Tuesday, February 28, 2012

A snuggly day

Rauha

Finnish for 'Peace'

"First Snowdrop"

Today is a snuggly kind of day. The sky has been overcast so everything is just a kind of dull white. It's cold, even though the temperature says it isn't. The wind is blowing just enough to make it too cold.

A good snuggly kind of day!


If it were just a bit colder, we might have snow.
I like the way the snow covers up everything, and makes it look all clean!


sorry, I don't have info on this other than it looks like a neat layered card!

A perfect day to grab some scissors and old wrapping paper
or origami paper
or just plain white office type paper -
and cut up a snow storm!

Here are three wonderful patterns from





Now, that last one is so pretty, but I am not brave enough to attempt cutting it out. I would however like to try my hand with some caligraphy pens and duplicate it for the front of a card.
If it takes up too much time, then I think it would be very pretty framed.
Then I can scan and print it for cards.
Note: personal use only!

Side note:
Did you know you can get caligraphy felt tip markers?
They come in colors, and different tips and are super super easy to use.
They look professional, and you don't even have to know how to do it!!!

This is a purchased card. I thought the idea was terrific, and easily duplicated.
You could use those fancy dimensional stickers
or rubber stamps
or clip from recycled junk mail
or even draw!

Since you have your scissors out, why not cut out these cute paperdolls.
They are in serious need of more clothes, so get that box of assorted paper scraps you have, and create some!





This set is from the 1940's I believe.


I'm pretty sure I got these from http://www.origamibears.com/
Thanks!

I thought, thinking about snow and all, that I would like to explore some
Snow Queens.
Here are a few that I found:

a Russian Snow Queen
by Marina Davydova

I have to say, she is one of my favorites!

'Snow Queen' wallpaper

A beautiful beaded necklace -

Snow Queen necklace


"Snow Queen" by Meg Fox

Next are a couple of pictures that I like to use as my computer background:

'Snowy Church'

'Snow Svenski'

"If we had no winter;
the spring would not be so pleasant;
If we did not sometimes taste of adversity,
Prosperity would not be so welcome."

---Anne Bradstreet

"A Paler Shade of White" original Collage Art Doll

another purchased card:

I'm going to try and 'duplicate' it with my Sizzlet Snowflake set
and use card from used Christmas cards.
Then I'll probably dot a few Stickles glitter glue around.
Maybe glue on a few silvery clear beads.
mmmm.....pretty....

I have a book waiting for me,
and a yummy soft 'lap' blanket my sister gave me for Christmas.
Maybe even a cup of hot tea

"Come along inside...
We'll see if tea and buns
can make the world a better place!".

- Kenneth Grahame, 'Wind in the Willows'

"Snow queen" by Ata Alishahi

inkspired

Well, that's it for today.

Monday, February 27, 2012

travel around the world etsy treasury

Spokoj

'Peace' in Bosnian

Imagine World Peace t-shirt

I have had fun today making up a new treasury on etsy:


"travel around the world"

I'd like to share some of the items that I found for the new treasury:
Let's Go Somewhere 5x5 Quirky Illustration Print



Custom Handmade Cork Board Map
It all started with another seller adding one of my items to her treasury
"Tale as old as time"

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/ODg5MzAwN3wyMjgyNzQ5Mjc2/tale-as-old-as-time

She featured one of my recycled junk mail bottlecap magnets:

Beauty and the Beast Lumiere singing candlestick recycled bottlecap magnet ooak
www.inkspired.etsy.com

Browsing through this treasury, I found the shop:

www.AvantPrint.etsy.com

From there, I found this item listing:
Navigating the Globe Black and White Owl Print on an Antique Upcycled Bookpage
http://www.etsy.com/listing/91223790/navigating-the-globe-black-and-white-owl?ref=tre-2291489949-8

Still with me?!
Here are more items from my new treasury:

Vintage Children's THE COSTUME PARTY Wonder Book Illustrated by Janet & Alex D'Amato 1962
www.MyLittleBookGarden.etsy.com


Scrabble Tile Jewelry - Scrabble Tile Pendant - Steampunk inspired Mark Twain Travel Quote 054 - FREE Chain
http://www.etsy.com/listing/92890090/scrabble-tile-jewelry-scrabble-tile?ref=tre-2291489949-15

www.Handmadeinchico.etsy.com

I really love that quote!

