Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Haiku Monday Winner...

Hi folks and welcome to Haiku Monday
 "Winners Circle"
 at The Palais...



Another fine week of fabulous entries. You people sure don't make a guys job easy when it comes to judging!!!


Being the novice that I am I think everyone's entries have excelled in capturing a glimpse of this weeks theme "Memory" in a gloriously fleeting moment.


 
The entrants and their offerings are posted here below for your reading convenience.
And for those that do have blogs and have "visuals up"
just Clickerate on the Name and pop over for a visit....



Moi:


Stumble-stepped old dog
Tilts nose to summer breeze. Sniffs:
Tales of glory days. 



A lovely visual prompt... and having had an old stumble-stepping dawg myself (Sir Fred) , this immediately bought a smile to my face in  remembering him... Thanks Moi

~oooOOOooo~


Das deutsche Oberleutenat's Frauline:

Heidi's bright blue vow
quickly faded. Soon, she wrote
a "Dear Hans" letter.



Trolls ability to evoke imagery is wonderful with a wry sense of humour, playing on Madama Streep in one of her early roles... Coupled with a sensational picture of forget- me - not's in bloom... giving a real sense of pathos to this Love story... which like unlike the enduring sentiment of the flowers... is about to be cruelly killed off via nothing more than a note.... Poor Hans!

~oooOOOooo~


The Mighty K9; Nanny Killa:

Misty watercolours?
Shut the hell up Barbara;
“Big” did it better

This one made me laugh out aloud! That Killa K9 speaks to my sense of humour. I had visions of Bab's neighbour hanging over the fence and screaming this at her... mid warble and slurr! 


~oooOOOooo~


Czar: 1

What happened might have…
What didn’t may as well have
Memory trumps truth.


The last line of Czar 1 I can really appreciate. Everyone interprets the truth  through the filter of memory differently. Two people can witness the same event and both will have different recollections of what happened. Cards on the table Czar!


Czar: 2


Young Eddie Myrphy,
Little rascally. Buh-weet
Says “Amemba me?”

This second entry of Czars almost had me Stymied. Then I "amemba'd" Mr Murphys stand up routine about the characters names in the movie. 
Clever clever word choices. 

~oooOOOooo~



Fuscia-hued corsage
Supple, fragrant bloom pressed flat.
Hope for love preserved.

Fleur has again matched  the emotion of her writing with the visual of  a single pressed flower in the pages of an old book. It evoked memories of pressing flowers with my grandmother as a child.

~oooOOOooo~



“Summer love resigns!
A slight trace of man’s scent.
Intoxicating!

Deep Blue is a new comer to writing Haiku. His first efforts impress.
Please visit His post for a full immersion in the atmosphere of Haiku...

Just Go... See what I mean and you will thank me later!

Deep Blue's native tongue is French, he has provided Haiku written in both French and   English... No mean feat for a first timer!
(I have enough trouble with English)


Deep Blue: 2

Octobre transi,
L’or des grands saules semble…
Sa chevelure!

Thank you Deep Blue for your fantastic entries and I hope that you are encouraged to continue in participating... For a full explanation of the French haiku go over to Deep Blues blog... and read my friends...

~oooOOOooo~



California;
Seeing Mama’s memory
in Evening Primrose


Again Chickory manages to match the words with her spectacular photography and a most beautiful dedication which inspired the writing...
If you haven't been already... pop over to Chickory's for a read for yourself...


Childhood:

One blonde, one brunette.
Playing jacks on a hot stoop.
Flipping tens to win


 Fishy this week presents us with a delectable menu of written and visual treats...

I see Competing rivals with lightening hands...


Fishy: 2

Peace be With You:

Ephesus sojourn
Mass held in Mary’s garden
Dad holding my hand


a Turkish Delight... and safe...

Fishy: 3

Timing:

1am cell tweet
Awakens heart pounding fear.
Oh God! Keep her close!


The call we all dread...


Fishy: 4

May:

Do you take this man?
To dance with on moonlit sands?
Yep! I did that too :-)




What for good? or just to have and to hold long enough for moondance?


