04 October 2010

Procrastination

"Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.” ~ Napoleon Hill

I'm embarrassed to admit that I am an expert procrastinator. I've been battling with procrastination all my life. I'm great with deadlines, but I also frequently live with the stress and adrenaline rush of a last-minute finish.

This month, I've been invited to be a Guest Designer at Scrap Our Stash, and the October challenge is to "Do THAT project". I have a hundred procrastinated-too-long projects to choose from!!

This is what I created:



In 2007, on the way home from a week-long driving vacation, I asked my husband to make a slight detour to visit the country town where my grandparents used to live.  We sought out the cemetery and located their gravestones.  I took some photographs, knowing that I may never visit again. The actual grave markers don't hold a lot of significance for me; I believe that once we pass on, our souls move to a better place.  Memories live in our hearts and minds, not at a graveside.  But somehow I thought it was important to visit, and also to show my daughter the location of my grandparents' final resting place.

So, I've had these photographs on my hard-drive for almost three years, not really knowing whether to scrap them or how to go about it.  This challenge motivated me to print them out, and get them on a page.  Because I didn't feel any deep emotional response to the visit, I also had no real compulsion to record the experience - so I kept the journalling factual.

As for "scrapping our stash" - I used a 6x6 sheet of Basic Grey 'Motifica' paper pad that has been in my collection for years and years, a journalling page from Making Memories, and a small strip of Cosmo Cricket from last year's 'Nutmeg' line.

My scrapping tip for today:  Dress up older papers by adding an interesting personal touch!  I added some hand  stitching to make the paper pop from the page, and it formed a subtle frame for the very plain photographs too.

# City Crafter ~ Week 24 ~ Flowers and frills
# Paper Cutz ~ Challenge  #61 ~ Three patterned papers
# C.R.A.F.T ~ Challenge 70 ~ Fancy floral - I used a crocheted flower

11 comments :

  1. Such great flower and frills, thanks for playing along with us at CCCB!

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  2. I can identify with your beliefs ... lovely tribute to your grandparents and beautifully done ... thanks for joining us at CCCB

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  3. What a beautiful way to honor those that have pasted. Thanks for sharing at Paper Cutz this week!
    Melissa

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  4. you did a lovely job karen. I always tell heidi (and now she tells me) that people we know who have passed away are always in our hearts and in our minds too. they're never really gone, just in the physical sense.
    xox

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  5. Just love this long awaited layout Karen, great dedication page and thank goodness for wonderful challenges like this that encourage us to finish these pages. Melxx



    ps. Can you believe a mini book............6 hours so far and only maybe 1/3 finished.....

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  6. This is stunning!! I love your layout and the crocheted flower!! What a cherished memory of those you love!

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  7. What a beautiful memorial!! Thank you for playing along at CCCB!

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  8. What a lovely way to honor the memories..so peaceful and beautiful. '
    Thanks for joining us at the C.R.A.F.T. Challenge this week.

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  9. Hi Karen,

    I don't really keep my moemories with a stone like that as well, but by putting it in a lovely layout like this, maybe you can have memories with it! Very nicely made!

    Hugs,
    Wendy

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  10. This is a beautiful page! Such a lovely tribute!

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  11. I love what you've done with this memory, Karen! The journalling really captures the moment. xx

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