Buried treasure: art journal page & blog award

When I started blogging (in 2008) I choose the web-name “Marit’s Scrapworld” but it didn’t take long before I realized it was the wrong name… In 2009 I discovered ‘art journaling’ and I never really created any scrapbook layouts anymore. So from 2011 on, I blog (and have a website) under the name “Marit’s Paper World” – ‘paper’ is more general and describes what my art is about: bookbinding, art journaling, mixed media… it all has to do with paper.

The old blog (posts from 2008 – 2010) is still there, but will vanish in time as I plan to close it. I plan to transfer all those old posts somewhere to a ‘side page’ so they won’t be completely deleted, but who will ever read those old posts? Well… I DO from time to time, and when I snooped around in my old posts last week I decided to ‘dig up’ an oldie every now and then to re-post.

[ Seth from The Altered Page hosts an annual collaborative project called “Buried Treasure” with all kinds of artists/bloggers who re-post an oldie from their blog. You can find last year’s post and link-list on Seth’s blog here.]

And now… here’s a post from November 2009… to which I add some new comments in blue… enjoy!

…

Anyway, I was in Zeeland last weekend and we went to Middelburg (since my move last year, I live in that same Middelburg now!) – the “big” city and capital of Zeeland – on Saturday morning. Now you should know, I left my parents house when I was almost nineteen and lived in Middelburg for 2 years before I moved to another province (to study – but I still live there). Middelburg contains a lot of memories – it was a very important and hectic time in my life – and I decided to make an art journal page about it.

Painted background with acrylic paint.
Photo of the Jewish synagogue ruin (see journaling)
Lines & handwritten journaling with black sharpie

Journaling:

“One morning in Middelburg. The memories pounce upon me. Behind every street corner and underneath every brick – there is one. The City hall (1), where I married J. while my heart was in doubt.
My heart, already with W. There’s my favourite pub, where I spend the school pauses and evenings with friends. The owner looked like Mark Knopfler from the Dire Straits. And the bartender J. bought me a white rose on the market once, to apologize for spilling an ice cream on my little white dress – he was in a silly mood then. The discotheques – where I danced the night away – are all gone or changed owners. Unfamiliar names glimmer on the frontage now. The shops are the same as in every other city. Except for “de Drvkkery”. I love this bookstore that wasn’t there when I lived here. In a little book that N. got for free I read that the Jewish Synagogue in Middelburg was re-build several years ago. I still remember the ruin. It lay behind old houses. In a backstreet. Difficult to find, but what a beautiful place it was! I made lots of photo’s there and one night I kissed J.W. in the moonlight standing next to its old walls. The houses I lived in are still here. Nederstraat. Stationstraat. Suddenly, I miss Lenny. The carillon plays a song of longing. Ah, “de lange Jan” (2) is still here.”

(1) City hall of Middelburg

(2) “De lange Jan” (Long John) a very high church tower.

Detail: Painted background and handwritten journaling.

Oh, and do you remember the ‘awards’ we bloggers gave to one another? There was one in this old post too.)

I received this award from Denise (the link to Denise’s blog does not work anymore, is Denise still online somewhere? I don’t remember her last name but she lived in Canada and was part of the ‘Scrapping out Loud’ design team.)

The rules (yep, rules!) are: I need to pass this on to five people. Post on their blog that I gave them this award, and then I need to answer a list of questions in one word. (I won’t be passing it on to five other people this time, but feel free to take the award and play along if you like.)

Well OK, here we go…

1. Where is your cell phone? Haven’t (and yes, I AM human!)
   2015 – I finally bought a cell phone in 2011 – it’s on the diner table
   
2. Your hair? Thick, auburn & gray
   2015 – more gray hair and shorter than in 2009
   
3. Your mother? Writer
4. Your father? All rounder
5. Your favorite food? Zeeuwse mussels
   2015 – I’m living in the heart of “mussel-country” now, more opportunity to buy and eat them, yay!
   
6. Your dream last night? Ordinary
   2015 – I don’t remember…
   
7. Your favorite drink? Wine
8. Your dream/goal? Giving workshops
   2015 – Did that!! My website shop to register for workshops will open again real soon and I plan to write another (new) workshop later this year.
   
9. What room are you in? Home office
   2015 – Atelier
   
10. Your hobby? Scrap booking/art journaling
    2015 – Just art journaling, but it would be fun to create a ‘good old scrapbook layout’ again – I might…
    
11. Your fear? Losing my loved ones
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Zeeland
    2015 – Succeeded in that wish – I live there now!
    
13. Where were you last night? In my bed
14. Something that you aren’t? Simple
15. Muffins? No
16. Wish list item? The winning lottery ticket
17. Where did you grow up? Zeeland (the Netherlands)
18. Last thing you did? Look in the dictionary
    2015 – Watch the solar eclipse on TV – it’s too cloudy to see it life…
    
19. What are you wearing? Pyjamas
    2015 – black tights, black skirt, old hoodie (I plan to paint later this afternoon)
    
20. Your tv? Too small
    2015 – same TV still… so yes, still too small
    
21. Your pets? Spiders
    2015 – pigeons and blackbirds in the trees across the balcony
    
22. Friends? Mostly On line
    2015 – and a few very good ones still around me!
    
23. Your life? Fulfilling
    2015 – getting back on my feet…
    
24. Your mood? Amused
    2015 – not yet sure… melancholic maybe?
    
25. Missing someone? My son (oh, he just came in, so NO – nobody’s missing)
    2015 – my son (he left the nest in 2011)
    
26. Vehicle? Bicycle
27. Something you are not wearing? Right now? Make up
    2015 – shoes (I never wear shoes inside the house)
    
28. Your favorite store? Drvkkery (bookstore Middelburg)
29. Your favorite color? Depends
30. When was the last time you laughed? Too long ago
31. Last time you cried? Saturday
    2015 – a week ago
    
32. Your best friend? Soul mate!
33. One place that I go to over and over? Zeeland
    2015 – my blog 😉
    
34. Facebook? No thanks!
    2015 – yep, I gave in… my facebook page is HERE
    
35. Favorite place to eat? Home

…

I hope you liked reading this old post – have a great weekend!