Mr. Snowman came out to play which I stamped in black and coloured it up with Gamsol pencils. I sponged on some distress inks in blues along the edges and glued itbon a glitter cardstock. I stamped the saying in versamark and used this Embossing powder that remains tacky so I can place the shiny stuff on top and it glues in place. I added the crystals and the snowflakes.
The Flower Challenge- Stencil It
Tic, Tac, Toe- tttc259 I chose Leaf, Frame, Embellishment
I missed the flower challenge, I missed but I am able to include this in the Tic, Tac Toe challenge. I used these pigment colours that are in jars and I applied it with the sponge applicator over top the Stencil that comes in 3 parts. I decided to use tombow markers to define the edges of the flower. I glued it onto the glitter cardstock and framed it with pear Embellishments.
Last week, this same challenge had Brown for the colour challenge. I took a few scrap pieces I have( ok, I have a ton) and created this card. I had a small piece with snowflakes on it and incorporated it onto the card. I embossed the background with stars and highlighted the stars with a distress chalk ink. I stamped the trees in white and embossed in a white glitter. I put all the pieces together and made this card.
Lee, from Tossing It Out, will enjoy( I hope), my theme this week since he use to be in a circus, from what I understand and was a pretty good juggler. I can only juggle my budget but I’m always amazed at what people can juggle and how much. It’s quite entertaining to watch along with the trapeze artists and even the good ole clowns. There are many films involving the circus including “ The Greatest Show On Earth” which should never…I mean, never have won Best Picture since it was up with “High Noon” and The Quiet Man” and “Singing In The Rain”. I didn’t choose this most obvious choice but went with 3 other movies and none are horror films….
1. TRAPEZE-1956
This film stars Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis and Gina with her 2 Lollas…sorry..I couldn’t help myself..Gina Lollabrigida as members of a circus who work on the trapeze. Burt, who used to work as an acrobat in a circus before he drifted into acting plays a former trapeze artist who did 3 somersaults in the air, or something like that, before becoming injured and now trains people like up and comer Stony Curtis. In comes Gina who will do anything to become famous and who slithers up to Tony but Burt knows what kind of woman she is. Can you say love triangle? It’s quite glitzy and the costumes are great along with the tension on the high wire. It’s a fun movie and Lollo’s amazing figure makes my mouth drop never mind all the men.
2. BERSERK! -1967
Joan Crawford owns this old circus keeping it going in any way possible. She loves the the man of ceremonies showcasing her legs every chance she can get with her hair wound up so tight that she doesn’t need a facelift. She is having an affair with a hunky, younger man who is a bit loose for brains and when there are killings on the circus grounds and business gets better, she is loving it. Is she the one killing people for her business? Who knows but people are dying in the most gruesome ways( poor Diana Dors). I was expecting this film to be bad but I was pleasantly surprised. It won’t win any awards but it’s a fun film to sit back and watch with some popcorn.
3. THE GREATEST SHOWMAN-2017
I really like this film for the story, the songs and Hugh Jackman who portrays P. T. Barnum the way you wish he would have been. Except for P. T. Starting a circus, making it a huge moneymaker and a fire, most is fictional. Tom Thumb did really exist and was the smallest man, at that time who, along with other “Freaks” ( Love the 1932 film called Freaks) appear at Barnum’s circus. Barnum felt it was perfectly fine to have the freak show combined with the circus and really knew how to put on a show. The music is great as is the writing, acting and direction. I love the singing and am glad we have, so far, one film showcasing Jackman’s talent. A worthy film!
For some reason my Lexi loves to sleep by our Harley's butt. Maybe there's more warmth there. This week, over at Curious as A Cathy for the Monday Music Moves Me post, it's about Music that I don't normally listen to and I have chosen 3 songs representing the genre.
1. BABY GOT BACK BY SOR MIX ALOT-1992
I can't stand rap and consider most of it just dreck. There are very few rap songs that I don't mind but most are blecchh to me. This is one song that's just stupid, insulting but catchy. I'd never own this song but I could listen to this over M & M ( yes I know, but I can't help myself).
2. STAYS IN MEXICO SUNG BY TOBY KEITH-2004
I don't care for country music except Johnny Cash and the more rock sided country like "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" but the true twang of country with Conway Twitty and Minnie Pearl..ughh, just give me a gun. Now, that being said, I didn't mind Toby Keith because he brought humor into his music and music videos. This song and the video I found hilarious especially when you take a close look at the guy's family picture. It's a shame he died this year..too young.
3. DROP KICK ME JESUS THROUGH THE GOALPOSTS OF LIFE SUNG BY BOBBY BARE-1976
Twang country mixed with Jesus save me songs.... kill me now.
