Mugshot Monday and Glue it Tuesday

Mugshot.

This week’s prompt is emotion.  What are you feeling right now?

I blogged here about the need to regain my focus.  I feel as though I got too caught up in linking and creating for swaps and was not staying true to my mission; finding my life’s purpose.  Creating is fun but I wasn’t creating for myself.  I have a long list of art journals and altered books I want to create but I allowed my attention to get diverted away from them by creating ATC’s and journals for others.   

My feeling right now is I must regain my focus and stay true to my own journey. 

Glue it Tuesday

There was lots of gluing going on for this project!  I joined a swap that involved creating a themed journal.  We were to fill half of the journal then send it to our partner who would complete the other half and mail it back.  I decided on The Language of Flowers inspired by the book by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  The story spoke to me in a way I just can’t explain and while I was reading it I kept returning to the thought that I had to make a journal on the meaning of flowers.  Ideally, I would have preferred using dried, pressed flowers but time did not allow for it as I had 4 weeks to complete my half of the journal so I went with photos from my garden. 

This is my first journal of this kind and I learned one thing about myself as I went along; I prefer consistency.  I started out writing the names of the flowers in my own handwriting then began using a stencil.  I wish I would have thought to start with the stencil and used it for each flower.  For the background I varied between Dylusions ink spray, tissue paper, and scrapbook paper and for uniformity I wish I had just stuck to one of them.  Where I lacked a photo I used a seed packet or photo from an antique book which I think made the journal interesting.

I have 6 pages yet to complete but I put it aside after learning the swap was cancelled (a whole other story).  I will finish it as I hate unfinished projects hanging around.  I am thinking about adding Gerber daisy, tulip, orchid, and carnation.  That leaves me two flowers short.  Do you have any suggestions as to what I might use?  Do you have a special connection to a flower or a memory of one that makes for an interesting story?  I would love for you to share it with me. 

Note:  I put a slideshow of the journal in its entirety on the right.  Please feel free to view it and give me some feedback as to what I might do differently.

Linking to Monday Mugshots and Glue it Tuesday.