To my Faithful Readers - Please note..

(Sounds of someone rummaging around in the closet muttering, "I KNOW they are HERE somewhere.")
Not to panic - I moved those Non AJC Other Pages over to the Herebedreams site.
Kindly click on the 'Off The Beaten Path' banner and it will take you straight there.
I am going to make this Blog, AJC Specific, just for ease of filing and record keeping at which I am notorious at NOT doing!
Blessings on those who are filing at this moment.
Shanti

AJC 2011 Week 5 - Itinerary: Verb : Pause

Sophie (she's hiding but she is there...smile) and I take a break from a very busy week.
Remember that commercial: The Pause That Refreshes?
Trying to remember to Breathe this week!

Blessings of the calming breath to all who read this.
Shanti (which is 'Peace be Upon you')

AJC 2011 Week 4 - Itinerary: Verb : Stretch

Allongement - Stretch Your Heart

"Today, see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches not only those to whom you can give it easily, but also to those who need it so much." ~Author Unknown
(I LOVED this quote and used it to make the white ripples on the skirt with Tangie's MadHatter Font)
*
Credits:
Quote from Tangie's Wk 4 (Thank you)
Elements, Background papers, heart, wings (coloured and 3'd by me) Tangie Parcel 48 (love that one!) and AJC11 Beginning Parcel.
Tassels: DSA2 embellishment
Sophie Dancer's Belt created by me: AJC11 Beginning Parcel
Photo of me Str-e-t-ch-ing taken by Mr Bear

AJC 2011 Week 4 - Itinerary: Simply Started: I Tiptoed

(Not wanting to wake you)

I tiptoed..

Through The Forest Of Your Dreaming Heart

To Gaze Upon The Pool Of Our Love.

(poemfragment LN)

Credits
Ticket- AJC11 Parcel 01
Border- Tangie Quickitysplit Vol 1
Created Border:Quickitysplitprint Vol 1
Weathered Picture Frame: Bkerr: December Morning
Maxfiedl Parrish Enchanted Prince: c/r free Dover Publications

Gems of Virtue: Maryam and Nicolai

The Story Thus Far:
The following was found in the back of the old framed photochrome that belonged to Great-Aunt "Granty" Miriam (Maryam) and in a secret compartment of her battered Steamer Trunk.

A faded letter from Nicolai
(who was he? as far as we know Granty never married and last we heard was a professed Orthodox Nun who died in a Beirut convent),
some photographs,
an orange blossom botanical card,
a bar of orange oil soap still in its wrapper,
dried orange peel
an Eastern Orthodox 'lestovka or Ladder to Heaven',
and most surprising of all, cut and polished rubies, citrines, emeralds and amethysts.
(These were secreted in the bar of orange oil soap and it was only when I unwrapped it and bits of the soap fell away, that the gems were exposed)

Orange blossom is traditionally associated with Betrothal - is this why the botanical card was enclosed?

* Note to my faithful readers: (all 7 of you ) This is a A Story..I wish to heaven I had a real Granty Maryam who left me all those gems... But just in case you thought the Story was Real..it's only real between my heart and head. (If you believed it true, then I offer my sincere apologies but even so, believing in my tale is the best compliment any StoryTeller could ever hope to have.)

Artspiration Challenge #63 - Life's A Bicycle...

Our challenge for January - base your 'artspiration' on the this wonderful and colourful Ad (provided by Tangie Baxter at Scrapbookgraphics.com)

It so reminded me of my trip to France May 96 where on my way to the airport, my friend Vicki stopped at this small out of the way Chapel: Notre Dame Des Cyclistes - yes that's right, A Chapel Dedicated To Cycling!

Apparently the Italians had one first and as the local priest was an avid cyclist and the Tour de France does on Occasion Zoom By this area..well the rest as they say is 'la histoire'.

From Wikipedia:

'The chapel includes a stained glass window designed and created by Henri Anglade, a former rider of the Tour de France, to represent cycling. It was reportedly intended to celebrate a thaw in the intense rivalry between Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, as they shared a bottle (bidon) on the Col d'Izoard during the 1952 Tour de France.'

Credits:

Location finder: Tangie Baxter Field Notes (Spring)

Photos: Poppyfield, Gates, Stained Glass window (mine)

Theatre and curtain (paid private d/l)

3d Notre Dame Bicycle wheel (created by me)

For Balinda

BB x LN

AJC 2011 Itinerary- Week 3 - Verb of the Week and Simply Started

Simply Started: I Wonder



Verb of the Week: Travel

TTJ!

