Fun With The BEATLES!

 
                The BEATLES are...THE best band. EVER. What more can I say? My "fixation" with these guys began way back when I was a tiny girl of around 3 yrs old- and yes, some people CAN remember that far back; especially if there was an event (personal or public) that triggers those memories. And for some reason, I am one of those. My 'trigger' is usually a dream while asleep that I remember upon waking, or more often, a familiar song. Beware: a mind that can hold memories so long can be a Blessing as well as somewhat of a 'curse'- depending on your perspective of the memory. I have no idea HOW I knew who these guys were, as I was born in 1965 well after their initial 'invasion' from Britain, but I did. And if the TV was on and they were being shown on that channel, or their songs were airing on the radio- I certainly could pick them out. (I could hear normally up until I was about 11 yrs old. For more on how my deafness came about- go to my post:                       )
And as one older brother (closest to me in age) became more and more interested in details about The BEATLES, the more I learned about them and my "fixation" was more driven to find out more about them and remember their songs that were my fave picks. Our Public Library was our main source there. Well, that, and the MusicLand Store inside our local shopping mall. :)
      Only kids who grew up before the computer or video games became household items,  knew what it was like to have 'albums'. Not the CD, DVD, cassette tape or even (geeky-so-freaky-man! & state-of-the-art) 8-track tape kind of albums...but REAL albums. Kids call them "Vinyls" now. But I grew up with the kind of player that had a needle/turntable which could be manipulated to play the record in reverse. (OMGosh! I must be ANCIENT!) Since the newest soundworks then were 'mono' or 'stereo', it was a bit of a trick to pick up the clues to find out if Paul was really dead or not. And after those first times; alone in the dark of my room with my head stuck up between the two speakers, listening intently to the 'car crash' going on in reverse... and the sudden holy-poop-scared-outta-me scream I let out in hearing "Iiiii BURRIEeeeeed PAaaaaauuuuulll!" come out of the end of Strawberry Fields Forever- after which, my bro and I argued as to whether it really was "I buried Paul" or "Cranberry Sauce" as John Ono Lennon claimed...there's just no stopping the need to solve that mystery by getting your hands on every album cover you could. Abbey Road really scored some great clues!!
     But alas, I grew up, and got to finally see one former BEATLE- and that he is indeed very alive and very well- on his "Out There" Tour when Sir Paul McCartney played the Indianapolis Collosium on July 14th, 2013- the 29th Wedding Anniversary for the ChiefHubby & I. Walking that famous crossway they painted down on the street in downtown Indy in his honor...yep- cried all the way across. (Along with thousands of others, btw.)
     So. That's my entire inspiration for the craft you are about to see as the reason for this posting. I've included some stil shots after the video, so you can get a closer look. Enjoy the journey back through the years...I DID !!! ;)

The mess on my kitchen table at night....so as not to wake the ChiefHubby. I have a hard time stopping when I'm on a good roll! :)

Probably my fave set of clothes. Took longest time.

Looks like these still need a little sanding on the edges. The drumsticks were made from sanding cut pieces of bamboo skewers. Our older FFCaptSon was a drummer in Marching Band, Concert, and Drum Line for 8 yrs and the Younger PURDUE Nuke Engineer Son and his PURDUE Honors English Comp Wife were Trombone, Jazz Band, Concert and Clarinet for Marching Band and Concert Band also each for 8 yrs. This former Band Mom KNOWS her instuments by now.

  

 All this came up in good timing. The ChiefHubby scored a couple of front-row seats for "Yesterday- The BEATLES Tribute Band" which is set to play Saturday evening at McHale Auditorium in Logansport. He's been to each concert with me to several of the tribute bands: "Tribute", "Rain", "Yesterday", and also twice "1964". (Once in Indiana, & once at a week-long stay at Walt Disney World, when Brian and I both exclaimed aloud "I hear BEATLES!!". As we rounded the corner, I swore I could feel the beat of "She Loves You" while we headed to yet another land in Epcot.Finally, David agreed he heard it, too, and led us all to where "1964" was set up and playing in the gazebo ! It had been raining, so the crowd was pretty minimal, and we sat right up at the front steps and sang along. That was my fave moment of live replay "Here, There, & Everywhere" which -as usual- got my waterworks going big time.
        I'm glad you popped in to see this and hope you've had alot of great musical memories of your own brought back. :')
Hearing is such a PRECIOUS GIFT and we should share it all we can- whatever brings a smile or uplift to another person is well worth the effort and privelige to be able to hear. But then...being deaf...what would I know about that...  ;)

           Be safe & HAPPY BLOGGING!

Booklet Dollhouse With Sizzix Dress Ups Dolls & Clothes

      Hello again! This posting will be a wee bit outta my norm as it will have just one video that shows and explains the Booklet Dollhouse and items, as well as still photos so you can enlarge them onscreen for scrutiny of details. Oh, shoot! I won't be able to do all that typing/talking I love to do! I just know you're all saying "Rats. Rats, rats, rats." ;) For real, huh?? Well, here they are...including the Firehouse and Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto dolls with the Big Red firetruck shown on yesterday's post in a 'sneak peek'. I got 'challenged' by my DiL after she saw the Firehouse (with rolled eyes, of course...haha!) "I hate pink. I hate the GirlyGirlStuff. Where are THE BEATLES?!?" So, next, since I have one more to make anyway...  :D  We'll see. Meanwhile, here's what I've got:

This is the LARGER Booklet. After doing this one, I folded down about 2 inches off the rest of the sacks and made the other three Booklets shorter and more compact. I like the shorter ones better.

