variation on a theme

This morning I was scrolling through an email from a cross stitch source to which I subscribe, and this lovely opportunity came into view. Well hello, Anne of Cleves! After which I thought, "why in the world would anyone want to stitch a portrait of Anne?" I've already confessed to being enamored of the intricacies of the life of Henry VIII, including his wives (Anne being number four), but still...

Being a person for whom possibilities are fun to consider, however, I began to do just that. Here's a sample of my considering:

Find portraits of all six wives and cross stitch them to make into pillows. Be the first among your friends to have a Tudor-themed living room! Note: the patterns exist! And here's my favorite, though I can't begin to think why someone would spend hours upon hours stitching this to completion. Clearly, someone has. -->

Find portraits of other famous Annes to cross stitch and group the framed collection on a wall in your house. Or garage. Or bathroom. So far Anne Frank, Anne Hathaway, Queen Anne, Anne of Green Gables come to mind. That's a fairly diverse group carrying such a distinguished name!

Find portraits of other noble women of history who didn't lose their dignity, even if they did lose their royal spouse.

Identify famous persons to whom your own family tree has some connection. One of my ancestors helped negotiate the marriage between Henry and Anne of Cleves! I'm just realizing this makes me two historic degrees of separation from Henry.  Be still my heart!

Write a dissertation on the queen and frame her portrait in a shadow box with a copy of your manuscript.

Cross stitch a Tudor tapestry to hang on the wall. 

Okay, I've given this a really first rate attempt to think creatively. I'm sure that with the other great minds out there who come here for various reasons we can really beat the band with exceptional ideas. I hope you'll share yours!