u/earwig_art

i am super happy with the outcome. been working on it for a really long time, and there are still a few finishing touches to do, but it feels complete now. i can't wait to try some stop motion in here.

dolls, clothing, and almost all the props are handmade by me. wall paintings were made by my sister and brother(in law).

(quick request to please refrain from cursing on my posts. i have severe OCD, and it triggers a compulsion to delete my entire post. thank you for understanding!)

i got so excited when this little jumping spider started climbing all over Rishi! Since pretty early in his character development (over a decade ago) i knew he loved spiders, so this was a really sweet little moment to get to capture. i got to hold the spider too, it was very active and seemed pretty content to check everything out and then rappel into the yard

Deeg is an alien creature that was selectively bred and domesticated to be a hot water/tea fermentation pot. Rishi operates a teahouse on an ancient space station, and keeps Deeg as a helpful companion. Even though living teakettles have only about the intelligence of a sea cucumber, Rishi enjoys talking to him and showing him around

Just got the game and it is so nice to be able to make all my little imaginary friends 🫖✨

(Rishi and Deeg are my OCs and all artwork of them both sculpted and drawn are my own)

yard was so busy with bugs! these two fancied the dandelions, whereas most of the fluffier type bees were all over the azaleas. there were cool spiders too (but i did not get pictures)

super excited, i think it is going to look nice! still have a lot of work to do though. not nearly finished, just wanted to get a feel so can plan my next steps! 🫖

(quick request; if you choose to comment, please try to refrain from using curse words. thank you so much!)

1st slide: Underworld (photo is third steep). has the most chewy, funky scent of the three, but i liked it when the tea was smelled dry or hot. tastes very rich and smooth by comparison, with some leaf litter notes. pretty consistent flavor, neither bitter nor malty. cons: once cooled, has a sticky sweet smell that i personally did not like. best to drink as hot as you can enjoy it.

2nd slide: Imperial Grade (photo is fifth steep). first two were a bit bitter and heavy with flavors of english breakfast and jasmine. after this, it wanes from the astringency and becomes a softer, more delicately plummy floral. i liked the clean, fresh taste of this bud pu-erh.

3rd slide: Dark Depths (photo is second steep, not counting a quick rinse). Smooth, glassy, reminiscent of old barn wood, leather, and obsidian. slightly dry mouth feel. aftertaste is very much like moist soil and leaves. tends toward bitter without being too. Sixth cup started to lean a little lighter and more maple-y. retained good color through 7+ infusions, going from inky and serious to sweet and earthy.

(all three samples were purchased from the Crimson Lotus website)

sharing my particular method! i make this a lot, maybe four or five times a week. it started with trying to reverse engineer this really good one i get in Boston on my monthly-ish visit, but it really became its own thing as i learned what i liked and what i didn't. its not very exact but here is the basic idea:

utensil recommendations:

- a small saucepan, or a cezve (Turkish coffee pot) if you have one, they work perfectly and pour like a dream

- nice straight handled wooden spoon

- metal cup strainer, to catch the whole spices when you serve the tea

- your chai drinking vessel of choice

ingredients:

- three cloves, broken apart

- six or seven cardamom pods, opened up, crushed a little between the fingers, and added whole

- two big pinches of powdered ginger

- five or six twists of cracked pepper

- a dash of salt

- the smallest crumb of anise you could ever imagine

- about a rounded tablespoon type amount of black tea of choice. i usually like a more english breakfasty kind of tea with milk

- a pinch of mace

- 1.5 or 2 parts lactose free milk (or whatever you prefer for a milk)

- 1 part filtered or favorite water (cool or room temp)

i put the water in the pan and set it on to heat up slowly, adding the spices first, one at a time starting with pepper and salt. once those are all in i add the tea, and stir occasionally. when it starts to do a "fish egg" boil, i add the milk. slowly cook it on a lowish flame until it boils, at which point you want to stir it until it boils up again while you are stirring it. pour through a sieve into a cup and add a generous amount of coconut sugar (optional).