Liverpool Continued

Following on from my WOYWW post yesterday we moved from 30 James Street to next door.  We love staying in the Days Inn at Harrogate (great walk in showers) and this hotel had good reviews so we felt sure we would enjoy our next two nights.

We were given a King Room (offer again which included a ferry ride and a bus ride) which turned out to be what I would call a Family Room (big space for another bed and communicating door with the next room).  Lovely fluffy towels and a walk in shower although not as modern as the hotel in Harrogate.

Must say the weather was awful.  Cold, windy and wet!  We had spent the previous day visiting the Maritime Museum but as there was so much to see we went back there.

Chas outside with the Anchor

Tableau outside the Emigrants Museum

You were not allowed to take photographs where the Titanic Exhibition was but I did not see the sign until the end (honestly) so I do not feel it is right for me to show any pictures that I took.  This is the only photo I took (after asking) the next day at the Migrant Exhibition where the exhibition, again, was very interesting, well done and of interest to the young children who were going around doing a quiz and playing with the interactive exhibits.

From there we went into the "Seized" exhibition which dealt with smuggling both past and present and then up to the floor with the Lusitania exhibition on.  This featured other ships, not just that one.  

I must say that all the exhibitions are excellent and well worth a visit, especially on a cold wet day. Just a word of warning though, the lifts have a habit of doing their own thing.  On pressing to go down you often found you went up first, calling on all floors.  Amusing - Annoying?

I was "museum'd out" by this time so a little bus ride was in order to see the architecture of the Central Library.  WOW!  Loved the walkway with all the book titles

Escalator and cafe to the left

Impressive or what?

(asked permission, was obsessed by asking now)

St Georges Hall

Who is this?

My Clever photo - 4 things to see

The two stone lions guarding St George's Hall, the Wellington Column far right and the lady on horseback (did you guess, it was Queen Victoria?)  I thought it was good that I got them all on one picture.  And to finish off, I liked this pub just down the road - so colourful.

more tomorrow ... featuring a bad night

WOYWW 323

Well, I had hoped to do a few posts about our trip to Liverpool before WOYWW Day but time just flew by so I will do a bit on here.  Nothing arty to show you, got a new book on Bubble Writing whilst in Liverpool so been trying various ones out in a little notebook but that is all so here are a couple of things not seen before (I hope) from my painty journal.  Not very exciting but at least it is artwork.

Hate to say but desk is not much different from last week as I am still putting things away so here is my alternative desk/table in the utility room.

Purple bag - My Oyster Demo bag with lots of Finnabair products inside, the tin on top has some paper casts in it, then to the right there is my spray station with a couple of canvasses in. (Have put some paste through stencils on them both and on the one at the front of the table.  Some pictures from the internet and the front canvas plus my dirty green mat and a rubber glove.  Not at all exciting.  

So to our Liverpool Trip:

Just a little bit about it.  We went on the train.  That was fun and we will do it again some day.  Our hotel first night was right beside James Street Station - "30 James Street, Home of the Titanic".  I was paying so it was just the one night (remember it was part of his birthday present and he had already had part when we stayed at the Football Hotel in June).  I had bought him one of those Amazon Local offers so we were placed on the Lower Ground Floor and I wondered as the (luxurious padded) lift went down just what to expect.

Jo told me it is known as the 'streaky bacon' building

Can you see why?

Well, we had a choice of FOUR double beds!  I let him choose but secretly hoped he did not choose the upper one as visions of going up and down the steps in the night (like we women often have to do) filled me with dread.

Upper Bed (above)
We had the middle one (ground floor - his choice)

Did you notice all the mirrors?

The bathroom had a huge whirlpool bath with a rainforest shower over the top so Chas had a lovely luxurious soak and then the rain fell gently on him (sorry no photo of him in the bath - or getting in it which was a feat even for him).  Unfortunately because I am not steady on my feet and have difficulties getting in and out of a bath I could not use it - next time a room with a walk in shower!

That evening we had a lovely meal in the Carpathian restaurant on the 7th floor, met a super young couple and discovered that the girl had an interesting job working behind the scenes for the Jeremy Kyle Show.  A chance for a good natter, what a lovely girl she was, the night went by in a tick.  Next morning breakfast was h-u-g-e and we ventured out onto the balcony at the back of the hotel (front one was locked this morning)

All too soon it was time to leave but we will be going back, loved it and want to try some of the themed rooms (click here for a nosey) - and it will not be on an offer this time.  From here on we had a pear shaped moment (some of you on Facebook will have read about the (to say 'disturbed' is not enough) night we had in a different hotel - more on Friday about that - and then we learned that the Brazilian restaurant we had been looking forward to trying out had had a fire and had to cancel our booking.  It was nice of them to ring me like they did in the midst of their trouble and we will try it next time we go to Liverpool.  Things happen in three's so they say.  Ugh!

Now a little question for those who do NOT live in Liverpool - which well known pop singer of a certain age is responsible for this figure in Stanley Street?

I will leave it there as I have already far far exceeded what Julia wants from us (sorry Julia) but just before I go I will share some of Liverpool's sorrow at the untimely death of a great singer - Cilla!

R.I.P. Cilla

Can I just say that I apologise for being late commenting last week, but in doing so I discovered lots of you do not link to your post, but to your blog.  Just click on your actual WOYWW Post Title and copy what is in the bar above for your link.  Then it takes everyone to the actual post instead of trawling through whatever else you have posted since.  Not a grumble - just a bit of information.

