Kasia's Advent Calendar Journal : Days 4-5

In my last post I shared Days 1-3 of my 2019 December Daily. I was going to wait and post about the next 4 days, but I've done 4 pages in this spread in response to only 2 prompts!
Day 4 = A Walk. The creator of this project is in the Northern Hemisphere and there is a lot of talk in the group about snow and darkness and wanting to stay inside. Here in New Zealand we are into Summer and I am spending a lot of time outside. Over the weekend I dead-headed my roses and I gathered things which we will apparently need for the next Day's prompt 

First I created a page celebrating the blooming abundance of my rose garden

Loving the texture - modeling paste tinted green, green sari ribbon with metallic thread for the decorative stitch by machine, and that lovely wooden tui. I figured as long as I don't use too many of these dimensional embellishments my book will close well enough and I do love to include a native bird in my garden. They have been singing to me lately. 

Day 5 = Sticks and Twigs.  I decided I'd create a page with my findings above as mark making for a background for my rose petals which I dried using my Microfleur flower press. Google to see how this works in the microwave. I bought mine in New Zealand about 10 years ago now! Unfortunately they are much more pricey now. Works a treat. The petals feel like paper now.

I printed with my gelli plate and a rose leaf - ended up with 2 prints and then couldn't decide which I liked better....

I ended up using them both with a flip-out and more room to display my petals! I just love not knowing where these prompts will take me. This first page evolved simply and hand stitching was what was needed to finish. I find it hard to leave white space so really happy with this soft look

Green metallic thread to edge the flip-out - pink sparkling H2O watercolour was the perfect background (can't see the twinkle in the photo but it's there) Again a NZ native bird - this time a fantail stamp

I used black thread in the bobbin for a stronger finish to this other side. Love large print books for the perfect found words, and so cool to have some of my actual rose petals in my journal

Not glued into my book, but here's how they look together

Can't wait to share more. Find all my posts about this project HERE.