Today: Get Messy Thursdays | Words, Week 4

I got completely swept up in this week’s prompts and the chance to focus on favorite childhood stories.  We grew up in a house full of books, with parents who loved to read to us, so there was a lot to draw from.

I zeroed in on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden partly because I had seven thousand flowers cut out and ready to be used, but mostly because it is such a good story.  And while it certainly appealed to my imagination as a child, it really imparts quite grown up lessons on treating others well.  Maybe I’ll re-read it.  After I do, like, the important and necessary things.

Get Messy Thursdays | Season of Words, Week 4

This is where the magic mess happens.

I’ve always loved the look of fold-out pages in other people’s sketchbooks.  It seemed fitting to have something hidden away when drawing inspiration from The Secret Garden.  Unfortunately, I am not a genius when it comes to spatial relations and math and planning and measuring.  I taped together three pages of cold pressed watercolor, which I folded accordion style, and then labeled and re-labeled and re-re-labeled them until I got the proper layout.

And it still wasn’t quite right.  But there’s little time for perfection when working against the ever unpredictable “When will nap time be over?” clock.  So I just made do.

Materials used: Exacto knife, stamp, StazOn ink (grey), Sakura Koi brush pen (pale pink), Faber Castell PITT pen (black, 1.5)

This is how the pages will look — all tucked in and unassuming– once we finish this season of the Get Messy Art Journal program and I bind my altered book.  

The keyhole cut-out gives you a little peek at the inner spread, which is aptly… floral.  I used as many of my favorite passages from the story as I could throughout the pages.  I have no idea why I used that doily stamp.  So there’s that.

Materials used: [In addition to those listed below the keyhole page] Pages from Combray, Strathmore Artists Tiles (black, trimmed in half), Sakura Gelly Roll pen (white), glue stick.

These are the outer pages (obvi… I think).  I forgot a quotation mark on the right hand page.  Please forgive me.  Or just pretend it’s there.  

One day I will stop being obsessed with white hand-lettering on a black surface.  Today is not that day.  Also, I want my own secret garden.  Like, immediately.  

Materials used: Windsor and Newton professional watercolor tubes (ivory black, cerulean blue and Windsor violet), magazine cut outs, glue stick, Sakura Gelly Roll pen (white).

And whaaa-bam!  Here is the inner spread.  I wanted it to look lush and sort of mysterious.  The only mystery I am detecting at the moment (get it… mysteries… detectives…) is, Why did I include an owl atop that floral arrangement?  Like, wouldn’t that be the scariest thing ever to come home to?  Well, maybe not ever… but it would be weird. 

The passage scattered throughout the pages is just beautiful and perfect.  It’s about the fleeting moments when we feel like we will live forever.  Doesn’t that make you want to re-read all your favorite childhood books?

Who wants to have a Secret Garden book club with me?

Also On Tap for Today:

• Making my first batch of switchel (now that sounds mysterious)
• These Halloween costumes based on kids books are amazing via The House That Lars Built
• Prenatal yoga in the living room, with a toddler, Frenchie and stuffed animal audience

What childhood classic are you dying to re-read?