My first release of the year is a collection that was truly a labor of love. It is very near and dear to my heart. Unbroken was born from the grief I suffered after the loss of my youngest brother to suicide in 2007 and my need (since my son was only 7 weeks old at the time and my daughter just 2) and desire to keep living.
The color palette of somber greys and whites represent the bleakness of that time. The reds -- a powerful color of our life's blood, of strength and also of love -- symbolize the fierce anger I had (and frankly, still have) for my brother for leaving us, as well as my utter love for him. Also, the love of my husband, my love for my kids and the support of our family and dear friends, which anchored me and provided the desire to go on. Teal, being a cool and often calming color, stands for the acceptance of a situation very far from my own choosing.
One of the ways I worked through my grief was digital scrapbooking. People who say that artful pursuits can be therapeutic and cathartic aren't kidding! It doesn't solve all of our problems, of course, but expressing our feelings in a creative and artful way really can help bring focus and closure in times of trouble.
This collection, while useful for projects focused on living through and surviving a seemingly unconquerable life change, is also versatile enough for celebrating life's happier moments -- most notably weddings and anniversaries. It can be used exclusively by digital scrapbookers, but it also can be printed and used in hybrid projects, as well, such as art journaling books.
Thank you for letting me share a bit about this work!
Without further ado, I give you Unbroken, a digital scrapbooking collection available exclusively at Scrap Girls:
Detail of the papers included with Unbroken Collection Biggie:
A layout for my brother, Joel:
A wedding layout for my other brother, Jonathan:
Talk about challenging -- martial arts IS! Yes, that's me. :)
The above layout also uses
ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album Templates: 12x12 Grunge Block by Brandy Murry, available exclusively at Scrap Girls.
Thanks for stopping by!
