WOYWW 137

First of all - did you see my blog candy at the top?

Well, here we are, another week gone and that means a week of our vacation is over.  Where has the time gone?  It also means another week closer to our visit to CHA but then that means it's nearly time to head for home so it is a 'no win' situation.

Just because I am not at home does not mean I do not have a workdesk - I do - even if it is a borrowed one and I have been doing some bits and pieces on it - not as much as I would have liked but nevertheless have produced something.  You want to look at my workdesk?  Are you sure?  OK

It's taken from the top looking down - notably much bigger than my desk at home but notably much more stuff on it too.  I did have space at the bottom to work on and this is one of the things I produced.

It's a little teabag holder

I just fell in love with this stamp set but we can't find another one so maybe Mary has sold them all.  The unfortunate thing is someone has not put the other pictorial one back which has a coffee grinder on as I would have loved to have used that too.  Never mind, maybe it will turn up before I leave.

Hope you don't mind me sharing this with all you WOYWW'ers out there but I was sat on the porch the other evening and I loved this view.  Of course by the time I had gone inside for my camera it had changed a little - the white bit was not as clear a circle but I still liked it

That's Chas sat at the end of the porch on the swinging seat and below is a view across from Mary's porch to the side of where I was standing.

We are off to Santa Barbara for a couple of days later today so will be absent from my blog and unable to comment but promise I will do my best to get to as many of you as possible when I get back.  Happy snooping hunting blog hopping on the WOYWW'ers blogs.

A Trip to Joanne's

Still have to look at the photographs I took at Robert's 15th birthday party, and check nobody minds, before I upload them on here so for the moment I am going to show you my first shopping spree - a trip to Joanne's up at Porter Ranch.

Maria came round yesterday and we all headed up to Porter Ranch for an hour or so in Joanne's and then lunch at The Soup Plantation (one of my favourite places - the salad bar - ooh!).  Maria did not think we needed an hour (we told Chas to head back for us in the car in an hours time) but to be honest I could have done with longer.  Funny how the bones do not ache as much when you are feasting your eyes on all those goodies.

This is what I bought:

Can you see the package with the crown on on the right hand side?  It is a pack of two sachets to put in your drawer - the smell is nice but oh so strong.  Destined for the sock drawer when I get home I think although, to be honest I think it would do well in the bottom of the wardrobe as it is so intense a smell.  Maybe that's where one of them will end up.

Did hope to find something new for Spencer to wear but the Joleen stuff was only two dimensional (take note Carol).

Love those big metal beads which will make great spacers for my huge polymer beads I am planning to make when I get home (hopefully - have been planning these for months).

Apart from that I have not done much, lots of movie watching with Mary's Netflix but I have been trying a new technique (new to me) with a product called Glitter Ritz.  Still got to make the images into cards but here they are

Just wish you could see the glitter on these.  I am not a glitter person at all but this is something else - expensive but what a result.  Might have another go at just one image as I have an idea for a card which I think Mary will like and I can leave it here for her as a sample.  One of these is being made into a card for a dear lady in England and I know my friends who also know her will straight away say "that's for XYZ".

Right, will leave it there for now.  Off for a shower and then I think it might be a trip to Burbank - and we all know which store is at Burbank, right!  (shhh, ... Michaels)

Oh Em Gee - The Journey

Well, Monday saw us leaving for a hotel near the airport in readiness for our flight to LAX.  We were due to fly to Heathrow early next morning and we find this is the best way to do it.  Not so this year as I had hardly any sleep due to the bed not fitting in with my body requirements.

Bog-eyed, and far from beautiful, I arrived at Manchester Airport at 4.45 and had to sit around waiting for my assisted travel until well gone 5.  Then it was up to the Executive Lounge for some delicious toast and coffee and a leisurely hour or so until it was time to make our way to the departure gate.

In no time at all, after a bacon and egg baguette, we were in London, the capital city.  What a busy airport.  Here I got a ride in one of those buggy things, was amazed at how people just walk out in front of it as it zips along, and eventually we entered the bowels of the airport on our way to our terminal.  Late!  Through no fault of ours but from some woman holding us up by arguing with the driver and being quite offensive about her mother not being able to sit in the buggy.  So!!  Walk!!

Our driver got us swiftly through and we were soon on the aircraft and settled in our seats and meeting with the delightful Stuart who was to be our designated steward (is that what they call them these days) for the eleven hour flight.  What a delight he was, his parents live in Lytham (an hour away from where we live by car), they used to have a fish and ship shop near to the school I first taught in, then they lived not too far from where we live now - we were almost related in the first 15 minutes or so.

Consequently he looked after us and chatted about where he had been on his various flights, where he was off to next, what celebrities he had met and helped the journey pass quicker than normal.  What with Stuart and the films (I watched Hangover II; One Day (think I have seen something like this before - same ending anyway) and The Debt (great film, can recommend) and the delicious food (yes, I am sincere about that), the next eleven hours were a doddle.

