Thursday 25 May 2017

I'm feeling bookish...

...these days (all days, if truth be told).  I've just finished a journal that's been in the works for quite some while and thought I'd share it with you.  Called 'Good Fortune,' the tie-it-together item is that there is a fortune cookie fortune on each page.  Some are real, and some are invented...can you tell the difference?

Coins from years of travels (mine and others') are secured to the front of the journal.  And guess what - this thing is heavy!

Front cover 'Good Fortune Journal'
© Win Dinn 2017
I enjoyed working with the unusual shape and size of the spreads.

Fortune:  Your ear for music is becoming more finely tuned.
Most of the backgrounds are created with mono-printed sheets and brayer cleaning pages.

Fortune: A single flower has no need to envy the garden.
I've added monoprint cutouts to some pages,

Fortune: A new outlook brightens your image and brings new friends. 
and torn pages, card remnants,

Fortune: Artists find more than one path to the garden.  (image on the right is by the incomparable Laura Leeder)
and even fun foam castoffs to the mix.

Fortune: Today's your red hot day.
Not only circle-obsessed (and you'll tons of those below), I'm also fascinated by connected ovals.

Fortune: A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts.
 I've used ephemera from cards I've received (thanks for these Judy),

Fortune:  Nature will tell you everything you need to know.
and some lovely Mucha images from a deck gifted to me by Alice.

Fortune: A pair of this or that - what's wrong with a single?
That was indeed good fortune!

Fortune:  You've been dealt a good hand - why not play it?
What better use for mop-up paper towels than a garden, I wonder?  None, I tell myself.

Fortune:  It's springtime - let's party!
You gotta know the upside-down bird is my favourite.
Fortune: Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.
My eye goes around and around on this page...it's definitely playtime when one uses layer upon layer of palette transfers, stamps, tissue and more.

Fortune:  The most direct approach isn't always the best.
The stencil I used for the pig-tailed pretty is one I created from a photo of my lovely niece Shaina.

Fortune: Impose not a burden on others which you cannot bear yourself.
There will always be a mandala or two in any journal I do - I can't seem to resist!

Fortune: Do not let great ambitions overshadow small success.
Red, yellow and orange just make me so happy.

Fortune: Share your happiness with others today.
 There are flowers everywhere - it must be coming up to summer, or maybe it's another obsession.

Fortune: Contemplate the flowers - more fun than weeding!
Textile fragments show up on this page - another gift from Alice.

Fortune: Some of the sweetest berries grow amidst the thorns.
Paper napkins, fabric fragments from Alison Bjorkman, and hole-punched prints all add to the colour here.
Fortune: Remember the birthday but never the age.
For some reason, husband John objected to this fortune.  :D

Fortune: The real questions is not whether machines think but whether men do.
 First version of this page,

Fortune: Are you listening?
followed by the opened cards.

An inside peek at the above page.
This page is much darker than I would usually do, and the cityscape was really fun - it's many years since I've lived in one.
Fortune: Sleep, rest, recover; then dream again.
And here are more flowers...definitely part of my good fortune!

Fortune: Flowers don't work for a living - they merely dance.
Again!
Fortune: Live like a wildflower, growing with the wind.
Here's another departure from my normally bright palette...inspired by Mucha, no doubt!

Fortune: No matter your game, play like it matters.
I'm not so much hankering for a tropical vacation right now, but this page will spell delight come mid-winter!

Fortune: A tropical vacation is coming your way.
My usual style, according to the fortune!

Fortune: Running around in circles?
 I suspect this was a reminder I needed!

Fortune: Step outside - there are whole universes to explore.
Here we've reached the end.  This back cover was meant to be covered in bills that I've saved from various vacations to different countries.  Of course, I couldn't find them when they were needed. They will no doubt turn up sometime in the near future, grinning cheekily while they give me the finger!
Back cover 'Good Fortune' 2017
Perhaps you'd share your favourite fortune cookie fortunes with me in the comments below - there are at least four more journals in progress in the studio, and I could always do another of these!

In the meantime, maybe you'd like to play hide and seek with some of the ephemera in this journal. Can you spot the two tags included, silver dollar (watch out - it's a trick!), book page, a pen, thread, stamp, lichen, library pocket, CD, dryer sheets, credit card fragment, string, wallpaper, massage ad, lost earring and globe?

32 comments:

  1. I adore your "Good Fortune Journal" especially the cover, the content is amazing so many unique and lovely pages. I have no idea which of your fortunes are legit they are all terrific but I'm guessing the one about contemplating flowers and weeding didn't come with a side of fried rice.
    Did you ever receive my ATC's? It's been about three weeks they should have arrived by now.

