LUCKY ME ...

Well I'd woken up this morning feeling a bit sorry for myself - making friends in a new place is slow and our new life not yet established. Then I look at these pages made just a few days ago and am reminded that this is nothing worse than a down sort of day, and that actually I am .... as the page says, very lucky! That's Pollyanna's thought for the day then. This page started with a sheet of Basic Grey paper - I love these backgrounds they do, just perfect for journalling on. I use papers some of the time to strengthen the pages of this book, which aren't that strong even with two sheets stuck together. Then I set to with another of the gorgeous Artchix collage sheets Helga sent me - love those vibrant pinks and the leopard skin I'm always threatening to take to wearing (daughters would disown me)!! At this stage I genuinely had no idea what I was going to write about, but then I put the words "I'm so lucky" on the big house shape, and I was off!
And then (as you can see) I just sort of wandered all over the page doing what comes naturally ... which is why I tend not to prepare pages ahead, that doesn't really seem to work for me at all in what is a truly organic process. More often than not I don't know what I'm going to say when I begin a page, say how can I know what images will work?
And then when I've said everything ... I fill up the gaps (can't seem to allow blank spaces anywhere - is that a character defect??) with doodling. Its just so relaxing doing that - I let my mind drift off, usually on the subject I've been writing about. That's why I love art journalling so much - for me its such a reflective process.
But the truth is that I'm wishing I could recapture the spirit of thankfulness in which this page was made just a few days ago. Now I seem to be cranky and out of sorts. Maybe I'm a bit tired, it certainly can't be the weather which is gorgeous and sunny, if a bit nippy out. Actually I do know what it is - I need friends to ring up or press my doorbell and for weeks now almost nobody has (except for church business anyway). We do have plans for tomorrow's Royal Wedding and I've got all sorts of secret bunting, flags to wave and plastic tiaras to wear stashed away for a surprise. But the truth is that spending the day with two old ladies isn't quite how I'd imagined it ....

OH STOP IT! Pull yourself together Rosie, STOPPIT with the self pity, and remember how very VERY lucky you really are ....

THIS JOYFUL EASTERTIDE ..!

I love the images by Artchix and use them a lot in my journal pages, and Helga was kind enough to send me a parcel of goodies from the shop to play with! You can imagine how thrilled I was when this package of loveliness arrived ...

I particularly like the eco products, so set to work on an Eco Shrine (see below) as an Easter gift for a very dear friend. There are three in a package, and Helga sent me other sizes, so expect to see more of these! This one is approximately 5.5" square, so just a nice size to sit on your desk or a windowsill.
Anyway, I was in full "vintage" mode - although I do love colour, sometimes these shades of browns and blacks just speak to me, and when you add the GOLD of the German scrap, it really zings!
The central image is one I particularly like - someone took the face from the Turin shroud and gave it colour and life, which makes it even more powerful. It really speaks to me, and I find it rather special and somehow moving. Its the absolute serenity of it I think? I do know of course that we can't know what Jesus looks like but .... this is NOT a graven image or anything!
And of course, I had to decorate the back as well - just very simply to keep things neat! How do you like my new stamp?? My friend should have received it now, so I hope she likes it. A very joyful Easter to all my readers!