Double Yolk Monday

Hey its a double yolk Monday! 

That's gotta be a sign of something good on the horizon

right?!

A Castle in Pacifica?

Did you know there was a castle in Pacifica?  Yes I said Pacifica.  Check on the hillsides of Pacifica and you will see it.  Sam's Castle or McCloskey Castle if you are a purist has proudly and very securely stood on its hillside since 1908. It was built by Henry Harrison McCloskey, an attorney for the Ocean Shore Railroad for his wife Emily.  It was built as a secure haven after their home was severely damaged by the 1906 earthquake.  It was also built as a replica of the Scottish Castle where Emily spent her childhood.
After the McCloskys death the castle had a checkered past going from family home to illegal abortion clinic to Speakeasy and Bordello to private boarding house to a Coastguard communications center during world War II until 1959 when it caught the eye of Sam Mazza. Mr Mazza worked for 20th century Fox as a theatre painter and decorator.  He thought the castle would be a perfect museum of theatrical decor and could house his extensive collection of treasures.  Mr. Mazza never lived in the castle but used it to entertain and allowed worthy Charities to use it for fund raising and meetings.  Luckily for us before he died in 2002 Mr. Mazza left the castle to a charitable trust so that the building and the artifacts inside would be preserved and seen by us today. 
Why am I telling you all of this?  Because yesterday I had the great good fortune to be able to tour the castle. Twice a year the foundation with the Pacifica Historical Society open the castle for tours.
Its just a wild, weird and wonderful place with its collections of Art Deco Theatre artifacts, religious artifacts and pieces of movie costumes and sets. 
The castle has seen it all-the good and the bad.  That can definitely be felt upon entering the structure but not in an oppressive way.  Let me show you just a few more pics to tantalize you.

Rooms filled with treasures and artifacts

a suit of armor

Incredible Art Deco lamps and other fixtures

Amazing Statuary

Gargoyles and Griffins

Religious reliquaries Hundreds of years old-complete with a saint's finger bones

Dare I hope for a ghost or two?

 

And of course incomparable views

Intrigued yet?  I hope so.  If you are interested in touring the castle,  check out the Pacifica Historical Society's website at http://pacificahistory.org/.  They are always looking for new members and/or donations. 

And for all you artists out there-Check it out.  The place is a dream palace filled with inspiration.

Thank you Mr. Mazza!

Current swap #5

Welcome Everyone!

As I promised yesterday I would be back today to tell you about the next ABC swap.  This time I had Lisa's book of-yes you gessed it-Dragons.
So many wonderful dragons had already been done by the time I received this book that I felt it was important to take a different approach.  So as I so often do-I made a product!
This time it was a minature dragon habitat with minature dragon and all care essentials. Below you can see the egg shaped dragon habitat for a blue ice dragon.

 

 

Inside of Lisa's altered book I added a pocket containing the minature dragon kit.

The kit includes:
1. dragon pedigree certificate(please click on the picture to read the certificate)

 

 

2.A card with some dragon essentials: Dragon training treats in fun human part shapes, Dragon calcium suppliments bones and a bag o'bling to make your dragon feel comfortable in his mini habitat.

 

 

3. A mini dragon care manual. ( please click on the images below to enlarge and read)

 

 



With proper care and feeding your tiny dragon will be a valued companion for many years to come.

Current Altered Book Swap #3

Welcome everyone!

Time to catch up on my blog posts and altered book Club.  In case you thought you were going crazy
and missed a post(swap #2), let me set your mind at ease.  You didn't miss it -I did.  Totally forgot to take pictures-sigh.
So I will proceed to swap # 3.  For swap #3 I had Kelli's book of Magic. And what does every witch or wizard need to make Magic according to JK Rowling?   A wand of course.  So my offering for this swap was a travel wand practice kit suitable for the young witch or wizard, newly discovered witch or wizard, squibs and the feeble minded.   In Kelly's rather substantial book I was able to cut a niche large enough to insert my kit items and still have room for the remaining swap art for other members of the group. Its difficult to make it out above but my kit includes a door with hinges that you open. The black and silver frame around the door is a vintage picture frame matting .  The kit is personalized and inscribed with Kelli's initials at the bottom of the niche.
Here is the niche open:

The kit includes:

1: a small book of spells from the Standard Book of Spells grade one.  The spells included are
Lumos, and Wingardium Leviosa and a feather to practice levitation.

 

2. Olivander's Certificate of Authencity-This wand is elm wood with a magical core of Unicorn tail hair. (To read the certificate click on the picture to enlarge)

 

3. A sheet on proper wand technique highlighting the swish and flick method of wand waving. (again please click on the picture to enlarge and read the technique).

 

4. And of course last but not least one travel sized wand-designed especially for Kelli from polymer clay and painted with acrylic paints.

 

 

Fortunately I had just enough time to make wands for the entire group!  After allowing each wand to choose an ABC club member we concluded my presentation with a short class in the swish and flick method.  Yes right in the middle of Peet's coffee! Even though most of the Peet's patrons looked the other way we ABC members had a blast! 

See what you are missing by not coming to ABC night?!

 

In the next couple of days I will continue my posts and try to catch up with the current swap.  Until tomorrow-swish and flick!