Thursday, 5 January 2017

Fragments of the past

Hi Everybody!

The big snow storms thankfully didn't strike here,
but it is very cold. Today we had sunshine and blue skies,
the ground was frozen hard, and lots of
hungry birds were hopping around.

For Art Journal Journey, Erika's lovely theme of
'Tell me a story', I have a double page in my 
New journal number 2. One of the things I 'inherited' 
from one of my old ladies was a box of torn
up photos and letters, with the instructions, 'Do what
you like with them but don't give them to my brother!'
Here I have used some of the fragments of photos
and  letters, and a part of a Hebrew text. I interspersed the fragments
with scraps of  paper napkins. A thin coat of gesso
knocked some parts back. I used soft wax crayons
to add some colour, and some random stamping.
I am also linking to Paint Party Friday:







I took some dry bread with me when I went out,
and it was enjoyed by gulls, ducks and the fishing raven, who 
was looking rather bedraggled today:




The gulls swarmed around, it was rather a Hitchcock moment:














Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!

42 comments:

  1. LOve your journal page and how you put the fragments together, very clever. Wonderful photos, but I wouldn't like all those gulls round me, I still have to think of the one that pinched my sandwich! Hugs, Sarah

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  2. That's a great new header! I love how it feels like an old fashioned children's story. I also really think you made a great page or AJJ today. I think that collection of photos and letters you got are really a treasure trove. and I think you used the pieces perfectly as the little scraps in your journal page. Seeing those partial photographs is really almost breathtaking. And you did get some awesome bird photos. Glad the snow skipped you. We are back in the cold too. Yesterday felt like spring but was just a tease. Hugs-Erika

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  3. What GLORIOUS colors! And your bird photos take my breath away -- the detail on the feathers, especially the one in flight. Fabulous!

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  4. Love how the colors pop! Happy New Year!
    Hugz, Z

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  5. Beautiful pages Valerie, amazing seeing the wildlife out in the cold!

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  6. Well you created beauty again with paper and photos. Wonderful. Your photos are great captures. Have a very nice weekend.

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  7. Your new pages are so atmospheric. The shredded pages made me think of the lives torn apart in those days of war. I hope you avoided any pecks on the head from "The Birds"! LOL! Great photos as usual.

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  8. What a strange request from the lady who gave you the photos and letters, but what a fantastic spread you created from them. When I first saw the pages, I thought "war torn," then noticed Gloria had just written that.

    Your photos today look surprisingly warm. Here we have negative numbers and very negative feels like numbers (-25F). It feels sort of like that in my home, too, so I'll take a walk with you and warm up a bit. Have a super Friday.

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  9. Forgot to mention. I like your new blog banner. It's a beauty.

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  10. Lovely colours on this gorgeous creation...fabulous design.... and interesting pics.xx{aNNie}

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  11. Your treatment of the cast-off letters was excellent! There's a real sense of fragments of the past... times gone by. The colours you've blended are delightful too.
    I enjoyed your photos of the birds and the water scenes - you really stirred up those hungry gulls! Cheers :D)

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  12. nice bright page I love the photos of the ravens

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  13. such beautiful colours
    hugs xo

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  14. beautiful journal pages, and adorable header! Love the outdoor photos with the lovely scenery and birds. Happy PPF!

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  15. Lots of great stuff: art and photos. Thanks for sharing,

    Happy you dropped by my blog this morning

    much love...

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  16. Schöne Journalseiten liebe Valerie und tolle Fotos!
    Bin heute etwas im Stress aufgrund von Besuch ....
    Bis morgen
    lg
    Susi

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  17. I love how you used the photos, like telling a mystery story, very effective!!! Thank you for the "pretty birds", glorious colors!
    Happy new year!!!

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  18. Beautiful pages, Valerie. You really know how to use color to make your art so pretty. And the header is adorable. Love it.

