Inspiration Mondays: Tea Tin, Turned Useful

I haven't been writing these Monday posts very long, but so far the subjects for them have only become apparent to me in the two or three days before the Monday they are supposed to be written. Is that a good thing? Maybe so, but I wonder what will happen when I come to a Monday and I have nothing to write about...

I suppose that there can be inspiration found in anything, if you really take the time to look. And really, I'm hoping that these little posts are inspiring to anyone who is reading them... to take time to stop and look at colours and shapes and the things that surround you. Surely that is a worthwhile thing.

Last Friday, my hubby offered me a cup of tea, and he made a pot from this wonderful tea from Tea Forte called White Ambrosia.

I was introduced to Tea Forte at the bed and breakfast I stayed at during my first fibre festival last year. I can't say that I'm a tea expert, but I know what I like, and I was immediately seduced by the delicate flavour of this tea. Since it's made in the US and is sold only here and there in shops here in Canada, I spent considerable time trying to figure out where I could get it and if it was worth paying for the shipping to get it across the border.

I know, it's only tea... but look at the extents that I go for yarn and you'll understand that sometimes I latch onto things with the tenacity of a pitbull.

Anyway, we finished the first tin of White Ambrosia last week, and hubby asked me what I wanted to do with the tin: keep or recycle?

Both, actually.

On Saturday, I took the label off the tin and spent some time cleaning the adhesive off the surface. My favourite way to remove adhesive is to soak the item in hot soapy water for a few minutes, then scrape the first layer off (usually with my fingernails). After that, I spray the sticky surface with cooking oil spray, rub it around with my fingers, then scour the rest of the sticky stuff off with a scouring pad or rough sponge. Then I rinse it with more hot soapy water.

By the way, I learned the cooking spray trick when I was a kid and my mom had to figure out how to get gum out of my hair... twice...

After cleaning the tin, I took a trip to the dollar store (again) and came home with various stickers and sheets of scrapbooking paper. I am by no means a scrapbooker, but I'm a sucker for pretty paper, that's for sure.

Last night, before bed, I sat down and measured the tin, cut out a new label, laid out some stickers, got out some gel pens, and glued on some bits and bobs...

And ended up with a tin for my double pointed needles.


Even the hubby was impressed.

The only thing that I'm kinda bummed about is the fact that the cool little insert that goes into the top doesn't fit anymore, but I'm keeping it, just in case it comes in handy.

It could be a tiny wallpaper smoother.

It could be a paperweight... if it was heavier.

It could be a little boat for ants stranded in a puddle.

Just you wait... I'll think of something... After all, this is Inspiration Monday!