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Four Ravens

This year's christmas cards.

I like to try and make my christmas cards each year, sometimes it works out sometimes it doesn't. I was searching the web for images of Poe, for an art journal of the poem The Raven that I want to create. I came across this card by time2cre8 on etsy and I was inspired to create my own.

Stamp credits: Raven - Green Pepper Press, hat - Lost Coast Designs, Merry Christmas - Stamp It.

More Gesso Pages in my Poetry Journal

pages primed with gesso and then painted over

papers to dull the colour.

stamping with gesso - on the left stamped in gesso

and painted over with acrylic and on the right, gesso

stamped over acrylic

Maps from travel brouchures collaged, poem

by Lily Brett written over and then gesso

applied over the top to tone down gloss.

I've undertaken Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team Crusade this month. Crusade 25 is GESSO. Michelle is challenging everyone to play with gesso and share their results. I haven't journaled for a long time, so I thought I would start a new journal (its a moleskine cahier).

This is going to be a journal of favourite songs, poems and quotes, stemming from LK's challenge to share favourite poems and songs. I thought I would start with The Beatles Song - Blackbird.

I prepped the page using gesso and then stamped the song words (GPP), there was some remaining blue ink on the stamp from its last use and the gesso removed this ink. I then stamped the ravens and glued down the song lyrics.

I liked the look of the page, but it looked too clean and bright to me, so I thought I would darken it a bit. I added some black acrylic paint in patches and it looked a bit better, but I thought I would add some gesso over the top to tone it down. Patience is a virtue that I don't seem to be endowed with at the moment ... I muddied the whole thing. I'm not sure if it can be rectified, I might just have to live with this one, but I have learnt rule 1. let gesso and paint dry completely before adding another layer

A Little More Sharing

I posted the other day about LK's new challenge to share a favourite song. I will away on the day that we are sharing, so I'm posting this a little bit early. Well, I couldn't choose just one song to share, so I have picked four of my favourites. Enjoy!

The Beatles - Blackbird

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
all your life
you were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,oh
You were only waiting for this moment to arise, oh
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Angel - Sarah McLachlan

Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There's always some reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day

I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty
Oh and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear

You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
The storm keeps on twisting
Keep on building the lies
That you make up for all that you lack

It don't make no difference
Escaping one last time
It's easier to believe
In this sweet madness
Oh this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees

In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear

You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here

The Voyage - Christy Moore

I am a sailor, you're my first mate
We signed on together, we coupled our fate
Hauled up our anchor, determined not to fail
For the hearts treasure, together we set sail

With no maps to guide us we steered our own course
Rode out the storms when the winds were gale force
Sat out the doldrums in patience and hope
Working together we learned how to cope

Chorus:
Life is an ocean and love is a boat
In troubled water that keeps us afloat
When we started the voyage, there was just me and you
Now gathered round us, we have our own crew

Together we're in this relationship
We built it with care to last the whole trip
Our true destination's not marked on any charts
We're navigating to the shores of the heart

Angels - Robbie Williams

I sit and wait
Does an angel contemplate my fate
And do they know
The places where we go
When we're grey and old
'cos I have been told
That salvation lets their wings unfold
So when I'm lying in my bed
Thoughts running through my head
And I feel the love is dead
I'm loving angels instead

And through it all she
offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call she won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead

When I'm feeling weak
And my pain walks down a one way street
I look above
And I know I'll always be
blessed with love
And as the feeling grows
She breathes flesh to my bones
And when love is dead
I'm loving angels instead

And through it all she
offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call she won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead

And through it all she
offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call she won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead

A Little More Sharing

I went to every blog on the Day of Sharing Words blog list - I found some beautiful poems, quotes, images and people. I left messages for some that truly moved me, but the list was so extensive, I settled for just reading most. So if you are reading this thank you for sharing your favourite words. LK has issued another challenge this time it is:

A Day of Sharing Song

Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought. E.Y. Harburg

The idea: Songs can move us to places we haven't been in a long time, places we long for every day, or places we some day hope to be. The combination of music and poetry can transport us across distances, and through the years. While we listen, perhaps we grin wildly, or are moved to tears. We all have songs that are "ours" in our very hearts. We have songs that touch us, move into our hearts and resonate, creating a feeling, taking us some place- past, present, future- perhaps some place we have never been and may never go, but for whatever reasons, the song sings for us.

Meeting new music, musicians, composers, poets, new ways for my soul to sing, is an intruiging concept. Want to go on this adventure with me? It will be easy to travel along.
Many of us already do this sharing; this idea is just to help us find each other and hear the words we have to share.

