PARIS FASHION

Style Icon - Scott Disick

2012-01-15T05:35:00.001-08:00

Top and Trends Fashion By British Designer

2012-01-15T05:32:00.001-08:00

British fashion designers have an international reputation for being eccentric, thought-provoking and boldly innovative. Development of British fashion on the world already started over than 30 years ago. Right now, The British fashion industry has top and trends cultivated young designers who have a clear sense of identity and a distinctive creative vision.

British Fashion by DKNY and Louis Vuitton Collection

There are many of top designer in the United Kingdom (London) who made trend fashion design for the British people and also for the international marketing product, such as Alexander McQueen, Paul Smith, John Galliano, Christopher Bailey, Vivienne Westwood, Julien Macdonald, Philip Treacy, Stella McCartney and John Richmond.

British Fashion by Alexander McQueen

They are following the global of modern fashion design to release top fashion in summer, fall, winter, cool season, special event such as married's dress, birthday party and many situation, including for top and trends celebrities.

The fashion style it self in London always improve to be a modern design. British designers draw on diverse sources of inspiration which demonstrate a range of creative ideas and forms of practice.

Fashion design by Bottega Veneta and Lacoste Collection

The British Fashion Awards on 9th December 2009 at The Royal Courts of Justice which followed by over 500 industry leaders, celebrities, designers, retailers, models and journalists was showing that the creative modern fashion design became popular in the people of London. So, The British government must put an attentions for the textile industry in order to support and increase of innovative fabrics.

Britiesh Fashion by Designer Emporio Armani

Textile designers and fashion designer both are should be collaborative to produce fashion collections in International market as top country for the fashion industry. Many British designers mix aspects of traditional craft with modern technology to create a comfortable, futuristic style.

My Boyfriend !

hairstyle and Fashion 2010 - 2012

2012-01-15T05:31:00.000-08:00

Latest Messy Short Hairstyles for winter 2010

Cool messy short hairstyles are great for Oval face shape, diamond face shape, heart-shaped face shape, square face so you can try this short messy haircut because it will suite your face shape and will improve your general look and your time for maintenance, check the photos bellow of cool short messy haircuts 2010 For a cool messy short hairstyle features a choppy part with lightly side swept bangs to add some flair and contrast to the appearance.

Modern Short Haircuts

A short hair style can make you more pretty and feel young, you must look out for various factors before you go in for a short hair style. For short haircuts you have to know that short hair styles are gaining fame among most celebrities. First look out for factors such as face shape, hair color, skin tone, hair type and after all these you can go for short hair style.Modern Short Haircuts

Blach hair style

man hair 2010

Medium hairstyles

emo hairstyle on designs

Emo hairstyle for women

These hairstyles

for short hair

Black hairstile

Best Versions of Short Bob Hairstyle 2010

Yoon Eun-Hye had a bob haircut that was really cute and was actually the inspiration for a lot of the other celebrities along with non celebrities to cut off all of their hair and get a manageable angled bob hairstyle. Short Hairstyles Trends presents Best Versions of Short Bob Hairstyle 2010 The bob haircut was firstly used in the 50’s in the movies made great these bob haircuts by the celebrity women.The angled bob hairstyles are very popular in the United States and are also becoming popular all over the world.

TRENDS - TRIBAL FUNK

2012-01-15T05:26:00.000-08:00

Trend Setter Fashion 2012 Versi Chen Chen

2012-01-15T05:25:00.000-08:00

Versatile Blogger Award

2012-01-12T20:28:00.000-08:00

Jennifer from Some Like It Paranormal gave me this award! She's one of my favorite Bloggers and she's so nice! so Go Follow! Like, NOW. Thanks Jennifer ♥

Rules for this award:
*Thank and link the blogger who bestowed the award.
*Share seven random facts about yourself.
*Spread the love by passing the award to five other bloggers, and be sure to let them know.

Seven Facts:
1- I have a new car!!! She's an Acura and her name is Lady because she used to be the family car but my dad sold it to me for a reeeeeally great price. sorry, felt like bragging x)
2- I'm a Tumblr Addict. I can stay all day long there.
3- I Looooove the new CK Perfume SHOCK, I use it everyday and it's also the first perfume that lasts on me all day long. seriously. Yum.
4- I'm currently obsessed with red lipstick. I have a big mouth and because of this I ususally never wear bright colors in them but I'm a revel now and all I do is wear red. I have 10 lipsticks and 6 lip-gloss's All in different shades of Red.
5- I'm saving for a tattoo! I Love tattoos, I find the fascinating and I'm finally eighteen so no one can stop me :P
6- This past month I have been watching scary movies everyday. just about anything, apocalypse, zombies, aliens, vampires, serial killers, ghost. So far, not scared. and the Scary Movies are the dumbest things I've ever seen.
7- I practically shower in sunblock everyday. lol, I have no idea why I'm saying this, but I have pale and sensitive skin so, yeah. and I hate the sun, gets me all red, not tan. RED.

Passing the Award:
Mickey @I Am a Bookshark.
One of the most sweet bloggers I know. She laughs at my jokes and she also has the creepiest pets in the world :P
Janina @Synchronized Reading
I love her blog, I've been a followers since she started it and it's just grown so much!
Roro @Roro is reading
I really like his reviewing style and he is also a Guy Blogger, which is rare so go check him out
Remy @Just Remy
I really like her blog and she's a writer! she also has a 100 followers giveaway going on so you might want to check that out!
Jessie @Remarkable Read
I just Love this blog! we worked together for Blogger Lift and then she hosted the 2011 Wrapping Up Readathon, she's amazing, Go Follow

There are so, so so so SO many great blogs, they all deserve awards and we're all part of the same community. again, Thanks Jennifer!

Instant Art Printable - Map of France

2012-01-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDF

Here's another Map from the 1880's book! Today I'm offering a wonderful Map of France!

In other News: Today I posted a High Resolution Printable of one of my most popular images, the Paris Label that you see above. There's also a Reverse option so that you can Transfer it onto anything that you like! You can grab it HERE.

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Dreaming of Book Giveaway Hop

2012-01-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

For This Giveaway I Have:

A Copy of The Lying Game by Sara Shepard & Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley

Both Paperbacks.

a 15$ Amazon Giftcard.

and I have 2 PDF's also

So there will be 2 Winners

and There's also a Giveaway of The Long Weekend!

To Win a Copy of The Long Weekend go HERE

To Enter

To keep it really simple:
Just Follow this blog in any way and Leave a Comment with your best smiley face :)

Request Day - Tractor, Sleigh, Pegasus, Ice Skaters. Balloon

2012-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

It's time for another Request Day! I'm doing these once a month now, the next Request Day will be on Thursday February 10th.

Click on Images to Enlarge

JennyO requested a Vintage Tractor image. This one comes from a 1920's Type book.

Lime was hoping for a Horse Drawn Sleigh Graphic. Unfortunately all I could find was the Sleigh, with out the Horses. This one comes from an Antique

Cooking Part2!

2012-01-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

Today, Hakusai(Chinese cabbage) and Daikon(white radish)!!

The price of lettuce and cabbage is 3 times higher this year than last year.
I'm glad my father grows vegetables.

What shall I make?

Cook lots of Hakusai, Shiitake mushrooms and carrots in a frying pan.
Then add meat and shrimps which were cooked in advance.

Season them with salt.
And I add a special ingredient.

We can buy those convenient things at supermarket.
Mix them and finish!

I also made this plate!
Look good!! Taste also good!!

Daikon are boiled with squids and seasoned with soy sauce and sugar.

I cook but I don't think I like to cook very much.
It's hard to think of everyday menu.....
I respect housewives.

2012-01-12T04:30:00.000-08:00

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Vintage Valentine's Day Clip Art - Sweet Cherub

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Click on Image to Enlarge

This is a nice one for your Valentine's Day Craft Projects! It's a sweet Victorian Cherub passing out some Pink Roses!

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HAZEL & TALLPAUL PARENTS OF THE OWNER #334

2012-01-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

HFS & TP SHOWN WITH THEIR RED COLORED PRIUS PRIOR TO VISITING ONE OF GREG'S WAREHOUSES IN ROBERTSDALE, AL
IN ADDITION OCT 30TH WAS THEIR 57 WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.

