Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Journaling Visually?


I journal and have for many years. . . not everyday like I use to -- but enough to be able to put pen to paper and write thoughts about my days. I have a number of journaling books which are creative in their own right. I have one I made in a workshop a few years ago and take it to classes I go attend in order to keep notes, web sites, blog addresses, etc. I enjoyed taking it along to my workshop with Michelle Ward in Madison, WI. That workshop was called "The Painted Page."

You can see a page from it where I experimented with a number of print ads from several different magazines, paint, stamps, and rub-ons -- I titled it "Orleans" for whatever reason. I have another that I keep tract of everyday thoughts and the one I grabbed when I wrote a quick poem the other day for the Marie Antoinette envelope which ended up NOT being an envelop but another piece that I am submitting separately. See Sunday's post. Back to the topic at hand....... Visual Journaling. I have been reading about this for a year or so and have done nothing about it. But now I am.....Yup, here are my supplies all packed and ready to go into the suitcase later tonight.


I will still be running around looking for more stuff to add to the pile. I always do this - it is me and I may as well accept this quirk in my personality. I just know I am going to forget something I need and, of course, will not be able to buy it and not be able to live without it....................


I did buy the book the book Journal Revolution I mentioned a while back and plan to do some visual journaling while I am travelling to Madison and in my hotel room. I really think I will have fun doing this.... I will be reading it on the plane and put my little journal ("Wide Open" I also bought last week) and some color pencils in my carry-on.

Hopefully, you will see some of these pages when I return. I have everything packed and ready to go. All my supplies -- AND yes, my clothes tooooo -- I swear I am sometimes like the absentminded professor when I get focused on my art work. Yes, I have glue, brushes, paint, and pens -- what do you mean PJs? huh? Yes, I will show you some pages soon.

Well, have to run and head to work, then to my workout with James, then home, then pack the luggage, .... I leave really early in the morning (6:00am on the plane).... In closing I am posting a page from my "workshop journal" where I experimented trying to work with different shades of white which for me was a little harder than I first thought. I called it "cold soup."

Monday, October 27, 2008

Samantha Continued


Just a few more pages from the Sami Book. As I have said before heritage is very important in all of our lives. I love the page above since I was able to incorporate Sami's great grandmother, grandfather on the left and on the right her great grandmother and grandmother. These relatives are on father's side of the family. Samantha was able to travel to Taiwan one summer and spent a number of weeks with family there.

I also had fun running down the wedding photos of Sami's parents and grandparents. After I scanned the photos the layout was relatively easy.




The last page I especially love. The young boy on the bottom of the page is Justin, Sami's dad, crying his little heart out. The top photo was one of Samantha which I turned into a black and white and it so looks like her dad's -- crying her little eyes out dry. Poor babies. What should we call this one:
Like Daddy * Like Daughter?

Sunday, October 26, 2008

On a Roll in Honeysuckle Breeze......



Yesterday, as you can see -- I made it to Samantha's violin concert!
AND I did get laundry done, grocery shopping done, and then ran to the office to hear Samantha performing in her violin concert. Samantha is a very special young lady. I love her dearly! I have known her since she was a tiny little peapod. She is absolutely so photogenic and is a joy to scrapbook and to be around. Last year I made a scrapbook for Sami since I had collected enough photos and hunted down others in order to make her a heritage book. I think it is very important for children (and all of us) to have a sense of heritage. With all of the pinks it is a little hard to see Sami's name on the front of this book. When you are holding it, you do see it!

We were lucky enough to have photos (on her father's side) of both her great grandmothers, her grandmother, her grandfather, and her parents. So the posts for today and tomorrow will be all about the "Samantha" book. After that you might miss me since I will be elsewhere.... skipping Halloween in Madison, hoping beyond hope that the hotel has the Sci-Fi channel. OK, I know I'm whining again.



Putting the cover of her album was fun while looking for some outrageous pink stuff. My favorite now defunct store, Recollections, had put the Bazzill zipper albums on sale - PINK and purple. The pink are so adorable and you did see, in an earlier post, that I used a pink zipper album for my own 60th birthday celebration (NOT Sami's, silly). (And, as a matter of fact, I did hers first then mine.) The pinks were really fun to work with as you can imagine. I did have to really "work" on using the pink papers since I don't usually work with those colors. I was pleased with the outcome.

