Inspiration Elevator - December 2012

You may recall from last month's challenge that the purpose of this challenge group is to take our scrapbooking to the next level, to stretch our creative process and to grow as artists by embracing challenges that make us think, work and grow.  You can view each of the challenges on my blog - they are posted on the 15th of the month.

This month we have a very talented designer joining us as we explore our scrapbooking limits.  Please join me in welcoming Michelle Hernandez.  Michelle uses a variety of techniques to take her pages to the next level. You can see her amazing creations at her blog "My Analog Life".

This month, our challenger is the super talented Sue Sykes. Sue writes an ongoing article for Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine called Leaving Your Legacy and her challenge this month for Inspiration Elevator was also featured in the Winter edition. This is what she wrote:

"The idea of “Leave Your Legacy” first came about in 2007 when I was

sorting through some vintage photos of my parents. I realized that while

I knew most of the standard information about the images, the profound

information about my parents and relatives was missing - information

that would give me a glimpse of what they had been like when they were younger.

To me, scrapbooking is, of course, a means of artistic expression,

but more than that, it is a way to leave a little piece of history for

future generations in each layout. And so, it amazed me, in talking with

friends who scrapbook, to learn just how seldom they scrapbook about

themselves. All of these incredible people, and their families may not

really know anything personal about them: their hopes, dreams, habits,

likes, dislikes, fears and accomplishments. With this article, I hope to encourage

fellow artists to scrap more about themselves to avoid that from happening.

I think it's important to document your fears as well as your happy

times and accomplishments. Many times, things of which we are FEARFUL,

often characterize our personalities. It's also rewarding to be able to

look back, once you have overcome a fear, to realize how far you have

come. On the heels of my husband's heart attack, this was an obvious

choice for me, but it's difficult to put into words the FEAR that you

feel when faced with the possible loss of your partner. I want to

remember the fear that we both felt, so that it will help us to stick to

our commitment of living a healthier, less stressful life.

So what is it that you FEAR the most?

Not only do I want you to scrapbook about a FEARFUL topic, but I also

want you to include at least ONE product that you have avoided using.

Maybe it's because you are hoarding it and are FEARFUL of using it all,

or maybe you are intimidated by it. Whatever the reason, spread your

wings and challenge yourself to use it."

Fear!  That is a huge topic.  But I didn't have to think for long about one of my biggest fears.  It is the fear of flying in an airplane.  I have flown many, many, many times in my life and I continue to do so, but it is something that causes great anxiety in me after a really bad experience at 30,000 feet one time!  Our plane hit a wind shear and literally fell thousands of feet in just a few seconds.  Once the pilot got everything under control it happened a second time.  I won't go into detail, but the whole experience was terrifying for everyone on the plane.

So, with that in mind, I decided to create a simple page that gently deals with this fear.  I used butterflies as a symbol of myself and a cage to represent how I feel about flying.

I also decided to design my own background using misting, masking and painting!  I have always liked the look of painting on scrapbook pages, but I have never given it a try for fear that I might mess it up! I am happy to say it was fun and easy and I will certainly be doing it again :)

I love working with mists, but I have never done a masking technique with them.  How sad is that?  So with some extra butterflies, I did some masking and I love the subtle look it added to my page.

My birdcage was cut with my Silhouette (love that machine!) and I had fun adding bits and pieces to my design that seemed to support the theme of my page (an airplane sticker, a journal card with a destination on it, a photo of me on a very windy day at the beach as I pretend to be flying, and of course, butterflies that fly free without fear).

**In light of the tragedy in Connecticut yesterday, my fear seems very insignificant compared with the fear of losing our children or not being able to protect them from harm.  May God have mercy on those who are suffering and may our hearts be with them in prayer.**

I hope you will stop by and see what the designers on this adventure have created:

Sue Sykes

Lisa Spiegel

Joanne Burton

Christa Uttley

Laura Whitaker

Audrey Yeager

Lisa Moen

Laurel Seabrook

Ann Jobes

Cathy Harper

Michelle Hernandez, Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by.  If you would like to participate in this months challenge, please leave a comment linking up your project, and I will be sure to stop by ♥