Precious Book Collage - and a Hurricane!

Hi everyone!

First, apologies for a week with no blog - we survived the hurricane but are still getting dried out. I came home around midnight to find my upstairs bedroom awash and water pouring through the chandy into the downstairs living room. Three out of eight skylights were leaking, water was dripping through the ceiling beside the front door, and three extremely worried dogs were glad to see me. As I walked in the door, the power went off. Great.

It took quite a while (in pitch blackness) to find a flashlight, trip over two dogs, light candles, and find out where the leak was coming from (the wall unit air conditioner). I started bailing, the rain beat against the house, the wind roared. (At times like this I find myself thinking that maybe it wouldn't be too awful to have another man in my life . . . but no, nevermind) As dawn broke, I was rigging a huge tarp over the air conditioner, placing buckets and trash cans under various leaks and covering furniture with more tarps. (I felt really stupid running around buying tarps and batteries with all the other panic-stricken, but am sure glad I did!) Then took an icy bath and went to work for another 12 hr shift. (I didn't wash my hair - just get over it!).

Long story short - the claim has been filed with State Farm, they haven't called back yet, the power came back on after 48 hours, and I have been unloading thawed food out of the freezer and fridge.

Onward and upward. I just finished on online class with Artful Gathering - "Boite et Petite Livret Vintage," with Nancy Maxwell James. It's a chunky collage book and a collage box to keep it in. It starts with painted canvas boards: I used kind of a creamy gray ivory paint.

Sorry, the lighting is not great! But you can get the idea. Then French post card paper and other papers were applied with matte gel.

More matte gel layered on top, then tags and lace.

These images are from Paper Whimsey. You buy the download, then print them out on photo paper. The lace is from my stash.

More matte gel on top. I decided to make a remembrance of my mom - she passed away three years ago. I scanned the photos and printed them out on photo paper.

 This is her wedding photo.

(It's still wet) Isn't she cute? She was 5 feet 2 inches and my dad 6 feet 3.

Mama and me!

Buttons, keys, etc, etc added!

Sitting on the dock at my grandparent's house on the lake.

I'll show you more next time. This is my first attempt at this. The Artful Gathering classes are great, and will be offered again next year.

Love, Linda