badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and follows the rules will be entered into the draw to have the chance to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.
I can’t wait to see what you make!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this Botanical Tea Folio in the comment section below.
Thanks for stopping by!
Cheerio,
kathy
Products from The Funkie Junkie Boutique
NOTE: The Botanical Tea Collection from Graphic 45 will be available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique.
Your folio has highlighted the beauty of this new Graphic 45 collection and the beauty of your heart with your choice of word. I love your approach to marriage and life – kindness is such an important thing to share. Thank you for sharing Kathy xx
Your folio is stunning Kathy. I love the word you’ve chosen and your story about the secret to a long and happy marriage. Thanks for sharing both with us. x
I just love this Kathy! The cups in these patterns are my jam girlfriend! Totally stunning and the inside of this is just as pretty as the outside, what fun! Hugs, Autumn
Oh my Kathy! This is the most amazing card ever!!! You have truly been blessed with this talent! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! And it’s 4 cards wrapped up into one! Your kindness …it shines through brightly to me in all I’ve seen you do! And I’ve known you such a short time! And… Congratulations on your 42nd Anniversary! That is so awesome …in this day and age! We get the same looks… Hubby and I will celebrate 46 years in June! Where oh where has the time gone!
Thanks so much for all your inspirations! Hugs to you!
Kathy, this folio is truly inspiring. While I may not enter the challenge, I’ll definitely pick a word for the year. Seeing your gate-fold section on the video, I thought about creating the folio as a monthly inspiration–a tag a month to keep my word before me. Thanks for this folio, video and marriage story!
Another absolute beauty. Your cards keep on giving with a gift inside. I can’t wait each time to see what treasures are tucked away.
Hugs!
Cec
Just gorgeous, Kathy! First, I love your “love” story. We are also coming up on 42 years in October and I totally agree with you… Your folio is amazing! So many gorgeous details to take in. I have to look at in time and time again to catch them all. That spoon…. I can only imagine your delight when you came across it, probably sitting next to a jar of buttons! LOL! Love the video too…have a fun time in AZ!!
I love this paper and I love what you have done with it. This is beautiful and I love the word you chose.
so many flips, tucks and pockets, gorgeous! your gift for getting the papers to work together is fabulous! TFS so
Stunning! (as are all your projects . . . you are my FAV!!) . . . I love Botannical Tea; actually have quite a bit “left over” from it’s original appearance but am adding to that, this time around, for some classes. Kathy, do you have any “rules” about “copying” your projects? I’d love to do this folio as a class (of course, would probably put some of my own “twist” to it) . . but would give credit to YOU for the original idea . . . is that acceptable, or not? If not, I completely understand!! I tell people about your wonderful creations/site anyway . . but I think this would be a super fun workshop to do! Let me know, please! Thanks so much!! Janice
Gorgeous, simple gorgeous! You must be getting really excited now!! Countdown to Friday! Can’t wait for you to share what you did and the products you got!!! 🙂
Loved your folio Kathy, they always are masterpieces.
I love this card because so many of my meetings with friends revolve around having coffee or tea! Kathy, we have a lake home in South Caroline…one of these days I’m going to hunt you down and give you a great big hug! Your sentiments about kindness between you and your husband were so insightful and true. Love you!
This folio is exquisite. Your project speaks to me on so many levels… thank you for a beautiful way to start my day. 🙂
Kindness! What a beautiful word and I adore that you chose it. Your sweet story about your DH making your tea was so wonderful as well. Gorgeous art! I love all the flips, flaps and folds. 🙂 I never think to build out all the beautiful details you have in one project.
Greetings Kathy; I must say that I’m always amazed at all your lovely projects. You inspire me in so many ways. So much love and thought in every creation. Thank you for sharing.
Continued…I love the addition of the spoon with the glitter and that tag tucked in that tells the story. Inside, I am delighted by the folio, that I am just squealing over! My goodness, Kathy, this must have taken forever to make! I adore seeing your writing on the tags and those magnetic folders are the icing on the cake! So here, I am, back to WOOOOOOWWWW! Sending warm hugs and prayers for a safe and fun journey!
Oops! The Tea Time Bigz die link isn’t working.
What a beautiful display you’ve created with Botanical Tea, Kathy! The story behind it is precious.
Oh, my, I can see blogger is up to it’s old tricks! I just wrote you a novel, and poof, it’s gone!
WOOOOWWWW! I tried to think of some clever word to leave here, but all I came up with was ‘wow’ multiplied by at least 100! I would have been delighted by just the front of this folio, Kathy, but then there’s there’s a multitude of surprises within! I love the tower of teacups; what a clever way to tell the story of where kindness starts in your home. And I do love this story! You and Dale are blessed to have shared a lifetime together! I’m going to post this comment, then come back to finish.
Another gorgeous work of art Kathy!
This sur is a beautiful card. Inky hugs