~ Rebecca Brooks ~

Rebecca hosts Haiku my Heart Friday and when I discovered this circle
of Haiku-lovers and joined in with a haiku every week, the participants
embraced me with all their kindness and love.

Every week, I look forward to Friday
Thank you Rebecca!

I have more art to share…

..

I usually show my weekly art journal on my blog earlier in the week, but
last week was overly busy and stressful and I didn’t finish the pages until
Wednesday – here it is:

(click on each image to enlarge for a better view)

The Chronicles of Marit 2012 – Week 16

(Size: 24,5 x 49 cm – 9.65 x 14.86 inch)

There was so much going on in Week 16 – with FEATURING magazine
being printed and published and the weekend that I spend with my mom
at a poetry festival – that I needed more space to document it all.

I made a pocket of an transparent document protector and taped it
in between pages as an extra. You can see it on the right. It holds notes
that we asked our neighbours to make. We gave both neighbours a copy
of FEATURING and asked them to give feedback on the magazine.
The ladies ‘did their homework’ and I was very happy with their comments
and praise!

The pocket also holds a small book (not visible on the photo) with poems
and names of poets that speeched at the festival. The diner on Saturday night
was very nice – we sat with all children’s poets on a big table. I know most of
them from former festivals and it was pleasant to meet them again and chat
with each other. One of the poets had his text printed on paper place-mats
which the diner was served on, and he signed it for all the other poets.
I folded mine so that it would fit in the pocket. For the Dutchies: the website
and blog of this writer/poet are worth a visit: Ted van Lieshout

Some of you remember the book with templates that my friend Lena send
me (see former post.) I just couldn’t resist playing with one of the templates.
It was quite difficult to choose  (they are all gorgeous!) but when I came
across the the image of a record player I choose to use that with a left over
‘Eels’ affiche/photo transfer and made a page in my ‘Album Cover Journal.’

Album Cover Journal – Eels

(Size: approximately 30 x 27 cm – 12 x 10.5 inch)

I think it’s one happy and bright page and it makes me wanna put on
that record and dance!

I have all reasons to dance: I got emails from the UK and the USA that
FEATURING magazine arrived at the customers homes. My baby has
stepped into the wide world and I hope he’s making it there.

I wish you all a happy weekend.
Whatever colour you may like – orange… red… purple… pink –
make sure to colour your days bright and enjoy life!

What’s a mom to do to overcome the silence?
Well, for an art journaling mom, there is no better therapy than get creative!

I made this page in my ‘album cover art journal’
There couldn’t be a more appropriate song then this one…

Teach your children – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

I used the second part of the song:

And you, of tender years
Don’t know the fears
That your elders grew by
so please help them with your youth
They seek the truth
Before they can die.
Teach your parents well
Their children’s hell
Will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The ones they pick
The ones you’ll know by.
Don’t you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you

approximately 30,5 x 30,5 cm - 12 x 12 inch

The ‘album cover art journal’ is made of album covers/sleeves that are
taped together, forming a huge folded art journal (see pics in this post)
Every time I create a page in this journal, I need to take into account the page
that comes next to it or falls over it. It’s a bit of a puzzle to combine the pages
in a way that they fit each other.

Here’s what the page looks like with the next page visible (which is an album
cover by James Last – I will work on that one next)

Folding the pages, it looks like this…

I think I will make a video – flipping through the pages – when it’s all done.
That way, the ingenious folded pages will be more clear.

Next I want to show you this little antique booklet I bought in a small store
last Summer. I had the intention to alter the pages and turn it into a small
art journal. The text is in French, and I didn’t know what it said at first.
My mum found out it contains the catechism… but I’m sure that if there is
a God, he/she won’t mind me putting gesso over these words to turn it into
art journal pages.

I won’t alter the cover though… look at the beautiful weathered leather!

The book is bound with a thin thread.
Here’s a detail (click on the photo to enlarge)

The pages inside turned yellow and the paper is very thin and torn…

… with curly edges.

I’m preparing this booklet right now. I already glued pages together and
smeared a thin layer of gesso over the pages so the text shines through.
I’m not sure where to go next, but I’ll show you when it’s finished.

I’m sure you are expecting to see my weekly ‘Chronicles’ page coming now.
Well, no. Sorry… I started working on it but it’s not finished yet. (I know,
I know, it’s Tuesday already!) I want to work on it some more this afternoon
and will publish it next time.

