What Is Love?

Don't worry, I don't really want an answer to that question. Every answer would be different anyway. But I want to show you the start of my answer to it.


Yesterday afternoon, I was torn. Should I make beads or work on my Token Journal? My free time that isn't free, it is actually "work time" has been very limited lately. Things keep getting in the way of me getting in my groove. Between long weekends, doctor appointments, and play dates... my time hasn't been my own. Usually, I am fine with it... I go with the flow and work when I can, but I really really want to be working right now! I have lots of ideas and I wanna make them happen before they slip outta my head.

As you can see from the photos, my journal and painting won out over torching.


The process of making these pages just felt so right. I sat in my studio, in the quiet, and let the paint flow. I still have colors crusted in my finger nails, and I freaking love that. I cut the covers off of some old circa 1907-1919 hardcover books (a technique shown in Taking Flight) to use as the pages in my journal. I mixed and layered paint for simple backdrops to write on.


On each page I added words from one of the books that I de-covered. The book is called "The Garden Without Walls" and the copyright is 1913. (I love how old it is!) I could open to any random page and some where on that page the word "love" would appear. I took that as a sign of the direction I should take my journal. Check out an article I found in the NY Times' archives reviewing the book.


Don't you just love the language in old books? My pages say; "What Is Love?", "turn your mind to the really important things in life", "A wonderful kindliness nowadays", "power of dreaming now broke loose.", "Love in the world.", "My secret was too big and beautiful to keep to myself.", "I shall always love you.", and "Star-Dust Days".


I have already started to find TOKENS in my days and I am going to keep my tokens of LOVE here in this journal. And I am guessing I will need more journals for other tokens. *sigh* I can't say that I'll mind having to work on that. lol.

Today though, the paints are put away and the glass rods are out. I am hoping to get in some quality torch time. If it is really good and we can manage a couple of good ones next week too, then I'll be having a Bead Box Update next Friday!! YOO HOOOOO!! I'll keep ya posted.