Spring Forward

 

I want to begin by thanking everyone who created a journal or altered book page at Art Journal Journey (AJJ) in February.  Although I only had a couple of days in which I could leave comments, I tried to reach everyone I possibly could.

This month we are asked to Spring Forward by our dear friend Chris, this month's host, whose blog is PearShapedCrafting.  This is my first entry for March.  Details are below.

 

 

I began by using one of my favorite stencils, gifted me several years ago by Mia. I used brown dye ink to cover this 5.5 X 8.5 inch (13.97 X 21.59 centimeter) page which is on 110 lb. cardstock. The grass and sky were created with watercolor pencils and the birds, butterflies, and flowers were all stickers I had in my stash.

 

Please remember we welcome art journal pages that meet the theme requirements, altered book pages, canvases, loose, or stand alone pages including fabric and digital art.  I (and the administrators) cannot leave comments on Facebook, TicTok, or Instagram entries.  We do not allow cards!!!  Period! We also don't allow tags, index cards, ATCs, or ATCoins, unless they are part of a journal page, and as much as we don't want to, will be forced to delete your entry.  Please remember if your blog is not in English, we ask that you translate it for us since the translation tool doesn't work on some blogs, including mine.  Finally, we do not allow back-links to any journal page published prior to the start date of this month's challenge. Hope to see you and your Spring Forward inspired art soon at Art Journal Journey.

 

Thank you beyond belief for visiting today. Bleubeard and I would love to see you at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of Spring Forward. 

 

Love of her life

 

This is my final entry for my February challenge.  Some of you "got" what I meant when I said I once heard someone say the reason Shakespeare's plays were so long was because he chose to use 10 words when one would have sufficed.  It was really a Shakespearean way of saying "Anything goes."  Please enjoy this final entry and I sincerely hope you will join in this final day of February with your entry, too.  Now that I can leave comments again, I'll definitely be by to visit and leave my own comment!

It's obvious that He was the love of her life.  Details are below.

 

 

I began by stenciling the hearts through punchinella, also known as sequin waste, in three areas of the 5.5 X 8.5 inch (13.97 X 21.59 centimeter) cardstock using red dye ink.  While the ink was drying, I covered a standard 35mm slide (which is a 2 X 2 inch plastic frame) with heart washi tape. The clear plastic cover protected the image of the boy I colored and placed inside the frame.  Next, I added the heart washi tape to the bottom of the page so the TH paper doll would have a place on which to stand. 

 

Bleubeard and I are jumping for joy that you stopped by today, and hope to also see you on this final day of February at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone. 

 

 

The Dancers and Avignon

 

Something happened late last night that had me dancing.  Have any of you who use Firefox gotten a notice there was a new update?  I ignored it on Thursday and now wish I hadn't.  Hindsight is always 20/20.  After I installed the update, I did what I always do twice a day.  I left myself a comment.  This time, instead of reading "Failed to Publish, Try Again Later," my comment published.  That's when I decided to see if I could leave comments to others.  I chose the two people who have stuck by me every day this month: Tom and Erika.  Now I'll be by to leave comments to you, too! 

Bleubeard and I have been hosting Art Journal Journey (AJJ) this month.  Our theme for the entire month is Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.  

Today, I have two pages I created and they are both very different.  Those of you who have visited my blog in the past know how much I love to sew paper to paper.  Therefore, it should be no surprise that I would have to include at least one entry this month that included sewing.  

I named this entry The Dancers.  Details are below.

 

 

I started with vintage sheet music I colored using blue, green, and silver fluid acrylic paints.  I sewed the two dancers I found in my stash to the background using blue variegated thread. 

 

My second entry takes us back to France. 

 

We are visiting Avignon.  Details are below.

 

I started once again with one of my favorite backgrounds: security envelopes.  These were all very different patterns.  I found images from two different travel brochures, one of which contained the image of the famous bridge, the other of a World Heritage site.  Information for this page came from various sites on the internet.  This page was 5.5 X 8.5 inch (13.97 X 21.59 centimeter) created on 110 lb. cardstock. 

 

Thank you so much for visiting today.  I hope you will join Bleubeard and me at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.  Be assured, now that I can leave comments, I will definitely be by to catch up.   

 

 

Spooky!

 

I'm sure you know by now that Bleubeard and I have been hosting Art Journal Journey (AJJ) this month.  Our theme for the entire month is Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.  Please be aware, however, I am unable to leave comments on any blog, including my own, even though I visit each and every link left at AJJ and my favorite blogs.   

Is it time to celebrate Halloween?  Details are below.

 

I found the focal image in one of my magazines.  I thought the house was a bit spooky, especially with all those birds, which are reminiscent of Hitchcock.  That was when I formed the idea.  I layered the house over a sheet of 5.5 X 8.5 inch (13.97 X 21.59 centimeter) cardstock. Over that I layered the 8.5 X 11 inch (21.59 X 27.94 centimeter) 90 lb. colored cardstock from my stash.  Finally, I added the computer generated word.

 

Thank you beyond belief for visiting today.  I hope you will join Bleubeard and me at Art Journal Journey (even though we can't leave comments) with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone (or Any Thing).     

