In my quest to get caught up on scrapbooking, which I'll tell you more about later in this post, I found one photograph that I wasn't sure what to do with it. After numerous text messages to three of my siblings, they helped me remember the story behind this photograph (which is at the end of this post). Even if you are not a cat person, I believe you will agree that the photograph I've featured on this scrapbook layout is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! The color combination for this layout was determined by the colors of the sweet kitten, whose name was Patches.
The layout base is 12" x 12" Basic Black Cardstock. The next layer is 11 1/2" x 11 1/2" Soft Suede Cardstock. I wrapped five strands of Basic Black Baker's Twine in the center. A subtle touch because kittens love to play with anything similar to string.
I wanted to tell the story of Patches because it is memorable and unique. I used the free Austie Bost Kitten Klub font from www.1001fonts.com and printed it on Whisper White Cardstock. There are little paw prints in this font to add another subtle kitten touch.
What kitten wouldn't be fascinated with open water, goldfish and a snail? This is a one-in-a-million photograph that was caught in the moment. It was taken in the late 1960's with a Polaroid Swinger Camera, which was one of the first inexpensive instant cameras. I used the original photograph on the layout (the above photograph is edited). I don't think our children or grandgirls even know about this type of photograph. Yes, it is hard to realize when your life becomes part of the vintage world.
Since there was a black space on the photograph, I added a 7/16" x 2 3/4" Soft Suede pennant. I tied a bow from Whisper White Baker's Twine bow at the top and attached the pennant with one Glue Dot.
A 2" x 4" Soft Suede pennant was embossed in the Woodland Embossing Folder in the Big Shot. Another subtle touch because kittens like to climb trees. I enjoy combining the Layering Circles Framelits and the Stitched Shapes Framelits. The personalized sentiment was created with the Labeler Alphabet Stamp Set. The final touch to this layout was to add some of the silver Metallic Enamel Shapes to the lower right side.
See this pile in my laundry room (minus the toy box and the pile of page protectors)? This all I have left to sort through of photographs and memorabilia. Five large plastic bins are done!!! Because this pile is something I see every day, I can't deny that this unfinished project still exists. When this (and more) were all in the furnace room, the "out of sight, out of mind" phrase was true.
This is what I'm slowly working on. My mother-in-law kept a scrapbook about the hubby. The pages are fragile and crumbling. School glue/paste was used to attach the newspaper articles, which are now fading. I am copying everything (there is a lot), which is tedious. Little by little, with a lot of breaks, is how I get through this non-creative part of scrapbooking.
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Here is the story of Patches.
Growing up, the Rysted Family had a cat that was named Mama Kitty. She lived up to her name having litter after litter of kittens. Usually we gave away her kittens, sometimes we kept one. They tried to take care of the never-ending mouse problem in our house. Mama Kitty was getting old and her last litter had only one kitten. We named her Patches. Our Uncle Lloydie and Aunt Evelyn bought a house in the country, that they called the Ponderosa. They had a definite mouse problem. A few days after Patches was born, our mom decided to give Mama Kitty and Patches to Lloydie and Evelyn.
Off to the Ponderosa we went with Mama Kitty and Patches in a cardboard box in the trunk of the car. When we got to the Ponderosa, we all got out and opened the trunk. In two seconds, Mama Kitty jumped out and ran away; leaving Patches behind. Our cousins and the Rysted’s spend the rest of the day searching for Mama Kitty. She was never found. It was so hard to leave the Ponderosa without Mama Kitty. We returned home with Patches, who was now an orphan. Her eyes were still closed and she could barely meow. We found doll bottles to feed her milk. And, we lined a cardboard box with bath towels, a stuffed animal and a wind-up clock. Her box was put in the girls’ bedroom. The first night was rough, as Patches cried a lot. Each day, Patches did a little bit better. After a couple of weeks, her eyes opened. She learned to drink milk from a saucer. And, she used the litter box. She was spoiled because so many of us wanted to hold her. And, she was a bit curious and naughty some times! -Susan Rysted
