The Nursery Years

Time to press on with the book of hearts. Another childhood page (it actually faces the previous one that was posted). Here is my mother and her sister with their grandmother, Ivy. I just loved this photo so had to include it. Mum is the wee tot in her granny's arms, too cute Mum! Surrounding the photo an old silver frame thats taken a beating, literally, LOL. Re shaped and glued down over the photo so as not to cover too much of the background paper. I really liked this old book page and , well it suited the theme rather well. It was after all mums nursery years. So to go along with the theme, the birds nesting in the top corner, some old vintage lace and an oyster shell button with a little silver hummingbird charm.




The picture shows some green tinting which isn't actually there, just a light trick. If only I could work out how to do that when I want to!
Dud photography skills again:)





And a closer view of the lower section of the page. The branch and a wee nest of silver wire and beads (for eggs) with a few tiny down feathers under the beads. The partner to the top hummingbird at the nest.


And music of course. Birdsong. Can't you hear them?

The Inconsistent Muse!

It's time for the May journal challenge over at Blue Bazaar and for a change I have finished one on time and really had one of those wonderful flowing days today. Don't you just love that when it happens!




The page is about the ideas in my head and how sometimes they just seem to bubble and overflow so much faster than my ability to do anything about them. At other times, nothing, nix, nada! No amount of provocation or stimulation will shift anything into any sort of positive action. The joys of an inconsistent muse! LOL. Don't ya just loathe that frustration!

Book of Bubbles

Bubbling...




in...

the past...

And so to the next chapter in the Book of Hearts, my mothers childhood years. The Book of Bubbles page. This appealed to my sense of humour, lots. :) Bubbles and childhood just seem to go together really. These pictures are of Mum and her sister at their first home in Burnie, Tasmania. Mum is the little terror with her doll bottom left. (hahaha mum, dobbed you in). I think she is about 2 years old here. Won't reveal her current age, thats just not very ladylike really.



Suffice to say she was around a little after the dinosaurs (just kidding) LOL! ( Ouch. I felt that Mum!) hahahahaha!
Oh, the lock and key are to symbolise the key to a happy childhood...carefree times with your best friend, your big sis!

Deep Digger

Over on Viv Bonder's website she has started a journal challenge, dig deep, or deep diggers. (Click on the link to go see Viv's amazingly inspiring site). There are inspirations provided, something to help you dig deep, those things which challenge, hide, inspire, motivate, and affect us in some way. The nitty gritty of our lives, or perhaps just a colour or thought and what does this evoke in you? I decided to join, afterall this is for me a year of growth, both in myself and my art, so both feet in and splash! Here's the first one- honesty. Well thats a hell of a prompt Viv. Lots of stuff associated with this word, some good, some great, some... other things. So here's the page.



Oh, yeah, this was more of a challenge than I originally anticipated. I could have written all the nice cutesy stuff, but that isn't what this was about for me. Although I haven't talked about specific things here, and it's not about revealing hidden closet skeletons or such like, (no there aren't any weird or wonderful skeletons trying to get out either!!!), the word was more confronting than I anticipated. That was good though, liberating really, so that was what it was about. Honesty is liberating!
Let me know what you think. Be honest!
Liberate yourself too! :)

Icarus Rises

Time for a journal page post. Its been a while and I have been so busy but I have finally gotten around to completing this months journal challenge at Blue Bazaar. The challenge- transfers. All different types just pick and choose and jump right in. Well splash!!! I did of course and decided on attempting an inkjet transfer. I think I must thrive on challenges because for some reason this became one! Harder to get a good result than I would have liked but finally I am happy enough with it all. I found it worked best if I applied the gel medium to both the background and the transfer. Dont play with it too much and dont over apply the gel and have it slip all over the place. The transfer looks very white here but I kept the background behind the transfer white deliberately to enhance this aspect, as the picture is of a marble statue so I wanted it this way. The background is made from some lovely papers from Ro Bruhn (thanks Ro), acrylics texture paste and twinkling H2O's. I have over painted the transfer a little with acrylics to highlight some of the areas but only a little. It is much more rose-gold in person but the camera insited on seeing only the fiery colours and leaving out the rest:( Oh well, such is life, or at least my photography ability. LOL.




Oh I forgot to mention I threw in a few feathers, but you could see that anyway!

Building The Nest

Moving along to the next set of pages in the Book of Hearts, and here they are. Love gives you wings. (Contrary to the words of wisdom currently being espoused in a certain advertisment that tries to sell some form of liquid refreshment). The frame is constructed using texture paste, acrylics, stamping, polished pigments tulle and other assorted odds and sods. Grungeboard wings and an old heartshaped frame that had a wee makeover as well.
(You can click on the pics to see the detail if you like).



So behind the doors...

They build their nest. Here are my grandparents not long after they have married, building their nest together.

I wanted a little something different for this page so after being all inspired after browsing through the fabulous Ruth Rae's blog..there was the answer. To construct my own set of soulful doors. I really enjoyed this process. Being away from the usual chaotic work bench and doing something different was lots of fun. Might have to make some more of these for myself!


They built a wonderful nest together.