This card pictured above is one I made a while back. I liked the layout so much, I decided to make a bunch more. I cut and stamped everything and had put together a card kit that I took to TN, but this was one of the kids that my mom and I wasn't able to get to, so I thought I'd go ahead and assemble it. I used Mini Brads from the Eyelet Outlet on the cards when I made them before, last night while assembling all these cards, I decided to leave the brads off. Everything is laid out and ready to be put together.. yeah!! When I started putting these together I didn't realize how many layers there was... I am running very low on adhesive.. like ONE box left.. yikes! so I was trying to find creative ways to get these all put together using my ATG tape and Scor-Pal Tape. Here they all are.. all put together. *MEASUREMENTS: card base: 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" scored at 4 1/4" black layer: 4 1/8" x 5 3/8" pattern layer: 4" x 5 1/4" large panel: black layer: 3 3/8" x 4 5/8" pattern layer: 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" rectangle layer: black layer: 2 5/8" x 3 3/8" pattern layer: 2 1/2" x 3 1/4" banner flag: black layer; 1 3/4" wide *I cut mine about 1 1/2-2" because it was going to be tucked up under the other layer and you wasn't going to see it. pattern layer: 1 5/8" wide. I laid the pattern on the black layer and then cut the fish tails, then moved up the pattern paper when I adhered them together. sentiment was stamped on a punched out circle and layered on another punched out circle. *SUPPLIES: card stock: black, cream pattern paper: WeRMemory Keepers Storytime line: Hansel and Big Bad Wolf stamps: Stamps of life Phrases2Say ink: Hero Arts Black accessories: Scor-Pal, Circle Punches and Foam Tape thanks for looking ~ have a great airborne day! God Bless All Our Military.. each and every one of them

Oh my goodness! The new Field Blooms stamp set stamps so beautifully! I've used the new Petunia Pop In Color and the flowers really stand out! This set really allows you to put a card together...

Did you find an old stamp collection in your attic or basement, or perhaps do you have a collection of stamps and are curious how much they’re worth? Either way, we’ve got you covered! In ... Read more

During WWII, countless products were limited in order to help meet the demands both of the military and the citizens back home. Here's a look at what those war ration books and rationing stamps looked like.

Hier ist wieder die neue AWSU-Challenge . Die Vorgabe ein Sketch. Gar nicht so einfach :) Hier ist meine Version davon. Das...

These are the World War II Ration Stamp Books of young William Walton Smith Jr., a teenager from Hazlehurst, Georgia. I do not know anything else about this young man, or what became of him.

I’ll be back a little later today with my project for the Stamp to Share International Blog Hop. But in the mean time, I figured that we could talk a little about the Color Revamp and the ch…

My team participated in a Fun Fold swap this month and I decided to try the Corner Flip card! It is actually so so easy! I am really into the Tropical Oasis Suite at the moment so I used elements from the suite to embellish my card. A fun twist is to stamp the flower images on vellum with Whisper

Welcome to a new hop with the crew at Around the World on Wednesday. On the second Wednesday of each month, the team put together a thematic hop to give you some inspiration for your own crafting. We love it when you try out something new or CAS(E) one of our projects. The team is truly international, with members from each time zone of the world that Stampin' Up! operates. You're with me, in New Zealand - the first place in the Stampin' Up! world to change the date. 😀 This month, our challenge is a "This or That". When I'm making things I often have a moment where I can't decide which colour to use, which DSP is best, which sentiment. Sometimes when I'm prepping classes I make two or three variations before deciding which one I'll use. I doubt I'm alone in that process! This challenge celebrates that process. We were challenged to make two versions of the same card. Turned out that I'd inadvertently done that in last month's hop when I couldn't choose whether to go for a dark or light background. You can see it here. For this challenge I'm going to show you two versions of a card I made for a recent class. I was playing around with a new fancy fold that I saw while participating in the last Creativity Abounds Virtual Stamp Camp. US Demonstrator Lorraine Tierney presented this during the camp using Notes of Nature. These Stamp Camps are worth it for all the new ideas you'll see and the new people you'll interact with. I've experimented using the Simply Zinnia bundle from the Online Exclusives. Here are the two versions closed up. Each card is the same design just with different DSP, sentiments and colours. The vibrant Flowering Zinnias DSP offers many options for different panels, including the panorama background. The sentiments are from the Hooray for Surprises set. Here they are from behind, showing off the message panel. So, if you'd come to my class, which one would you have rather made? Blackberry Bliss/Melon Mambo 'You're the Best'? Or the more subtle Old Olive/Petal Pink 'Make a Wish'? Next up on the blog with another 'this or that' for you to ponder, is the wonderful Leonie Stuart in Australia. If you live in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. I can help you with ideas, get you catalogues and provide you with Stampin' Up products. You can leave a message in the comments or contact me using any of the methods listed in the Contact Me tab at the top of the page. You can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand here. Here's a list of participants, with links, if you get lost or want to revisit someone. Jan Clothier - NZ -You are here Leonie Stuart - AU Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU Cheryll Miller - AU Danielle Kassing - NL Aurélie Fabre - FR Angie McKenzie - US Kelly Taranto - US Chris Smith - US Tricia Butts - US Theresa McEntee - US Bree Renwick - US Lori Willcox - CA Teri West - US Cheryl Hamilton - US

