Flower people dancing to a mambo beat -- another journal spread

Another month, another journal spread in my first Round Robin experience. The theme for this month's journal is "I love this quote because…"

At first I was flummoxed. I do write down quotes I like, but they're usually not inspirational or uplifting. More ironic and existential -- and not so easy to turn into a colorful collage. 


The other spreads in the journal are uniformly positive. I didn't want to "harsh the mellow," as my husband would say. So I chose a favorite song lyric:
Green grass grows around the backyard shithouse,
That is where the sweetest flowers bloom. 
We are the flowers growing in God's garden,
That is why He spreads the shit around. 
-- David Byrne, "Cowboy Mambo 
The theology may be simplistic, but the tropical beat is definitely advanced. (Listen here.) I translated it into this strange -- but not too surreal -- collage.

Tropical flower people in terra cotta pots! The faces come from my 1970's era Simplicity catalog; the fancy foliage and blooms are illustrations from an old indoor plant guide. 

Originally, I planned to make the background out of used coffee filters. I figured the gritty brown stains would look a lot like dirt (yes, dirt -- not that other stuff). But then I remembered the handmade paper I made in a workshop a few years ago out of dried mulberry leaves. The paper is rough and burlap-brown, with wispy edges. I stamped a sheet with green and brown leaves.
I outlined the flower-lady heads in gold, but I'm afraid they still get lost in the busy background. I only used the last two lines from the song -- no need to invite an outhouse into the journal. Still, I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Comments

  1. oh i love your pages claudia! the handmade paper you used is perfect and i like the quote! hubby's "harsh the mellow"-stealing that! tropical flower peolpe=amazing. thanks for sharing :) jenny

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    1. Thanks, Jenny. I've been waiting a long time to use that paper. I'm just glad I remembered I had it (and could find it in my stash).

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  2. Love the faces in the flowers growing out of the flowerpots.

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  3. Claudia, Claudia, Claudia! What we gonna do witch ya? I exploded when I read your quote. So many are so sentimental...but this one...too funny! Spread is great too

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    1. I love quotes that are true, funny and a little racy!

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  4. A fabulous spread, Claudia, and thanks for educating me about this song - love the quote!

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    1. Thanks, Win. I recommend the entire album. When I listen to it in the car, I can't help trying to dance. Other drivers must think I'm strange.

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  5. Love those girls' heads with the fancy headresses - there's no way you can go wrong with a 1970's era Simplicity catalog!

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  6. Oh how you make me laugh Claudia!!
    I love your spread and God's spread as well!! heehee

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