RA Pocket Shrine 159/? – Diamonds Are Forever

/ May 16, 2018

Yet another shrine? Well, that’s what happens when there is nothing on TV 😉. Last Saturday the Eurovision Song Contest was on. Even readers from the US know by now that the Eurovision is a massive TV event every year, despite being derided by the majority of people. I used to watch it religiously every year when I was growing up. Later I watched it ironically when I was a student. At this stage, I couldn’t really be arsed anymore, not least because the whole thing has just become too big, too long and too tedious. Nevertheless, my kids still think the cheesiness of it all is hilarious, and every year they make us draw the countries from a hat to see who is ‘backing’ the winner. So while the family and assorted friends were watching cheesy ballads being sung, monumental dresses being turned into projection screens, and vigorous pyrotechnics being fired, I hid myself behind the laptop screen and spontaneously launched a search for suitable shrine imagery. With the family distracted by the TV event, I sneaked off to my workbench and fumbled away with bling, scissors and glue, and within the course of the evening (the Eurovision takes four hours!!!) I managed to create two little shrines. You’ve seen the first of the two already (Macduff), but here’s the other.

Fairly unspectacular outside. Can you guess what is coming inside?

Yes, with the promo ramping up ahead of its June 8 release (USA! – *hmph* UK and Germany will only follow on 22 and 21 June respectively, *meh*), I felt it was time that I made an Ocean’s 8 shrine. Why is Claude Becker (pictured above) so irritated by a little heart-shaped diamond, one wonders…?

The formal attire suits him well. But actually, he looks even better when he takes off his clothes jacket… Is it just me or is it really a case of “dat bum again” in that profile shot?

Time to celebrate, ladies. Only a short while until we get to see O8. Unfortunately for me, I’ll be on holiday at that point, but well, I’m sure stuff will filter through.

As for this shrine – it’s there for the taking. Or the giving. Having been the recipient of not one but *two* surprise packages this week, I decided to take the surprise approach on board again rather than let randompicker pull names out of a hat. Leave your comments as usual, and Guylty will tyrannically determine a recipient to receive the RAPS in a surprise package. (Unless I don’t have your address yet in which case I will have to give away the surprise and get in touch to find out your address.)

A big thank you here to my two lovely benefactresses, Hari and Tiny, who totally caught me unawares with their packages.

The care package actually contains a mint tin shrine (bottom right), and I am now also the happy owner of a NIFF Richie plushie… With surprises such as these, all work worries are firmly pushed into the background and life looks much brighter, all of a sudden. And that is priceless. I hope I can do the same with my RAPS surprise. Many thanks to you 😘

Edit: Damn, I got the numbering wrong… Adjusted the RAPS number in the headline. 159 shrines in total *arrrrgh*

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71 thoughts on “RA Pocket Shrine 159/? – Diamonds Are Forever”

  2. Ooo, this is a beauty! You know I’m a complete sucker for formal dress 😍 (quite apart from the undress attributes) and this would sit very happily with my Claude plushie (giggles). The diamonds aren’t bad either… 😊

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  4. LOL… i am sure it was not intentional but that star is pointing right to the lower part ‘crazy giggles’ sorry my imagination is too wicked this morning ;-))
    Lovely shrine and the Eurovisions was awwwful… we only saw the very back end and there weren’t many ballads actually. We ended up putting the laptop on and watching a selection of the 20 best Eurovision songs in history.. now that was music. Among which of course one of my favourites Johnny Logan 🙂

    Anyway, looking forward to the diamond movie even more! (not an entry though;-)))

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    • Hehe, happy to provide you with an excuse, Dele! I’ll be in Spain, so at least I will have good weather. And I may even be able to catch the film as soon as it comes out in Germany. (Although I really don’t want to hear his glorious voice dubbed over by a German voice actor *hmph*)

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  7. Wow! Very, very stylish indeed, all smooth and sleek on the outside and bright, shiny and lovely on the inside – the RAPS or RA? Both I think :).
    Can’t comment on the quality of this year’s Eurovision (never thought I would use those two words in the same sentence), as I was at work and missed it, but it definitely requires good company and food and drink in quantity to survive it.

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    • I really like these particular tins – they are slimmer than usual and shiny. (I have omitted to show you the other side, though… which has a print that can’t be peeled off.) Anyhow, yes, suits sleek and svelte RA down to a tee.
      LOL on the quality and quantity issues of the Eurovision. I bet you had worthier things to do…

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  8. What a beautiful tin.I have looked for tins for you ,here in the states,can’t find any.Love him in dress clothes,but,secretly Chop turns me on.Don’t tell !!!! Looking forward to seeing this movie and getting the DVD.

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    • *giggles* – I have to agree with you, dotti. Chop is far more relatable than a high-falutin’ New York art curator… I prefer the casual look, too.
      Seems as if Europe is more into mint tins. Is it a recycling issue, I wonder, with metals being recyclable and therefore more environmentally friendly? Anyway, I still haven’t counted all the tins that are still in my boxes, waiting to be turned into shrines…

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  9. Well done on another precious shrine. I find that white tie with blue sash and badge wildly attractive on him. Is there such a thing as the Royal Order of Hotness? He is a “Diamond of the First Water” which means “the greatest purity and perfection of their complexion, which ought to be that of the clearest drop of water”. Suits him perfectly.

