Paris Day Two

First off......sorry for saying day two was just around the corner and then taking so long to come up with the goods!!!

What can I say?....I have just not felt like sitting in front of a computer screen much!!! Anyway........there are quite a few pics here today to make up for it ;) LOL

Day two dawned and we had a plan to do the Musee d'Orsay so we walked to the Pigalle metro.

Alighted at the Place de la Concord

...can you believe how little traffic there is!?

Then onto the Tuilleries gardens.

...Loved those large planters

A cafe stop with a waiter who could not be anything else but French! ;)

Plenty of chairs to sit and dream if you wanted to.

Loved this!

Did not love the massive cues snaking round the entrance to the Musee d'Orsay so found out you can get a pre booked ticket from Virgin and decided to do the d'Orsay another day.

Headed off back the other side of the river and walked along the Seine.....bliss.

Plenty of houseboats with views of the Tour Eiffel (how fab).

.....one even had it's own retro car on board.

Revisited the Tuilleries and had a panini for lunch....very tasty too.

Then off we walk up the Champs Elysees stopping to window shop and actually going in the biggest dedicated perfume/cosmetic store I've ever seen! Bit on the pricey side though and I forgot to take a picture!!!

One of my reasons for walking up the Champs Elysees was to see this ;)

...and of course this!

I found the car show rooms fascinating...they even have their own mini museums and/or cafe inside!!

...they are usually relegated to trading estates here and don't come with a cafe! LOL

Loved this

....and this

...and this

Join me again for the rest of day two coming soon. ;)
xoxo Sioux

Love Art!

Have not got time to stop and talk today!

Quick post using some of the new fabulous stamp release from The Artistic Stamper :)

Some of them are HOOOOOge! Got them Thursday and just enough time today to have a little play. ;)

Was scratching my head when I found the ideal acrylic block for the big swirl..

....my plates for the die cutting machine ;)

A light bulb moment there!!! Ha Ha

Supplies used....also used a couple of made up sprays of fired brick and broken china that I had already put away.....not like me!!! ;)

Page not finished yet but wanted to do something with the doodled girl a la Teesha Moore that I did back last year in the fog that engulfed me when Pip was ill.

Must dash......off to celebrate "Cowtown Carnival" here in Brixham.

xoxo Sioux

Set Me Free for The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing a tag today over on the The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

P.S. I appreciate each and every comment here but time is short in all our lives so please do not feel obliged to comment both here and on the creative team post.
...I'll see your comments and share the feed back all at the same time if you use The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog post ;)
Thanks

Journal Journeys #2

Dawn has issued the second month's challenge over at Journal Journeys and it's Fairies :)

I made sure I had the whole of Saturday free in order to play ;)

I have used a variety of stamps here...my dancer and the butterfly wings from The Artistic Stamper.......and would you believe that every other one has never seen ink before!!!

How sad...but we all do it don't we? LOL

Never mind they have been inked now!

The flowers, abstract circles and stitch lines are Aud Design the title is a mixture of Elusive Images (first row), Prima (second row) and Paperartsy (third row).

The writing around the dancer says

"I believe in the magic of fairies. Only good fairies live here!"

A touch of Diamond FX glitter glue was added on the edges of the wings.

Thanks for the challenge Dawn...I loved it.

...some days I surprise myself and yesterday was one of those days!!! ;)

It's a mixture of neocolour on the background...watercolour pencils and copic markers....I have to admit to being a bit of a philistine where the Copic markers are concerned but today I had a light bulb moment and thought Oooh! Now these are really useful!! HOL

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux

Paris Day One

Well it seems you would like to see more of Paris! :)
Although I'm going to pass on the suggestion to share all 455 photo's if you don't mind!!
The thought of uploading that lot to Blogger gave me nightmares ;) HOL

My photo's consist of some of the more usual stuff...the iconic stuff that would be criminal to miss seeing if you ever go to Paris ;) and some perhaps a bit different.

I think I'll try to post stuff in the order things happened....but I might get a little side tracked!!

Shall we begin?

