Shells in the Bush: 2018

Monday, 31 December 2018

Reflections on 2018

Reflections on 2018....

Here is some of the art I created....

Mini collage landscapes...

Altered large playing cards...

Each month during the year I provided the Gelatin Printing Enthusiasts FaceBook Group with a challenge/Inspiration...

We traveled to Europe for 3 months...

Health Update - it's been 4 years since my back started hurting due to Multiple Myeloma and then the degenerative discs but this year has been good as I am still in remission and have had minimal back pain though it still occurs when I've overdone things - standing or sitting too long especially when creating art...

I hope you all had a good 2018 and have a great 2019, I'll be back tomorrow with my One Little Word for 2019.

Love and hugs, Shells....

Saturday, 1 December 2018

Creating Calendars

I have created a challenge per month for my Gelatin Printing Enthusiasts Facebook group.

December 2018 GPE Challenge/Inspiration is to create a 2019 Calendar using gel prints.

I have made them for several years now so I have several different techniques:

1. Use a blank calendar and glue on some of gelli prints. Easy squeasy!

2. This is another type that I made. I used this site to print out the months and I glued them onto A3 cardstock along with the gelli print and then created heaps of DIY washi tape and taped down the edges;

I used a hole punch to put a hole in the top and then added a hinged ring on this one and ribbon on the second one I made;

3. I used this site to print out the months and collaged prints onto the reverse - making sure they are the right way round. I made a cover picture then I took them to the local office supplies store and asked them to bind the calendars and they can also punch a hole in the top.

Monday, 19 November 2018

Viaducts and Aqueducts

Here are the photos of all the viaducts and aqueducts we visited on our trip to Europe.

Culloden Viaduct, Culloden, Scotland.

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glenfinnan, Scotland.

Pontcysllte Aqueduct, Wales.

Cern Mawr, Wales.

Cynghordy Viaduct, Wales

Millau Viaduct, France

Amoreira Aqueduct, Elvas, Portugal

Tomar Aqueduct, Portugal

Merida Aqueduct, Spain

Saturday, 17 November 2018

Westgate, Kent, England

8TH SEPTEMBER 2018 WESTGATE, KENT, ENGLAND

We visited family in Westgate on the east coast.

9TH - 11TH SEPTEMBER 2018

I was very sick for a couple of days but well enough to fly home and very glad to be home after such an amazing trip.

Thursday, 15 November 2018

Chatsworth House, England

6TH SEPTEMBER 2018 CHATSWORTH HOUSE, DERBYSHIRE, ENGLAND

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, England

We headed south to England and visited Chatsworh House. I took this photo of the Falkirk Kelpies from the main highway - they have caused accidents...

CHATSWORTH HOUSE aka Pemberley from Pride and Prejudice.

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, England

We had to stop and see on of the most spectacular houses in England and it is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire and it has been home to the Cavendish family since 1549. Why is it spectacular? Every room is huge - twice the normal height, every ceiling is painted, the rooms are furnished, the sculpture hall is amazing, the artwork is beautiful and the gardens are stunning. It wasn't cheap to enter as it is not part of the National Trust but is now part of a family trust and it's a business with a great gift shop, cafes and restaurant. I loved it.

The House has been used in many films and television shows but my favourite is the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice with Matthew McFadyen and Keira Knightly.

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, England

Inside Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, England

Sculptures at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, England

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, England

7TH SEPTEMBER 2018 We drove to cousin Anne's house in Bromley south of London.

Tuesday, 13 November 2018

Bo'ness and Falkirk, Scotland

5TH SEPTEMBER 2018 BO'NESS AND FALKIRK, SCOTLAND

Midhope Castle, Falkirk Wheel and the Falkirk Kelpies, Scotland

Bo'ness is short for Borrowstounness and is a village on the Firth of Forth between Edinburgh and Falkirk.

Midhope Castle is a 16th century tower house and today is a derelict chateau which is famous for being on the television series Outlander.

Midhope Castle, Scotland

Bo'ness Motor Museum - has a great collection of television and film cars, memorabilia and props, as well as a large collection with a James Bond theme. I saw the car from Back To The Future and Harry Potter, knocked on the Tardis but the Doctor was not home, I met Sully from Monster's Inc and a creature from Stars Wars.

Bo'ness Motor Museum, Scotland

Making friends at Bo'ness Motor Museum, Scotland

Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway Station - no steam trains running on this day. This heritage railway has featured in several movies including The Railway Children and The Railway Man as well the Outlander television series.

Bo'ness

Falkirk Wheel - is an amazing feat of engineering and it was great to see the rotating boat lift in action. Photos don't do it justice so I'll go look for a youtube link if your interested then have a watch... Fifty seconds long so take a look... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX6kJKjg4y0

From Wiki "The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. The lift is named after Falkirk, the town in which it is located. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project. The wheel raises boats by 24 metres (79 ft), but the Union Canal is still 11 metres (36 ft) higher than the aqueduct which meets the wheel. Boats must also pass through a pair of locks between the top of the wheel and the Union Canal. The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world, and one of two working boat lifts in the United Kingdom, the other being the Anderton Boat Lift."

Falkirk Wheel, Falkirk, Scotland

Falkirk Kelpies - are a 30 metre high horse-head structure built with structural steel and a stainless steel covering and are named after the mythological water horses. They were awesome!

The Kelpies, Falkirk, Scotland

And for dessert that night I had a Knickerbocker Glory - yum!

Sunday, 11 November 2018

Edinburgh, Scotland

4TH SEPTEMBER 2018 BLACKNESS CASTLE AND EDINBURGH

Blackness Castle and Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

BLACKNESS CASTLE

Our first stop of the day was Blackness Castle - which we loved. Built on the rocky shores of the Firth of Forth in the 1440's this fortress is shaped like a ship. Over the centuries it has been used as a prison and minor garrison and was briefly used in WWI. Blackness Castle like Braemer Castle has an iron yett or gate.

The castle has been used as a filming location - Hamlet, the Bruce, Doomsday, the television miniseries of Ivanhoe and Outlander.

Blackness Castle, Scotland

EDINBURGH

We then traveled by train into Edinburgh to go to the castle, walk down the Royal Mile, through the cemetery to see the views of Arthur's Seat and towards the castle.