Hello! You’ve reached the final post of our World Card Making Day celebration, and we’re getting merry here with design team member Mindy Eggen! Let’s take a look at her inspiration and your final challenge […]

Identity card of Miss Mildred Le Huray issued by the Controlling Committee of the States of Guernsey [German/English] with German stamp and photograph, Stamped May 1945.

Congo issued this stamp (Scott #511) in 1979, not seemingly related to any anniversary year. The stamp features a Bach portrait as well as an organ and several other instruments. Sometimes foreign countries will include the St. Thomas Church, Leipzig in Bach homage images, but that does not seem to be the case here. A second stamp issued at the same time features Albert Einstein and astronauts on the moon.

Hello and welcome to the Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop for April! Each month a group of creative friends create a project for a theme. Below is an image of all of the crew and where they are from around the globe. Such a talented, friendly and wonderful group of people. Last month I attended OnStage a Stampin' Up!® Event held in Melbourne. I loved catching up with a few of the Around the World on Wednesday Team Members whilst there. Below is a picture of Melissa Gifford, Cheryll Miller, Rochelle Laird-Smith and myself. These beautiful ladies are so talented and I love that we know each other through this amazing design team. This year is going so quick! I can't believe we are in April already. The weather here in Australia finally cooling. We had a severe rainfall here last weekend and there were many roads cut by flooding or small landslides on the mountains that border my home town. It was the perfect opportunity to spend some time in the craft room being creative with my dog at my feet "helping". This months challenge, This or That, had me thinking for a while. I felt I should create a simple card and then step it up, but then, I decided to make two cards with a similar layout and the same products. I chose to create my cards using new product that I chose to purchase for OnStage in Melbourne for the After Hours classes. Something new and so much fun to attend on top of the OnStage Event. The new bundle I chose is the Spotlight on Nature Bundle. The delicate images and gorgeous Dies won me over instantly. These cards are something that I imagined creating with the Bundle as soon as I saw it. Soft colours and the divine die cut circles at the centre of my card. For my first card I decided to layer the beautiful circle die cuts and sit the fussy cut stamped and coloured images on top. The circle dies are adhered together with Dimensionals and I also used Dimensionals to add to the mat layer. I have stamped the two fussy cut images in the new Basic Beige ink before colouring in with Petal Pink and Soft Sea Foam Stampin' Blends. For the background layer I stamped the Sketched Plaid stamp in Basic White ink on Soft Sea Foam card stock and glued that to a mat layer before adhering to the Soft Sea Foam card base. I placed three of the Petal Pink Foiled Gems around the die cut pieces on the circle diecut. On a piece of Soft Sea Foam card stock I stamped the sentient in Soft Sea Foam ink before cutting it out with paper snips. I tied some Linen Thread in a bow and adhered it to the bottom of the sentiment piece before adhering the sentiment with Dimensionals. For my second card I wanted to use the beautiful new neutral Basic Beige for my card base. I felt it would go well with the softness of Petal Pink and Soft Sea Foam. I decided to make a simpler and quicker version of the card above. The Sketched Plaid stamp was inked in Basic Beige and stamped on a Basic Beige mat layer. Then glued to the card base. I stamped the floral image on a piece of basic white card stock in Basic Beige ink before die cutting it with a circle die and colouring with Petal Pink and Soft Sea Foam Stampin' Blends. I stamped the sentiment in Soft Sea Foam ink on the top right hand side of the floral image. I adhered three of the Petal Pink Foiled Gems around the stamped images. Before adhering to the card base using Dimensionals I cut a 10cm length of the new Petal Pink Diagonal Trim and adhered it to the centre of the card front underneath where the circle die layer went. Up next on this months hop is the wonderfully talented Rochelle Laird- Smith. Click on the next blog button below to head to her post. Jan Clothier - NZ Leonie Stuart - AU Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU Cheryll Miller - AU Danielle Kassing - NL Aurélie Fabre - FR Angie McKenzie - US Kelly Taranto - US Chris Smith - US Tricia Butts - US Theresa McEntee - US Bree Renwick - US Lori Willcox - CA Teri West - US Cheryl Hamilton - US Thanks for stopping by! I hope to have inspired you to create two projects with some similarities as I have here. I was fun creating the one with more layers first then pairing it back for the second card.