Lunch:
Starter - red cabbage, cranberry and date coleslaw served with a roll - "deelicious!"  And real cutlery, real napkin.
Main - my choice - Seared fillet of Herefordshire beef with a Parmesan crust served with celeriac dauphinoise and savoy cabbage (there were carrots in too) - again "deelicious!"
(Chas had the Roasted breast of corn-fed chicken with bread sauce, rich chicken jus, roasted root vegetables and sauteed Jerusalem artichokes)  He said it was "deelicious!"
Dessert - Stuart told us to watch out for this as two people on the other side had already eaten theirs and asked if there were more to be had - Chocolate and caramel mousse.

Afternoon Tea: Cheese and roasted pepper mayonnaise, and a Chicken Ceasar sandwich, muffin.

All that coupled with all the Twix, Mars, Shortbread, Crisps (Chips to those in America), wine, juice, soda, tea, coffee you could eat really did make flying a pleasure (and a mammoth eating task).  Diet begins when I get home!

Some of you will have read that Mr Beckham and his two boys were on the flight and he actually brushed past me on his way back from the loo.

When the plane landed at LAX I had to wait for my assisted travel so Stuart took the opportunity to let us have a look around the First Class section.  Oh heck!  Gonna start doing the lottery.  OK so the seats are kind of tub like with push buttons to recline etc, each having its own individual little light, blinds that were coloured blue when we were there (they change colour apparently) that are kind of projected on to a screen rather than being physical blinds if you can follow that - again touch button controls.  Huge tray for food and the seats kind of move so that if you are a couple you can dine together.  Big screen for the movies (about 17" I guess) and a fab toilet bag of toiletries.  That's all I can remember about it as I was a bit gob-smacked.

Anyway, my wheelchair arrives (reasons for assisted travel is to do with my breathing - I thought I was going to die last year in LAX so have had it ever since - I really cannot do those long walks with my painful hips either) and I am taken to passport control, fast lane - and then the trouble begins!  This is my ninth trip at this time of year to CHA so it is all on record - this time my fingerprints caused a problem.  You don't ask questions!  If the man says you go somewhere, you go.

Chas was sent off to get the luggage and told I would be at the other end of the arrivals hall.  I was taken to this big lady sat at a table and my passport was handed over and I was then taken into this room with chairs set out like a waiting room and at the end a row of four or five desks with officials sat behind.  All is deathly quiet .. and a big notice says ... Admissibility Review.  There are people, like me, sat in front of all the desks.

After what seemed like an age this young lady gets up and takes my passport from where it has been placed and disappears into another room.  The clock ticks on.  My assisted travel lady tells me she will be back in a minute and disappears.  No sign of Chas, but I know he won't get past the lady on the front desk.  My mind starts to wander.  I know how to get to the pick up point for Mary but as I have no mobile/cell phone have not a clue how to ring her, or how to get in touch with Chas.  I have some dollars in my purse so if it comes to hey lads hey I can get to Mary.  What on earth I thought had happened to Chas and why he wouldn't be waiting for me I don't know.  Guess in a scary situation the mind plays tricks.

At last, the young lady appears and calls me over - everything is fine and she has a beautiful smile so I don't feel too bad for the experience.  Just in case you think I am exaggerating on the time span - it took 1 hour 20 minutes from getting off the aircraft to getting to the door of Tom Bradley airport.  And all because my fingerprint did not register correctly - bet it was when I hit it against the ceiling at the hotel in Manchester.

Then it is on the bus to Van Nuys and in no time at all I am hugging my lovely friend Mary.  It is always so good to see her.  Got a bit of a shock though as she has lost loads of weight (think she has given it to me) so it just shows how much she has gone through since we were here last year when she fell and broke her kneecap.  Oh it was good to see her and our next stop too.  El Presidente!  But they no longer do Happy Hour like they used to but what the heck, they do have Happy Hour prices and the Margarita's go down a treat.  A selection of Appetizers and some Jalapeno things later and we were ready to hit the road home.

Struggled to stay awake but made it until 10 pm CA time but then waking early morning, sleep, waking again and finally getting up at 3 am to go on the internet for a couple of hours.  Oh what a pain this jet lag is.

ps it's Friday the 13th and guess what we woke up to?  A little Quake.  2.6 on the scale and the epi-centre just above where we are.  Ooer!

Bargello

Bargello is a technique which reminds me of the Art Deco Period in that it is built up with clean straight lines reminiscent of an eclectic style of geometric figures, jagged lines, and polished textures, the streamlined features of art deco.

So for Von's theme this week on JFF I decided to marry Bargello with one of my favourite designers Erté. "Erté is perhaps most famous for his elegant fashion designs which capture the Art Deco period in which he worked. One of his earliest successes was designing apparel for the French dancer  Gaby Deslys who died in 1920. His delicate figures and sophisticated, glamorous designs are instantly recognisable, and his ideas and art still influence fashion into the 21st century". (Wikipedia)

Luckily I have lots of rubber stamps showcasing Ertés style (naturally since I am a HUGE fan) and the hardest thing was deciding which one to use. In the end this was my piece for the Challenge with not one but two Erte images:

For this one I just used Designer paper from one of my 6 x 6 pads cut into strips but I decided to leave small gaps between them on the first stage.

