Hi! The days are much longer now, and despite the relentlessly brown trees and marshes, there's a hint of spring, if only in our imaginations. The other day L and I went out exploring. I'd received a coupon in the mail, an ad for a do-it-yourself art studio that specializes in ''fused glass". We had to go and find it!
Our plan was a future birthday celebration with a couple more friends. Some warm summer evening we'd pick up bubble tea at the cafe next door and we'd all make a pretty glass---something.
What is bubble tea, you ask? Or maybe you're familiar with it. I had heard about it from a writing group friend who lives in Taiwan, where bubble tea originated, but I have never tried it. Isn't it so pretty!
Bubble tea is a Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in Taichung in the 1980s. Most bubble tea recipes contain a tea base mixed/shaken with fruit or milk, to which chewy tapioca balls and fruit jelly are often added.
Wikipedia
Anyway the day of our outing was one of the coldest so far this winter! The bubble cafe was closed! The art studio looks fun, more for the great ceramic choices than the fused glass.
I had hoped to make a replacement for my Sydenstricker fused glass Christmas platter which I discovered broken in its cupboard this holiday past. I've always been fascinated by the glass works on Cape Cod and I know their designs are done with powdered glass and stencils. The art studio's method of fusing two thin layers of glass is similar but the designs are very mosaic like, not my style---and very expensive.
If we do go back, I'll probably made a ceramic piece. I loved this tall jug, with the simple polka dots. Not for sale, a sample only, too bad.
Down the block from the ceramics studio there was this shop.
A wine bar with painting, open only in the evenings. Not sure what one paints! The DIY art/ craft shops seem quite popular, everything from hen party-showers to toddler birthday parties! [migraine-in-waiting, imho. ] Too bad there isn't a quilt shop we could go to and make fun things!
We did find info about another bubble tea cafe, over by the big flea market. Something to find on another exploration day. here
And since we were in the area, we decided to stop in at the very big original [to us] Home Goods.
The blue and white choices were so tempting!
A gift from HG for me from L!
I thought these rough wooden bowls were interesting. The centers were carved out and filled with various glazes--pearl and gold and silver. Good for collecting sea glass or beach pebbles maybe?
I got this pretty shadow box frame with a clip inside, to show off my tiny Dragonfly quilt from Sue.
......
It was a busy day. I later went out with friends to celebrate late winter birthdays. We went to our fave Mexican place.
Raspberry margaritas!
And grilled slivered skirt steak Chimichunga burritos. Perfect on a frigid night. It was sooo cold, so windy, we ended up wearing our coats during dinner.
I hope you're having fun too!
love
lizzy
gone to the beach......
and HERE
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