When I have things on my mind for a longer time it really helps to make a page. The process of sitting down and focusing on the topic. Trying to show it visually as well as writing about it. It's hard, but I feel so much better after, like I have gone over it enough and moving on.
This page is about my longing to "get back" to my "normal" life that I had before I got my fibro-diagnos. I write about how much I fight and that I'm willing to do almost anything to get back. I also say that the more I try to get "back" the more I realize that it will never happen. I have no back to go, only forward. I wanted to show this that even though it's a struggle it's not hopeless. Color can tell a big story and I picked a few but happy ones. The Black and white photo was partly so I could add any color but also symbolizing the old and the new.
Do you document the little big stuff? What makes you feel better or worse, what makes you happy and smile? I have put more thought in to my pages this year, partly because I see scrapbooking as a form of therapy. I sit down, thinking about what's important and what will I want to know in 5 years. What can I learn from where I am now, what makes me feel better.
One thing that makes me feel better, is lying out in the sun... with a blanket
(I live in Sweden where sun is not the same as warmth)
I had gone through this page many times before I started so when I sat down I had a clear vision of what I wanted. Mind I'm not good following instructions even my own...
I know I wanted a big title, cut out, backed with pattered paper and stitched around.
Cutting out a big title by hand in a brush font is not for the faint of heart and then stitching around...
I love it but yes, it took allot of time and yes, I will do it again!
With a big title I wanted too keep the pages light and soft, small black and white photos, typed journaling on vellum and the same flowers as from the title backing. I added iridescent sequins to ad to the lightness and springy colors.
The page is about how good it is for me to be out, lying in the sun. My mom took these photos of me when W decided that she too needed some sun-therapy. It was a beautiful day, almost warm with singing birds, butterflies and bumblebees in the flowers. All of this I wanted on the page...
The new line from Maggie Holmes "Bloom" has a sticker sheet with a bird, a butterfly and a bumblebee. Perfect for my page. I love how this page came together, the big title, the cute photos an the story I wanted to tell.
Scrapbooking for me is a chance to tell my stories in a fun and interesting way. I think I sometime forget this, that the end point is that these pages are, hopefully, to be read.
Making pages that has meaningful stories, fun facts or just are humorous, ones are the ones that will be saved, and loved. This one is not about a life changing event or reflecting of deep thoughts.
This one is about bubble baths...
Well it sort of a meaningful story, at least I want to tell it.
The thing is that taking baths really helps me with my pain and dealing with my fibro.
The hot water, burning candles and yummy-smelling bubbles helps to relax both body and mind.
Now let´s talk about the page, I love it! I'm ridiculously prude or coming up with this idea and how it turned out. I wanted a bathroom feel, tiles and bubbles coming over the page. I used wall-paper for the "tiles" and odd ephemera jars. I mean I love how they look here, but what an odd thing to have in a scrapbook line...
The "bubbles" are punshed out acetate, vellum in clear and blue, sequins and enameldots.
The frame is also cut out from a wall-paper, I just think it's so fun using other things and testing weird ideas. Like scrapbooking about my bathroom...
In the start of a new year we tend to reflect, evaluate and set new goals for the different part of our lives. In this part of my life, the memory keeping, scrapbooking part I have though allot. The other day I tried to organise my 2015 album (I say tried sens I sort of gave up).
What stuck me was just how many pages I had. I've done allot of scrapbooking this year, witch means allot of pages. But it's not the number of pages that is the problem, is the leak of stories, real stories. Some pages have them but many don't.
I still like many of them for different reasons but in 15 year, will I still like
them only for the fun design?
So this year I will focus more on the stories. For me that means changing up my process a bit. Now I try to write down the story before, having a clearer outline of what I want to shear. Before I started with the photo, then products and design and at last journaling. Now I have a notebook to write down the stories. So changing the process will be a challenge. I also want to continue to play, as I did allot in 2015, even though I ended up with allot of pages. So This is what I want to focus on for 2016 so it' only fitting that I share my "first" layout for 2016 with focus on the story:
Snöflingor i Januari- Snowflakes in January
The first story I wanted to tell for 2016, and sort of have as a first page, is about snowflakes.
Two thousand fifteen is over and year Two thousand sixteen is here. And so are thousands of tiny snowflakes, dancing around in our cold air. Our world is covered by a white blanket. Hidden are the bare trees and naked bushes.
We look out over a magical landscape that sparkle in the winter sun. For a moment we forget the grey and the ugly. For a moment we only see the magic of the nature even tough we've seen it scene we where born, we still hold our breath, if just for a moment. To see our sparkling world with a wish that we never lose the magic of seeing snowflakes in January.
