Cherished Layout with Michelle

Hi everyone and a Happy New Year to one and all around the world!

It's been a while since I have shared any creativity with you, so let's remedy that, right here and right now.

A layout featuring a very special couple - my Mom and Dad and this photo was taken to mark a very special number - my Dad on his 80th birthday.

Now unfortunately I had issues with technology and photos whilst creating this layout [unbeknown to me at the time] - so this will be more of a talk through of how I put this layout together.

My layout ...

Base of my layout is white cardstock - now a wee tip for you - I always cut away a fine strip of cardstock from the top and one of the sides - it's only a smidgeon - but if you have a slightly lumpy bumpy layout it is easier to slide in and out of a page protector if the base is that little bit smaller and it saves the layout buckling.

I have used both sides of Le Petit Jardin - CO725447 and CO725450 - these papers are gorgeous.

I have torn and layered both papers [criss-crossing them] and then added a strip of purple cardstock across the top.

In between layers of patterned paper I have cut in half clear clocks and found the word 'cherish' and torn it from an old dictionary. I keep an old dictionary just for using whilst paper crafting - ripped pages add another layer to your creativity. Some of you may well be shaking your heads at the thought of ripping pages from a book and I used to do the same thing. But now, well now I think that it just adds a little something extra. Note, the old dictionary was falling apart, before I started pulling it apart.

Underneath my photo - started off as a rectangle of black cardstock, it then has a layer of corrugated cardboard [a piece cut from a box that originally landed on my doorstep in the form of a pizza box], then a rectangle of patterned paper, a frame, and of course my wee photo.

My embellishment clusters - made up from miscellaneous flowers, a little fussy cutting of some of the black leaves from one of the patterned papers, pieces of some gorgeous beaded branches, a little muslin, some crafting fibres and some foliage.