It's the 1st Tuesday of the month and time for a new challenge!For this month I propose to scrapbook about yourself. More specifically, about a favorite toy you had as a child. If you are lucky enough to still have this toy, photograph it (like I have with my dog Pifas who was given to me when I was 2 years old; Poor guy is as old as me and had some, eh-hum..."work" done on him...I'm still holding out though).
If you do not have anything tangible from your childhood, you can photograph a look-alike toy, or use an object that may symbolize your toy or childhood. You can also use clip art, stamped images, or vintage ephemera (I guess that depends on how "vintage" you are, LOL!). Another twist you can do is photograph your child, or grandchild playing with their favorite toy, and compare/contrast the differences in toys, quantity of toys you had vs. your child. This can be a very deep, insightful layout about your childhood days, that particular historical time period, and your family's socioeconomic condition. Did you feel like you had more than enough toys? Did your friends have better/more toys than you? You can make this layout as deep as you want or very simple with a few words.
OK, I can't wait to see who will participate in this challenge, and I'll love to post some of your layouts.
Journaling on my Pifas Layout
I'm trying to use more of my own handwriting, and especially important for this layout because I wanted to convey a heritage, shabby chick, home-made touch to it. I used Making Memories ledger paper (the type that kids use to learn to write on). I aged the paper with 7Gypsies Walnut ink (in a dropper bottle) by letting some drops seep into the paper and stain it, and then smudging it with a paper towel while the drops are still wet. I randomly machine-sewed on the paper strips (stitching not showing up well in the scan though), and then used my finger nails to rough-up and tear some of the paper edges to make it look worn. I wanted the journaling to appear as if it were crumpled notes that kids pass to each other in school. My journaling is a random recollection of childhood memories. Here it is in print if it's too difficult to read in the scan (although if you click on the image it does enlarge it to where it's readable).
Pifas:
*A vestige of my childhood.
*Gifted to me at two years old (that makes him 29 right now). We are both showing signs of age. Pifas has recently had "some work" done on him to revive his youth. I have no work done on me, but in my 30th year, a teen at the grocery store referred to me as: "Ma'am". Perhaps I don't look as young as I feel.
*We grew up together under a Communist regime in Lithuania, until my family immigrated to USA in 1987.
*Our family of four could only take one suitcase each - that's why Pifas and I became separated. Years later we became reunited again.
*Spent his life sitting and camouflaging on a matching orange and brown sofa. That same fold-out sofa in our living room that served as my bed at night. We lived in a one-bedroom condominium, and I did not even know some kids have private rooms.
*Pifas was more of a family observer rather than a favorite toy.
*The stories he could tell, if he only spoke.
*Reminds me of simpler times, when rolling down a hill of yellow dandelions while keeping my eyes wide open, and watching the yellow merge with the blue sky was Perfect BLISS.
*Currently he is sitting on my own family's sofa, but Omar ripped his eye out. Now he's in a safe place.
*A visual reminder that childhood is fleeting.
Layouts of those who braved the challenge:
Above is the 1st layout for this challenge "Cottontail" by Amy Birch, and the Link to journaling on this page in her 2peas gallery. I love how she journaled and placed her title over the photos (what a great idea to add more photos that way). It appears to be a digital layout and how great is it that she was able to finish this challenge within hours of me posting it. I still got to get moving on my own challenge, but at least I got the photo printed.
This is a layout titled Snoopy by Anna-Karin. She's lucky to have photos of her actually playing with her beloved toy, and the current, color photo of Snoopy really connects the present to the past. I also love the tan and light blue color combination as I find myself using it a lot. Great job!
The above layout Emily Queen is by Melissa. Wow! Love all that color. It looks like a page out of a children's book - fun and whimsical.
The above layout of her favorite childhood toy is by Lori Evans titled Nothin. So much eye-candy here: I love the mix of patterned paper, and the splash of red really makes the layout come alive. I think the composition of the photo is great, and as I mentioned before, a few of you were so lucky to have photos of yourself playing with the object of your affection.
The above layout is by Amanda Gilbert titled Backporch Memories. I really liked how she included the older pictures and the colors that speak of that era so much (I'm guessing the 70's). The mushrooms, and owl add just the right decoration. She was able to include a lot hand- journaling on the paper strips that makes it just so much more personal.
The above layout Lost in Shipping is by Debbi T. How unique is it for a little girl to love a rock collection, rather than a traditional stuffed animal! This is such a poignant story too. I love how she arranged her journaling in a swirl pattern and the complementary colors she chose. I'll have to lift the design of this one for sure!
