Happiness is an Ancient Forest

Hi everyone,

My project today started with a challenge on the More Than Words Challenge Blog.  I always like challenges because they get me thinking outside the box that I like to keep myself in!  ;) 

For this challenge, we were to use the sketch and incorporate the word "Happiness".

I've been hoarding this "Nature's Bliss" paper by Pam Bray for Wild Whisper, just waiting for the right project to come along... and this was IT!

A few years ago, I had a wonderful walk through the Muir Woods Redwood Forest in California.  It was so soothing and peaceful that a feeling of happiness comes back to me every time I sit and remember the quiet hush of those ancient woods.

This is the sketch that we were to use for the challenge. I flipped the sketch and used it vertically.

There's a lot of white space on the sketch and I decided to let Pam's paper be the highlight in that area.  To add a bit of texture though, I added Ranger's Transparent Gloss Texture Paste through a pretty stencil.

Next I prepared the bottom mat.  I wanted to try and bring out glow of the sunlight coming through the trees, so I added a piece of sparkly ribbon.  I cut the wired edges off because I thought they were a bit TOO sparkly!  :)

Here it is... complete with ribbon and a bit of twine.  Before putting it on my layout, I added strips of foam to the back of it.

Next, I prepared the photo by matting it with another piece of Nature's Bliss.  I put foam strips on the back of the photo mat once again.

Tip:  When I put the foam strips on for depth, I always leave the sides open in case I want to tuck some of the embellishments underneath.

Here are the main components, all glued down and ready to be embellished.  In the lower right hand area of the layout, I used the "Forever Blessed" stamp from an older Wild Whisper set called "Sweater Weather". 

Pam's paper is so stunning, that I almost felt I could stop here LOL, but I still need the word "Happiness" to complete the challenge... and what is a layout without embellishments???

Below, I am preparing my embellishments by lightly brushing them with a coat of gesso. The bear is from one of Wild Whisper's older wood veneer packs (I always stock up on my favorities!)  I embossed it with 2 layers of Rugged Red embossing powder.

To make the embellishment cluster, I pulled out some goodies I have been "hoarding" for years.  The white piece in the background is a piece of Dusty Attic chipboard which I embossed with Wispy Wool embossing powder.  I loved the effect achieved with the Wispy Wool... a soft lovely white that when put over the grey chipboard, reminds me of fog. 

The black and white floral sprays are from my favorite Wild Whisper ephemera pack called "Floral".  If you look closely, you can see that for a little sparkle, I added in the edges of the wired ribbon that I had cut off earlier.

I had to work a bit to get the right combination of Distress Ink colours to create my title.  After a bit of experimenting, I finally got something I liked with a first layer of Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo, followed by a second layer of Forest Moss and edged in Walnut Stain.  On top of the red berries, I glued sequins from the Crazy Motivated pack.

The final piece was lightly flicked with watered down gesso.

This layout will be framed and hung on my wall as it is a memory that I will cherish forever!