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    1. Thanks, Deann - it was good fun, and you're right about the weeding being unaccompanied by fried rice. :D

      Your ATC's have not yet arrived; Canada Post takes forever + two weeks, so it will no doubt be a while yet, although I keep watching the mail box! I'll let you know as soon as they arrive! xo

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  2. This is absolutely wonderful Win. I must come back and have a closer look at these, see if I can find the hidden stuff but it's getting late here now and I have to be up for Gym in the morning. I have to say though, I love all the different circles, they are one of my favourite images to use. Have a great crafty weekend my friend. Angela xXx

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    1. Thanks Angela - I'm impressed that you're heading to the gym as I'm heading out for dinner, no doubt! Love circles...and looking for the news that will complete yours! :D

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  3. Very inspiring Win...wonderful artworks!


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    1. Thanks, Roz - good to see you visit here again!

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  4. Beautiful Win!!! This must have been a joy to create!

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    1. It was one of those long-term projects, Rose (I keep several journals on the go at a time so when the Muse hits, I can hit back!)...it was great fun.

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  5. Beautiful spreads, Win! So many lovely bits and pieces to treasure.

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    1. Thanks, Tracy...this particular journal was a long time in process, but a real education! :D

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  6. My word whatr a lot of work - pages and pages ! Super job Win!

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    1. Thanks, Val - there were what seemed a ton of pages; I had my doubts about the finish line on this one. ;-)

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  7. Lots of gorgeous imagery in this post. The format of the journal is truly fun. So many exquisite spreads but I love the fortune and your hand written sentiment on "A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts" What's inside the envelope on the olive branches spread? ??

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    1. Thanks, Alice - I really like that spread too. There is a tiny card inside the envelope, created from a monoprint. It has,as yet, no sentiment on it, but perhaps it should encourage the reader to create their own fortune!!

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  8. That was truly fabulous, Winn. I especially identify with the statement about 'a long time'in the making. So many worthwhile projects take time to form and then execute.

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    1. So true, Isabella! It can be a long while from start to finish on some of these projects, but invariably they are my favourites! Thanks for stopping by to comment!

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    2. I should share with you that I am, as of now, still trying to finish a 3-thread petite point of a Madonna and child that I started when my granddaughter was born 11 years ago. It only has 35 thread colours in it (that is a good number compared to a 2-thread petite point with 64 colours that I eventually finished). And by plodding along from time to time I am 2/3 finished.

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    3. That is a long time to work on a piece; one can imagine how tapestries got eventually completed in the middle ages as you work on something like that! Well done, Isabella!

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  9. O.M.G - what a lot of amazing pages ! Gorgeous work !!!
    Happy weekend to you!
    oxo Susi

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    1. Thanks, Susi - it was great fun! Happy weekend right back at you - hope you're getting feel-good sunny weather now! xo

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  10. You are so cool Win! Did I ever tell you that? What an awesome journal! Gloriously filled with such interesting pages- I love each one!! I am especially in love with those flowers you have been creating- yummy ness
    Hugs,Jackie xx

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    1. Oh so many thanks, Jackie, when you're the coolest of the cool! I admit to being obsessed with flowers. Given that's the only way I'll likely garden (thank goodness John does all that!), maybe it's a good thing?! Big hugs, my friend! xo

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  11. Such a beautiful treasure Win! I've enjoyed seeing this book come together. A true labor of love and work of art! I love that my Dogwood notecard found it's way in as well. Thank You!

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    1. That's the best fun about art journaling - using all those lovely bits of ephemera that comes our way! And what could be more beautiful than a Laura Leeder card?!!

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  12. Win, our "Good Fortune" is that you shared this beautiful journal with us! It's fantastic!!!
    I also love the circles! I love using circles in my journals, too!
    Love that cover, too! It says this journal is a treasure of good fortune 💮

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    1. Many thanks, Jan - I keep so many journals going at once it's always a reason to celebrate when I finish one. I feel very fortune-ate with this. :D

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  13. A wonderful collection of art, Win, and I like how they're tied together with the fortune cookies - very clever! Loving the cover with coins and I can just about imagine how heavy it is!

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    1. Many thanks, Zsuzsa - I loved playing with both the size and fortune theme. And to be able to use those foreign coins for the cover was a good bonus! :D

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  14. wow fabulous journal full of beautiful art, the cover is very clever. I hope you are doing well, it's busy busy here... xx

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    1. Thanks, Shirley - that was a fun project, even if it took me months! Hope you're having a great summer in spite of all the business. xo

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  15. Grandkids came (haven't seen for a year) and I got really far behind. I missed so many goodies from you Win. Thankful to be able to catch up and enjoy them all now. WOW - how I love your artwork. This is just an incredible fortune journal. Each page is so unique and truly stunning. The cityscape and the monoprint green leaves are my favorites. Took me about 6 times up and down to decide! Just DELIGHTFUL. Xj.

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    1. Lucky you to have visiting grandchildren - thanks for stopping by to say hello, Joi!

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