Vintage Clip Art - Black and White Airplanes

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

Today is Amelia Earhart day, so I thought I would post these cute Vintage Airplane or Aeroplane graphics from an old Type book! There are a few options, 2 different style planes. both with and without clouds around them.

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2012-01-10T20:37:00.000-08:00

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Antique Graphic - Fancy Dancer with Tricorn Hat

2012-01-10T17:06:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

Isn't she fantastic!!! I'm not really sure if she was a Dancer or an Actress, either way this Fancy Lady has such a wonderful Costume! I love her powdered Wig and Tricorn Hat, and her outfit is fabulous!!

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Sunset at Beach

2012-01-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Vintage Clip Art - Eagle with Nest and Babies

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

Did you know that January 10th is Save The Eagles Day? Well it is... it's also my Anniversary, but that doesn't really have anything to do with this post! Anyway, this is an Engraving of an Eagle with 2 babies in the Nest. This one comes from an 1880's book. I made a couple of color versions, including a Navy Blue one that could be used for Patriotic

Juhi Parmar Wins Big Boss Season 5

2012-01-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

Juhi Parmar the famous T.V star, age 31 was declared winner of the Big Boss season 5, while Mahek Chahal was the first runner up. Juhi defeating actors Sky,Sid, Amar Upadhyay and dancer Mahek won the season 5 crown and one crore prize. Juhi said the main reason of her winning the Big Boss show was the honesty which she showed in the show, she didn't played any politics in the game. The grand finale of Big Boss season 5 saw some stunning performances from Sunny Leone , Rakhi Sawant and Malika Arora Khan. Juhi became the second woman to win the Big Boss show and was from day one in the house and remained there in the house for 98 days .Juhi made great friends in the house like Sunny and Pooja Bedi ,while Sky became her brother. Thus her friendship with Sky and Pooja Bedi helped her to win this show. Sid and Sky were the most entertaining of the show because of their fights which drived people to see the show and give their comments , while Mahek wild card entry also appreciated by many people. After seeing many sites and seeing comments on them , I can say that Sid and Mahek were the favorite choice of the people but my favorite was Sky.

Ronald Searle

2012-01-10T00:26:00.000-08:00

By now many of you have probably read obituaries for British illustrator Ronald Searle, who passed away late last year.

All I can add here are a few masterpieces which I acquired over the years.

Come to think of it, Searle's work has always been an important inspiration to me.

And because he was so prolific, there is much to admire.

The connection to Disney Animation is apparent to everybody with an eye for design and caricature. As you see in the photo, Searle visited Disney Studios

(in 1957), where he spent time with Walt and the animators. It was Ward Kimball

with whom he stayed in touch with over the years. Kimball kept a large framed Searle drawing, depicting a very old Mickey Mouse, in his living room. It was a gift.

Searle's graphic influence can be seen in Disney short films like "Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom", "Pigs is Pigs" and others.

The feature "101 Dalmatians" looks like it was art directed by Searle. Ken Anderson sure knew how to apply the Searle style to that film. To this day "101 Dalmatians" remains the most visually gutsy, most modern and avant-gard looking Disney feature.

Chief character designer and animator Milt Kahl admired Searle as well. Both artists were true masters of the line. From Madame Mim to Madame Medusa,

there are visual influences. I wonder if Milt had ever seen the Searle illustration of Lucille Ball for TV Guide from 1966, when he designed Medusa a few years later.

Conceptually there are parallels, the wild orange hair, big eyes, arms and legs like sticks etc.

I don't think there is any doubt here that Milt studied and re-interpreted this Searle book illustration for the character of George Hautecourt from "The Aristocats".

Ronald Searle was a giant in the graphic arts, and wether he knew it or not, he helped modernize popular animation.

2012-01-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

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Instant Art Printable - Natural History - Honey Bees

2012-01-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDF

This is from one of my favorite books! It's from an 1840's Natural History Book. This one shows 3 busy Honey Bees, buzzing around a flower engraving! I've included a High Resolution Printable as well as one of the Bees with the background removed.

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the first Full Moon this year

2012-01-09T04:58:00.000-08:00

Today is the first full moon in 2012!

Around 5:00pm, I looked up the sky and found a Big Yellow Full Moon which just started going up.

The moment I saw the moon, one thought popped up in my mind and filled up my body.

The thought was `not waiting anymore!'

I don't know what I won't wait for or if not, what I am doing.

Anyway, that's what I felt!

Since this is the first full moon this year,

please trust your first intuition!

Have a great full moon night!!

Brag Monday - Collage Card & French Tray

2012-01-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

It's time for Brag Monday #118! Once again I'm bragging about two more projects from the last Brag Monday party.

This weeks Craft pick is: This charming Sewing Themed Collage Card from Betty at BeeBee Stamps! Betty used several of the Vintage Sewing Images to make this wonderful card! The full details, on the various bits she used here, can be found on her blog.

This weeks DIY Pick

2012-01-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

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Instant Art - Pink and White Botanical Printable

2012-01-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDF

This is another one for my Instant Art Series! This beautiful Pink and White Botanical Print came out of a Circa 1855 Book. I've created 2 versions, one smaller one with the background removed, and the full size version with the creamy paper background.

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Vintage Download - Steampunk Brushes for Photoshop

2012-01-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to Download the Zip File

(Please note if we go over the bandwidth limit on this file, you may need to wait a couple of days and try again. I believe there are only a certain number of downloads allowed each day for this type of file)

I've got something special to share with you today!!! My pal Heather, over at Dollar Store Crafts , created this fabulous set of Free

Moses Transports

2012-01-08T04:49:00.000-08:00

My favorite movies!

2012-01-08T04:42:00.000-08:00

I love movies produced by Studio Ghibli.
The studio is headed by the directors, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata.

I guess Hayao Miyazaki is very famous all over the world.
His famous movies are `Princess Mononoke', `Spirited Away' and `My Neighbor Totoro'.
The movie, `Ponyo' was made based on `Little Mermaid'.

My most favorite one is `Howl's Moving Castle'.

The 2nd is `Kari-gurashi no Arrietty' meaning `The Borrower Arrietty'.
This is the story about little people living under the floor and borrowing things from human beings.
It was on the screen in Japan in 2010.
And it was on TV last Dec.
I watched it twice at theater and at home.
I really love it.

The movie was or will be on screen in about 50 countries.
Korea was the first country where the movie was on outside Japan in Sep. 9th, 2010.

It's going to be on screen in Feb. 17th, 2012 in North America.
If you have a chance, please watch it!
The title is The Secret World of Arrietty.

2012-01-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

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An Autograph but no Drawing from Milt Kahl

2012-01-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

One time during the early eighties when I met up with Milt Kahl in San Francisco, I asked him for a sketch of one of his characters. He felt a little uncomfortable with my request, on one hand he knew that I would very much appreciate it, on the other he thought that he wasn't up to his old drawing standards anymore.

Since I had brought a couple of stills showing Shere Khan (I had made these prints from pieces of actual 35mm film), he looked at them and said:

"Yeah, these are good, these are good poses."

Milt then went on to sign one image, as you can see below.
Just look at the stylized anatomy of the tiger, still takes my breath away.

Victorian Graphic - Ladies Hand with Red Rose

2012-01-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

Here's a classic Victorian image. This one shows a Ladies Hand holding a Red Rose! Lovely details on this one with her Lace Cuff and Fancy Jewelry.

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Vintage Clip Art - Ladies Fans

2012-01-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

Here are a couple of lovely Ladies Victorian Fans! These came out of an 1880's book, from a chapter on Etiquette. I think the one at the top is a really versatile image, as their is a space where you can write on it. It would make a nice place card perhaps, or maybe you could use it on an Invitation! These would also make great Photoshop Brushes!

