Wed Stamper/Ludus

Ludus means Game in Latin. The main image is an antique French playing card.
All stamps: Stampsmith.

Tarot

Thought to add a link to the Wed Stamper from my old Tarot card, and then realised there is no stamping used on this piece. The actual card is one of those novelty gigantic playing cards, that I altered. I used an antique Tarot image, and collaged it with BG papers, plus added texture with 3-d paints.

Wed Stamper/Joan of Arc/Fleur-de-Lis

The image of Joan of Arc (Jehanne La Pucelle) is taken from a painting by an unknown artist of the Franco-Flemish school, I added a few touches of acrylic (gold) and darkened the lines with black.
Joan of Arc, also known as Jeanne d'Arc,[1] (c.1412 – 30 May 1431)is a national heroine of France and is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.

Fleur-de-lis appears on the flag and also in the corner.
Stamps used: Saint (Stampington), Illuminata (inkadinado), Medieval plate (Stampsmith)

Wed Stamper/Turquoise/St Catherine of Alexandria

I have found this little turquoise talisman in a changing room on the floor, it obviously fell off someone's bag, or dress. When I showed it to the girl working there, she dismissively waved her hand, so I took it with me.
So, here is a real turquoise for the week's challenge, as worn by St Catherine of Alexandria.
Legend states that Catherine was the daughter of Constus, governor of Alexandria in Egypt. She is said to have received a "most splendid education." She declared to her parents that she would only enter into marriage with someone who surpassed her in reputation, wealth, beauty and wisdom. Catherine's mother was secretly a Christian, and sent her to a hermit who told her of a youth who surpassed her in everything, such that "His beauty was more radiant than the shining of the sun, His wisdom governed all creation, His riches were spread throughout all the world."[1]

Having prayed and received a vision that urged her baptism, she became a Christian and was transported to heaven in vision and betrothed to Christ by the Virgin Mary (this ancient theme of a mystical marriage to a deity is familiar in the ecstatic mythology of the eastern Mediterranean and Anatolia). (See Wikipedia for more on Catherine).
Stamps used: Stampsmith
Papers: Basic Grey

Wed Stamper/Anastasia

Here is my Anastasia in turquoise. Stamps used: Stampsmith & PM (swirl).
Background paper is a wallpaper sample.

Anastasia stamp is by Stampsmith.

What happened to my "babies"?

Once you send your pieces to a competition, it's a farewell, as they tend to give the cards to the charity shops and sell them, and you will never find out whether someone bought them, or they are still gathering dust in the shop, where they loved, or binned after one glance.
The Gypsy card (based on Cohen's "Where is my Gypsy wife tonight?") was a r/u in the 7 Gypsies category, and that's all I know. Its further fate remains unknown.
The Journey card disappeared without a trace.
It's like they fall into an abyss.

Autism awareness gallery

The Technique Tuesday site is running an autism awareness gallery.
It shows work of many talented scrappers. I only wish they asked for bigger jpegs, as you can hardly read (and in some cases cannot read anything) what those parents chose to say about their children.
Each one is unique and tells a story.

http://www.techniquetuesday.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=AwarenessGallery

It is a good initiative, as people certainly need to know more about this condition.

Unfortunately some people's ideas on autism are limited to the recollections of the Rainman film.
Who was it among the British politicians who compared one of his colleagues with an autistic person? Very non-pc. I also remember someone's said that Bush behaves like he's autistic. Very insulting to people with autism, I think.
One of the trendy bloggers recently reviewed an old film, and described Hopkins character as cold, autistic, shockingly inappropriate person.
Well, for some people it might be just a fashionable metaphor, but people whose lives are touched by autism might find this very comment inappropriate.
It all comes from ignorance of the subject and having no personal experience of autism-related matters, I presume.
So, I applaud the efforts of the Tuesday Technique to raise the awareness of autism.


If you like stamping, have a look at the stamp Pieces of the Puzzle, while visiting the site. If you buy it, you will support a good cause. I think this stamp is very versatile.
https://www.techniquetuesday.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=7a93c9fa63ad24492e3afdb2f967b37d&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=KPP&Category_Code=Words

to tag or not to tag

"So, the rules are: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to blog about their 7 things and post the rules as well. At the end of your blog you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog. "
Facts is an easy part, finding enough willing people will be more difficult.

1. I believe in reincarnation and past lives. Sometimes when I sleep, I see glimpses of who I was before. When I listen to the medieval music, I have shivers along my spine, as if I am plunging back in the past.
2. I read "Jane Eyre" at least twenty times, and dreamed of marrying a Mr Rochester when I was a girl.
3. My only son is the centre of my universe.
4. Both my niece and my son are called Sasha (Alexandra and Alessandro accordingly), and my username on several forums is sasha (and greensleeves).
5. At home we speak a funny lingo, a mix of a few languages, being an international family. And we have some nonsense words, that are understood only by us.
6. If I won big money, I'd create a gallery for myself and artists that I love.
And also a chocolate shop. lol And donate money to Sasha's school.
7. I am a sensual person.

That gives you some ideas about me, doesn't it?

Wed Stamper/Heloise frame

For this week Wednesday Stamper's challenge, I have chosen one of the heroines of Villon's ballad. Here is my Heloise, in a nun's habit.
The frame is actually a box, so it is a bit like a shrine.
If you ever want to read letters from Heloise to Abelard,
here's a link
http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/aah/index.htm

Stamps used: Stampsmith & Renaissance Art

Où sont les neiges d'antan (version II)

This is a second version that was submitted and published in Simply Stamping magazine, and one of the few works that I am proud of.

Ou sont les neiges d'antan (version I)

It all started with the MWO "Through the glass, darkly" on my forum.
I played with François Villon's "Ballade des dames du temps jadis".

Tell me where, or in what land
is Flora, the lovely Roman,
or Archipiades, or ThaОs,
who was her first cousin;
or Echo, replying whenever called
across river or pool,
and whose beauty was more than human?
But where are the snows of yesteryear?

Where is that brilliant lady Heloise,
for whose sake Peter Abelard was castrated
and became a monk at Saint-Denis?
He suffered that misfortune because of his love for her.
And where is that queen who
ordered that Buridan
be thrown into the Seine in a sack?
But where are the snows of yesteryear?

Queen Blanche, white as a lily,
who sang with a siren’s voice;
Big-footed Bertha, Beatrice, Alice,
Arembourg who ruled over Maine;
and Joan, the good maiden of Lorraine
who was burned by the English at Rouen —
where are they, where, O sovereign Virgin?
But where are the snows of yesteryear?

Prince, do not ask in a week
where they are, or in a year.
The only answer you will get is this refrain:
But where are the snows of yesteryear?