Who'd have thought

... these 'bilious' colours would lead to inspiration for a layout I most likely would never have created, but which gave me an opportunity to scrap about something I loved, and lost, and recently reconnected with ... reading.

"Read in order to live."

~ Henry Fielding (British Playwright and Novelist, 1707 - 1754)

to read is

products used: Doodlebug Designs Inc flourish impression cardstock; Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock; Echo Park For The Record patterned paper; Lilybeedesign This & That patterned paper; Crate Paper Caitlin patterned paper; Prima Indeed patterned paper; Websters Pages vintage inspired netting; Sizzix Sizzlits border die, Scallop, Giant; Sizzix Sizzlits dies, Flourish #9 and Label, Ornate #2; Prima flowers; Prima flower centres; Making Memories Cheeky Shimmer Stickers, purple alphas; Kaiser rhinestones; vintage crocheted doily; sewing machine and thread; and organza swirls ribbon

I will let the journaling (which in this case appears on the reverse of the layout because, well, why not?) speak for itself ...

"Reading used to be one of my favourite past times.  Growing up as a child with parents and grandparents who loved to read, the joy of reading was fostered in my brothers and I from a very young age.  Throughout my entire life and well into adulthood my love of reading has never left me.  Marrying someone with an equal passion for reading seemed inevitable.  I could never have envisaged though the number of books we would amass between us.  I also could never have imagined there would come a time in my life when reading would become difficult and at times, nigh impossible.  I was always aware of how blessed I was to have an insatiable passion for books, and to be able to escape into them in a world where, in my own schoolyard many struggled with the written word.  I just never believed that would ever be me.  But here I am a little over three years since my last serious relapse and I have been struggling to read for quite some time.  In fact I had all but given up on being able to properly read ever again.  Yes I could manage magazines, but a book?  No.  Not for a very long time.  The damage to the memory ‘bits’ in my brain has affected both my short term and long term memory, both of which I am sure you can imagine, are somewhat important when reading a book!!

Yesterday, I am thrilled to say, I finished reading a book!  Yes you read correctly ... I finished reading a book!!!  A dear friend Anthea unbeknownst to me, had ‘filed away’ the information I was struggling to read, and one day very recently two books turned up at my door ... Dreaming of Dior and Dreaming of Chanel by Charlotte Smith and illustrated by Grant Cowan.  At first my heart sunk.  Anthea’s well-meaning gesture was appreciated more than words can say, but I couldn’t read anymore.  However on closer inspection, these books were different.  They were stories but not novels.  They weren’t nonfiction or even short stories for that matter.  They were a celebration of vintage haute couture in a format of illustrations and notes, or anecdotes, of the women who had worn these fabulous creations.  Anthea had also ‘filed away’ my once insatiable love for all things fine.  I could read these!  Each story or anecdote was not more than one page.  When I lost my way it wasn’t frustrating to start reading at the top of the page again.  It was only one page.  The page before had no reference to the page I was reading.  I didn’t need to retain the information I was reading for the page following.  I could simply read for the pleasure of reading.  In the time it took me to read one page and admire the beautifully illustrated garment, I could escape for that short time into another world, a world of beauty and excitement, a world a long way from the reality of my own life.

Anthea hasn’t given these books to me.  They are a loan.  I believe they may have belonged to her mother at one time, although I could be wrong.  Nonetheless these two books are amongst the most precious gifts I have received in my lifetime.  The gift of Anthea’s friendship, so clearly displayed in her thoughtfulness is a precious gift in its own right.  Returning to me the ability to read a book is immeasurable.  Not only have I finished reading Dreaming of Dior, but I’ve made a good start on Dreaming of Chanel and find myself now ‘dreaming’ of digging into the boxes upon boxes of books we have in storage, and delving into some treasured, old favourites again ..."

The 'bilious' colours (LOL ... a term my father used for colours he found unappealing, to say the least!) which inspired this layout are from the April colour challenge at ScrapChat.  Here's the Colour Palette for  you to judge for yourself ...

I know I had decided to 'do away with' challenges for a while, at least until I had caught up on some other projects I've had sitting on my desk for weeks, nay months!  But I made the mistake of actually looking at the colour challenge and that was it.  These colours have remained in the back of my mind ever since and they have been quietly going along their merry way taunting me, daring me, challenging me.  These colours were slowly driving me crazy.  I had to tackle the Colour Palette.  I couldn't possibly let it get the better of me!

I'm glad to have scrapped about my milestone of reading Dreaming of Dior.  It was a significant moment for me and one worth celebrating on 12x12.  Conveniently the colours worked well.  Will I use them in this combination again?  Not likely.  Not on your Nelly.  No.  Never!  Overall though I'm a happy scrapper.  Except that this has now created a fresh dilemma ... to view the colour challenge for May or to not view the colour challenge for May?  That is the question ...