The Kings and Queens AB (exceptionally long and probably slow loading post)

I want to begin by saying some of you have seen the first few pages I created in my friend Kathy's Kings and Queens AB before I decided to change focus and stop showing them before they were embellished.

Second, after the first few pages, I scanned each page individually.  I know I should have cropped the pages, but it took two days to just get these entered onto my computer, and time has been my enemy this month.

Third, if you've kept up with me on the first entries, I won't be adding much input.  About the only thing I'll discuss is when I add an embellishment you have not (or may have not) seen.  So you can scroll through the first entries, or view the first post here, the second here, the third here, the fourth here, the fifth here, and the sixth post here. It is in these first six posts I explain how I created each page before I added the embellishments.

For the page on the right, I showed how I created the bunting using non-shrinkable plastic and crown masks, then used baker's twine and two buttons from my stash to complete the page.

I wonder if Kathy ever realized the book I found in my stash (after giving my friend Scott all the sewn books Kathy gave me), was called "The Female Orgasm."

Edit: Kathy called and asked me if I knew the name of the book I altered.  She told me she took the book to show her coffee group and the "guys" (not the gals) were trying to look under the pictures, as well as the spine, so they could read the name of the book and the words on the pages.  Too funny!

As some of you might have read, I got off on a very shaky footing, but got back on track after the first few pages.

After the page had been created and photographed, I found a picture of William II.  I had to figure a way to add the picture to the page, so cut two pieces of pink copier paper (for strength), sewed the image to the copier paper, then added the assembly to the page.

I explained what a "consort" is in one of my previous posts.

I showed how I added Stephen when I found his photo

by using double sided tape to the image.

I found this really cool paper clip that, when turned upside down, looked like a cathedral.    I kept it in place by adding an "up" arrow from an old keyboard.  It helped hold the envelope in place, too.

I seriously believe Kathy mis-wrote the caption she added under the picture she had saved.  She called it Stephen's wife, but she is actually Henry I's wife.  I didn't realize it until I had added it to the page.

This is the back of the paper clip from my stash I found so fascinating.

I found a tiny lion and added it to Richard I's caption.

I felt something was needed for this page, and found this wood circle I thought might fit on the page.

 

I added the word "consort" to some baker's twine using those little letter beads I have in my stash. 

I added the religious icon that had been a pin in a previous life to the tip-in.

I'm not sure I mentioned this before.  I sewed a napkin (top layer only) for my background on this and the next page.

I found this lovely polymer clay charm in my stash, and couldn't help but add it, since the page needed something.

As I explained in my 6th post regarding this AB, I found this in an old (1937) encyclopedia, but the timeline is a bit late because both Richard II  and Henry IV were mentioned.  That's what happened when I had to keep shuffling the book from one area to another while I was working on one challenge entry or another.

I bought some pink embellishments for the book, and used several on this and the next few pages.

  Note the roses on the back of the tag above.  They become important soon.

This was the final page I shared before I stopped showing them. 

The roses on the back of the tag were there to show the War of the Roses was finally over.

I was still just writing or printing names at this point, and not explaining everything I had learned as I did research on these kings and queens.  For those who aren't familiar with this war, it was fought between the House of York and House of Lancaster for the English crown. 

On this side of the tip-in, I should have added that Anne was originally  betrothed by her father to Edward, Prince of Wales, the son of Henry VI.  The union was to seal an alliance with the House of Lancaster and continue the war between the two houses (Lancaster and York).  When Edward died, she married his brother Richard, and became queen when Richard ascended the throne.

The Wars of the Roses have now ended, and the House of Tudor has risen from the ashes (or the rose garden).  I found this lovely handmade paper (not any I made) that had gold roses embedded in it.  I used it throughout, even though the roses from the wars were actually red and white.

My printer wouldn't print in color, so I did my best to show the combined rose.  Thankfully, I found a small one that Kathy had printed.

Thankfully, I had one large sheet of this beautiful handmade paper, so divided it as well as I could.   Again, not the most complimentary color, but it was all I had.

Elizabeth came with quite a pedigree.

My scanned image of Elizabeth and Henry.  Why I put Kate is beyond me, but it was one of those times I was moving things around and lost some of the information I had gathered.  It was also at that time when I realized I didn't have the correct adhesive for the job.

Here is the photo of the pop-up before I added the embellishments.  Those are pockets behind the names.  I had intended to make tags to go inside the pockets, but time got away with me and I failed to do so.

Ah!  The King who did everything in his power, including changing his religion and introducing divorce, all in hope of having a son who would reign after his death.  Note that all the background colors are the same (I'm driven by color), but each page has a different stamped image on it.  Yes, I stamped!!

It was also at this time that I began adding the information about the individuals via my computer, instead of merely writing their names in the AB, then explaining who they were on my blog.

I added the glass covered slide mount over one of Jane Seymore's images.

There's some mnemonic school kids learn to remember the order and outcome of each of Henry's wives.  I can't remember it, though.  So much for those memory technique that are supposed to aid information retention.

As I wrote when I originally showed this page of Lady Jane Grey, even though England may not have given her a crown, I did!  Yes, it was one of my shrink plastic crowns I made this month.

Apparently Kathy was quite enamored with her, too!

Note how the background color has now changed.  I was playing with my tension while sewing this page.  Note the fibers and the hanging doo-dads I added to this page.

Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen never married, and was well represented with many of Kathy's images.

Note this page taken from a 1937 Encyclopedia shows she is still just called Queen Elizabeth.  She doesn't become Queen Elizabeth I until the current queen became Elizabeth II.  I used buttons and fibers to add this page to the book.

I was SO glad that Kathy had printed this picture, because it shows Elizabeth defeating the Spanish Armada in the background just beyond the curtains.

Although Elizabeth was much loved, she also did what she felt was right for the country by beheading her half-sister.

Kathy gave me two pages of scrapbook paper that looked like they belonged to this new era.  I added the stick-on raised facets.

When England, Ireland and Scotland united, history gets a bit convoluted.

Anne of Denmark had the weirdest hairdos of any queen I had seen.

I originally didn't recognize her with this "do."  It was only after I added the frame that I put her name with her face.

This is the only picture I had of Charles I.

Henrietta was never crowned due to her faith.

Once again, I changed backgrounds, although each time I changed a background, I tried to keep at least one color on the first page to signify the transition.

Cromwell was loved by some, hated by others.  Ask anyone in Great Britain today, and you'll get a polarized response.

Charles II and Catherine of Braganza were the first to introduce tea to the court.  Originally extremely costly, since it had to work it's way from China, elaborate tea parties were shared by the King, Queen, and their invited guests.

Although I found no picture of Mary of Modena, I included a page in case Kathy wanted to print and add her picture.  I also included an iconic relic I thought a Catholic might have.

Part of my problem with moving this AB and the unassembled images every time I needed to use my craft table for other art, was I lost a few things, and had to add them in the end.

William and Mary were lost until the very end.  Adding those long fibers was a big mistake, though, especially when I was scanning the pages.

A new house, a new color scheme!

I tried to pay homage to Kew Gardens with these added embellishments.

 

I knew I was "over the hump" when I got to Victoria!  The above statement may not be true if Elizabeth II lives until sometime in September of this year.  Victoria will then be usurped.

The Christmas tree was introduced to England by Albert and the heart represents Victoria's love for him.  It felt odd to write Prince Consort rather than Queen Consort.

India is steeped in history and this is the beginning of the era involving the British Crown.  This elephant started life as a brad, but I removed the tines so I could add it to this page.

As houses change, so do background and embellishment colors.

I had some very expensive whiskey (don't ask the brand, because, although I bought it, I didn't drink it) that I gave to some friends who visited a few months ago.  I kept the small embellishment that had been on the front of the bottle, and thought it was the perfect addition for this page.

Same house, different name (due to possible prejudice before the upcoming war).

The playboy who gave it all away for love of a twice divorced woman.  Odd how behaviors that occur (and don't seem to matter) to "commoners" are so highly frowned upon by royalty and the royal family.

Elizabeth II's mother and father when George first took the throne.

As I explained earlier, this is a photo I took from a 1937encyclopedia.  It shows Elizabeth II's father with his regent name George VI, and his brothers.  I set him apart by giving him a crown.

Very confusing to those of us who don't live in Great Britain, this is Elizabeth II's mother, who has had until her death, the same name, but was the Queen Mum.

The Queen Mother (mum) shown here in her older years.  I gave her a hat with plumes for an embellishment.

The royal who was never supposed to be queen may now outlive and out-reign all who came before her.

I only had two pictures of Elizabeth II, and this was one of them.

I enjoyed making this page, because I had read that Elizabeth had to use ration coupons to purchase her wedding dress.  I got out some of my old Green Stamps because I didn't have any ration coupons.

This is the Elizabeth I remember seeing as a girl.  My British (very, very British) grandmother (my grandparents raised me from birth) was very proud that I had been named for her.   That meant I had to learn about my namesake, and this is the same picture I remembered seeing when I was old enough to appreciate (?) who I was named for.

 

There were no pictures of Phillip, but I created a page for him in case Kathy wanted to add his picture to the mix.

The last page was a pocket page, and also hid part of the felt crown I purchased one year on clearance at Michael's. On the pocket,  I added a British flag that had been a piece of ribbon and on the page, I added a British flag bow.  What a godsend to have British friends whose gifts added such charm to this AB.

Leftover images were placed inside the pocket on the left.  Bleubeard and I both signed the book with our signature stamps.

I showed the niche before.  Unlike other niches I have created, this one was not as deep.  You might be able to make out the rub-n-buff I ran over the crowns on the checker pieces.

Kathy didn't notice this back cover until she showed it to a few of her friends she and Don (her hubby) have coffee with every morning, who commented on it.

An overhead shot.

Several outside shots from front of book to back.  See how many pages I had left over, which demanded I create a niche.

Back of book and danglies. 

Spine of book.

A close-up of a few of the danglies I added to the fibers.

Although I tried to incorporate a few altered book techniques, this is not an altered book in the traditional sense, but more like a scrapbook.  It was also a timeline of what occurred over the centuries in Great Britain (England, Ireland, and Scotland).

I apologize that this post is so long, but I wanted to show every page at the same time.  I was tired of putting part of it away, losing my place, then having to pull it out again the next day (grin).

Thanks for your time it took to get to the end.  For that I am most grateful.  I sincerely hope you enjoyed this AB as much as I did making it.  And of course, I hope that you, like I, learned a bit of history in the process.