Passages

This is a layout of my Grandpa, James W. Goins when he first came to Chattanooga from Ohio with his son Ralph. I chose the title from the Scraps Of Darkness kit name, because Passages was so fitting for this layout. My Grandfather had just divorced, and decided to make a change. He moved from Ohio to Chattanooga, to live with his sister, where he eventually met and married my Grandmother, Viola Mannery, who had experienced a divorce and who also had a child from that first marriage, my Dad.

My Pawpaw was such an amazing part of my life. He is who I get so much of who I am from. We were buddies. I lived most of my young years at their home, and although we didn't have much we certainly had love. I constantly followed my Grandpa around, a little apprentice you might have called me. My Grandpa made a living, fixing up old junk and selling it at flea markets, making all kinds of things from wood, painting, and creating miniatures. He loved music, dancing and just about anything that required that you do it while smiling or laughing. He lived life with a child like wonder, and had a smile and attitude that was contagious. I had no idea that he was not my true blood Grandpa, until someone told me when I was about 10, but it didn't matter to me or him, we were a part of each other no matter what was running through our veins.

 

I started with a piece of the Teresa Collins pp from the kit. I then traced a template onto the black and cream kit pp, inked and distressed the edges and set eyelets around the edges. I took a piece of the BoBunny pp from the kit, and repeated the process, using a smaller template.

 I took some of the kit pp and cut it into strips, deep distressed it and stained the edges with some of the Tim Holtz stain from a previous Color Add on. I took another piece of pp cut it down to a photo mat, and distressed and inked the edges with  Mixed Media Black Ink from this month's Color Add.

I painted a Dusty Attic Corner piece with Tattered Angels Glam and then accented it with some of the Lettuce Smooch Paint from this month's CAO.  The photo of my Paw Paw is very old and had gotten torn and creased over the years, but I loved the worn look of it, so I printed it out the way it was, and then inked the torn edges, and then took a close up that I had managed to fix some and used it behind the ragged one. My Paw Paw loved to look nice, and he loved fadora hats. Even on into his 90's he would get dressed up and put on a fadora when going somewhere nice.

I created the collage at the corner of the layout by taking a Bo Bunny chipboard flourish from the kit, and popping on 3 of the roses from the Flora & Fauna add on. I then tucked in a Tim Holtz Clock from my stash, a DA Key that I stained with the TH stain from a previous CAO and then accented with the Lettuce and Pumpkin Smooch Paint from this month's CAO. Next I used one of the Glitz Girls Stamps from the Romance add on and stamped the red & white ticket and tucked it in. I then took a little suitcase piece I had in may stash and colored in some red accents and tucked it in.

 I then cut out some tags from the kit pp using my Sizzix, added some of the Teresa Collins Brads from the Romance add on, and tied some twine around them. I then printed out pieces of my journaling onto white card stock and inked the edges and adhered them to the tags.

In May of this year, it was the 1st year anniversary of my Paw Paw's passing, and my family had asked if I would write a remembrance for the local newspapers, I of course said yes. That remembrance is what I used on the tags and reads:

I whisper to myself, Happy Birthday Paw Paw
I hope you don’t mind if I’m still missing you,  if a few teardrops fall
I’ll take the time to celebrate you, in my own way
I’ll remember a life well lived, by what I do today
I’ll "Walk the Floor" with old Hank Williams, or pick some "Wildwood Flowers"
I’ll visit with the ones I love, tell stories and talk for hours.
I’ll create something beautiful with my own two hands
I’ll draw or maybe I’ll paint,
I’ll carve and I’ll sand
I’ll Charleston, play card tricks and laugh till I cry
I’ll bow my head and give grace, find enough faith to get by.
As I fall into bed with my memories, I’ll realize I am not alone
As your family and friends all remember you today, your legacy will live on

For the final piece on the layout I created my title, by using my Sizzix to cut out some round tags, that I inked and distressed the edges on. I then set metal eyelets, and metal brads, then popped on the letters from my stash. I cut out a square tag and stamped it with a piece of the Glitz Girl ticket stamp set an eyelet, then took Tim Holtz Ball Chain and ran it through all the eyelets. I adhered each letter piece with foam tape for dimension, and to keep them from moving around, and that completed this heart wrenching layout.

Thank you for letting me share a piece of the sweet relationship that I shared with my Paw Paw, and some little pieces of who he was. I am so grateful for your company along this journey. I am feeling just a little drained after that one, so for now ~Hugs, Renea