Friday, July 25, 2014

Collage in My Blood


My mom just returned from a family reunion with her cousins . . . 
lugging along a "treasure chest" of antique images.


My mom's cousin Barb had the h.u.g.e. scrapbook that had been put together
by my Great Grandma Ruby.
I could hardly contain my excitement when I peeked into the pages.


She also brought a found Bible for young people
and a bag of sewing patterns from my Aunt Barb.

Oh.My.Heart.
I could barely breathe.


One of the most amazing treasures:
this handmade color wheel.

What a teaching tool!
I just may have found inspiration for my next project!
And the next, and the next . . . 


The pages of the "gi-normous" scrapbook
are completely covered with
images from the late 1890's and early 1900's.



Along with greeting cards and advertisements,
calendars, Sunday school cards, trading cards,
are
handmade
pieces
of
goodness.


Perhaps, did my great-grandma weave these patterned papers?
With her own hands?



She carefully cut out and pasted every image.






Here is her perfect attendance 
Diploma of Honor
from 1906.




One thing that delights my heart
is to see a connection
with a great-grandma
who only saw me as an infant
whom I never knew personally.


Yet right here,
it was as if she knew
how much this would
be enjoyed
by one of her great-granddaughters.

She collaged papers.
That's what I do.
Collage.


My Grandma Marj was a photographer.

And I see how the roots run deep along both sides of my family tree.

It's like the grandmas gave me a present
 to discover far into the future 
that they would not have with me here.

A secret message.

That now connects us.



1 comment:

  1. Be still my heart!! Oh my!! I am in love with all these BEAUTIFUL images and to think your Grandma carefully created this!!! WOW!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

    ReplyDelete

Welcome ~ share your beautiful thoughts.