'What you do speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday 25 May 2020

This week, we're
Going Round in Circles
This is my final week in the Designer Spotlight. 
It's been such an honour to be invited and so much fun. 
Thank you so much SSS Monday, for having me and making me welcome 😊
This A5 journal page came from thinking about the current situation, and how even though some of us may feel isolated and alone at the moment, it's not the case - and it won't last forever. I'm a very 'touchy feely' person and enjoy a good hug. That's probably what I miss most - hugging friends and family. I seem to spend hours queuing outside supermarkets, mainly for other people and usually in silence - surrounded by people wearing masks, hiding their expressions, and very few people chatting. There's no physical contact at all. Everyday life feels cold, alien and very surreal.
The colours I chose reflect the way I was feeling when at the time I created this. 
I used Hickory Smoke and Spun Sugar (for hope) Distress Oxides, spritzed with water, to create the smooshed background. 
Playing around with the stamps I'd chosen (Inky Antics Muse News (designed by Andrea), Visible Image You Are Not Alone, Creative Chaos and Total Chaos) I first stamped the flower twice in Hickory Smoke, to give the illusion of fading into the background. 
Next, I stamped the text from Inky Antics Muse News a few times in Hickory Smoke, only inking up random parts of the stamp. (I even accidentally stamped it upside down in one place but I left it because I thought it was a good illustration of the strange situation we're all in 😉). I love these words and often use them as a background element, but they seemed to be particularly appropriate for this moment in time.
After adding lots of circles with the Aall and Create stencil, outlining some of them in grey pencil, I stamped random circles from the stamp sets until I was happy with the way it looked.
Having added pale colour to the flowers with Spun Sugar ink and pencils, I stamped the flower again in Versafine Onyx Black, then clear embossed the whole thing. I love the fact that the Oxides caught the Embossing powder in the wettest places, but not everywhere, giving a bit more randomness.
Stamping the flower a couple of times onto scrap card, I cut both out after embossing and coloured the same way, adding more depth of colour, to make them stand out. I usually extend the stem to fit my page, but this time I wanted them to be 'floating'. I stuck the flower head in place, then cut out the front petals on the second image, adding them with foam tape to make the flower stand out more.  

After I'd stamped, coloured and cut out the hand, I attached it so the finger was touching a petal, then added the extra stamping, using images and words from the Visible Image stamp sets. 

I then played around with pencils and a white gel pen, adding light and shade where I thought it was needed, and finishing off with some ink and paint spattering. I also randomly stamped the words again in white acrylic paint, only adding light touches. 
I love stamping and have really enjoyed this month's challenges, but I think this may be the one I enjoyed most, maybe because I just followed my imagination and the way I was feeling. Journalling can be cathartic 😊
I hope you'll join us in this final May challenge. 
Just link your Going Round in Circles art here and you'll be entered into the draw for a $25 voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp. Yay!
They carry an amazing range of stamps and supplies and are happy to ship internationally.
Supplies used:-
Distress Oxides, Hickory Smoke, Spun Sugar
Aall and Create Totally Dotty A4 stencil
(Click on any of the photos to enlarge)

Linking to:
Sweet Stampin, Anything but a Square
Artistic Stamper, Journalling
Creatalicious, ATG with optional Pink/Purple
More Mixed Media, ATG with optional Pink

Thanks so much for calling in today
Back soon
Stay safe and God bless you!
Cath
xxx

20 very kind comments from lovely people:

Lorraine A said...

Gorgeous art journal page Cath :-) I love the grey and pink together, such a pretty combo and the flowers and sentiments are fabulous, a very throughtful and beautiful reflection of the current times.

Hopefully we will have able to get together with our family and friends soon, in the meantime I am sending you a virtual great big hug :-)

Thanks so much for joining us this month! Every week your projects have been stunning!! Hope we get to do this again soon :-)
Stay Safe my friend xx
luv
Lols x x x

crafty-stamper said...

Fabulous journal page and background -love the stamps and great sentiment-we only have our local estate shops as no transport and we are lucky as they are always well stocked and hardly any queueing as most people flock to the supermarkets-must admit too if anyone has been queueing everyone seems to be willing to speak and be friendly -have spoken to more people I don't know than I did before weirdly enough!
Carol x

Mia said...

