Thursday 5 August 2021

New challenge at MMM - Thursday / Friday post

Hi Everybody!

Hope your week is going well.  We are still having very erratic weather here, but in comparison to what's happening at other places with huge fires and other catastrophes, it's nothing. This has been a chaotic summer all over the world, and I hope things soon quieten down. And people are still saying there is no such thing as climate change....Rich people are going on trips into space, and enormous amounts of money are being spent on it, and here on earth there are still millions without water, health care, food and hope.

Today we are starting a new challenge at More Mixed Media Challenge Blog. As always, our challenges are anything mixed media goes with an optional colour challenge. This time it's bright. And as always, you have 4 weeks to join us. I made an A3 mixed media piece using bright and happy colours. The background was painted and then textured with a brayer. I collaged the girl - cut from a magazine - and the paper napkin flowers. I added some flower-stickers and a bee, and cut the text from various magazines. I am also linking to Neet's 'type' challenge at AJJ:






And I have another tag for Pinky's challenge at Tag Tuesday:



I am also linking to Paint Party Friday

Some photos from Wednesday's cloudy walk:



The bees were busy buzzing around the buddleia:














Some signs warning people not to walk through the building site. And I'm re-showing some pics of the big hole in the road that opened after the heavy rains as I am linking to Rain's TAD, holes and ditches:








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

91 comments:

  1. Lovely art and lovely selection of photographs.
    We've had a couple of nice weather days, but now we are being told more rain is on the way with possible thundery outbreaks! UGH!

    Take care, have a happy Thursday.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thanks Jan. We've had crazy weather all over Europe, and it doesn't seem to be leaving us just yet! It's cold and cloud again today!

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  2. Beautiful mixed media and tag, always love your flowers. Hope your fingers are feeling better today.

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    1. My fingers are still very shaky, I hope it clears up soon! Have a wonderful day!

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    2. That is a great hole for Rain's theme today, perfect, well awful too.

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  3. I love this piece for MMM. The texture is amazing. Yes, Elegant is the perfect name for the second piece. Have a nice evening.

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    1. Thanks Nicole, I had fun making it! have a good one!

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  4. I like the collage, any how creativity is usual reasonable priced.
    Coffee is on and stay safe

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    1. Thanks Dora, collage is fun, and a great way of using up scraps! have a great day!

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  5. Good morning Val, hope you had a good sleep! I was able to sleep long and deep last night, so that was good. Love your beautiful art, and the tag is beautiful, too, really elegant. And it looks like you had a great walk. Have a lovely day, hugs, Sarah

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    1. Glad you had a better night's sleep, I did too, so perhaps we were snoring in unison! Have a lovely day, hugs to you all!

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  6. After several lovely days following a named storm, we're back to wild, wet, windy weather again. My own buddleia has reached that whippy stage just in time. As you say, others are much worse off. Love your brayered background texture, and the colours are so vibrant on a dreary day. Hugs, Deb

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    1. Thanks Deb! The weather is still very temperamental here, too! Have a great day, stay safe!

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  7. Love your mixed media piece, great words and colours. Such a pretty tag as well. Have a great day. Anesha x

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  8. Not sure if my comment came or not so here goes again:
    To add to your list - I cannot understand how some folks do not believe there is Covid about. How, when they can see the suffering and hear of the deaths do they not think it is happening? A friend of mine posted a picture of his Poppa lying in a hospital bed the other day, with oxygen on and it was heartbreaking to see this man in such a state. It beggars belief!
    Anyway, thank you for the photos of your walk - glad the erratic weather does not keep you indoors.
    Love your tag - the ribbon bow at the bottom is very elegant and only adds to the beauty of the whole tag.
    Thanks for joining in with my theme again - love the way you get the texture with your paint and the brayer. Mine never looks as good as yours but I keep trying. So it is a lovely background and the added tissue flowers look lovely and compliment the image of the young girl. I do like the way you have used the letters from magazines - I enjoy doing things like that.
    Thanks & Hugs, Neet xx

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    1. Thanks Neet. This world is so crazy. I can't believe how stupid some people are. No climate change, no Covid, it's all a big plot....It really makes me sick. I've been going through old magazines and cutting letters and pictures out before they get put in the old paper collection! Have a great day, stay safe!

