O Karma, Darma

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O Karma, Darma, pudding and pie,

gimme a break before I die:

grant me wisdom, will and wit,

purity, probity, pluck and grit.

Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind,

gimme great abs and

a steel-trap mind, and forgive,

Ye Gods, some humble advice--

these little blessings would suffice

to beget an earthly paradise:

make the bad people good--

and the good people nice;

and before our world goes over the brink,

teach the believers how to think. 

This poem, by Philip Appleman, is what I inscribed on my journal page (in case you can't read my handwriting).

I started the background by using a variety of paint colors with a stencil by Simon Says Stamp called Gingham/Pure Sunshine. I added the bird cage, tree, bird and people then started filling-in blank areas with a variety of stencils and stamps.

I often use poetry as inspiration for a journal page. Sometimes I start with the poem and sometimes (as in this case) the poem comes at the end.

As I printed the lines on the page, I was thinking about how our schools no longer believe it necessary to teach penmanship and wondered when poetry will meet the same fate.

I'm linking to this week's challenge at SSS where the theme is "the letter O" which is the first word of this poem (from New and Selected Poems, 1956-1996, University of Arkansas Press).

Cowboy and Indian

If you were born before 1970, you may recognize that the image used in this journal page is the Indian-head test pattern which was shown on black and white TVs right before a broadcasting station signed off for the night.

If you've followed my blog for awhile, you may also recognize the little cowboy as an image used in a previous blog post.

In terms of technique, this two page journal spread was an exercise in trying out three new stencils and a new stamp that I purchased from SSS after winning the $50 prize drawing a few weeks back.

The first stencil used is by Prima called Pavers which I moved around the page to create a color wheel pattern then knocked-back a bit with off-white paint.

I applied a gel medium image transfer of the Indian-head test pattern next.

I followed with a stencil by My Favorite Things called Grid to add a black pattern to the corners and page borders. I added text with a stencil by Crafter's Workshop called Art Is to cover large parts of the page using mostly white and some black paint.

I was skeptical about how well the text stencil would work but I'm quite impressed and very happy with the results. This was a good investment and it is sure to get lots of use.

I added tiny text from a stamp by Kaiser called Dictionary Meanings to create a border around the test pattern using black archival ink.

I used distress ink here and there to help unify the composition.

I created a background for the little cowboy with white paint before pasting him to the page and added a hand-written sentiment and a tiny pink heart.

I'm linking to this week's Monday blog challenge at SSS where the theme is "Falling in love with..." (my new stencils and stamp). And what better time to extend a great big thank you to SSS for the generosity of their $50 prize and to each and every design team member for all their hard work.

Going Back

Posting journal pages and using strong hues isn't in my comfort zone but the Monday blog challenge this week at SSS is "bold" so I just went for it.

Long ago, I found two images that, by coincidence, seemed to go together. I've wanted to connect them in a composition and was lucky to find a passage from a book by Pascal Mercier (Night Train to Lisbon) that helped to convey my thoughts.

No magic techniques here--just stamped deli paper and dictionary pages, a stencil, acrylic paint and a permanent black marker were used (script stamp by Dark Room Door, stencil by Crafter's Workshop, photos via Nordic Thoughts).

During difficult times, finding a muse can be a challenge but when I do, I'm grateful for the benefits. This time, the act of being "bold" was good medicine.

New Leaf Day

I did this journal page a few years back to motivate me to change some bad behaviors. It says, "New Leaf Day."

(turn over a new leaf kind of day)

And I did.


This time, to tie-in with the Wednesday blog challenge over at Simon Says Stamp, I've created a couple of tags that are "new" in many ways:

New because I just made them (duh)

This is Magellan, made with a new background stamp

(I won the $50 draw a few weeks back--thanks SSS!)

It portrays an explorer of the New World

I used new paper tape for the sails (thanks again, SSS)

It will end up on a new blog where I post only tags

and

then

there's


Mercury (image courtesy of Hendrick Goltzius)

Made with a new background stamp (thanks again, guess who?)

And also a new SSS Falling Snow stencil ($50 goes a long way)

And it symbolizes my new, stronger resolve to create simply for the joy of it.

There are no rules.

Period.

Happy New Year everyone!