Apocalypse

2012-01-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

John Martin, The Bard, c1817

As the Tate Britain exhibition John Martin: Apocalypse comes to the end of its run, it would be interesting to know how well it has done. There was talk beforehand of the way that Martin's critical reputation has risen and that his spectacular paintings should appeal in a world of 'proliferating IMAX cinemas and giant plasmas' (Ian Christie in Tate Etc. magazine) and contemporary photography framed on a Sublime scale - Edward Burtynsky, Florian Maier-Aichen, Andreas Gursky (Jonathan Griffin also in Tate Etc.) The Tate's familiar Last Judgement Triptych was accompanied by a new 'theatrical display' intended to evoke the way these paintings were seen around the world in the late nineteenth century. Looking round the exhibition I found it easy to see why John Martin's work has been mocked - "huge, queer and tawdry" was the verdict of William Makepeace Thackeray. Martin's shortcomings are more evident when you see the paintings up blose: The Bard for example often gets reproduced in books about Romanticism but I'd not previously been able to see how unconvincing some of its details are - Edward I's army a line of little tin soldiers trailing all the way back to the castle gate. Yet there's still something awesome about these blockbuster paintings (at least that's what the adolescent Chris Foss fan I used to be was telling me) and the exhibition was also fascinating for the way it highlighted Martin's less well known activities - as a decorator of plates, an illustrator of prehistoric creatures (Gideon Mantell's The Wonders of Geology) and a painter of modest topographical water colours, like some views of Richmond Park where, like Edmund Spenser in Ireland, he had an oak tree named after him (how many writers and artists are commemorated in this way I wonder?)

Perhaps the most surprising exhibits were two examples of his schemes to improve the city of London. The first, which might have been drawn by a 1970s land artist or a 1990s psychogeographer, was his plan for a London Connecting Railway - a beautiful curving form superimposed on a map, like the outline of an octopus. The other was a drawing of a sewer housed in a new Thames embankment, stretching from 'the Ranelagh Outlet to the Engine Station': a proposal considered seriously at the time but easy to view as one more facet of Martin's capacity to dream up imaginary cities. (It made me think of today's urban explorers, uncovering tunnels like these and scaling buildings to view the city below from a John Martin perspective.) An excellent article in The Guardian by the John Martin expert William Feaver mentions these engineering projects and claims that Martin 'was ecologically prophetic. In his 1833 A Plan for Improving the Air and Water of the Metropolis he raised an issue such as had been dismissed by the scoffers who ignored divine warnings and were swept away in Noah's flood: "Is it not probable that a too ignorant waste of manure has caused the richest and most fertile countries such as Egypt, Assyria, the Holy Land, the South of Italy etc to become barren as they now are?"'

John Martin, Pandemonium, 1841

Foggy New York

2012-01-07T05:33:00.000-08:00

Cooking!

2012-01-07T03:40:00.000-08:00

My father loves gardening and growing vegetables.
Now he grows Chinese cabbages(=Hakusai), white radishes(=Daikon), leeks(=Negi), carrots and spinach.
He grows a variety of vegetables depending on seasons.

Then my sister and I are in charge of cooking!

Leeks and spinach!
He just pulled them out of soil and brought back home yesterday.

I boiled spinach, cut them and squeezed them.

When we eat, we put shaved dried-bonito(=Katsuobushi) on top and pour soy sauce.
We can put them in miso soup too.
If some are left, I cook them with ham and egg next day.

Slices of pork, rough-minced leeks and an egg are piled up and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Put a lid on and wait.

Cook the other side and finish!
We pour soy sauce if we need more flavour.

I love to use vegetables grown in local and by people I know.
I'll indtrodule more Japanese(?) food!!

2012-01-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

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Vintage Graphic - Musical Cats

2012-01-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

Well this is an amusing little card, don't you think?! You can never go wrong with Musical Cats, is what I always say! These 3 talented Kitties were used as an ad for Cast Iron Stoves. Cute!

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Vintage Clip Art - Antique China Plate - 4 Options

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

These pretty Antique China Plate Graphics came from an Old Wanamaker's Dept Store Catalog, that I picked up recently. Most likely they date to around 1880-1890. The original is the black and white, but I had fun making a few more colors for you to choose from! I think the black one would look really nice transferred onto Place Mats along with my Vintage

A Sunset

2012-01-06T08:48:00.000-08:00

Brenda E. Spender

2012-01-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

I have a couple of books illustrated by Brenda E. Spender, the following images are from "Important People" from 1930.

Her work has a special charm. She observes situations beautifully and her draughtsmanship is tops . Very inspiring!

The sketches look old fashioned , but in the best sense of the word. There is an honesty here, which of course is timeless. She would have made a great animator, her poses are full of character, like good animation key drawings.

I really don't know anything about her life, other than that she most likely was English, because this first edition was published in London.

Maybe some one knows about Brenda E. Spender and can educate us.

I remember Frank and Ollie using her work in one of their lectures as an example

of what to strive for when creating strong animation poses.

2012-01-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

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Vintage Graphic - Ornate Rose Tag - Label

2012-01-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

This is a lovely little piece, that includes a big Pink Rose on an ornate French Frame! This would make a great Tag or Label.

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Antique Clip Art - Pretty White Sewing Machine

2012-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

This is a very pretty Antique Sewing Machine graphic from an old Wanamaker's Dept Store Catalog! There was no date on the catalog, but I'm guessing it dates around 1880 - 1890. Normally when you see these old Sewing Machines, they are black with gold on them. This one appears to have been light colored, maybe white or ivory. So lovely!

In other News:

Remember the feeling when I started...

2012-01-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

I started to get out of the New Year atmosphere and to make a plan of this year.
In order to know what I have completed, I read my old diary.

I don't feel I completed anything per day.
But I completed a lot per year.

Most wishes I made 2 years ago came true last year.

Compared to now, I was less mature and confident 2 years ago.
But I knew what I wanted and pursued them enthusiastically.

But now I was a bit afraid and tried to protect what I acquired.

While I was cleaning my room today, I found my most favorite photo.
When I saw it, the feeling I felt when I took the photo came back and
I decided to live this year with this feeling again!

This is the photo and my resolution!

初心に戻って、花咲かせよう
shyoshin ni modotte, hana sakaseyo
Remember the feeling when I started, let my flower bloom!

I took this photo in Summer of 2009.

A few years before, I was seriously ill and felt I lost everything.
But after surgery, I recovered gradually.
My physical strength and health fully came back and
I started moving around as a guide without anxiety finally in 2009.
When I guided a group of students, I passed the pond of this lotus flower.
I felt as if this lotus was talking to me, `please take a photo of me.'

But I couldn't stop to take a photo.
So I talked back to the flower in my mind,
`Later when I finish, I'll come back to take a photo of you.'

This was my first time to talk with Nature like this.

After guiding the students, I came back to this pond.
But since the bus departure time was approaching, I once passed the flower.
But the idea came up in my mind, `I shouldn't break a promise with Nature.'
So I went back and took the photo.
The sun was so bright that I couldn't see anything on the screen of my mobile camera.

Anyway, I kept a promise.
I forgot checking the photo and forgot even having taken that photo.

Then after a while, I finally saw the photo and was surprised at its beauty.
I was filled with something warm.

As a tour guide, I visited very many places and felt Nature a lot.
Since then, the number of such moments of `Nature speaking to me' has been increasing.
I learned a lot from Nature.

And today, this flower taught me again!

So many things happened last year in Japan and in my private life.
I don't think I can continue working as a guide like I used to do.
Actually, I became a popular guide and didn't want to give up this position.
But I feel it is the time to change jobs or the way how to work or where to work.

I'll return to the beginning when I didn't have anything.

It is not sad.
I feel lots of possibilities now.
I won't limit myself.
I'll do whatever my heart tells.

Remember the feeling when I started, let my flower bloom!
Never too late to start.
Let's start NOW!!!

2012-01-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

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Instant Art Printable - Map of Scotland

2012-01-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDF

I had a few requests for a Map of Scotland to go with the England and Ireland Maps that I posted recently! This one is also circa 1880's.

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Vintage Clip Art - Old Florist Advertising Sign

2012-01-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

I have to say I think this one is pretty awesome!! This is from the 1870's Printer Sample book. This was used for a Florist originally. I think the Tussy Mussy shape is so fun and I love the gloved Victorian Hand holding it! I made a few options for you without the lettering, so that you can write whatever you like on it. I think it would be great for a

Louis C.K.