The journey there turned out to take longer than we thought....considering it was only a 1 hour flight!!! Miles to walk to the baggage collection then miles to walk to the train from the baggage collection!.....waiting for ages to change money to use in the automated ticket machines.....ages working out exactly where we had to change on the metro from the Gard du Nord.

....walking miles on the metro between platforms/changes.....you would not want to have any problems with walking if you need to use the metro in Paris....they use a lot of steps!!!!!

Finally reached hotel...phew! And it was phew....we were hot!!
It was 5.30 by now. Hotel Des Arts...rue Tholozé  a lovely base in Monmartre :)

Dumped our bags and quickly headed for the nearest bar that had 6 seats outside!

A welcome cold beer for all.....but OMG....a 50cl glass was 7 euro!

Headed back to hotel with just enough time to unpack bags....quick re-application of make up 'cos it had all melted LOL....and then out to find a bite to eat :)
Walked a little way along la rue des Abbesses to where it meets the rue des martyrs and eventually we agreed to try a little pizza place on the corner called La Pignatta.

...I know, I know....pizza? Paris? But the prices were very reasonable and it was a very tasty pizza and I'm not a big fan of them so it must have been good ;) !

Then we set off up the hill (And what a hill! Reminds me of Brixham) towards the Sacré-Cœur.

.....window shopped in the lanes around the Place du Tetre.

Onto the Sacré-Cœur to sit on the steps and watch the world go by.

Some chaps selling tat!

Some chaps juggling a football.
One chap danced to the music of the acrobatic footballers whilst wearing winkle picker shoes no less!

(seems to be the footwear of choice for younger Parisienne men at the moment)

Does he remind you of someone who has an umbrella??? He did me...LOL
...you would not believe how happy that little vignette made me, although none of the others got it so I'm glad I can share it with you :)

The sun began to set and we walked round the back of the Sacré-Cœur and managed to catch the lovely light on the stone work.

End of day one.
Day two is just around the corner ;)

xoxo Sioux

A Paris List

I'm back from Paris!

Before I went I listed 10 big things I would not want to miss.

Some of them are very simple pleasures and not necessarily in any order.

1. Walk along the Seine

(perhaps see where Gene Kelly danced with Leslie Caron in "An American in Paris")

...I swear I saw the very spot under the bridge! :)

Please don't shatter my dreams and tell me it was filmed on a lot in Hollywood!!!

2. Walk in the Tuileries Garden

Very French......with very expensive coffee at one of the cafes.

....but a perfect one none the less! I'm always searching for THE perfect one! :)

3. See the Eiffel Tower

Far too many people and it rained!

...but still beautiful :)

4. Walk along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Far too expensive and not a chic person in sight!

...too many of us pleb tourists!!! :(

5. See the whole of Montmarte (obviously seeing as our hotel was there)

This area is a delight.....all the artistic history, old buildings and narrow streets.

....however....the Place du Tertre is full of lousy art in the main.
.....if ever there was a tourist trap this is it. :(

6. See the Impressionist paintings at the Musée d'Orsay

This was THE highlight for me...although no photo's allowed! :(

...heart stoppingly the top floor (where we headed first for the Impressionists) was closed for renovations...Yikes!!

...thankfully the paintings (I have to assume most of them) had been temporarily re-hung on the ground floor.

PHEW! :)

7. Visit the Cimetière de Montmartre

Ran out of time on the last morning to get to the far side of the cemetery to see the resting place of Degas :(

....however we had already visited the other big cemetery Père Lachaise :)

....Oscar Wilde's was a bit of a shock to me....not what I expected and covered in graffiti!

8. Visit a street market (food and/or antique)

In the end the only thing that did not happen was the street market thing...hey ho!

9. Visit Notre Dame de Paris

...I overheard a youngish American boy (16 or 17 perhaps) say to his dad

" Are these real or reproductions?"

