I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Tuesday 11 December 2018

Winter Journal VI

Hello again!  Romance seems to be hidden in the snow of this winter journal.  Winter Journal IV dwelt in the heady joys of the early days of an affair, and here's another page which celebrates love (and I know that there's another one on the way... the pages are ahead of the blogposts!).


It's not a common topic around here, or at least not usually an uncomplicatedly positive one.  There's more often a touch of heartache or melancholy attached.  But maybe I'm getting sentimental in my old age...  No, that's not quite right - I've always been a romantic at heart, just all too aware of the down sides too.






In any case, in the hard cold of winter, I'm finding lots of warm hearts appearing in the artwork arriving on my craft desk.  Today's page celebrates a lifetime of love.













Again, I've been using up leftovers.  This tag with the ovals cut out has been sitting around ever since August, when I made my engraved enamel word plaques for PaperArtsy.

At the time, I thought I should try to cut the ovals out centrally, so that the outline would be of use at some point further down the line.  And that day has finally come.











The tag got a rough, thick coating of gesso, applied with a palette knife and then super-heated.  At first, I kept it plain white, and I liked the look of billowing snowdrifts.














But later, as I started to apply ink, it took on the look of toasted marshmallow - which is also quite a good look!








This is one page where I'm still not quite sure whether I shouldn't have stopped earlier.  Here it is in its pristine whiteness, which I really like... but it does have an unfinished look.


The distressing - with walnut ink splatters and a touch of Vintage Photo Distress Ink blended on - has given everything a much warmer tone.  I don't know... what do you think?









I have to say, I do love the extra texture and detail around the snowflakes post-browning.
















They've had a helping of white embossing powder, as well as some inky splatters and washes around them.














There's plenty of thread swirling in the snowstorm...
















... and the walnut ink splatters beautifully.















Of course, at the heart of it all are the lovers themselves - first, in their young and carefree days...
















... and then after many years together, having weathered the storms, sharing the burdens and the joys.













It's odd working with those frames at the centre - I'm used to off-setting my focal points to one side or another.  But with the tag at the centre, the two sets of words have to balance each other out...










... just like the man and woman have had to balance one another out, in order to achieve always and forever.

(And not just the words to be balanced, but the film strip and washi tape too.)

I think these two word sections and the snowflakes work best for me on this page.  I'm not sure about the photo frames, after all that!





I hope you're enjoying the winter love stories finding their way into some of these pages.  I'm not sure where they're coming from, but sometimes it's best not to enquire too deeply into these things, I find.  I'll be back with more soon (not only love stories, you'll be happy to hear), so I hope to bump into you again, either here or elsewhere in Craftyblogland.

A good marriage isn't something you find; it's something you make.
From A Lifelong Love by Gary L. Thomas

At the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge they are offering up some Warm Winter Wishes
I'd like to play along again at Art Journal Journey for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's themes of My Favourite Season/Tis the Season
At the Creative Artiste Challenge Blog they are playing, as always, Anything Mixed Media Goes

23 comments:

Lenie said...

It is beautiful again Alison! I was curious to see what you would make. It is different everytime. You made an original Passe Partout( I didn't know this word in English, maybe it's the same word) and I like the one with the brown ink the most!

Helen said...

Another tempting love story in your latest page... I do think you were right to keep going with the splatters!

Neet said...

Love the texture and all the different elements that make up this latest Journal page. The colours are bang on in line with the topic and make for a very evocative scene. Love it!
Hugs, Neet xx

My name is Erika. said...

Your winter journal is looking fabulous. I love the blue you used in the last page, but both of these pages are just gorgeous. Hugs-Erika

Valerie-Jael said...

The journal is fabulous, love the colour scheme. Have a great day, hugs, Valerie

craftytrog said...

A beautiful page Alison! I love the toasted marshmallow look on the tag! xx

Andrea Small said...

ooooh - tricky one! I love both pre- and post-splatters, but think I come down on the side of post-. Perhaps if only the younger photograph was featured, the pristine would have won???
I am really enjoying these pages and loving the recurring features.
Andrea xx

Patty O'Malley said...

