My AJC10 journey

Looking back I think this would be a true map of my journey last year.  Background - Steamer Trunk set, Studio Tangie Baxter @Scrapbookgraphics, font - Frogfootman, Studio Tangie Baxter (as before)

A Summary of SR Week 2's experiences

The top quote is one that I came across this week via the Kind over Matter website; the bottom one came to me yesterday morning after finishing my timeline. The paper and tag are from K & Company, Sera sera.

Week 21 catch-up - New Heights

When I saw the week's parcel colours of red, black and white, I looked out for embellishments that would go with that colourway, and loved this 3-D decoupage set. This week back in May was an important one as it was then that whilst waiting for the counselling to restart that I heard by chance Julie Chimes’s interview on Radio 2 with Jeremy Vine.

I was returning from Malvern (from a quilting show) and ordinarily I would not have been listening to the radio at that time in the day, but I used to live in Malvern during a bad, abusive time in my life and I try to return there for other reasons to detach the emotions from the location as the area is too beautiful in itself to avoid and give into the past. Each visit isn’t without some anxiety though, although the amount does decrease with good experiences.

Julie Chimes is a survivor of a fearsome knife attack which left her near-death. She recovered (no mean feat in itself) but more importantly she forgave her attacker and now spends her time promoting forgiveness and compassion, using her experiences to illustrate recovery and well-being. There is a saying that when the pupil is ready, a teacher will come. I wasn’t quite there at the time but was ready to listen to Julie’s words and remember, for a time to come.

The interview was a definite turning-point on my journey and this page reflects and celebrates this new path found. Julie wrote a book on her experiences, which I would recommend to read, particularly for its life-affirming qualities and the letters she composed in her mind as she recovered - "A Stranger in Paradise".

Credits:

Striped paper, cream paper, Girl on books, "new heights" tag, flowers and frame - Crafthouse Press, Santoro's Gorjuss 3-D Die-cut Decoupage

Pale green paper scrap - from my stash

Black pen - Sakura

Prologue to Part 2 of Letting Go

I liked having a prologue to the start of my journey and so I've continued that theme with the start of the next scrapbook album. The "freedom" thought came to me a few weeks ago, so over the last few months, because of the chance hearing of a radio programme I had. I was returning from Malvern Quilt Show and caught by chance, a radio interview by Jeremy Vine of a lady called Julie Chimes who survived a near-fatal stabbing and forgave the lady who stabbed her over 30 times. The story of the attack was harrowing but the way that she followed trauma by forgiveness, hit a note in me, and as it was something I needed to help my journey to let go of my past, is there really any "by chance" about it ;)

I'm a firm believer that I'm always in the right place at the right time, and that I deserve to be there - in order to learn a lesson, have a particular experience, met a particular person and/or to learn something about my self or my experiences. In Japanese I understand that they have the same word for problem as for opportunity - an opportunity to learn that maybe something is not for you. For a while I had no voice and I am still learning who am I after a considerable amount of time of being told who or what I was, but Julie's story shone a light on part of my own journey and has suggested a path, of forgiveness, for me to take as I was wondering my way towards it in the dark :)

So the first page of the prologue is effectively a statement to explore and come to believe that it's OK to let go, and to remind me that the journey is an adventure, to be seized as best as possible. The compass is to remind me that whilst I might not know where the journey will take me, I am never really lost.

Credits:
Background paper - from a 8" x 8" sheet, Making Memories, Ledger Paper Pad for the Slice Design Cutter
"Explore" prompt card - Tangie Baxter @ Scrapbookgraphics, Vintage Flashcards: Journey Set
Signpost and compass embellishments - Making Memories
Adventure sticker - Making Memories, Passport Scrapbooking Pack
"Believe" rub-on - Making Memories
"Life is not a Dress Rehearsal" strip - supplier unknown, from my stash


As those following the Art Journal Caravan know, I've been on catch-up, as Easter holidays meant that I could not keep up with the art creating, as I could not have all my art supplies all over the floor. I'm working on week 14, whilst the Caravan project is nearly at week 26 (halfway), but I'm following along. So echoing again being in the right place at the right time, the quote that appears on the back of my first page appeared this week on my Facebook news feed from one of the groups that I follow and it just followed the theme that "I am Allowed to Be" following on from Letting Go, Freedom and the feeling I got from graduating this week - see
http://ajewelshiningthrough.blogspot.com/2010/06/plaudits-and-pizza.html No such thing as chance ;)

Credits:
Background paper - Collaboration between Berna Datema and Welli Design @ Scrapbookgraphics, Bohemian Journey papers
The fonts are from Photoshop with the quote from the Facebook group Positive Focus

AJC10 Week 3 - Mend

As I said, mend is the verb of this week and the quote at the bottom of this page is the week's quotable inspiration. The Jewel here is the American singer/songwriter, not me ! Mending is an ongoing process for me, but this is to remind me that Life can't rewound.

Credits:

Background paper - Studio Manu, Seems like Yesterday Papers
Other papers: Studio Manu, Timeless Journey Papers; Tangie Baxter, Darkroom Decrow papers
Diamonds and Peeble Border Doodles Elements - Tangie Baxter, Darkroom Elements
Ball swirls - Studio Manu, Treasures of Yesterday Elements
"Mend", Facts Card (altered) and Tape Measure Elements - Tangie Baxter, Art Journal Caravan Week 3 Parcel
Arrow stamp and Remember Stamp - 7gypsies