What a Year!

 

That title says it all. What a year! So thankful it is almost over and I can start anew in 2023! In fact - I made this page in my daily journal to celebrate. Hahahaha! Never mind that it's been almost a year since I 'daily journaled'. It's been that bad of a year. 

I began by pulling together all the awesome things I wanted to include. I began with a piece of colorful painted paper from Niki Green - I love her work so much! The postcard is a Nostalgie postcard from Hahnemühle that I used to clean brushes on, then added some art. The larger tangled piece of art is from last year. My hands still shake and this kind of art doesn't come easy to me right now. Anyone who knows me well knows Tinkerbell is my favorite character. I liked the strip I cut off a piece of art and kept. I thought it might work well. And chocolates. Cause it's always a good time for chocolate. 

I needed Niki's piece of art to adhere well so I lined it with double sided Scor tape. Great stuff! Just remember - once it touches your base paper you will never be able to lift it. Hahaha! So it better be right the first time. I decide which side I want to adhere first and ONLY remove that ONE strip of backing. Then I put my art paper in place. Once that one side is adhered I remove the other strips and press the piece of art into place. 

Here's a better look at the Nostalgie postcard. Some paint and ink clean up with a flower drawing and a stamped inspiration. Easy peasy. And look how cool this scrap strip from another piece of art is. And it goes so well with my other elements. Both are adhered with that same Scor tape.

The block of art was tangled last year on a bit of the Collection paper from Hahnemühle. The color was Ecoline Liquid watercolors. So vibrant and pretty! Tinkerbell is a digital image I found on Google, printed out and colored with Copic markers. 

And a finished page in my daily journal was just that easy. Mainly because I had pieces I had saved from other art times to use. And what a year? It was really tough but God brought me through every step of the way. One day I may go back and put together some details to share with you but I am not ready to do that yet. Just know that I am cancer free and it is all thanks to God. And to you who prayed for me - thank you so much! I have yet to feel like making any art but I am trying to push myself in hopes that it will come. That's what this page was about. Trying to regain that desire. Hoping the beautiful colors call my name like they once did. What do you do when you need inspiration? How do you start again?

And just a passing thought. Would anyone benefit from a video of putting one of these daily journal pages together? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.