Art Journal Journey

All these bits and pieces of papers and labels were just too interesting to simply discard so using travel ephemera and bits and pieces of scrapbooking papers, I set the 5 index cards next to each other to form a block so that I could stick and stamp across them all, creating a single image. The next step was to cut them all apart again so I can add more details and finishing touches as needed. I like the gritty look of the black embossing on that small textured back ground stamp. The heat from the heat tool also made those heat sensitive papers turn grey black. Nice touch! I also incorporated some of my hand stamps, cut from erasers and bits of washi tape. Snippets of papers reveal little clues of places visited.... ...and of gifts from new friends... The snippets of torn papers collaged beautifully and the muted colours still reflect the nature of the journey. Rich but draining, leaving me feeling faded. But there is lots of new...

My Mom and I had a shared love for maps and atlases. She could spend hours pouring over them and so do I! (and dictionaries, but that is another story - and another Index Card Journey) For this series I worked in a batch, using maps, stamped images, inks and paints. The colours are subdued. That was the way I felt after the journey. Tired. Washed Out. Faded. My Mom was great for taking pictures to record our memories. She left a treasure chest of black and white jewels for us to enjoy. This stamped image (Graphic 45 & Hampton Art) reminded me of her. There is something so romantic about a harbour. It must be all those popular songs that always talk about travel, far places and love - lost and found... For me a cruise ship holds no attraction at all. I don't care for hotels, so why I would want to confine myself to a giant floating one full of people is a baffling idea! I'm off to get my dictionary definitions ready for the ne...