All four, yes 4! Count them! of Fishy's takes on this weeks theme are again fabulous with great visual images... A smorgasbord of tantalising options...


~oooOOOooo~



Casey:

Athens heat lightning
Childs eyes embrace the strange view
dad home from Viet Nam


I immediately saw the small child wondering who this stranger is coming to their home... Amid all the sultriness of a summer evening...

 thanks Casey for entering this week.

~oooOOOooo~






Well there you have it.


Congratulations on all the powerful entries,
It has been a tough call. 

My decision is based on my gut responses to the haiku presented

Kudos to K9 for giving me a good laugh... And Troll for the harshness of a love faded.

I commend Deep Blue for the beautiful ambience created,  obvious talent and the imagery that his French language Haiku evoked for me and am going with first timer "Deep Blue" as this weeks winner.


Congratulations Deep Blue!







Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Georgia On My Mind.....



Hello Dhaaarlings...

Finally after much delay in obtaining appropriate supplies...

Princess is proud to announce that the Winners Prize from the Fabulous Frock Competition and Winter Ball is now completed and is winging it's way to the lovely

"Savannah"



It is a signed original of one of my dress designs which came to fruition for a Very Pregnant Bride.

It was certainly a challenge at the time as you may well imagine.... Made from Silk Dupion at $80.00 a meter I was beside myself with worry that I would make a mistake and ruin the fabric. Consisting of an under gown(Creme)
and over gown with train (Brown) requiring about 14 metres of fabric without the lining for both gowns. The design was quite complicated with lots of knife pleating and the brown over gown caped around to the front joining at the waistline and held in place by a panel of hand stitched beading on contrasting fabric at the  front waist. Hanging from the panel were seed beads, clear tear-drop crystals and assorted small feathers in various shades of creme and brown.  As it turned out these things were the easy part and the very least of my challenges...


 Being 3 months gone at the first fitting the "Bride / Mother to Be's" body shape (naturally) continued to change throughout the whole process.... from fitting to fitting measurements had changed... requiring many returns to the drawing board,  re drafting of patterns, alterations... many sleepless nights and much teeth gnashing and hair pulling!
 (Mine, not the Bride's)

However... by the time the wedding day arrived at 6 months gone... things were pretty much touch and go as to whether her shape would change again overnight and that the dress would still fit on the day!
Fortunately for the Bride she didn't... and fortunately for me it did!... 
The wedding plans all went off without a glitch!... 
(I'd had awful visions of Princess... following the Bride down the aisle stitching her madly into the frock to cover her rapidly expanding girth!)

I met her again some months later while shopping well after the baby had arrived, and again she thanked me profusely for my effort.


I was very proud of my work, and despite the challenges thoroughly enjoyed the experience... though I am a little weary of making another wedding gown...
I think the first question I'll ask be... Not.. "What do you see yourself wearing on your wedding day? But...



"Are you Pregnant?" and if so  the next question is "When are you due?"

Savannah my darling, I hope you like the artwork and can appreciate my sense of attachment to it... It has been an absolute pleasure for me to revisit the adventure...

Enjoy! 

Monday, August 29, 2011

Haiku Monday....

Hello and welcome to Haiku Monday

Leave your entry/s in the comments section below...

I can't say that I'm not a little nervous about hosting this week but I will attempt to do my best.




For those of you in her path... I hope that you have or are surviving Irene's visitation and you all remain safe and dry!
My thoughts have been with you.




This weeks theme is MEMORY





Recollection fades...
If only one could re boot;
a tired old brain









Disconsertion haunts...
Time fogs memories’ recall
Is that how things went?









~ooOOOoo~


I'll be judging Tuesday which is my Wednesday (as I live in the future)
And will post the result late Wednesday Evening...


Thank you all for playing....

Friday, August 26, 2011

Haiku Monday Invitation...and Reminder...

An invitation and reminder for
Haiku Monday... August 29th 2011








It's Haiku Monday!
Remember to enter folks!
Any one can win...









