Hi Friends!
Happy Friday! The stove was on last night again and for some reason the kitties will not share, even though there is plenty of space for them to both to be in front of it. As soon as Miss Lily gets comfortable in comes Mr G and chases her away so he can spread out in front of it.
Today’s Art . . .
Today’s art is a journal page Neet’s theme this month on Art Journal Journey – In Gear. This one was inspired by a small cat sketch I did recently and this Seth Apter stamp set. The two of them together made me think of fortune tellers and the circus.
I’ve been thinking about this one for a week or so just wondering how it was going to come together and what it was going to look like – I didn’t have much to go on, just the cat head sketch and this stamp – not really enough to fill a journal page. My cat sketch was done on a strip of receipt paper, the kind with a carbon copy underneath. I was really just testing out how good the carbon was and had no intention of doing anything with the sketch but then I kind of liked it and wanted to do something with it. By the time I had taken this photo today I had already decided on my circus theme and drawn the big top. I had also stamped out the alphabet wheel six times, one for each layer that I was going to cut out. I toyed with the idea of my cat head floating in the sky as some kind of spooky mystic cat but I couldn’t see how to do it without it looking weird.
I thought I would use the alphabet wheel as a type of “wheel of fortune” and drew a little stand for it to sit on. I coloured all the wheels in purple, orange and green since it is Halloween after all, and fastened them together with a gold brad. All the little wheels rotate individually. I like to think if this was a real wheel then it would surely involve some gears for the turning, but my paper version has to be turned manually.
Here’s a closer look at the Wheel of Fortune. If you look closely you will see the green arrow is pointing down to the word TRICK spelt out vertically from the outside ring to the centre. There is also a better look at the circus poster which was made with an old Andy Skinner stamp. It’s a small stamp with lots of tiny text but it stamps so beautifully and very clear. Various acts are performing including (I think) a monkey on a bicycle (with gears of course.)
The background was painted with watercolour after I had done all the stamping and colouring. Here’s a closer look at the kitty fortune teller whose name is Madame Zola. I glued the cat face paper onto some white card and then gave her a gold turban to wear featuring a very large jewel – real or fake, who can tell! She is a very mysterious cat I think she might be trying to hypnotise you!
So who’s first to visit Madame Zola and her Wheel of Fortune?
Let me know what you think in the comments. As always, thanks for reading and Happy Journalling!
Ingredients
my journal, glue, Paperartsy, Tim Holtz and Andy Skinner stamps, pitt artist pens, Distress Ink, Versafine Clair ink, watercolour paint, card stock, white and gold gel pens, Posca pens, foam tape, brad, black fineliners,
Challenges
Art Journal Journey – In Gear
Looking forward to next month (November) theme for Art Journal Journey.
Coffee is on
I am so impressed with all the gear ideas people are having, and the spinning wheel is a great one. This is a fun circus page, and you did manage to get the kitty(Madame Zola) to look just like a circus madam too. I love the turban. Thanks again for linking up to AJJ and Neet’s challenge. Cold weather is coming here tonight, but it’s been unusually warm for the last few days. I love the warm, but it also feel rather weird for this time of year. Have a great rest of your weekend Elle, and thanks for joining in at AJJ. hugs-Erika
I love Madame Zola and her wheel of fortune. The head works perfectly where you have placed it Elle.
Your stove looks very cosy with the cat curled up in front of it, Mr G. I presume.
Have a lovely weekend.
Alison x
I love Madam Zola. Her eyes say it all to me. What a fascinating composition. I love the idea of the wheels turning and it is lovely that you have included a short video to show us how they move. It adds so much interest to a journal page.
To see it develop has been great and I loved the tent – very impressive and certainly perfect for Madam Zola.
What a wonderful stamp that is of Andy’s, I have never seen it before and probably never will again. So much contained within it.
Thank you again Elle, for a wonderfukl entry for my theme at AJJ.
Hugs, Neet xx