Love the story behind the awesome page!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

You certainly know how to tell an evocative story, Alison. I also am a romantic and find your love story time worn.

I agree the pristine white is beautiful, but also agree it is lacking something. I'm not sure toasted marshmallow would have been my first choice, but it definitely warms the page. What I really like is the symmetry. It is hard placing the focal image in the center of a spread, but you pulled it off perfectly with both embellishments and ephemera. This is a stunning entry of forever love. You can not only see the burdens and joys of the couple as they aged, you also saw the hardships they endured. This is a remarkable tribute to love everlasting. Thank you so much for sharing this with us using my theme at Art Journal Journey. I'm simply in LOVE with your art!

froebelsternchen said...

A fantastic story behind this WONDERFUL page dear Alison! Gorgeous! Thank you for another fantastic entry for ELizabeth's December collection at AJJ!
Much appreciated!
Hugs, Susi

Redanne said...

Well, I am a romantic too and I always love your stories Alison. This page has a much cooler vibe going on in comparison to previous ones. I do like the way you have framed the people though. Anne xx

Cestina said...

Hmm, I have to say that looking at the older female face, I am unconvinced about the "always and forever" sentiment!

I love the marshmallows..
xx

Paper Profusion said...

Ha! Like Cestina's comment! Love the toasted marshmallow vibes here Alison. (Wouldn't that make a great name for a distress ink?). Your finished journal will be a joy to behold. Nicola x

Words and Pictures said...

Yes, well, of course, Cestina and Nicola - it could be him "talking" in the words... she may not agree at all with the sentiment. Glad to see I'm not the only one who takes it all with a pinch of salt!
Alison xx

Meggymay said...

A really beautiful and romantic page, the years pass and they are still together, perhaps comfortable with each other as they grow older as we see in the second photo.
Yvonne xx

Roosterhead Designs said...

Wowzer Alison! This is beautiful. I do like the center/balance of this page, and though I'm a big huge fan of white, I think (at least) a little 'toasted marshmallow' along the edges does give it a more finished look~ And nice ink 'spatters' here as well. Great texture.
And IDK, I think the older more seasoned female is content- (they may have just stopped at the photo booth while she had other things [not love] on her mind! : ) ha ha. Thank you for sharing this beautiful page! hugs, karen o

Brenda Brown said...

I love the toasted marshmallow look to this gorgeous page and yes I love the white version before it was coloured but I agree it now has a finished appearance which I love even more. Mmmm there’s lots of love coming from me today. Have a good one xxx

Craftyfield said...

Yes to the Walnut splatter! Otherwise the frame looks too new for the surrounding Vintage elements… Beautiful page Alison!

Jackie PN said...

Oh I do love the photo frames and I LOVE the way you heat the gesso for that texture! And the marshmallow look?toasted? genius! heehee What a great way to visualize it- it totally works in my opinion. Yes, the bright white is beautiful, but I agree, it looked unfinished. Your ending page is absolutely stunning!
I too am a romantic, a hopeless one...guess we are what we are!
hugs & love,Jackie

Andree said...

Another gorgeous page Alison, full of fabulously interesting textures, nostalgia and details. The toasted marshmallow look was definitely the way to go.
Thank you for joining in with our December challenge "Anything Mixed Media Goes" at Creative Artiste Mixed Media. Good luck and don't forget to consider applying to the DT call we are holding this month x

Jane Royston said...

Wow! What a fantastic story you have told. I love the toasted marshmallow look and the textures you have created! Thank you for joining us at Creative Artiste this month, Jane (DT) :) x https://creativeartistemixedmedia.blogspot.com/

pearshapedcrafting said...

I love the toasted marshmallow look(actually I really love the thought of toasted marshmallows!!) although the pristine white was also beautiful! I don't want to be mean here but it does look as though she looked after her hubby just a little too much and has worn herself out (or maybe he snores a lot and she is tired!!!) Hugs, Chrisx

sarascloset said...

Hmmm, I can almost smell those marshmallows toasting on the open fire. Yum! Love the looks of this page and the sweet story behind it. Your writing is so fabulous, I sometime forget to look at the pictures, but it all falls so perfectly together. Looking forward to catching up, but sadly not now. Hugs!