Oh boy this memory album was on the go for years. I know if i was to start all over again the pages would be very different because now I
am more into stamping and making my own background papers with inks
etc... But I had to start somewhere and paper crafting was where i
started. In fact this album is basically how I first started to craft. When i finished it i was so proud of it and copied the pages. Only just have i thought to put it on my blog to show off how i started crafting. I then went onto making what i call put together cards from paper and card sets, and now things are very different as i love inking and rubber stamping. But it's always nice to revisit old projects and i hope anyone who passes by will like it.The person i made it for is my best friend who I consider more family than friends. I have known them for 27 years and although we don't see one another as much as we'd like to anymore, due to 100miles between us, we still chat for hours and reminisce about how we met and how our lives have changed over the years. She and her family have become my family & this memory album is meant to show to her how much I care about them all. I didn't want it to be a scrapbook because that word sounds like it's full off scrap items. So I called it a Memory Album.
Each page has been put together using pretty papers, photos, poems, pictures, lots and lots of written memories in envelopes both on the front and back of the pages. Just items or phrases of things that meant and still do mean alot to us all.
Sadly her father is no longer with us but giving his daughter away must've been one of the best and worst moments of his life. He loved her so much. And i had to show that by writing a little poem for her.
Oh the pages are all 8 x 8 inches. It was my first ever album before i was into stamping an inking etc... but they came out well.
On the reverse of the pages are the personal memories. I even left empty spaces or envelopes for her to put her memories into them, so that when the album is handed down, her son will have my memories and his mom and dads too.
Now this one is of my wedding. I may not be with this man anymore but he was still a huge part of all our lives, so again memories for all us. I'm not going to write the memories because they are obviously personal to us all. But I thought it would be nice to include these pages of the friendship book in my blog.
I've always loved this photo of my friends. It was taken at a place that means so much to all of us. Even now we still go there and if we don't go together because I'm not always in a financial position to go the same time they do, we write each other daily diaries of what we do and where we go. We can picture each other doing where they are and it's a brilliant way for us to stay connected.
I had to include one of myself with my dog. His name was Max and again no longer with us. He was a rescue dog from a shelter and became one of the most loyal dogs I have ever had. Although it took me a long time to get over his loss i still miss him to this day.
I only have one photo of myself with my friends Mom. She really was the kindest and sweetest lady. They made me feel that i was at home with them. They I left my family to be with my husband. And yes my friends family became mine.
It wasn't often that as friends we would actually all get together and have a day out because we all had husbands, or boyfriends and worked different hours etc... So going to Scarborough was actually a rare occasion for us.
Most of the pages are of Cornwall because this is a place that we first went to as pen-pals, then carried on going to throughout and after my marriage. Even today we still go to Cornwall. So sorting through all the photos was really fun and brought back so many memories.
Best Friends.
(Sisters)
Never were we short of anything to say to one another. We were just like sisters. Our husbands were friends too so these years were some of the best and happiest of my life.
Making this album was a way to express that.
Summers in Cornwall were what we planned from every January.
Every detail from clothes, places to visit, things to do and what food to take. Everything was sorted right down to the very last detail. Sounds boring but to us it was fun.
Cornwall not only gave us memories of previous holidays but of our first holiday with her mom and dad. Every year we would laugh over how we all met.
I hope the pages are liked by people who stop by.
I love this photo and page i made for them. The flowers are painted with mica powders and just glowed when moved around. Mica Powders came to me before inks and I basically painted anything that stayed still long enough with them. Oh and stickles were also my fave products at the time too. Everything was glittered and mica'd.
In the left page i used a waterfall effect of some of our favourite sights in Cornwall. Plus a picture of the original shop in Boscastle before it got washed away in the floods,
These two pages are of Windermere in The Lake District, but at different time.
Windermere maybe a beautiful location but it just aint Cornwall.
Now this is an old photo of my friends mom and dad. I wanted the page to reflect the sepia colours of the photograph.
