Shelby Teapot
competition entry, 2009
competition entry, 2009
I gave up coffee in 2008, and have since become equally as hooked on tea. When I first saw the "Tea-Off" competition posting, it was a no-brainer. As far as I was concerned, I was a veritable expert on the subject.
My concept has 2 main points. First, tea comes in a plethora of beautiful colors. When seen through a clear mug or pot, it often has a magical quality of reflecting hues off nearby tables and walls. I wanted to make the color of the tea an integral part of the design. I had just designed the six-sided floral pattern for another project, and I was fortunate that it didn't get used.
The second major element of my design was what I called the "Tea Wand." At the time, I was really interested in finding ways to incorporate fun & play into products. Since we were kids, we've loved to play with our food. Why stop just because we know better?
The bulb at the bottom houses a scoop of loose leaf tea. You can control the strength by the amount of tea. With the wand, you get the added benefit of being able to playfully steep the tea at your own pace. If you've ever found yourself feverishly bouncing a tea bag in and out of a cup, you can appreciate the fact that sometimes your tea just can't brew fast enough!
