Skip to main content

The Past is a Dangerous Muse

Hello crafty friends!  

This Art Journal page was done for 4 challenges.

Splitcoaststampers.com IC799 - Homebnc - thought I spent 10 minutes looking at fun stuff on that board, but it was an hour and 10 minutes! I pinned a bunch of great home ideas - wow. THIS PICTURE inspired my stenciling and the composition.

Splitcoaststampers.com MMJ017 - Corrugated Cardboard Mixed Media. It is about time I made this since this was my turn at the challenge selection. LOL! 


Mission Inspiration - a Facebook Challenge by Mike Deakin Art - this was for the mid month challenge prompt: Repeat - copy, reuse, repeat. I have three TH dolls, I repeated the stencil arrows three times, and I think the corrugated cardboard patterns, the scrabble tiles, and the two lines of border faux sewing work as well.  

**ART*JOURNAL*JOURNEY* - single flower - that is why there is a giant flower on this page.  I think it adds interest.  It is the last day of the theme which was selected by Sheila.  I really enjoyed having the prompt/idea in my head all month.  Some lovely creations by the others if you want to check them out. 

If you are still with me, the story behind this page is a series of things that recently happened. My daughter found a free app where you scan in a picture and it brings it to life. She spent all last weekend bringing old pictures to life. She did one of my Mother, and I watched that thing and cried for hours. I realized that app can be dangerous.

Then my daughter brought me over a box of old photos she found in storage.  They were photos collected by my Mother and Grandmother. I was in that box for hours as well. I traveled down many memory lanes and another few hours were gone.

Then the words came to me: The Past is a Dangerous Muse. This page started coming to life. The picture here is circa 1965. The boy on the left slammed my finger in a door sometime around the time of this picture. It cut off the tip of my finger. The doctors sewed it back on, but it is definitely different than my other fingers. The little girl next to him is my Sister Sara. I lost her a few years ago when her mother-in-law hired someone to kill her. The girl next to her was my best friend Tina - she was one of my favorite friends of all time. I still think of her and wish we could have stayed close. I am sitting next to her.

So interesting what captures our time and inspires us. Many hugz

Comments

  1. A wonderful page Nancy, I love the title and that sweet photo of you all. What a lot of memories it brought back for you.
    Hope you have a lovely day,
    Alison xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is a great idea, to make your page look like one of those letter boards. Very nice texture too Nancy. I love how ripped cardboard looks like an old wash board, and of course makes a great substrate to make your beautiful page one. This one is super. And I like the flower too. Thanks for joining us and Sheila's challenge at AJJ Nancy. Have a wonderful week. Hugs-Erika

    ReplyDelete
  3. The page you made is beautiful. Sometimes it's good to revisit the past, even if it can be sad as a well as happy! Sounds like a great app. Have a great week, hugs, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  4. This was a great description of your artwork. I always like to have the art explained as there is usually so much more to it than on an initial or even subsequent look. How strange it must be for you to look at this photograph and remember all so clearly. The app you mentioned sounds as if it could be unsettling, I'm glad you didn't tell us its name.
    Good fitting choice of colour with the name "Vintage photo". It's a beautifully composed picture. And thanks for the addition of the vintage-looking flower for our theme at AJJ. Even the flower looks as if it is thinking about the past. Terrific title of the piece too.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a very cool page, Nancy! Your words brings the photo to life for me. Adding the Tim Holtz dolls to the page with your family photo is a great idea and look. I love the vintage feel of your artistic page. I loved reading about how you came to title your page. That app sounds so interesting yet also a tiny bit creepy. I could see how you became emotional watching the results of bringing a person in a photo to life. Or even back to life. I do love the memory page you created.

    ReplyDelete
  6. A super page Nancy, a fabulous photograph and I love the rustic feel you have created.
    Pauline - Crafting with Cotnob
    x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Such beautiful page! Sometimes reminders of the happiest of times can cause sadness. Love the great little additions to your page, including the flower that makes it perfect for AJJ, Thank you. Chrisx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow! Someone in a post above me said.."A thought provoking page!" You and I have been doing much the same thing lately...Looking at old photos...Some have brought back beautiful memories...some have brought tears to my eyes...as these have for you. I think we are fortunate that we can use our craft supplies to tell our stories... It's a therapy for me, and I'm sure it's a therapy for you. Hugs to you Nacny and I hope you have a Happy Easter!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I left you a long message explaining how I knew I was late visiting, then Firefox wouldn't post it. I'm going to see if this will post. If so, I'll try to remember the gist of what I said before.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I was so impressed with your wonderful journal page, even though I'm late getting here to comment. I was delighted to read about that app your daughter shared. It seems to have brought the past to life, at least in photos. As much as I enjoyed the composition and elements of this page, what struck me most was the senseless death of your sister. My heart goes out to you, dear Nancy. Thank you so very much for sharing this with us at Art Journal Journey using Sheila's theme from March.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hello Nancy. I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated all the comments you left on my blogposts. That was massively appreciated, thanks so much.
    Love from Sheila (orange esmeralda)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forest Goodies and Other Projects

 Hello Crafty Friends. I just got the Stamperia Forest Paper and Die Cuts in the mail so I had to play with them right away.   I have a combo creation - journal page and card.  On the journal page I used my 6x6 Dina Wakley Journal and laid a base of gesso.  I then used Dina's pastel crayons and some SU! inks and stamps.  Also added in some TH Dress Ink in Vintage Photo since I don't know how to make anything without it  (seriously).   The eagle is a Stamperia Forest die cut and is coated with gesso.  Did a bit of stenciling and distressing to finish the page off.  I am linking this the the **Art*Journal*Journey* September Texture Theme (last day - can't wait to see what October's Theme will be).  The die cut and the little smears add texture to the already very textured page.   I love the blue and green together and was inspired to made a quick card for my Son-in-law who cut down some tree limbs for us the other day.  The paper in the middle is from the Stamperia Forest

Brotherhood Wishes, a Paper Purse, and a Special Mug

Hello friends. No more fun travel or parade pictures - back to every day normal life.  On a positive note, I have been able to fit in some art. Hereis an art journal spread I finished this weekend. I am adding it to Alison's Summer Landscape challenge theme at **Art*Journal*Journey* .   I started the pages in my journal around July 4th after seeing Dina's stripes inspired Mixed Media challenge on Splitcoaststampers.com and got as far as stamping some foliage at the bottom.  I was stuck after that, and I wasn't sure where to go with it next.  A few days later, I was clearing out some things in the craft room and ran across a Thomas Kinkade book I cut up and use in my Bible Journaling.  There was a picture of  the San Francisco Bridge and another of some mountains so I tore them out and added them to my page with Gesso representing some of the beautiful things in America and also Alison's countryside theme.  They did not blend in very well and I needed to alter them to wo

A Martini, Peanut Butter Cupakes, and Art

Hello Friends. Today, I have an ecletic mix of drinks, dessert, and art. First, it's T-day somewhere in the world so time for a drink post which I am linking to Elizabeth's Blog - Altered Book Lover.  Last week we had a work related dinner.  When the waitress asked what I wanted to drink, I had a sudden craving for a martini.  I use to love them, but I guess my tastes have changed because I wasn't a fan.  I was a fan of the chips and dips though! And the day before, I brought my Sister's fabulous peanut butter cupcakes.  Mainly because I was craving them and couldn't ask her to make just one..... Over at **Art*Journal*Journey* Elle picked a theme of Books, Cats, and Tea (you can pick one, two or three of the items).  I did a Bible Journal Page in my Journaling Bible - Luke 13:24-25.  After a layer of Gesso, I took a Sharpie pen and drew the kitty, then the narrow door, and then colored the door with Arteza Brush pens. The verse was written with a Micron pen.  This