Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Once Upon A Sketch

I did a layout for Once Upon A Sketch's August challenge.  The theme was "I'll never forget." and Lord knows I will never forget the day my father died.  Filled with so much sorrow, yet we were all surrounded by people who loved my father and us so very much.  It's hard to believe 4 years has gone by already. I'll touch on the story more after the pics.  Check out OUAS their challenges are really great with a journaling prompt that makes you think. You see, you HAVE to include jouranling somewhere on your layout :)  Just click on either of the titles to go to the blog.


























When I enter these, I never look at the other entries, or the dt members pieces.  I want my design to come from my head so I wait till after I post to see what others have done.  I know we are all influenced by other artists, but I try to come up,with my own thing.  Hubby always says "don't you know the last original idea came out of a cave!" Lol.

This was the first time I ever sewed on a layout, and I use the term sew very loosely!  I cut the heart in half and then punched small holes into it and threaded in an X pattern to put it together. My journaling is hidden behind the pic on the banners I made.  It says -

I'll never forget the day my dad died. What a sad sad day filled with so much sorrow.  My pal, my shopping buddy, my daddy.  We were all around his bed listening to his best friend tell us all the bad things my dad did when they were kids.  Not a day goes by dad that you aren't in my thoughts.  I'll love you forever.

I love butterflies and use them in almost all my work.  In this piece they represent life going on.  I chose this handsome pic of my dad while he was in the Navy.  I cut the window, vine, branches, heart, and title from chipboard on my cricut.  Lots of Lindy's starburst spray, a doily, and paper tearing and distressing.  I tore old book pages and added them.  I love how it looks.  The paper is Cappella from Basic Grey and the small strips are Prima's Nature Garden.

That whole trip was surreal, from the nightmare call from my sis in law telling me my dad coded, to me calling my brother right after we made the flight arrangements and telling him to tell dad I'm coming, he can't go anywhere till I get there.  I was in such a state.  It was the trip from hell, a five hour flight from here to N.Y. wound up taking ALL night because of plane problems.  Yet amongst all that sadness, my brothers would say silly things to lighten it up.  My brother Matt with his goomada Christmas. Goomada being the mistress in Italian.  "Don't you all know December 23rd is Goomada Christmas?"  He was teasing Mom.  Then my brother Thomas took off his baseball hat in the waiting room and said "Holy crap where did my hair go?!"  We were laughing so hard.  My husband, my rock, my comfort.  It was as hard on him, he loved my dad like his own, yet he stayed strong for me.  I'm the only daughter and my mom and brothers would say to him, "thats uh my dawda"  while nodding in my direction and he'd grin like the Cheshire cat.  When he and mom would come to visit, he was my traveling partner.  Bringing the kids to school, picking them up, going to the grocery store, Target, the post office, he was with me.  Such a wonderful man who loved us all so very much, so many came to pay their respects, a testament to how loved he was, and what a good decent man.

12 comments:

  1. Aw Paula ... what a beautiful layout, and wonderful tribute to your father! I am so sorry for your loss. Your love for your father was definitely captured in your layout!

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    1. Thank you Maria :) It was 4 years in June and it still seems like yesterday.

      Hope your move went well and that you're settling in!

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  2. WOW!! What a beautiful page in honor of your dad, so sorry for you loss. Love all the details. I agree with you - I don't like seeing what others create until I link up my project. So glad I saw your creation on OUAS and I look forward to seeing more (newest follower via GFC). Would love for you to stop by and say hi.
    Leslie
    www.thememorynest.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you Leslie, it's the first page I did for him since he passed in 09.

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  3. What a beautiful beautiful tribute to your darling dad!! your journalling really touched my heart, can so relate to everything. Time won't heal, only numb the pain a little. Thank you so much for sharing your memories and page with us at OUAS!

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    1. Eila, it is so true about time, grief just becomes a part of you life like breathing. It never goes away, just not as heavy as in the beginning.

      Thank you for stopping by :) playing along with OAUS is so much fun!

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  4. Paula, your take on this sketch is beautiful! I love all your layers and you did a wonderful job on the distressing. I think you've found your style, for I'm seeing it more and more. Remember when we all first started and you never knew what our pages would look like. I think now I could pick yours out of a line.

    I loved reading about your dad, I remember when he passed, and my heart broke for you then and still aches for you now. I think now though, or hope anyway, that you are able to talk about him with a smile much more than with tears. There is no doubt that he adored you, all one has to do is hear the way you speak of him to know that he did.

    Miss talking to you my friend, keep creating, because your pages are beautiful!

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    1. Time goes fast huh Lisa? I was actually on the phone with you while we were going to the airport that day.

      It's funny how when we first started we were still getting our groove :) so our pages would be such a potpourri! I'm glad you like it, loved making it in his memory, and yes, now I smile and laugh when I speak and think of him.

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  5. Mom, this made me cry! It really is a beautiful page. He looks so handsome, that smile could light up a room! I miss him.

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  6. I'm sorry you lost your Dad ... its such a void in our lives... but those memories, stay with us forever and are so important. Thanks for sharing such a personal part of your life with so many ... what an amazing tribute, to an obviously amazing Father.

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