Vintage Card Cafe Challenge

Totally by accident I discovered this beautiful site and was instantly captivated by the latest challenge, which is called "Family Values". The site is a Russian one, and such incredible work is produced here! There is a translate button, which helps a lot for all of us "foreigners", and I think I understand the general drift of this challenge!

Here is the challenge:

As luck would have it, I needed to make an introductory layout for a family heritage album, and I knew which photograph I wanted to use. So I set to work! I also knew that the layout I needed to make had to be fairly flat, with no bulky embellishments, as the album was already full. So I decided to go with an old fashioned vintage layout, mostly with layered and torn papers, and flat embellishment, without any mixed media, flowers, or fabric. (all of which I love to use, but couldn't!) It was a bit of a challenge to use restraint!

The challenge requires the use of a photograph with more than one person in it, and done in a vintage, retro style. Well, the photo I used has 30 people in it!! This is what I came up with:

The layout is entitled "Today - delivered - 1950". And the photograph shows the entire family of my Mother at the family picnic reunion in July, 1950. My Mother took the photograph, and because she was not in the photo for obvious reasons, I felt I needed to include her. So I cut out a small photo of her and layered it over a chipboard element and paper elements, and placed her on the far left, next to the larger family group. So now, everyone is present! There were 9 siblings in the family, and they are all present along with their spouses. The family Matriarch, my Grandmother, is standing on the far left. All of the children and babies are in the front. There are 12 children in the photo. All of the adults have now passed on, and 3 of the children have also joined them.

I like to use old elements that belonged to the person/place/timeframe I am scrapping. In this case I used an old lock surround that belonged to my Mom and Dad. I built up a lot of paper layers, along with drywall tape, to frame my photograph. I also inked and applied crackle glaze to the chipboard elements, which are the "Today" title, and the clock surround underneath my Mom's photo.

Thank you for looking at my old fashioned vintage layout. The photograph is a very special one to me, it holds so many memories of people who were dear to me and with whom I shared my earliest years of life!