Scarborough Fayre

I've had this stuck in my head for a few days now, so I decided it was time to get it onto paper, and what better than my new journal that I picked up at a bargain price while I was in Edinburgh. Ok, it was a friend who's stall I bought it from so there may have been some favouritism, but who's complaining?

The pages in it are wonderful paper, although slightly thin for painting, so I added a sheet of music first, before layering with gesso and juniper acrylic. The herbs are drawn in pencil, and lettering with fineliner.

Scarborough Fayre is a traditional song that appears to have been sung as far back as the 17th century. Most people know the Simon & Garfunkel version, but I prefer this one by the Mediæval Bæbes.

Abandon hope

or at least get ready to say "see you later".

Playday today at the Cubby Hole, but only a few of us there as there was a second hand book/card/ephemera sale. I picked up a couple of old school books which are falling apart, small pocket sized books from 1850 & 1875 on correct English and arithmetic. Also 1960 working instructions for electrified railway lines. Last but not least, a 1957 vocal score for Handel's "Messiah". One page of that has already been put to good use.

The first bit of art was my entry for the current Cubby Hole challenge - "Mannequin". It's a secret for now, but inspiration came from Mark Twain and chairman Mao :) If you want to join in the challenge please feel free.

There was a bit of faffing about with a couple of journal pages, including one in my new journal, and I finally finished these pages shown here.

I won't say it's taken a while, but I started this on the first Art Journal workshop with Sarah in March 2010. Yes, 2010 - it's taken a year!

Tearing a page in half and colouring it was done on the workshop. As time has passed I've slowly added bits and pieces; webs, skulls, wording etc.

Last week, Carol had some new goodies in the shop, brass charms including these wonderful skull & crossbones which were just what I needed to get it finished. The doors are made from wood veneer which is normally found adorning the interior of a Bentley :)

Ok, you can go and find hope again now, but remember; Don't speak ill of the dead!

PS - Thank you - Updated

The PS in this instance being Patty Szymkowicz - the talented lady who produces the Magpie's Nest blog, full of wonderful art, amazing photography and inspiring words.

Following an email exchange about canvases, we decided to swap art. I sent her a 4x4 canvas and received this beautiful 4x5 canvas in exchange. The colours and imagery are beautiful, it has wonderful texture and there's an amazingly solid feel to it, as if it is wood. It's stunning.

Aside from the canvas there was a bag of goodies, - papers, stickers, stamps and various other ephemera, including a large paperclip with a blackbird on the top. I love blackbirds :)

In a wonderful piece of synchronicity we both received them today, and her thank you emailed arrived just as I was starting to write this!

Thank you Patty :)

Update: - the goodies I sent to Patty are here

Wonderfully talented people :)

Just a quick post.

You will have heard me mention the Cubby Hole from time to time, and now you can have a look and see what just what a talented (and lovely) bunch of people they are.

This is the response to the Secret Garden challenge.

Please go and take a look at the blog and leave them some feedback :)

A whisper of moths

I've been busy this weekend, but can't post what I created as they are for swaps, or DT pieces. This evening I picked up my little notebook where I jot down ideas; lyrics, quotes, etc, and decided to go with "moths aren't boring".

The entry was inspired by a conversation about rubber stamps a little while back. I commented that there's hundreds of butterfly stamps, but very few moth ones. The response was that moths are all boring and brown, and they're 'icky'. This is a quick bit of pencil art. The moths are based on a few minutes Googleing to find inspiration.

The two small photos were taken when a couple of moths decided to take a rest while I grabbed the camera.

There seems to be some debate over the correct collective noun for moths, but I like Whisper.

Beware the Jubjub bird

and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!

Wise words indeed, from Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" which appeared in "Through the looking glass, and what Alice found there".

This is also my entry for the latest Altered Alice challenge, where the theme is Yellow & Blue. Blue was easy - Alice, but what to do for yellow? I had originally thought of sunflowers (no idea why) but decided to go for a bird instead. Unfortunately that limited things slightly; dodo, duck, eaglet and lory. Then somebody reminded me of the Jubjub bird and that was it :)

Backing papers by Crafty Individuals
Bird by Stampotique
Diamond flowers by Magenta