*MEASUREMENTS DOWN BELOW/ALONG WITH SKETCH. The theme for this month's OWH ODBD Challenge is "SENTIMENTS". Thank you to Our Daily Bread Designs for your support of OWH and our Troops!!! Hooah!! With a theme such as Sentiments, it's a perfect time to use again a stamp set I recently purchased that is made by Stamps of Life called Phrases2Say. I ended up making 10 cards in total. In making these 10 cards, the thing that took me the most time.. was putting the foam tape on the back of these panels. This paper is just too darn adorable. I wish I had bought more packs of it. The paper is some that I bought at Tuesday Morning sometime last year. I am not sure how many were in each package, but they were only .99 cents.. what a deal! also!!! After searching all over the place for mini/tiny brads.. I finally found them and was so excited when my package arrived yesterday.. I LOVE THEM!!! They are from the EYELETOUTLET and only $1.99 for 40. I ordered a whole bunch!!! **THIS IS THE SKETCH I USED: SSSC235 *MEASUREMENTS: card base: 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" scored at 4 1/4" black layer: 4 1/8" x 5 3/8" pattern layer: 4" x 5 1/4" large panel: black layer: 3 3/8" x 4 5/8" pattern layer: 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" rectangle layer: black layer: 2 5/8" x 3 3/8" pattern layer: 2 1/2" x 3 1/4" banner flag: black layer; 1 3/4" wide *I cut mine about 1 1/2-2" because it was going to be tucked up under the other layer and you wasn't going to see it. pattern layer: 1 5/8" wide. I laid the pattern on the black layer and then cut the fish tails, then moved up the pattern paper when I adhered them together. sentiment was stamped on a 2 1/2" circle and I die-cut a black layer using my MFT Circle Stax dies Thank You Sharon for letting me know I had a measurement wrong and missing a layer. I was half awake last night while posting it. I appreciate you letting me know. {{HUGS}} *SUPPLIES: card stock: black, cream pattern paper: WeRMemory Keepers Storytime line: Hansel and Big Bad Wolf stamps: Stamps of life Phrases2Say ink: Hero Arts Black accessories: Scor-Pal, Circle Punch, MFT Circle Stax dies, Tiny Brads from EYELET OUTLET, and Foam Tape thanks for looking ~ have a great airborne day! God Bless All Our Military.. each and every one of them

Need some creative inspiration? Check out this month's Around The World On Wednesday Blog Hop! I hope you enjoy my creation. Be sure to check out all the great projects in the Blog Hop and grab the printable tutorial at https://wp.me/p3SyeK-a9f and don't forget to leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you!

Welcome to the Stamp Review Crew's Happiness Abounds edition! The "Crew" is a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators from around the world who pick a stamp set or bundle to highlight on the first and third Mondays of each month, with a bonus hop if there is a fifth Monday. If you landed here from Lou's blog, welcome! There are seven of us today, and I can't wait to see what the crew did with this fabulous set! Happiness Abounds was at the top of my list for the annual catalog preorder. It's a beautiful 15 piece photopolymer set (floral!) with a coordinating 11 piece Blossoming Happiness die set. Well, you know I love florals and coloring, so.... 😉 I'm kind of not feeling great as I write this, so I'm going to be brief. The first card is more elaborate with dies cuts, punched sprigs, and lots of layers. The blossoms were colored with Poppy Parade (smaller flower) & Sweet Sorbet (larger flower), and the leaves with Granny Apple Green. The second, more simple card, has a repeating image of the flower stamped in Smoky Slate in a chain. It was colored with Fresh Freesia Stampin' Blends and matted on Gorgeous Grape and Distressed Gold Specialty Paper. The greeting was die cut with a die borrowed from the All That die set. Did you notice the tiny "pearls" on the flowers? That's the new Pearlized Enamel Effects. I love that I can make them just about any size I want! That's all I have to share for today, so click "Next" to see what Kristie created, or "Previous" to visit Lou again!

Forget Christmas cards and stamps. This year, share original works by the world’s top artists. First up it’s the Chapman brothers – because nothing says season’s greetings like the Ku Klux Klan and mutant children flashing before your eyes

Awow Blog Hop, Step it Up Fun, Cards for the beginner casual and avid crafter, Around the World on Wednesday blog hop

