this is me...and a sketch

I always feel weird doing layouts like this. Layouts that aren't about an event but more just about "me". But I do think it's important to do...to document feelings, hopes, wishes, dreams, fears, and not just the events that happen. I think sometimes we as scrappers get caught up in documenting the who, what, where, when, why and not all the 'good' stuff. 

I think it'll be neat to look at this layout in 20 years (or more God willing) for myself and my kids and my grandkids. Wouldn't it be neat to see something like this of your grandparent or great-grandparent?? Man, I would love to hear the thoughts of my grandparents when they were in their 30's. It was such a different time...what would've been their thoughts, hopes & fears?? 

It's stuff like this that really solidify to me that scrapbooking isn't just a hobby. We're preserving history for future generations.

On to the details of the layout...



I didn't have a punch that was big enough for what I wanted so I cut the scallop squares with my Silhouette. I distressed the edges of the brown cardstock and added stitching around the outside.  

Then I added little accents here and there, punched shapes, buttons, little journaling spots, not sentences but little words about me. I love how the different lines of the Jillibean Soup paper all coordinate together.

Non-JS stuff used:

scallop cardstock ~ Bazzill

tags from twogirlsstuff (Etsy), Shabby Chic Crafts

crochet flower ~ American Crafts (new dear Lizzy line)

butterfly punch ~ Martha Stewart

tiny type alphas from Cosmo Cricket

white gel pen ~ Stampin' Up!

************************************************************

I also decided to play along with the latest sketch challenge over at Jillibean Soup (can you tell I spend a lot of time there?! hehe)

So here's the sketch:

And here's my take on it:

Oh my gosh, I miss my kids at this age!! I had just printed these photos and they were sitting on my desk when I clicked on the Jillibean Soup blog. I immediately thought of the blue/red striped paper and thought it would be perfect for this layout. 

I kept the layout pretty simple. I decided to stagger strips of different patterned papers, some straight, some at an angle. I added the title with the corrugated alphas (love!) distressed with some brown ink and I added one of those kraft tags (double love!) and some penned lines around the outside to anchor the page.

That's it folks! I'm off to the gym...