Mmmm? What can you do but have a giggle at that one!! :)

10. Enjoy the cafe culture :)

I took 455 photo's.....I don't want to bore you but would you like to see a little more? LOL
xoxo Sioux

Arch for The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing a card today over on the The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping
xoxo Sioux

P.S. I appreciate each and every comment here but time is short in all our lives so please do not feel obliged to comment both here and on the creative team post.
...I'll see your comments and share the feed back all at the same time if you use The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog post ;)
Thanks

Perfect Specimen for The Artistic Stamper

The monthly theme is "Men/All things male" for the August challenge over at
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team ;)
Additionally this month the design team will be using Core-dinations Adirondack and Distress collection card stock in all our makes as....
...Yippeee! Yes they are on special offer at The Artistic Stamper here :)

At first glance this looks like it has nothing to do with the theme but stay with me!

I made a matchbox with two different colours of Cordinations card stock from the T!m Holtz Adirondack and Distress collections.
It is sturdy enough to make the 3D matchbox and also to run it through a printer as I did to print the templates I made for the top and bottom of the matchbox.  (I measured a bought matchbox and drew the template in my software package).

I embossed the matchbox sleeve with a Sizzix T!m collage folder scored the printed lines for neat edges and sanded the raised pattern. Then I added some Distress Ink tea dye to the raised pattern and walnut stain to the edges before gluing the sides. I then stamped the words "Goods" and "Checked" in Archival inks (both from the Ephemera #1 plate) onto white shrink plastic, cut out in a tag shape not forgetting to make a whole first for the string to go through before heating and adding to the sleeve with twine.

The inner box was scored on all the lines, folded and glued. Distress Ink walnut stain was added to all the sides and edges.

The handle of the drawer is a T!m Ideaology hitch fastener.

The image from the Men's plate 001 is stamped in Archival coffee onto a spritzed background and the word " Perfect" is from the same Ephemera #1 plate (I just masked off the last two letters of perfectly) stamped onto shrink plastic again. I typed the word specimen and printed it onto a piece of card stock to match the sleeve and tore the edges and glued the words in place before adding some tiny black brads to the corners, similar ones can be found here.

Why not take a look at the "Men/All Things Male" creations the rest of the team have made and here are the DT member links for you.

Alison, Hels, Jennie, Kat, Minxy and Tina

So don't forget.............the monthly challenge is "Men/All Things Male"

The rules are simple... all you need to do is make a piece of art, be it a card, ATC, wall art, altered art, 3D piece ;)... just remember that it must include some rubber stamping and the theme... and... if you use Artistic Stamper stamps on your entry you will be entered into the draw twice! The prize is £15 worth of stamps from the Artistic Stamper shop... along with the KlingOn to mount them onto.

I hope you get chance to play at the challenge... it is open until August 31st and the winner will be chosen by Random.org shortly after :)

Thanks for looking and happy stamping

xoxo Sioux

Paris Bag

I have been playing today ready for my trip to Paris shortly ;)

I bought a blank canvas bag from the wonder that is Trago Mills!!!

I decided that it would make the ideal bag for Paris as it sits nice and snug on the shoulder and there is a full zip across the top.....can't be too careful can you?

It desperately needed some decoration so that is what I did today...along with trying to work out exactly what I need to take with me......I hate packing!!

I feel the need to take my art journal with me.....to be in Paris and not make some art seems to me to be almost rude!! N'est pas?

TTFN

xoxo Sioux

Baroque Earring Hanger for The Artistic Stamper

I'm sharing a dimensional piece today over on the The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog

Curious? Then just hop on over to The Creative Team Blog for all the details.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping

xoxo Sioux

P.S. I appreciate each and every comment here but time is short in all our lives so please do not feel obliged to comment both here and on the creative team post.

...I'll see your comments and share the feed back all at the same time if you use The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog post ;)

Thanks

Paris Meal sans Quasimodo!

Just popping in to say thanks for the well wishes for the entertaining I did last Friday.

It all went well, although we had to eat inside because of the weather :(

What I have discovered is.......there are limitations as to what can be accomplished when doing this sort of thing on your own!

My problem is that for too long I have been used to Pip doing all the catering and the entertaining bit!!!

