Scrap for Help June Reveal

Welcome to June...and to the Scrap for Help reveal.  Your mission this month, should you choose to accept it, is to upcycle wood or twigs on your project.  You can make a layout, a card, an OTP project...anything!
 

Supplies: alphabet paper, blue floral paper, journaling block, & ruler sticker from Basic Grey; purple floral paper, striped paper & cut-apart blocks from Graphic 45; alphabet stickers from October Afternoon; paint from Ranger; tape from 3M/Scotch; buttons & heart charms from Olla Podrida; thread from DMC; collage-making software by walgreens.com; upcycled book page, fabric, lace, & ribbon; twig found on sidewalk.  :)

I made a layout, called "Every Year," which includes a twig.

I had my photos printed as a collage, which is something I do frequently.  It saves a little bit on ink and paper and makes it easier to create a multi-photo layout.  I use walgreens.com, but many photo services offer this option.

Do you love to read?  I do!  On this layout, I wrote about my favorite book: "Since I was a little girl, my favorite book has been A Little Princess, and I re-read it every year.  As a literary scholar, I can enjoy it on many levels: the lush text, the implied social criticism, etc.  And as a human, I can enjoy this yearly little dose of 'happily ever after.'  I love happy endings."

Ugh, I'm not sure why I used the phrase "as a literary scholar"--it sounds a bit pretentious!  I should have just written "as an English teacher."  Oh well, it's written in pen, so it's too late to change it now.  Moving on... :)

It was easy to incorporate the twig into my design.  To flatten it slightly, I pressed it under two dictionaries for a few days.  After pressing the twig, I glued it to an old book page.  Once the glue dried, I ripped away most of the paper, leaving just a thin "mat" under the twig.  On my layout, this embellishment symbolizes growth through reading.  The twig represents the growth, and the book page represents the reading.

In my layered design, I also used some fabric scraps from old clothing.  So, this page has a lot of upcycled elements.

I also handmade two other embellishments for my layout.  These embellishments are made from vintage heart charms, which are suspended from little cones of lace, which are in turn suspended from vintage buttons.  It's fun to create a one-of-a-kind look with vintage and handmade pieces.

I hope you will consider playing along with our challenge this month.  You have until the end of June to submit your entries on the Scrap for Help blog.  Happy scrapping!