Letting go...maybe

This is going to be a photo intensive post. I have fnally finished (?) my little book and I am documenting the entire thing here because I think I am going to put it into the silent auction for our scrapbooking event, Scrap for Survival. (For more details on that, visit the crop blog.)I say that I think I'm giving it away because, I'm having a hard time with this. This is why I'm never able to sell anything. All the stuff that I put my heart into, all the stuff that is truly my best (to me), I am in love with. Now, I'm not saying this is the best . It's really unfinished. I envision it full of special photos and memories; it's meant to be a journal, a place to write your secrets and dreams, a place to keep your favorite mementos. So, this is a photo intensive post because if I give it away (to a very worthy cause mind you) I want to remember it in detail. So here goes, my dream journal:


I used all sorts of vintage goodies in here from photcopies of vintage cards to old book pages, corsage pins, and my personal favorite: that pink ribbon with the silver squiggles on it.


I just love the turtle dove story and illustrations from an old book I own.



I used tons of Tattered Angels glimmer mist and Tim Holtz crackle paint to give it that vintage look and tie all the pages together.



One of the fun parts of this project was using pages of varying types, shapes and size and seeing how they would all look layered on each other.


I enjoyed using my paper piercer and some crochet thresad to hand stitch on some of the pages. The page below looks really unfinished to me...I just can't stop tweaking!





These are by far my favorite pages. I love the sequined heart and the vintage image on the inside back cover. Plus who doesn't love a little envelope to hide their secret wish?



So out of this project came my class project for the crop. (We offer three classes as part of the day long event, and I'm teaching at least one.) I'm unveiling the project here because, well, nobody checks my blog so I don't think I'm spoiling anything! Here it is! My altered valentine canvas:


I decided to use the same paint and decoupage on canvas idea, but made it something we can (hopefully) complete in an hour. I thought it would make a nice decoration.


Here's a close-up of the front of the valentine. Again I photocopied a vintage card. I used glimmer mist to alter doilies and give the whole thing a distressed look. I glittered some brads, and made my own paper (inked up computer paper sprayed with glimmer mist) to punch flowers and matt the image on the back which is the backside of another postcard. I love it! It says: "To Gramma, From Ralph". Perfect!



So that's what I've been up to. Now I just need to learn to be able to break the chains of motherly love. Any helpful hints would be great!