Hello sweet people,
Last weekend we went to my favourite woods here in the area. It's huge (for the Netherlands that is, we are only a tiny country). This time we went to an area of it which we hadn't visited before. And we were in for a beautiful surprise at the very end of the walk, a field of gorgeous wildflowers.
Here's a short film I made, come enjoy this walk with me:
Does anyone know which flowers those are? I googled it and couldn't find it, but would love to know.
Of course I brought back some little treasures from the woods like nuts and sticks. But I left this beauty below where I found it.
The woods inspired me for the art book - or journal or whatever you'd like to call it - I am making. The foundation of the book itself is finished, but I will add more and more later on. I'm going to use it as my nature journal, adding little paintings, journaling, embroidery snippets, found objects like leafs, and so on.
The pages all have something on it, so I will not have to start with a blank canvas. I added snippets of fabric and lace, found papers, I added some paint strokes here and there. The pages are of a variety of papers. Watercolour papers, book pages, fabric pages, wrapping papers, printer paper, scrapbook papers. And the cover is made out of cardboard.
Gosh, I really want to know which flowers these are. They're so gorgeous! A whole field of them, blooming somewhere in the middle of the woods.
On the back I added a snippet of fabric on which I did some embroidery. To my book I will also add inspiring quotes that I find. And photos I took myself of all things nature.
These gorgeous wildflowers gave me the inspiration for my next art book, for which I started with making the front cover painting:
Book of Bloom
Which, of course, will be about wildflowers, blossoms and other flowers, but also about blooming as a person.
I make these books with the help of a bookmaking workshop by Nellie Wortman. Unfortunately she retired this class, so it will no longer be available, but you can find other awesome classes by Nellie (and other art teachers) at Creative Workshops.
Now put on your hiking boots and have a stroll outdoors, my friend. I know we spend way too much time indoors and also behind our computers. I know I do.
Big hugs and happy day wishes,
xx Wen
Linking this to Nature Notes
Hahaha, i smiled at your video as it is not Walking but Running! But it is fun. If you folks from the temperate countries will have chances to come to the tropical climates, you will see the big difference in diversity of everything: from plants to animals to insects. And like my butterflies, i just choose which are just near. Thanks for visiting my site.
ReplyDeleteLol, we were actually walking haha, but that would make too long of a film :) I'm sure it will be totally different in the tropical climate, such gorgeous flowers and leaf shapes there of what I see on photos! And the birds and butterflies too. Thank you Andrea!
DeleteThe flower is Impatiens Glandulifera. I (and of course my children when they were younger) love to squeeze/pop the green seed pods :) Greetings from Slovenia, Nadja
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Nadja! Yes it really does look that one, I'm happy I know now, thank you! xx
DeleteHello, I enjoyed the walk with you. I love a walk in the woods with nature. The flowers are lovely. Your nature journal is so pretty, beautifully done. Lovely series of photos. BTW, thanks for visiting my blog. Have a happy day and week ahead!
ReplyDeleteThank you Eileen :) Wishing you a happy day and week too! xx
Deletegreat video! the flowers look like orchids, perhaps in that family. Lovely book!
ReplyDeleteThank you Susan :) xx
DeleteLovely flowers! I agree, Impatiens Glandulifera.
ReplyDeleteThank you Carole, yes I think you're right! xx
DeleteSo beautiful again, dear Wen- I can see one of your followers know the beautiful flowers name- quit amazing to have a field of flowers in the middle of the wood . Your new book front looks so beautiful, with all the tiny flowers, an lovely green leaves, you painted , and I love the back of the other one , and all the lovely pages you covered with things and fantastic papers ,so you have the start already. I wish you many happy hours filling it with more beauty, my dear friend.
ReplyDeleteHugs and kisses from Dorthe
Thank you so much sweetie :) I'm busy with that book of bloom now and it will be a lot more colourful than the woods one :) Actually the back of the woods one as well as the backdrop I used in some of the photos is done after a tutorial Sandy shared. I will have to remember to give her credit for that, in another post may be. Big hugs xx
DeleteWonderful post, Wen. I really enjoyed the walk in the woods.
ReplyDeleteI do believe they are as Carole said, Impatiens Glandulifera...so pretty.
Your journal looks fantastic and, no doubt, will be so much fun to fill up with beautiful ideas and lovely things.
Thank you so much Dixie! Yes I can't wait to fill the journal with nature finds and such :) xx
DeleteIsn't the internet fascinating, if you can't find it surely someone else has seen them, I had never heard of them but they are just lovely, I so enjoyed going on your walk in the woods with you, that beetle was so interesting watching him climb over everything, and such pretty flowers and interesting plants you found!! I love what you have done with your inspiration to make your lovely books, that wildflower cover is my favorite, it is so gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteYes it totally is fascinating how the internet helps us connect and help each other! Thank you so much for your sweet words Connie :) Big hugs xx
DeleteHeeeeerlijk he, deze tijd van het jaar!
ReplyDeleteEn super mooi, je creatie/boekje.
Ja lekker hè, we boffen maar wat met dit heerlijke weer! Dank je wel meis :) xx
DeleteHello Wen...I enjoyed the video and loved the fast walking feet. I read this post earlier and can't get your creativity out of my mind. I started thinking back to when I was a child and my Mother loved to paint and to knit and she always had some project going for my sister and I and often it involved things we found in the woods. Mom is gone now and this is a happy memory that your post inspired...Michelle
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle :) How nice that it brought back sweet memories, that's so wonderful to hear! And how wonderful it must have been to see your mom paint and knit. When I was a child my mom used to knit and sew a lot and I loved seeing her do that. It's so inspiring and heart warming. Thank you for your sweet comment Michelle, wishing you a beautiful day, xx
DeleteThank you for the walk! Loved the black beetle (and the flowers of course!). Even more I love the wonderful journal you've created. Reminds me of my one and only effort in that regard and how much I enjoyed the process and made me ponder the creation of another one.
ReplyDeleteThank you :) Yes do make another one, I'd love to see yours! xx
DeleteWat een heerlijke post, prachtige foto's om naar te kijken en wat een gaaaaf boekje!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Willy, wat leuk om je weer te zien!! Hoop dat alles goed met je gaat, ik kom gauw weer bij je op bezoek! En dank je wel voor je lieve berichtje :) xx
DeleteBeautiful hike ...and it inspired you to create some beautiful art...I love your books. You are so right about how we all need to spend more time outdoors.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Sallie :) xx
DeleteThis video is SO fabulous - the music was the perfect choice - how appropriate it is called Feeling Sunny. I needed this pick-me-up this morning - thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Angie :) I'm happy to hear you liked it so much and helped you this morning! Sending you sunny smiles, xx
DeleteOmgosh this is simply stunning! I so love the organicness of this journal- Bravo!
ReplyDeleteJackuie xx