Another India Layout...

I have another India layout to share...this 2 pager features handmade papers and a handcarved stamp that I purchased on the trip...love how it turned out!!

I used some Clearsnap Smooch pearl ink for the stamp...it adds such depth to the stamped image...the foam letters and the cardstock was outlined with my Krylon gold leaf pen, some buttons from Charlene's Button Box (etsy), some starburst brads from Karen Foster and of course I used some Xyron adhesive to make it all stick!!

Toodles all, thanks for stopping by!!

An 'India' layout...

I've finally started scrapbooking some pictures from our India trip...here's a layout from our day at Elliot's Beach, I even included some shells we collected that day as page accents:

I used some fantabulous glitter paper from Reminisce's Glitter Factory line--love how the glitter stays stuck on this stuff! The other papers are rom the Reminisce Unwritten line...gorgeous summer colors, don't you think? Makes me wish that summer was here already!!

Toodles all...thanks for stopping by!

Some vacation pictures...

Sharing some vacation pictures today...over the holidays we travelled to India to visit my husband's parents and his eldest sister...this is the 3rd trip that I've been on, my son has been along for all 3 trips, my daughter for the last 2...I have similar thoughts and feelings each time I visit and then I have some new thoughts too...such a wonderfully different place to visit and I'm always a bit sad that I stick out like a sore thumb, as I feel I miss out on some of the experience because people can tell instantly that I'm a tourist...but anyways...

the in-laws live in Chennai (Madras), so we spend most of our time there...this trip we did have a side trip to Hyderabad for a cousin's wedding, but I'll have a whole post dedicated to those pictures and stories...it's the rainy season in Chennai at this time of year...which is their version of winter, which means daytime highs of 80-85 F and 100% humidity...and MOSQUITOS!! I apparently have a mosquito magnet embedded somewhere in my body which means I'm SWARMED if I go out after dusk and even if I don't, I get several bites a day...and I'm allergic to their version of mosquito venom, as each bite swells to the size of a silver dollar or larger...the 'wear long sleeves and long pants' defence strategy is out given the temps and humidiay, but I found that 100% DEET worked well and doubling my daily antihistimine kept the swelling of the bites I did get to a normal level, so I avoided a repeat trip to the hospital (my first visit the bites were so bad I ended up visiting an allergist in India)! MUST REMEMBER THIS FOR THE NEXT TRIP!!

Here's some pictures from Chennai...we celebrated Devon's birthday there and the kiddos donned some traditional Indian clothes for the celbration:

We then went to a water park to continue the celebration...we drove down the coast, which we hadn't done since our first visit which was 2 days after the Tsunami in 2004--this time there weren't any relief camps and the huts on the beaches were back...here's some pics of the water park...most of the women swim in full clothes, so I kept my bathing suit 'under wraps' as well...

On other days we also went to the Children's Park (the zoo) and the beach...I'll be sharing those pics and the ones from Hyderabad in other posts...

Toodles all...thanks for stopping by!!

 

My travel journal--the cover...

Here's the cover of my travel journal for our trip to India...the cover is 7x9 inches and the inside pages are 6x8.5 inches, with LOTS of pockets...I used the Basic Grey Wander papers as the rich colors and obvious travel theme were a perfect match...

The cover is made from this fun corrugated paper my scrappy pal Shelly gave me...I misted it in a bunch of jewel tones, then drizzled some cream colored acrylic paint in the shape of a heart...I mopped up the excess with a sponge and then dry dusted the remaining raised edges. The outside edges were sponged with brown paint and I added some gold streaks with a gold leafing pen. The fabric swatches are from batiked pillow cases and a batiked wall hanging that came from India...the swatch on the front is attached with staples...I used the gold leafing pen again to cover the chipboard letters and added an oval mirror (gold and mirrors are BIG on textiles over there)...lastly I punched four holes and added these extra large, flexible binder rings from 7 gypsies...I wanted to use the jewelel ones, but worried they wouldn't be big enough...

Starting the embellisment of the inside pages soon...check back to see my progress!!

We had a great Thanksgiving...the kids and I baked and crafted all weekend and I pulled an all nighter for shopping purposes...wish I had 4 more days off!! Toodles all!