What a gorgeous page, Cath. I love the grey-pink combination and the great background. Thank you so much for joining my challenge at AJJ. Kisses!

My name is Erika. said...

I love the addition of the reaching hand in this journal page Cath. It works so well with that so appropriate sentiment. The pink gives it a rather ethereal, dreamy feeling. The shadowy effects adds to that. This is really beautiful, and thanks for linking up to Art Journal Journey with it also. Happy new week. Hugs-Erika

María said...

Wow that background is awesome, the combination of colours you've used is perfect and all the stamps are great, I love this page.

I understand how you feel but soon you will enjoy little changes believe me, for example four weeks ago we could start to enjoy walks here in Spain and now this Monday was the first day I went to my office to work, something at the beginning of this whole situation I saw so far and now it's here, I'm sure there similar things will start soon. Hugs, María.

Maura said...

Beautifully soft and serene, Cath! It's been lovely having you with us this month, and I look forward to more of your creative endeavors. hugs, Maura

Jane Elizabeth France said...

Your journal page is stunning!!!.. I would never have thought those two colours would go together, but they look awesome. Beauuuuutiful. Thank you so much for joining in the artistic stamper challenge x

Mrs.B said...

A beautiful page Cath, love the colours and the faded stamping in the background giving a dreamy feeling to the whole page. Love the layering to the focal flower, looks as if it's floating up to be touched by the hand.
We had our first outing yesterday to a garden centre - everyone was very polite and made a point of keeping their distance, but like you I miss the hugs from friends and family.
Stay safe and take care. Hugs, Avril xx

Caty said...

This Art page is really Fantastic Cath !! I loove the way you have created it, we can feel the words, we can live them. Wonderful colours and stamps.
Have a great day, stay safe and well and
Big hugs,
Caty

Caty said...

This is a espectaculat Art page Cath !! I really loove the way you have created it, we can feel and live the words, and how amazing is this flower that wants to be touched. Great !
I wish you a very nice afternoon, stay safe and
Big hugs
Caty

Brigitte said...

OMG!!!! Your page is WONDERFUL!!!! I LOVE the soft tones and I can feel your emotions on your journal!!! Such a beautiful and touching (pun intended) project!!!! Thanks for joining us at Creatalicious Challenge, we hope to see you again next time. Hugs, Brigitte

Meggymay said...

A beautiful floral page Cath. I love how you added the reaching hand. Thank you for linking to Mia's theme at Art Journal Journey.
Stay safe
Yvonne xx

Neet said...

This page is stupendous. It reduced me to tears, It is so emotive. I can only remember one painting in a gallery doing that to me but the situation we are in and your lovely picture (I can't call it a journal page) did just that to me.
It is beautiful, hauntingly so.
I could go on about the colour and the various elements but I won't, I cannot say any more.
Love Neet xx
ps I am sure you would fit in on their design team, your work has been fabulous

Let's Art Journal said...

Wow, what a stunning page! It looks so magical, I love the soft pink and grey colour combination and the circle design background - gorgeous 😁. Happy Friday and Weekend! Take care! Hugs, Jo x

Sammy said...

Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for joining us at Sweet Stampin' this week. Sammy-x

nwilliams6 said...

Wow, that background is so supportive of your lovely images. Very well done page and I love your thoughts on the situation. The hand is kind of like the hand of God - so cool and would make a great Bible Journal theme too (hint, hint for getting started on your Bible Journaling section of your blog). GREAT page. Hugz

Sandma's Handmade Cards said...

Such a beautiful journal page and I love the colours that you've used x

pearshapedcrafting said...

I didn't miss seeing this only leaving you some word to say how lovely it is! Love that smoky looking background! You certainly did SSSM proud this month! Hugs, Chrisx

Melanie said...

A lovely journal page!
Thank you soo much for taking part in our "anything goes + optional pink & purple” challenge over at Creatalicious & good luck in the draw.
Hope to see you again in our new challenge as well…

Hugs,
Melanie
(DT-Coordinator Creatalicious Challenges)

(DT Crafty Friends)

(DT The Sketchy Challenges)

(DT Simply Create Too)

(DT Kreativtanten)



PS: Sorry for the late comment, life had been very busy these past weeks…

Anke said...

Your page is adorable, fantastic art.

Hugs
Anke