T sTands for This and That

Hi Everybody!
It's still pitch dark outside as I write this, and I can hear the wind rattling in the trees. After a couple of dry and crisp winter days last week we had some days of incessant rain, so wasn't able to walk quite as much as on the dry ones. I did manage good 15000 steps on the wet days, and I think under those wet and miserable conditions it should count double, but my step counter doesn't agree. So all in all I had just 99 kilometers last week, that's 11 less than the week before. We've been promised lots of wind, cold, and rain this week, too. Anyway, we have to take the weather as it comes and make the best of it!

There is still a week to go at Tag Tuesday with Joan's theme of White Christmas, and I have a digital tag using elements from Serif and me. Hope to see YOU joining in, too:

This rather messy  A3 journal page was one started almost a year back using left over paint. The words were stenciled and the numbers added with a black Edding. I am linking to Art Journal Journey, words and numbers:

This evening we also begin our T Stands for Tuesday party hosted by Elizabeth, so here a warm welcome to the lovely  ladies of the T Gang who stop by. This photo was taken at a cafe / bakery here in our little town. They do a buffet breakfast every day, but if I go there I just drink a coffee:

My coffee is almost gone here, just the milk foam still in the cup:

And this was at a bakery in town:

I am sharing the rest of the photos taken last week when I walked through Königs Allee and Hofgarten.

The Lion of Düsseldorf is very present in this huge bronze statue on the bridge over the canal:

I love the Henry Moor sculpture in Hofgarten:

There was also a Christmas market between the Kö and the park. This huge Tomte gnome wanted to be touched, and reacted with bobbing around:

Lots of trees:

The old carousels are beautiful:

The ice-skating rink:

The last of the beautifully decorated shops:

And a huge dog keeping watch:

On Friday in our little town the brass band played Christmas carols during market time. I think they were very brave to play in the heavy rain:

And somebody has wrapped a blanket round the naked child statue:

That's all for today.

Have a great day, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Weekend Post

Hi Everybody!

We had some lovely days during the week, cold and frosty, but dry and crisp at the same time, so I did a lot of walking. Today it's grey and wet and not very inviting outside, so I'm glad I made good use of those days.

Recently I visited the Art Düsseldorf Fair in an old steel works in Düsseldorf, we had a fab day there. you can see the pics here  and here if you want to. We got lots of freebies and handouts there, and I used this A2, poster sized, (17" x 24") folded advert as basis for a mixed media collage. The circles were painted with diluted acrylics. The figures were cut-outs from other freebies, as were the small portraits. I added the black lines and some green washi tape. Now I have a great memory of a wonderful day out.

I am linking to Paint Party Friday and Art Journal Journey, words and numbers.

The photos were taken on one of my walks this week. I walked through Königs Allee, the most exclusive street in Düsseldorf, and of course, also the most expensive. And no, I didn't buy anything. Looking is fun, spending my money there would be foolhardy! A lot of people who shop here evidently have more money than sense....But I do enjoy the extravagant window decorations in the big-name shops:

I am hoping the EU regulations about not showing faces without permission does not apply to shop-window mannequins!

The entrance to one of the arcades:

I see lots of fashionable men wearing their bags like this these days. This is another fashion trend I don't understand:

Looking along the canal, which was originally part of the fortifications of Düsseldorf in the good old (bad old?) days:

That's all for today, the tour will be continued in my next post.

Have a great day, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Rain's Thursday Art Date and new challenge at MMM

Hi Everybody!

On the 5th of each month we start a new challenge at the More Mixed Media Blog. As always our challenges are anything mixed media goes, with an optional colour addition, which is white this month. You have 4 weeks to link to us, and there are prizes of digital papers for the lucky winners. I made an A3 mixed media piece using acrylic paints, collage and pastel chalks. The lanterns are cut outs from a magazine:

I am also linking to Paint Party Friday

Rain's theme this week is flavours and aromas. Now the first thing that came into my mind was coffee - what else. After that I started thinking about food, bread, cookies, cakes, veggies, meats, cheeses.....

Okay I'll start off with my fave beverage - coffee:

And I love the smell of fresh veggies when they are being cut and prepared:

And you can't beat the smell of cake rising in the oven....except perhaps with the taste of the finished cake with lemon  cream cheese....

And this was a delicious nut cake:

Or perhaps I can tempt you with the smell and taste of a cherry and sour-cream cake, topped with almonds....

Or what about a pineapple upside down cake, with gooey caramel underneath?

Lemon sponge cake is always one of my faves, so refreshing:

And served with a cappuccino, even better:

And the aroma of freshly baked waffles is so good that it lures the neighbours out of their apartments....

And served with home made apple and ginger preserves and whipped cream - yesssssss!

And this is another of my favourites - spice cake with chocolate, fruit and nuts - what a wonderful conglomeration of flavours: 

Or perhaps some fresh tomato soup served with sour-cream?

Or a winter casserole with veggies, chicken and barley?

And another great taste - apple and raisin pie:

And this is a shepherd's pie - creamy mashed potatoes over ground beef and veggies, baked in the oven so you can enjoy the aromas:

And a hearty, fresh peach to finish off:

I hope you have enjoyed this selection of aromas and flavours.

Have a great day, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!