A Vintage Patriotic Look

This month’s papers initiated a patriotic feeling so I decided to do my one-page layout using photos from the memorials on the National mall. With the vintage look of the Moxie American Made Hometown Celebration Star Spangled paper as a background, I made a collage of the photos. The only challenge was making the photos fit in the space available. I drew the collage’s intended shape on a plain piece of 12” x 12” cardstock (you can use an old piece you no longer have use for as none of it will show) positioning it on the page as I wanted it on my final page. I cut out the collage shape. I picked the photos I wanted to use and printed most of them wallet size. I did one 3 x 5. I then simply played with the photos and how I wanted to arrange them on the collage. Because I had cut the pattern out of 12 x 12 paper, I could lay the photos down and then put the remainder of the paper (top and bottom) in place and see what part of the pictures would show and what wouldn’t when I cut them to the size of the collage. Once I had an arrangement I liked, I glued the photos down and cut the collage to the shape of the pattern. I glued this to proper place on the background paper.

To set off the collage, I used one of my favorites -- Idea-Ology Film Strip Ribbon. I used paper from Echo Park’s For the Record line behind the ribbon.
I inked the cream side of the Red/Cream paper with Fired Brick Distress Ink a bit to give it more dimension and color. I cut a piece of the film strip a little longer than I would need for top of the collage. I glued this film strip to the cream side of the Red/Cream paper using Glossy Accents. Once dry, I trimmed the paper to the exact edge of the film strip on each side and affixed it to the top edge of the collage using Glossy Accents. (Where I wanted to add a picture above, I only applied Glossy Accents to bottom of film strip.) I repeated this for the bottom of the collage. Once glued in placed I trimmed the excess from both sides of the paper.


To create the stars and flag, I began with chipboard stars. I inked each one with Faded Jeans Distress Ink by placing directly on ink pad and pressing hard. Each was then embossed them with Fired Brick Distress Embossing Powder. I wiped off some of the embossing powder to give the stars a vintage look. I filled the center of the large star with Red/Cream Echo Park paper (after inking it slightly with Fired Brick Distress Ink.) Using a blue pen, I followed the inside of the star to create two stars made with dashed lines.

I created a journaling box out of Echo Park Red/Cream paper and made a designed edge with the Tim Holtz Sizzix Brackets die. I also cut a small star out of Echo Park Red/Cream paper. Both were inked with Fired Brick Distress ink. A blue pen was used for journaling.