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...

Wednesday 6 February 2019

What you seek

I'm glad you liked the springtime vibe of the Becoming More tag - thank you so much for all the lovely comments.  As promised (threatened?), I'm back with a journalling page which also uses the new Organic die.  I really love the tangled foliage and wildflower heads of this intricate die-cut, and I enjoyed encouraging them to grow across this spread.


This page is in a a more delicate, romantic mode than is usual here - a sort of partner piece to the recent Create What You Need page spread.  They certainly came in very quick succession, though this one has had to wait its turn on the blog.  Still, as the words say, it's fine to "take your time".






The Organic die was really the starting point here.  As soon as I saw the new releases, I pictured this one spreading across a book page, reaching out into blank space in search of new growth.













Rather than watercolouring the flowers, as I did for Becoming More, these are very simply cut from some design paper.

The rusty file clip was already in place, as part of the original book alteration.













It's a very plain green design paper, with just a touch of weathering to it, so they do look fairly natural, I think. 

I like letting the plants spread free of their rectangular frame.  With some clever snipping they can look completely organic.













Over the weeds and flowers I've done some layered collaging with all sorts of ephemera.













Mostly they come from various Tim Holtz ephemera and layering packs, but they're all mixed up in one box so I can't tell you what's from where, I'm afraid.













The yellow tones are delicate and aged, but definitely there, I'd say, so I'm going to link up with this month's Art Journal Journey where they are seeking The Colour Yellow.  

I know this is a very gentle primrose, or old yellowing book page version of yellow, but I hope it counts.












I'm working on a yellower page at the moment, as I do want to try and join in with Art Journal Journey at least once a month in 2019.  

I didn't realise they were going to hit me with quite such a tricky one (for me!) so early in the year.   So, in case the new yellow one doesn't quite work out, I'm going to share this version of "delicate yellow" in the meantime.












The young woman is one of the Art Daily photos, part of Finnabair's new(ish) collections.  I mounted her on some of the same green paper to give her a little frame.

And she's the one, with her vintage styling, who demanded the addition of some lace - very feminine and soft in texture.













The tangled threads echo the wild weeds in their chaos, so I don't think all is necessarily ordered and perfect in her world.

There's a look of longing in her eyes, very contained but definitely there.















I think that she dreams of a larger, more exciting world than the one she's confined to by her time. 












But there's cause for optimism... whatever it is she wants is out there, and if she keeps seeking she will find her way to the thing she yearns for.













The clocks may feel as though they are ticking the time away, but sometimes patience is needed.  

You need to take time to find out where you are meant to go in life.















Send out shoots and tendrils, seeking the way.







And once you find your path, things will fall into place.  In fact, you'll find that all that growing and seeking means you already have a wealth of experience and knowledge in place to take with you into the new adventures.


But always be ready for another path to open up... there may be other things out there seeking for you still.  There's always room for more growth.






In another link with Create What You Need, there are some ivory and antique linen-coloured mica sequins dotted around, catching the light.














I never thought I'd be a sequin kind of person, but you see, it just needed the right sequins to find me!















(And in anticipation of the probable question... yes, I have managed to close and re-open the book since gluing it all in!  The die-cut is carefully tucked down into the spine with room to manoeuvre.)

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  It's a pleasure and a privilege to share the seeking with you, and I hope whatever you are seeking finds you soon!







People take different roads seeking fulfilment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
Marcel Proust

I'd like to share this at Art Journal Journey where Rike's theme this month is The Colour Yellow.  As I said in the post, it's a very gentle form of yellow, but the delicate primrose and yellowing book text will have to do for now.  I hope to be back later in the month with something a little yellower!
I'd like to play along at the Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge, where they are having their usual Anything Mixed Media Goes theme
And there's another Anything Creative Mixed Media Goes theme over at the Love to Create Challenge, so I'm joining in there too
At the Three Muses Challenge the theme is White Space - it may not seem like it, but for me, this is quite a lot of empty space!

50 comments:

Helen said...

oh what a glorious page this is! I love how you have used that die... I might need it after all! I much prefer your soft subtle yellow, personally!! Easier to use, definitely.

Brenda Brown said...

I love the way you clip the diecut to achieve such organic movement of the flowers and then the fabulous layering up of ephemera to achieve superb collaging results. This is a truly beautiful and delightful design xxx

Valerie-Jael said...

What a wonderful page Alison, so delicate and beautiful. Hugs, Valerie

Jennie Atkinson said...

Fabulous layering, colouring and design ..... just adorable (and everything I would love to put myself onto a journal page !!) x

Anne (cornucopia) said...