WOYWW 322 - and Results of my Workshop

This was my desk on Saturday night after my workshop.  This is still my desk Wednesday morning as I am not there and did not put anything away (shame on me).  Been too busy.

Some of you asked for pictures from the workshop so here goes:

Bottles covered in clay

underneath - close up of pattern and an embellishment

Brooch/Pendant Heads with left over clay

Decorated Spoons

The morning was spent covering the bottles in clay and then using the left over clay to make embellishments for the bottles - any still left over clay was then used for making the heads using my moulds so they could be turned into brooches or pendants.

After lunch I had taken some old spoons and these were handed out and the group then proceeded to cover them with alcohol inks and fussy cut out some flowers and words I had taken with me on some sheets that I had stamped.  They had been asked to bring ribbon/wire etc and I took some beads to thread on the wire.

The last half hour of the meeting showed everyone having a go at the bleeding tissue technique.  For this I had gessoed some tiny canvasses (my treat - big spender, cost me all of £3) twice as the canvas seemed rather rough.  I had also cut out lots of different sized circles from all my tissue papers that would work to varying degrees.  They just produced the background for a canvas which they could then take home and stamp on or simply put something on top of.

Hope you enjoyed seeing the sort of thing we sometimes get up to at Victoria Stampers and now I think you need to go and see what Julia and the WOYWW'ers are up to today. I hope to join in soon.

WOYWW 321

Have you noticed there is now a big grey band that says "This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services, to personalise ads and to analyse traffic.  Information about your use of this site is shared with Google.  By using this site you agree to its use of cookies."  on the top of your blog?  Did they do this via the back door before?

Well, I am mega busy so no time to stop and wonder - got an appointment this morning, then this afternoon it is off to collect a toy from M&S for my niece's little boy, get my new Blue Badge from the Library and have an eye test.  Off out tonight with some friends for a meal so hopefully my hair does not get wet (or damp - in which case it droops) when out this afternoon.

Busy getting ready for my workshop on Saturday which is using clay on a bottle and a couple of surprise items - hence my workshop is called "Pot Pourri" but more about that another time so that the surprise element is still there should anyone read this.  (like Jo for instance)

Just so you don't get deprived altogether here are a couple of pages from my journal that I haven't shown you before - I do enjoy doing it, am quite hooked on these Dylusion figures.

I have several of these figures cut out ready to use and it is great fun swapping the heads and legs about and adding eyes and things to them.  I called the top one 'Lettuce Leaf' because I used leaves for her hair - or is it a hat?  The next one I called "Shy Mary Ellen" - only in my head of course.

Well, you didn't come on here for me to rabbit about my painty journal or hear the demented ravings of a 'wanna be journaller ' so here is my desk

Starting left there is a blue card - for my niece's little boy - needs finishing off, an empty packet of Makins clay (just done another sample to make sure the idea from a few years ago still works - last minute as usual), the boxes of clay, my baby wipes, Pearlex and Perfect Pearls, silver tin of clay moulds and at the back a piece of paper with a clay head drying on it (leaching I hope).

Well thats it for now folks, the colourful fabric in the front (right) is my runner on my chair courtesy of Jo a couple of years ago.  I shall be off now to see Julia and link up with others, see you there.

Nolitex, Black Pigs and a Pumping Station

Well, weekend saw us away again in Nottingham.  My friend Liz had once again taken part in the Nolitex exhibition.  Sadly because of her being ill she had not made quite the same amount of things as in previous times but nevertheless she was a part of it.

We were lucky as Sunday was a lovely day and the sun came out for us and the dancers.  But I get ahead of myself.  We were at Papplewick Pumping Station.  The Nolitex exhibition is only open on "Steam Days" and we thought we were going to have to wait until the end of August but I saw something on Facebook which said they were open this weekend.

Chas went for the "Steam", I went for the "art side" of things and got more than I bargained for.  

Some pieces from the Nolitex exhibition:

I think the one above is Liz's - as the exhibition was up two flights of narrow stairs I could not manage to go and see it so I have had to rely on photographs by Chas.  Sad but at least I got some photos.

These last two were from Liz and Judith, above a flag tag book and below a secret message box - you can only see the message by looking through the mirror.

The pumping room itself was very ornate and I was fascinated by the metalwork on the pillars and the lovely central lamp

everything ties in to "water"

Some of the big machines used to pump the water

The Winding Engines

Beam Engines

I will upload some more pictures another day but now I guess you are all wondering about the Black Pigs ... well here is a taster.

Only one of 28 photos I took - I so enjoyed watching and listening to them.  The outfits were fantastic - seeing them made my day with my not being able to see the exhibition.  Here's some blurb I picked up:

  

And here are some of my photographs.  There were the musicians

and there were the dancers

and what great music and a great time the dancers had

The big ferocious looking guy coming down between two of the male dancers seemed to be the leader or shouter.  He entertained us with a quick (rude) rhyme to begin with.  I just loved the costumes.  Apparently they make their own tail coats and decorate their hats as they want, no direction given so it was flowers, feathers and anything else.

This was taken before the performance.  When they were resting?  I use a questioning tone there because they actually were playing instruments at varying times.  The guy in the red made a bee lilne for me after one of the dances as he wanted to sit on my stroller - as he said "this is a game for the young ones" but that was after several energetic dances smashing one another's sticks.

and lastly, my favourite coat - dia de los Muertos

 love the boots too!