My Art Journal Pages For A Swap

I participated in an art journal swap, along with nine others, to make a small journal. Each of us created 10 art journal pages and then sent them to the host. She in turn assembled, bound them together and then mailed them so that each participant would have their own, unique journal. I decorated both sides of all my pages. Here's what they looked like -- I used scrapbook paper, stamps, lace, ribbon, and old dictionary pages from the letter "S" section, a few pages had flaps that opened up with more underneath and they turned out to be more collage type journal pages. A group shot of a few of the pages:

the individual pages with the front first and then the back:

"Slumber"

 

"Shine"

 

"Silent"

 

"Song"

 

"Sphere"

 

"Speck"

 

"Small"

 

 

"Sorrel"

 

 

 

"Snuggle"

"Simile"

I made little flowers with a pinned note "For You" on each page:

This picture shows a pin on an individual page but because of the dimension it didn't scan well so the picture is blurred a bit in places:

Changing of the Season: Sunflower Farewell To Summer

In this time of transition from one season to the next there are lingering evidences of the summer season: the sunny, cheerful Sunflowers still bloom in my backyard, with wilted, decaying blossoms hanging low to the ground. As summer ends I mourn it's leaving and treasure the last few days. I've always been a summer person and even with the sweltering and oppressive heat this summer, I have hated to see it go, more so this year than ever. Just as the beautiful, bright Sun becomes more distant each day, it reminds me of other "leavings" in my life: I see my mother getting older (she was never to get old and leave me), my two daughters don't need me as they did when they were younger (they were to never grow up and not need me), my husband and I are not as young as we use to be and we're not as youthful (we were never to get older either), my years as a home educating-work-at-home mom have ended and I now have a part time job away from home (I was never to be any where but home-sweet-home). I see each of my loved ones slipping away day by day and a re-arranging of our lives, our hearts. A bit of sadness tugs at me with this new beginning, this new season. It's been a long time since life has been bittersweet with happiness and sadness so closely intertwined . . . but I know, deep down in my heart, these changes are

by design - and right - and good. Now, the cooler, crisp days of the coming Autumn move me towards this new season. With all my Summer days as precious memories, an anticipation and hope stirs quietly within me. I know the days ahead have been planned for me, with some easier and more welcomed, some more difficult and not as welcomed but I will go through them for I know they will be full of treasures and goodness, mercy and grace, love and family, friends and art -- just like the past season. Within my heart I have peace and faith. Autumn is a beautiful season that I will fully enjoy too.

More recently I've been blessed with a new friend who loves Sunflowers and art. :-) She and I are making Sunflower post cards for a swap. I already received my friend's lovely card. Thank you, Barbara Marie, I love it, it is beautiful. A special gift, a precious memory of this Summer's Sunflowers. Mine will be finished and in the mail soon. I'll post a picture of it here in this post to update it.

Edit Update: Here is the Sunflower Post Card I made for my friend in our swap

Spring Basket Swap

I'm a member of a paper artists yahoo group and we had a Spring Basket Swap that I was able to participate in. I just received my basket in the mail today made by Mary U. I have it hanging in my kitchen already. I love the blue, aqua and green colored flowers. It's bright, cheerful and spring-like, very much needed with all the gray, cloudy days we're having. Now, I need to get moving on finishing the painting in my "little yellow kitchen/pantry" which are blues, aquas, and greens that are to be the accent colors. My new basket from Mary will be a wonderful piece of art for my kitchen -- thank you, Mary!! :-) Patty, the host of the swap, has a post at her blog (This My Blessed Life) with a picture of the baskets made for the "Spring Basket Swap" -- all the other ladies did a beautiful job on their baskets!

Mary's basket sent to me:

 

Here's my Spring Basket I sent to the swap - the basket is empty for now but I have a surprise:

Here's my basket with the surprise in it:

Happy Spring!

Post Card Swap

I participated in a post card swap due by tomorrow Feb 15 and this is the card I made. I sent it a week or so ago.

Front & back:

This is the card I received in the swap:

Fabric Inchies

I participated in my first fabric inchie swap with the same artists group that had the paper inchie swap. These were completed and exchanged in October. My inchies have a homespun autumn harvest theme, with end of summer flowers, ripening pumpkin, apple, acorns, grapes, some falling leaves, a squirrel, a garden crow, a scarecrow, and a wise old owl.

Paper Inchies

I'm a member of a paper artists group and we had an "Inchie" swap in May of this year. These are my 25 inchies.