One page I especially enjoyed working were the ones of Samantha, her mother, and grandmother at Disney, where they had their faces painted. Although the photo didn't really show how beautifully "limey" green the paper really is -- I just loved this paper since it matched the paint on their faces so well. (Lime green has always been a comfy color for me -- the wizard of oz, lime sherbet ice cream, creme de.... you get the idea - I love limes, I love lime green...ok I am rambling.) When I looked back through the album -- after being away from it for a while -- I realized that I was not using my sewing machine in my scrapbooking or other art work like I am now. Thankfully, I am comfortable enough with my machine to sew a lot on the pages I work on. Not sure what I would have done but it is fun to imagine. Next album! Hope your week goes well. Enjoy the Sami pages!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

OK - I am finished with Marie's Envelope NOW


I know, I told you I was done. I lied, OK. BUT, of course, I always have to add one more thing. ONE MORE THING. Always. I can't leave well enough alone. So -- do you like it? I went and wrote a kinda-poem and put on the envelope along with a fork. OK. You know you have to have a fork with cake that's what brioche stands for.



So the poem..... well it goes:


"Lost in a cell Рseparated from your children. Husband dead. Off with your head they yell. Courage like a badge of honor. Hair turned white. Beauty worn well. Where are your ancestors? Your Austria? The Others? Lost in a cell РTossed in an open grave. Reunited in death with your king. Blood in the streets. Drowning in cake. Lost in the fa̤ade. Reality crashed in and took you out. Did they hear your cries? Did you hear theirs? Lost in a cell Рseparated from your children. MjL/10-08"

How Long does it take Paint to Dry????




Obviously too long for my disposition..... I have finally finished by 3rd Marie Antoinette book. And yes, chaos is all around the "studio" which will soon be turned into a guest room for my nephew to sleep in at Thanksgiving. (I am starting to feel some stress here - I can't even see the bed where he is suppose to sleep. It is piled high with STUFFFFF.) The Marie booklet is going to be submitted to Stampington and must be in their hands by November 15. Seems I have been working on this project forever. Sometimes it just takes a little time between pages to get more inspired. I am very pleased with this project and feel good about it - positive - and know that I have done my best in creating it -- this one got a piece of my soul in it. Not all my projects do, sad to say. I can't show you the finished product but will show you a little bit and piece here and there. Here is a peek-a-boo look:

Yes you are seeing Marie's little face through the plastic bag. I stamped her onto acetate and then applied her to the cover. I used a daisyd file folder keeper to make this one in. I decided to hold it all together with book binding clips and of course could not deal with the start silver and so pulled out my alcohol inks to change the color. That was cool and came out okie dokie.

I am calling this piece of art work, "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" -- translated means, "let them eat cake." Although Marie did not say this, it has stuck to her like glue, so to speak. I'm not sure my opinion of Marie. I do not idolize her, thinking she was probably a poor little rich girl. History tells us they (she and her husband) were not attuned to the terrible conditions facing the citizens in Paris. They were starving while lavish parties were being held in the palace. In the end, however, we probably saw her real soul. She was locked up along with her two small children, her husband dead, the powers that be would not let her see her son, she could only hear him cry.
It is reported that she said, "Courage! I have shown it for years; think you I shall lose it at the moment when my sufferings are to end." She then approached the guillotine and lost her head. Her body and head were thrown in an open grave. They claim they found her bones and that of her husband and they are now interred in the Cathedral of Saint Denis near Paris. Are they her bones? Who knows....... makes a good story.

I can't believe that October is almost over. It is one of my most favorite months. The image to the right is part of a calendar I made several years ago. I need to replace the "calendar" page with 2009 so I can use it for next year. It was one of those "Thanks but No Thanks" pieces.

I am a little depressed that I won't be in town for Halloween. I will be in Madison, WI, for work. I am tempted to call the hotel to see if they have the Sci-Fi Channel on their listing of tely stations shown in the hotel rooms. My guys - Ghost Hunters (or busters sometimes) - are doing a LIVE show for seven hours. OH NO.... hmmmmmm. I am having positive thoughts - they will have the Sci-Fi channel and I will be able to sit in my hotel room watching my Rotor Rooter boys hunt ghosts! Haven't decided if I should take a Halloween costume to Madison or not? Could be a Vampire Bride that would travel nicely in the luggage. Wonder how much I love my job? How much I love tennis? Hmmmmmm. Decisions, Decisions...... will think on this one!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Piper Pendant - in time for Xmas?