Bereshit brings us back to beginnings. Four animated interpretations of the first Torah portion, from the mysteries of creation to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Welcome to the Stamp Review Crew's Sale-A-Bration edition! The "Crew" is a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators from around the world who pick a stamp set or bundle to highlight on the first and third Mondays of each month, with a bonus hop if there is a fifth Monday. If you landed here from Kim's blog, welcome! There are ten of us today - I guess everyone loves the SAB offerings! And there is a lot to love!!! I used four of the six stamp sets available, as well as some SAB ribbon and gems. First up is a simple card made with the Softly Sophisticated stamp set. This set is bundled with an embossing folder (which I used on the next card). The Granny Apple Green stems and Pool Party flowers were stamped repeatedly along the bottom of the white panel, and that gorgeous Pool Party Crinkle Ribbon was added below. After adhering the stamped panel to the Pool Party card base, the greeting was stamped and cut with a Stylish Shapes die, and layered over a Pool Party Stylish Shapes die cut. Then Pool Party Opaque Faceted Gems completed the card. The second card was made for a friend who is expecting her first baby (a boy!) this Spring. I chose a kind of neutral color scheme with Soft Sea Foam and Pecan Pie. The images were stamped with Pecan Pie and colored with Soft Sea Foam Stampin' Blends. The image panel was cut with the Countryside Corners dies, and I shortened it by running it through the SCEM with the die moved over a bit. A strip of Soft Sea Foam was embossed with the folder from the bundle mentioned above, and those darling elephants were stamped with VersaMark on the Pecan Pie card base. More Opaque Faceted Gems and a Soft Sea Foam Seam Binding bow finished it off. And finally, my favorite of the bunch...the Detailed Dogwood card. I love it when the dogwoods are in bloom here, so I was thrilled to see this stamp set! I stamped the Granny Apple Green dots on the white background, alternating fully inked and stamped off for a subtle gradation in color. The dogwood blossoms and buds were stamped in Smoky Slate and colored with Bubble Bath and Granny Apple Green Blends, then fussy cut. (Man, I sure could have used some dies for this set!) I then stamped the greeting from Heartfelt Hellos and cut it with a Tailor Made Tags die. After adhering the blossoms to the tag, everything was popped up on dimensionals, with a Bubble Bath Bow and some Berry Burst sequins (Adhesive-backed Sequins Trio) added. That's all I have to share for today, so click "Next" to see what Stacey created, or "Previous" to visit Kim again. Thanks for stopping by! Hello There Product List Softly Sophisticated Bundle (English) Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad Stylish Shapes Dies Pool Party 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Crinkle Ribbon Opaque Faceted Gems Add All to Cart Welcome, Little One Product List Cradled In Love Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) Softly Sophisticated Bundle (English) Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock Pecan Pie 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock Soft Sea Foam 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock Pecan Pie Classic Stampin' Pad Versamark Pad Soft Sea Foam Stampin' Blends Combo Pack Countryside Corners Dies Soft Sea Foam 3/8" (1 Cm) Seam Binding Ribbon Opaque Faceted Gems Add All to Cart Hello Product List Detailed Dogwood Cling Stamp Set Heartfelt Hellos Cling Stamp Set (English) Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock Granny Apple Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Combo Pack Bubble Bath Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack Tailor Made Tags Dies 3/8" (1 Cm) Sheer Ribbon Combo Pack Adhesive Backed Sequins Trio Add All to Cart

Awow Blog Hop, Sketch 102, Stampin' up!, Happiness Abounds Bundle, Scrapbooking layout, memory keeping, masks

Good Sunday morning my stamping friends. How is everyone’s weekend going? I hope you were able to join us yesterday for our Inkin’ Krew World Card Making Day Facebook Event. There were …

A bit of Navy/World War II humor. This postcard is unmailed and has no indication of the publisher or printer, but it almost certainly dates from the early 1940s. It’s definitely pre-1952, as the back...

Good morning and happy Friday! Hope you’ve got something fun planned for the weekend! My card today is…out of this world. Well – sort of! It’s a fun ocean sunset brought …

Hello and welcome to the Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop for March. This month we are celebrating the colour blue with March Blues Monochrome Colour Challenge. Below is an image of where the crew are from around the globe. Such a wonderful group of creatives wanting to inspire you with our March Blues Monochrome Colour Challenge. The beautiful blues chosen for this months hop are Pool Party Balmy Blue Boho Blue Misty Moonlight Night of Navy I love all the colours for this challenge and wanted to make a blue floral card. The Stippled Roses Bundle was perfect for this colour challenge. I have teamed it with the Perrenial Postage Dies. I have kept the card fairly simple with a white card base and mat layer. I cut out a Perennial Postage rectangle in Basic White and blended some Pool Party ink on it lightly with a blending brush. I then adheres to the centre of the card using Dimensionals. I stamped the roses and leaves in Night of Navy before cutting them out using the coordinating dies. I then coloured the roses image only in Balmy Blue, Boho Blue and Mist Moonlight Stampin' Blends. I also cut two of the smaller leves in Basic White card stock. I arranged all pieces and adhered to the front of the Perrenial Postage rectangle using Dimensionals and glue. I stamped the sentiment in Night of Navy ink on Basic White card stock before Die cutting it with the small Perrenial Postage rectangle. I cut a length of Night of Navy bordereed ribbon 1cm larger on either side of the sentiment label. Bannered the ends and adhere to the bottom right of the larger Perrenial Postage rectangle. Up next on this months blog hop is the amazing Rochelle Laird-Smith. Please click on the next blog button below to head to her blog post for more March Blues inspiration. Jan Clothier - NZ Leonie Stuart - AU Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU Cheryll Miller - AU Ximena Morales - DE Aurélie Fabre - FR Mikaela Titheridge - UK Annette Ball - CA Angie McKenzie - US Kelly Taranto - US Sharon Hashimoto Burkert - US Chris Smith - US Tricia Butts - US Theresa McEntee - US Lori Willcox - CA Cheryl Hamilton - US THanks so much for stopping by today. I hope we have inspired you to get those blue inks out to create this month! Product List Stippled Roses Bundle (English) [162667] $94.50 Perennial Postage Dies [162607] $58.00 Night Of Navy 3/8" (1 Cm) Bordered Ribbon [160581] $15.75 Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228] $18.50 Blending Brushes [153611] $23.00 Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110] $15.75 Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [147107] $15.75 Misty Moonlight Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [153108] $17.50 Balmy Blue Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [154830] $17.50 Boho Blue Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack [161659] $17.50 Whisper White C6 Envelopes [106588] $13.00 Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $7.50 Mini Glue Dots [103683] $10.25 Paper Snips [103579] $19.25 Stampin' Trimmer [129722] $50.00 Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653] $223.00 Cutting Plates [150815] $23.00