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    • If there isn’t a Royal Order of Hotness, we urgently need to invent one and then design the ornament/medal that goes with it. (I will refrain from putting my own design forward, you know, the make-shift cheap-skate medal that I created for the NY stage door… it would not do! because yes, perfection *sigh*)

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        • Yeah, that was the fun of it. Totally cobbled together. Would’ve been fun in that particular context. Not sure if it will come across as funny when ripped out of that context – especially as RA will most likely have forgotten the encounter that prompted the making of the medal…

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  10. Hehe! I do remember that medal. What fun that was! I had the best time meeting up in NY. As far as the Royal Order badge …I have confidence you could create a medal worthy of his hotness.

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  11. This is the fanciest pocket shrine you’ve made, S, and what a gem it is! I’m happy you received two surprise packages; your service to this fandom is priceless.

    Any plans to watch the Royal Wedding?

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    • I was really fishing for compliments with the jewel theme ;-). The surprise packages really have brightened the whole week.
      As for the Royal Wedding, I have to say I am firmly republican and therefore not really into royalty at all. I am sure it is unavoidable, though…

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  12. (not an entry) A really shiny shrine that contains the most precious gem of O8. Thinking about the German release I´m facing the same problem as you. Usually I appreciate the sync but in this case I´d opt for an all sync but Richard version.
    As for the Eurovision I´ve to admit that I watched only one performance out of curiosity: Michael Schulte. And much to my surprise I was moved. Did not see any of the others and haven´t watched the show the last years either. I can´t even remember if I ever watched the entire show at least once in my life.

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    • If I weren’t on holiday, the dubbing would be no problem because I’d be watching the original version in Ireland. But it’ll be July before I get home, so if I want to see O8 early on, I’ll have to bite the German bullet. Unless I find an OV while in Berlin…
      I missed the German entry to the Eurovision but I have read rather favourable reviews…

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      • But that´s at least a good excuse to watch it a second time when you´re back in Ireland 😉.
        Well, it was maybe not the best song, maybe not the best voice but I liked the performance (especially the lack of a big show). I had heard the song several times before on the radio but this was a different feeling somehow.

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  13. Ooh, love the intense look when he studies the diamond and he certainly looks quite wonderful in formal attire! Love then tin as well, lovely, simple and chique. Yet again, very well done, Guylty! 🙂

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  14. What a great sparkly little shrine. I think sunglasses are required just to admire its brilliance.

    Ode to Fancy Dress

    RA’s allure is not dependent,
    Upon his attire being resplendent.
    But seeing him in such formal threads,
    Does tend to turn some ladies’ heads.
    So handsome as he hangs with gentry,
    This modest ode is not an entry.

    Kathy Jones

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  16. What a shrine! the content outsparkles everything.
    Only 18 cinémas in France will show the film, but ( hipphipp hurrah) one is only an hour of driving far away from my home. But the french dubbing….

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  17. [not an entry] gorgeous design!

    I always watched the Eurovision with friends when I lived in Germany. Here, though, if it’s even broadcast, it’s on a slightly obscure channel and it’s kind of a segmented (gay) subculture pleasure.

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  18. Da ist dir wieder mal ein richtiges Schmuckstück gelungen. Das Glitzern und Funkeln passt zu einem ESC-Abend. Wahrscheinlich wurde dein Unterbewusstsein inspiriert. ❤
    Die Familie und ich haben den ESC (wie immer) gefeiert. In guter Gesellschaft und noch besserer Stimmung fanden wir einige Songs erfreulich, andere merkwürdig und wieder andere sehr "ungewöhnlich". Ich muss gestehen, dass ich dieses Spektakel (un-) heimlich liebe und es nicht nur der Familie wegen schaue. Dass das deutsche Lied nach langen Jahren der Peinlichkeiten in diesem Jahr von uns und von Europa gemocht wurde, war der guten Laune natürlich zuträglich. So jetzt ist es raus… 😉

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    • Ja, irgendwie konnte ich mich dann dem Kitsch doch nicht entziehen, höhö.
      Eigentlich ist es ja zu begrüßen, dass der ESC irgendwie so ein Gemeinschaftserlebnis ist. Gemeinsames Schauen mit Freunden oder Familie – das hat man ja ansonsten eher selten. Fernsehen ist heute so fragmentiert; Sendungen eher selten ein Event, das man gemeinsam erlebt.
      Ich glaube, ich muss mir das Lied mal anhören. Habe es bisher noch gar nicht richtig wahrgenommen.

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  20. Back from Russia and catching up with Guylty is one of the first things I’m doing. Richard is a brilliant cut diamond there is no doubt. I’m all aquiver waiting to meet Claude on the big screen.
    BTW, I looked for Russian tins while there but they were all huge, not pocket sized.

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    • Hehe, hope you had a few entertaining minutes, catching up with the recent posts! How was Russia? And wow, Russian tins – now that I think of it, that would’ve been so cool. A tin with some Cyrillic writing on it. Lucas North comes to mind… or the Russian oligarch.

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  21. How lovely of them to release Oceans just in time for my birthday. Indeed, I would love having this. What I really want and can’t seem to find is a photo of our guy walking those gorgeous wolfhounds!

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  22. Pingback: RA Pocket Shrine 165/? – Barkley’s | Guylty Pleasure

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