Portrait with an Elephant

Here's another Bali layout. This one was made with my LSS (Wrapped in Paper) monthly challenge kit. Most things are from the kit - the cardstock, the patterned papers, the two yellow paper flowers, the lace and the two ribbons (black and rust at the top of the layout), the black rose and the black pearls. I added the kraft coloured tags, the metal embellishments, the yellow star brads, the yellow wooden daisy, the  beads and bow, playing card paper scrap, title letters and the (used) postage stamp which all came from my stash.

I struggled a bit with this kit initially because of the dark colours. However, by adding the little extra bits of yellow and the lighter kraft coloured tags and papers I think it was lifted considerably. The layout itself is based on a sketch by Kristine Davidson from her first Creating with Sketches ebook.

I wanted to do something different with the ribbon other than just lay it on the layout as a strip, or tie a bow or knot in it. Consequently I was playing with it and accidentally discovered how to make the "false" bow at the top from the rust coloured ribbon. The cutting of the black ribbon to make the banners just popped in my head and I put the two ribbons on top of each other, added a black pearl in the centre of the rust coloured "bow" and loved the resultant embellishment cluster!

I had fun trying different metal and yellow embellishments from my stash and placing them and the kraft tags and papers in a manner that I was ultimately happy with. Even finding a place for the used postage stamp (under the playing card scrap of paper) was fun.

While this layout wasn't a winner at the LSS, I enjoyed making it and loved the result. Besides, it reminds me of what fun we had in Bali.

Till next time, happy days.