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  9. I love your mixed media piece for MMM this month.
    The colours are great and the texture from the brayer is fab.
    Hope you are keeping well..x

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    1. Thanks Sandie! I love playing with my brayer! I'm not feeling so good just now, but that's life, always ups and downs! Have a great day!

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  10. Fabulous! Love the paint texture, flowers, gems and you found a lovely image! Great idea to use magazine type - I have a box of cut out magazine words - I might cut further into them.
    Your tag is so elegant - the colours and that image are beautiful.
    We are getting plenty of cloud at the moment - some producing rain and even thunderstorms. I love your cloudy walk.
    As for anti vaxers, covid ignoring idiots, climate change denials and don't get me started on rich old men going into space - they need to open their eyes and ears and stop being so selfish (jumps off soapbox) Hugs, Chrisx

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    1. Thanks Chris! Magazine cut outs always come in useful for collage, and I'm happy I have the words just now! There are so many things annoying me just now, we all need a soapbox every so often to vent our thoughts and feelings about the general craziness around us! Have a great day, take care!

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  11. Lovely page and gorgeous tag. Hugs, Teresa

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  12. Good morning my Exquisite and Highly-cherished Valerie: You have been productive this week, with a post each day if I am not mistaken. I am not quite sure what playing with your brayer entails (I always imagined a brayer to be a donkey) but the results are charming, so perhaps you should play with it more often! That girl has the sweetest face and she announces to the world that she believes in love. For some reason that I am unable to explain, it evokes for me an image of Ann Frank who also believed in love, who had faith in humanity, and goodness and kindness, and we know where that ended up. We should never stop believing in love, however. Without that there is little meaning to anything. My belief in love is reinforced every day in myriad ways. From birds, to wildflowers, to Lily. All is founded in love. I know that you continue to be unwell, Valerie, and it must be quite awful and terribly daunting to face each day with pain and reduced capacity, but I hope that love sustains you too. It is reciprocated a thousandfold from all your blogging friends and admirers. This message has become quite serious, I'm afraid, and I had no intention that it should. I had better get back to humour next time. Many hugs and kisses. David

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    1. Hi David, you made me laugh about playing with donkey! A brayer is a hard rubber roller used to spread paint, not like the softer ones which are used for painting and decorating at home! I'll probably be hearing donkeys braying next time I use it! You can cover a large sheet of paper very quickly this way! We need to believe in love or we couldn't carry on just now. Anne Frank was a wonderful girl, wise beyond her years, and a great example to all. And seeing new life - whether plants, birds, animals or humans is always comforting. I love seeing the photos of that sweet little Lily! Sometimes it's a struggle to get up in the morning these days, but then I think of all the happy things I can do, and that helps. I'm off for a walk though the fields now. Have a great day, take care! Hugs!

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  13. A beautiful page and tag Valerie! Great photos too. Yesterday I was mesmerised by the number of bees buzzing on the marjoram in our garden. It seemed alive with them! Everyone needs some marjoram in their gardens/balconies to help the bees.
    Alison

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    1. Thanks Alison. I'll get myself some marjoram, my bees like the lavender and rosemary best just now. We really need to help the bees otherwise things will be looking even darker for the future! Hugs!

