Scrap Around The World September 2015 Challenge

I have decided to join in this month at the new challenge at Scrap Around the World. The moodboard is absolutely delicious!!! I just love the elegance and beauty of it, so inspirational, very poetic!!

Here is this month's board:

You will find the link to this month's challenge HERE.

I decided to create a layout based upon my Mother's letters and writing equipment. As you will see, I was inspired by the middle lower photo of the pen nib with the writing. I also took inspiration from the books, book pages, and wooden elements, and the pink rose.

Here is my layout:

I have so many letters from my Mother! They are all in a box, waiting!! Throughout the years, Mom and I corresponded with pen and paper frequently, a thing of the past, I'm afraid. When my Mother passed away, her writing equipment found a new home with me. How I treasure it!! She liked to collect old desk sets, pens, inkwells, etc. And she used them! She had a most distinctive handwriting, as you can see by the bits of the letters I put on the layout. The photo shows some of her writing equipment, now on my desk. On the layout I have embellished with one of her pens (left hand side, by photo), and also used some fabric lace that was once a dress of hers. The keyhole surrounds also were part of her "collections."

I began by using molding pastes and various inks, and stamping, to work on the background paper. Layered under and around the photo are tags and old book pages, drywall tape, and various cut out roses. I thought that I would be able to use a lot of pieces of her letters, but ended up finding one piece that fit right in the space I had in mind, which was not an easy task! The sealing wax blob is a gift from my friend Patty (thank you!)

Many thanks to all who may look at my page, or leave a comment. I hope you enjoy it!

Scrap Around The World July Challenge

I am joining in this month at Scrap Around The World, July challenge. The gorgeous moodboard, composed by Pamela Ellis, provided me with a much needed inspirational kick!! It is a rich and colorful board, filled with glorious summery feelings!

Here is this month's moodboard, and here is the link to the current challenge:

There were so many ways to be inspired by this board, I wasn't sure which way I wanted to go! But eventually I found myself so drawn to the summery field and glowing sky in the bottom left of the board, that this was my primary inspiration for my page!

Here is my layout:

My layout features a vintage photograph of my parents and uncle and aunt. The occasion was a July gathering, a housewarming celebration for another aunt and uncle who were recently married. My Father and Mother are in the center of the photo, and although my Mother turned her head at the wrong moment, I still love the way her hair is draped over her face! My Father's older brother is on the right and his wife is on the left. I am amazed at how dressed up everyone appears! Who would wear white bucks and pressed pants and a tie (as my uncle Joe is doing), at a picnic these days?! And look at aunt Rose, she was always a classy dresser! Of course I think my Mom and Dad look just so perfect, Dad handsome, Mom, beautiful. They were not married yet when this photo was taken. And they were sitting in a wonderful field of meadow grasses.....perfect for the challenge!

I began by doing background work with inks and sprays, which I slowly built up to the intensity I wanted. I was looking for something vibrant but soft, if that is possible! Then I applied molding pastes through various stencils. I layered under my photo with various postcards and frames. All of the clustered elements are real dried flowers and pressed weeds, grasses and pods. There are also some fussy cut elements and bits of old crochet work tucked in here and there. I hoped to create a lovely, summery feeling, such as this picture perfect day conveys!

Here is a bit of a close up of some of the clustered elements:

Thank you for looking!!!!

Scrap Around the World May Challenge Epic Event 2015

The Scrap Around the World Challenge site is having an epic event this month! There are lots of wonderful prizes to be won! Also, it is a special celebratory month, as it is another birthday for Scrap Around the World. Previous winners who were featured on the Wall of Fame are being asked to participate to determine the top ten winners of the year. The year runs from May 2014 to April 2015. Also, anyone can enter who has not been featured on the Wall of Fame. There will be 20 featured layouts, and I'm sure it will be an amazing show!

Since I was featured on The Wall of Fame for January 2015, I decided to participate in this month's challenge as a VIP. That is the designation previous winners are being given, VIP. Pretty humbling, as there are so many vastly talented and gifted previous winners. But, I thought, well, why not, might as well give it a try!

Here is this month's challenge and the celebratory Moodboard, composed by the site owner, Helen Tillbury:

As you can see, this board has something to offer everyone!

Because I felt inspired by the celebratory nature of the moodboard, I decided to create something lighthearted and playful! But I was also very much inspired by the basket of roses in the lower right corner, and took my cue from that. I also took inspiration from the softness of the ice cream, and from the crystals around the outer edge of the glass - both images in the upper left. 

Here is what I came up with:

I have titled this layout "A Bed of Roses".

I wanted to create something light, so I stuck with a lighter color palette, but worked in some brown tones along with the pinks and pale orange. Working with some antique silk velvet, I twisted and turned the fabric, trying to emulate the folds and softness of a beautiful rose. I was seeking to emulate the many layers of the rose, so I first of all tore and layered a lot of paper strips, again seeking to emulate the many layered rose. Over this base I put down my velvet fabric pieces. And then I placed a cut out photo of my Mother and her little sister taken in 1929. They look as if they were just having a happy time, carefree, loving life, celebrating the everyday. Behind them I placed a lot of fussy cut images of roses, and then placed bits of lace and crochet, and floral roses. Then I went in with a stencil and molding paste, which was inspired by the little round bumps on the shoes in the moodboard. There is also some stamping and some spritzing of mists, very delicate. And as the final touch, I scattered little glass beads in the upper right and lower left corners of the layout, as inspired by the coating of crystals around the glass on the moodboard, and added some twine.

Here is a close up of the velvet work:

Thanks for looking at my layout, I hope you like it!