Find Your Way Home

As soon as I opened this month's Scraps Of Darkness  kit -I fell in love with the pps, and as soon as I saw all the maps and pages that referenced passages in life, I knew immediately what photo I wanted to use the beautiful sketch from Charlotte (Sue Pup) for.  When my son was around 18 months old, we lived in an apartment we owned over our business, and it had two levels of stairs that we had completely enclosed when we knew our family was about to expand. Either me or my husband, or sometimes both would sit for what felt like hours, watching Draven climb up and down those stairs, over and over again. It was as if mastering the art of stair climbing was going to be his only focus, until he got it completely right. I remember watching him and as those little feet climbed those stairs, it occurred  to me that one day the steps my son would take, would perhaps lead him far away from me, off into his own journey. My mother's heart can only hope that no matter where his journey leads him he will always find his way back home.

This is Charlotte's gorgeous sketch:

And this is my take on the sketch:

This layout features some photos of my son, Draven, climbing on those steps I spoke about. My husband took these and I just love the large one where David caught Draven looking up at him. Just something about your own child's face that stirs something deep inside your heart. I started with a piece of black cardstock from this month's add on. I then took a piece of the stunning Teresa Collins map paper and distressed it deeply then stained the edges and did some machine sewing. Next came a piece of the Bo Bunny Et Cetera pp from the kit. I distressed it, inked it and did some more machine sewing.

I took a piece of the kit pp cut it to the size I wanted it, distressed and inked it up with the Mixed Media Ink from the color add on,  then took a piece of the Prima packaging and deep distressed it and inked the edges, then placed the photo. I then took my circle cutter and cut out two different sized black circles and then cut out the insides to leave the background pps showing through, placed them and added in the small photo that I had inked, and distressed the edges on and popped one of those little clothes hangers from the Romance Add On onto the corner.

Next, I took the Prima Mask from the color add on and did some of the grunged up stenciling with gel medium that I love. I then took some stash Dusty Attic bricks and painted them with snow tex -it looks so much like mortar-lol, and randomly placed them into the brick wall skeleton. I then created a compass by taking a digital image, altering it to match the colors in my layout, embossed the edges with distress powder and added a Tim Holtz spinner from my stash, and popped it into the upper corner.

I took a red Jenny Bowlin Doily Flower from the kit and a black one from the Flora & Fauna Add On and added TH spinners to the centers and then added one of the so sweet Prima Printery Flowers from the Flora & Fauna AO to complete the corner design. I took one of the Bo Bunny Chipboard Flourishes from the kit and added it for interest beside my smaller photo.

I created a map journal using some map stationary, twine from the Teresa Collin's trims in the kit and one of the kit T. Collins brads, and that journaling that has been in my heart through the years. I created the "home"  of the journaling by taking the chipboard letters from the kit and grunging them up. I then stamped some of the Prima packaging with one of the Glitz' stamps, fussy cut it and added it to my layout.

I created the page border by punching one of the kit pps and then hand stitched it for added interest. I left the stitch threads hanging and tied on a TH metal tag that says "journey". I then took one of the butterflies that I share with all my Dark Sisters, in the Scraps Of Darkness Scrap Chat Forum and gussied it up and popped it onto one of my circles.

I swear I can just look at that little face and cry.  That little face has now turned into the face of  a 16 year old, and I know that I will turn around and he will be off and onto a different life. I am so proud of him! He is a wonderful son,  and I love watching him changing and turning into his own person, but I do hope with all my heart that no matter where his journey takes him that he will always find his way back home! Thanks for letting me share, my heart with you! ~Renea