Hello from Beijing

DSC_6018 We arrived in Beijing this morning, on the first of three days of national mourning for the victims of the earthquake in Szechuan province. Please consider leaving a message of support and condolence here. The news is played constantly on enormous public screens and messages of support from across the world are being streamed across the bottom. If you wish to donate, there is info on that page, or you can go to the red cross page for your country.
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A little over 25 hours in Portland

Last year, almost every time I start raving about how much I loved Seattle, someone said "Then you should go to Portland." I guess it's like one of those music recommendations... "Like Damien Rice? You'll love Brett Dennen!" So for this year's Artfest pilgrimage we planned in a little detour to Portland, Oregon.

Friday afternoon we took the train down to Portland from Seattle, passing through Tukwila, Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia, Kelso, and Vancouver (WA not BC). The stations at either end were walking distance from where we stayed, which is the way we like it. We threw down our bags and were on the streets by 4pm, and we didn't have to be at the station again till after 5 on Saturday.

You'll have to wait for photos though as I mainly stuck to my LCA+ this trip. I've got some pictures that I just love, but they need to be scanned in when I get home.

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Pencil Lines Sketch #40

Camping

Another page in the spirit of accepting challenge, this one based on the latest sketch over at Pencil Lines. In May half-term we went camping with dear friends and Godchildren. I wrote a little about it here. I took the Lomo LCA+ for a camera, so the photos have a different feel to them, less predictable results, hyperintense colours. I have been waiting for a chance to do something with them, but they seem a little harder to use. I love this sketch, and got to use 6 photos - the more the better I feel.

Materials:

Crate Paper - Zoom and Samantha ranges.
Bazzill cardstock - grass green in washboard texture (yay, I got to use my swatch book!)
Crop-o-dile eyelets
absolutely ancient Girls Are Weird letter stickers by Provocraft
Making Memories Rmmage rub-ons
Autumn Leaves journalling stamps
sewing machine

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