Monday, 21 May 2018

T stands for This and ThaT

Hi Everybody!

On Tuesday we are beginning a new challenge at Tag Tuesday, and this time our lovely Wendy is hosting. She has chosen the theme of locks and keys, which is perhaps not my favourite theme but I tried my best to make a mixed media tag with them!



It is also half time at TIOT, and I made another hybrid destinations piece to remind you, using a cut out photo over a painted background and some elements from Serif:




Tuesday is also time for Elizabeth's Tea stands for Tuesday party, so here a warm welcome to all of the nice ladies of the T gang:

Last Thursday I went out for a meal to a Greek restaurant with my buddy G. I was so hungry that I forgot to take the photo before I started on the food:


This is G's meal:


We each got a side-plate of salad, and for starters we had warm bread with olives and Tsatsiki:


I drank a diet coke and G had bitter lemon:


After the meal I had an espresso, served with a chocolate coffee bean. This is the very best espresso I have had in years!


After the meal we went for a walk in the nearby park and enjoyed the sunshine:







 The Japanese Garden, a present from the Japanese people living in Düsseldorf, is always magnificent:





Can you see the gardener up in the tree?





Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!

52 comments:

  1. Ηello dear Valerie!
    Love your tag and your gorgeous hybrid piece!Love the London theme and the preety blue shades!
    I always admire your wonderful work!!! I’m sure you enjoyed the Greek food and the souvlaki!
    Stunning pictures of the ducks ,the beautiful Japanese gardens,and the lovely surrounding!
    Thank you for sharing! Wishing you a lovely new week! Hugs!
    Dimi...

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    1. Thanks Dimi, I did indeed enjoy the Greek restaurant, it is always a treat to eat there, and the people are all so friendly!

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  2. Hi Val, love the beautiful tag and of course, the great London page, I so wish I was back there! The photos of Nord Park and the Japanese Garden are fabulous, it's always a wonderful place to visit. And that Greek food looks sooooooooo very good, yummy, hard to choose a fave! Have a great week, and hope you enjoyed your break over the weekend, hugs, Sarah

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  3. Nice page and I always love your tags. They are such little works of art. This one is spectacular. hugs, Teresa

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  4. Lovely work for the challenges, the food looks delicious! What a wonderful time of year, your photos look fantastic!

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  5. For not caring to much for the theme, you knocked your tag out of the park. It's awesome. Love the colors of your London page, too. The food looks so good. I sometimes forget to take pictures before eating, too. :-D You have the most beautiful areas to walk. Happy T Day!

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  6. You might not like the theme, but you sure did a terrific job with it. Very clever.

    Yum, souvlaki. We're having lamb chops for dinner tonight, but now I wish I'd planned on souvlaki...

    As soon as I shut the computer off, I'm heading to the post office to mail your book to you. Again, thank you so much for letting me use your photo for the cover. I hope you enjoy the book. :)

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  7. Your tag is brilliant Valerie, you certainly rose to the challenge of the challenge! I love Greek food, but we don't have a decent Greek restaurant for miles, so I would have really enjoyed your meal - specially if you had baklava, yum! xx

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  8. Valerie, I am glad to tell you that you are a WINNER of my 1st Blogaversary candy. Please visit my blog. Hugs, Mia

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  9. Your tag looks fantastic, I love the embossed background as well as the detail.
    Its an awesome destinations page as well. A fantastic shadow scene behind your main image, it looks great.
    Your Greek meals looked delicious and a walk afterwards sounds a perfect way to spend the afternoon.
    The photos look super, beautiful flowers and gardens, I did eventually spot the gardener in the tree, but would have missed him if you hadn't mentioned it.
    Happy T day wishes Valerie.
    Yvonne xx

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  10. Hi Valerie wow your work is amazing ,i love your tag and your page is stunning,well done my friend and thankyou for sharing your beautiful pics xx

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  11. Regardless, whether you believe it or not, the key and lock inspired entry is fabulous. Most impressive. I also adored your London inspired journal page, too. It is awesome, and a place I hope to visit one day. LOVED the image of Parliament.

    WOW, you ate well with G. That looks like a LOT of meat. What gets me is when people order a soda (ie, Coke) in the states, we get a fountain drink. It's where they make their money. Lots of ice, a bit of syrup, and a ton of carbonated water costs about 1/3 the cost of a meal. And glass bottles are a thing of the past here, too. I'm always amazed when I see them in European restaurants. Of course, your espresso looked good, too. Ah, for a chocolate covered coffee bean. I haven't had one for years.