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  14. I love the bright colors you used Valerie. That lady is very romantic looking down like she is, and she looks even more so with those flowers in her hair. And I am glad you added the little bee. Last time I checked mine they have completely filled up the bottom frame. Now I am worried they won't make enough honey to feed themselves all winter (no honey for me this year but that was what I had planned- I'm more concerned about keeping the hive alive over the winter.) And some nice walk photos. I have never seen polka dotted petunias like that. I need to watch next year to see if they have made it here yet. The hole is slow going. Parts of my state have had some major wash outs lately, but luckily no deaths. Hope your week ends in a good way. hugs-Erika

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    1. Thanks Erika! Glad to hear your bees are doing well. Are there any alternative feeds for the bees in winter? I hope the hive continues to thrive. I have never seen those petunias before, either, so I took a photo yesterday in town. I will look for them! Our hole won't be finished for months! The weather is crazy everywhere just now. Have a nice day, hugs!

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  15. Those purple flowers are gorgeous. And I love your piece today. I'm usually a color person, too.

    Your opening paragraph is spot on. What the world could do with what it cost to send a businessman into space...

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    1. Thanks Jeanie! So much money gets wasted! Stay safe!

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  16. If you believe in love surely the world is better by one person. Happy Thursday. Thanks for dropping by my blog today

    Much❤love

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  17. A better tax system would help here, and the richest could still afford their vanity projects. So many flowers along your walk!

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  18. Good grief. Is that the same sink hole or a different one?
    Love your pieces, especially Elegance. It's so...elegant:)Although the other has so much color, texture, and if I wasn't still upset about being stung, I'd love the bumble bee. Heh.
    Those are gorgeous petunias.
    Hope your fingers are behaving.
    Hugs

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    1. It's the same one! I like bees but I am scared of wasps! Take care!

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  19. Lovely art work vj...and your collection of photos are beautiful

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  20. Love your art and the flowers are lovely. That is some major sinkhole!!!!
    Life is still crazy here with these three grandkids keeping me running. Thankfully the oldest starts school in two weeks and things will calm down some :)

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    1. Thanks Carol. Time flies and the Kids groß up so quickly. Have fun with your Family, stay Safe,hugs!

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  21. bees are very crutial creatures:)

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  22. WOW about that hole! Hope no one was injured, while it opened. :/ Love your mixed media piece. So bright and happy. Have a nice evening!

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    1. We we're lucky, nobody was hurt, but it will take months to repair and renew the drainage.

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  23. Very fine post 😊 have a nice day 😊

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  24. Thanks Martyna, have a great evening!

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  25. Beautiful page! It looks so romantic and I'm loving those bright summery colours and the lady with flowers in her hair 😀. The photos from your walk are wonderful too! Enjoy the rest of your week! Hugs, Jo x

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  26. Love the purple in the second one! Cute flowers & bees. :)

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  27. Love your art today beautiful colours.

    Goodness, that was one large sinkhole.
    Reading your reply above I was pleased to read nobody was hurt but it will take a while to get it repaired.

    I can't believe it's Friday! Where do the days go?

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thanks Jan. Time seems to be fly by more and more quickly. It will be months before the road is repaired completely!

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  28. More lovely art work, the bees certainly love the purple buddleia.

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    1. Thanks Sue, they do indeed. Have a great day!

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  29. A beautiful girl on your lovely journal page Valerie.
    Weather change se.
    Have a good weekend.
    Yvonne xx

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    1. Thanks Yvonne, have a great weekend and stay safe! Hugs!

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  30. Wow what a beautiful journal page, such beautiful bright colours! I still can't get over that hole in your road, what a whopper! We are alternating between sunshine and thunder storms but it's still really warm. Take care and have a great weekend, Sue xx

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    1. Thanks, we both seem to be on the bright colours trip! Same weather here, warm and humid. Enjoy your weekend!

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  31. I love the textured background of your art. Very colorful and the message I agree with.

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  32. Your "I Believe in Love" piece is wonderful, Valerie-Jael! Vibrant and serene at the same time. That giant hole in the street is scary. I hope that doesn't happen often where you live. Your photos capture the essence of summer. Have a lovely week!

