Love - Live - Hope

What could become of us without them?
Hello dear blogger friends, here I´m showing you an inspiration creation I made for myself and the Twisted Thursday challenge at The Outlawz this week. We want you to add stitches on your creation. Beware! it´s a long post ☺
After a sudden and unexpected turn of my life I was left compeltely desoriented with a deep sadness and pain. I know compared with other people life mine is not bad at all and I shouldn´t complain, but you all know that while measuring our personal problems we loose objectivity, and I saw my life destroyed at my feet.
A few days later I knew I had to get my life back again and heal my wounds, friends for all over the world and family poured me with the most wonderful encouraging words and love, all and each of them helped me to keep going, to lift my face to the sun and walk, and creating is being part of finding my usual self again. It was hard at the beginning because I could not create a single thing, anything at all! and that stressed me too, so I started reading again, going thru old magazines and (even older) card making books and I found an article where the artist made small scrapbooking pages to remind her some of her inner thoughts (she made them to cope with some hard time in her life too), and that inspired me to create these three pages. Actually they are not pages, they are wall hangers. I´m going to hang them in a place where I can see them everyday, to remind me what my inner me is convinced (sometimes I seem to forget!).
I used inspirational quotes I found on the internet ☺ So this is how I made them:

I started by recycling a hanging paper folder (remember those I saved from the recycling bin at work?) and some shopping maps that are freely distributed here in Madrid from time to time. I found them in a wonderful store I like to buy patterned paper and they were the only three left! lucky me... On the front of these maps there is always an image and this time it has these gorgeous kid faces, stern, serious and determined young faces, that´s what I feel everytime I look at them and decided to used them right away.
I cut them careflully and placed them on the base cardstock. I took a page of music sheet, cut it to match the image and colored the borders with ink pads.
Then I stitched the top and bottom borders with embroidery floss and some glass sead beads, here you can see my stitching process
 
Then I added some extra stitches and beads on the boy´s shoulder, it gives it a great look and texture!
The sentiment is by Zelda Fitgerald, printed it on patterned paper, singled out every word and placed them with foam tape. These words for me are strong and are meant to say the answer every time I read it.
I finished them by spelling the main word on every page with black foam stickers.
On the second one I glued some sequins (the green leaf is also a sequin!) on the girl´s neckline of her dress and some yellow rhinestones
and again I printed the sentiment and singled out each word before placing them with foam tape. The sentiment is a Cherokee Indian proverb. A wonderful one! and I need it to remind me not to waste my time going around in cicles, I have to learn from the past and keep living the life I have, the life I want for me.
And finaly on the third one I embellished it with a purple dollar store flower and some sequins and large glass sead beads
Once again, I printed the sentiment and placed it with foam tape. This one has not know author... but it reflects myself so well that´s why I chose it, I never give up, I never did and I hope never will.
And here all three together again, each of them are 6 x 6 in (click on them to enlarge)
Hope you like them as much as I do! and I hope they can inspire you to take care of yourselves too.

I´m missing playing on some challenges, so I´m entering these at:
Anything goes: challenge #50
Lollipop crafts challenge #49: anything but a card
Digital Tuesday challenge #129: people images
City crafter challenge #75: let´s face the music
My time to craft challenge #158: "L" is for...
Sassy Studio: Dare to be Sassy challenge#91 hip to be square
Sweet stampin´challenge: flowers!
All sorts challenge #121: alter/recycle

17 comments:

Trina said...

Ileana, this is an amazing project! I love all the details you added to make this your own personal encouragement piece!

cheryl said...

oh my dear friend these are amazing the images,the words especially are perfect,just stunning hun you really have outdone yourself this time hun,you are so creative and one amazing blogging friend you take care hun love bug hugs cherylxxxxx

Inkypinkycraft said...

Wow, these are hugely powerful sentiments, beautifully illustrated.trace x

Ros said...

These are amazing!! I love those faces and the words are terrific ... thanks so much for sharing these with us at CCCB

Nicola said...

What fabulous wall hangings, so inspirational! Your attention to detail is wonderful and I love your idea for creating them, I think we all need some of these hung somewhere to remind us to stay positive!
Thanks so much for entering my Alter/Recycle challenge over at Allsorts this week and good luck!
Love Nicola xxx

Fiona said...

wow...this is so beautiful!! Love all the details..

hanks for joining us at Sweet Stampin this week.

Fi
x

Rachel said...

Great sentiments and I love your purple flower. Thanks for sharing at Sweet Stampin this week. Wedgie xxx

Regan said...

These are absolutely beautiful and so inspirational! I'm so sorry to hear about the tough time you are going through. We all have our demons to battle... The Cherokee Indian proverb really resonates with me! I will send good thoughts your way & hope you continue to craft as these are exceptionally lovely! Thanks for joining us at Sassy Studio Designs for "Hip To Be Square"! :)
{hugs}
Regan

Unknown said...

Awww!! Cute! Thanks for playing at Digital Tuesday Challenge!!

Alanna said...

Great project. Thanks so much for joining us this week at Lollipop Crafts.

Kirsty Vittetoe said...

AWESOME!!!! thanks for playing along with us at CCCB!

Lynne Armstrong said...

Just PERFECT Ileana! These little hangers are both beautiful and inspiring...just like you my friend :) So pleased to see you creating your amazing projects again.
BIG hugs xx

Unknown said...

WOW!! I just love these.. They are so creative.. So glad you played along with us at CCCB!

Sharon said...

A wonderful project, very original. Thanks for joining in the fun at Anything Goes this week, hugs Sharon

tiggertastic said...

these are so different, pleased i stopped by today :)

Good luck in the challenges, hugs Sarah-Louise My Blog

Designing for:
Crafty Purple Frog , Sweet Pea Stampers ,Bearly Mine Designs , Kenny K and My Time To Craft

cnelson said...

So FAB! Thanks for playing along at CCCB!

Francine said...

I love your cards with the children's faces. Did you draw these? They are beautiful. I am looking at all of your creations and I love everything on your blog. Hugs, Francine