References: Abbey, J.R. Life in England 212

For this card I've combined everything I love - vintage Parisian stamps from Artistic Outpost's new Paris Exposition collection, the fantastic Antiqued Glimmers technique from the latest Technique Junkie newsletter, vintage paper, old buttons, and lots of Brushed Corduroy Distress ink. I wish the scan could capture the background better - it is so rich and shimmery in real life!

1865 Scott 31 24c blue "Queen Victoria" Quick History This blog post is a way for me to become better acquainted with the British royal family by reviewing the portrait images found in abundance on Newfoundland stamps. I think it is interesting- and telling- that there are more and varied royal images on the stamps of Newfoundland, than for Great Britain itself. Perhaps because Britain was required to show the reigning monarch on the stamps, rather than other members of the royal family? Or, could it be the "absence makes the heart grow fonder" phenomena? I've noticed that, when having the quite popular "High Tea" at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, the ritual was more "English" than England itself. ;-) 1910 Scott 97 15c gray black "George V" Into the Deep Blue I've picked out interesting images on Newfoundland stamps of the royal family to feature here. The focus, though will be on the royal himself/herself, rather than philatelic considerations. A closer look at the royals through Newfoundland stamps 12 Pence = 1 Shilling 100 Cents = 1 Dollar (1866) 1870 Scott 33 3c vermilion "Victoria" Alexandrina Victoria (1819-1901) became monarch at age 18 in 1837. Her mother, from Germany, was Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld, and her father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and the fourth son of King George III. Yes, it took four sons of King George III in order to find a legitimate progeny. ;-) Charles Dickens Oliver Twist was likewise published in 1837, and gives a flavor of the times. The United Kingdom was already a constitutional monarchy, so the queen held little direct power. But she was truly a symbol of "Victorian" times, with its stout morality. She married Prince Albert, her first cousin, at age 21 in 1840. They had nine children (Victoria, Albert Edward < Edward VII>, Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold, Beatrice) between 1840-1857. But her husband Alfred died in 1861 of typhoid fever, and she was devastated. She was age 42. She entered a state of mourning, and wore black for the rest of her life. She blamed Alfred's death on the Prince of Wales ( Edward VII), as the appalled Alfred had just confronted Edward about his philandering ways. Although Victoria is associated with the apocryphal remark "We are not amused", the reality is her family found her "roaring with laughter" on many occasions. When she died in 1901, she had reigned for 63 years. 1865 Scott 27 10c black "Prince Albert" Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel (1819-1861) was the Prince Consort and husband of Queen Victoria. He was born in the Saxon duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. At age 20, he married his first cousin, and they had nine children. Prince Albert Victoria thought him extremely handsome Albert was a man of progressive ideas, and he helped lead reforms in university education, welfare, and royal finances. He was especially interested in applied science. When the Prince of Wales (Edward VII) at age seven was derelict in his daily hour of German and French instruction, Albert caned him. (That was considered normal for a father to do back then.) After his death in 1861, which caused Victoria to be grief-stricken, Albert's rooms were kept as they were, with linens changed daily. 1897 Scott 81 2c orange "Edward VII as Prince of Wales" Albert Edward (1841-1910) was put through a rigorous educational program devised by his father, Prince Albert. But Edward's strengths were his charm and sociability, and diplomatic tact, not his studies. He undertook a tour of North America in 1860. He was immensely popular. (Why is it that Americans are so proud of being monarch free, yet are fascinated by them? ;-) Prayers for the royal family, for the first time since 1776, were said in Trinity Church, New York- a place, BTW, that I visited recently. Arrangements were made for him to meet Princess Alexandra of Denmark by Victoria and Albert, who had already determined that it would be a good match indeed. But he was also gaining a reputation as a playboy, and when Prince Albert died in 1861, Victoria blamed Edward for the death. "I never can, or shall, look at him without a shudder." Victoria denied Edward any active role in governance until 1898. He was of rather large size, and his Sunday meals consisted of roast beef, roast potatoes, horseradish sauce, and yorkshire pudding. His waist measured 48 inches (122 cm) before his coronation in 1901 at the age of 60. With his habit of twenty cigarettes and twelve cigars a day, perhaps it is not unusual that he contracted bronchitis, and died in 1910 at the age of 69. 