Coffee Loving Papercrafters

It’s Monday morning here in the deep South, and I’m bringing you a special edition of Coffee Buzz.  What’s so special, you say?  Today, it’s all about the tea.  Although I do love my coffee, hey –  I live in the Southern United States of America and here in the South, you’d better like a tall glass of sweet iced tea.  The sweeter, the better, too.  I’m also shining the spotlight on a local, young entrepreneur who’s taking iced tea to a new level.  Stick around for all the gossip (yup, gossip is big in the South too!).

But first, a few quick details on my lovely tea card, brought to you by some new-to-me products that I’m taking out for a spin.  First up, are the beautiful designer papers by DCWV Inc, called “Blue China“.  They are, oh so pretty!  Many of the papers have a purple and/or blue hue and perfectly match my coloring.  The 12×12 stack also includes some extras, such as die cut pages that are perfect for stenciling, as well.

I’m also using dies and stamps from Stamplorations, including the “Always Tea Time” stamp set by Shery Russ Designs.  Isn’t it beautiful?  I masked my sentiment and stamped the wording so it would curve with my die cut “plate”.   The serving plate was created with the stitched mat oval die set from Lil Inker Designs.  I’m also using the Stamplorations Crazy Double Running Stitched dies for my background.

To color my stamped teacup, I wanted to get closer to the blue that can be found on Blue Willow China.  I admired my mother-in-law’s collection and wanted to pay homage to it, so I grabbed a blue and purple Marvy Le Plume II marker, swiped them on my craft mat and blended them to get this shade, using a blender marker to directly color my stamp, for no-line coloring.  This was stamped onto Strathmore mixed media paper, then colored with the same blended colors, again, using a blender marker.   I also blended Marvy colors to get the light shade of lavender for coloring those white poppy paper flowers, embellished with diamond Stickles glitter glue and a pearl string cluster.  All of my adhesives are from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L and my ribbons are from May Arts Ribbon. I fashioned a tiny “napkin” that is sitting on my plate, as well.

Now, let me introduce you to the Cleburne Tea Co.  Founded in 2016 by 17 year old Zack Cash, this driven young man is bringing “Craft” tea to the South.  I just so happen to personally know this smart and talented youngster and thought it was a no-brainer, to share his story with my tea loving friends.

You can read all about his story on the website above, but we did have a conversation, so I could pick his brain, and I discovered some fun facts that you won’t find on his website.  First off, I wanted to know…. what’s the fan favorite?  Without a doubt, the number one seller is, Classic Sweet.  The iced brews come in four flavors: Classic Sweet, Ross St. Sweet, Cahulga Creek Comatose and Cane Creek Cane Sweet.  I love how Zack describes the story behind the flavors and how they got their name.  You can read all about it, here.  You have to admit…. his descriptions are pretty darn impressive!

Residing just west of Atlanta, GA in the eastern region of Alabama,  local events and county fairs are where you’re most likely to find Zack and his crew.  One of his last events netted sales on 40+ gallons of tea.  That’s a whole lot of tea!  These brews are made with black tea leaves, however, Zack is looking to branch out and try other tea leaf blends.  Although this young man is currently weighing his college options, I asked Zack what his plans are for the future of Cleburne Tea Co, and he said, “I would love to eventually be able to have my tea bottled and sold locally, in convenience stores around the county.”  I’m pretty sure we’ll be seeing great things happening for Mr. Cash and the Cleburne Tea Co.   You can also follow Zack on Instagram at @cleburneteaco.

Thanks for popping in for today’s Coffee (tea!) buzz.  Have a fabulous day, and may it be strong brewed and sweet!  And, thanks to Zack and the Cleburne Tea Co for paying us a visit as well. Terri