Memories are special moments that tell our story

This month the Design team has been given free rein to create a piece of keepsake art. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to take some bits and pieces rescued from my nans button box and various pots of broken bits she has kept over the years and not thrown away from her house. Last year we had to clear out my nans house because she has dementia and could no longer look after herself, so had to move her closer to us. I think she had kept everything she had ever owned. There were so many memories in bin bags in the loft. We saved some things but we couldn't possibly save them all. Lots of memories came flooding back when we entered the sewing cupboard of summers spent in Devon at my nans sewing and creating book marks. Raiding the button tin mostly just to look at the wonderful assortment rather than use any of them. 

I had prepared the base of a blank canvas a while ago with White Powertex and Easy 3D Flex. I then sprayed black bister into the cracks to make them more prominent.

 I took an assortment of elements  I had taken from my nans house. I kind of thought that they deserved to be used somehow after all she had spent her whole life keeping all these little bits and pieces. Old keys, broken watch straps, buckles, buttons, brooches, broken christmas decorations. 

 I found some textiles that would compliment the layout, lace, power cotton and some netting. And created a composition. 

 Now was the time to stick everything into place and coat with Powertex.

 I then resprayed with black bister just to some extra depth in the colour. 

 I then took the new Secret Art Loft acrylics and painted up the left side of the canvas in Plum pudding and right side in Mint Jelly. Adding some highlights with white Powertex.

 To finish off the piece I decided to use some of the Powerwax with the Limoncello Gold pigment powder from the Secret Art Loft. 

Then I hand stamped a bit of card with some alphabet letters and black ink to form the word memories. So here it is a modern take on a lot of well kept old bits and pieces from my nans, and every time I look at it I will be reminded of her. Not sure she would quiet understand what its all about mind you. Toodles Anna xXx