1898 Scott 83 3c orange "Queen Alexandra as Princess of Wales" Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia (1844-1925) was the Queen Consort as the wife of Edward VII. Her father, Christian, was King of Denmark (reign 1863-1906). Alexandra also married Edward in 1863, the year her father became the Danish king. She was Princess of Wales from 1863-1901. (A long time to wait to become queen ;-) Edward and Alexandra had six children (Albert Victor- died of influenza in 1892, George (George V), Louise, Victoria, Maud, John). She became the Queen mother in 1911, when her second and surviving son, George, became king. She devoted her life to charitable causes: among which was Alexandra Rose Day, when artificial roses made by people with disabilities were sold by volunteers for the aid of hospitals. 1899 Scott 85 5c blue "George V as Duke of York" George Frederick Ernest Albert (1865-1936) was the first cousin of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. He was the second son of Edward VII and Alexandra. The first son, Prince Albert Victor, died of influenza and pneumonia in 1892 at the age of 28. (There were lots of rumors about the life of Albert Victor, including homosexuality, and being "Jack the Ripper".) At any rate, George, as the second son, was not expected to inherit the throne. He spent his early years in the navy under the command of his uncle, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh in Malta. When the elder brother died, he (Albert Victor) had been engaged to Princess Victoria Mary ("May") of Teck. A year after Albert Victor's death, George proposed to her!, and they were married in 1893. York Cottage on the grounds of Sandringham Estate George, unlike his father who was quite sociable, preferred a more quiet life. George and May, as Duke and Duchess of York, lived an almost middle class existence at York Cottage, residing there off and on from 1893-1926. He loved to work on his stamp collection, and heavily contributed to building the Royal Philatelic Collection. His official biographer took a dim view of his philatelic interests, writing: "He may be all right as a young midshipman and wise old king, but when he was Duke of York, he did nothing at all but kill animals and stick in stamps". In 1901, George became Prince of Wales, to help prepare him for his role as a future king. 1901 Scott 84 4c violet "Queen Mary as Duchess of York" Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes (1867-1953) was a Princess of Teck, in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg, although she actually was born and raised in the United Kingdom. "May" was the Queen Consort from 1910 through 1936. They had six children (Edward , Albert ,Mary, Henry, George, John). The two had a very loving relationship. She helped with his speeches, and her thorough knowledge of history and royalty was an asset to King George V. For his Silver Jubilee speech, he paid public recognition to her, saying to the speechwriter, "Put the paragraph at the very end, as I cannot trust myself to speak of the Queen when I think of all I owe her". When George V died in 1936, her first son Edward, Prince of Wales, ascended the throne as Edward VIII. Mary then became "Her Majesty Queen Mary". But there was trouble brewing... 1897 Scott 78 1/2c olive green "Edward VIII as a child" I believe this is the very first stamp portrait of Edward, first son of George and "May". Edward was King of the United Kingdom from January 20,1936 until his abdication on December 11, 1936. Edward (1894-1972) had been Prince of Wales since his sixteenth birthday, and had been next in line for the throne for 42 years. But he flaunted convention and wished to marry an American socialite who was in the process of her second divorce. Wallis Simpson would never be accepted as queen by the people, and, as Edward was titular head of the Church of England that didn't grant divorces if the spouse was still living...well, it would never do. BTW, the British media remained silent on all these matters until early December, although knowledge and gossip about the state of affairs was widespread in the U.S. Causing a constitutional crisis, and refusing to end the relationship, Edward abdicated. He was given the title "Duke of Windsor", shipped off to the far Bahamas as their Governor, and later retired in France. Perhaps it was for the best. King George V had prophetically said: "After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself in 12 months". 1911 Scott 107 4c violet Prince Albert (George VI) For those who have seen the film "The King's Speech", one will know that Albert (1885-1952), the second male in line, was reserved, and had a bad stammer. He married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923 when he was 38. They had two daughters: Elizabeth- born in 1926 (Elizabeth II), and Margaret, born in 1930. With Edward VIII's abdication on December 11, 1936, Albert immediately became King. But the formal coronation did not occur until May 12, 1937. (Edward VIII never had a formal coronation.) Albert ("Bertie") assumed the name George VI to restore confidence in the monarchy and emphasize continuity with his father 1911 Scott 108 5c ultramarine "Princess Mary" The only daughter of George V and Queen Mary, Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood (1897-1965), became fluent in French and German, and took a life-long interest in horses. Fox and Hounds Princess Mary would ride, along with her husband and Master of the Hunt, Lord Harewood, with the Bramham Moor Hunt. Ah, the good old days of Anthony Trollope novels. ;-) 1911 Scott 109 6c black "Prince Henry" The third son of George V and Mary, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900-1974), was in military service most of his life. He was appointed Governor-General of Australia in 1944. 