Travail de l'amour ...

 

A labour of love.  It has been really difficult to post here since my Gracie passed away.   My last post was dedicated to her and it feels like I am moving on by getting back to business and working hard, but I guess that's life - and while I have been busy, not a moment goes by without her presence being missed.

 

So, with sadness in my heart I forge on ...  to this assignment which asks us to design a greeting card working from our photographs only.   My card will be a celebration of love, life and marriage with a romantic French-inspired theme.  This heart sign photograph was taken in Chamonix, Mont Blanc in the French Alps ...  I love visiting mountains and snow, so far removed from our landscape.  This brings back a wonderful memory of a day spent in the most beautiful mountain village sheltered between the towering alps. 

The photos of the bird bath are from our property  - I wanted a fountain but my husband wasn't keen, so instead we have these bird baths dotted around the place ... I love them and the abundance of bird life that frequent them.

 

I spoke about my favourite rose 'Pierre de Ronsard' here last year while it was in flower.  It is a stunning climbing rose we have trailing up an arbour alongside the house.  Thankfully I took quite a few photos at the time.  They suit perfectly to the theming of my card.  This rose was created in France in 1987 ... the year of our wedding,  quite serendipitous!

Provence was a dream for us to visit on our  anniversary earlier this year and I was very taken with all the beautiful stonework and rustic architectural appeal ... I can't begin to tell you how many photos I have of doors and windows ... works of art in themselves.

 

and scrolly ornate lamp posts always make me think of French style ..  I took this photo of a row of lamp posts alongside the sea in the Camargue in the deep south of France.  It was a windswept day full of surprises - flamingoes, wild horses,  great company and amazing food ... as usual.

 

And for me ... a dream come true to visit Paris with my beloved.   A big thing for a farm girl from a tiny country town in Western Australia ...  travelling so far from home was a leap of faith but so worth it to celebrate our wedding anniversary in a city synonymous with love and style.  I was not disappointed and hope to return.  Of course the Eiffel Tower took my breath away - especially at night ...

 

After looking at thousands of images and reminiscing about our wonderful holiday,  I have gathered all the photos which I thought would suit the design of my card... what a mess!  This is a mammoth assignment - I know I say that often - but there are so many elements to it which I have never attempted before.  Chaos abounds for sure ... tried so many different compositions and thankfully settled on one ... on to the drawing and painting and many hours of labour ... will post the progress soon.

À bientôt ...