Journaling

We are already in the second week of Sarah Whitmire ‘Soul journaling- advanced techniques’.
After altering some pictures, it was time to alter our journal.
I have cut some windows in my journal ;
I collaged some pages with old papers, some written pages from schoolbooks, some ‘old’ knitting explanations, postage stamps and shopping tickets with gel medium.
This took ages to dry !

Then I gessoed my pages

This took even longer to dry.

Once the pages were dry I took my favourite crayons (the caran d’ache pastel neocolor II, of course) and started to colour randomly :

This is where I arrived so far, since I wet the crayons, I have to wait the pages to dry.

Yes, again.
A chance there is only one lesson a week.
I think Sarah do this on purpose ; that way we have the time to think about the outcome of our journal.
I want mine to be a ‘happy journal’.
I want that journal - when opened later - be a happy memory ! I refuse to think at the bad moments – life is too short – and yes we have our bad moments but that’s not the theme of my blog.
I still have some pictures to alter.

That will be done Sunday – no time earlier.

On april, 2nd I go to a creativity fair.
Yummy…
I hope to find some weird stuff to work with.


"So divinely is the world organized that every one of us, in our place and time, is in balance with everything else. "
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Write you soon
Nathalie

Spring, at last ?

I really hope that spring will stay in the country. I’m tired of the winter.
We are not used to have a winter that last that long !
Today we have a beautiful day. Went for a walk with the dog and saw the flowers were starting to bloom.
Feels like a rebirth.
Two days ago there was nothing to see on this shrub (I hope this is the correct name because I used an online translator to know the name for ‘a little tree’) and look now – almost - in full bloom.

The smell of nature is also particular in early spring. Difficult to describe.

On the other hand I started module 4 from the City and Guild course.
I have to make a collage.
I choose a subject : the beach, the sea and the sky.
Since this is an everyday scene for me, I found it appropriate to take that subject.
I have tons of blue scraps :

Those blues are too blue but never mind, I will find a way to tone them. I have to look for my beige and grays for the sand and also some greens for the sea.

Our sea isn’t blue but beige/greenish because of the tides.

In my eyes, this is the most beautiful place on earth to live.

Every time I come home I can smell the sea and the air an hour before I get home.

The pictures above weren’t taken on the same moment but it’s almost the same spot.


“Happiness is like a kiss. You must share it to enjoy it.”
Bernard Meltzer

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Nathalie

finished work

In the Souljournaling class given by Sarah Whitmire we had to alter a picture.
This was a first for me.
What a great way to remove unwanted details so that the attention only goes to the focal point !

After removing the unwanted parts I recoloured using my “caran d’ache neocolor II” and watering them afterwards.
Now, the eye is only attracted by the focal point.

I completely finished the challenge piece.
I added more stitches and then cut the surface in five instead of three. I reassembled then with a metallic thread.
This was fun to make and I will never look at grocery bags the same way as I did before.

This is also the reason I named this piece :

‘Trash’ :

" Housework is something you do that nobody notices unless you haven't done it."
Sam Ewing

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Nathalie

Challenge

Played a little more with the challenge piece. I added some metallic thread around the foiled circles.Yes these pictures have been taken from the same piece but some with

and others without a flash :

On the pictures taken without a flash, I can’t see the red organza top layer. But I can see the plastic I used to create the under layer.
In reality the pictures taken with the flash are realistic.

I received a mail from the Kemshalls : I now am in module 4 from the City and guild Creative Sketchbook.
Since the start of this course I haven’t have a single regret.
No, I lie : I should have taken those courses much earlier ! But on the other hand : I shouldn’t have appreciate it as much as I do now.

I started to draw my next project :

Those parts are only a small part of a larger project.
No, I will not tell what it is, not yet. The only thing I will reveal is that it is a nature oriented project with bright colours.

"If you reveal your secrets to the wind you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees. "
Kahlil Gibran


Write you soon
Nathalie

Spring

Spring is in the air, the sun is shining and the birds are singing. I’m glad king winter is out of the country.
I have a new camera and I’m exercising to get nice pictures with it.
I have some wonderful pictures from my dog.
Finally !!
The moment I tried to shoot her (not for killing, no) she ran away : under a bed, under a table and if the door to the garage was open, she went hiding under the car ! Never saw a dog that was soo afraid of a camera.
On April the first, she turns 10 years old.

I continued on my challenge piece and zapped some parts of it :

Now, how will I turn this piece in a finished, ready to hang piece ?
My initial idea was to cut it in three equal parts to create a triptych.
I’m hesitating.
I have to think about it.
No hurry.

By the way, Shelagh will give a free challenge again, starting in two weeks).
If you want a discovery adventure and you can participate, take the challenge, you won’t be disappointed !

Susan Sorell is starting a 6 week long doodling online class in april.

That’s one I wanted to take for some time now, so I enrolled.

According to a new survey, 90% of men say their lover is also their best friend. Which is really kind of disturbing when you consider man’s best friend is his dog.

Jay Leno

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Nathalie

module 3

The past days I worked o non module 3 from the Creative Sketchbook’. I photographed all the exercises and wrote a synopsis from how and why I did some exercises a certain way.
I’m curious to hear what Edwinna and the Kemshalls will say.

For now I will go back on the challenge since the next faze was posted past week.
This was the last stage :
I first had to ‘sacrifice’ me. Since I needed the wrapping from chocolate candies....
One word : DELICIOUS

Then I began to sew to work of the extra calories…

The foils were sewed in an instant.

details...

Some one (Ellen Lindner) asked for some detail pictures from ‘Marseille V L’Estaque”.
I’m glad to show them :

For now I’m doodling a bit.

I have a new idea I want to work out but before I show you anything I want play a bit with this idea.

"It has never been my object to record my dreams, just to realize them. "
Man Ray


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Nathalie

Without words

This is the façade from my youngest daughter's school :
some inside pictures :

an inside 'garden'

some windows :

this is Bruges :

I had to take chocolate-pictures

and pictures of some beers :

I hope you enjoyed the walk !

Write you soon

Nathalie