Dusty Attic June Challenge

Heritage Layout: Cornelius
I prepared this layout for the June sketch challenge at Dusty Attic. The photograph is my mother's father, Cornelius.  

Lucky for me the sketch really helped me with my Heritage Family Photo project! 
The door opens to reveal a newspaper clipping from 1949 when he passed away:

I have been meaning to get around to this layout for a few months now, and it was the DA sketch that inspired me. (Plus a little "nudge" from Cornelius.)
Heritage Layout Effect 
(I don't know about you, but as I work with heritage layouts, I begin feel a connection to the spirit of the photograph -  that's the best way I can describe it.)
My grandfather passed away a few years before I was born. In the family photo box there was only this photo and newspaper clippings of his obit.
This is the only photograph I have of him, so it was important to me to do something special. 
It was a new experience to do a layout of a person I never met. My grandfather passed away a few years before I was born. In the family photo box there was only this photo and newspaper clippings of his obit.
Tribute to Life
It might seem to be sad or sentimental to include the obituary behind the door.  But my intention is simply to honour a life lived with dedication and principle. 
I decided to include the obit because there is so much historical detail included there.  Cornelius was a detective with the police force in Montreal.  He was much loved and admired by his colleagues, and was considered "the scourge of criminals " in his day. 
In doing this layout, I've discovered that I want to find out more about him, so I'm going to do a little research through the newspapers and police archives and see what I can discover. 
The family photo box project continues - no telling where it's going to take me, but this is the kind of research I enjoy.
Thanks for stopping by.

Materials List:

papers:  Bo Bunny Timepieces collection

laser-cut chipboard frame and scroll:  Dusty Attic

lettering: lilybee design ABC stickers

hinges: EK Success

name plate:  Tim Holtz Ideaology Ornate Plate

fleur-de-lys embellishment: Jolee Designs

"Yesterday": A Moment in Time

The theme of the June 15 challenge at Once Upon a Sketch is "A Moment in Time". 
Here is my entry:

I went Retro for this one. This a photo of myself and my friends on the last day of school.  The date is June 28, 1957.
(I am on a real Retro Roll these days, and I love working with my favourite retro-vibe papers from Crate Paper. It must be my Retro Period LOL!)


To stay true to the 50's style colours, I stayed away from inks and mists. All papers are "as is" except for distressing the edges and some faux stitching around the edge.

I cut the strips of paper from the CP Emma's Shop collection to  resemble those old-fashioned books that used to line school library shelves, and used some lovely little hand-crocheted flowers as accents.

I used flags for my title, and embellished the lettering on with black Enamel Accents by Ranger.

No Uniforms!
It was a special moment in time for us for many reasons.In those days, the last day of school was presents for the teacher,  a special assembly, and permission to wear regular clothes instead of our school uniforms.  What freedom!
We wore navy blue tunics and white blouses to school.  For the last day of school, our mothers had bought us girls all new dresses, which we are wearing proudly.  (I can still remember the cool waffle-weave fabric of my new white dress.)  The boys are wearing their regulation gray flannels and blue blazers. 
Report Cards
And soon our teachers would distribute our year-end report cards: 

 Detail-cut report cards to represent the year-end report cards that we were about to receive

If you were very lucky, you might get some much-coveted yellow and red stars on your report card!

Summer Holidays

It was a special moment in time for us for many reasons.  In the journalling I comment on how we felt invincible, and as if we were all stars.Of course, summer holidays were about to begin, so that made this day special too.  But perhaps the real reason I chose this picture is:  at this moment in time, the world was our street, our school, and our homes.

Neighbourhood

We were all neighbour kids on the same street.  We rode the school bus together every day.  We played wonderful summer games endlessly: Pirates, Hide-and -Seek, Stand-O. But what this picture really captures is the sense of togetherness that I remember from this moment in time when we all looked out for each other, and our childhood selves had no knowledge of what life might bring us in the bigger world out there.

At this moment in time, the world was perfect and we were happy with life.  I find it so important now to remember this feeling, not with nostalgia but with the intention to cultivate a sense of wonder on a daily basis.  And maybe that's why this picture said "Choose me!  Choose me"!" 