2012-01-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

India Vs Pakistan World Cup Matches Summary From Year 1992 To 2011

2012-01-04T06:07:00.000-08:00

INDIA faced it's arch rival PAKISTAN on Wednesday 30th March 2011.It was a tough match for both sides as they were having internal pressure as well as political pressure to win the match. INDIAN P.M Dr. MANMOHAN SINGH had invited PAK P.M SYED YOUSAF RAZA GILANI and President ASIF ALI ZARDARI to come and see the high voltage match between INDIA and PAKISTAN on 30th March 2011 at Mohali (Punjab).Indian fans as well as Pak fans came to Mohali to cheer there teams . Indian government had issued visas for Pak fans to come to India and cheer there teams .

Since if we look to the past history of the WORLD CUP matches b/w INDIA and PAKISTAN ,INDIA has dominated PAKISTAN and has won all its matches against PAK and has a score of 4-0.India has defeated Pakistan in all matches played from the year 1992 when they faced each other for the first time in the WORLD CUP.The same thing happened on 30th March 2011, India won against Pakistan.Now here I am giving a brief summary of all the WC matches played b/w India and Pak from the year 1992 to 2011.

INDIA VS PAKISTAN ,1992 WORLD CUP

This was the first time two arch rivals were facing each others in the WC.India-Pak matches always have been a battle ground for both countries and during that time also that match was full of emotions played at s Sydney cricket ground.India decided to bat first after winning the toss and scored 216/7(49 overs),Pakistan were all out for 173 in 48.1 overs.Sachin was declared the man of the match.

India vs Pak 1992 WC highlights

INDIA VS PAKISTAN WC 1996

Wills WORLD CUP b/w INDIA and Pakistan was played at M.Chinnaswamy stadium,Bangalore ,India won the toss and scored 287 in 50 overs with the help of N.S.Sidhu scoring 93 runs, Pakistan were all out for 248 in 49 overs. N.S.Sidhu was declared the man of the match .

India vs Pak 1996 WC highlights

INDIA VS PAKISTAN ICC WORLD CUP 1999

India won the toss and decide to bat first and scored 227 in 50 overs for 6 wickets with the help of skipper Mohd. Azharuddin and Rahul dravid scoring half centuries. Pakistan were all out for 180 in 45.3 overs.Venkatesh prasad was declared the man of the match for his superb performance by taking 5 wickets in 9.3 overs giving 27 runs.

India vs Pak 1999 WC highlights

INDIA VS PAKISTAN ICC WORLD CUP 2003

Match between India and Pakistan took place at Centurion park , South Africa .Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first .Pakistan scored 273 runs in 50 overs, India with the help of Sachin Tendulkar 98 runs and Yuvraj's 50 were able to won the match by 6 wickets.SACHIN was declared the man of the match .

India vs Pak 2003 WC highlights

Now since during 2007 WC both teams were not able to face each other as they were not able to qualify in there group matches.

INDIA VS PAKISTAN ICC WORLD CUP 2011
On 30th March 2011, India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs and qualified for the final . India scored 260 runs in 50 overs, whereas Pakistan was able to score 231 in 49.5 overs. SACHIN was declared the man of the match .

INDIA VS PAK WC 2011 Highlights

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan arrested on delhi airport- News that rocked year 2011

2012-01-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

Pakistan singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was arrested in the year 2011, the day after he was detained carrying huge sum of money at international airport New Delhi .Rahat was taken to the DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence )office at the CGO Complex after he was detained at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport .The singer, along with his troupe of about 20, was scheduled to fly to Lahore on a 4pm flight. The directorate of revenue intelligence received a tip-off that he would be carrying a huge amount of forex.

At the airport, DRI officials recovered $50,000 from Khan’s check-in baggage, another $50,000 from his aide’s check-in baggage and $24,000 from an aide’s hand baggage.
The troupe was also carrying two demand drafts of $10,000 and $8,646. Indian laws allow up to $5,000 in cash, or $10,000 in traveller’s cheques, to be taken abroad .After Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained at IGI airport for attempting to leave the country with over $124,000, DRI officials said that it was a violation of the Customs Act. Later he was allowed to leave the country.

Earthquake that hit New Zealand in the year 2011

2012-01-04T04:08:00.000-08:00

EARTHQUAKE HITS NEW ZEALAND'S CHRISTCHURCH-2011

This is one of my earlier post of the year 2011 which I could not publish that time.A massive earthquake hits NZ city CHRISTCHURCH on Tuesday Feb 22 at 12:51 p.m , collapsing buildings,burying vehicles under debris .Christchurch city has been hit by an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude shaking buildings, making people run out of there houses to run for there life.According to the sources at least 65 people have been killed ,fires are breaking out ,buildings have fallen down ,buses are trapped under the debris. Christchurch mayor has declared emergency and has told people to move out of the city center.Power and telephone lines have been damaged and water pipes have burst filling the streets with water.The epicenter of the earthquake was 10 km southwest of Christchurch.

New Zealand is between the Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates that records on average more than 14,000 earthquakes a year ,out of which more than 20 are above 5.0 in magnitude.

Until next year...

2012-01-04T00:21:00.000-08:00

Crafty Christmas Club crafters - good work! Thank you for sharing all your lovely makes and being inspirational. Let's give ourselves a break now until next year - the blog will be open again from Autumn 2012. If new members would like to join, please get in touch then.

See you anon!

Tilly

Challenge #17 sponsored by My Favorite Things

2012-01-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! We hope you all have a great 2012 and you can find time to join this Challenge Blog. From today Marga will join us at DT member, have fun here Marga and we hope you like her cards too. Today we have the twist again, so do not forget it, otherwise we will remove your card, and that wil be sad don't you think? So read this post carefully so you do not mis the twist ;o) This time we have My Favorite Things as Sponsor, thank you Kim for your kindness :o)

My Favorite Things - Just Delightful Clear Stamps

Think fresh, fun and completely distinctive, and you have My Favorite Things.
From our passionately popular Who’s That Girl line, to the sweet Pure Innocence & Jolinne characters, MFT has a little something for everyone, and a lot of something different! My Favorite Things is thrilled to introduce Die-namics. Our EXCLUSIVE, American made, line of steel dies

that we are sure will be an essential ingredient in your paper crafting from THIS moment forward!
You’ve found a stamping home with your MFT Family, there’s fun & friendship to be had in addition

to the best stamps and stamping products around. And…with Brand Spankin’ New Releases every month, there’s always something worth coming back for!

And the fabulous prize you can win, is a

$25 gift voucher at My Favorite Things!!!

And now for some little inspiration, here are the cards the Design Team and Guest DT made for you as samples ;o) You can click on the names and you go straight to their personal blogs to see the details about their cards ;o) They love to recieve your comments ...This week's sketch is made by Claire and you can find that sketch at the end of this post. Please do not post it on your blog but link to our blogpost. Thank you again ;o)

And the twist at this Challenge, to use PUNCHES OR DIES on your card.

Made by Claire

Made by Janneke

Made by Karin (GDT)

Made by Marga

Made by Marion

Made by Monique

Made by Nicole

Made by Renata

Made by Sandra

Made by Wilma

Made by Betina

Made by Carol

Here is the sketch that Claire made for you this time ;o) You can rotate the sketch and resize the elements, as long as you follow the original sketch and use a stamped image or digistamp, that way your entry qualifies for the prize draw. And do not forget to use PUNCHES OR DIES on your card this Challenge!! To join the challenges and to be eligible for the prize made available by the sponsor of this challenge, we have a few rules. You can find them here.

Happy cardmaking everybody!

Winner Challenge #16 and Top 3

2012-01-03T23:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you for joining us at challenge #16. There were so many beautiful cards to choose from, you did an amazing job, so great to see all those Christmas and Winter cards. Here is the top three 1 Nicolet6 Linda Dekker10 Dina And the winner is:

And #5 is IngBas from Ingbas Blogg You won the last challenge and therefore the great price sponsored by Whiff of JoyPlease email us before Saturday Januari 7th to claim your price. And here is her card

Congratulations girls .... you can find your bagdes on the top of the blog ;o)
See you in a hour!

2012-01-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

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Staging Pongo and Perdita

2012-01-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

Just returned from A New Year's weekend at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

The parks were packed, but it was still a lot of fun to spend time there.

It sure brought back memories from when I worked at Disney's Florida Animation Studio on "Lilo & Stitch".