Just doing a quick post -- it is lunch time and this will be quick, quick, quick. For your information or not, I have a HOT date tonight with my four-legged nephew pup Oliver so won't get much of anything posted. I wanted to direct you all over to Angela Cartwright's Etsy Shop. Yes the same cute Angela who was on "Lost in Space" and is now one incredible artist. I really just love her stuff. I really do. Love her papers, transparencies, and stamps. All available at Stampington and Company.

A number of months ago I became acquainted with her Etsy shop and saw the most adorable pendant. You need to know that I love her "unruly girls" stamps which you can also find at Stampington. "Piper" does so create my mood at times.... I know how she is feeling - I sometime have the same look on my face.... as Piper. Yes, I do. Anyway, I kept trying not to buy the Piper pendant and when I finally said, "OK, if she is still there on the site, I will buy her. If not, I won't and I will forget about her."

OMG, she was sold and gone and not another one in sight. OH NO. So, what did I do. My friends can tell you right now without reading on what I did. Yup, I contacted her (Angela not Piper) and asked for a "special order." If any of my dear friends want to check out her shop, feel free to do so. If any of my dear friends want to order Piper for gifts, feel free to do so. She was titled, "Piper Pendant with Chain" special order. Anyway, just my enabling for today! More on Saturday. Yes, I am wearing Piper right now -- that is my white silk turtleneck...... Thank you very much and have a great rest of the day.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Final Wishes - Crusades # 24


In Michelle Ward's Street Team GPP Crusades this month, the topic is "final wishes" and comes about as a result of events that have surrounded Michelle within the last six months. Final wishes is an interesting topic and one many people do not want to think about and particularly, dwell on.... however, at some point we all will walk across that rainbow bridge and leave this existence behind. Yes, I have a number of pets waiting at the rainbow bridge for me..... Whatever you call it, it is inevitable.

Five years ago tomorrow (October 22) I was coming home from the hospital following open heart surgery for an aortic valve replacement. You certainly do think about the inevitable when facing this type of surgery. Right before surgery I did not have a will. When my brother arrived we had a will drawn up for me along with other medical instructions. I did get a chuckle when the cardiologist said, "Please, don't sign a 'do not resuscitate' order -- because we will have to restart your heart following the valve replacement." HUH - what is this "restart" nonsense - you're suppose to fix it not stop it.....HUH - who am i and why am i in this funny gown that opens in the back....



Anyway, back to reality, my mother more or less did a lot of planning for both her and father's funerals. She had everything picked out and paid for at the funeral home. We, the family did not have to do any casket shopping, etc., thank God! Plots were already bought - all in all it was much easier for us to deal with the grief of losing a parent than worry about the mundane. My brother knows a little of my final wishes. I have to admit after the initial scare of heart surgery and then full recovery, I didn't take that final step and add a few more items to the will -- which I certainly will do shortly. One thing is for sure however, listen carefully bro -- Cricket goes in the casket with me. I don't care if you open the little box and just drop the baggie in BUT he goes in with me. If you don't do it, baby brother, you will not have a moment of peace for the rest of your life. Yes, I will be right beside you for like forever, i.e., eternity. Bet that got his attention! Speaking of my brother, Jim, he wrote an incredible song (we had played at Mother's funeral) - I want it played at mine - God Knew Your Name. Go listen! It will move you.


While traveling through Estonia I was awe-struck by the photo below of silver crosses all indicating the nuns final resting place. It was a serene place of hope, calmness, and serenity. May all our final resting places be so....... beautiful. Death is not the end, it is a beginning of just another phase of growing up! May I strive to make mine a little easier for my family and friends by making sure I have all my final wishes in place for that eventual day.


To end this post I want to share with you a poem I wrote in my early 20s. (I have like a book of these ramblings written in the angst of youth.) If I remember right, my Dad and I, for some reason, had been talking about death and funerals. I asked him when the time came what he wanted and he told me all he wanted was one red rose. Nothing more, nothing less. It sparked in me this poem:

"When I depart, sing no sad songs for me.
And when I disappear, don't look back.
I will leave as silently as I came.
Only remember the interlude when you knew me best.
Think of the laughter, jokes, and sighs,
the occasional tears I shed.
Do not regret the days gone by,
.....and when I leave do only one last thing.
Plant a rose - one single rose -
So I can still bring joy to those who follow after."





