3 Gypsies on Portobello Road

A few years ago...now that I think about it MORE than a few years ago, mom and I flew over to London...met up with mom's sister Mary for a grand adventure. When we returned, I had all kinds of plans for a fantastic scrapbook of the trip. Of course life got in the way...the trip... photos, journal and all the trip ephemera are still sitting in a box, waiting for me to find the time to create the fantastic scrapbook.
You can imagine my excitement when the new 7 Gypsies Lillie paper came out and I was asked if I wanted to create a design using "Adventure and Elen" paper, the paper tape and a 7 Gypsies Shadow Box tray.

Finally I would have a chance to get a bit of the London trip archived. I sanded the edges of the tray to give it a well traveled look...the outside of the tray and the sides of the little ledges inside of the tray were covered with all three of the paper tapes. The Shadow Box tray has a brass handle with "7 Gypsies" stamped on it...I covered the 7 over with a large 3...because after all there were three of us on this adventure.

While we were in London we took the Eurostar through the Chunnel for a day trip to Paris. Of course we visited the Eiffell Tower.

Back in London we did all the touristy things...the British Museum, Harrods, Westminster Abby and the Tower of London with it's huge black ravens.

I had never heard of London's Portobello Road... Aunt Mary had found us this adventure.

It is the home of the Portobello Market. On Saturday the street is full of people exploring the antique stores, sidewalk flower shops, pubs and wonderful bakeries.

The ideas for the scrapbook are still sitting in the box with the photos and travel journal...but I'm glad a little bit of it is seeing the light of day after all this time.

Paris, Ostriches and Clark Gable

New York has the life size fiberglass Cows...San Francisco has the over size fiberglass Hearts and Chandler Arizona has 6 1/2 foot Ostriches. Why Ostriches...because back in the early 1900s women wore big fashionable hats loaded with Ostrich feathers. The founder of Chandler...Dr. A.J. Chandler raised Ostriches...so we have decorated 6 1/2 foot Ostriches placed here and there in Historic downtown Chandler.
When mom was here last weekend to took a field trip downtown to see the decorated Ostrich in the lobby of the famous San Marcos Resort. This Ostrich was decorated by Ann, one of the very creative students in the Heritage Scrapbook class I teach at Mystic Paper, and Diane, an artist friend of hers.
The Ostrich was title "Clark Gable on the Golf Course". All dressed up in golf shoes, plus fours (old style golf pants), golf club and a bow tie. And as a matter of fact Clark Gable did visit the San Marcos Resort and no doubt played a round or two of golf there.

From there mom and I took a short walk down the block from the resort to "The Art on Boston" an art gallery...on Boston Street.
Lisa, another very creative student in my class, had made decorations for a "Paris" Christmas Tree displayed at the gallery. The tree is part of the local merchants "World of Trees" contest. Lisa had some glittery frames she embellished with red Dresden trim, and inserted a image of Marie Antoinette to hang on the tree. She also made red, white and blue die cut Eiffel Tower ornaments decorated with Sticklers.

Mom and I each took a ballot and voted for the "Paris Tree".

A Day Trip to Paris

I turned my Design Team project for the month of
April in to Mystic Paper today.

You remember all those luscious (Creative Imaginations... Samantha Walker) patterned paper and epoxy stickers I got in my kit... along with a few added elements I designed a Paris travel book. I used the photos and journaled a day trip I had taken with my aunt and mom to Paris.

I broke out all the toys, distress ink and ribbon...

I made fun flowers using Prima Flowers, glimmer mist and Stickles...


I then made some using pink lace, beads and rhinestones.

Next time you are in Mystic take a look at the book,and if you have the time read the journaling...

it was very much one of those trips you never forget!

Sheri has her project, a 7 Gypsies paper bag book posted on her blog. You can see it there. Yasu has posted the fun project she made on her blog too. Lindsey's computer is down for a bit. Keep checking in to see her Design Team Project. In the mean time you can see her designs "in real life" at Mystic Paper...along with the rest of the Design Teams creations.