Handmade Wooden Puzzle - Children Around the World
www.Grumpaandme.etsy.com

So I wonder what the story is behind "Grumpa"?!!

Travelogue Coin Necklace
www.ekate.etsy.com

For traveling, we better upgrade our passports!

wanderlust earrings.
www.bellehibou.etsy.com


Let's not have any lost luggage -
Upcycled Vintage Design Luggage Tag
www.VintageCrew.etsy.com

and here is a journal to take along-
Southeast Asia Versatile Travel Map Journal, Handmade for Artists, Scrapbookers and Writers
www.UsefulBooks.etsy.com

Here's a clock to help you be on time where you are,
where you've come from
and where you're going-
Howard Miller International Clock
www.Bresworld.etsy.com

Some souvenirs from the plane ride:
Vintage TWA airline swizzle sticks
www.SunnyDayVintage.etsy.com

Those would look great in a scrapbook of your travels!

Some fun paper doll fabric to cover the front of your homemade journal-
Travel on Red, Paper Dolls Around the World


or to make yourself a travel bag for jewelry or....

Travel on Red, Paper Dolls Around the World
www.NauvooQuiltCo.etsy.com

Wouldn't this fabric also make up a fab apron?
Use it to accent an apron made from coordinating solid colors.
You could make the pockets and trim from the World fabric.
Ooh, makes me want to go get out my sewing machine....

Pretty retro copper glaze rotating globe tellurion with telescope feather aeroplane necklace pendant jewelry vintage style

www.anna.etsy.com

I hope you have enjoyed this little trip of
Travel Around the World


I need to go get ready to go out for dinner.
A friend of ours is having a fund raiser for her orchestra (she plays flute, one of my favorite instruments). If we eat at a specific restaurant, they will donate a portion of the profits to her orchestra. Her parents invited us out!
:0)

Cool.
Good food and good company too.

inkspired
http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/
http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

An American Country Singer, Gospel Singer and TV Host

Taika

'Peace' in Lithuanian

Lithuanian children

and just where the heck is Lithuania?



Thanks to all my Lithuanian readers!

I had this blog all planned out about snow. I had photos and projects and patterns all ready.
I sat down at my computer, and started playing my Tennessee Ernie Ford album "Treasured Hymns" as background music.
I almost always have some kind of music playing when I am at the computer.

An hour later I have youtube addy's for his songs,
Wikipedia history and background....
So
I guess I am doing a blog on Tennessee Ernie Ford today!

"Dark as a Dungeon"

Merl Travis wrote it, Tennessee Ernie Ford made it a classic!


My parents both really loved his voice, and his music. As far as I can remember, we had his music in our home.
Remember back in the 1960's when gas stations were vying for your business? That was when they would give you records or coupons or little gifts for so many $$ of gas. I still have some of those records with Tennessee Ernie Ford, Julie Andrews and a couple others.  :0)

a photo for LIFE magazine, found at www.music.kngine.co

The Snow Day Blog will have to wait.  I will still have opportunities to blog on a snowy day. When I was teaching school, we had a Snow Day in May!!! Our cars were buried under several feet of snow - and that was before you shoveled down to find your actual car!
and yes, teachers look forward to Snow Days too....

(for those of  you who aren't familiar with the term, when it is a Snow Day the schools all close and no one goes to school- including teachers - due to the hazards of travel in the snow.)

Here is a youtube link to
a Tennessee Ernie Ford's performance as a super-country bumpkin, one of his
3 performances on the I Love Lucy Show.
He became a household name after his I Love Lucy Show shows.

'Y'all Come' at the Chicken Masher

tee hee hee
makes me laugh.....is Ricky fall-on-the-floor funny or what?

Cousin Ernie in the roll-away bed, I Love Lucy Show 1954

He was known as "Cousin Ernie" and called Ricky Ricardo "Cousin Ricky Rickerdo"!
He intentionally spoofed as a hilarious 'country bumpkin'. 
There was a show where Lucy is trying to be
"The Wicked City Woman".
Lucy is swinging her hips, messing up Ernie's hair and rubbing his head, trying to be a Vamp to scare Cousin Ernie to move out of the city (and out of their home!).
His response?
"You got quite a hitch in your get-along", and
"Vamp me some more!"

"Vamp me some more!", I Love Lucy Show

Here's another VERY SHORT clip from the I Love Lucy show:

"Wabash Cannonball"



Tennessee Ernie Ford was born in Bristol, Tennessee as Ernest Jennings Ford in 1919.
After being a radio career announcer, he left and studied classical singing at the
Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in Ohio.

