Holidays

Can you believe it's the middle of July already? We're having a "Holiday" challenge over at the Alphabet challenge blog, meaning you may show us anything that is inspired by summer fun, or anything related to the festive kind of holidays (aka Christmas in July). Our DT has as always prepared wonderful creations for you, and if you look at our page you'll see that both themes are represented beautifully, so there really is no excuse for not playing along :) 

For the holiday theme, I decided to go with the weather: the summer heat is almost unbearable at the moment (it could always be worse, I know), and I figured I'd create a little beach-inspired scenery, which is typical for this time of year.

Apart from that, the project is rather unusual for me, main reason being that I've started art-therapy a couple of months ago. I'm not quite sure about the "therapy" part as such, but I like the challenge of crafting away from home every now and then - having to use materials I wouldn't usually work with. That being said, I'd like to spend my time with more crafting and less talking, but there have been a couple of good impulses so far, which under the bottom line is still a plus for me. 

With the art therapy comes one's very own art journal, and even though I've always admired those on youtube, I never had the courage to start one on my own.  I can't even tell exactly why - I guess it could be that art journalling seems to use many different techniques and materials while my crafting supplies are basically coloured pencils and digi stamps. It could also be that a new journal looks almost too pretty to be used, so even if I'd get myself a booklet, it would remain in my stash untouched, because I wouldn't know what to do with those blank pages. 

Anyway, with my very own art book, I tried to be more daring in my crafting. I started using different materials and magazine cut-outs to make collage sceneries in an attempt to just create something without thinking too much. I still think that most those creations are rather un-personal as I'd mainly move things around and glue them together, not really creating something on my own in terms of doodling, colouring, shading... But I'm working on improvement :)

The maritime scenery I'm showing you today was actually created in a couple of sessions, as the time for crafting is limited, and I didn't know exactly what I was doing. It's also my first double-page, meaning I wanted to create an artwork that would spread over two pages of my journal. In the beginning, I took a piece of light blue paper, ripping one of the sides off a bit. I then placed it in my art book to work from there. Using a stencil and blue crayons, I created a piece of blue leopard-print. I then completed it by cutting a couple of flowers from an old lace. I like to think they represent foam from the ocean waves. In the end, I cut out a sentiment form a magazine saying "Mach mal blau", which would translate as "Skip work". 

On the other side of the scenery-in-making, I placded an aerial photo of an oceanfront. On top, I glued a blue floral face from an ad. This part was to represent a recent trip to the sea with my mom's aunt. 

I then moved on to other projects, as I couldn't figure a way to connect those two pieces. Until one day a new magazine showed up at the art therapy session. I immediately realized that it features quite a lot of interesting motifs, namely a very blue interpretation of Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa". I cut it out in order to arrange it over those two pages, creating a bridge between the two maritime motifs. I then added a huge sentiment on top of my double-page, which could be translated as "The elixir of life is blue" - a perfect fit for my blue project! 

To round things up, I now focused on the lower part of my journal page. 

First, I covered part of The Great Wave with a line saying "in guter Gesellschaft" - in good company. That way, I expanded the first sentiment by suggesting not only to skip work, but also how to do it best. I then added another message on the bottom of my work. This time, I opted for an uplifting wisdom that I cut into individual words, only to glue them onto the page separately: "There's a sense of peace, serenity, and happiness within me, but above all, a deep feeling of consolation". The words resonate with me in an unexpected manner, and I certainly wish we all could have more of this feeling in everyday's life.

In the end, there's still an empty space in the middle of my double-page project. I'm thorn between leaving it like that or filling it with some more art, but nothing really comes to mind right now.  

challenges:

- 613 avenue create: ATG with optional twist "floral delight"
- a place to start: ATG with optional twist "ATG but a card"

- allsorts challengeblog: ATG with optional twist "circles" (lace pattern)

- as you like it: favourite non card project (I recently started some sort of art journal, and I like the challenge that comes with it - using materials and techniques I wouldn't usually work with. I'm still far from what other crafters are creating, but I like to think that I'm improving with every step along the way.)

- card free zone: ATG but a card

- cards4galz: seascape

- crafty calendar: add a sentiment

- crafty catz: ATG
- crafty gals corner: ATG

- creative inspirations: ATG

- do-all kreatives: ATG

- fabnfunky: seaside

- lil patch of crafty friends: ATG handmade

- little red wagon: something you love (ocean/sea)

- love to craft: ATG

- nachteulen: summer is coming

- pennys papertake: ATG paper

- vesela hiska: P (poletje, plaža, počitnice, plava barva)

- wortartwednesday: ATG
- pinspirational recycle/upcycle (old magazines, lace)