1911 Scott 110 8c blue "Prince George" Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902-1942), was the fourth son of George V and Queen Mary. He was in the Royal Navy until 1929. He was reputed to have had many affairs- both women and men- and to have been addicted to morphine and cocaine. Short Sunderland Prince George died at 39 when his plane, a R.A.F. Short Sunderland flying boat, crashed in Scotland in 1942. 1911 Scott 111 9c blue violet "Prince John" Prince John (1905-1919), the fifth and final son of George V and Mary, was found to have forms of repetitive behavior (autism) and epilepsy by age four. He more or less was kept away from the public eye, and stayed at York cottage under the care of a nanny. His epileptic seizures became worse and he passed away at age 14. Actually, little is known for a fact, because little was ever disclosed. 1911 Scott 113 12c plum "Duke of Connaught" Queen Victoria had six daughters and three sons: the youngest son was Prince Arthur (1850-1942). He served some 40 years in the British army, eventually reaching the rank of Field Marshal.. In 1874, he was given the title of Duke of Connaught. He was appointed Governor General of Canada in 1911. This, perhaps, may explain why Newfoundland issued a stamp for him? 1928 Scott 148 4c lilac rose ""Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) There were other stamps issued for the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) by Newfoundland. As the heir apparent, naturally there was more interest in him than his siblings. There is really, though, little to say that is substantial about him. At this age (34 years old), his main hobby seemed to be bedding married women. He considered the Bahamas, where he was appointed Governor after the abdication, a "third class British colony". As celebrities, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were part of the cafe society of the 1950s in Paris and New York. Gore Vidal once remarked, on meeting Edward, on the "vacuity" of his thought and conversation. 1932 Scott 192 6c dull blue "Princess Elizabeth" In 1932, there is this cute portrait stamp of Princess Elizabeth ("Lilebit") when she was six years old. Why the interest? I can only speculate that, since the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) was not married, and had no children, Elizabeth, as the first child of the Duke of York, was then third in line. 1932 Scott 208 7c red brown Duchess of York (Queen Elizabeth) We have said nothing about Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002), the Duchess of York. She, of course, is the mother of Elizabeth II. When her husband unexpectedly became king in 1936, she, in turn, became Queen Elizabeth. She was widowed at age 51 when George VI passed away. Her daughter, Elizabeth II, then assumed the throne. To avoid confusion between the two Elizabeths, she became known as "Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother". The smiling "Queen Mum" was always highly popular with the public, and she lived until the ripe old age of 101. 1939 Scott 249 5c violet blue "George VI and Queen Elizabeth" On occasion of a royal visit in 1939, Newfoundland released this stamp of George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The real reason for the visit to Canada and the United States of a reigning British King and Queen was to break down the isolationist tendencies of North Americans. Franklin D. Roosevelt and the King and Queen did indeed forge a friendship. Again, I recommend the film "The Kings Speech" for a great portrayal of that meeting. 1947 Scott 269 4c light blue "Princess Elizabeth" Finally, a vignette of Princess Elizabeth in 1947. She married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1947. He was given the title "Duke of Edinburgh" prior to the marriage. Prince Charles was born in 1948, and Princess Anne in 1950. Elizabeth had to stand in for her father often during this time because of his declining health. She, of course, became Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 upon the death of her father. She now has reigned for some 62 years, only a little short of Queen Victoria. Deep Blue 1890 Scott 60 3c slate "Victoria" with shades in Deep Blue I am showing the 1890 Scott 60 3c slate "Queen Victoria" in Deep Blue. On either side is a Scott 60d slate violet, and a Scott 60b brown lilac shade. 1911 Scott 106 3c red brown Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) Big Blue Most of the stamps shown for this post have spaces in Big Blue. A few, for reasons of cost, will not have dedicated spaces. 1941 Scott 256 4c blue "Princess Elizabeth" 1938 Portrait, Age 12- Note the crown hovering over her head Out of the Blue I know much more about the historical British Royal family- and I hope you enjoyed the excursion too. And what a pleasure it is to view these Newfoundland stamps! Note: Pics in this blog post appear to be in the public domain. Royal Comments?

