Welcome to February! Heritage page and video

Februarly is a busy, busy month here on the blog.

The 21st is my blogaversary.  5 years!  So I'll be having a giveaway a bit later in the month.  Be sure to stay tuned for that.

Soon I'll be announcing my next self-paced class.  I'll give you a hint - you can have twice the fun!

And today is the first day of LOAD214 - Layout A Day for February 2014.  I've already said I probably won't create a page every single day.  I do plan to do several of the prompts sent out by the organizer, Lain Ehmann.  So there may be more scrapbook pages and hopefully more videos coming along this month.

I finished my first page before noon today!   Today's prompt related to less than perfect photos.  I chose to interpret the prompt by using a photo that used to be just about perfect.  Everyone said what a wonderful photo it was of my grandmother and me.  It was made in one of those traveling photo booths that had setup in the supermarket parking lot one weekend in the late 1970's.  I don't know how anyone talked my grandmother into the photo but I remember it being taken.

The photo is now very faded and stained a bit on the side.  I found it in a box of her things in storage.  I've scanned it and am using the original on the layout as I can't think of a safer place for photos that scrapbook albums.

What I love about the photo is that my grandmother is smiling.  Here's the journaling:

Maw Maw rarely smiled.  She was a kind woman who’d had a hard life.  And she was a worrier. At the end of the day, she would often be sitting with her head resting on one hand looking so sad. I’d ask her what was wrong.  “I’m just worried, honey,” she’s reply.  I always thought what a waste of time it was to worry.  I didn’t understand her until I grew up and realized how easily worry can invade your thoughts and steal all your time and spirit.  I love this photo, not just because it is a rare photo of the two of us, but because she is smiling.  When she would smile, it was magic.  She was transformed from the worrying wife, mother and grandmother into a younger spirit.  

The page uses an older Stampin' Up! paper collection and matching stamp.  I did a lot of distressing to the edges of the papers and added some stitches.  To keep everything from being too matchy matchy, I used some very old book paper behind the journaling, for the embellishment and for the date.

Here's the process video at YouTube:


And here's the sketch.  I allocated the whole day for the first day of LOAD so I had enough time to do a new sketch for this one. Last year's sketches are available from the link on the sidebar to the right.

If you'd like to join in the LOAD fun, you can find all the info here:
Click here to view more details

Thanks for stopping by!