Saturday, February 4, 2012

Hanging Out with the Queen of England


How's your weekend going?  One thing about being on this side of the international date line is, that here in little old Oz, the weekend is well under way.  That means I have more time to take off my hat that says 'Taxi Driver and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer' to 3 mostly nice, but very unappreciative people in my immediate life and do something I want to do.  Something for me.....Hey that's why I started hanging out with you guys on this blog anyway.  It was all supposed to about me expressing my creative needs!!!!!  So today I chose to hang out with the Queen of England, and soak the paper off her back and glue her in lines to make her look real pretty. Well the vintage stamps of her image anyway.


If you've been coming round here for a while, you will have seen the Beach House Brats bedroom re do and the gallery wall I started at the end of her bed.  Well today I made some more budget friendly art to go up there.


Just before Christmas, I took delivery of a tin of vintage stamps  I collected back in the 1970's.  They had been lurking at the back of one of mum's cupboards and she sent them over to the Beach House for me to do with them as I wished.  I used some of them to make Christmas decorations, but there were lots left over.  I particularly liked the old stamps of QE2.  She is an absolute beacon of style and I was thinking today, they are the only stamps I have ever seen without the country's name on them.  The Queen's image is so instantly recognisable, that no names are necessary.



I had to soak them off the envelopes and as they were drying, I played around with colour.  I adore the aquas and greens, but as they were to be hung in a pink bedroom, I moved back to the other end of the spectrum.


I used most of the pink ones at Christmas, so as with most of my decorating, I went with what I had.  I played around with the browns and yellows and this is what I came up with, as the best fit for the colours I've got left.


At first I was going to make a heart for a shadow box with the stamps, but I kept going back to the Queen.  It seemed a waste to put a flat piece of art in the shadow box, so I used another frame I had hanging around with an old photo, that needed changing out.  So my friends, as is quite often the sad and sorry reality round here, out of necessity, I nailed it on price.  Yep that's right........free.......my favourite price point.


I then placed my newest little artwork next to these lovely frangipani for a bit of a pink hit.  My generous Slovakian friend let me take out of her garden the other day.  She has a 3 week old baby and asked if she could have my daughter for the day, so her eldest could be entertained.  That is something I could never have managed at that stage of the new born game, but hey everyone has their strengths.  She doesn't read this blog, so I can tell you she trusts no one with her daughter and most definitely not me.  Even though I offered that the girls play here.  She has seen my slap dash parenting ways and obviously they don't meet up with her earth mother standards, so her place it was.  The girls had a ball, I had more time to be with you and get on with my life in other ways so everyone was happy, and these gorgeous flowers now live at my place......what's not to love?



Anyhoo, the stamp art made it into the gallery and I think it looks kind of sweet.  


You wouldn't want to see the rest of the room right now. It's been raining in Sydney for days now and the Beach House Brats have been house bound,  a good word to describe it, would be tip. So that's my 'me time' over.  I'm off to razzle to troops, we've got some tidying up to do. I wonder if super mum is available to come over for an hour!!!!!


Today I'm partying here for Queen Elizabeth's 60th anniversary on the throne of England. 
Happy anniversary Liz  for your Diamond Jubilee!!!!!!You are a gem!!!!

40 comments :

  1. Hi Carolyn Ooh, loving this idea! I have an enormous box of unsoaked, used stamps dating back over 40 years. Yet another fabulous idea for them - thanks! J x

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  2. How Nice..I love the look..well done :)

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  3. What a clever idea and so thrifty too, that's a win win in my book.
    The room is coming together beautifully.

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  4. Very cool - lovely piece of art. Diane

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  5. Super job. Gives off a lot of ideas.

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  6. Oooh the Queen looks so beautiful, I love the colors.
    The flowers are gorgeous!
    xoxo

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  7. Fabulous idea..

    Annie v.

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  8. Loving the look of this - particularly LOVE the heart! Having been absent for a few weeks and am really enjoying catching up on all your news. Particularly enjoying all the diet tips - couldn't have come at a better time! Good on you. Raining here as well - seems like the whole of the country is awash. Hope your weekend is going well (regardless). ;)Sharyne

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  9. i think i remember those stamps..i must be old! love the frames and a great idea!
    x

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  10. What a clever idea! I've never thought of that and it's a great way to display them.