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  19. Love your journal pages! We got a huge snow dump, then continuous snow for the last couple of days. But I knew it was coming so I stocked up, made lots of soup and casseroles, and now we're snuggled inside in front of the fire. :)

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  20. Great journal page with the photos.
    I'll bet the birds were pleased to see you today dishing out food.
    Avril xx

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  21. Its a fantastic page, how you added the fragments together with the photos looks super. Loved the photos that raven looked like he'd fallen in the river.
    Yvonne xx
    p.s. Its a super new header.

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  22. What a wonderful art piece! I love that you made something beautiful from fragments. The photos are lovely, it's wonderful how you've captured birds in flight and the raven is so pretty.

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  23. I love your art journal page and your bird photos are gorgeous - especially the close ups of the black birds!

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  24. Dieser Mix aus alten Fotofragmenten und diesen frischen Tulpenmotiven plus Schriftfetzen sieht wieder total klasse aus. So alte Fotografien aus vergangenen Zeiten sind immer interessant anzusehen. Diesen Meister Rabe hast du erstklassig fotografiert, besonders auf dem letzten Foto ist er super getroffen. Da war ja richtig was los in der Luft bei dir, jede Menge Flattertiere.😀
    Liebe Grüße
    Sabine

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  25. I love those flashes of yellow in between the grey. How fun to get a box of old letters. That should give you lots of collage material for this year :-)

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  26. First of all, I love your new header!! SO so cute - and I love all that texture on your pages. xoxo

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  27. We are currently in the middle of our big "snow event", expecting 4 to 6"...the birds have been gobbling down the seed as fast as I put it out. Love all the collage texture but especially loved her instructions to you, lol I think there is a story behind that for sure!

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  28. Old photos always stir up curiosity as to the story behind them, don't they? Your collage cleverly gives us tantalising peeks into it.

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  29. How intriguing! What a curious tale that must be! Love what you did with them! Happy PPF :)

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  30. Love the header and I really like the journal page... so striking. Love all of the bird photos here. It's bitter cold here now too. We did get a bit of snow but too awful much. Have a great weekend.

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  31. Hi Valerie! Your art journal pages are absolutely amazing. I love, the story they tell. And your photos always touch me in such a wonderful way. Thank you so much for sharing them with all of us. And I want to thank you for encouraging me to join in on the fun at Art Journal Journey. I always enjoy it so much! THANK YOU!!!! Hugs.

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  32. Great journal spread ~ the close-ups really show off the meshing, texture... heart and soul!

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  33. Hi Valerie, beautiful vibrant textured pages, love them. The bird photographs are also fantastic. I hope you are doing well, Shirleyxx

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  34. I love the photos and text journal page. Very interesting and full of textures. I love the raven too. He looks cold though.

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  35. Your journal pages are gorgeous and who doesn't love a blue sky. Your photos don't reflect the temperature but just the beauty of the skies. Happy PPF (on Sat.)

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  36. Beautiful bird shots! Glad you brought some bread with you. :)

    Your journal pages are spectacular. So interesting and textured. Great job!
    ~Jess

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  37. Beautiful! You captured that Hitchcock moment well!I remember how scary that movie was! I always loved taking bread to feed the birds. Wonderful gesture in this cold!

    Hugs Giggles

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  38. What a beautiful art piece you made from what the old lady gave you!
    Gorgeous bird photos! Wow! The sun is bright! Love the raven pictures!
    Big Hugs!

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  39. Very interesting spread Valerie. I love the design of your collaged pieces. Do you wonder why the lady made such a request as not to share with her brother? I do! hugs my friend, Jackie

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  40. Oh - if only that box of torn up bits could speak, what tales would it tell.. love how you created a beautiful mysterious spread with them. (Great textures too).
    Loved seeing all your bird photos and especially the lovely raven - in the last photo I thought he looked rather sad and needed a hug - perhaps he was fed up with the weather too.
    Have a great day.. stay in the warm and have some art fun if it is still icy there.
    Gill xx

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