    The Japanese garden is gorgeous. So calm and relaxing. I enjoyed seeing all the beautiful photos, especially the landscaping. Yes, I saw the man, or rather his hat (grin). Thanks for sharing your art, your trip to the Japanese Garden, and your meals and drinks with us for T this Tuesday.

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  12. I needed that reminder of TIOT half-time for the Destinations challenge, Valerie. I've been playing catch-up after some health issues. Your Londoner page with the soft evocative background is lovely.

    Beautiful nature photos as usual. You really have an eye for framing a shot. I love the one above the gardener shot. It looks like a Japanese garden - serene. I wouldn't have noticed the gardener if you hadn't pointed him out - lol. Truth be told, I still don't see him, just the ladder.

    Happy T-day! Hugs, Eileen

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  13. Once again I find myself saying oooh and aahh out loud at your posts. So lovely.I love that you stitched around the tag.
    Happy T day!

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  14. I really enjoyed the Japanese garden photos. It is very pretty and looks quite peaceful. And I can now say it really is a Japanese garden. :) And you have some very creative art today for us. You did make a great lock and key tag even if it isn't your favorite theme. I love how you get the shadows in the background on your London page also. And I think your lunch looks yummy. We have a great restaurant near us and I like to go eat there. Hope you have a great T day. Hugs-Erika

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  15. Love both the tag (fabulous!!) and the London piece (so pretty!!). The Japanese garden looks like a really nice place to visit. I can't find the gardener, but what a really tall ladder!

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  16. i think you did an awesome piece for the theme.
    The photos from your walk are beautiful-loved the gardens. and your food looks delicious-we used to go to Greek restaurants when we lived near Chicago-always great food.
    Happy T Day Kathy

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  17. Love your header and I would very much like to be on that boat:) Your tag for the new theme is fab and I would never know it wasn't your thing. Love the Greek meal you both enjoyed, and oh ,the garden photos are gorgeous! Happy T day!

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  18. Tuesday is a busy day for you here on your blog, all your pieces look wonderful and fantastic photos too!

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  19. Terrific tag Valerie and another fantastic destination piece.

    The food looks tempting and great ti find such good coffee as well

    Love the walk in the park with the beautiful photographs

    Have a great day

    Love Chrissie xx

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  20. Steak, egg, and chips with coke? There goes the waistline! Loved the Japanese Azaleas

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  21. Oh where do I start Valerie.. You tag is perfect and I love that theme. You meal has made me rather hungry and I cannot blame you for tucking in as that egg is just how I like them! What a beautiful walk around the garden, thank you for pointing out the gardener as I would have skipped on by (morning eyes!!) What a wonderful experience, to walk amongst such a sensory garden would make everyday a good day.
    Happy T Day hugs Tracey xx

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  22. Congratulations Valerie - sometimes it's difficult when the theme isn't a favourite, but your tag is brilliant. The embossing is such a good choice and your other art work is inspiring too. Love sharing your joy of delicious food and beautiful gardens.

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  23. Sehr gelungen dein Tag genauso wie die schöne Hybridseite mit der London-ansicht. Der japanische Garten ist ein Traum und ein Ort zum relaxen und genießen. Das Essen sieht auch lecker aus, Sowas mag ich auch sehr. Gutes Essen und eine schöne Umgebung sind immer ein Genuß.
    Liebe Grüße
    Sabine xox

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  24. Your tag is awesome and I loved all the amazing photos!

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  25. Valerie i think you did a beautiful job working with a theme you didn't enjoy... Eileen and i have run into that with our Postcard swap themes.. It does make you stretch yourself and work outside the box and i think thats a good thing.

    LOVE your garden photos... Would you mind if i tried to paint one of them?? Happy happy T day! Hugs! deb

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    1. You are welcome to use any photos any time!

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  26. I love both of your pieces. They are so different. There is great texture on the key chain and the lighting on the image of Parliament on the second just glows. I feels like it will jump off the page in beauty.

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  27. OMG is that a burger and fries with an egg on top??? If you check out my blog, you already know that I adore anything cheeseburger related, even without the bun so yay for you! The Japanese Garden is so lovely and amazing! You find the coolest places for us to enjoy! Hugs...RO

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  28. What a wondrous day. Scenic surroundings, great company, delicious food and drink. Purrfect.
    Love your pieces. With Ms. M's portrait being hung there, London is particularly apropos for us right now.

