Tuesday, April 30, 2013

12 Tags of 2013 - April

Nothing like waiting until the very last day! Here is my tag for April for Tim's 12 Tags of 2013.
I made the background exactly the same as Tim only using different colors.
Instead of using the Dragonfly, I used the Globe, wanting to do something for Earth Day, and used the die with Wendy's Clearly for Art, and colored the base of it with Distress Paint.
I cut off the globe part and will use it later, then adhered the base with a Tiny Attacher. I shaped the base with a heat tool. All the embellies were done the same as the inspiration tag.
 
 
Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Monday, April 29, 2013

Jolly Ol' England!

Eight days of bliss...even the rainy cold weather made me happy, and is especially simpatico with my hair! There were colorfully painted shops and ancient lichen spotted castles on the same street, followed by modern sleek, glassy buildings and skyscrapers...London was a feast for my tired of looking at ordinary things eyes, and a welcoming wake up to my atrophied muscles who haven't walked or climbed stairs in months, not to mention a feast for my ears with the hearing of proper English and words I've never heard (I love the proper gentlemen cab drivers!)...me thinks myself dumb for sure!  Then, came the beautiful countryside! Can one of you lucky Brits give me the name of a great realtor? I'm thinking an early to mid 1800's castle will do just fine, and since I'm dreaming, money is no object!
Here are a few...cough cough...okay, a lot of photos of the places, people, and things I loved in England, and this is not even close to all the pics I took.
The view from my hotel room.
I had to zoom in.
I had to memorize this so I would know this is my stop to get off of "The Tube" or Underground Railway, which was very easy to use. All those stamps that I have that say "Mind the Gap", "Way Out",and "Underground" now all really make sense to me. I also find it refreshingly fascinating how there is no political correctness in the public broadcasting at the railway stations (Or published news in general.). They just tell you things exactly as they are,  "Please be mindful and keep your property close to you at all times as opportune thieves are about." I sure appreciated that and we all giggled, but certainly not at this, "The train is experiencing delays as there is a person under the train." We heard that one probably everyday we were there and it would send chills up our spine.
After a few minutes, you would emerge into a new part of town. Here we are at Covent Garden...
...Where I met up with Hels, and spent the most gut splitting and sweet day!
We shopped, we ate, we drank, we shopped some more, and ate and drank even more, all the while talking, talking, talking, and belting out into what people thought were witches cackles I am sure! I couldn't resist this phone booth in Covent Garden. I think I was telling my husband to send more money!
As Hels and I walked I saw this for the first time on a building (Seen everywhere after that.) and took the photo. Hels said she never even notices it, probably because she sees it all the time, but I was so intrigued with the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom. It's so symbolic. I took many photos of it along my journey.  And, at the end of our day, it was sure hard to say good-bye, but we did so between Tubes...hers going East, and mine going West, all while listening to the guitarist set up near by playing for tips, strumming "Stairway to Heaven". It was all we could to restrain ourselves not to help him out, as we both know every word of the song!
Trafalgar Square...before the riots broke out about Margaret Thatcher's funeral...yikes!
Loved this rocker...an homage to children everywhere.
Admiralty Arch...leading into The Mall...not the shopping kind either.
This is The Mall...a stretch of road almost 6/10 of a mile leading to Buckingham Palace that acts as a ceremonial route. Instead of black top, it is painted reddish to act as a red carpet of sorts...very cool!
St. James Park runs on the south side of  The Mall. It was covered with gorgeous bulbs of tulips.
Alas, Buckingham Palace!
Queen Victoria Memorial
 
Gorgeous golden gates...but wait...
...here they come...it's the Changing of the Guard.
 
 
 
 
Fantastic ornamentation...WOW!!!
Westminster Abbey
  
I could stare at the detail of this gorgeous cathedral for hours!
Palace of Westminster and what I've been waiting for...Big Ben!
 
Officially called The Elizabeth Tower, she is the largest four faced chiming clock in the world, and the third tallest clock tower! I LOVE her...always have, and I have a thing for clock towers and large clocks in buildings in general. I take photos of every one I see in every city I visit, but THIS IS THE ONE I've been waiting for! This made my trip. I shot so many photos, trying to get every detail, and just couldn't. There is so much ornamentation on her that you don't realize until you see it. I tried to zoom in on the crests that are so colorfully displayed, but my shaking hands, the weather, and poor zoom just couldn't do it very well. This was my best shot. You can barely see them, but there are eight on this side, mostly green and a red one in the middle. Oh how I love all this gold! My middle name should be Midas!!!
 
The London Eye
Love these lamp posts!
Tie up your boat to that lion why don't you! WOW! These are all along the Thames River.
Every once in a while, you'd see a building with a sign on it...
YUP..."Purple Haze" Jimi lived there, and George Frideric Handel next to him...different eras of course! Could you imagine if they were there during the same time? ;0)
Heading to Windsor!
What? No flying frogs???
  
It's no big deal to have a magnificent castle sprawled out in the middle of your town in England!
 
 
The Queen's quarter's...and YES, she was there!
 
 
Another Changing of the Guard.
 
The moat turned garden.
Here they come!
There they go!
 
A church off in the distance.
How's that for a yard?
Queen Elizabeth's quarter's again.
Back in London, at Tower Bridge.
  
 
What a sight!

Across on the south.
Across on the North.
The Tower of London
 
These are made out of chicken wire to depict the animals that used to be housed on the grounds at The Tower...talk about Art!
 

More shopping!
Hugh was not working that day. ;0)
All made from cookies at a shop in Notting Hill. Awesome and tasty!
Off to the countryside again....this time to  Newbury to see Highclere Castle, aka, Downton Abbey!!! WOOHOO! What a thrill, and it was the last day to do so before the new season started filming and all would be closed to the public. The cast was staying down the road at a hotel.
Michelle, Tiesha, Laura, Me, Debby
"Ung je serviray" was the Carnarvon's family motto, and is French for "Only one will I serve". I've linked to any interesting read on the Castle dating back over 20 years.
 
 
 
 
There is always a black sheep in the family!
Then it was on to Bath for the remainder of our day, but sadly we got there late and most things were closed. We did get to walk through the town though and see the most gorgeous sights and eat fantastic food!
 
A lot of restoration has been done in Bath to bring back these gorgeous Medieval buildings.
My last day in London was spent sight seeing at Kensington Palace first, some shopping, (Liberty and Harrods), and then finished off with high tea at the Browns Hotel.
 
The Princess Diana Memorial Garden
 

Cherrio for now!
I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon, or your bags get packed for a fun filled adventure!