I once taught Bargello at a Stamp Camp run by Cath Wilson (Inky Fingers) so somewhere in my stash of things I have a storyboard which I used for the classes. Not promising it will be soon but I will put a tutorial up on here at some time.

This is the display I did at Stamp Camp showing this technique but this time I created my own backgrounds by using Alcohol Inks on some glossy card and then stamping patterns all over. These were then cut into strips and the Bargello technique used:

Bet Jo remembers this

WOYWW 136

Don't forget to check out my blog candy at the top!

All that is on my desk are my unfinished projects

To the left is the one I started and never finished.  Doh!  Was too busy talking to Lorraine whist we were doing it and therefore not paying enough attention.  So I ended up with the bottom of the case covered in the lining paper.  This was fine apart from the fact that my case now has a different top to the bottom.

Would not listen to the cries of "it's fine, it looks nice" - was not for me.  So here it is unfinished and I was too tired to bother with it later that evening.  However, next day I began another one using the pale blue which I wanted to use originally.  Just needed more time to work it out so that I got it a bit more centralised with it having a recurring design on it.

So that is at the same stage - for different reasons.  Need some silver brads.  So ladies and gentlemen it will stay like this a while now as I am busy doing other things, as you will see by my next photograph.  Do keep checking me out, especially around CHA time when I will hopefully be downloading some piccies providing the hotel has WiFi.  Otherwise it will be a few days later when we get back.

In the meantime this was my desk yesterday - or was that earlier this morning - oh heck I am so confused but here is what was in front of me, loet's say, earlier today

See Spencer was busy checking things out on my desk/table.  Do you like his new jumper?  He needed one for the cold morning air as we left - thankfully he is happy in just his t-shirt now.

This was the view from my window as we left England

Want to know about the flight - well, we had the best steward ever.  He was called Stuart and he was absolutely fab!  Nothing was too much trouble and I dined on chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.  Even got to use the posher loos on one occasion as I was having to queue.  And guess who was on our flight?  None other than David Beckham with two of his boys.

Before you ask, NO, I did not get a photograph.  There were streams of people continually going up to them and taking photos and I thought it a bit unfair, especially on the two young boys who must have been tired with an 11 hour flight.  However, he did brush by me as he made his way from the loos at the other end whilst I was queuing outside our loo.  It wasn't until I got in the airport that I realised I had my LA Galaxy cap with me and could have worn it - that way he would surely have said something.  Could have told him then that I used to teach his best man - Gary Neville.  Ah well, opportunities missed but what the heck.



I'll leave it there but in the meantime pop over to Julia's blog and see what all the WOYWW'ers have been up to and what goodies they have on their desks to delight and entice you.  Me - I am off to bed in a few more minutes (and a few more brews - I am so thirsty).

This and That

First of all Welcome Maria - you are just in time to enter for the blog candy - that was lucky.

Had a great time at Vicky Stampers on Saturday and whilst I cannot really show you what we made (because mine is way way not finished) I can show you some happy faces - or should that be faces showing great concentration.

Carol watching 'pictorally' with Lorraine and Chezzie looking very intent, sorry I missed you off Sheila.

Gill saw me out of the corner of her eye but Chezzie and Enid carried on regardless whilst Lynne chattered away.

Jo obviously telling a tale whilst Alicia watches.

Joyce, our oldest member, and Mandy really get to grips with it all.

This is Sheila's delightful suitcase but the corner is missing bottom left - oops, guess it was on the floor.

 and a back view

Mary Quant and Flower Power

Oh how Von's theme on JFF this week takes me back.  Back to the days when I was a young mum who wore mini-skirts that were almost micro and flowers in her hair.  How I loved the fashion and eventually had to have the Quant look and have my hair cut in a bob.  No photographs available - I looked like "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" - not my finest haircut!  We will not go there though, suffice to say I loved the "Swinging Sixties" almost as much as being a "mum" to the most adorable little boy anyone could wish to have (except when you returned downstairs, having put him to bed, only to find him standing there a few minutes later, slippers in hand, dressing gown over his arm and a cute grin on his face as if to say "mummy, I'm here").  Yes, those were the days.

I suspect a lot of readers will not remember those days but will have heard of them.  Mary Quant may be familiar and may not be but she was a very influential Welsh fashion designer taking credit for introducing us to the Mini Skirt and Hot Pants, although two other designers also claim fame for the mini.  I wore the mini - boy oh boy did I wear the mini!

Pop over to JFF and see what Von and Zoe have done - we have all created something very different this week.

I did not know what to do for this theme but in the back of my mind knew I had a stamp with a fairly MQ hairstyle so here it is - very "less is more" this week.

Now where are those photos of me in my minis?

Welcome April, my latest follower.  Just joined in nice time as there will be some blog candy up for offer within the next few days. Thanks so much for following.