Dakota ~Punky Scraps Collage Challenge~

Hi everyone!  I've been kind of MIA lately due to time issues and lack of scrappy mojo.  However, I was inspired by the collage challenge at punky scraps and really wanted play along.  I had something different in mind but I hadn't been able to get together with my "model" for a photo shoot so I will be saving it for another time.

 This is for my cousin and his fiance, in honor, and memory of baby Dakota, who we all loved so much even though we never had the chance to meet him.  Behind the gates is a poem I found by an unknown author.  I searched and searched for the perfect poem and wasn't finding any that I felt "fit".  I had reluctantly settled on one because I was tired of looking when I decided I would read one more and as I read it I sobbed like a little baby...it was exactly what I imagined he would say to his mommy and daddy if he could!  So here it is:

I have not turned my back on you
So there is no need to cry.
I'm watching you from heaven
Just beyond the morning sky.

I've seen you almost fall apart
When you could barely stand.
I asked an angel to comfort you
And watched him take your hand.

He told me you are in more pain
Than I could ever be.
He wiped his eyes and swallowed hard
Then gave your hand to me.

Although you may not feel my touch
Or see me by your side.
I've whispered that I love you
While I wiped each tear you cried.

So please try not to ache for me
We'll meet again one day.
Beyond the dark and stormy sky
A rainbow lights the way.
~Author Unknown

I made the background with a collage of gauze, ribbon, lace, and netting.  The Bricks, Gate, and crown are all awesome chippies from ScrapFx I absolutely love these things!  So much fun to use! 

 I decided not to gesso the crown this time but still used hologram embossing, then applied perfect pearls to the different points...I am horrible with using the perfect pearls, mainly because I don't have the patience to let them dry! :)

 Once again I layed the bricks by using molding paste as my mortar...having those brick chippies from ScrapFx made this sooooo much easier than having to cut them out myself...this way they were nice and uniform!

 I used perfect pearls and some shimmerz blingz on the gate and then put a TH lock on the entrance. 

I struggled trying to figure out where to put the poem so I decided to hide it behind the gates...

Obviously the sun hid from me on this pic because it looks so yellowish here???

That's it for today!  My heart goes out to all of you moms and dads who have felt the pain of losing a baby!

As always thanks for looking, and God Bless!

The Color Room #79

Its Monday and I was finally able to get some scrapping time over the weekend.   This layout is based on palette 79 at the The Color Room...I also used the awesome sketch that they had.  It didn't turn out quite how I expected it to but I still like it.  This is my niece Tiffany. She and her sister were in the last color room challenge I participated in...her colorful personality must inspire me in their challenges, I guess!

Here is the palette and sketch:


Tiffany is an amazing girl!  Beautiful, full of personality, and comfortable in her own skin.  Plus, she is a strong Christian and leader in her church and that is rare in a girl so young.  Unfortunately, because of her unique individuality she has to deal with "PK" syndrome (pastors kid syndrome...its a diagnoses I have made up! lol).  Anyway, she's not a pastors kid but is kind of treated like one at times because she feels like she is constantly under a microscope.  Anytime she makes even the smallest mistake she instantly feels the rebuke from several different directions.  Its done by well meaning adults outside her family dynamic, but sometimes she feels the weight of the pressure so heavily that she wants to rebel in a way uncharacteristic of her true self, just so she can be taken off the pedestal that they have her on.    This layout is to remind her to always remember who she is in Christ, because His opinions the only opinion she needs to be concerned with!

 Last week I received a box of delicious goodies from ScrapFx to play around with.  It felt like Christmas because I love chippies and these are just gorgeous!  Sturdy too...I tried painting, inking, embossing...everything I could do to get a close match to the tan paper I used.  They are nice and thick so even if you mess up you can remove a layer and still have it totally intact so that you can start all over again!  Chippies are my favorite scrapbooking embellishment and these are definitely top notch!

The "remember" chippie is from the (remember wordlet theme pack)  I painted a dry layer of gesso on it then inked it with TH vintage photo distress ink...then used hologram distress embossing powder.

The crown and Pointer finger are also awesome Chippies that I received from ScrapFX...I added the purple heart gem and embossed it with the hologram distress embossing powder as well to glam it up!

The alphas above are also awesome scrapFx chippies!

Well thats it for today.  I'm hoping to start on a collage layout inspired by the latest challenge over at Punky Scraps.  Its not my DT month but I can't resist this collage challenge!

Come join in on the fun!

As always thanks for looking and I always appreciate your feedback! You are all so wonderfully supportive...