Spending some time in the countryside

Hello all and happy 4th July, if that's something you're into!  I'm back with another page for the theme I'm hosting at Art Journal Journey this month - Summer Countryside.  It would be lovely if you came to spend some time in the country too... find all the details here at Art Journal Journey.

I'm working in a 7.5 x 7.5 inch journal, with pages glued together for extra strength, and today's page has some simple collaging over a countryside view painted very simply with inks and paints.

I liked the idea of the naturalist out for a country walk, gathering specimens (examining them and releasing them, of course... not taking them home to pin them on boards!).

The background started with some Distress Inks and Oxides (including Speckled Egg and Rustic Wilderness, but I'm not sure what else any longer), and then I used Fresco Acrylic paints to give a bit more definition and weight to the hills.

There are some Field Notes ephemera and Idea-ology journalling cards forming the basis of the collage and a little bit of lace to add texture and lightness.

Time spent in nature is precious, so the clock is there to celebrate whiling away the hours in peace and contemplation of the flora and fauna around.  I was delighted when these clocks arrived.  I thought I was ordering flat stickers - they turned out to be beautifully dimensional glass cabochons, with lots of different clock face designs.  And they were an absolute bargain.

This leaf has been hanging around for ages, moving from one country to the next with me.  I'm so pleased it has finally found its way onto a piece of art before it gets lost!

The butterfly and the beetle are also from the Field Notes ephemera...

I really hope they never discontinue these packs.

And the Clippings stickers are another favourite for me - it's so nice finding the right phrases to suit my mood.

I used a meadow grass stamp to add some leafy trees to the rolling hillsides.  I thought it would be a nice way to have some wild grasses involved but without them being grasses!

Tiny little butterflies from the same stamp set flutter around the edges of the collage, and the frayed lacy edges also add movement.  

And that's that for my second contribution to inspire you to join in with my Summer Countryside theme at Art Journal Journey this month.  I hope to see you there.

I'd like to share this page at the Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog challenge where they would like us to be inspired by the quote "Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters," and include a clock or timepiece... time spent in nature matters so much to me - it's a chance to get some perspective on the craziness of life, so that's what I'm celebrating with this page. 

I'm enjoying the most perfect tranquillity, free from all worries, and in consequence would like to stay this way forever, in a peaceful corner of the countryside like this.
Claude Monet