Time for another post:

These are staging ideas for a scene animated by Frank Thomas for "101 Dalmatians". Here Pongo is trying to give Perdita some hope that the Twilight Bark

might help find their stolen puppies. It's interesting to see that Frank is analyzing

the direction of movement and feeling through arrows, he even comes up with an abstract doodle on the last sheet, that seems to say: connect these two characters !

That last drawing shows a physical connection as well as a strong emotional touch.
Just compare it to the middle one, what an improvement!
First Frank thinks of the placement of the characters, then he adds real emotion.

As I said before, great staging is not easy. The audience often has only seconds to register what the animator is trying to say. But when the staging communicates like here, the scene becomes a warmhearted story telling statement.

Instant Art Printable - Natural History - Birds in Nature

2012-01-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

Click Here for the Full Size Printable PDF

This is another one from the 1882 Natural History book that I picked up a couple of months ago! This one shows 3 charming Birds along side some water, a little stream or creek perhaps. Such a sweet scene, I love the colors too! The is a High Resolution print that you can print out and frame for some Instant Art!

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The Dawning of Music in Kentucky

2012-01-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

I recently came upon a nice short essay by Kyle Gann called 'American Romanticism: Music vs. Painting'. It discusses nineteenth century music in relation to the paintings of artists like Frederic Edwin Church and Martin Johnson Heade, mentioning in particular three early orchestral works inspired by landscapes: 'The Ornithological Combat of Kings (1836) by Anthony Philip Heinrich (1781-1861), the Niagara Symphony (1854, though it doesn’t seem to have been performed before the current decade) by William Henry Fry (1813-1864), and Night in the Tropics (1861) by Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869). All three were based on New World subject matter – South or Central America in Heinrich’s and Gottschalk’s cases, like so many of Church’s and Heade’s best paintings. All three offer effects unknown to European music of the time – particularly Gottschalk’s pop-music syncopations and the rumble of eleven timpani with which Fry evokes Niagara’s cascade. All three are marked by a technical ineptitude that any sensitive amateur could pinpoint – Heinrich’s marching-band momentum badly needs a rest now and then, Gottschalk’s harmonic rhythm is deadeningly predictable, and Fry lapses into Wagnerian banality whenever he’s not being onomatapoetically athematic. They seem today like brave but Quixotic figures, would-be heroes whom the passage of time reduces to clowns.'

Frederick Edwin Church, Niagara Falls, 1857

Anthony Philip Heinrich is a particularly interesting figure: a Bohemian wholesale dealer in linen, thread, wine, and other goods who settled in America and only decided to take up music after the failure of his business and death of his wife. According to David Barron, he travelled to Kentucky and in the spring of 1818, where, in a move that anticipates Thoreau, 'he withdrew from the musical society of Lexington, Frankfort, and Louisville and went to live in a log cabin in the woods around Bardstown. This was a significant moment in Heinrich's life, for here he paused to study and instruct himself in the art of music by improvising on the violin, and finally to write down these expressions as vocal, piano, and violin compositions.' His first major publication, a collection of songs and pieces for violin and piano, was called The Dawning of Music in Kentucky or the Pleasures of Harmony in the Solitude of Nature (1820). Like William Henry Fry, he composed a noisy piece inspired by the Niagara Falls, The War of the Elements and the Thundering of Niagara. He was friendly with John James Audubon and in addition to the The Ornithological Combat of Kings mentioned above, composed The Columbiad, or Migration of American Wild Passenger Pigeons. Heinrich's music was performed to acclaim in New York in the 1840s and there were successful concerts back in Prague in 1857, but four years later the old man died in poverty.

John James Audubon, Passenger Pigeon, from Birds of America (1827-38)

The article by David Barron quoted above includes an amusing description of an occasion on which Heinrich was introduced to President Tyler, written by John Hill Hewitt, the piano teacher to Tyler's daughter:

'The composer labored hard to give full effect to his weird production; his bald pate bobbed from side to side, and shone like a bubble on the surface of a calm lake. At times his shoulders would be raised to the line of his ears, and his knees went up to the keyboard, while the perspiration rolled in large drops down his wrinkled cheeks.
The ladies stared at the maniac musician, as they, doubtless, thought him, and the president scratched his head, as if wondering whether wicked spirits were not rioting in the cavern of mysterious sounds and rebelling against the laws of acoustics. The composer labored on, occasionally explaining some incomprehensible passage, representing, as he said, the breaking up of the frozen river Niagara, the thaw of the ice, and the dash of the mighty falls. Peace and plenty were represented by soft strains of pastoral music, while the thunder of our naval war-dogs and the rattle of our army musketry told of our prowess on sea and land.

The inspired composer had got about half-way through his wonderful production when Mr. Tyler restlessly arose from his chair, and placing his hand gently on Heinrich's shoulder, said;
“That may all be very fine, sir, but can't you play us a good old Virginia reel?”'

Vintage Garden Clip Art - Glass Cloche with Pots

2012-01-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

This one comes from an 1870's Garden book. I have such a thing for Glass Cloches, they look great anywhere you put them! This one has 3 potted plants in and it, and there is a second makeshift one using a Wine Glass. What a great idea! I hope you can use these in your Garden themed projects!

In Other News: If you have time, make sure you pop over to One

Happy 2012!!

2012-01-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

I wish all of you Happy New Year 2012 filled with inspiration, love and laughter!!
The New Year is a good chance to make your resolutions.
I'm making a list of this year's resolutions and what I like to do this year!

I spent very traditional New Year holidays.
I went to Yasukuni Shrine.

It was my first time to visit this shrine at New Year's Day.
Most Japanese visit a shrine or temple for the first 3 days of the New Year to pray for the happiness and health of the year.
Therefore, all the major temples and shrines are unbelievably crowded.

It was the line to approach to the offertory box.
Yes! It was a long way! But compared to other temples and shrines, the line was much shorter.
It's because this shrine is a controversial shine according to our history.

This is a chrysanthemum flower with 16 pedals, which is a family crest or emblem for our Emperor.
This emblem can be used only by the Emperor.
We don't have a state religion after WW2.
But until WW2, Shinto was a state religion and according to Shinto, our emperor was considered to be a living God.
Under the name of the Emperor, many fought and died.

Have you ever seen a movie, Letters from Iwo Jima?
In this movie, soldiers committed suicide by a grenade, shouting `Let's meet at Yasukuni Shrine.'
Actually, this part wasn't translated properly in English.
This shrine was the place they believed their soul would come back after they died.
Yasukuni Shrine WAS a state shrine until WW2 and the soul of people who died for the wars were enshrined here.

I said `controversial shrine' because some Asian couturiers don't like or hate this shrine.
August 15th is the day of the end of WW2 and whenever our Prime Minister visits this shrine, our government receives many criticisms.
I'll stop talking about this shrine now.
It is not the history lesson.
I know and understand many opinions.

Based on these ideas, less people visit this shrine.
So I decided to visit here especially after last year's disasters.
Personally, I feel this shrine is our shrine although this receives so many criticisms.
I wanted to pray for the recovery from disasters, and the happiness and prosperity for our land, Japan.

Before joining the line, I washed my hands and rinsed my mouth, which is a proper way before visiting a main edifice.

This is Torii Gate, which is a barrier against evil spirit.
Almost at the main edifice!

We can't enter inside.
The proper way to pray,
throw money, bow twice, clap hands twice, pray and bow again.

After praying, we buy talismans.
A variety of talismans are sold depending on our wishes like health, success, safe-driving, easy-delivery, matchmaking...etc.

I wrote my wishes on Ema, a votive picture tablet.
Those tablets are burnt by fire to make our wishes come true.
One of my wishes I wrote was, `Japan should be covered with much love and rejuvenated.'

This structure was behind the main edifice.
There was less people and it was quiet.
A pair of bamboos is a New Year decoration, called `Kadomatsu'.
They are landmark to show this place is ready to welcome God or deities.

This is another New Year decoration at my house entrance to welcome God or deities.

After I visited the shrine, I was looking for what I would eat.
There were many food stands.

caramel popcorn stand

seafood and sake stand

Tako-yaki stand, a kind of octopus dumpling

Okonomi-yaki stand, Japanese pancake

I tried this Okonomi-yaki.