The Date: Wednesday, December 3.

The Plan: on your blog, post a song that moves inside you, touches you, reaches you. You can do any or all of the folowing:
link to a youtube video (done as you would normally post a link)
link to itunes or amazon for a sample of the song
embed the youtube clip (instructions here)
post just song lyrics
post multiple songs, if you can't choose just one.

Then: Include the composer and/or musician and source (book, album). Perhaps also include the amazon or itunes link if there is one. no explanation required, no other revelation necessary.

One last thing- Perhaps add an image. a photo. a video. a painting. a collage., if you would.
Come here to this post.
http://gryphonsfeather.typepad.com/the_poetic_eye/2008/11/a-little-more-sharing.html
Add a comment with your link.

I'll create a typepad page with the links, so others can hear the song, see the image and share in the experience.

The Request:
If you are intrigued enough, post on your blog about this Day of Sharing Song. Link to this post.
http://gryphonsfeather.typepad.com/the_poetic_eye/2008/11/a-little-more-sharing.html

Send an email to encourage your friends to post.

Pass along this info to any groups in which you participate.

Who couldn't use a few new songs in their hearts?

Thanks!!!

LK

A Day of Sharing Words

I was surfing around the blogs when I happened upon the blog - The Poetic Eye - by LK Ludwig. It's been a while since I have visited LK's blog, but I will be bookmarking it to visit more regularly. She challenged her readers to post to their blog a poem, a quote or a song that spoke to them, along with an image; and then share that post on the comments at her blog. Below is my contribution. To see other contributions click here.

Hope is the thing...

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

- Emily Dickinson

Flower Mandalas

These mandalas were created in Pattern Pie using photos of roses,

flowers and plants from my garden.

This image is one of my favourites, it reminds me of a celtic cross.

More Mandalas

These mandalas were created with Pattern Pie using the following photos of our car damage /repair.

Mandala Play

I've been a member of the yahoo group The Art of the Mandala for quite a while, I read all the emails that I get, and admire the photos that are in the group files, but I have yet to post my introduction. Someone posted that they had used the Pattern Pie Program, so I went and downloaded the demo had a play and I was hooked, so I had to buy the program. Here are some of my experiments from today.

A mandala for Steph

65 Roses

Michelle Ward has asked visitors to her blog today to leave good wishes for her sister Shannon who is in hospital having treatment for Cystic Fibrosis. (To send your thoughts to Shannon check out Michelle's blog) I have been having so much fun with the mandalas that I decided to create one for Michelle and Shannon.

The mandala was created in photoshop using a photo of a rose from Mum's rose garden. Here's the original photo.

New Mandalas

I have been having playing with Photoshop and manipulating some personal images to create these mandalas. I hope you enjoy loooking at them as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Carving Capers!

In my enthusiasm to make a start on this crusade, I turned the studio upside down looking for my lino cutting tools - we've still got boxes that we're unpacking (nearly 5 months after moving in - you can't rush these things!)I didn't find the tools but I found some scraps of lino and decided to make a shadow stamp for my anatomy stamp - a la Michelle - I stamped the image onto the lino and cut it out using a scalpel. I inked it up, it looked ok, so I stamped it. Then I inked the head and stamped over the 'shadow', something just didn't look right. I sat and looked at the stamps and the stamped image. It took a little while for me to figure it out the 'shadow' is a mirror image of the stamp, so it has created a reverse image rather than a shadow. So while I'm back to square one, I do have a silhoutte of a head stamp!

I went into town this morning to try and buy a carving block, with no joy - This is the bit that I am finding difficult living in a small country town, 8 hours from the city - I guess I'm just going to have to order what I need online. Stay tuned for future progress.

It's crusade time again - you know how much I love Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team Crusades - This month's crusade is Cut It Out - Make a tool of your own. Michelle is challenging us to create our own tools either carving our own rubber stamps or creating a custom stencil. Now I haven't created a stencil before, so I'm looking forward to Michelle's hints and tips

I have tried creating my own stamps and lino prints before, here are some pics:

Raven

Triskele or Celtic Spiral

Phoenix rising from the flames.

Thanks to Michelle for the great ideas, I'm inspired to hunt out my tools and carve some stamps.

Here are some more Journal Pages that I have created with my journal kit. Thanks to Michelle for the great idea - I haven't had a chance to travel with it yet, but I have to travel for work in the next few weeks so it will be coming with me!

The photo didn't quite work out for this page, the frame and words came from a magazine and I used a piece of foil to create the mirror.

Don't forget to check out the blogs of other GPP Street Team members for some great journal kit and journaling ideas.