Citron + Turquoise (Summer of Color)

I've joined a new challenge group that provides weekly color combos during the summer.  Each week we get to vote on a new combo, and the majority wins.  This first week, citron green & turquoise was the winning combo.  I'm stoked, because that's the combination that I voted for (though all the options were tempting).

Supplies: background paper & grid paper from October Afternoon; vintage-style illustrations from Graphic 45; all other paper from Pink Paislee; alphabet stickers from Creative Imaginations; watercolor paint from Angora; ink from Clearsnap; colored pencil from Pedigree; faceted cabochons from Olla Podrida; wire from Artistic Wire; seed beads from my stash; photo collage printed by walgreens.com.

My layout is called "AbcdEfg," and my journaling explains the reason for that unusual title: "A is for algae * B is for buds * C is for cattails * D is for dirt * E is for evergreen * F is for flower * G is for "gobble-gobble" (says the turkey)  ~ early spring photography scavenger hunt, alphabet theme, @ nature center ~"  This scavenger hunt was a program that I signed up for, and even with the help of trained naturalists, it proved to be challenging!  I didn't realize that it would be so hard to take photos for each letter of the alphabet.  I ended up with some unusual shots, but all in all they capture the very early stages of spring in Minnesota--when much of the landscape is still brown, but bits of green are beginning to show themselves.

I want to use the Summer of Color challenges to experiment with new ideas.  This week, I explored the idea of using watercolor paint on patterned paper.  I also did some work with inks and colored pencil.  Not all of my "experiments" made it onto the finished layout, but the successful ones did.  I also have a handful of painted scraps left over, and I think these will be useful for my art journal.

I'll close by showing you larger images from my alphabetical photo shoot.  Maybe next time I'm in the park, I'll try for photos H through N.  :)

A is for algae--a strange photo subject, 
but it was all I could find for the letter A.

B is for buds--some of the first buds of spring!

  C is for cattails--all dried out from a long winter.

D is for dirt--made more interesting by a fallen leaf.

E is for evergreen--strangely leaning.

F is for flower--the first one I saw this spring!

G is for "gobble-gobble"--and good bye for now!