It was like pancake made of cabbage, wheat, egg and meat.

It was very good!

Maneki-neko stand, a good-luck cat

Daruma stand

This Daruma doll doesn't have eyeballs.
When you make a wish, you black one eyeball.
When your wish came true, you can black the other eyeball.

It was a very good start of 2012.
I got a fortune telling paper.
When I decide to get a fortune paper, I always ask the god of a shire to give me a message in advance while I was praying.
This is the answer to my prayer.

It says,
People gather in front of God.
They sit in a circle and enjoy singing.
Their hearts are modest, peaceful, and are communicated and united.
Peace is born and a strong-will for tomorrow is rejuvenated.

The other side of the paper tells me more details.
Everything is very good.

A fortune telling paper is supposed to be tied at a certain place of a shrine or temple to make good fortune stay good and bad become good.
But I prefer keeping it to remind myself.

I hope you also had a very good start of 2012!!

2012-01-03T04:58:00.000-08:00

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Vintage Graphic - Pretty Feather with Spots

2012-01-02T17:13:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

Here we have another Victorian Scrap Feather image!! I just think these are so fun! This one has some speckled spots on one side and bright Orange on the other side. There is a smaller feather peeking out from behind it. Nice for your Collage or Card Making projects!

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Utrecht Celebrates the New Year

2012-01-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

2012-01-02T06:44:00.000-08:00

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Brag Monday

2012-01-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

It's time for Brag Monday #117! Once again I'm bragging about two more projects from the last Brag Monday party.

This weeks DIY pick is: These truly lovely French Bottles from Carol at The Polka Dot Closet! Carol used several of the French Labels, to make these wonderful bottles. I love that she made them clear!! The full Tutorial can be found on her site.

This weeks Craft Pick is:

Vintage Graphic - French Roses

2012-01-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

This is a very pretty French Advertising card for Chocolate! The card shows 2 beautiful Pink Roses. Lovely!

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Vintage New Year Clip Art - Lady with Champagne

2012-01-01T09:28:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

I've had this Vintage New Year card for awhile now, and thought it was so cute. However, I didn't realize until I scanned it today, that the wreath has Pig Heads on it! (I guess I thought they were large flowers). A little disturbing! Anyway... Happy 2012!! Wishing you all a joyful New Year!

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2012

2012-01-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

Paris Fashion Week 2012 - Big Hair and Bold Makeup

2012-01-01T02:54:00.000-08:00

Paris Fashion Week has come and gone! Not to be outdone by the Italian fashion industry, leading Parisian designers unveiled très magnifique collections bolstered by breathtaking sets (à la Karl Lagerfeld's iceberg runway at Chanel). And hairstylists and makeup artists worked their magic to pretty up the statuesque models who attired in the designs in noteworthy looks.

From bodacious buns to theatrical makeup to intensely teased strands to modern takes on classic 'dos, the runways of Paris Fashion Week were filled with head-turning beauty. Read on for the details on four gorgeous (and a few outrageous) trends from over the week in Paris.

Big, Bold Buns: We are definitely fans of a chic chignon -- but the beauty teams at Chanel, Nina Ricci, and Karl Lagerfeld maximized the 'do for the catwalk and paired it with standout makeup including smoky eyes, blonde brows and bright red lips, and strong eyebrows that framed golden lids. To achieve volume at the crown, lead hairstylist Guido Palau for Redken at Nina Ricci, boosted strands with Aerate 08 Bodifying Cream-Mousse and set with Forceful 23 Finishing Spray.

Such a Tease: Heavily, textured hair is a major trend on the fall runways, so it was no surprise when we saw models donning teased tresses at Christian Dior and Comme des Garcons. While the hairstylists at Dior went for a more perfected look accentuated with fishtail braids and berry stained lips, the models at Comme des Garcons wore pastel-colored puffs that reminded us of cotton candy. Their designers gathered luxury Christian Dior Accessories Online Store for the bodacious hair. Fashion Christian Dior accessories and fashion Christian Dior handbags gives the models fashionable type. You can get more Christian Dior new products on Christian Dior Accessories Online Store.

Sideshow Glamour: Let's face it -- there are beauty trends that aren't made for day-to-day wear. But that doesn't take away from the tremendous detail that produces astonishing hair and makeup masterpieces. From the over-the-top pinned curls and "tanned" complexions at John Galliano to the Bantu knots and pale skin at Comme des Garcons to the messy, kohl-rimmed eyes and red pouts at Vivienne Westwood -- Paris Fashion Week served up extreme beauty.

Ladylike Perfection: 'Dos like the flip, ponytail and slickback will never go out of style, and the beauty teams at Chloé, Louis Vuitton, and Balenicaga perfected these retro styles. To create a classic ponytail that complemented the 1950s inspired collection at Louis Vuitton, hair stylist Guido Palau for Redken, curled the ends and concealed the elastic holder by wrapping it with a piece of hair. Glass 01 Smoothing Serum was the key to a sleek finish. Celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath took the look at Balenciaga up a notch by painting a few models brows a bright, pastel color. To recreate this clean, yet fresh face use CoverGirl Clean Liquid Makeup and Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush in Lush Berry and Plush Peach.

2011-12-31T21:53:00.000-08:00

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Victorian New Year Graphic - Fairy Girls with Cherry Blossoms

2011-12-31T17:07:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

Here are a couple of New Year Fairies to help you ring in the New Year! I thought this was such a charming card with the 2 Fairy Girls, Birds and Pink Cherry Blossoms set against a bright blue sky! The back of the card is just as lovely!

Happy New Years Eve everyone!

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Rudolph's roundup

2011-12-31T12:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I think my big list of potential makes was a tad optimistic! An awful lot of my time (far more than I had originally anticipated) was spent knitting the rudolph jumper.

I'm not going to lie. It was a hard make. Perhaps not the best pattern to knit my first jumper from. That may be a little harsh though - the plain red bits were fairly straightforward, it was just knitting the reindeer that slowed me down. It wasn't until half way through I finally figured out how to strand properly, so inside the top half looks all neat and tidy, like this....

Whilst the bottom half looks a fine mess...

I had a few heart stopping moments though. When I reached the top of the antlers, I realised I'd forgotten to shape the armholes. The thought of having to frog 20 rows made me feel more than a little sick, and I didn't touch it for a week - I didn't want to make yet more mistakes by rushing into correcting it. And then when I knitted the neckband to join the front and back together the night before I was due to go back to my mum's, I realised that I couldn't fit it over my head, so there was no way it would fit over my brother in law's head. Rather than have to frog and reknit the neckband, mum had the genius idea of using buttons on the shoulder. This led to a last minute dash to a local knitting store with my mum (about 30 mins before it was due to close on Chistmas eve) to find some suitable buttons...

Still, it was suitably appreciated by the new owner, who modelled it with great aplomb. He even wore it down the pub on Christmas day (although, sadly no photos of that!).

OK, so there's no sleeves, but I think he carries it off! Plus, what else could his present be next year? I still seem to have quite a lot of red yarn left, so I put some of it to good use when wrapping.

I'm still loving the Christmas bunting though, and I might make some more bunting next year in the smaller size for the other shelves. Sadly the ribbon wreath didn't work out. I'm not sure if it was the type of ribbon I bought, or using a wire form rather than foam, but after adding about 20 bows, I realised it looked more like something to be used when dancing round the maypole, rather than a classy Christmas wreath. Next year, I'll attempt the felt flower wreath now that Adele has pointed me in the right direction of foam wreaths!

And while I keep thinking that's all I've made this Christmas, I also made a fair few make up bags and tote bags.

So, that's it for 2011. See you all next year!

Vintage Clip Art - Printer Ornaments - Birds and Frame

2011-12-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

These are some Antique Printer Ornaments from an 1880's book. I thought these were so sweet with the little Birds and the pretty Frame was on the same page, so I threw it in the mix!

