Scrapbook page - My Greatest Works of Art

A couple months ago, I was reflecting on the things that I've accomplished in my life.

I don't have a college degree. I never actually went to college. I don't have a high profile career. After almost 11 years of marriage, I'm still living in a house that we don't own. I'm not independently wealthy.
Some people might look at that list and find it extremely disappointing.

For myself, though, those are things that I don't measure my life's accomplishments by.

Believe it or not, right up until I met my husband, I was bound and determined to be a spinster. I was not interested in finding a man to love. I was not interested in getting married. I was certainly not interested in ever having children. Funny how meeting the "right one" can change so many things that I was dead-set against. My husband calls that an "act of God." haha!

When I think about my accomplishments, I think about the things that define my life and make it what it is.

I'm a wife and a mom. I met my husband when I was 19. I was married at the age of 20. I was pregnant with my first child at the age of 21 and gave birth at the age of 22. I was pregnant again, 4 1/2 months later, while still at the age of 22 and gave birth to my second child at the age of 23. So much of what I am and what I feel have been some of my greatest accomplishments happened in those 4 short years. I have no regrets and wouldn't change a thing.

I look at my children and know, without a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what I may accomplish in life, these two beauties will always stand as my two greatest works of art. They are my finest accomplishments. They are what I am most proud of.

And to think.....at one time, I didn't even want to have kids. Silly me. I didn't realize then that I had two pieces of artwork, just waiting, patiently, to come to life.

My children look through the scrapbooks I've created, but I don't think they quite understand what they mean to me. As time goes on, though, I know it will eventually take hold and they'll see, through pages like these, how much I really love them. How much I absolutely adore them. How proud I am of them. That they make up part of who I am - part of my being-, just as much as they, themselves, are intricately wrapped up in their own being.

For me, scrapbooking is more than just pictures, artwork and words. It's a living legacy. It's something that reflects what's in my soul. I bear my feelings on my pages. I share my heart. I say the things I'm really thinking. I've long since given up trying to hide the real me on my pages. If I hide myself, I'm leaving just the surface for those that come after me. The top layer. My legacy is all of me. Every layer. The top, the bottom and everything in between. I want it all to be seen. I want it all to be understood.

Most of the time on my blog, you see cards and gift items. While I love making cards and gifty sorts of things, my passion lies in creating a photographic, creative and soulful legacy behind for those I love the most. Scrapbooking is not a hobby for me. The word, "hobby," doesn't even begin to touch what scrapbooking is for me. It's a passion, a privilege and, even more, I feel that it is a responsibility for me. I enjoy it, though. It's not a responsibility that I feel burdened by. It encompasses my 3 favorite creative outlets: writing, papercrafting and photography. How can a girl like me not be passionate about something like scrapbooking?

The photos on this page were taken by one of my best friends, Jen (from The Family Room Studio). She took them last May here at our home. They are some of my favorites from that shoot. I love the classic and timeless look of black and white photos. I have the portrait of the two of them together on a big 16 x 20 canvas, hanging in my living room. Sometimes I find myself standing in front of it, just staring at it.

I printed out my journaling, double spacing the lines, and then cut it into strips and adhered it to my page.

My journaling reads:

Sometimes I find myself staring at my kids. I just can't help myself. There's an old Chinese proverbs that says, "There's only one beautiful child in the world and every mother has it." In my case, though, there's actually only two beautiful children in the world and I happen to have both of them. When I think about the accomplishments in my life, my thoughts rest on my kids. They truly are my two greatest works of art.

I used a piece of Basic Grey paper for my base page (from the Motifica line.....LOVE that line!). The cardstock letter tiles are from Scenic Route. I criss-crossed some staples on the word, "art." I also used staples on either side of the word, "my," at the top of the page. I anchored the ribbon with silver mini brads. I smudged some deep red ink onto the Real Red grosgrain ribbon to distress it and match the red letter tiles. I also swiped some deep red ink onto some Real Red cardstock, then stamped two hearts (from the Love you to Pieces set - which benefits autism awareness) onto the cardstock with Versamark ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I cut out the hearts and mounted them in the corner of the page, mounting one of them with pop-dots for some added dimension.

The black photo turns that hold down the words, "works of," are from Joanne's. I stamped those words with the Simple Type alphabet set (from SU, now retired). I inked around the edge of the cardstock with Basic Black ink.

I used a Hero Arts small alphabet set for my kids' names. I stamped them on strips of white cardstock and then punched them out with the Word Window punch from Stampin' Up. I slid the punched out words back into the punch so that I could get a smaller "pill sized" piece of paper. And for the record, my daughter's name (yes, she DOES have a name other than "Girly") is pronounced "Ee-LEE-za," which is the German pronunciation and also happens to be my grandmother's name.

The glass hearts were from Michael's and I got them years ago. I've slowly been using up the stash that I've been hoarding for so long. Honestly, they look MUCH better decorating my scrapbook pages than sitting in my bins, collecting dust. The red brads were a dollar store find.

Have a lovely evening!

Happy Creating!

-Stampin' Mama

Comments

[Sharla]

Once again, completely beautiful. You can capture on those pages what I feel in my heart. Our children really are our greatest blessing and achievement.