 

  

Rouen and La Roche-Guyon, France

 

I want to reiterate I'm NOT trying to be a bad host because I don't leave you a comment on your blog.  Unfortunately, even though I read each post you link at AJJ, for some reason, I am unable to leave comments to anyone, even on my own blog.

You may know by now that Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey (AJJ) this month.  Our theme for the entire month is Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.

Today I have two places we will visit in France. 

Today we are headed back to the Normandy area and visiting the city of Rouen.  Details are below.

 

 

The image came from a travel brochure and the information about the town and cathedral from various sites on the internet.  The stars are punchinella, aka sequin waste.  Some areas stenciled better than others.  I used the same turquoise dye ink on both the stencil and around the outside of the 110 lb. cardstock.

 

The second village we will visit is La Roche-Guyon.  Details are below.

 

 

I started with one of my favorite backgrounds: security envelopes.  Even though there are subtle differences, each of these patterns is unique.  I adhered the envelopes to 110 lb. cardstock.

 

The image came from a travel brochure and the information about the village and Seine valley from various sites on the internet.  

 

Both pages are 5.5 X 8.5 inch (13.97 X 21.59 centimeter) on 110 lb. cardstock. 

 

Thank you beyond belief for visiting today, even though I am unable to leave comments on any blog including my own. Bleubeard and I would love to see you at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.   

 

 

T Stands For Good Food, Good Friends

  

As I'm sure you know by now, Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey (AJJ) this month.  Please be aware, however, I am unable to leave comments on any blog, including my own, even though I visit each and every link left at AJJ.  

Good food, good friends.  What more could you ask for?  Perhaps some washi tape that actually sticks.  

 

Before I share how I created this page,

please join me at my dining room table, where I am drinking 

 

Yogi Bedtime tea from my Blessed mug that is sitting on a gifted mug rug.  

 

It tasted so good I almost forgot to take a photo before I drank it all.

 

As promised, I created the entry from 8.5 X 11 inch (21.59 X 27.94 centimeter) 110 lb. cardstock.  I fussy cut the pot of pasta I found in one of my magazines.  The sentiment and tag were from my stash.  The women were TH paper dolls and sadly not all the same size.  I had trouble with the washi tapes the women stood on sticking properly.

I've shown you mine, now it's your turn to share your T entry this week.  The rules are extremely simple.  Your drink related post may be anything from a photo of a glass, cup, or mug, to an actual drink.  You may choose to share a sketch or a digital, hybrid, or traditional page in your scrapbook, art journal, or altered book, as I have done.  Maybe you'd prefer to share a tag, or wow us with your photography.  You might choose a postcard or decorated card.  You might even draw an image on a used tea bag.  Or perhaps you prefer to review a place you visited, a movie, or book.  It makes no difference as long as it's drink related.  And don't forget that the more unique and outside the box it is, the better we like it.  Please tie it back here, and please link only to your T post, not your entire blog.  When you link, Bleubeard, the T gang, and I will be by to visit, although I probably won't be able to comment.   Bleubeard would also like to remind you that your photos may be taken any time.  

 

 

 

Since this is the final T time for February, I want to remind you it's time to dig up your Second on the 2nd.  Any genre, any length, as long as it has been published sometime in the past.

 

 

 

Normandy Beaches

 

Today we are headed back to France, specifically Normandy.

Today we are visiting the beaches of Normandy.  Details are below.

 

The beaches of Normandy are famous for being the site of the D-Day landings during World War II. The five landing beaches are Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.  Each played a critical role in the Allied invasion of German occupied France.  

 

On June 6, 1944, more than 156,000 soldiers, sailors, and paratroopers crossed the English Channel and stormed five Normandy beaches in a coordinated effort that would change the course of World War II.  

 

This massive feat known as Operation Overlord, remains the largest amphibious invasion in history.  It is a key reason many travelers choose to visit the D-Day beaches while in France.

 

Five beaches were targeted: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.  Allied troops led primarily by the United States, Great Britain, and Canada prepared for the attack.

 

An elaborate deception plan, known as Operation Fortitude, convinced the Germans the invasion would be further north, at Pas de Calais, the narrowest point between Britain and France. When the actual attacks took place about 217 miles (350 kilometers) away, German high command was slow to move.

 

Starting in the west, the landing zone encompasses five primary D-Day beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.  Utah was covered by the Americans, Gold  by the British, Juno by the Canadians, and Sword by the British and free French troops.  They found "relatively" little resistance.  The same cannot be said about Omaha beach.  There were intense battles and high casualties.  Over 2400 American soldiers lost their lives in the first day of battle, earning the beach its nickname “Bloody Omaha” in the process.  All information taken from various sites on the internet and a library book on WWII.

 

I began with an image of the Omaha beach grave site (where more than 10,000 U.S. soldiers are buried), found in a travel brochure.  I computer generated the words, which I cut and outlined in turquoise dye ink.  I then outlined the outside of the 5.5 X 8.5 inch (13.97 X 21.59 centimeter) cardstock in brown dye ink.  It appears I cropped the top of the cardstock.

 

Bleubeard and I are incredibly pleased you stopped by today, and hope to also see you at Art Journal Journey (even if we can't leave you a comment) with your own interpretation of Anywhere, Anytime, Any Place, with Anyone.