My Mirage in HONeysuckle LAnd.......? ? ?


WOW - can it get any better in my world, I ask you? Can it? THEY'RE BACK.... (imagine spooky music here) . . . OK, some of you will remember my Count Gore photos, how could you forget them or the lunch I told you about on September 23 when this was just a new-born bloggie. Talk about tripping through your past or is that past life or is it just tripppin'. Just read a post about that little experience, kind of, entitled, "My Mirage Hooks me up with the Incorrigible Witch who hooks me up with Count Gore." I laughed out loud. Check it out at The Diamond Island web site.

Not to digress too much, my favorite Diamond Island voyager describes our first meeting (he is an incredible writer especially if he says wonderful things about me-it is all about me, isn't it, lie if you have too, ok):

"One such guest star I saw on the tube was a person I didn’t know at the time, but would later in life. By day she is honeysuckle, but by night she’s the Incorrigible Witch. We met each other at our mutual employer, and in a twist of fate that can only be called Twilight Zone meets Funky Town, discovered we both loved the Count."OK, I'm still good with it......As I stared at her photo album of her visit to the Count, I discovered I’d seen her on TV. I mean, it’s one of the more vivid memories I have of those days - her getting into the Count’s Coffin to gag jokes from the studio staff while her friend looks on in shock. Life is weird. We both look up Count Gore, and find out he has a website. Then we find out he’d moved back to Northern Virginia! She manages to get a “date” with him and catch up on old times, since she finds out they live in the same area. This is freaking me out. I got to hand it to the Incorrigible Witch, she’s got some real brass and isn’t afraid to get into the thick of strange adventures!"


OK, the upshot of all of this is that the Count stopped by our office and dropped off a personally autographed photo for our brave voyager who is out there killing bees and killer clowns from outer space (one of my favorite B horror movies). Too bad my Diamond Island voyager will not let me leave comments.

If I could, I would say to him, "Oh my little Le Petit Poucet.... -- hexe the incorrigible witchy poo loves you. Got gingerbread cookies here at the house and a nice BIG oven along with a few coffins. Come on over, you and Gretel, and I will serve you for lunch/ uh, serve you lunch. Love Hexe."

Monday, October 20, 2008

Thanks but no thanks in my breezin' world


Just a quick post since it is like frickin' freezin' in Honeysuckle breezin' land this early early AM. Have to turn on the gas fireplace since I always refuse to turn on the heat until November 15. Remember stubborn is sometimes my middle name. Since it is cool outside and the Harvest moon will soon be peeking over the horizon, here is a couple of Thanksgiving rejects.... no, not rejects..... "no thanks" art work returned from my favorite place (same place as the first post on this subject). I do love them and I know there was absolutely more than hundreds of submissions for their "life" and "holiday" premier issues. and that's my story and i'm sticking to it like glue to paper!

OK, enough of whining, they kept the "girls" for almost a year so I guess there was a real good chance they might have made it in the recent "holiday" publication. The "girls" used one of my favorite stamps as did the clock above. It is a Stampers Anonymous stamp and I call her Gretchen. I sometimes name my stamps but she is so charmingly German that she had to have a German name. I made four of them for place settings at the Thanksgiving Dinner table and sent two off for consideration. Both gals came back no worse for the wear of the trip out West......

The great thing this weekend besides tennis --- TA DA..... I finished my Marie Antoinette booklet to mail off to Somerset/Stampington prior to the November 15 deadline. I was going to make a second one using the palette of black and white, but I am sucked dry of Marie ideas since this was the third booklet I did and trying to keep the looks different while using Michelle Ward's Marie zine stamps (on two of them) is a little "out of my realm of imagination" right now! I'm happy with the piece of art and will show you images after it: 1) gets published or 2) gets a "no thanks"......... Life is good in Honeysuckle Land right now. Need to run to work!


Sunday, October 19, 2008

Get Your Honeysuckle Butt Moving

Sunday morning, 10:35 am, still in PJs. Wow, such a treat because by this time i'm at my favorite Shoppers doing the shopping. This morning I took a leisurely hour to watch a show I recorded last Tuesday, The first part of a two-part finale for a soap opera (don't watch soaps anymore) I have never seen called Port Charles Nightshift (I think). The reason to record - some old friends returned like: Anna Devane, Robert Scorpio, Luke Spencer, Sean and Tiffany, Mac Scorpio.... 1985 was the year and I wasn't quite 40 yet - and the men were dreamy, sexy, and cute, and now - they look like me, grey and a few wrinkles. The second part is this coming Tuesday which I will record for old times sake. They showed portions of the 1985 shows when we were all young and fun ... and sexy... and whatever else we were. History is always rose scented in our feeble minds. I loved it, thank you ABC for rattling my past viewing habits and showing me that all of my soap friends has aged along with me.