[Sue Poile]

Hi Erika. OMG wow you just have such a way with words from your heart, don't you. This testimony of yours really hit home to me as i read how your life has been. Very familiar thoughts running through my head. I was married at 22 and had my fist child when i was 23. My marriage failed over lies, but not going into that. I had another daughter 4 years later but her father run off with another. I raised those special little girls for 19 years as a single mum. I met up again with a very special longtime friend around 3years ago and as he wanted to take me on when i was left pregnant with my second daughter, but i wasn't ready for any of it. WE are now sharing what we missed all those years ago and i wouldn't take any of it back or change it. Now i am happier than i have ever been. I envy you that you can put it all in scrapbook pages as i have no idea how.

[Marni]

JUST GORGEOUS!

[Julie Masse]

Beautiful page Erika! Love the ideas you expressed - as a Mom myself (who also never really "wanted" children) I can attest to the truth of what you said! :)

[Patty W]

Stunning...both on paper and in thought!

[Bee]

Gorgeous, as always. LOVE, love it, and I feel just like you about my kid. I love that chinese proverb! ;-)

[Jennifer]

Your journaling always brings a tear to my eye. You have such a way with words and I love how you incorporate that to your scrapbook pages. Journaling is the hardest part for me and you inspire me to write more.

[Nicole]

AMAZING!!

[Lori S.]

What a BEAUTIFUL post, Erika. THANK YOU for sharing your heart!!!!

[Alison Snow]

I am quite literally breathless looking at this page and what the picture conveys in raw emotion, much less how the words touch the heartstrings in such a strong way that it's almost painful!

Now that I'm about to turn 40, I am stunned by what you've accomplished already in your life!

Enjoy every minute and thanks for sharing your life so deeply with us!

Alison

[suzanne]

A truly beautiful page. And you do have two beautiful creations.

[Michele]

What a touching page! This is beautiful!

[Kari]

A beautiful page to be sure. An even more beautiful expression of our love for you children and the great life you have. Would love to see more of our scrapbook layouts along with your cards... thanks for sharing.

[brenda]

Beautiful and now we/I know Girlie's given name!

[Carol]

This post has left me speechless! Your thoughts are so deeply personal and I love that you shared them with us. I too put my soul into scrapbooking so that those who come after me will know about my family and how we lived. Now I know I need to do more pages about me on a personal level - I haven't been able to bring those thoughts to paper yet, but this post certainly has moved me strongly into that direction! You are such a loving Mom and truly an inspiration for your readers. TFS such a touching page. BTW, I love the new photo again - it makes your eyes look bluer than blue!

[Jen C]

Thank you, Erika. I do appreciate you posting and sharing this. I have a story similar to yours: married @ 18, first child @ 21, second child @ 23, third child @ 25. (The kids are now 4 yrs, 2.5 yrs and 5 months old.) I am currently a stamp at home mom and today has been a particularly difficult day for me. Let's just say I've been cleaning up lots of messes. :) Anyway...your post was a good reminder for me that I am doing what I think is best for my kids. I am their mom and they are my works of art. Thank you so much for posting this today.

[Mary Davidson]

I love to see the pages you create, Erika! They are stunningly beautiful as are your children (and you too!). Thanks so much for sharing them with us.

[jenn nahrstadt]

i always love it when you share like this, because what i enjoy most about reading blogs is getting a better picture through words of the person who's posting. i can relate with so much of what you shared. i wanted to get married, but i didn't want kids at all and shared that openly with my husband before we got engaged. after about 3 years of marriage, we decided to try and we had our first child a little over a year later. he turned out to be our only child, and i wouldn't have life any other way!

i too feel that raising our son is my most important work, and often times i'm not sure if i'm doing well at it. do you ever wonder what's being transferred to them? i think you do, since you said that you're not sure if your kids "get" what they mean to you even though they read your eloquent words. i can get all tied up in knots about this, worrying about seeing the most important truths take root in his heart and bear fruit in his life.

i'm not really looking for any answers, but it was comforting to know that someone else shares this struggle, to whatever degree. thanks for sharing...and listening to our responses.

[Natalie S]

This post and your page are simply stunning and heartfelt! Thanks for sharing. I hope to be a mom someday and have my own "work of art" to scrapbook about. God bless you!

[barb]

Once again, I have to say I love your writing, it stirs my heart. Your scrapbook page and children are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing your gifts and talents with all of us! It is inspiring.

[LuvLee]

Oh gosh Erika!!! This layout is amazing and the photos are incredible!!! I love how personal you get in your journalling to make for some truly special and memorable photo albums!!!

[Kristin]

What a wonderful page!
I had to laugh when you wrote that your daughter does have a name! As I was looking at the page over and over again I was thinking, "I didn't know her daughter's name was Elise - she's always called Girly!"
Thanks for sharing!

[Becky]

UM. UH. STUNNING PAGE. Really...just gorgeous. I love it SO much. Thanks Erika!
Beck

[Vanessa Y.]

What a sweet, sweet post. Thanks for sharing who you are.

[Vanessa Y.]

What a sweet, sweet post. Thanks for sharing who you are.