Today was a wonderful, relaxing day. It was sunny and warm – enough to be without a coat, which was very nice. I had some time to craft today and I finished the three glass frames. Here are they are.
And here’s the other side of the frames.
I’m really happy with how they turned out. I stamped, added some of the cutouts, collaged papers, and even added a feather to one of the frames. I used some ribbon I bought at a convention for the handles. The colors of the ribbon were a bit bright, so I overdyed them with some brown ink and distressed them a bit. I love this collection by & Gypsies because it looks so old. The papers give the impression of age and story, as if you’re looking through the scrapbook of someone who treasured these images of nature. It’s very much the sort of thing I love – combining nature themes with a sense of history and story. I like to evoke this feeling in my art. I don’t have a talent for drawing, so I don’t keep nature sketchbooks. But I love poring over the journals of the past that are filled with sketches and observations of nature. Edith Holden, Beatrix Potter and others have left a beautiful record of what they noticed and loved in their surroundings. Marjolein Bastin is one of my favorite contemporary artist who beautifully captures the natural world. In some small way, I think my cards and works of art (if that’s not too audacious a word) are my attempts to mimic what I love so much about these natural historians. I can’t keep art journals like they did, but projects like these are my way of loving and honoring the ordinary miracles of our world. Every leaf, flower, feather, egg, bird, butterfly – a precious and unique gift of God.
Blessings to you,
Sarah
anordinarymiracleday 