The Flowers that Changed my Life (OUAS & B71B)

ETA: I'm floored--my layout is featured at Once Upon a... Sketch!  Thank you to OUAS design team member Solange Marques, who selected my layout.

Supplies: green paper by Basic Grey; purple paper by Doodlebug; all other paper by Graphic 45; aqua rub-ons by Hambly; doilies by Royal Consumer Products; thread by DMC; tulle by Wyla; mesh upcycled from candy packaging; key by Zeus & Zoe; ribbon rose by Berwick Offray; charms upcycled from charm bracelet; Distress Stain & Distress Marker by Ranger; punch (used as stencil) by All Night Media; household pen.

This layout, called "Scott's Roses," is for the April challenges at Berry 71 Bleu and Once Upon a...Sketch.  The B71B challenge them is "flowers," and the OUAS challenge theme is "the best day of your life."  

See these two roses, one yellow, one pink?  The day I received them was the best day of my life.

My journaling explains the significance of these roses.  "In college I had a crush on my friend Scott.  But did he feel the same?  I got my answer when he sent me roses for Valentine's Day, 1996.  Such a happy time!  And it has only led to more happiness: dating, then marriage, then parenthood.  Those two little roses started it all!"

Thanks to the "Secret Garden" collection from Graphic 45, the title "Scott's Roses" was ready made for me.  :)  I cut around the bunch of roses and treated the edges of the cut-out with Distress Stain.  I also ran my white Distress Marker over the background of the design, so that the title and the roses would stand out more.  This also gives a bit of a vignette effect.

The Distress Marker got some use on a few other spots around the page as well.  I love the dreamy way in which it can soften the look of a background paper.

I did a lot of fussy-cutting with the roses and other motifs on the Secret Garden papers.  I also fussy-cut bits from a silver doily to place under my paper cuttings.

Silver was not the only metallic in play on this page.  I also used loops of gold thread under all my page elements.

I also used tulle and mesh to add texture and depth to the layout.  Dangling metal heart charms are the finishing touch for the page.

So now you know why February 14, 1996, was the best day of my life...and it's all because of two sweet roses.  Thanks for dropping by my blog to see my page and read my story.