52Q - What is the truth?

This is definately not a good photo of this tag, its come out very dark but anyway...my answer is that 'we are born, then we live and then we die'. It sounds kinda morbid but lets face it, its the only thing we know for certain isn't it?

GPP Cat got your tongue

Over at the crusades this month, Michelle has challenged us to get innovative with words on our journalling. Not just the written word but stamps, stencils...anything goes.

I have been doing a lot of art journalling over recent months but am still trying to find my own style...its tricky! And getting words on to the page is even trickier. It doesn't help that I hate, I mean really hate my hand writing...so this has been a challenge indeed!

Here, I used a few elements and techniques collected from previous crusades namely wax rubbings and masks. Even that spade shape was used as a hand made mask at some time.


here some stencilling and a little doodling which I am experimenting with at the moment


and some collage, paint and gesso!


and finally a page in progress


I have realised that I love to use the cut titles and words from magazines.

Mottisfont Abbey

I belong to the National Trust and am lucky enough to have Mottisfont Abbey within a very short drive of my home so I can pop up there at any time, even if just for an hour. So on Saturday, I took one of these impuslive decisions and just threw on my coat and grabbed my camera and went off to see what was occurring up there.

This bench is one of my favourites, it sits within the walled gardens which are relatively peaceful at this time of year. Come up here in June though, when the roses are out and its a different matter!


the tulips are out


and just look at this fella...he is on a mission I think!

I am currently art journalling the changes at Mottisfont through the year...more on this later!

MMM - Mermaids

Used this postcard of A Mermaid by John William Waterhouse on this page. I love his work.

Used Mica and distress embossing powders. tfl

52Q - Q15...What makes me me?

The writing on the back reads...

All the good and all the bad, my ups and downs, my drive and motivation, my laziness and stubborness, my likes, dislikes, loves and hates. My DNA and that of my ancestors, my environment and how I was brought up. The people around me in my past and those who are there now. Events, moments, experiences, days, morals, beliefs. My husband, my children, my family. My love of life and my belief that everything and anything is possible with focus and strength of mind...my past and my future.



tfl

52Q weeks 13 and 14

Had quite a laugh doing the hair one...I wish I could have found more photos! I have had a number of very dubious hairstyles over the years but here I am sporting the Kevin Keegan and the Farrah Fawcett-Majors :lol:


And secondly...books. I used to read loads when I was younger but it kind of got spoiled when I started studying and HAD to read. I never had the time to read for pleasure...so now I read lots of art books but mostly only read novels when I go on holiday and then I can easily read 4 or 5 over a couple of weeks. I like Paulo Coelho, Patricia Cornwell and more recently Lisa Gardner whom I discovered in Florida last year.

The Ospreys at Loch Garten

I don't often say much on here about these birds but I watched them last year and they are back again now so they are top of my favourites list at the moment.

Last year we watched as EJ and Henry became a couple and then a family as all three eggs hatched. Sadly the youngest chick was beaten into submission by his brother and sister but the two surviving youngsters, Deshar and Nethy, fledged and eventually migrated in the search for warmer climes. They were tagged so we were able to watch on google earth as Deshar got his radar all wrong and disappeared into the Atlantic but Nethy found Africa and I think she finally ended up in Senegal for the winter.

As she was tagged the centre reported recently that there had been no movement for several weeks and they assumed she had met her end. Having said that it seems there is a possiblity that she lost her tag. Its been very sad as we watched these birds hatch, fledge and then migrate but it just makes you realise how few of these magnificent birds actually survive and how vulnerable they are.

Anyway, EJ came back a few weeks ago and has found herself a new man whom they have called Odin. The two have been mating and appear to be very happy and we are all awaiting the first egg which they speculate will be any day now. I warn you this is compelling viewing especially when she is keeping those eggs warm and calling for her partner to feed her and then again when the eggs hatch...it is sooo exciting.

Enjoy!

I can't seem to link this for some reason but there is a link in the side bar.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/webcams/birdsofprey/lochgartenvideo.asp

Another CJ page

this time its Lorraines. The stamp she sent is the damask one from Heidi Swapp



This had me stumped as I really wanted to come up with something different. I layered several layers of 'fantasy film' in between paper and ran an iron over it to make the film stick together. I then cut out my shape and stamped with stazon. This film is fabulous stuff, its irridescent and shows many different colours depending on the light. I then kept the background fairly simple and just stamped with Stewart Gill paints before assembling the butterfly on sticky pads.





tfl

Journal Pages

I thought I might start putting up some of my journal pages. I have been messing around with these for weeks but always felt that I was trying to achieve some kind of standard and then it clicked and I realised I can do whatever, I mean WHATEVER I want and I am the only person I have to please. I also realise that there will be some good ones and some bad ones but the main thing is they will all reflect how I am feeling at the time. The interesting thing is that I may be feeling really c**p but just going through this journalling process makes me feel so much better! So this is a page from a couple of weeks ago.



Paint, collage, stamping, doodling...this one has it all. And its a big book which I am using so I am altering it as I go. Often the diagrams and words show through a little but I don't mind that...it adds to the effect.
tfl

MMM Spots and Stripes

I am very obsessed with journal working at the moment so much so that when I couldn't sleep the other night I started doodling and this is the result. It was 5am! Ridiculous time of the day...and I had already been awake for a couple of hours.

I hope it still qualifies for MMM...it was a bit of collage, paint and doodling :lol: