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Friends Add Magic to Life

Hello Crafty Friends,

Continuing in my The Past is a Dangerous Muse series.....today I am sharing an Art Journal Page which was inspired by this month's **ART*JOURNAL*JOURNEY* and Mike Deakin's Facebook Mission Inspiration  Group Theme which is all about Magic (with color and detail requirements as well).  

Chris and Erika and the AJJ team proposed a theme in remembrance of once of our beloved AJJ family members, Eileen Bergen. Eileen battled many health issues and lost her battle recently.  She was a talented and sweet lady.  I feel like this is wonderful theme.  I "met" Eileen through AJJ and I was always inspired by her work - being new to art journaling, I study a lot of what people do trying to learn and she ALWAYS included a lot of details in how she made things and showed pictures of all her steps. One of my favorite posts was a recent one that I encourage you to check out HERE. Her pages are gorgeous and when your re-read her words and know what happened to her, your heart will be touched.  Her quote from the Nicene Creed is prophetic and gives us the knowledge she is definitely in a better place. She also talks about how 2020 gave her more time to do Art which she loved deeply and it shows in all her work - but especially the work in that post.

She did beautiful backgrounds so I thought I would try a different kind of background and go with more color than my normal and a focus on white touches instead of my normal vintage photo ink.  I did a reflections on 2020 journaling just like she did but you can't read mine due to the excessive amount of Stickles Gel reflecting the light (I was trying for a more magical feel - lol).  I wrote:  

Reflections 2020:

*Friends are really the magic of life.

*You can find them anywhere - even in the past or your computer or in your heart.

*In remembrance of Eileen Bergen

While making this page, I realized that with AJJ and SCS, my friends are really spread out around the world.  Eileen lived in Mexico and so many of you live in wonderful places that I get to see reflected in your pictures, comments and art.  It is one of the wonderful things about these sites - they bring us all together - something that would have never been possible years ago.  I wrote all the places I know my AJ friends live all over the pages.


Started with some DW Acrylic paint in dots, scraped them down the page with an old credit card.  Then did a dry brush of white gesso.  Added some torn paper from a English/to French translation book from a thrift store (foreign words are part of MI theme). Stamped some Darkroom Door images down. 

I bought all the newest TH dolls recently and used a bunch of them as my "friends."  The MI theme is Magic so my concept is that Friends Add Magic to Life (I know everyone will agree with that including Eileen as she brought magic to me when I studied her work and read her inspiring words).  The words are from a sticker book I purchased on Amazon called the Antiquarian Sticker Book.  My friend Janey (an AJ enthusiast from Australia) encouraged me to purchase it (the Darkroom Door image is from her too).

Once I had the girls and the background done, I still had to add foil so I just put a few pieces of foil down with gesso.  I covered the whole thing in gesso and it needed something still.  I remembered my Aunt, Joan, encouraged me to purchase some Cosmos Stickles gel at a recent CTMH retreat so I put them all over the page.  It looks totally magical now, but you can't see it as cool as it really looks due to my early morning lighting - just imagine the whole page is covered in glitter and gold stars. 

Thanks for the inspiration you all give me.  Thanks for your friendship.  Thanks for your visits. Thanks for all the details and pictures and ideas you share.  I learn from them all. During this time when I have been physically isolated, I actually feel that a whole world has opened up to me with Art Journaling and all the wonderful people I have connected with all of the world.  I feel less isolated than before.  If that isn't magic, I don't know what is!

Many hugz to you all and a special one to Eileen who I know feels it. 

Nancy



Comments

  1. Valerie-JaelApril 9, 2021 at 8:10 AM

    Your journal spread is wonderful and a great tribute to Eileen, thanks so much for linking this beauty to AJJ much appreciated. Friends from near and far really enrich our lives. Have a great weekend, hugs Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  2. cotnobApril 9, 2021 at 8:18 AM

    A super spread Nancy, you have created a fabulous background and I love your 'friends' - great vintage images.
    Pauline - Crafting with Cotnob
    x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bleubeard and ElizabethApril 9, 2021 at 9:35 AM

    You truly DO have magic. Your spread showed us that. From the encouragement of friends who persuaded you to buy certain products, to the friends who have given you encouragement, this turned out to truly be magic. I love the new TH dolls, too. Thanks for this incredible beauty you shared with us as you were definitely inspired by Eileen. Thanks so much for linking to Art Journal Journey. I absolutely LOVE this, dear Nancy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My name is Erika.April 9, 2021 at 4:54 PM

    I love how you put these TH groups together Nancy. It's great how they represent all the friends we make and have, both in life and online. It is wonderful to know people from so many places, isn't it? It is good to have an online support group or groups. You made a great background also for all those wonderful friends. I think this is a wonderful piece to remember Eileen by, and thanks so much for sharing it with us at AJJ. Wishing you a nice weekend too. Stay safe. Hugs-Erika

    ReplyDelete
  5. lichazulApril 10, 2021 at 4:33 AM

    Lovely page, congrats 👍💐 happy weekend

    ReplyDelete
  6. sheila 77April 10, 2021 at 5:16 AM

    You have some very powerful thoughts and words here, Nancy. It is amazing that we have met and made friends from all over the world due to blogging and to AJJ especially, friends whom we would never otherwise have met in Real Life, some of whom have become actual Real Life friends.
    You have also written a touching tribute to Eileen.
    Your art here is indeed magical and I love the coloured medieval style words, the groups of friends and the sitting cat. I love all of it - the words and the art.

    ReplyDelete
  7. craftytrogApril 10, 2021 at 6:32 AM

    A truly magical page and tribute to Eileen! I could see a few sparkles when I zoomed in Nancy 😊
    Hope you have a lovely weekend,
    Alison xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. JD/ JillApril 10, 2021 at 5:54 PM

    A truly wonderful journal page. And as always...You amazed me again.
    I so agree I don't know what I would do without my friends... Especially during these challenging days ... Even if I can't see them or get together with then... I'm grateful for my computer to at least be able to share with them that way. (and Journals to keep memories in too)

    ReplyDelete
  9. ChristineApril 11, 2021 at 8:25 PM

    wonderful tribute Nancy and love the sentiments across the pages. Friends are so important ♥

    ReplyDelete
  10. pearshapedcraftingApril 16, 2021 at 9:12 AM

    What an absolutely wonderful spread and a great tribute to our dear friend Eileen. Thank you for linking to ArtJournal Journey and I apologise for such late visit! Hugs, Chrisx

    ReplyDelete

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