Stripes like peace

The Embellishment challenge this week is stripes. Given that I'm obsessed with stripes (see my pintrest if you have any doubt), I had to participate. I had no idea where to start. I had a few ideas in mind, but my stripe idea revamped itself when I was looking for blue paper to match. Tada--blue stripes all ready for me.

This challenge requires you to create a card, scrapbook layout, or altered item using the color challenge and stripes. Stripes are a current new trend. You can definitely find them in the fashion world and also in home interior designs. Traditionally, stripes have a nautical feel; however, they now have more styles, such as feminine. Let’s see what you can create in the world of stripes!

The main colors are featured in the challenge inspiration board above. Remember, colors can be incorporated into your project in more ways than cardstock.

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Here is my submission. I made this for a friend of mine who has a pet that is not doing well. He is 18 and a half and has lived a good happy life, but parting with any pet is really, really difficult--much less one that has been with you for 2 decades. I didn't go too fashion-y with the stripes. It just didn't feel right to do that for this card. And the paper I found reminded me of water and peace, which is what I was going for. The red is meaningful too.

The colored papers are ancient. I have no idea who made them.
The glitter paper can be found at Michael's.
I used foam pops for the patterned layer.
I made the "stamp" using Illustrator.

Sisters, Sisters

As I am getting used to this whole digital thing, I am experimenting with all of the fun things you can do. My favorite part of digital scrapbooking? Control-Z. My other favorite part, having pictures whatever size and shape I want with the click of my finger. And picking out fonts--which can be a curse too if you get font happy like me and spend hooouurs on them. But generally, if you have a template, it can be super quick. Can be. You can have it take as long as you want. Which I do. Even for a simple page like this. I played with all sorts of embellishments, but chose to go super simple because that's my sister's style, and the page is about her.

paper is from feifeistuff

stripe is from KittyDesigns

The post title comes from Irving Berlin's song "Sisters, sisters" which we like to sing together.

Dapper Dan

We had a fun and exhausting weekend on Martha's Vineyard at my brother and sister-in-law's steampunk wedding at Allen Farm. It was beautiful and peaceful and the full moon reflected off the pond and the ocean in a hypnotizing sort of way. It was fun and happy and so very personalized. The flowers were handmade from paper with gears and clocks in the centers. There was a bird cage for the gifts. And we sat at the Hogwarts table.

Tom was best man. I was well-dressed (like the rest of the guests). I wish there was a repertoire of the guests' costumes to look back on so that we can recall all fancy outfits and ultimately all of our love and support of the bride and groom.

I went a little frillier than I usually do. This page is boxy and linear. I might edit this soon. We'll see.

The papers were from Magical Moments Freebie
by Kitty Designs & Vera Li which I got free from oscraps.
The pictures were downloaded from fb, so I can't take credit for them.
The flower was from our wedding card to them.

Platitudes

Let's talk about platitudes. I'll go first. They don't make sense half the time, and they can seem a bit like cop-outs. There is one in particular that drives me batty. I have included it below, edited to be true.

(handwritten and scanned)

Riverway

On my way to work, I walk through a short span of woods on a running trail. The trail takes me along a river, where I watch geese and ducks and their goslings and ducklings and where I cross a stone bridge and walk up stone steps which lead me back into the city world. It is the best part of my whole day. Perhaps this is an exaggeration since I could reasonably argue that the best part of my day is when I'm with Tom in the evening. Even so, strolling along the trail is one of the best ways to start a day.

One of my favorite things is looking up through the trees to the morning sun. The leaves hide the direct glare from the sun by forming layers upon layers of bright green and leaf-shaped shadows. They bring me peace and a smile. I take several seconds, sometimes several minutes, each morning to just be. To take it in and sigh. This is my happy place.

Stratford-upon-Avon (or "I could find out contries in her")

There is no journalling in this Stratford-upon-Avon page, but I had no words. Or rather, I had too many. I'm fond of travel and theater, and I could have not put all of my thoughts onto the page. I remember every detail of this town. The river, the play (picture taken after Comedy of Errors), the costumes, the ducks, the magician in the park, the house, the garden (picture), the architecture (picture), the shop at the theater where I bought my Shakespearean insults magnets, the Indian food. Man oh man is the Indian food good in England! Consistently well made wherever we went.

I chose paper and embellishments that reminded me of my experience. The paper with red velvet flourishes reminded me of the tapestry in the home. The khaki and vellum patterned paper reminded me of something old and complemented the look I was going for. The stripes resemble the buildings, and the gears the time period. I kept it simple so the focus was on the day, not the design.