"AND THE WINNER IS "

Today is the day  for the ATC random draw ....Gather round and  let the music begin

 In grand fashion,  all the names  were placed into a beautiful crystal bowl  from the attic of the Grand Lady.

 An elegantly, gloved hand reached into the base of the bowl and  stirred all the paper around and  around, until, quite frankly, the Grand Lady got dizzy.

"  Enough ", she declared ... " Please , choose  a WINNER."  Can you quess who it might be ? I can hardly wait to tell you  ....There were two winners !!!  Yolanda and Dawn .

The lucky participants have been notified and their  prize ATC packages are waiting to be send. Congratulations Ladies  . If you have any questions please drop me a note!

Thank You all, for entering and posting such kind comments . Your  teatime visits are most welcomed and enjoyable.

" LOVE NOTES "

Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh.

SCARLETT

You're a fool, Rhett Butler; when you know I shall always love another man.

RHETT

Stop it. Do you hear me, Scarlett? Stop it! No more of that talk( he kisses her)

SCARLETT

Rhett, don't. I shall faint

RHETT

I want you to faint. That's what you were meant for; None of the fools you've ever known have kissed you like this, have they? Your Charles or your Frank or your stupid Ashley?(they kiss)

RHETT

Say you're going to marry me.Say yes. Say it.

SCARLETT

Yes

RHETT

Are you sure you mean it? You don't want to take it back?

SCARLETT

No

RHETT

Look at me and try to tell me the truth. Did you say yes because if my money?

SCARLETT

Well, yes. Partly.

Drama, Drama, Drama...  Isn't it wonderful ... Love is  drama and so are the sentimental remembrances of love's expressions in Victorian times. 

While modern  Love dominates itself with buying love  from storekeepers shelves  filled with  chocolates, jewels and lingerie... Victorians concepts display a more personal approach to courtship and this thing called ....  " Love "

Imagine receiving a magical folding "Puzzle Purse Valentine".... This secretive little technique folds up into such a tiny packet , that a message  could easily be slipped into a loved ones hand without any one noticing.

Don't you just adore the intrigue !!!! I'll bet they met one another  in a sun drenched   garden, by a pastoral river on a deserted, dusty path filled with the scent of lilacs ...

 Can you imagine opening up each numbered little fold to gradually view the images and love messages and poems written especially for you? . AH ..My heart be still ( fan yourself and cool down ladies  )

The prize is in the center where a romantic image or special memento such as a ring or lock of hair is received ... Well,  I don't care much for the lock of hair,  but PLEASE ...  I'd love the ring( Ha ha)  .... It's a ruby surrounded by precious diamond and engraved with I love you... Sigh !!!!

I'm still practising this paper technique trying  to duplicate it's  design... It's alittle harder than one might think ( Tee Hee )


Yes .... Victorians were very creative and I dare say, that most men and women  utilized their  artistic talents in one way or another.... Here's another amazing handmade token of love... that I found.

This 1850 Valentine is two delicate, pink paper hearts woven together with an additional 8 tiny gold paper hearts added, then  woven into the corners.  In the center, is what I call the "jewel" ...  another even tinier woven heart and a hand sitting on top of a carefully woven knot of love that has been tenderly coiled by a lock of the owners hair. How romantic and ingenius can you get !!!! ... I would imagine, it was made by a young girl.

Our modern cards bear little resemblance to the paper confection of the Victorian era with their lace, ribbons and handmade  beauty... However the  visions of romantic love is a message that spans centuries and is intertwined  into our culture and history every February... Thank goodness....  Where would I be without my heart shaped candy box...  Hmmmm .... probably thin and  gorgeous  !!! Va -va -Voom

Luckily .... There is a trend to once more  create and embellish cards declaring not quite the  undying love of the years gone by, but a love that lasts an undisclosed week or two( ha ha) Hopefully longer... I've been married for 35 years to my Prince Charming... How about you ladies?

In the true spirit of the  Victorian Lady ... you might want to try your hand at making a little love note or heart for someone you love.. and it doesn't even have to be Valentine's Day ... It could be a" Just Because "day.

SHHHHHHH...It will be our little secret ...I won't tell any of the teatime ladies !!!... during the gossip session.... Now ... Would you like a scone  with your tea?

" HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY "

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU ALL ..Please enter a comment on  " GRAND LADY AWAKE"( below)  and your name will be entered for a random draw  ATC prize package from the Grand Lady on February 28th . She'd love to hear from you... Have a LOVELY DAY.

" GRAND LADY AWAKE "

 

A dream is worth a thousand words. At the moment, the castle mistress lays sleeping, waiting for Prince Charming to awaken her with a Kiss ... WAKE UP, WAKE  UP !!!  It could take another century to find him...z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z. In the meantime ....  PLEASE COME IN  !!! 

Today's the Day .... The sun is shining and the "Grand Lady " is opening her doors to you and to the cyberspace world. She needs to  dust off her  dresses, tidy her  boudoir, re-apply her make-up and fix her hair, after all, it has been 112 years since the old girl has seen the light of day.

Please sit down, have  a cup of tea and a friendly  chat with me. The Grand Lady will be  a weekly blog, that is filled with everything Victorian, for you to create, make, bake and chat about. It will be a  gathering of ...  THEE ...  Grandest,  Cyberspace  Ladies, who ...  heaven forbid ... dare  to chit chat,  read tea leaves, gossip and share their inner most secrets ...

Here, I will post my most intimate creations and dreams and sprinkle it with  just enough hearsay, to  start the gossip going .... How very naughty of me !!!  ( Tee Hee)

Would you like two  or three lumps of sugar in your tea?  By the way... Do you  like to create ATC's ? What are they, you say? ... Well, my dears ...  Here are a few of my teatime creations and a small tutorial to guide you, in your creative endeavours.

Collage work dates right back to the late 1800's when  Victorians saved pictures, cards and drawings to enhance their  rooms and homes ...  Most, everything was created by hand .

Did you know  that Scrapbooking is a present day version of the scrapbooks used by Victorians, to keep and display their card collections. The cards that we now call ATC's or Artist Trading cards were shown for pure enjoyment and bragging rights of the gracious hostess. They were a valued past-time and a conversation piece for envious guests ... Why don't you try making a few of your own!!!

ATC DIRECTIONS:
Use a cereal box or water color paper
Cut into 2.5 x 3.5  pieces or cards
Find some magazine pictures or card images that you like
Gather some  ribbons, feathers or other odds and ends of pretty papers
Recycle, recycle, recycle your broken beads.
Arrange your treasures on the card.
Add a little glue and a little glitter.
Apply some words with a ink stamp.
You can be as creative as you want.

It's easy , its fun and it's Victorian. If you have any questions  or comments  don't hesitate to ask or to jot them down for me... after all ladies ... What are friends for ? Hmmmmmmmmm .     Leave a comment to enter and  WIN an ATC package from the Grand Lady... February 28th /2011..... Won't you please come again !!! xoxoxo