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The Big Bang Theory:Sheldon Cooper,Jim Parsons

2011-12-30T23:42:00.000-08:00

Sheldon Lee Cooper, real name James Joseph "Jim" Parsons born on 24th March 1973 is an American television actor as well as film actor. Jim was born and raised in Houston, Texas and was the older of the two children. His father president of plumbing supply company died in a 2001 auto-crash. In the year 1996, he got his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston in theater and later enrolled for graduate course in the University of San Diego in year 1999. Jim Parson 6'2" made his first stage appearance in a school play at the age of 6. Jim made several appearances in various shows including role in the series Judging Amy and guest appearance in Ed. He became famous in the year 2007 with the famous and award winning sitcom "The Big Bang Theory", where he plays the role of Sheldon Cooper the great physicist . Sheldon Lee Cooper , B.S, M.A, M.S, Ph.D., Sc.D. is a fictional character portrayed by Jim Parsons.The character played by Jim Parsons is the main reason for success of the Big Bang Theory.

2011-12-30T21:16:00.000-08:00

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Vintage Clip Art - New Years Bird - Jewish Option

2011-12-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

I was so pleased to acquire this pretty Jewish New Year card! I have a hard time finding Jewish images, they are not very plentiful, and often pricey, and I never see them locally. So it was a treat for me to get this one and it's so lovely too! I know the timing isn't quite right, but I'm including a copy with out the Hebrew so that it can be used for this week

ROBERTSDALE, AL FIREWORKS WHSE #333

2011-12-30T13:49:00.000-08:00

ROBERTSDALE, AL FIREWORKS WAREHOUSE

SITTING HALF WAY BETWEEN MOBILE AND PENSACOLA, ROBERTSDALE AT EXIT 53 ON I-10 STANDS READY TO SERVE THE WHOLE AREA FOR ITS NEW YEAR'S FIREWORKS SHOWS.

CUSSETA, AL FIREWORKS WAREHOUSE #332

2011-12-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

CUSSETA, AL FIREWORKS WAREHOUSE

GOING SOUTHWEST OUT OF ATLANTA, YOU WILL COME TO THE GIANT SHELTON FIREWORKS WAREHOUSE AT CUSSETA, AL AT EXIT #70 ON I-85. THIS AERIAL VIEW SHOWS YOU THE SIZE OF THE WAREHOUSE AND ITS PARKING LOT. THIS WAREHOUSE IS FULLY STOCKED FOR YOUR NEW YEAR'S SHOW.

FAIR PLAY, SC FIREWORKS WAREHOUSE #331

2011-12-30T13:41:00.000-08:00

FAIR PLAY, SC FIREWORKS WAREHOUSE

AT THE SOUTHERN END OF I-85 IN SOUTH CAROLINA, YOU WILL FIND SHELTON'S GIANT WAREHOUSE AT EXIT #2. FAIR PLAY HAS ALL THE KINDS OF FIREWORKS YOU WILL WANT FOR YOUR NEW YEAR'S SHOW.

BLACKSBURG, SC FIREWORKS WHSE #330

2011-12-30T13:38:00.000-08:00

BLACKSBURG, SC FIREWORKS WAREHOUSE

SHOWN IS OUR GIANT FIREWORKS WAREHOUSE AT EXIT 104, I-85 WHICH IS READY FOR ALL OF YOUR NEW YEAR'S SHOW NEEDS. COME AND LET TOM SUDEK, OUR LONG TERM MANAGER, HELP YOU WITH YOUR SELECTION.

MS GAMBLER YELLOW 12 BOX #329

2011-12-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

MISSISSIPPI GAMBLER'S YELLOW BOX

AN ALTERNATE FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SHOW MIGHT BE THE MS'S YELLOW BOX OF 12 SHELLS WITH DIFFERENT EFFECTS ON EACH ARTILLERY SHELL $27.95 FOR THE KIT. WE CARRY APPROXIMATELY 60 DIFFERENT KINDS OF MORTARS AT ANY GIVEN TIME. YOU CAN FIND JUST WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR PARTY. GIVE US A TRY.

MAD HORNET YELLOW ARTILLERY KIT #328

2011-12-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

MAD HORNET'S YELLOW ARTILLERY KIT

ASSORTED EFFECTS ARE FOUND IN THE YELLOW BOX WITH ITS 6 SHELLS. PRICE $7.95 PER KIT.

JUMBO CANNON SHELLS #327

2011-12-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

JUMBO CANNON

12 SHELLS IN THIS JUMBO CANNON SHELL KIT. YOU WILL ENJOY A COLORFUL PRESENTATION AT YOU NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY. $20.95 PER KIT.

EVIL WARLOCK #326

2011-12-30T13:04:00.000-08:00

EVIL WARLOCK

FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE, YOU CAN CHOOSE THE EVIL WARLOCK, BLOG #326 WHICH GIVES YOU 6 SHELLS WITH RISING TAILS ON EACH WITH DIFFERENT BREAKS. $8.95 FOR THE KIT.

Round up of Christmas presents

2011-12-30T10:04:00.000-08:00

Here is a little look at some homemade Christmas presents. Both the ones I made and gave away and the ones I got. For more inspiration check out my Pinterest board "Making Christmas Gifts 2011" and my blog Eddie's room.

A bag I made for my husband with embroidered (not by me) birds (he is a big bird fan)

A tray my husband and I decoupaged with maps for my little brother who is studying geography.

I made a couple of these porcupine pin cushions for my mother and sister using this wonderful tutorial from Prudent Baby

I made these Christmas stockings for my husband and myself using this free tutorial.

My sister made this vinyl record bowl for my husband. There is a free tutorial for this here.

She also made him this fab pencil case for his art pencils.

For me she made this pretty shawl which I can't wait to use.

A Book of Migrations

2011-12-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

Rebecca Solnit's A Book of Migrations (1997) was reissued this year and classified as history/memoir rather than travel, though it is ostensibly about a month spent in Ireland. The book circles round the themes of landscape and memory, place and identity, journey and exile, as Solnit ranges across the history and culture of Ireland from the flight of the cursed King Sweeney to the bitter experiences of Travellers in contemporary Ireland. The ways in which Ireland has been viewed through the prism of English cultural attitudes are illuminated by the frequent reminders of her own radically different experiences growing up in California, with its arid landscapes and long, straight roads, short historical memory and assumptions about the possibility of an unpeopled wilderness. At the Cliffs of Moher she looks out at the sea, 'a deeper blue than my own churning gray Pacific, blue as though different dreams had been dumped into it, blue as ink. I imagined filling a fountain pen with it and wondered what one would write with that ocean.'

Cover photo by Dave Walsh who reviews the book on his website.

I'll try to convey here just one of the many interesting points she makes on landscape and culture, although I should stress that the elegance of her argument is difficult to convey out of context. In describing the sixteenth century suppression of Ireland by English colonists and its deforestation for shipbuilding and metal smelting, she also talks about the concurrent campaign to suppress the Gaelic poets, whose rhymes in praise of military successes were seen as a kind of propaganda. But 'what is most peculiar about the war against the poets and trees in Tudor era Ireland is the close involvement of the two greatest English poets of the age, Sir Philip Sidney and Edmund Spenser.' Furthermore, these were the two writers who practically created the English tradition of pastoral poetry. You might think, she wryly observes, that 'a country of wandering poets and pastoralists should have enchanted the English rather than appalled them.'

Sir Philip Sidney's father was Lord Deputy of Ireland and urged the English to 'spoil' and take the goods of any 'rhymers' they caught. Sidney himself would later go on diplomatic missions to Ireland for Queen Elizabeth. Spenser went over in 1580 as secretary to Sir Henry Sidney's successor Lord Grey and wrote a lengthy report A View on the Present State of Ireland, which recommends subduing the Irish by starving them. He took over an estate in County Cork, formerly the seat of the Desmond family, and 'immediately became unpopular with the neighbours'. It was targeted by rebels in 1598 - Spenser was lucky to escape to England, where he died later that year. Back in 1589, when Sir Walter Raleigh visited him, Spenser's home 'was surrounded with woods of "matchless height"; a few years later only bare fields surrounded the castle.'

