tiny happy

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‘tiny happy’ was a journal of my handmade life from 2006-2025.

tansy

Tansy 3

Tansy 2 

Tansy 1

I haven't seen any tansy growing here this summer, but it was one of my favourite wildflowers in Norway. I illustrated these tea cups with a tansy design- using my new favourite craft supply- the ceramic pens mentioned in my last post.

But- I must admit that i made a mistake- the pens are not necessarily 'food-safe' even though, after baking, they are dishwasher-safe. Linda of little flower designs (beautiful hand-painted ceramics) commented on my last post to say that the designs can fade/wear over time and in the USA the paint is not certified to be food-safe. So the designs are fine on the outside of cups or bowls, but not on plates. Unless they're decorative plates only. So I'm sorry for getting that wrong!

I am really enjoying using the pens though- and thank you for all your kind comments about my simple little designs…

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54 responses to “tansy”

  1. Annie Avatar
    Annie

    Wow – these cups are truly beautiful!!! Very sweet, and something Scandic too. Also more than a little jealous of the lovely tablecloth (I must buy more embroidery anglais)

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  2. Samantha Avatar
    Samantha

    Gorgeous. I love the pebeo porcelaine paint. Its good for making great gifts.
    Love your blog and work m’dear.

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  3. annri Avatar
    annri

    The cups are really nice! I have a friend named Tansy who is about to have her third baby – perhaps your post is a sign that I should give her a call and check on progress…

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  4. Lisa from kugel and spice Avatar
    Lisa from kugel and spice

    These are TOO pretty. Seriously. It makes me want to take up another craft and I think my family would about kill me! Oh, maybe I’ll just live vicariously through you. Thanks for the post!

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  5. Holly Fish @ Times Two Avatar
    Holly Fish @ Times Two

    I’d love to come over for tea! Especially if I can drink from the tansy cup! Too bad I live all the way over here in Texas. Beautiful, and I would expect nothing less from you!

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  6. bright and blithe Avatar
    bright and blithe

    thanks for the added info. they’re beautiful, just the same. is there another food-safe alternative?

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  7. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    Wow Melis, I love these designs! Shame you can’t use the pen on ‘food items’ 😦 you’l have to find one that IS food safe!

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  8. Erin Avatar
    Erin

    I love these tansy cups! They are beautiful. You do such good work.

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  9. Mary Avatar
    Mary

    Okay, I knew that as always you would do lovely things when you got the colour pens, but I didn’t really think it was possible to top the cuteness of the black and white drawings you did last time. I stand corrected ;^)

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  10. Cindy Avatar
    Cindy

    I love your tansy designs!
    I’ve been playing around with these pens and paints as well, and had done some research online to find out if they were food safe or not.
    I had found this article http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/february-jumpstart-2009-entries/how-to-decorate-your-own-tea-set-ayas-february-jumpstart-project-2009-076271
    and in the comments the artist states that she had contacted the company about this…you can read her answer there. I think it’s comment #33. It seems that Pebeo considers them to be food safe, but do not have an equivalent to the FDA in France and so can’t certify them as food safe.
    I’d love to have some more official information, but at least there’s some more info to consider.

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  11. Kristen Avatar
    Kristen

    Those teacups are just perfect. I want to buy one!

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  12. Francesca Avatar
    Francesca

    Truly beautiful. And I know how difficult it is to draw a delicate and straight line on a curved surface! Not food safe? Who’d want to cover your drawings with food:)?!?!

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  13. Merja Avatar
    Merja

    The cups are so lovely.

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  14. louana Avatar
    louana

    oh I love these too! you are too clever. I bet those pens could get really addictive

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  15. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    I love these designs. I used to like growing tansy when I lived in a cooler climate.

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  16. Marlya Avatar
    Marlya

    They’re lovely!! I also love the new photo you have on your header.

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  17. Pipany Avatar
    Pipany

    Love them anyway. Just gorgeous x

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  18. mizyéna Avatar
    mizyéna

    Gorgeous cups!
    What a beautiful blog you have.
    Greetings from tunisia.

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  19. Elizabeth Yule Avatar
    Elizabeth Yule

    Beautiful tansy design. Thank you very much too for sending the link for Pebeo pens in the UK.

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  20. nath Avatar
    nath

    beautiful work as ever!

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  21. caireen Avatar
    caireen

    those are cute cups! Cx

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  22. Ruth Avatar
    Ruth

    They are just stunning!

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  23. Jeanne Avatar
    Jeanne

    Your tansy cups are so pretty! I blogged today about different people’s ceramics, and included you….http://nantucketmermaid.blogspot.com/ thanks for the info on the pebeo pens….I had used the paints years ago, but I like the pen idea better….show us more! 🙂

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  24. sherrieg Avatar
    sherrieg

    The cups are lovely! My husband’s grandmother was telling us awhile ago about gathering tansy for making poultices when she was a girl – I love learning those kinds of things! Apparently the plants are quite potent and dangerous to use herbally – probably moreso than if you were to eat the ink from your pens. 🙂 Lovely!