BBxLN

Too Many Late Nights Watching Ellery Queen Mysteries

I love murder mysteries, especially those set in the 'gumshoe' era of the late 1940's: Ray Chandler, Ellery Queen to name just a couple.
When I saw Fifi's pages on the SBG site, I was inspired to go hunt out Clementine Designs, at DeviantScrap, download her Ladies and Gents kit and well..here is the result.

I call it: 'She Hated Opera, But Most Of All, She Hated That Hat (as well as Its Owner)

Did he escape Certain Death by nipping outside during Intermission for a quick smoke and leave his hat behind?
How did the Mysterious Lady in Red manage to cause the Chandelier to fall?
(Was she in cahoots with the Phantom?)
And what is the meaning of the Queen of Clubs? A call to Ellery Queen perhaps?
Blessings to those who like Late Night Mysteries.
Shanti

AJC 2011 My 1 WORD Canvas Creation

I Fought with the FLOCK (sticky back and intricate - good luck)
I Messed with ModPodge,
I Dried it with a Blowdryer and covered my mess with a light blue sharpie pen.
All in all, I had a great time creating this!
TTJ!
BBxLN

AJC 2011 Itinerary - Week 2 - Simply Started: I Can

Sophie and I traveled to this cute local bistro that we know and after a few cups of Ginger Green Tea, I got up and danced the 'Yes I Can' Can Can!

TTJ!

Blessings

AJC 2011 Itinerary- Week 2 - Verb of the Week: Thrive

Mr Bear walking in his beloved woods (close to Quail Hill). His Number One Goal when he gets that kidney will be traveling to Italy, seeing the Coliseum and walking the Appian Way.
TTJ! (to the Journey!)
Blessings.

AJC 2011 Itinerary- Week 1 - Simply Started: Simply Stated: I Want

or perhaps with a less demanding tone: 'Je Desire'...

I present to you my longed for Cabinet of Desire.

Perhaps tomorrow I may find it at Canadian Tire or Rona? Fingers crossed.

AJC Adventure Quest:: 2011- 1 Word Dedication Page

With this page, I decided to 'secretly-code-in' my 2011 Word - 'BreakThrough'.
See if you can spot it.
BB x LN

AJC 2011 Itinerary -Week 1 - Verb of the Week: Process

Hidden in the Itinerary Thread was the Verb of The Week...o dear..Hurriedly I had a lie down and a good long think and then decided what I would do with that pesky word: PROCESS

Here t'is.

Not bad for someone who created this Without the Bean this morning.(OSCM 0 so clever me)
It reads as follows: P - Papers, R-Redo, O-Outfit and so on. (P.R.O.C.E.S.S.)
BB
Shanti

AJC Adventure Quest:: 2011 - 1 Word

My word for this year is BREAK THROUGH!

Here Sophie is nosing her way through the Portal of the Year (she has found an Opening) and off we go, into another land bathed in sunshine.
TTJ! (to the Journey!)
Shanti

AJC Parcel 01 - MyWord - TopsyTurvy

A bit of TopsyTurvy (one AJC'er likened it to a Tarot Card)

Title: Searching 4 MyWord(s) & ReCreating My (lost) Wor(l)d(s)

1st View - Going There
2nd View - Back Again
The idea was to have it as a Journal Page; writing on it as I start and then finishing it off when I returned.
Blessings on your journey
Sophie/me

Art Journal Caravan 2011 - First Assignments

Introducing My AJC Travel Companion: Sophie

(who is having a Serious Problem with My Luggage...)

So What the heck is the Art Journal Caravan?
It is a forum/group on Scrapbookgraphics where you join up for a year's membership and every Friday, you receive a new digital packet jam packed with supplies, papers, ephemera and inspiration.

This was my first Assignment for 2011

1. Create a Book Cover

I went ahead and also did a Frontispiece - Labyrinth Calendar Page


and took part in one of the last 2010 packet challenges: Aspire

2. Write a Letter to Yourself to be read weekly/monthly while on this Journey.

3. Uncrate your camel -
well in my case, She arrived 'uncrated' and rather miffed at having traveled 1st Class on Air Afrique, was reduced to riding on TOP of the Greyhound bus to get to me.
To soothe her feelings, I bought her a Genuine Cowichan Tribal Toque and winter woolies to keep her warm.

To The Journey!