You can see from the photo above this one, how I used the FF's turnout coat to cut into jackets by cutting out along the lines of the front and then cutting the neck into a straight diagonal and folding that downward. I used the same technique to make the tuxedo jacket of the wedding outfit. Placed on top of the Policeman's shirttop, it gives a nice double-layered look! I used the police shirt and pants for the men's wear- for the most part. The dresses were simply extra layers and I am hoping to make an exact replica of YgrPURDUEdil's wedding dress that is cut across the of of the bust, and the YgrPURDUEson's tux as well.  ;)

                     Thanks for stopping by again! Keep busy, safe,
                        & HAPPY BLOGGING!!

SEPTEMBER TAG; The 12 Tags of 2014

    What better day to post than on the 13th Anniversary of the very subject of my SEPTEMBER TAG; 9/11? I knew that whatever theme or technique Tim Holtz came up with for his Tag challenge for this month, my own take would involve some kind of remembrance for this date. September cannot get too far from it because of too many other reminders: the 49 years of my ChiefHubby's parents' marriage on September 1st, 1962 (before his Mom's death in Feb 2011), his Mom's ties as the 2nd highest-ranking Civil Service on Grissom AFB for 30 yrs (she loved the RW&B dearly), and not least at all: the ChiefHubby's own birthday on Sept 15th, 1962 (due on his parents' very 1st Wedding Anniversary, no less).

      No real 'instructions' for this one other than; Practice, practice, PRACTICE! with those alcohol inks, stencils and this technique!!! And most importantly: you simply CANNOT do this tech right unless you have that particular alchohol paper. It just will not work right with any other kind of cardstock if you want to achieve the same results Tim got with his. My own colors are muted down with darker-shaded inks for my own preferences. I do love the burst of colors his Tag got, but it wouldn't have made the right impact with the theme I was using. 



The detail of the tag's ribbon is to suggest a kind of bandage for 'healing'. 

I simply ragged-out strips of cheesecloth for this. I think it added the perfect touch. 



Of course, I did color, cut, fold, and glue enough stars for a few Besties who also have special days in September...



...and of course, I also added backsides to each. One of my Besties is married to one of our former GVFD Firefighters, and another Bestie used to BE a GVFD FF- yep, a GURL !!!



      And just because today invloves all Firefighters; here's a special SNEAK PEEK for a post coming out tomorrow!



If you don't know who these two guys are...you grew up AFTER the 1970s.
Apologies for the Big Red. I wanted to make a Squad, but I hadda put some kinda 'salute' to my own ChiefHubby in here, somehow. Mayyyybeeee a Squad added soon...??



      Yes, I know this is gonna call for another of my "Johnny & Roy" captioning jokes because it is SURE to get a comment and eye-roll look on his face. Which, in turn, causes ME to have an Oh!-I-thought-you-were-having-a-seizure-again kind of look on MY face. hehe! 

     There are so many ceremonies that mark this day. So many memories that comprise one single day of tragedy. We live each day of our lives so differently than we did the very day before September 11. To say watching it, living it, and remembering the horror of that day...contacting our sons' schools (Elem where they were- where I was headed in to work that day, turning on the early news to check out the weather and seeing the first plane hit- and the HS just blocks away) to tell them to get the TVs on inside the office and not allow any children near it...contacting my ChiefHubby's parents to make sure they were watching and both ok...taking turns watching the kids in the classrooms as Teachers took a break to see the updates and cry if they needed a minute to regroup... knowing our lives were changed in mere moments of some other evil person's (or group of people's) desire for revenge that had nothing to do with any action done to them by the children in our life, our own school, our own home...sitting alone watching the events unfold, and realizing that in order to even CONTACT ANYONE- I'd have to try to use the hearing loudspeaker telephone that was all I had at that time- I WAS DEAF. Deaf and ALONE. Even now, it is very hard for me to describe that feeling. Sure, I knew I was deaf as a doorknob before that. I'd lived it for most of my life; since I was 11 when they'd figured out I'd gotten ill the first time with Scarlet Fever and Rheumatic Fever. But there's no stopping life or living...unless...and mine went ON. Without my hearing. And frankly, I had alot of help- mostly from David- and friends or others just took it along with ME. It came as baggage if you wanted to talk to me. AND...it never really bothered me, nor stood totally in my way. Until THAT DAY.

       Now, I see things differently. I see that GOD is way bigger than anything bad that could ever happen in this world. Am I saying that HE caused 9/11 to happen? NO! Of course not! But HE did allow it for whatever reason. And One Day when Judgement comes for us all- and it will- HE will let us all know the reasons behind everything. Until then, we gather...we laugh...we cry...we pray...we love. TOGETHER.

Try as I might....the doggoned thing just would NOT turn the right way. I even redid the entire photo THREE TIMES.
I give!!! *sigh*
This is what you will find on Tim Holtz's blog for The 12 Tags of 2014- September Tag.

       Thanks for stopping by (and for all the NICE NOTES and COMMENTS on my other crafts)!! Please, don't forget to check in on Tim Holtz's Blogsite for all the other WONDERFUL TAGGERS who are also creating with Tim on the journey he leads us on with his '12 Tags of 2014'! See ya next posting, and...

                         HAPPY BLOGGING !!!