Make A Wish

The process for this page was very different than my usual. First I sketched out a basic design, knowing that I had all these fun embellishments from Scraptastic's Shake It Off kit. Then I put the main papers together: a neutral patterned paper background, with two smaller patterned papers arranged on top. One is given a zigzag edge; the other is a smaller strip with a label-holder title. I even began adding embellishments along the (almost) center line.

But what was missing from this process???!!!

The photo!!!

Yes, I had the look I wanted, but couldn't narrow down which picture to add. I had an old photo from my sorority days, a group shot from a dinner party, and the 87th birthday picture which you see below. It was just one of those layouts where every photo seemed to draw life from the page, and I had a hard time choosing! But birthday it was. (Ooops...I took this photo before I added the journaling. The sun came out and I jumped up with my camera to get a few pics before it retreated again. Imagine a little journaling card the color of the leaves tucked to the left of the photo.)

Butterflies, wood veneer, library cards, pockets and tags were just some of the "ephemera" added to the top of the herringbone patterned paper: 

A "triangle of green" draws the eye around the page...from the fun embellishments, to the words and photo, and down to the title of the page, stamped and framed in a wood veneer label holder:

Make A Wish. I ultimately decided on the 87th birthday photo because it WAS such a momentous occasion. Yes, we had pulled off another surprise party. Last year it was for my dad; this year for Tommy's mom. I can only pray that good health and longevity is passed down to me and mine!