The page below are again her parents who were just the most wonderful people. I say "were" because they are no longer with us. One of her dads favourite sayings was "Don't Worry Be Happy" and he lived his life like this.
They are both sadly missed but I felt they had to be included into her memory album.
"YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE "
This was a favourite phrase and song that was played at her fathers funeral. Again the memories are on the reverse. Too private for a blog.
Now this little boy is my friends much awaited for little boy. She had suffered miscarriages and when this little one arrived he was spoilt by all. I too was pregnant five months apart so we had some fun times planning our babies futures. This is really what a memory album is for. Looking at the photos and reading how much one small child can make a difference to our lives.
There really wasn't at that time a more wanted and cherished little boy int the world. He was beautiful and i have to say that 18 years later he still is cherished and very handsome.
MISTY
I had to put Misty into her album. He was her mom and dads dog and although she and her husband are not dog lovers they could not give him away when her parents passed away.
He was a big reminder of many happy memories of her mom and dad and he was such a lovely happy dog.
Ryan loved him and Misty loved Ryan.
I wish i had seen her face when she saw some of these pages. I should have given it to her face to face. That is my only regret.
MY NEW BABY BOY CAME INTO THE WORLD
Now this is my little boy. It is only when I held him in my arms for the first time that I knew what love was. Honestly having a child was just the most wonderful experience in my life. And he was such a good baby and everyone who saw him loved him.
Including these pictures into my friends memory album was to bring back memories for her of the two of us having children at the same time. It truly was amazing.
This was our first holiday to Cornwall with our children. Although her child was walking now, having the sand beneath his feet was not something he liked very much. My little boy wasn't walking so he just crawled along the sand following my husbands feet.
I loved making this page, i think it's one of my favourites to be honest. The papers and pictures go wonderfully together. And life really was a beach at that time of our lives.
FUN TIMES
All the following pages are all just some of the fun times we had with our children before my marriage broke down and before i then left for my home town in the West Midlands. Although there was five months between our children, they really did get along and never once did they fight or argue.
The page on the left is covered with clear raised circle sticky tabs and the texture of this page is just brilliant.
Towards the end of the album I wanted to include photos of my lad with my memories. Because making my mind up to leave was one of the hardest choices I have ever had to make.
I wanted to include these pictures so that she could remember how i felt about leaving and the memories are again written on the back in pretty envelopes.
I wanted her to be reminded of my little boy and how different they are today.
I wanted to remind my wonderful friend that those last few months were the happiest and saddest of my life. I didn't want to leave and in my notes on the reverse I told her so. She knew my reasons for leaving but I wanted her to know that I really didn't want to.
WESTS
Before i did move she an I worked in a small local convenience store together. Now these were some of the best and most fun times we have had. Even working together we got along. Never once did we get mad at one another for anything. If she did I didn't know about it and I guess that's what friends are for. W always supported one another and makig this album for her was my way of acknowledging her for being my life long friend.
I included this photo because it is my favourite one of my son and I. My much thinner days and my son has a wonderful smile. I loved the page too and it went beautifully with the photograph.
These photographs to me are lovely but for my friend an I we knew that this was our last meal together. Everything we did was for the last time.
The kids on the other hand jut didn't understand what was about to happen. They didn't know that i was going to be over 100miles away. They didn't understand that we weren't going to be able to meet up every other day and play anymore.
It was a hard day and eve worse h day i actually left. But those thoughts and memories are again private to just us.
And now to the last photo and memory page in the album. My favourite photograph from our last day out together and just a wonderful picture of my friend an her son. After this photo was taken we have stayed in touch but our boys are not friends because they do not know one another. Which is sad, because although I am away, she and I are still the very best of friends. We chat for hours on the phone and meet up every once in a while. We did spend a week together in Cornwall when the boys were young and they got along, but time has pulled them apart. But thankfully not for my Best Friend and I.
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