T Stands for The Mixed Bag

Hi everyone, what a mixed bag it is too!

First I have a Journal page for Elle's Art Journal Journey theme - 'Fairy Tales, Folklore and Fables'.

As you can see from my title I really don't know. 

When I started the page I had a recollection of a story from an old book belonging to my Mum where the Tiger was captured and left tied up in the sun. 

I went on to the internet to check it out properly and found several versions from various sources, one of which was similar to the one I remembered but now I am just confused so I'll leave it to you to find out for yourselves and make up your mind which you like!

The background is made from green ink and some random stamping and then collage over the top.

Next a few pics from Port Sunlight last Saturday. My lovely friend Sarah was demoing and took Helen and me along with her.

Here she is with lovely Jo Rice who was doing the first demo stint.

Here is a corner of one of my favourite stands - UNIKO

We popped back to see what Sarah was doing later in the day when the crowds had lessened.

After the show we headed off to Starbucks for some coffee shop journalling

Here's my little pink zip up case that went to France with me

By the time we came out (two cups of coffee and a little bit of cake) later the moon was shimmering away in the clouds.

So, what did I buy?

Mainly stamps and stencils and a little jigsaw die.

My biggest surprise came from not just seeing lovely Christine(Please remind me to take a photo next time Chris) but being given the most beautiful set of handmade papers 

Here they are with some brushes that Helen bought me. Thank you both so much!

Now to France...

Our first day was spent at a Vide Grenier - three of us love looking around other peoples rejects..

Hubby took himself off to the nearby lake for a while

We had a shopping day on the Monday - no photos

On Tuesday hubby and I went off to the Chateau de Mont Sur Guesnes while our friends attended appointments.

There were so many interesting animated displays as well as artefacts and and tactile diplays 

This whole wall had little vignettes that kept us looking for quite a while.

One of the most interesting for me was the story of Alaenor d'Aquitaine (who as you know is a kind of heroine of mine)

Hubby took close ups of some of the story plates

Another room had a banquet setting where we sat at a table with food on it, a head table and musicians in doorways.

Outside were tents, trebuchets and other items to explore, by this time a wind was blowing cold and we went inside for a drink!

The nearby village was interesting and we agreed that we should come back another year!

I didn't take any photos of the food we ate on these two days, but I do have some photos of the Italian restarant we went to during our Nantes stay - the food was delicious and the decor was so unusual.

We sat in a village square ....

There were other rooms decorated in different styles....a bar, a library, a country kitchen...one room had a wall with ceramic faces on it.

Here is my partly demolished dessert - with my very nearly finished mocktail, behind that you see hubby's café gourmand.

I am joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth at The Altered Book Lover for 'T Stands For Tuesday' where we are invited to join the T gang with something drink related.

We remembered to take a photo of this fabulous place to show our friends.

I hope I haven't overdone it this week!

Thanks for looking, Chris