Vincent Van Gogh Journal Pages

I was really wanting to do some work on my journal over the weekend, as the promt I picked out was *Van Gogh*, but I had promised myself not to do anything till I had cleared my table....Yesterday I was on strike, did NOT want to clear away all those bits and bobs, but today I ground my teeth together and got on with it. I was able to celebrate a happy *Wiedersehen* with lots of things that have been AWOl for weeks. I also had a brilliant idea. There is a drawer on one side of the table, which I thought would be perfect for foam squares and all the other little things which I am always looking for. I could just sit on the other side of the table, but I never felt comfortable sitting there, for reasons not known to me or the rest of mankind. Then I had the BIG IDEA - I turned the table round. Now the drawer is there, for me to fill with all those countless little pieces that crafters need to have at their finger tips. It has taken me six years to get this far! Oh well, better late than never! And while I was at it, I swept the floor and tidied the rest of the kitchen. Then I knew that I had deserved to start work on Van Gogh! I wanted to do some pages like I did for Frida Kahlo, with a printed background showing her works, but I wanted to paint, so I tried - but I am no Van Gogh! Anyway, I did my best, painted one of his pics as best I could, and then made 2 computer-generated transparencies as lay-ons. The left one shows a letter with a drawing, the right side a faded letter to his brother Theo, overlaid with his drawing *Sorrow* and a saying of his. I didn't draw anything before hand, just painted directly onto the paper, and resisted the temptation to use sharpies to give more definition afterwards.

I had a fun time painting it, perhaps I should try this more often.

For the challenge over at 'The Cheerful Stamp Pad' this week, 'The Sweet Life', sponsored by Stampotique, I have made a card for a little girl, who loves pink, blue and lilac. The background has been embossed with a texture fade folder. The middle panel has been cut with an ancient die, sorry, don't know from whom. I stamped it with the image of the kids and the lovely sentiment, and embossed with Ranger Tinsel EP before colouring with water-colour pencils. I threaded a narrow, pink ribbon through the holes, and added the lilac daisies.

By the way, several people suggested turning the third part of my triptych round so that the reddish part is outside. I have turned it, and it does look better - thanks!

That's enough for today. Take care, have fun and thanks for dropping in!