As last weeks winner of the "Badge of Great Honour"
I was feeling quite humbled.... Then I realised that as winner comes the joy and responsibility of Hosting next weeks challenge.

Not only that... but I get to pick the theme and judge your entries!

This seems a rather daunting task, but one that I hope I can do justice to.

The theme for Monday 29th August 2011 I have chosen is


 "Memory"

We may well have had it as a theme before but, I think that it is a broad enough theme to have another go at. 
(Funny... but no one seems to remember exactly...)


So when you are ready, come on over and submit your entry/entries in the comments section of this blog and post an entry on your own blog too if you want...








I'm allowing visuals and or music clips!so get to it folks.


See you all on Monday!

Roman Holiday....












But you said you'd packed the toga's...

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Dragonfly.... Anyone?


Hello Dhaaarlings...

Costuming for "Alice" is getting under way... 

I spent the afternoon Monday  taking the initial measurements for costumes for about 40 of the school students in the production...

I was asked to come up with some ideas for Dragonfly Costumes for some of the primary school age kids that will be extras in some of the scenes

I figured track pants and matching tops in black, brown or navy...
combined with wings... That was the easy part...



The Initial Sketches...







The wings and eyes were a bigger challenge...




But..

 by using a supply of coat hangers, stockings, bird netting, a headband, extra wire, a "Pool Noodle" and some "bitchin' stitchin'! "....

I came up with 2 prototypes.


Et Voila...





1. Dragonfly with net wings...



2. Dragonfly with stocking wings

I think they turned out pretty well with 2 options to show the team at Fridays meeting... I'm thinking I've done good!






We shall see!


Now I'm off to Celebrate my recent win!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Haiku Monday on MyTuesday....

This week Haiku Monday is being Hosted by 


Pop on over to check out this weeks entries or
have a go and enter a Haiku yourself..

The theme for this week is 

"Walk"

Have a great week!


The challenge




Celestial trek
One step is the beginning:
And it ends up where?




Walk on.



Baby steps begin;
Leaping and bounding through life.
A race to the end...




Who would have thunk?


I Won! I Won!  So I guess that I
will be picking the theme, hosting and judging Haiku Monday for nest week!
Yay!



Monday, August 22, 2011

Something Warm and Sassy.....





Just because I feel like it... Dhaaarlings...

Saturday, August 20, 2011

A Costumed Adventure....



Hello Dhaaarlings...



As you may or may not know... Princess has been asked to participate in another costuming adventure....


 "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" 

Initially I had been asked to contribute to the design and making of the costume for ....



No... not Mr Depp


but...

The Mad Hatter...

Following the first planning meeting on Friday just gone, my services have now been extended to not only the Hatter Costume but... 
Assisting with the design and making of the following characters costumes....

The Red Queen and King
The Caterpillar/Butterfly
and the five main flower costumes for the garden scene....






I thought that I would show you some of my preliminary sketches outlining my ideas regarding  the  Five Flowers...


Meet....


"Lilly"




"Violet"


"Daisy"


"Petunia"
and


"Rose"


I'm still working on the other characters but I'm sure you will become better acquainted with all of them over time... I'm certain that I shall get to know them all quite intimately over the coming months..

The next meeting is planned for Friday week... So I hope to have all the ideas in my head down on paper by then and maybe a few mock up hats made ready to present...


Till then Dhaaarlings....


"Off with their Heads"......

Friday, August 19, 2011

Am I Worried???








Do these shorts make my arse look Big?

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Naked Nonsense....

Gracie needs your advice Dhaaarlings...








Like the man said...





Monday, August 15, 2011

Haiku Monday....

I'm finally
back for another go Dhaaarlings....
this weeks Haiku Monday is being hosted by the lovely "Chickory"


So pop on over and check out all the other entries
This weeks theme...

"Pacific"


1.


Great Barrier Reef
Coloured kaleidoscope
Beauty lies beneath



2.



Battle of the North
Japanese unrelenting...
Them yanks sure could fly!