One last thing before I go.
Do you know my friend Lena?
Her daughter Carmen made a video clip with her class (high school)
It’s amazing to see a bunch of teenage kids making something so professional!
I recommend you all hop over to Lena’s blog to watch the video and leave
Carmen some nice words ’cause WOWZAH, those kids are stunning!!!

Enjoy your week dear ones!

So let’s get on with it right away!

..

In my last post I wrote that I was looking forward to a special moment,
and special it was! On Tuesday evening I went with my beloved and son
to a concert of the Eels!!!!

I can’t remember the last time I went to a pop concert, I don’t like crowds
and I rather stay at home listening to the cd, but I wouldn’t have wanted
to miss this for the world! I discovered ‘Eels’ last Spring, my son is a fan
and he made me listen to the music one evening. I made art journal pages,
using the song lyrics, right away. (See here and here )

Last Tuesday I had a FABULOUS night!!!!
To share a little bit of what I saw and heard… this you tube movie is made
at the same concert (the man/woman who made it must have been on a
chair behind me and more to the left… we had great seats in the middle
and more to the front.)

This is going to be a long post… I will have to stop using a lot of words
otherwise you will be long gone before I come to the end of this post…
Over to a briefly style then:

Here’s a newpaper site that has an article about me (left top corner)
Dutchies might find it fun to read…

While surfing the Internet last week, I found quite a few art journalers
participating in Index Card A Day. Tammy from Daisy Yellow-Art Journaling
started this Summer challenge. The premise is to create, draw, doodle, write,
collage something on a simple index card every day in June, July and August.

I have this old index
card box – got it from
my dad a few years ago
– and I thought it would
be fun to give it a go.

I won’t create one card
every day though…
there are way to many
projects I want to work
on, but one card every
now and then will be
manageable.

I will alter the old, metal
box eventually.

I don’t follow the prompts either… but if you’d like to participate, or if you’d
like to see some of Tammy’s ‘Index Card A Day’ prompts, click here to visit
her blog, Daisy Yellow.

Here are the first cards I made last weekend.

(Index card: 13,2 x 8 cm - 5.2 x 3.1 inch)

‘I’m lost on a road – and there’s no one to talk to – there’s no one to run to –
I’m going in circles – I’m talking to myself’ ~ Gorilla Zoe

And a colourful one (the quote is from Helen Keller)

(Index card: 13,2 x 8 cm - 5.2 x 3.1 inch)

Another project I started is this ‘album cover folded book’

I taped together some album covers (see this post) and pieces of cardboard.
It’s a bizarre and huge ‘book’ (the covers and pages are 12×12 inch!) and I
only just gessoed the cardboard pages. That alone took me days…
(gesso – lay to dry – unfold the other side – gesso – dry – and so on…)

I don’t know exactly yet what I will create on the pages and where this book
will lead me… something ‘music related’ I guess…

Friday: time for Haiku my Heart!

This week, Rebecca celebrates the One Year Anniversary of this weekly event.
I have been a part of it for only a couple of weeks now, but I hope to be there
still when the next Anniversary comes! Thanks Rebecca, for the inspiration
and the kind words you have for each and every participant!

Be sure to stop at Rebecca’s blog Recuerda mi Corazon to experience more
Haiku from the heart, as well as find out how to participate yourself.

I started this blogpost with a little ‘list’ and now I come to the last point:

I NEED HELP FROM ONE OF MY AMERICAN BLOG-READERS!!

This is what it’s all about:
I spend a small fortune on black and white markers I use for my art journals.
None of the brands work really well… they dehydrate or, more likely, can’t
handle the layers of paint I use them on…
Some time ago, I won a white Poster Paint Sharpie from Terri and that
specific marker is like a miracle! IT WORKS! And it KEEPS ON writing!

But…

They don’t sell those in the Netherlands and I haven’t found a company
that ships overseas…

Here’s the question:

Is there one of you that would be so kind to buy me a bunch of
black and white Sharpie Poster-Paint Markers  – extra fine point
and send them to me? I can pay you back via PayPal.

Send me an e-mail (see side menu for ’email me’) if you are willing to do this,
so that we can ‘make a deal’.

Edit: I ‘have a deal’ with Julie (thanks love!) and Sharpies are coming my way!
Thanks to everyone who offered to buy them for me!!

Thanks for staying with me all through the post (or didn’t you?)
I wish you a fabulous SUNNY weekend!