This layout is for the Scrapping across the universe challenge "I wanna hold your hand". I thought of this idea immediately when I read the challenge but kept thinking I should do something a little more, actually a lot more less inflamatory, but the idea would not leave so here it is. I feel very strongly about the prevention of HIV and other STDs, but I know many people do not want to talk about it or get tested. I am afraid that with the economic issues right now things like HIV are on the back burner. I got these paper dolls and the fan top when I worked at Kids Connected by Design, a non-profit devoted to maternal and infant issues. The main foci were to lower the infant mortality rate in Florida and to insure that all babies born in Florida were healthy. These interests expanded to include prevention of child abuse, prevention of drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse in pregnant women, testing of all women for HIV, and counseling for women so they could educate their partners about HIV and STDs.
And now for something totally different - a frivolous layout for the SIS free shopping weekend challenge. The photo is of my DH when we were stranded with a non-operable boat in Nassua in the spring of 2001. We had walked to the remains of a small fort on the east end of New Providence island. We spent approximately 6 weeks in a Nassau marina which was terrribly expensive trying to get parts so my husband could repair our engine. After disassembling and reassembling it two times, he and some other boaters determined the engine was dead so we somehow made it out of the marina being towed by some dinghys and actually left Nassau by timing the tide and just going out via the super strong current through it. I had listened to the VHF radio to determine when the cruise ships would arrive and we left the mooring just after 2 had arrived and the third sat outside the harbour until we got outside and could get our sails up. Of course, when you need wind, there is very little so it took us 3 days and nights to sail from Nassau to Fort Pierce Fl where we called Towboat US and they towed us in the Inlet and to a marina. A scarry time, but it's amazing what you can do when you have no other options.
I used some lines from a Jimmy Buffett song - so funny when I think of it. We used to be Parrotheads (we were really good friends with a couple who named their boat Parrothead) and loved to listen to Buffett's music but after we went sailing and were actually out there, we almost never listened to it. Even now, we rarely listen to his stuff. It's fun sometimes to reminisce.
I did this collage for lesson 1 of the Collage Couture class at SIS (I won the class on NSD). I painted the paper with gel medium and then painted with 2 colors of acrylic paint - a light blue and a turquoise, and finally rubbed some espresso acrylic paint on a paper towel and spattered some droplets. The collage section has many fabrics (new and vintage) sewn to a piece of paper. The swirl was cut out of an old 70s craft book on decoupage and the butterflies are by K&co (purchased yesterday morning on clearance on Michaels). I purchased the frame and double mat at a thrift store yesterday morning for a dollar and repainted the frame (it was lime green). I can tell that I will really enjoy this class and feel so grateful that I won it. I am really trying to keep my spending down but I love to play, and the toys can be expensive. LOL!
I did this layout for Scrapping across the universe - together. The photo is of my DH, his twin, his other brother, and his cousin, all being pushed in a wheelbarrow by his dad. I added the William Carlos Williams's poem as it seemed so appropriate, and I have always loved the purity and simplicity of his poetry.
This layout is for Inspired by Amelie - alter ego. I used some Making Memories and Heidi Swapp papers that I had from last fall, some Amy Bulter fabric(the cut out flower), some lace, a paper doily, K&co raised stickers (including one I used like an earring on the vintage magazine ad), and the tag from a necklace stand I got from Urban Outfitters a couple of years ago. Don't we all have wild dreams about how we wished we looked or place we wish we could go or .... but I know that I have a great life and I am trying to remind myself of that every day.
I have started a still life watercolor and hope to have it finished this week. Tomorrow I have class but I don't know what we will be doing. I have also begun to lay out a new quilt for our bed and will take some photos to show. I had hoped to have enough fabric in my stash to make the entire quilt but I only had about half enough in the color scheme. I stopped at the quilt shop yesterday and picked up 5 half yards of some beautiful fabrics so now I can finish cutting out the blocks. Summer has truly arrived here in Florida and I find myself retreating to my studio - I become an A/C hermit in the summer. I guess our indoor/outdoor seasons are pretty much the opposite of up north. I really love having the house open all winter and although I love hot more than cold, I have to admit I get pretty tired of the heat as it lasts sooooooooooooo long.