In World War II he was a navigator and  bombardier on a B-29 Superfortress,
flying missions over Japan.
This led to his later involvement with the Confederate Air Force
(now the Commemorative Air Force), a war plane preservation group in Texas.
He was a featured announcer and celebrity guest at the annual
CAF Airshow in Texas from 1976 - 1988.

Fun Fact:
He donated a once-top-secret Norden Bombsight to the B-29 bomber restoration project!
In the late 1970's he recorded the organization's theme song

"Ballad of the Ghost Squadron"



a press release photo, found at http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/

Ford created his personality "Tennessee Ernie Ford", a wild, madcap exaggerated hillbilly,
to set himself apart when he was assigned to do the early morning country music disc jocky program "Bar Nothin' Ranch Time", in San Bernardino, CA.

In 1954 Tennessee Ernie Ford sang the title song to a 20th Century/Fox movie -

"River of No Return"


This was a Western starring Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum.

Fun Fact:
Marilyn hated the part she played as Kay, the saloon girl. She thought it stereo-typed her.
She also regretted agreeing to do all her own stunts after she sprained her ankle.
She went on to do scenes of horse riding, gun fights and a narrow escape from drowning in a white river rafting scene. She had to strum a guitar and sing a couple of songs also, which she was very uncomfortable with.

Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe in "River of No Return"

Here is a short-ish film/song clip from
"The Tennessee Ernie Ford Enterprises Memory Clip Ford Show Archives"
with Johnny Cash.



Tennessee Ernie Ford released almost 50 country singles in the early 1950's,
several made 'the charts'.

In 1955 Ford's recorded "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" hit #4 on the country chart.
In 1955 his rendition of Merle Travis' "Sixteen Tons" spent 10 weeks at #1 on the country charts
and 8 weeks at #1 on the pop charts,
making Tennessee Ernie Ford a crossover star.

"Sixteen Tons" became his 'signature song'.


You can easily find his recordings of this song on youtube.

Ernie Ford was offered his own prime-time variety show on NBC television, first air date 10/1956.

Fun Fact:
This show was sponsored by Ford automobiles. The  Ford Theatre had run in the same time slot before Mr. Ford's show so the name is actually NOT in reference to Ernie's name!

Fun Fact #2:
Mr. Ford insisted that at the end of each program, he would do a 'religious' song.
The network officials said no. They feared it might provoke controversy.
This was during an era where 'the network' always won.
They always had the last word, and held all creative power.

Tennessee Ernie Ford said "Yes, I will".
And he did.
It became the most popular segment of his show!
His TV show ran until 6/1961.

This song clip has almost 0 in the graphics department,
but a B+ for the recording; one of the many Mr. Ford did at the end of his TV programs:

"Blessed Assurance"


He released his first Gospel music album in 1956, which remained on Billboard's Top Album charts
for 227 consecutive weeks!!!

His album "Great Gospel Songs" won a Grammy Award in 1964.



"Shenandoah"


His rendition moves me to tears, it is so powerful.

Also for you to explore:

"In the Garden" or "I Come to the Garden"


This next clip has several of his hymns, taken directly from his TV show.
They are beautiful, but unfortunately a couple end rather abruptly!
Still, worth the listen.

several songs including

"I'm a Poor Wayfaring Stranger"

"Then My Living Will Not Be In Vain"

"Well Done"

"Somebody Bigger Than You and I"


Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, 1962

Over the years Mr. Ford was awarded THREE stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame:
Radio
Records
Television.

President Ronald Reagan gave Mr. Ford the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
in 1984.


He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990.

This is a really fun clip from "A Christmas With Tennessee Ernie Ford" Special.
You gotta' love kids!

"Children Go Where I Send Thee"



Okay, Okay,
I know I am getting into 'book' length.
The spacing on blogspot also just got really really screwy.....

so, I'll end with one of my favorite hymns, sung by one of my favorite singers:

"Were You There"



Tennessee Ernie Ford originally recorded this in 1957,
but then re-recorded it 1962 for stereo sound.

Tennessee Ernie Ford died October, 1991 of lung cancer,

and recieved posthumous recognition for his gospel music contributions by adding him to 

the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1994.

I hope you have enjoyed this music-filled blog

I know I have!!!

'til next time,

inkspired



So much thanks to Wikipedia for much of the info!
"Pickin' Time"