This is gorgeous. I love this art journal page. Beautifully done.

scrappergirl56 said...

I love the pages...they draw you in and invite you to "take your time" and have a look around...

My name is Erika. said...

That die is really pretty and I like it even better now that I have seen it on your page than just looking at the die by itself. It really creates some pretty details in the background, doesn't it? The lace is a wonderful addition to the page too. Thanks for carry through with the 'threat' and showing us this gorgeous page. Hugs-Erika

Sue said...

Ok I'm back, I started to leave a comment then ended up chasing down and buying the Organic die so thanks for that (I think) lol. This is a stunning piece, and I really like the little details such as the thread and sequins - perfect photo choice too. Have a lovely week, Sue xx

froebelsternchen said...

These pages are wonderful Alison - so pretty and all the fantastic details with the lace and dies and your perfect way with colours and textures! A feast for the eyes! And I am pleased to see you linking to Art Journal Journey, this gentle shade of yellow fits perfect! Thank you very much! Happy rest of the week dear Alison!
Hugs, Susi

Patty O'Malley said...

Beautiful, delicate pages, Alison! I loved reading the story behind your page.

Rike said...

What a gorgeous artjournal page! There are so many details to find the more I look and your quote and words are magical! The lady really looks like a dreamer and the lace on the buttom behind the photo fits perfect!
And yes, I wondered if you are able to close this book :)) because of these white 3D roses!
Thank you very much for linking to my theme at AJJ!
Rike x

Dorthe said...

So gorgeous Alison , love the tone of sage and your beautiful nature spread. The woman, I need to find out where to buy , and ofcourse I love your use of laces and flowers . I also have a stash of that lovely tones sequins :-) . Peaceful and lovely !! Hugs, Dorthe

Sandy said...

Oh my gosh Alison! This is incredibly gorgeous!! No one does it like you!!
I am not commenting much anymore - can't stat on the computer long because of back problems but I am lurking around!
Sandy xx

Monika Gulyas said...

Wonderful pages, Alison!!! And I just realised that maybe after a long blue period now you started the green one :-) Big hugs

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

Oh my! a vintage paradise, gorgeous. Have a lovely week, Angela xXx

suzyb said...

Beautiful Alison, really beautiful.

Astrid Maclean said...

Another lovely and truly romantic spread! Love what you did with the die cuts, it really makes it all flow together beautifully!

Craftyfield said...

It's a fabulous design for a Vintage scrapbook page, Alison. Whenever I get back to my scrapbooking I'll be CASing that one methinks... xx

Lenie said...

It is so beautiful Alison, I love this!

Redanne said...

You really are making me think I 'need' the Organic die... it does look so beautiful chopped into and the delicate green looks so beautiful on your page. A peaceful and very restful page. Anne xx

Meggymay said...

Its a fabulous vintage spread Alison. I love how you used the new die cut across the page. oh dear that wish list of mine gets longer.
The shades of yellow look so delicate as do the other colours you used.
Yvonne xx

Amanda said...

Exquisite pages, so beautifully done in all their soft tones
Love
Amanda x

Ozstuff said...

Exquisitely beautiful and I enjoyed the journey through the creation of your great artwork.

Margaret Mifsud said...

What a simply stunning journal spread Alison and, yes!, I definitely need that Organic Die!! I adore how you've spread it out over the page. So perfectly in keeping with the delicate feel of your pages .. peaceful and calming and reminiscent of a more romantic age. This is divine!! Have a fabulous day! hugs xx

Michele said...

this is absolutely beautiful! so many gorgeous details! and a perfect use of white space. xo

chrissie said...

A wonderful spread Alison and great use of the nature die cuts The layering on the left is just amazing and when I looked at what you used I realised I could do that:)

The second quote in your words to today made me think. We do almost the same walk 3 or 4 times each week but we always find something different to smile, or even laugh, about along the way.

Thank you for the inspiration and the insight.

Have a great day

Love Chrissie xx

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

My jaw dropped when I saw this beauty, Alison. I could write a book about how much I like this entry and why. That new die must be amazing, because you have definitely made it appear to spread across both pages. The ephemera is gorgeous and the flowers are perfect. I about flipped out at the amazing composition. There is romance, there is wistful dreaming, and there is a spread that speaks volumes about its creator. I'm thrilled you shared this with us using Rike's theme at Art Journal Journey, but I'm also thrilled just to appreciate this spread's beauty.

Annie said...

Absolutely stunning journal pages here Alison x Beautiful background and the organic die looks amazing below the colaged elements...Love it !!!
TFS and hugehugs Annie xx

Taluula said...

