Title Page

I finished the title page of my exploring Israel journal late yesterday afternoon but my computer decided it needed a long rest. After three crashes in probably an hour I decided to give up and wait until tonight. It was still acting up so after I backed up all my files my husband took charge and proceeded to show it who was boss. LOL After some adjustments and deletions my computer seems back to it's former self. At least we can hope so.

My first attempt was unacceptable to me so I went back to the drawing board and finally arrived at this:

I decided to use a large 3-ring notebook to place my journal pages in instead of a sketchbook. That way I can add my various entries in any order I wish. The hardest part is where to start. Should I accumulate facts and pictures on cities (Jerusalem being first of course), scenery, wildlife, etc? This will definitely take a long time to do. Meanwhile ideas for new creations are already bubbling to the surface.

I'll be back soon. Lehitraot!

Not Happy With The Results

I decided to work on the first page of my journal. You know... the one I planned to start to gather information about Israel and get to know the country better so I won't be completely at a loss when the door opens to actually walk the land. Well, I'm not happy with my first effort so it's back to the drawing board, so to speak. I'll try to get it on my blog before Erev Shabbat but I can't make it a guarantee.

Meanwhile I've found a website that gives free lessons on speaking Hebrew that you might be interested in.  http://www.free-hebrew.com/  I'm proceeding at a snail's pace when it comes to learning the language and this looks like it may give me the boost I need.

Lots to do tomorrow to get ready for Shabbat. I can almost smell the challah now!

Lehitraot Dear Ones. Have a restful Shabbat!

Chewing On My Journal

I wrote on my post of three weeks ago that I was starting a journal on the land of Israel. Since I must wait to actually go there I decided to educate myself on everything available about it. Keeping a journal would fit the bill but where to start?

Originally I was planning to accumulate my material in a pre-bound sketchbook but, with so much subject matter available, I decided to use a large three ringed notebook. I will be able to use different materials like watercolor paper, scrapbook paper, cardstock, etc. that appeals to me as a base for each page. By working on individual pages I won't be confined to keeping my pages in order and can skip around to different subjects as I discover them.

I have different ideas for covering my journal still cooking in my brain. However, I've decided to start with a title page first.

The internet is such a valuable tool for this kind of project. Just enter a subject in the search engine and there you will find much more than you thought possible on any subject matter.

A word of caution for you however. You will find free images of Israel on some websites but I found often that after you sign up for the freebies they either want payment (false advertising) or a watermark is left on the photo and you may not be able to use the full image. Be careful to give credit to those who ask for it and also watch out for copyright infringement.

I will be posting a list of subjects as I discover them on a sidebar on this blog and decide which to pursue. To start my list will include places of interest in the land (first and foremost), things about nature like plant and animal life, music, the arts, etc. By the time I fill my journal it will feel like I've already been to the land and settled in. :)

I should have my title page ready to share in my next post. Stay tuned.......

Not A Finished Project But The Start Of One

After mulling an idea around in my brain for a few days, a conversation with an artist friend of mine prompted me to pursue it and shared it with my readers. My friend stated that she had signed up to go on an artists workshop to Ireland.

My husband's and my dream is to go to Israel. If you're reading this blog this comes as no surprise. I'd love to go to Ireland with my friend and paint but Israel is my obvious first choice. However, Yahweh has not opened the necessary doors to us yet so we continue to learn His ways and unlearn ours.

Now on to my idea. While we're waiting for that day to come, I want to learn everything I can about the land, the history, the people, etc. So I thought why not start a journal just for that purpose.

I could explore various themes with my journal before I get there. And with the internet one can acquire volumes of information just by engaging the search engines. The whole idea came about because of an invitaton from Pinterest to set up a travel category so one can plan a trip. What a great idea I thought! If you haven't set up a Pinterest account you are missing out on a great deal of information about many subject matters.

The hardest part of my project will be to organize my material. So...back to my computer. I will log my links and material and decide what to highlight to enter into my journal. And, of course, I want to make some artwork based on my research. Maybe I'll keep a separate journal just for that artwork.
 I promise I'll share my journal here with each page I complete.

Blessings to you dear ones.

In Anticipation Of A Future Journey

I, like many of my viewers, dream of a trip to Israel. The option isn't available to me at the present time but I thought I'd have fun with a little fantasy. I found an small and unfinished wooden suitcase at the local craft store. It measures about 3 by 5 inches with a depth of 1 3/4 inches.

I lightly sanded it and painted it with an acrylic base coat. Then the fun began. I made a copy of a map of Israel, shrunk it in size and printed it up on my copier. Next I typed up words in English and Hebrew on my office program and printed them up. I cut the border off of the map and cut the words out. Everything was glued onto the suitcase and sealed. I felt that it still needed something so I floated a darker color acrylic paint on the edges of the suitcase.

I may not be able to travel to Israel for now but this continues to wet my whistle for the Holy Land. And I plan to be packing a much larger suitcase when the opportunity arises. :)