QuaraTea Party
Jenny Dowd
One of the first things I missed when we started social distancing in March, was meeting up with friends for tea. Something that I didn’t do that often, maybe only once or twice a month, suddenly turned into a massive void in my life.
While texting a friend, she mentioned the same thing, and asked how can we show togetherness while apart? We brainstormed ideas for cards, ways to send a little love by mail, and she coined the term QuaraTea. That night when I woke up full of worry, that conversation popped into my mind. The worry suddenly shifted to thinking about how to illustrate this idea of a safe distance tea party. (Because, you know, Safe-Tea First)
In the morning, I sketched it out, and sent her the photo:
This idea rattled around in my brain for the next week or so, was there some way I could offer a sweet gift for friends? I also kept thinking about people who were adjusting to working from home, were they reassessing their coffee / tea mug collection?
Meanwhile, I received a grant from Teton ArtLab designed to provide financial help to local artists. That was a big piece of the puzzle, and helped me to pursue QuaraTea Parties.
My next step was to contact Tea Hive. I felt that their line of Teton Teas would be the final piece in this puzzle. A mug is nice, but a mug with tea is an actual party! I wanted to support another small business and keep the origin of my project local while also offering handmade love from my little corner of Wyoming to people anywhere.
And so, the QuaraTea Parties came out of my dreams and onto the table.
A QuaraTea Party for 1 is a mug + 2 Teton Teas, or to really enhance the tea ritual - a teapot & cup. Perhaps a sweet self-care gift, or something to send to a friend who needs a little pick-me-up.
Also available are QuaraTea Parties for 2. This is 2 sets: 1 mug + 2 Teton Teas. I send 1 to you and 1 to your friend. Then you can meet up for a video chat / tea party!
Sam thought the bunting in my photos was extra fun and that they should be included in each set. So we spent a cloudy afternoon making colorful party buntings!
This project has been a happy one. The first connection I missed was tea with friends, and now I feel like I get to enable long-distance tea parties!
A variety of QuaraTea Parties is available at Wyoming Artists Collective and also my Etsy shop. Sets start at $48 and all include the cost of shipping - although, if you live in the Jackson, WY area, I’m happy to leave a box on your porch!