    Hugs

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  29. Your tag is a wonderful way to include the lock and key - love it!
    I also love your London page! How clever to get those other buildings in too! Your meal looks great but the starter with warm bread and olives sounds even better to me!! A great idea to visit the park afterwards - it is looking beautiful! Since we came back I have been trying to catch up with blogs so I will have a wander backwards to see what I have been missing! Happy T Day! Chrisxx

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  30. Wow, your steampunk tag is amazing and I love you destinations piece too! I haven't had Greek food for a while, we have a couple of local Greek restaurants so I'll need to check them out ... soon ...lol 😉. Your food looks so yummy and oh what a lovely walk in the sunshine - perfect! Happy T Day! J 😊 x

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  31. Wonderful art work, as always! stunning photos too...gorgeous flowering shrubs, and quite a surprise to see the gardener in the tree! Happy T day! ♥

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  32. Oh, I so enjoy your delightful photos! Thanks for sharing. Another thing, I don’t think I have seen coke in a bottle for decades! Wow! Happy T-Day!

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  33. Your tag is lovely. I wouldn't know that the theme is not your cup of tea. It looks a bit steampunky. The Houses of Parliament page is beautiful too. I remember you saying that you were born in London.
    Thank you for taking us to the park. The fountains are stunning. And good looking ducks too. Are they Japanese ducks?
    The Japanese garden is beautiful. I love those unusual trees. No I didn't spot the gardener, but then I saw his cap when you mentioned it. The rhododendrons are so colourful.
    The nice meal and the beautiful parks plus nice weather make for a fantastic day out. Thanks for sharing.
    Happy T-Day,.
    Lisca

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  34. Beautiful art, yummy food and glorious pictures! Wow! Love this post! I couldn't see the gardener in the tree! LOL! Big Hugs!

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  35. I really love your steampunk tag. It looks masculine all in black and white. The Japanese gardens are lovely. There is something serene and magical about Asian landscape. I love it and your pictures. But I didn't see the Gardner. He really blends in well.
    Happy Tea day, Valerie!
    Kate

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  36. marvelous job on the tag -- i'd never guess the theme didn't resonate for you! xo

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  37. You might not like the key theme but it's a wonderful tag Valerie, love the embossed background.
    Sounds like you had a wonderful day, fabulous meal and a walk in a lovely park, the Japanese garden is beautiful and the rhododendrons are stunning. I did spot the gardener's hat, so I presume he must have been there somewhere.
    Avril xx

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  38. The Japanese Garden is magnificent.
    And that salad makes my mouth water.
    Hope your day is filled with energy and joy.
    Hugs

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  39. I just love the shape of your tag and the masculine image you used - fabulous! And your collage is so very lovely. Looks like a lovely day. <3 Hugs, Autumn

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  40. A fabulous tag, considering it's not really your type of theme. Gorgeous photos of the parks and those fab Rhododendrons. Mind you if mine grow that big I will have a slight problem on my hands. I might need that gardener. Great page for TIOT as well.
    I'm not a big fan of chips, but they look delicious. When I was at collage in London, I used to go to a Greek cafe for lunch, I just cannot make an onion and mushroom omelette taste like those did.
    Hugs Wendy

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  41. I love your lock and key tag and the hybrid piece is lovely. Your park photos are so gorgeous too.

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  42. What a wonderful place. The trees and flowers look so very nice.
    Your salad looks very nice indeed.

    Hope the week is going well for you.

    All the best Jan

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  43. Ein tolles tag
    und sehr schöne Bilder.

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  44. The London piece is beautiful. Love the blue and the pictures just look lovely. I have never been there- but I'd love to visit.

    Looks like you had a fun and tasty outing. :)

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  45. Fabulous post Valerie. Thats a cool steampunk looking tag.
    And I loved your London piece of course.
    Wow that Japanese garden looks so beautiful and peaceful,
    Gill xx

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  46. I think you did a great job with your industrial looking tag, especially the numbers in the background are really cool. Looks like you had fabulous weather for your visit to that amazing garden.
    Alison x

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  47. Awesome Tag Valarie..love the image and the texture of the base tag...
    As always a wonderful array of your personal photos..just stunning..xx

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  48. Way cool steampunk tag Valerie! I always love when you stitch on your art!
    Jackie xo

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