Clear Scraps Project Post

Hello all my Clear Scraps Friends!
Misty @Mommyofkidz here with you today on this Magnificent Monday! Can you believe that our Great Nation just Celebrated the 250th Anniversary of its Independence! What an amazing milestone! And what a long line of devoted men and women who have fought for our country over these past 250 years. Did you celebrate on the 4th of July? Did you watch fireworks, go to a concert, or just have a picnic or a backyard BBQ with family? However you celebrated the day, my hopes are that you took a moment to thank God and the men and women who made it possible.
Today, I am sharing an album that I made as tribute of sorts to the men and women in my own family who have served for our nation and freedom. I used the Slimline Tab Album for this project, along with several embellishments from the Clear Scraps line-up.

The first thing I did was get all of my materials together. I like having everything within reach when I start creating. The Album, the paper collection that I intended to use, the embellishments, and of course, the glue. Now, don’t think I never have to search for anything, because believe me…I DO! I can’t tell you how many pair of scissors I own just because I loose them ALL the time!
Anyway….Here is a photo of what I started with. What I start with is not always what I end with…but I do try! Ha Ha!!

The first thing I did was use that gorgeous paper pack to cover all the pages of the chipboard album. I use Tombow Aqua glue to cover the surface of the chipboard before adding my paper. I like it because it has the large end with the brush that helps to moderate how much glue is release as well as helping to spread it evenly. Now, I am sure you all know that the chipboard will swell and get wonky when it gets wet…and glue is wet.
SOOOOOO, after covering all the pages of the album, I stacked them and clipped them together with heavy duty clips. I leave them this way overnight…or even longer if I have the spare time. Doing this allows the glue to dry and the chipboard to settle back into place and become straight again.

While the glue dries and the chipboard settles, let’s get started on the other parts of the album! I simply painted the two mini pallet shape wooden stars with white…EASY PEASY! I also painted the chipboard rose. Well, I started with just the one… by the time I was putting everything together, I decided that I needed two more. Thank goodness I had ordered 3 of them! **I actually had planned a very different project with these roses! I am so glad that it never came to fruition!

All that was left was to start assembling my album. I did not have the photos that I wanted to use yet, so I could not be very detailed or specific regarding the decoration or photo mats. However, I had some idea of what photos were being sent to me, so I was able to enhance a few of the pages. Of course, I started with the album Cover. ALL of my family that have served in the military are from Texas. There are about a dozen people that I am featuring in this album…ALL from Texas. Therefore, the Yellow Rose of Texas seemed to be the perfect choice for the cover. Now yo see why I ended up using all three of my chipboard roses.

Next, I want to share my favorite page with you. The American Flag spread has my heart. I used one of the mini pallet shape wooden stars and layered the word BRAVE on it. I can not even begin to imagine how brave the men and women have to be to put themselves into the line of fire. It is not something that an ordinary person would willingly do. That kind of selfless act takes a Hero. Photos of my both of my Grandfathers will go here…they both served in WWII when they were merely boys out of high school.

Then we have the Liberty Spread. OH how I love how this turned out! Again… the pages are not complete. I will likely add more embellishments after the photos arrive, but for now…this is truly perfection. The regular men and women who serve in our nation’s military are truly FEARLESS. I used the 2nd mini pallet shape wooden star on the left side and added an ephemera piece…Lady Liberty. When I see this page, My mind immediately starts reciting the Pledge of Allegiance that I said EVERY day in school. …and Liberty and Justice for ALL. This is where I will add photos of my many family members who served in the Gulf War.

Clearly I am a true American Patriot, and a Texan through and through. Patriotic Pride is not just in my heart, it is in my blood. I am deeply honored to have so many members of my immediate family who have served for our Freedoms that we take for granted. I want my children to know what Patriotism is, and that it is not wrong to love your home. Two hundred – fifty years is a long time…and I am very proud to be a part of it.

Finally, I have the Texas Strong spread that I want to share with you. This one has my heart, my soul, and my tears. Obviously I have used the tag that I shared earlier in the month. It is removable…notice the rope that it is resting on.
Anyway…As I mentioned, all of my family members who have served are all from Texas. Since her active duty ended, one of my cousins has continued serving our military in a different form. She is a liaison for retired veterans and works for our Congressmen. She has worked for Ted Poe, Dan Crenshaw, and likely will serve for the next one.
She still puts herself into areas of servitude…including helping when the floods ravished the Hill Country. The STRENGTH it takes to leave your brand new baby at home while you are away in a foreign country is immeasurable…but she did it 25 years ago. The LOVE for our great country and the people that she served with is what keeps her serving today.

SO, remember when I asked at the beginning of this post what you did to celebrate the 250th on July 4th? Have you printed the pictures and documented them yet? You can make this album, or one like it! Head over to the Clear Scraps store and fill your cart with all the wonderful items that I have featured…and more!