I could focus on the pretty finishing touches....right plates....right glasses...printed menu on the table....etc...etc.

I'll just have to get used to doing it differently won't I? :)

I just know that if Pip had been there we would have been treated (?!!!) to his Quasimodo party piece........again!!!! A great mimic our Pip ;)

If you had never seen it before it was one hell of a laugh but seeing as we have all been entertained with it on more than one occasion over the years perhaps it was a saving grace! :) ROFL

I wonder how I will feel when I eventually see Notre Dame!

xoxo Sioux

Oh! To kiss a frog?

I had the most fabulous suprise package sent to me on Saturday.

I love opening parcels when you have no idea what is inside, don't you?

All I knew was that is was from one of my northern chums Joanne 'cos she had written her name on the back ;)

I'd like you to read this piece of prose that was inside before I reveal the whacky but divine shrine she made me 'cos I'm off to Paris real soon. (click on it to enlarge if necessary)

Now that you have read it here is the divine shrine in all it's glory.....

The froggie on top....I love that he is sitting on a marigold (a French one of course ;))

One side decorated with a T!m French postage stamp

One side decorated with a quirky Mona Lisa (I don't think I can bare all the crowds at the Louvre just to get a glimpse while I'm there!)

One side decorated with a snail...or should I say un escargot ;) (a gorgeous Artistic Stamper stamp by the way)

It stands on four butterfly feet

And the front has the Eifel Tower stamped on acetate so that you can gaze inside to the far wall....can you see what I can see?

Yes it's the man himself RA!!!

Well what would you do? Eat or kiss the frog? I'd be chancing a kiss if I was lucky enough to come across one whilst I'm in Paris I can tell you!!! ROFL :)

It made my whole week receiving it and I could not stop chuckling to myself all day ;)

I desparately needed to keep the prose with the shrine so with Joanne's approval I rolled it up and put it in a T!m vial, tied a bit of bling round the top and placed it inside.

Be still my beating heart!

Thank you.....thank you.....thank you Joanne...the details are just fabulous!

Will Paris itself be able to top this? It could be a very close call!!!

xoxo Sioux

Entertaining Paris with an Accrington Stanley!

Wish me luck for Friday night ;)

I'm hosting our girls pre Paris evening.

It will be the first time in my whole life that I have done any entertaining on my own!!!

Done plenty with Pip.....team work is great isn't it?

It will also be the first time I have entertained since Pip died 14 months ago!

Ooooooh er!

I'm cooking chicken with 40 cloves of garlic or actually in my case 60 gloves of garlic 'cos the original recipe serves 4 and I'm cooking for 6 and we all like garlic!!

There is not much chance of being bitten on the neck in my garden tomorrow night I can tell you! HOL

I'm also serving Salade de Nicoise.

Thankfully the girls are all mucking in and bringing something French themed along.

Un pâte belle française  (sounds so much nicer in French!) LOL, crusty baguette, olives from a genuine French street market that was in Torquay this week (wish I could have made that but never mind I'll see the real thing soon), salade de pommes de terre, fromage française, artichike coeurs dans la vinaigrette, pain de rustique, salade de fruits and a mystery extra dessert ;)

Plenty of wine (goes without saying really) and perhaps a choice of a Kir or Kir Royale aperitif.

I might just be tempted to have an Accrington Stanley later on too!

What! You have never heard of an Accrington Stanley cocktail?!

I'm not surprised as it's a title Pip made up when we were on holiday in Austria one year and got drinking late into the night with a group of Swiss people, trading cocktails round by round.

It's Cointreau and bitter lemon served over ice.....simple but lush ;)

Picture him repeating the famous Cointreau ad (he was a great mimic) to a group of bemused Swiss ! HOL

We always imagined that all over Switzerland people now ask for an Accrington Stanley!!!

ROFL

I hope the weather can hold and we can be outside but it's not looking fab at the minute although today was great. Never mind....I have been beavering away all week to make the house fit for entertaining inside....just in case!!!

Have a lovely weekend whatever you are doing.

xoxo Sioux