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  11. Terrific job and your room is coming along just beautifully! Happy Sunday.
    FABBY

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  12. What a great idea!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!! We look forward to seeing what you share next week!

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  13. I love the stamps in the frame! What a super cute idea! LOVE it! Thanks for sharing!

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  14. The stamps look great. Somewhere I have a bunch of old stamps tucked away. What a great application.

    Thanks for being a part of Seasonal Sundays.

    - The Tablescaper

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  15. What a great way to showcase QE2. Love this idea! Stamps have long followed me home from various trips, and if I receive mail with an interesting stamps, those too find a place here rather than going in the trash. I appreciate them as little works of art.
    ~ Sarah

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  16. You know you have given me an idea to create a shadow box. I have never had one before. Thank you for sharing this. Good ideas. pat

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  17. Hello, I log on to your blogs daily. Your story-telling style is witty, keep doing what you're doing!
    My website - film x gratuit

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  18. Beautiful....just wow. Beautiful :) well done and what an inspiration for some of my old vintage stamps....first ascertaining if any of them have worth *lol* some of the old circulated ones can fetch a pretty penn, which would afford me the luxury of some.... who am I kidding.....love this so much :)

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  19. Sooo lovely, Carolyn!
    I'm glad I found you :)

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  20. Great job. I love it! Please consider sharing this with my readers over at http://sassafrassalvation.blogspot.com/2012/02/sasss-sunday-salvation-show-10.html
    Hugs, Kathy

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  21. You always come up with the best ideas you genius you. Congrats on winning the DP ticket Hun. I was so excited when your number came up. I am thrilled for you couldn't wish for a better more deserving winner. You go and flog your fabulous blog. Now as for coffee, Fridays are good for me (except this one as it is the school swimming carnival) so you let me know if that suits you too :) Congrats again lovely xx

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  22. What a great way to display stamps! Just love all the IKEA frames!

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  23. Wow! I adore the girlie touch. I also love the way you hang your arts.

    TY for sharing.

    Greetings from a freezing Stockholm,
    /chie

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  24. Great idea!

    ~Mrs. Delightful
    ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com

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  25. Thanks so much for sharing your great ideas for stamps with us! I inherited my mom's stamp collection and I've got boxes and boxes and boxes ... now I'm all inspired to play!

    Happy Rednesday!

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  26. love the stamp art !!! i miss the stamps we could soak off an envelope ... now they're all adhesive stickers and it just isn't the same. i have a jar of old ones to think of doing something with. you've inspired me to get mine out too.

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  27. loved reading your post how very colorful come see what I shared on my blog at http://shopannies.blogspot.com/2012/02/second-week-of-february-is-for-pizza.html

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  28. Love this idea and making a stamp themed picture/shadow box! Very cute, and what a sweet room!

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  29. Beautiful display of your British stamps, Carolyn. Great idea!...Christine

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  30. Love the Queen stamps, they look so nice!

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  31. You are really fabulous at making lovely art pieces for your daughter's wall! I loved the little LOVE piece and the stamps are great! Her room really looks amazing. Happy Valentines Day and Happy Pink Saturday. ~Marti

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  32. Love your stamps and the shadow box you put them into! Happy Pink Saturday! ~Diane (I am #16)

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  33. Gorgeous collections!
    Happy Pink Valentines!
    Wishing you a great week ahead.

    ♥Regina

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  34. i love it, and how fitting with her diamond jubilee coming up, it would be great if you could link up at my new party happening now over at http://twiggstudios.blogspot.com/2012/02/sunday-show-off-linky-party.html

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  35. Oh now I wish I had some stamps!! I'm going to have to go looking now. I just love how it turned out. Simple, yet elegant. Happy Pink Saturday.

    Hugs, LisaKay
    Belles Roses Romantiques

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  36. As a brit in the US I love this! I'm sharing it on my blog and FB page - you rock!

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