Sunday morning, 10:40 am, still in PJs, and will now continue what I came here to post. About a year ago I bought a book called "Visual Chronicles." Seems I been buying a number of books on "artistic" journaling. Yes, I do journal and have for many years. Extreme art journaling has not been on my radar and so it intrigues me since my art is not necessarily what one would call "extreme." The book had a chapter on "prompts" that one can use when stuck for words, ideas, thoughts, etc. (my history sometime is to read the book, put in the bookshelf, rediscover the book, .....) I did do a "Get Going" tag book which includes prompt to help me when I get stuck and I do carry it with me when going to workshops and crops. I love it.

One of my favorite pages is my Mount Everest prompt which is for "inspiration, mysteries, adventures = God." Every time I look at that page I am awe struck by the majesty of Everest. If I were younger I would be trying to figure out how to save money and train for a climb up that mountain. I watch all of the Discovery Channel shows on the subject. A couple of years ago my brother and I tripped over the subject and he told me he would love to climb the mountain. Go figure -- we had never before discussed the subject yet here we sat both talking about the same dream. I won't even go there to try to think that one out.


Seems like some good topics for a week of blogging, huh? I need to finish my Marie book and get off in the mail to Somerset - I do feel another post of "Thanks but no Thanks" coming on. . . Nope, not in reference to Marie but to some Thanksgiving art I created a number of years ago. Yes, you will see my "no thanks" art work soon. Have a good week.
Robert Scorpio and Luke Spencer -- I still love you both. Robert probably more. I know you are out there just waiting for me to wander by into your reality.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Doubles in Honeysuckle Land

I love playing tennis -- it provides me the opportunity to get my cardio in which my trainer, James Phifer, says I need. Do tell! Doesn't he know in my Honeysuckle Breezeland I call the shots not him? (he loves it when I tell him I hate him - he tends to think he has done his job really well - sicko...)

Oh well, enough of the fantasy and back to reality. (Maybe I sniffed too many honeysuckles in my life.) I hate cardio - except when playing tennis. Anyway, one season the "girls" got together and bought "time" to do winter indoor tennis in the Herndon Tennis Bubble. I was able to improve my game and, after the winter of playing, was ready to head out for the spring, summer, and fall seasons to really get in shape.

My brother showed up that spring with camera in tow and I drug him to tennis to take photos of us. Conveniently, James, played tennis in the court next to us and so my brother also got photos of him. That summer, as gifts for the girls and James, four individual tennis photo albums were put together. This was fun since I was able to make the books similar but used different basic colors on each one. ONCE again, I used my Basic Grey papers along with sports rub-ons and wood accents from Michaels. Go figure this one. Four albums done in a short period of time for the tennis season of 05-06. One photo album left to do.... Guess who's! Yes, mine. I need to figure out why it is so easy to whip these little albums out and then come to a complete halt when it comes time to make mine. I know it is buried in my psyche. I use to do this when sewing cross-stitch projects. Many people have my cross-stitches which I sewed with love.... but never got around to making one for me. Eventually that did change and I do have a collection of "samplers" hanging around the homestead in Honeysuckle land.


I loved the blue in Ann Marie's album, the green in Mary's, the multi color in Betty's and the 7-gypsy distressed one for James. Betty and I, that season, were not only the oldest players but the least accomplished at playing tennis. We discovered toward the middle of the season we really needed to think our strategy out to beat the young ones. In other words, play dirty and get the point anyway you can. Betty is a beautiful soul -- so in the end, it was me who had to do the dirty work...... drop balls over the net, pretend to get ready to hit the overhead slam really hard, get that fierce look on my face and begin grunting and making weird noises (ok I am getting carried away with this narrative) and then - BAM - drop that ball right over the net while the young ones scurry back to the base line to take the speeding missile as it passes by. Well not quite - Venus Williams has nothing to worry about.....