Exquisite artwork, Alison. Loud applause from me.

indybev said...

dSuch beautiful work. I love everything about it, especially the addition of lace and text. Thank you for sharing.

Chrissy said...

Wonderful page Alison..I love that take your time sentiment,I'm always told to slow down, love the flower and leaf flourish,lace and sequins..gorgeous.

Luv CHRISSYxx

sirkkis said...

Your dreamy double page is absolutely
beautiful with charming details. Thanks for showing the process 💜

Paper Wishes said...

These pages are so beautiful. You are certainly putting that die to wonderful use. It looks great broken up and climbing around your pages like ivy taking over an old building or long forgotten garden. The whole feel of these pages is very evocative and atmospheric it certainly summons up stories of this lovely long lost woman in the photograph. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and creative explorations. x

Lace Age Girl said...

What a beautiful journal spread, Alison! I love the story you have woven through your method, too. Thank you for a really inspiring blogpost!
Jesse X

Let's Art Journal said...

Wow, you have captured such beauty on your romantic pages! There is so much detail to draw the eye with the dies and empherea that you chose are perfect - I love it 😁. I so enjoyed reading and following the additions you made to the page too! Thanks so much for the inspiration and wishing you a Happy Friday and Weekend! J 😊 x

Dorthe said...

Dear Alison, thank you very much for your message about the sheet , I love that kind of old images, as you know ,- so will look up the link. So sweet of you - Hugs, Dorthe

Andree said...

A beautifully soft journal spread Alison. The gorgeous organic die-cuts may be in the background but they steal the show with their delicate entanglements and gentle colour. Wonderful collage corners and 'timeless' clocks compliment the text sayings perfectly.
Thank you for joining in with our February challenge "Anything Mixed Media Goes" at Creative Artiste Mixed Media. Good luck x

Kate Yetter said...

This is such an elegant journal layout, Alison. I love how you used those dies in the background and left a lot of white space. It is a lovely!
Kate

Katie said...

This is stunning

Roosterhead Designs said...

Soo very lovely Alison! A double page of 'authentic vintage charm' and 'deep thought' too~ Beautiful combination. Your pages have given me a lot to ponder~
I really like the image, (the 'dreamer':) and the implications of 'growth and new adventures,' through all the vines and organic dies spreading across the pages! I enjoyed the hints of bling from the sequins too! I like a bit of that here & there; sometimes
to a fault ; /
Great feel to this page and story Alison, thank you for sharing with us!! Hugs, karen o

craftytrog said...

Beautiful!!! xx

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Wow... Fabulous pages, and love that you cut apart the flowers from the die. So vintage and romantic you are right. Gorgeous art here.

Mrs.B said...

Absolutely fabulous pages Alison, again I love how you've used the Organic die cut spreading across the pages. Love all the details you included to create this young woman's story.
Avril xx

Cocofolies said...

Wow, this is such a subtle and delicate page... Gorgeous!!!!
Coco Xx

rachel said...

Oh my - this is just so beautiful - gorgeous, subtle colours and those wonderful die cuts - beautiful xx Hugs rachel x

pearshapedcrafting said...

Okay...you have convinced me ....another die I need! This is a such beautiful spread - it really does have the appearance of being in an old book - fabulous texture and those dreamy colours! The quote is similar to what i say to my boys - when the right thing comes along then it's time - just be patient! Hugs, Chrisx

Tracey@Hotchpotchcreations said...

I love what you have done with that die, I too am now convinced I *Need* it.. Your page is just what I needed to see today with your chosen words, they speak out so much to me. Your white space gives the eye a relaxed view to take time to enjoy each embellished area so much more. A beautiful piece, sorry i'm late for a viewing.
Big Hugs and Thank you for taking the time to share this with us Tracey xx

Neet said...

Absolutely beautiful! Oh Alison, this is so romantic with all the ephemera you chose to include on the page. I am lost for words as the beauty of this page has taken my breath away.
Hugs, Neet xx

Lys said...

Such gorgeous pages! Delightful colours and elegant moves of the organics. Thanks for playing along with us at Creative Artiste Mixed Media challenge!

sarascloset said...

I'm so excited there was one more post to read and drool over this morning! And I have to say this is my favorite! I love the way you've used the organic die cut to spread out from the edges of your pages. Your collages are just perfectly composed--what a joy this is to see! Thank you for ALL of your wonderful inspiration this morning. I rather like this way of blog visiting; it gives some continuity to the 'conversation', as if I was really sitting down and catching up with an old friend.