Postcards From The Edge

I am challenging myself to make a scrapbook page once a month, as I am  stacking up photos that I love and not doing anything with them.
So without further ado, here's is this month's project:

Yes, okay, most people scrapbook their daughter's wedding, or the grandchildren or their exotic holiday, but I, well, I scrapbook my horse.  And if you knew him, you'd know why.

I saw this paper, called 'Cambridge' by Bo Bunny, back in 2011 and fell in love with it.  It's taken me all this time to get round to buying it, though, so I'm really glad it was still in stock.

I go through a strange process every time I do a layout.  I sit there and get loads of stuff out that either matches or I think fits my theme.  Then I sit and stare at it for two hours (I kid you not!)

Then I go to bed and dream about it all night.

Then I get up and spend another 2-3 hours putting my dreams on paper (and finding that half of them don't work!)  This is why there is no way I could go to a scrapbook crop, as I wouldn't achieve anything with any kind of pressure or time restraints on me.

The other thing I know is that when I scrapbook I have to have words first and then the pictures will follow.  I make notes on why I like the photo so much, what happened that day to make it special, what it is I like so much about my darling horse that contributed to the event, etc.

And gradually the page comes together.

I chose this scheme because it's very masculine and uses phrases like 'strength and honour' and 'trust and loyalty' etc.  It also goes to show that I struggle to make a masculine scrapbook page as much as I struggle to make a masculine card.  You know, "Oh my goodness, I can't use lace and butterflies, what am I going to do?!"  (Just me, then?)

So this is how my brain worked:

I wanted to use these cute little postcard stamps (from LOTV) as journaling cards.  I stamped them in always artichoke onto very vanilla cardstock, then put some comments on them.

The very vanilla totally matches the colour scheme.  I knew I wanted to attach the card with cord coming over the edge, which is what I did.  That made me think of 'Postcards From The Edge' being the title for the page, and everything fell into place after that.  I love the brad in the bottom corner, they have things like lions and crowns on them, so clever.

The 12"x12" paper itself has some awesome designs on it.  No way I'm covering this up!

The photo itself, pinned down onto some Night of Navy cardstock, which I did stamp, but you can't really see it.  A tiny brad in each corner, I've never done this before, but really like it.   Love the sticker that says, 'You go boy,' so had to add it.

The lettering is from a set of stickers in the pack, which are lovely.  I had to think what I wanted to put as there are only a couple of each letter.  It was only when I got half way through I realised I wouldn't have enough of the letter 'g' but I was committed by then and reached for my chipboard letters for the big capital G, which I painted with white acrylic paint and then coated with night of navy marker pen.  Note to self, 'Never throw anything away, you never know when you might need it.'

While making this, I realised one of the differences between a scrapbook page and a card.  When you make a card, you are hoping someone else will like it.  When you make a scrapbook page, it is just for you and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.  I look back now through some of my early efforts and they are very basic, but because of my deep affection for the subject matter and that I've put my true thoughts down, some of the layouts make me cry.  I will treasure them for ever. 

But of course, on this occasion, I do hope you like it, too!

Thanks for coping with the wordiness of today's post, let me know what you think, especially if you have a process for scrapbooking, too.

Jane xx