Ok, some may hate that my last one but each to their own. Some love the religious songs that you hear on the rip off..er..evangelists shows and good for you but I can't hear these...I'd rather listen to fingers on a black board.
Which songs or genres do you dislike or never listen to?
It’s October, we Canucks just celebrated Thanksgiving. I’m patiently waiting for the leaves to turn fabulous colours and Halloween will soon be here. I thought of the many homes that were stars of the film and it was so hard to choose only 3 so, since Halloween is around the corner, I went the spooky route.
By the way…the answers to yesterday’s Oscar music fest is..”Say You Say Me” won the Oscar, “Miss CELIE’S Blues” was nominated and “Rhythm of the Night” got nadda!
Here are my 3…
1. REBECCA-1940
Joan Fontaine ( I truly dislike this pretentious actress as she reminded me of a former colleague I had to work with. I read Joan’s autobiography which resulted in my dislike for her) plays a meek gal who is the companion for an elderly woman when she meets Laurence Olivier who sweeps her off her feet. They marry and he brings her to Manderley, this huge mansion near the ocean. When I saw this mansion and the huge fireplace inside it, I wanted to live there. Well, poor Joan meets the huge staff and, then, she meets Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers who makes the word “intimidating” sound like an understatement. She is the head maid and the loyal friend to Rebecca, Olivier’s first wife, who died under mysterious circumstances. Mrs. Danvers makes it her mission to drive port Joannie insane. Her new husband seems to be cold and aloof and his friends don’t seem to be of much help. This is a gothic romance/mystery/ almost horror film with this beautiful mansion at the core. It is well acted especially by Judith Anderson( the Vulcan High priestess in Star Trek 3) and very well directed by Alfred Hitchcock, of course.
2. PSYCHO-1960
If you have not seen this film…you’ve been living under a rock…lol. It is a justly famous film by Alfred Hitchcock who had to use his TV crew to get this film done. We have heard about the shower scene, justly famous( chocolate syrup was used to simulate blood) and we know Anthony Perkins has mommy issues but we forget that Vera Miles, a favourite of Hitchcock( even though he couldn’t forgive her getting pregnant when he wanted to have her star in one of his films..I think it was “North by Northwest” but I’m going by my fractured memory..please correct me if I am wrong), played the sister of the ill fated Janet Leigh and square-jawed John Gavin was Janet’s love. John is the reason poor Janet( Marion Crane…Hitch had a thing for birds) stole the money( the McGuffin) which set the whole thing in motion. When Marion arrives at the run down motel, it seems dwarfed by the square box of the house at the top of a hill where mother resides with Norman. Most of the time, only the front facade of a home or business was built for a film but this home was built with all the walls and the roof and it is still standing! Nothing is inside it but it stands at the top of the hill and tourists can visit where Norman loses his mind. This is a brilliant film that caused quite the stir when it came out. Love the music and the camerawork. If you haven’t seen it, you need to see it,
3. THE HAUNTING-1963
To me, this is the home to beat because it seems to be alive screwing with the minds of the people who are staying there. An anthropologist with a keen interest in psychic phenomena brings 2 women who seem to have an innate psychic ability. One is an unstable woman who wants to escape her sister’s clutches and feels a kinship to the home and the other is a cynical woman who can sense things. Along for the ride is the cynical owner of the home played by Russ Tamblyn known for his athletic dancing in films like “West Side Story.” This home has cold spots, sounds, footsteps, doors moving, which is quite scary and the feeling the home does not want them to leave. The cinematography is brilliant and the writing is excellent. Forget the horrible remake with Liam Neeson, stick with this one but I will give a shout out to the TV mini series that was on HBO or Netflix or whatever, I got this series for Christmas. It’s well done although the ending was just ok for me but it is eerie. I still love this film.
Which homes seem to take centre stage for you, in films?
Over at Monday Music Moves Me, I have seen and listened to quite a few 80s songs so I decided to chose a year from the 80s and went with 1985. Let’s see if you will get who won the Oscar, who was nominated and which song got nadda…
1. SAY YOU, SAY ME BY LIONEL RITCHIE
Say You, Say Me…say Goodbye. This was the heyday for Lionel Ritchie who had several hits in the 80s and this one came from that blechh film, “White Knights” starring Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov. I was so looking forward to the dancing but the camerawork forgot all about what Fred Astaire said, “show the whole body not just the feet” and would show their faces and just their feet, go slow mo when dancing off some table…ughhh.
2. RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT SUNG BY DEBARGE
This song was written by Diane Warren for the film” The Last Dragon and became a big hit for this musical group. This is a movie I have not seen and doubt I will since it’s about Martial Arts with a young man, who adores Bruce Lee and wishes to become a master and glow..yes, glow. I do like Kung Fu and I do like the amazing work that Jet Li does and Jackie Chan but this just sounded like Ralph Machio would pop up somewhere. I don’t mind this song though.
3. MISS CELIE’S BLUES SUNG BY TATA VEGA
This is an excellent film by Steven Spielberg tht put Whoopi Goldberg on the map as a young girl, brutalized by her no good husband who is awakened to who she is as a person by Margaret Avery. Margaret Avery appears to be singing but she was dubbed by Tata. I guess Marni Nixon wasn’t available ( she was the go to gal in the 50s and 60s who dubbed many stars of the day). Oh, a gal, named Oprah Winfrey made her big screen debut in this film and did a great job getting an Oscar Nod in the process.
So, which one do you think won, which was nominated and which just got a carrot stick?
Best Actor had a variety of roles this year with James Dean, Rock Hudson and Laurence Olivier all in the Oscar Pot. I believe one man should have won for 1956, but wasn't even nominated and here we go..
1. JOHN WAYNE IN THE SEARCHERS
Despite people either loving him(that's me) or hating him, he deserved to win the Oscar as the Indian hating former soldier who is on the hunt to find his niece(played by Natalue Wood). The gentle looks Ethan( Wayne) gives to his sister in law, speaks volumes. When he sees his brother's home on fire, he knows they are dead and his first thought is of his sister in law. When he sees her dead, his brother and their son and the 2 girls taken, hate takes over. A posse is put together and along with the adopted son of John Wayne's brother, who was not home when they were ambushed, they take off after the girls. The posse gives up but not Wayne or the Native American son, played by Jeffrey Hunter, who drive on for 5 long years. This film is directed by John Ford and you can tell by the look of the film with Monument Valley taking center stage. You have Ford's stock company of actors Wayne, Ward Bond, Harry Carey Jnr., Patrick Wayne and the wonderful Hank Worden who all have great characters. Wayne is amazing as Ethan, a troubled man moving towards his goal of finding Scar and killing him. His rage is his mission and you are scared once he finds his niece since she has been raised by the Commanche. Will he kill or save her. It’s a must see western.
2. YUL BRYNNER IN THE KING AND I
I was lucky enough to see Yul Brynner in the 1980 production of The King and I in Toronto. It was so much fun to see him in his iconic role. He played this role, on Broadway, with Gertrude Lawrence before taking it to film. He is excellent as the king and he has a great rapport with Deborah Kerr as the governess who is to teach the English ways to all his children and his wives. They are at odds but grew to have great respect for one another. It's a lush musical by Rogers and Hammerstein with great costumes and the music is sublime. He did win the Oscar and I'm not upset that he won but it should have gone to John Wayne.
3. KIRK DOUGLAS IN LUST FOR LIFE
Kirk Douglas was born to play Vincent Van Gogh and this is a great film that Kirk eats up the screen every moment he is on film. Douglas plays the tortured soul of this Famous Dutch painter who had trouble hanging on to any friend which included Paul Gauguin, played by Anthony Quinn in his Oscar Winning role for Best Supporting actor, who just can’t deal with Van Gogh. This is quite a good movie based on Van Gogh and Douglas really showed this artist in all his bravado plus he looks like him to boot! It is worth checking out.
Do you agree with me or do you feel someone else deserved the win?
The Moody Blues… one of the great bands to come out of the 1960s that captured so much intelligence and artistry especially in the phenomenal album, “Days Of Future Passed”. I have many of their albums but could get a few more. I didn’t go with my other favourite, “ABBA” because they are not a band as much as a group in my way of thinking but I do love them. I am joining Monday Music Moves Me which is all about your favourite band or songs. So here we go…
1. NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN-1967
Might as well start with their most famous and iconic song that we all know so well. I love everything about it including the poem at the beginning of the album and this one, at the end. I love how they used the London Symphony throughout the whole album culminating in this great composition.
2. ISN’T LIFE STRANGE-1972
This song is from the album, “Seventh Sojourn” which includes one of my all time favourites, “For My Lady” which I posted here a couple of times. This just makes me think how strange life can be no matter what age or time we are in. This song resonates today as it did back in the day no matter what is going on in the world or in your own life. I love it,
3. I’M JUST A SINGER IN A ROCK AND ROLL BAND-1973
This is just a fun song written as an answer to many who thought the Moody Blues were some philosophical gurus when they just wanted to write music. This was put on a 45 on the A side with “For My Lady” on the B side ( one of my all time favourites). This is, of course, from “Seventh Sojourn” as well.
I could go on and on but I shall leave it with these 3. What band or songs are your favs?
