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)