No matter what the era, children remind us of the importance of friends and wonder in our lives.



Materials List:
Papers:  Crate Paper, Emma's Shop collection; Bo Bunny
Embellishments:  Crate Paper

Party and Prizes at Webster's Pages

There's lots of games, prizes and new product releases this week at Webster's Pages blog.  The party inlcudes lots of chances to win, and it lasts all week, so take some time to wander over and check it out.

Thanks for stopping by; have a great week!

Once Upon a Tricycle

Over at Let's Get Shabby, the current challenge is to create a project based on a photo or memory from your own childhood.  Instead of doing a layout, I chose to alter a wooden photo frame.

This is a unique challenge.  I had to ask myself how much of my personal childhood self am I willing to share with the world?  Most scrappers are very happy to scrap their children's photos - that part is easy! But when it comes to scrapping your own childhood/ baby photos, it becomes a little more self-revealing.

Vintage elements galore in this photograph, ca. 1953.

This is me at age 3, riding my brand new tricycle.  I love this photo because of all the vintage elements - everything from the furniture to the pattern in the carpet and the old-style window coverings just shouts out 1950's.  The other reason I love it - because it also shows my beloved grandfather watching me tool around his living room on my trike.

The photo frame was painted with acrylics and then covered with the Prima paper.  I paper-punched a border and added some lovely white lace to give a soft edge around the photo.  I detail cut the bunny family and fairies from Graphic 45 paper.

 Originally, I had planned to give this frame to my daughter when her first child is born in July.  But I like it so much with this photograph, I'll just have to make another one! There is a fantastic tutorial for photo frames on Robin Shakoor's blog- go HERE.

 This was a challenge just tailor-made for me - since I have given myself the task this year of sorting through the family photo box.  My progress is somewhat slow, but I don't mind that.  It's a process.  Somehow, the photos and the scrapbooking go together to tell a story.  While it's partly a trip down memory lane, I find that there's also a new story emerging as I deal with the photos in the box.  That was really was what got me started on this blog in the first place.

Thanks for stopping by - have a wonderful day!

Materials List:

Wooden Picture Frame - Michaels

Papers - Prima, Sweet Fairy Collection-Blwoing Kisses; Graphic 45-Once Upon a Springitme

Flowers - Prima

Chipboard Swirls - Bo Bunny

Glimmer Mists - Tattered Angels

Crate Paper Colour Challenge: Parade Day

The colours for this month's challenge at Crate Paper are big, bright beautiful summer colours: pink, red, sunny yellow.

Sometimes colour challenges are inspiring, but I don't always have the supplies on hand.  However, this time I had everything I needed!

For my layout I used the Emma's Shop line, which have a wonderful retro vibe along with vibrant colours and gorgeous patterns.  The papers are relatively thick, which I adore.  Plus they feel like linen to the touch.  Heaven.  I've been back to my scrapbook store 3 times recently just because I can't get enough of this beautiful paper.  Here's my l/o:

I was inspired to do a 2-page layout by all the double layouts I've been seeing recently - and because I couldn't choose just one photo! The photos were taken in my favourite summer getaway place, on a day when there just happened to be a huge parade down Main Street to celebrate the town's 150th birthday. The whole event was fun and bright and happy, and somehow reminiscent of a bygone era.

I've been totally inspired by this paper to finally scrap some photos that have been lying around - so there will be more to come over the next little while.

Thanks for stopping by.  I enjoy reading your sweet comments, so do leave me a note if you have a moment.  

Materials List:
Crate Paper: Emma's Shop- Dresses; Restoration Collection - Slipcover; Cottage Collection - Bouquet.
Kaiser Craft: Wooden Die Cut
Tim Holtz Alterations: rosette die
MS star stickers
Crate Paper phrase stickers

Blog Hop at Scrap That!

Just in case you are at home on a dark and rainy day (like I am today), you can have tons of fun with the Scrap That! bog hop.  Hurry on over, there are some nice prizes involved, and it is bound to inspire you and get you into scrap mode.  Here's the link:
Scrap That Chat

The blog hop runs until June 5.  Have fun!

I'll be back in a day or two with some new creations.