Mixed media layout "Being a mother..."

Hey all,

In light of some recent stuff going on in my life, I felt the need to scrap a layout about my feelings. 

On April 4 my little boy Connor suddenly got a lump on his neck. The lump got bigger and after being told by the doctor  a couple of times that it would go away on its own, we were sent to the hospital after all, because it just kept growing. 

Since a couple of days before that hospital visit the lump had started to hurt Connor and his skin turned more red by the day.

Long story short: ultrasound, doctor, surgeon, pediatrician, and finally surgery to remove the entire infected gland on Wednsesday, May 18.

We are still awaiting the final test results, but already know the infection wasn't caused by something scary and incurable like cancer. 

However, back when things weren't clear yet, I suffered through some rough times, driving myself crazy with thoughts of bad things. The thought of losing Connor hurt so much it made me cry more than once. 

Just looking at his lump hurt, I can't stand him being in pain. 

I'm so glad the surgery is over, because staying with him until he finally succumbed to the anesthetics, watching him cry and scream, made me cry even harder.

The day after the surgery Connor already didn't experience any pain anymore. The last few days he has a soar throat and I don't know what to think about that. He's been feeling off. I just hope that whatever is plaguing him, will vanish soon.
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The May moodboard from the "Scraps of Darkness & Scraps of Elegance" blog was one of my inspiration sources.
Scrapsofdarkness.blogspot.nl

The moodboard over at "Mixed Media Place" for the May challenge was a perfect fit for the colors and feel I had in mind. That one quote from the moodboard, "She believed she could, so she did", could have been written just for me during this period. I had to believe I could get through this, when I didn't really feel like an adult myself. So I was brave for my little man!

The quote I used for my layout is another one though, because it perfectly describes the feelings I am trying to convey. 

"Being a mother is discovering strengths you didn't know you had and dealing with fears you never knew existed."

Pictured above are almost all of the ingredients you'll need. 

The shades of Tattered Angels glimmermist I used are the following: Verdigris, Latte, Jazz Blue, Walnutgold and chalkboard French Vanilla (for the splatters) and also Glimmerglam Tail Fin (which I forgot to include in the picture!). 

Started my layout by choosing the perfect paper from Kaisercraft, "Antique Bazaar Collection: Unearth".

I wanted the layout to have a 'prickly' feel, so I chose a Sheena stencil with thorn pattern. Applied Viva Decor's "Rusty Paper" through it.

This layout is full of symbolism: rusty staples are holding many things together, to represent both the stitches Connor has gotten, as well as the pieces of my broken heart being held together.

That beaten up and broken heart was made from brown wire, around which I wrapped henp rope in a crazy pattern.

For the middle part I used a shred of paper with bark printed on it, layered onto some fabric which I colored using my old bottle of Walnut Ink.

Used some pieces of bandage (again with a double meaning) colored with Tattered Angels glimmermist "Verdigris" to tie up some more loose ends.

The chipboard clock (from Sandra's Hobbyshop) represents the time ticking away, leaving us hoping, fearing and wondering.

The patterned crosses woodboard background pieces aren't a coincidence either: everybody knows what the Red Cross stands for.

I kept most of the elements on my layout nature related. Also inspired by the feathers from the Mixed Media Place moodboad. It merely enhanced the feeling I already had. Used feathers, a shred of paper with bark print, some wood chips my dad sawed from a branch, a chipboard dandelion from Scrapiniec, wood angel's wings, a small metal arrow and branch.
I'll leave you with some more close-ups. Hope you'll like it! Questions and comments are always welcome!

You can find me on Facebook too: Less is bore
And also in Instagram:mandylessibore

HAPPY SCRAPPING!

You colour my world

Hello my scrappy friends,

as I write this, I am already 1 year older...I turned 31 the day before yesterday!!! My B-day was okay. Cosy, yet small, in comparison to the Big B-day Bash I had last year ;) Also, this was already the third B-day without my mom. And my brother is still far away with the army, so another family member was missing. But most of my dear friends and relatives were there.

The other day (hmmm, actually, the other week...) I scrapped an LO about hubby and I. The pics were taken in Gent (Belgium) where we were during our last vacation. We ran into an alley covered in graffiti, so I HAD to take pictures! I was afraid to use graffiti-themed paper at first, because I was scared it might take the attention OFF my pics. But the paper I found complements my pics beautifully without overwhelming them. I titled this: "YOU COLOUR MY WORLD".

Take a look if you like:

Also, I had this very fun glamourshoot previous Saturday! It was such a fun concept! We got to go there with a whole group of friends. Unfortunately I only knew 2 persons there: my sis in law and her sister. The rest of the group was made up of friends from friends from my sis in law's sister...But I had fun anyway!

Every one of us got a glamour make-up and we could dress up in 2 of our classiest outfits. At first everyone got a private shoot, and after that we got catwalk lessons. A young woman taught us how to walk the catwalk and how to pose @ the end. We changed into our other outfits and then everyone had to walk the catwalk, applauded by the rest. Such a fun experience, it made me feel feminine. Of all the pictures we could only order 5, of those 5 I am very happy about 3 of them, and less happy with 2. But that's still 3 beautiful pictures!!!

We have a scrap-store in a little town near us (Bentelo), where I go to once in a while. Ofcourse I chat with the woman who runs it, and the other day she told me that she is now working for a Dutch scrap company as well, CreaMotion. She helps design the new papers etc, and she's kind of in charge of the magazine. She said she was looking for people who would like to contribute something, and asked me to send her some pics of my work. If my work was good enough, she would ask me for future magazines, maybe.

So, Thursday, the day before my B-day she sent me an e-mail asking me if I still wanted to make something. DUH, what do you think?! I was asked to make a LO and 2 cards for their scrap-magazine! Honestly, the magazine isn't all that, but who cares? ;) She is going to send me stuff, and I get to make something for free! I also get some compensation, next to having my name and work published in a magazine ofcourse =) I am very curious about the papers and colours, the line is called "Girl Power", so I think it's just my thing...!!! Now I just hope my mojo will be back soon, because I seem to have lost it, somewhere...

And this weekend my friend Monique and I are going to the "Scrap A Fairytale" event in the castle Beukenrode!!! I am soooo looking forward to it!! This weekend a warehouse in our town had a discount on scraptrolleys, so I bought one for myself. :) Thought it would come in handy for such events, and visiting my friends on scrapdates.

In short, I am a happy scrapper =) And I sincerely hope you are too...

*HUGS & KISSES* XOXO