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    1. Thanks Louise. We had very heavy rains and bad floods here, which caused the hole. Other laces were much worse hit and destroyed. Have a great weekend,hugs!

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  33. A lovely colorful journal page and a truly elegant tag. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  34. Hi Valerie! :) The tag colours are gorgeous! I love your flowers...and the flowers from your mixed media piece, you have some gorgeous colours on that one too! Yikes, that is some scary hole! I love that you mentioned the rich people going to space while people down here are starving...it's so wrongly decadent.

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    1. Thanks Rain. It's so unjust that some could help others and don't, so sad! Have a great weekend!

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  35. fab bright and colorful journal page! and yes, that tag is quite elegant. Beautiful blooms on your walk- and that purple/blue flower is unique with the white spots- like someone spattered bleach on it. So sad and true what you said at the top of your post- just doesn't make sense...
    have a great weekend!

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    1. Thanks Linda. The world is sometimes crazy. Have a great weekend!

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  36. It's very pretty. I really like the texture. And, as usual, lovely photographs. :)

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  37. It certainly is bright, well done. Lovely photos of flowers on your walk.

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  38. Holy cow Valerie I can't believe the size of that hole in the road!!! Your artwork certainly is bright and vibrant today, love it. The tag is so pretty, could easily be added to a card base to make a beautiful card too!! Love your flowery photos especially the one with the bee!

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    1. Thanks Pinky! I couldn't believe how big that hole was either! Have a great weekend!

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  39. What a stunning mixed media project Valerie, gorgeous colours and textures and your tag is so very pretty with the violet flowers and gorgeous bow..in your photos is that a sink hole?...scary..

    Luv CHRISSYxx

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    1. Thanks Chrissy! Yes, it's an enormous sinkhole that opened up in the road in front of where we live, scary indeed. The floods washed the foundations away! Stay safe!

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  40. Love the texture you achieve on your pages Valerie, makes me want to run my fingers over it, it's a super page the girl looks very deep in thought. I hear you entirely about the money wasted on extravagant trips, so much selfishness in the world.. I feel so powerless as life is squeezed out of our world.
    How scary that hole is.. Stay safe Hugs Tracey xx

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    1. Tanks Tracey, the attitude of so many people is just bad! The hole is scar indeed, it will take months to repair as they need to replace all of the drainage pipes abd cables, too! Have a great weekend!

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  41. You have so many followers and comments that I am not sure you will make it here to see mine ... but, I have to tell you, your mixed media pieces are gorgeous. You are so talented in so many different ways. You take wonderful photos ... some of your shots look like you were here where I live, but others, not so much :) The hole ... OMG, thankfully nobody's car was sucked into it. That is awful. We get holes like that and bigger in Florida. We call them sink holes. Your posts are always wonderful, Valerie ... Hope you are staying safe as we all seem to be going through another phase of Covid (Variant Delta).

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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    1. Thanks Andrea. I always read all my comments. I Love making Mixed Media pieces. The hole was caused after the heavy rains and floods washed away the foundations of the road. Covid is rising here, too, so many people Just don't care. Sad, bad, mad! Have a great week, stay Safe!

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  42. Very unique and creative artwork and divine photography ~ Xo

    Living in the moment,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  43. Fabulous texture and colour on your journal page, love it. Gosh that hole in the road looks a bit scary. Take care, hugs Wendy.

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    1. Thanks Wendy. It was very scary! Have a great day!

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  44. Yes, I'm late. Here it is Tuesday and I'm working on Thursday. I love your ransom letters you chose for Neet's theme at AJJ. Your floral tag is lovely and feminine.

    Every time I see that hole in front of your apartment, I worry. I'll be glad when it is fixed and I can stop worrying about where you live.

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth. The hole will be with us for months, and I don't like it either!

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  45. A very meaningful post! I believe in love too! I hope that hole gets fixed soon! Be well my friend! We have to keep spreading love! Big Hugs!

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