Cool Tummies

This is my most recently completed layout. The stars of the how this time are Humphrey and the Beautiful Sophie. I started this page in the days following Sophies death. I wasn't sure if I could cope but she had always been my crafting company, always close, too close actually as I had to climb over here more times that I could say! I always told Soph that when I did her page (I always intended to do a joint Humphrey and Sophie page and then individual pages) that it would be the most beautiful page ever, really girly and beautiful as it would have to be to properly represent her - the beautiful Sophie.

That page is next to do and I have gathered as many pretty things as I have managed in an attempt to properly show off how very beautiful Sophie is.

This page concerns Humphrey and Sophie in their 'digging box', which is a large wooden sandpit with a canvas roof. Sophie adored being outside, literally spending every moment she could and as well as munching on everything she could find, Soph also pursued her hobby of digging. It was Soph who discovered that if she dug a hole and lay in it, her tummy would be much cooler and with her brother (Humphrey), would spent happy times in the shade watching the world go by.

When I did this page I was very much out of my comfort zone. Emotionally it was very hard and the pressure to produce a page that was worthy of Humphrey and Sophie was higher than ever. I knew it neede to be a sunnyish page though hence the involvement of the colour orange which I loathe! I had great difficulty finding stuff that would be suitable and once again the paper I used (K and Company) whilst initally appearing perfect, was in reality very difficult to 'control'.

I did my very best and again chose to add some hidden journalling (under the smaller photos to be accessed via the green tags) which for Sophie contained additional information about her and for Humphrey likewise. I do have some journalling on show in my awful handwriting, but I do think it's more personal to write it myself.

As ever my photos aren't great and my cropping is criminal! (I do find it hard to photograph my layouts well). Unhappily this means that the detail on the paper isn't very clear. The paper itself contains words too which I picked up by using additional K and Company words. The vinyl American Crafts thickers I felt were perfect in texture as well as colour and add to the summery theme.

I hope the page shows not only the fun Humphrey and Sophie had outside but also their deep love for one another. We miss Sophie terribly and when I did the journalling I found I was unable to speak of Sophie in the past tense, so the present tense is used. It's hard now to say Sophie 'did' rather than 'does'.

I am only a beginner at scrapbooking so my technique, style and sense of design isn't all that great. Having said that, to me scrapbooking is about preserving memories, about the ability to create something that in 50 years time people can see and know something about the subject matter, why the photo was taken, what's happening, why the event, the time, the participants are special. I'm not stretching the boundaries of design but I create a page to fulfill all the requirements mentioned above. I do this for me and I do it so others can see the pages and enjoy them but mostly I do it so the people/animals on the pages will never be forgotton.