Awow blog hop favourite month, Around the World on Wednesday, Stampin up Christmas card with Eden's Garden Collection

Did you get a chance to join World Card Making Day last Saturday for a free crafting event? It was so much fun and included some great stamping techniques and card designs. I thought it would be fun to share the cards I created during the 3 hour event. If you missed the event, no

Around the World Stampin' Up! Challenge AW17 It's that time again! this month we are working with a Sketch for the Around the World Stampin' Up!

Around the World on Wednesday Blog Hop|Awow|StampinUp Forevery Greenery Suite Card set with Lasercut gold paper|diy handmade

Fresh new banner for our world-wide monthly New at SU! blog hop – and for the new catalog release in May, we are showing off those vibrant new 2024-2026 In Colors! All the RETRO-feels of the …

Illustrated envelopes by Axel Scheffler, Posy Simmonds, David McKee, Tony Ross and more

Welcome to the Stamp Review Crew's Sale-A-Bration edition! The "Crew" is a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators from around the world who pick a stamp set or bundle to highlight on the first and third Mondays of each month, with a bonus hop if there is a fifth Monday. If you landed here from Kim's blog, welcome! There are ten of us today - I guess everyone loves the SAB offerings! And there is a lot to love!!! I used four of the six stamp sets available, as well as some SAB ribbon and gems. First up is a simple card made with the Softly Sophisticated stamp set. This set is bundled with an embossing folder (which I used on the next card). The Granny Apple Green stems and Pool Party flowers were stamped repeatedly along the bottom of the white panel, and that gorgeous Pool Party Crinkle Ribbon was added below. After adhering the stamped panel to the Pool Party card base, the greeting was stamped and cut with a Stylish Shapes die, and layered over a Pool Party Stylish Shapes die cut. Then Pool Party Opaque Faceted Gems completed the card. The second card was made for a friend who is expecting her first baby (a boy!) this Spring. I chose a kind of neutral color scheme with Soft Sea Foam and Pecan Pie. The images were stamped with Pecan Pie and colored with Soft Sea Foam Stampin' Blends. The image panel was cut with the Countryside Corners dies, and I shortened it by running it through the SCEM with the die moved over a bit. A strip of Soft Sea Foam was embossed with the folder from the bundle mentioned above, and those darling elephants were stamped with VersaMark on the Pecan Pie card base. More Opaque Faceted Gems and a Soft Sea Foam Seam Binding bow finished it off. And finally, my favorite of the bunch...the Detailed Dogwood card. I love it when the dogwoods are in bloom here, so I was thrilled to see this stamp set! I stamped the Granny Apple Green dots on the white background, alternating fully inked and stamped off for a subtle gradation in color. The dogwood blossoms and buds were stamped in Smoky Slate and colored with Bubble Bath and Granny Apple Green Blends, then fussy cut. (Man, I sure could have used some dies for this set!) I then stamped the greeting from Heartfelt Hellos and cut it with a Tailor Made Tags die. After adhering the blossoms to the tag, everything was popped up on dimensionals, with a Bubble Bath Bow and some Berry Burst sequins (Adhesive-backed Sequins Trio) added. That's all I have to share for today, so click "Next" to see what Stacey created, or "Previous" to visit Kim again. Thanks for stopping by! Hello There Product List Softly Sophisticated Bundle (English) Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad Stylish Shapes Dies Pool Party 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Crinkle Ribbon Opaque Faceted Gems Add All to Cart Welcome, Little One Product List Cradled In Love Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) Softly Sophisticated Bundle (English) Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock Pecan Pie 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock Soft Sea Foam 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock Pecan Pie Classic Stampin' Pad Versamark Pad Soft Sea Foam Stampin' Blends Combo Pack Countryside Corners Dies Soft Sea Foam 3/8" (1 Cm) Seam Binding Ribbon Opaque Faceted Gems Add All to Cart Hello Product List Detailed Dogwood Cling Stamp Set Heartfelt Hellos Cling Stamp Set (English) Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock Granny Apple Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Combo Pack Bubble Bath Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack Tailor Made Tags Dies 3/8" (1 Cm) Sheer Ribbon Combo Pack Adhesive Backed Sequins Trio Add All to Cart

Hello, Stampers! It’s convention week in Salt Lake City and I couldn’t go again this year! Boohoo!! I am happy that Stampin’ Up! allows us demonstrators who have to stay home and “hold down the fort” an opportunity to see what we are missing! It looks like everyone is having a grand time and with […]

Be creatively inspired! Today's paper crafting projects were designed by the talented members of my Stampin' Pretty Pals Virtual Stamping Community. Links to blogs or Pinterest have been p

Are you looking for a unique way to show your creative side? Check out this stellar out of this world spaceman themed carousel fun fold card and learn how to make it with my video class. Plus, you can receive a template and tutorial. It's a surprisingly easy card that folds up flat and pops up to create a free-standing card that even spins! This card is created with the Stampin' Up! Stargazing Suite of products. It is card #1 in my Carousel Fun Fold Series.

About Canadian writer and suffragette Nellie McClung and the Manitoba museum featuring two of her homes