The remains of Spenser's Kicolman Castle, County Cork

Photo: Early Modern Whale

For Solnit the shadows of Spenser and Sidney's political lives in Ireland lie across their artistic merit. 'The exquisite poetry of Spenser's masterpiece The Faerie Queene is inextricably linked to his brutal prose A View on the Present State of Ireland ... Should the magical trees he celebrated in the poem be weighed against the trees he uprooted in County Cork? Can one have the latter without the former, since Ireland's lack of a landscape tradition is rooted in its scarred landscape? Can one understand the presence of English literature without the absences of Irish literature? Are the presences in the former, at some level, bites taken out of the latter? Is England gardenlike because Ireland was prisonlike? Does the English pastoral, and the security and abundance it represents, depend on the impoverished land and people of other lands?'

Vintage Clip Art - Amazing Silhouette - Bird Vines Lyre

2011-12-30T05:01:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

Swoon! I'm in love with this one!!! This one dates to 1883. Originally I had bought a book that had this image on the cover, but since the cover was leather and the image was in gold, I couldn't really extract it very cleanly. Not long afterwards though, I came across a series of paper magazines (they were companions to the book) that had this same image on

Bloghop winners ;o)

2011-12-30T02:00:00.000-08:00

What a great Bloghop we had the past week ... we really enjoyed it and the cards you have made are amazing. Every DT-girl had so many response on her blog. Thank you all! We will certainly do this again in the future.Of course we all, in the team, choose our own winner by randomly drawing someone.

Here is a list of all the winners.
Carol --> Lizy

Claire --> Paula (PEP)

Janneke --> Detje

Karin --> Aartje Linda --> Aartje

Marion --> Mariken

Monique --> Elise Nicole --> Wilma

Renata --> Anita

Sandra --> Nicolet

Wilma --> Marijke Please contact the DT-member in front of your name by going to her blog and emailing her personally.
Our bloghop-sketch
We didn't have so many participants in the bloghop-sketch as we usually do have on our regular sketches. Everyone was probably busy enjoying family, friends, good food and Christmas presents :o)But fortunatly we can draw a winner. And the one with the winning card is...

#9 is Judith from Kreatieve

Congratulations Judith you won the stamp, sponsored by our own Janneke!You can email her on the email that you can find on the right side ;o)
Last but not least...we all wish you a great New Years Eve and a creative 2012.Thanks for joining us in 2011 and making this Christmas Challenge-blog a success :o)We hope you'll be participating and keep visiting us in the new year. After all, we need new Christmas cards again, don't we?!
And if you want, you still have time, to join us in the current Challenge, which ends on Januari 1st. We'll be back with a new Challenge on Wednesday Januari 4th.
Hugs, CCWS Team

Vintage Printable - Map of England and Wales

2011-12-29T18:05:00.000-08:00

Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDF

This is another great Vintage Map from an 1880's Book! This one shows England and Wales. You may recall the Map of Ireland that I posted last week. These would look great framed and hung together!

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Instant Art Printable - Lovely French Woman with Bird on Hand

2011-12-29T09:50:00.000-08:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

Click HERE for the Full Size Printable PDF

This one is a wonderful old Print of a "Lady of the Court of Louis XVth"! Such a Fashionable French Woman! She's holding a tiny Bird (Canary?) and just look at the fancy Tiny Cage she keeps him in. This is a nice one for your Marie Antoinette projects. She would be beautiful colored in too!

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BEST 2 more days in 2011!!!

2011-12-29T06:31:00.000-08:00

2 more days in 2011!
Please finish unfinished things before 2012 comes!

I went to a concert with my sister yesterday.
The singer's name is Masaharu Fukuyama.
He is also an actor, song writer and entertainer.
My sister is a big fan of him and I started to listen to his songs.

During the concert, we saw a video looking back his 2011.
Of course, the video included the scenes of the East Japan Disasters on 311.
And what he did was also shown.
About 17,000 people at concert hall watched and nodded, sharing the same feeling and emotions.
As one of them, many memories and emotions came up in my mind.

At the end of the year, there are many TV programs and events, looking back the year 2011.
Some scenes and facts are new.
Now we can hear the true voices of people who suffered.

I guess all the Japanese share the same feeling right now.

Japanese will never forget the year 2011.

My life was changed a lot this year.
At some points, I felt nothing moved on.
But when I looked back, my life was changed dramatically.

However, I didn't expect this change.
I was reluctant and not determined.
I was like drifting.

But when I was watching the sufferers doing their best, and people supporting them.
I thought I could do more!
I decided to be willing to give as much love, talents and whatever I can give as possible next year!

And I'll be more proud of myself as Japanese!

Japaneses are known as modest.
We don't boast of ourselves.
Although we get praise, we tend to refuse it.

For example,
If something bad happens, it is my fault.
If something good happens, it thanks to you.

I believe this is good but I guess we'll change in the future.

I like to boast of being a Japanese.
And I like to tell many people all over the world how wonderful Japan and Japanese are!
I believe Japan will change!

I also like to become a person who can move and touch people's feeling because I was moved and touched by many people who did their best during their hardship.

I don't know what I can do now. I just decided!
That's my next year's resolution

At the end, I like to introduce the song of Masaharu Fukuyama.
The theme of this song is `KIZUNA' meaning `bonds or ties'.
KIZUNA is also the them of this year for all Japanese.

The title is `Kazoku ni narouyo' meaning `let's become a family'.
Although the song is Japanese, please enjoy the music!
Please have the BEST 2 more days in 2011!!!

Vintage Graphic - Gorgeous Colorful Eiffel Tower

2011-12-28T17:21:00.000-08:00

Click on Images to Enlarge

Isn't this fabulous?!!! I think this is a somewhat rare piece, as I have not seen this version before. This is a gorgeous and Colorful Eiffel Tower graphic from an 1890's Advertising card!! I really love the back of this one two, so I've included both sides. Such a special piece and so fun for you Travel themed Craft or Mixed Media Projects!

Oliver + S Explorer Vest and a Knitting Needle Roll

2011-12-28T15:03:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Crafty Christmas-ers! I hope you all were able to finish up your projects before Christmas. I completed my last Christmas gift on Christmas Eve morning thanks to a cold that decided to show up last week and knock me on my ass for a few days.

I made the Explorer Vest from Oliver + S' Little Things to Sew for my nephew.

I'm happy to report that he loves it! He promptly shoved all of his spy gear into all of the pockets!

The pattern was really easy to follow. I'm so excited to make more projects from the book. More information can be found on my blog.

My last Christmas-y project was for my mom's birthday. It is today and since she's getting back into knitting, I made her a roll to keep her knitting needles in. I used the Tool Roll pattern from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing. It was pretty easy to follow but I made a few modifications (more info on that can be found here). Since I've been wanting one too, I made us matching needle rolls!

I don't know about you guys, but I am so happy that Christmas crafting is over! I've had a great time reading about all of your crafting adventures. Until next year!

Cheers,

Lindsay

GRAND FINALES #325

2011-12-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

VOODOO

TSUNAMI WAVE

RHINO' COOL

SWAMP FOX

JUST A SAMPLE OF 60 OR MORE GRAND FINALES THAT SHELTON'S CARRIES FOR YOUR SELECTION FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SHOW. ALL ARE MULTIPLE SHOTS GENERALLY WITH BANGS OR WHISTLING/CRACKLING EFFECTS BESIDES COLOR COMBINATIONS.

MISSILES #324

2011-12-28T14:34:00.000-08:00

EL TORRO GIANT MISSILE AND 2 MOBSTER SMALLER ONES. THEY WILL ALL GOT 500 FEET AND EXPLODE WITH A BANG.

EL TORRO FIRECRACKERS #323

2011-12-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

EL TORRO IS OUR PREMIUM BRAND OF FIRECRACKERS. JUST THE VERY BEST AND FORGET THE REST.

ROMAN CANDLES

2011-12-28T14:26:00.000-08:00

WE OFFER A WIDE SELECTION OF ROMAN CANDLES FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SHOW. JUMBO, VIKING & WHISTLING JUST TO NAME A FEW.

AERIAL ROCKETS

2011-12-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

NIGHT TRASHER, ASTEROID, & TURBO ARE JUST 3 OF OUR VERY BEST ASSORTMENT OF AERIAL ROCKETS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SHOW.

PARACHUTE FEVER

2011-12-28T14:16:00.000-08:00

PARACHUTE FEVER, 37 PARACHUTES WITH PLENTY OF ACTION & COLOR ENHANCEMENT.