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  25. isoinpapu Avatar
    isoinpapu

    I love the cups!
    Here the plant is called “the herb of paul” or “button flower”. It was used as a spice and medicin. I know it also works beautifully as a dye. I have seen tansy coloured wool yarn.

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  26. Cindy Avatar
    Cindy

    i love the little cups, so cute. a funny note on tansy, i spent a LOT of time during the summer pulling tansy up from our field (17acres) because although pretty it is poisonous to cows. by the end of the summer i had my fill :)you make it look so dainty and pretty!

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  27. Shin Ae Avatar
    Shin Ae

    I love those cups! You are making me think I need those pens 🙂

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  28. Kim Tillyer Avatar
    Kim Tillyer

    Beautiful cups…simply perfect. Now I’m looking forward to the Tansy flowering here so I can try it as a dye. I’ve heard it can be used to flavour milk puddings but it is very potent i think!

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  29. Chara Michele Avatar
    Chara Michele

    I love these cups! Such a pretty design. Too bad about the plates not being food-safe…

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  30. domesticali Avatar
    domesticali

    Tansy grows like a weed in my garden. Your rendition is so much nicer than the real thing which gets covered in blackfly!

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  31. anu Avatar
    anu

    That same flower inspired me to photograph in last summer!
    I so like all your works!!!
    Have wonderful new week!
    Anu

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  32. Mousy Brown Avatar
    Mousy Brown

    Really Beautiful design! This kind of craft is something I have never really wanted to try but you make it look so beautiful, I am truely inspired – Thank you 🙂

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  33. sarahblank Avatar
    sarahblank

    so beautiful! we have tansies that grow here along the roadside in the summer. they are so beautiful!
    i miss summer:(

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  34. Lovely World Avatar
    Lovely World

    These tea cups are my favorite!

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  35. elmtree Avatar
    elmtree

    I love your designs, they are very natural and minimalist. I never know when to stop with a design.
    Yes you can dye with tansy , but kowhai gives a beautiful yellow also. That is assuming tansy gives yellow? It makes you look at plants in a whole different way…

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  36. heather Avatar
    heather

    These cups are the sweetest! I love the tansy design…I have tansy in my garden, its so lush and pretty, you can hardly get rid of it once it gets going!

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  37. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    Tansy are my favourite too. They look darling on your pretty cups.

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  38. Tinylovely Avatar
    Tinylovely

    What wonderful teacups. Tansy is such a lovely bright flower. I grow it as herbal ley around one of my peach trees. For companion planting and to encourage beneficial insects. You can get the seeds in new zealand from kings seeds.

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  39. Oshun Avatar
    Oshun

    These cups are lovely !
    I have notice the moomin troll book on the side bar. Don’t you just love this book ! I enjoyed them so much when I was young, now my son can enjoy them too, except for the first book which has not been re-edited in French lately.

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  40. Melbourne Road Avatar
    Melbourne Road

    Hi Melissa :o)
    This is Lori in Washington State. I now have a blog called Melbourne Road the will journal our new adventure on the beautiful farm that we moved to.
    Hope you get a chance to stop by and visit me, I have been out of the loop for awhile now and am now rounding up all of my friends to my new place. :o)
    The cups are absolutely beautiful. So delicate + I LOVE the black, white and yellow. lacy leaves and yellow spots…YUM!
    Lori
    formerly Lissilulu :o)

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  41. Merruli Avatar
    Merruli

    I like the look of tansy very much, but I simply love the look of your tansy cups -just beautiful!
    Well, now I want to try this craft out as well.

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  42. karla gibbs Avatar
    karla gibbs

    believe it or not i have never heard of ceramic pens! lol. thanks for the great info.

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  43. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    thanks, annie- i wish it were a tablecloth but it’s just a wee scrap of embroidery anglais- i need to be on the lookout for more too!

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  44. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    that’s such a great name! hope all is well with her…

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  45. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    thanks- i’m not sure if there’s another alternative food-safe product. will let you know if i find something!

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  46. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    thank you mary! (blush)

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  47. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    thanks so much for this, cindy- i suspected that was how it is. will let you know if i find out any more info.

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  48. tinyhappy Avatar
    tinyhappy

    hi isoinpapu- i would love to try dyeing with tansy- what a nice idea!

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  49. annri Avatar
    annri

    melissa, yes indeed, tansy’s baby arrived on sunday, her name is maeve. 🙂

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  50. fliss Avatar
    fliss

    food safe or not! you have inspired me to scout out these pens as your simple and beautiful illustrations make an otherwise plain piece look fantastic. thanks for these posts .xx

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