I made these pages quickly this morning from the scraps of stuff sitting on my studio table. I was playing with the positive/negative of the punches when I journaled some thoughts from an exhibit where the artist described having the ruthlessness to leave things out. I often find that what is missing is more powerful than what is there.
Confessions of a pack-rat: I still have dusty artwork from submissions to Somerset Studio TEN years ago. I remember being psyched to be invited to participate in With One Stamp. I think that was one of the last times I ever used purple....but for Mardi Gras you have to, right?
gosh I have that Somerset Studio issue :) I will have to dig it out :)
love the RT page, it might have come together quickly but it works....I wish I was braver with white space
Posted by: Sarah | Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 04:48 PM
I love those pages, Michelle!!! Thank you for the inspiration!!
Posted by: steph | Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 04:55 PM
Awesome, great to see the classic artwork! You should totally work in purple more. It's a fantastic color. Seriously.
P.S. I thought of you while watching the pairs' short program figure skating on Sunday night. The German skaters were Pierrot and Pierrette (sp?)!
Posted by: Carrie | Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 11:06 PM
Your layout is gorgeous! I love how the heart is on one side and where it belongs on the other. Very poetic.
Posted by: Michelle Brown | Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 05:19 AM
Oh such beautiful pages! Thank you for the inspiration.
Posted by: Jane | Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 07:43 AM
GORGEOUS work, then and now. The looks are vastly different, but so unmistakably you. Just love the new journal pages...from scraps no less! oxox
Posted by: Linda Warlyn | Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 12:11 PM
Love that you showed us a blast from your past!
The scrap spread is SO cool. The richness of the colors is what appeals most to me.
Posted by: Regina | Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 01:09 PM
Okay, I have to say it:
**swoon**
You have the most awesome scraps around!
I have to do more dry-brushing. It's just too gargantuan.
xo
p.s. which is a compliment...
Posted by: Chris | Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 03:58 PM
It is so great to go back to "the vaults." Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Seth | Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 08:54 PM
You made these pages "quickly"...??!!
Love the trip back to Old Somerset. We need to see more of your archival stuff, still great!
Posted by: LIsa Hoffman | Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 07:50 PM
love the blast from the past :) and i may have to steal the term "pack-rat archives"--i love it!
Posted by: Maria | Friday, February 19, 2010 at 08:47 PM
oh--and i LOVE the idea of making an art journal out of brown craft paper (ie paper bags!)i had a bunch of them laying around--if they are still there they will find themselves bound together in a new book!! :) thanks for the inspiration!!
Posted by: Maria | Friday, February 19, 2010 at 08:50 PM
Hello Michelle,
I always have a WOW effect when I see your rubytuesday pages...
You say quick pages.... I still have to learn how to do things like this quick... I know it's a attitude of letting go, but I think I'm still a controlefreak... But I'm learning, I'm learning...
I love to see this publication : this was years before I discovered the stampingtonpublications. When I got in at 2005, I ordered some publications of the past, but I don't have this one. The masquerade stamp is my favorite.
greetings from Belgium
Inge
Posted by: inge | Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 02:47 PM
Fun stuff....isn't it fun to see how you've evolved over time??
just had to share a creation with one of your new stamps!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamamakitty/4377374398/
Posted by: Jeanne | Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 07:07 PM
OMGosh! I made that brag book you encouraged me to do and this spread is the FIRST page. I was just showing us off to a friend at work. I remember how geeked you were about this. AND that I could never have gotten published if you hadn't stamped that mask for me in a gazillion ways I thought might be useful. Thanks for the help and encouragement. I know we don't talk like we used to but you and Suzanne are never far from my thoughts when I sit down to work.
Posted by: Sherry | Wednesday, March 03, 2010 at 01:40 PM
Michelle, first I must say I am thrilled to hear you are feeling well. Everywhere i turn I hear stories of horrible hospital stays- scrapbooker Heidi Swapp just blogged about her young daughter's surgery to drain and abcess (discharged today), my mom's best friend/cousin is in the hospital on high doses of oxygen for an unknown ailement, I just spend Thursday at the hospital to support a relative of a very special family in my life. Their niece's daugther, 8 year old Ava, had the upper lobe of her left lung removed becuase of an odd tumor that caused that lobe to be nonfunctioning. She also was dicharged today but her mom had a rough week, thus my visit (I am a nurse practitior). Now I pop in to see you and you are ill as well. So, good wishes for your health.
Now my point I wanted to say that the issue you highlighted was the first Somerset Studio I had ever seen. I immediately purchased it and savored every page, trying to figure out how each piece was made. I am self-trained and always love the work in Somerset even if my artwork doesn't reach that level. After reading several months of the magazine I began to recognize your name appearing over and over and then I found you made stamps- I love your tea series, probably one of my most favorite stamp purchases. So thank you for sharing your art with the world.
Posted by: Danee kaplan | Saturday, March 06, 2010 at 11:36 PM