Heavenly Gardens Journal Returns Home

 I joined an International Journal Round Robin back in June 2010 and my journal entitled Heavenly Gardens returned home a couple of days ago.  Here it was back then, and here it is now, all fat and overflowing with gorgeous artwork!  It really is amazing, a real treasure so I thought I'd share it with you here.

It's been around the world, to USA, Australia, the Netherlands and Ireland in it's travels.

 Here is the post where I shared my inspiration for this journal

 I created the little pocket at the front of the journal to hold paper seed markers which acted as the sign in sheet for the artists and they decorated them with a riot of fibres, threads, charms, beads, foliage and flowers.

 Gabby

 Lynda

 Clairester - page dedicated to her  Aunt Molly

 Vera

 Lizzie

 Milliande

 Milliande

 Antje

 Monika

 Monika

 Tike

 Toos

 Toos

 Toos

 

Louise

 Louise

 

 Helen

 Helen

The pages are all fabulous, each artist adding their own unique take on my theme.  The last entry smells divine, with a piece of lavender from her garden.  I could comment on each page but I think that the image speaks for itself - showing the wonderful creative and giving minds of the ladies who have and still are participating in this adventure, (I think my journal is the first to make it back home, some are still travelling and at least a couple I have yet to work in).

So a very big shout out to these talented ladies - Gabby, Lynda, Clairester - dedicated to her Aunt Molly, Vera, Lizzie, Milliande, Antje, Louise, Tike, Toos, Helen and last but not least the most dedicated organiser you could hope to work with, Monika.  It's been a pleasure ladies, I'm so happy to have 'met' you and I'm blown away by your creativity and generousity of time and energy.  If you are ever up for another Round Robin just let me know....

Nice Afternoon

The anticipation has started for my favourite rose - Jubilee Celebration, to come into flower. I didn't realise I had this cheeky chappy on the bud until I uploaded the photo.

My sister in law got a couple of these funky curtains recently and has given me one. Oh, what to do, what to do, any suggestions??

Here's a sneeky peek at the Heavenly Journal's progress, alot more to do yet and I have to post out by Wednesday, cripes!
Had to put a little picture of me on it somewhere, lol.

PS Also finished something for the Boudoir Swap today but can't show you that until Anne hopefully receives it later in the week, my lips are sealed :)

Inspiration for Heavenly Gardens Journal

The inspiration for Heavenly Gardens came initially from a lovely Saturday afternoon spent doodling in my garden. I couldn’t think of a more perfect or heavenly way to spend a few hours. It was warm and sunny, my cats kept dropping by and keeping me company for a while, bees were buzzing and birds were singing. I knew I had found my title

But gardens mean more to me than that. I’ve always loved being in my garden, be it actually gardening, or reading, or knitting, or having a cup of tea etc. My garden is my oasis of calm. It’s my space to paint with plants, to watch nature and to chart the passage of the seasons. It helps me to put things into perspective as it reminds me of the great cycle of life and that my petty worries are just that, petty worries.

My garden is a small town garden that I’ve transformed from a square of gravel with shrubs around the edge into a curvy, flowing, riot of colours, textures and scents. It is tousled, abundant and productive, with vegetables mingled in with flowers.

My artist’s eye is always on the look out for vignettes, so empty clay pots are not just stacked up but ‘displayed’, alongside old-fashioned metal watering cans and some of my own clay vessels. I hang charms from trees and arches.

I love my roses best of all. Even though my garden is small I have still managed to get 7 roses in so far. I love ramblers, climbers and bush roses, nothing neat and manicured, just alive with colour, scent and sheer exuberance.

The title Heavenly Gardens also links with my love of old cemetaries, the calmness, the serenity and most of all the statues. I adore the Victorian angels, broken columns and cherubs, overgrown with ivy. Alive with bygone symbolism and elegance.

So this is what Heavenly Gardens encapsulates for me. It will be really interesting to see what it means to the other 14 artists in this swap.

International Journal Swap update

I'm in the process of decorating the cover of my journal. The theme is Heavenly Gardens. I've got a button on the sidebar that will take you right to it but as yet there is nothing there. Myself and the other 14 artists are due to post out our journals by 1st July. The tension is mounting! But I've got my idea for the sign in page now and this is half the battle, deciding on which route to take. I'll upload more piccys before it goes and then I won't see it for over a year, but I'll be able to follow it's progress via the button. There are some really challenging themes in others journals and I'm looking forward to working in them with some trepidation and excitment all rolled into one. This is the first time I'll have participated in a swap of this kind.