I am a HUGE fan of the PBS series "Downton Abbey", so I can't wait until the new movie comes out in September 2019. Hopefully it will live up to my expectations and not disappoint.
The series had been showing several years when I finally decided I needed to watch it. I actually made the leap to upgrade my Amazon to a Prime Membership so that I could watch it. It was well worth the $100 cost for me and of course I like the other Prime perks too.
There is something intriguing about the formalities of and properness of British society. I recall the episode where there was much discussion about wearing the black tie rather than the white tie to dinner. "
Indeed, one of the most tragic events of Season 3, Episode 1 (hour 2) was the hullabaloo over Lord Grantham’s black tie dinner jacket (aka tuxedo). His Lordship’s white tie dinner jacket went “missing,” “missing” as in hidden by his trusted, yet devilishly conniving valet (personal butler). Lord Grantham is forced to look like a pauper at dinner and wear a black bow tie. Ghastly informal – the Dowager Countess, his mother, actually mistakes him for a butler." (http://www.dirtyandthirty.com/beauty-fashion/lessons-learned-from-downton-abbey-white-tie-vs-black-tie/)
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| "Black Tie Event" |
It was this episode that inspired my drawing called "Black Tie Event" and to have the matching black tails this industries little rodent uses a jar of black ink to dip the tip of his tail into.
Oh and don't even get me started on the hats and dresses. Can you just imagine not being about to get yourself dressed without the assistance of a butler or servant? What a different time that was but the whole of the Crawley clan seemed to have their own personal assistant that was there to curl their hair or help put on their jacket.
It was this photo of the hat worn by Mary Crawley on the show that inspired me to create my own sketch of a little mouse wearing an E
dwardian hat and feather boa in my drawing that I called "M'lady".
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| "M'lady" |
With a little Photoshop magic I have taken the two separate pieces and combined them into one composition that I'm calling "The Mice of Downton Abbey" I then added a vintage postcard background and now you have my newest listing on my Etsy and EBay Shops. Here is the link if you are interested in purchasing a print. I also have greeting cards and magnets available too. Julie Townsend Studio on Etsy
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| "The Mice of Downton Abbey" |
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| Mockup |
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| Mockup |
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| Greeting Card Mockup |
Just a week and one day away and so much more yet to do. Today, I am going to wrap the gifts I've purchased. That is always a dreaded task that I find no enjoyment in but it is something that must be done. I have all the wrapping supplies assembled including the gift tags I designed this year and offer as a free download on my website. Here is the link if you want to print out some cute Country Christmas Gift Tags for your own gift giving. 
My gifts are all sorted by recipient and spread across my dining room table. I even had to cover them up with a tablecloth because I had surprise visit of grandchildren drop in. Yes, today is the day and I'm going to have a second mug of coffee as I mentally work up the courage to begin this dreaded task. 
