I have at last found time to take photos of my holiday art journal and post them. Its the first journal Ive done I started it at home with some painting and collaging then did the jounaling when resting in the hotels we stayed at along the way. I finished it off when I returned. The book I used was about 3.5" x 5" the paper was handmade which meant I had to watch the pens I used as some bled through to the next page. I mostly used gel pens with watercolour paint. I did enjoy doing this a record of a great time
I am now making a Christmas Journal
Washington we have arrived at last a long flight booked into the hotel and straight out it was Labour day here in the States a holiday. Lots of people about and its hot. We walked and walked saw all the tourists sights we missed the White House the first time around. We walked and walked again we had bottles of drink and it was hot and we were so tired being hit with jet lag I was in bed by 8.0pm and was out like a light. We found our way about on the metro and the buses. We had three great days here then we were off to pick up the car and then on the way to see America her people and hear the music.
The Blue Ridge Highway very
Nashville thats me and Russell outside the Crazy Horse Saloon we returned there in the evening for a meal and a dance had a great time we saw some line dancing the only time we saw this dance in the States we like to ballroom dance as well as jive and just muck about. We did visit the Country Music Hall of Fame but Russell forgot to bring his camera so no photos.
Gracelands the home of Elvis was a modest
home for a big star it felt friendly and homely we couldnt go upstairs which of course we wanted to see. The photo is of the peacock room and there were a lot of exhibitions to see including his collection of cars. Over the road is the commercial part where you can have your photo taken and spend a lot of money including an Elvis outfit which if I remember rightly was around $2000. My impressions of Elvis were he liked to dress up have fun and be surrounded by his friends he gave generously to local charities having been very poor as a child. Glad we went.
This is Breaux Bridge near Lafeyette we stayed two nights here in the Bayou Cabins run by Rocky and Lisa Sonnier who made us feel at home. We stayed in one of the Arcadian Cabins. If you ever visit near here do visit its a very friendly place. Rocky and Lisa will remember me as the English lady who didnt like cajun spice in her scrambled eggs. The town has some interesting shops with a few antique shops we spent sometime browsing. We also visited the famous Mulate's restaurant to eat listen to the jazz band and yes we had to dance. The Arcadian Village is also worth a visit
As we walking around early evening we came across this yard art enclosure there were all sorts of stuff from new to arty things recycled from old signs and rusty old throwouts. As it was closed we didnt get to walk around I didnt think I would get anything in the case to take home but would have loved too. Click on the picture to have a good look.
The Swamp at St Martins Lake Lafeyette Butch was our guide great bloke new everything anyone would need to know about the bayou. This was the most fascinating place I have ever visited we set out in a small boat with six other people the trip lasted for over two hours and as we moved around it went from twilight to sunset absolutely magical. We saw alligators herons turtles alligators flights of herons and egrets killer bees well thats what they looked like great big spiders and two brown owls calling to each other. The
colours of the sunset were out of this world one of the few times I have said if only I could paint. I was quite surprised I didnt get bitten by an insect not even once. Insects like me. What a wonderful trip something I will always remember.
The Laura Plantation that still grows sugar cane along the River Road is a country style house not a fancy house as in Gone With The Wind I have read that book three times but the guide said life just wasnt like that. The first photo is a slave cabin but I shouldnt think it was green as it looks two families lived to a cabin. Records show there were 175 slaves on the plantation in 1804 and records their names ages and the money they were worth. Laura who wrote a dairy about the place didnt die till 1963. A very historical place to visit
This page is a collage its as near as I'm likely to get to a photo taken at Scalea Southern Italy of old houses going up a hill. The roof tops are made from corrugated card and the tree from other papers.
Lucky black cat again a little larger this time made from the calico cat pattern.
This is Star Ive made him for my granddaughter who is just starting her first teaching job straight from college this must be quite scary but she is in a small village school. She wanted me to make her something to give one of the children to take home for the weekend if they had been specially good. I wanted to make something the children would really like to take home. I came up with this baby monster but I was inspired by Denise at grrl+dog click on the title Star. He or maybe she I did find making one that the boys would like too was a bit restrictive but it was fun to make. I would like to make one that is a bit more wild like the ones Denise has made. I do find it hard to let go and do wild and frayed
The title for this book is Beautiful Creatures.
Altered book for Becky the theme was along the lines of sending a letter from yourself when young and then from older self. I thought this was a bit scary when I first saw the theme but it was quite a fun one to do. My thoughts went back to when I was 16 I left school at 15. Remember my grandmother telling me she left school at 14 and thinking she was still a child. My granddaughter has just finished college to start teaching and she is almost 23.I collaged about what was big in my life then I headed the page Return to Sender Address Unknown that let me out of writing a letter much to busy having fun at that age.If you look there is a picture of me at 16 on the little book we even looked innocent in those days. The second half you can see is not so busy but life is good and the heading is One More Step Along the World I Go with a book of quotes that have helped me through difficult times.
This is the River Festival in my home town said to be the second biggest festival in the UK after Nottinghill Carnival. I think this year there were more people than ever maybe because of the weather. The parade was great and there was a great crush down by the river with all the stalls and events. My family had a get together in the evening there were about 20 of us we had a good evening. My brother and his wife came to stay for the weekend and we made a great collection for the bottle bank. On Sunday we visited a cousin I hadn't seen for about 40 years when I was her bridesmaid. What a weekend I'm still recovering.
These beads are made from fabric painted or inked stamped embossed and bejewelled. The green bead I embossed with no bother then I changed to a new embossing ink pad and how ever hard I tried it wouldnt emboss very well. I spent some time doing this until I checked the pad it was a white coloured ink pad so no wonder it wouldnt work dah dah.
Bertha and Doris
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