*USE LYRICS*
Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 1:00AM Welcome, welcome! Pull up a chair. I'm Amanda and, together with these awesome ladies listed over on the left, am truly thrilled to be launching this challenge blog. It seemed to us that this particular area was inadequately addressed in the scrapbooking world, though so very many of us deal with loss and grief during the course of our lives. It's a horrible club to be in...having lost a loved one...but, if we all stick together, imagine the healing possibilities!
To find out more about how this site came to be, please look at the "About This Blog" page. While you're at it, peruse the "How It Works" page as well. If you still have questions, shoot me an email pronto, okay? :)
Today, I have the pleasure of sharing with you our first challenge...use lyrics. Here are the layouts we came up with. If you're anything like me, you'll want to know the stories behind these. :) Including all of that in the challenge post each time, though, would make for a very long post. So, stay tuned for an up close and personal look at each of these layouts over the coming days (I'll highlight one contributor a day for the next week).
Amanda:
Jamie:
Jen (who made two, one for her aunt and one for her grandma):
Lisa:
Molly:
Stacey:
;)
Tania (as seen in In Loving Memory: A Journey of Remembrance (an online class)):
Now, the details. Since this is a challenge blog, we invite you to participate in each challenge along with us. We know that grief is a very personal thing but also know that sharing our stories can help us heal. As extra motivation to participate, we've found some generous sponsors to offer up prizes each time. To be eligible for the random drawing, upload your challenge project online and link us up in the comments of this post by midnight on August 25th. No limit on the number of entries or whether they've been posted online previously...just be sure to link us up so we can see and share in your story.
What is this challenge's prize, you ask? Well, Prism Papers has very generously offered up 10 Prismatics Multipacks (and you get to pick which ones!). Check 'em out here. That's 120 sheets of 12x12 cardstock, folks!
So, get scrapping! And, while you're at it, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this venture in general. Shoot us an email, post a comment, subscribe to this blog feed so we know you care, post our blog banner/blinkie thing on your own blog, tell your friends...you get the picture. :)
Reader Comments (53)
I just love your new challenge blog, and will definitely be taking part. I have suffered 2 losses in the last 10 years that really hit close to home (my son's best friend died at age 4 1/2, and my best friend lost her husband unexpectedly). Love that you guys are doing something to help us all heal.
Thanks for your Blog. I found it by accident, or maybe fate. I have suffered 6 miscarriages and will never be a mummy. I'm hoping I can work through this heartache with the aid of your blog. Its a challenge as obviously there are no photos. Just pain. Thank you xxx
How I wish this had been available 25 years ago when my Dad died! I'm not a scrapbooker myself, but I love Amanda's work (she's my daughter-in-law) and will enjoy seeing Jen's work (she's my niece). I'm going to send the link to my good friend Lisa who lost her very special Auntie Beth recently. Bless you all!
This is going to be such an awesome journey and experience through this blog. I am looking forward to getting some memories of my loved ones [dad and mom-in-law in particular] so that my kiddos can share in those special moments. Thank you for all who will be sharing through this blog.
This already has be crying as I sit at my computer. I've lost loved ones and will probably lose some this year. We rejoice every time our family gets together that we are all still here. And there are other kinds of losses to mourn -- loss of dreams, jobs, well-being and health.
cheers to all of you! i look forward to following your progress. ♥ rachel
What a great idea. I agree - this area is inadequately addressed in the scrapbooking world. I've bookmarked this page and will visit often.
Horray!
I have long used scrapbooking as a means to cope with loss and grief. And up to this point, I have felt in the minority. Although I have not lost someone very close to me yet, I am estranged from my father and have scrapped to cope with the very abusive childhood I experienced.
A+ for you!
awesome concept - i will be playing along.
I also put it up at Scrapcalls - hope that was ok – http://scrapbookcalls.typepad.com/callsandcontests/2009/08/weekend.html
This is a great idea. Everyone will join this "club" sooner or later. I already have. It is truly is a blessing to know that it is possible to survive well. I've already added your blinkie and link in the sidebar of my blog. Best wishes to you all, :Debbie
I'm so grateful for you doing this- such a great idea! I will be sure to check it out and hopefully participate as I know it will help document some of what I have and am feeling through different losses. Thank you.
This is amazing!
i'm so excited to see what else you come up with!
Jen... your layouts are wonderful!
hugs to you ladies!
Gosh. I got tears in my eyes as I looked at these layouts and began to take in the concept of this blog. But they were healing tears. What an awesome idea and a GREAT way to challenge us all in our scrapping. It doesn't always have to be about our vacay's, etc. It can and IS therapy. I'll be participating soon. Thanks for helping me get a bit more of my mojo started!
Melissa
What a great idea Amanda, and some amazing lo's girls! I lost my dad a few years ago, and although I've done a couple of lo's, this is definitely the push I need to do more! Thanks
Jane
This is wonderful!!! In fact, I did a whole album about my dad's last 2 years of his life It was SO comforting!!! I've done other things too. Can't wait to upload some.
:0)
Peggy
Amanda,
When I read about this blog i thought it would be too depressing for me. But your stories and your tributes have brought such a smile to my face - knowing that a person's memory and all a person was, can live on in those still living.
I have two layouts for you...
this first:
http://www.scrapinstyletv.com/portfolio/view_layout.php?layout_id=143149&user_id=7526 The song is "In My Life" by the Beatles
The second one is actually the first one I did. There are no lyrics but I wanted to post it anyway:
http://www.scrapinstyletv.com/portfolio/view_layout.php?layout_id=65051&user_id=7526
:0)
Peggy
I came over here from the Scrap Review. I think this is a wonderful idea for a blog/site. I've done three pages of friends who've passed on. I scanned or pasted down the memorial service programme on the page, and included my own photos of the person, as well as a few thoughts of my own on their passing. I felt like it was important to do this to commemorate their lives, and also so that in the years to come I'll have a concrete memento of that person in my memory book.
Many of us are able to "work through stuff" when we scrap about them, and this is an area of all of our lives where scrapbooking could surely help with the healing process.
I look forward to keeping up with the blog (adding it to my blogroll). Congrats and best of luck with it.
i love this amanda. one week from today is the second anniversary of losing my cousin in a blackhawk helicopter crash in iraq. i have lost so many others as well. i add you ladies to my blogroll so that i will keep up with the challenges. xoxo
Thank you so much for starting this blog, Amanda. I remember from CKMB when you lost your dad, and I could relate...we have a lot in common. As it happens, just last weekend I did a layout for a Book of Me challenge, which was to start with "Oh, to be..." and the first thing that came to mind was, "Oh, to be my Dad's girl again." The only journaling I used were song lyrics, so it's perfect for your first challenge. Here it is, along with a long post about your fabulous new blog and how grateful I am to have found it:
http://scrapbookobsession.wordpress.com/2009/08/16/good-grief-blog-scrapbooking-the-loss-of-a-loved-one/
Thanks to all of you :)