Yes, there is a back story to these little tennis stories. I have to admit that we are in the time of an anniversary of a sort -- I started working out with James on July 4, 2001 ( a date that will live in infamy). He worked hard for his dollars since I have a stubborn streak - no kidding Sherlock! Bet you wouldn't guess that would you? The summer of 03 James tried to get me interested in tennis but my energy level was low. I would run out of breath on the court, have trouble going up the three flights of stairs to my condo, ran out of breath going upstairs to my bedroom, could not let my beloved Cricket (my last cat) sleep on my chest without trouble breathing, and finally, in desperation, stopped smoking cause I thought that was the problem and I really wanted to play tennis. Anyway on October 17, 2003, I had open heart surgery to replace an aortic valve that was pretty badly damaged - like it degenerated over a short period of time - the doctors had no idea why I was still walking around. The week before I called 911 to bring a little dose of oxygen over to me, James and I was pumping my heart up to 144 beats and then resting to get it back down to 100 - all on the exercise bike. I am a glutton for punishment! As far as I'm concerned, James saved my life with his pushing, harassing, and nagging to get me to lift heavier weights, begin introducing cardio into my life, getting me to give up my mac/cheese for fish..... on and on and on.

Yes, I do believe that between James and God, I didn't have much of a chance except to make it through surgery and then heal quickly. After a quick recovery period, my heart came back with a vengeance - not much damage - and I felt so damn good and was just so tickled pink to be able to go running around a tennis court like a kid. Look mommy, I'm running and hitting a stupid yellow ball. Do tell. After five years of living with this mechanical valve, all I can say is what a ride it has been. I love every single moment of it and I give thanks each day! OK, enough already, I have to go play tennis. Thanks for stopping by! ; ) Love ya and all that stuff!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Honeysuckle Beefeaters - oh boy!


The Tower of London was spooky. Seriously. Spooky. I loved it. Where was "Most Haunted" when I needed them? More on the Most Haunted crew below the photos.


Of course, you can't go to the Tower without taking a photo of the Beefeaters. As they say, any man in a uniform is a hunk! Oh, yes, they are. Excuse me, "I'll take that one."


The Tower has a very sad side. . . little dead princes, dead wives of Henry VIII, and the site of the scaffold. And a beautiful chapel and, of course, the crown jewels.


I hope you have enjoyed my photo sleeve album this week. It was fun and a treat to scrap. It made me wanna go back really bad. I do honestly believe that in a previous life I did spend time in England. It has always felt like home to me. I miss it at times. Oh England, my England. Could be why I so love Most Haunted. Just caught this on the Most Haunted site:

"The "Most Haunted" team is back this winter, but this time their destination is the United States. Yvette Fielding and her ghost-hunting team investigate the spookiest sites in the USA, starting Friday, December 12.As experts from the paranormal field, the team attempts different methods and experiments to try and communicate with the dead. The team is determined to prove the existence of life after death.The team, armed with night-vision cameras and using séances to connect with the dead, will head to some of the creepiest places in the United States, including West Virginia State Penitentiary, Sleepy Hollow and the Stanley Hotel, the infamous setting for Stephen King's "The Shining."What eerie souls lurk and linger in these haunted locations? Don't miss the search for lost souls and the investigation of unexplained paranormal activity. Join Yvette and the team on "Most Haunted USA," on Friday nights at 10 ET, starting December 12, only on the Travel Channel."

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Dear Winston Churchill - Where for art thou now?



Love Winston Churchill - a character bigger than life itself. A man of his time. Parliament is as foreboding and strong as Winston was. I used a Martha Stewart punch (lace doilies) on the bottom of the photo of Parliament. I thought it gave it an interesting look when coupled with some Tim Holtz distressables-doo-dads images.







Big Ben has gargoyles - don't know why that surprised me. I tend to think of gargoyles in Paris not London. I think I have seen one to many Gargoyle horror movies in my lifetime. I can't just think of them as water spouts. No way, Sherlock.





Of course the Double Decker buses are still running and I used some Tim Holtz typewriter keys to spell out "Ticket to Ride" then used the Ranger dimensional accents over the letters.


As I said in a previous post, there are so many churches. So many places to worship. How many photos can you take of these bigger than life cathedrals? I finally cut out portions of this entry way and used its pieces in different ways. Westminster was breathtaking. It was a little unnerving to realize at one point you were walking over the graves of so many great individuals.