Art Journal Journey - Silence

Silence is the challenge for January over on Art Journal Journey. After the rush of the Christmas season, silence is welcome.

Silence in the midst of the rough and tumble of life.
Silent healing moments.
Silence in the rush.
A silent moment to breathe and listen to my heart.
And then to quiet the desires of my heart and listen beyond them…
…to the still small voice that leads me in Truth.

Embrace the silence.

Journal Fodder 365 - Prompt #33

 A new year and a new chapter in Journal Fodder 365. The first prompt in the chapter called 'symbolically speaking' is attributes.

The idea is to think about yourself as a product or a company - what sort of logo would you have? What symbols represent you?

I thought about what attributes I have and a tortoise was the thing that came to mind. I tend to plod rather than race, taking small steps and working at things steadily. I'm rather self-contained, pulling my head in when the world becomes too much and I feel a need to retreat. In terms of colours, too, the tortoise is fitting. I'm not a 'colourful' personality, flamboyant, or the life and soul of the party. No, the muted colours of tortoises and the subtle beauty of their shells, that's more like me. I can easily blend in to the background - and it's what I prefer :)

If you had to pick a symbol for yourself, what would it be?

Word for the year

It has taken a while to find a word for the year, but after a lot of thought, stretch seems to be it.

I've spent time waiting, and time dreaming, and now it seems to be the time to stretch, step out of my comfort zone, and reach for the dreams.

Maybe I'll find that what feels like something solid standing in my way is merely bubbles.

I can let the fear stay forever solid in my mind and never move forward.

Or I can stretch out and reach through it, moving beyond what I think I can do…

…and flourish.

What's your word for 2014?

New toy!

A little while ago my husband discovered Kickstarter. He decided to support 3Doodler and about a month ago our parcel arrived. With the build up to Christmas it sat in the cupboard, but this week I pulled it out to give it a try.

So what is 3Doodler? you ask. Well, it's a machine that lets you draw in plastic in 3 dimensions. Cool, huh? You can find the website here. There are some fantastic creations.

I thought I'd make some parts for a necklace as my first try. The first ones were very wobbly as I was learning to control the pen. By the third stick of plastic I was beginning to get the hang of it. I can see more plastic jewellery in my future. However, my daughter has snaffled this one :)

Journal Fodder 365 - Prompt #32

The final prompt in this chapter about dreaming and visioning is Visions of Myself.

I look at the prompt now and wonder how I got to where I ended up with this page! Then I go back to the questions that go with the prompt. The part that led to this page goes like this:

We have a clear picture in our minds of ourselves, but unfortunately that picture is often distorted by self-talk, doubts, fears and personal mythologies. Interrogate these visions of yourself to see if they hold up to scrutiny. Stop getting in your own way, and start visualising yourself living the life you dream about.

How often do we get in our own way? We talk ourselves out of our dreams; pussy-foot around, worried about failing; underestimate what we are capable of.

But I am coming to realise this: it is better to try and fail than to fail to try.

Where are you going to get out of  your own way this year?

New furniture

Two days before Christmas the shelves collapsed in my art room. There was a creaking and suddenly I was holding up the shelving unit and calling out, 'A bit of help here!' to my family. They rushed to my rescue and helped to push the unit back upright, but there was no way it was going to stay that way. So started the rapid removal of books and art materials until the shelves stayed almost upright while my husband rushed off to Ikea to buy new shelves. We've gradually been replacing our shelving as it is going on for twenty years old and has been moved around a lot, taken apart and put back together in varying combinations, and basically is nearing the end of its useful life.

Now I found myself surrounded by all the giveaway bags for the Christmas Eve service, books, and crates of materials. There wasn't much room to move. But soon the new shelves arrived, were put together, and filled again. A little rearranging in the cupboards and everything is cleared away now.

So I have gone from this:

To this:

Hope you had a great Christmas!

Journal Fodder 365 - Prompt #31

This week's prompt is dreams and nightmares - what are the dreams you have and what sort of nightmares do you have about your dreams not coming true? I interpreted this as dreams and fears - why and why not.

It is easy to dream.

But it is also just as easy to talk yourself out of your dreams.

How often do you and I dream things, looking to a could-be, only to then come up with 27 different reasons for why it won't happen?

It's time to grasp the dream with both hands and talk down the fear.

Resolve to step into the could-be in the coming new year.

Art Journal Journey

This page started out with brayer rollings from loading the gelli-plate for the previous post. There ended up being quite a bit of black on the page - not something I usually do unless I'm going for a completely black background. It definitely needed some lightness to balance it, which reminded me that Art Journal Journey's theme this month is dark and light. 

So I got to thinking. And a few things have happened recently that made me wish that I was one of those people who can think on their feet. Unfortunately I'm just not like that. It takes me time to process, for the light to go on in my head and realise what I've heard or seen, and what I should have said or done. I'm the one for whom the witty retort comes a couple of days later, who lives with the regret that the darkness isn't illuminated that little bit quicker.

So how about you? Are you able to think on your feet? 

Gelli-print party - December

In the midst of Christmas preparations I needed a break. As the weather heats up I need something new to clip my hair up with. I have a drawer full of leather in my filing cabinet so decided to make a hair clip with that. 

I wasn't that excited about the colour of the leather - a pale yellowish pink - so I went to the gelli-plate to jazz it up a bit. Now all I need is something to go through the holes...

Now I'm off to join Carolyn's gelli-print party.

Journal Fodder 365 - Prompt #30

This prompt was daydreams. Something I haven't had much time for just lately with all the Christmas preparations. So this page was thrown together in short order - a bit of collage, some stamping, a little washi tape, and done.

As a clergy family we are given a house to live in. We are very grateful for that… but it isn't one of our own choosing. In my daydreams I design a home that would have all the space we desire to do everything we love doing. With our home also being our workspace, it is fun to let the imagination run and design something that fulfils all our requirements.

It is fun to dream...