A nautical memory card

Hello people, I m very excited to share with you may latest distress ink project, a card I dedicate to a Naval officer. Well, I was touched by a true and simple story of a Naval officer (For those who want to read it, I have detailed it at the end) and those thoughts encourage me to take up this project.

 For the craft technique for long I wanted to try Distress Ink Crumpled Kraft Suede ...I finally used it to create the sail of the card.

The ship serves as a flap to open the card.  

 I crumpled,tore edges of the front flap to make it look like a sail and heavily distressed it. I have tried giving a sunset look to the inside of the card. For distressing I used black soot, vintage photo, rusty hinge, mustard seed.

 

 

 

I embossed some old coins onto foil to depict old times( slightly dabbed with alcohol ink). Further stuck and stamped some other embellishments to add a vintage & nautical look.

 

I have used sentiments which very closely relate to the story that inspired to to make this project(below)

 

I am really thrilled by the used of distress ink and am feeling greedy to possess all the shades they have!!!

 

I also think this a great way to celebrate the independence day month!

 

My Inspiration story:

I usually keep my posts short and sweet but today I want to share with you a true story that has inspired me to make this project. Everyday while I leave for work or take my kid to the park I greet an old lady who sits in her rocking chair in her yard. The other day I happened to chat with her a little longer than usual when she invited me home. Her living room was full of Indian Navy related photos, frames and show pieces. While we looked around, she mentioned that she and her husband both were employed with the Indian navy where they met, fell in love and got married. She worked in the Navy medical department while he was then a naval officer.  However after she had her son she decided to stay at home while her husband continued to serve the navy. As a new development, the Indian Navy had started to not only secure the Indian maritime borders but also serve as disaster relief. Hence she rarely met her husband. They used to exchange letters, postcards as the prime mode of communication. Each time India was at war she used to spend hours in her prayer room, read every newspaper and keep checking on his safety. Many a times she did not know about his ware bouts as he used to be  on confidential missions.

While I chatted with her over coffee she was kind enough to open a file she had maintained with all  their letters, newspaper cuttings, photos and postcards. She recited tales of bravery, kindness , passion and love of her husband who lost his life in 2008 in a Somalia mission, the same day her granddaughter was born. Her eyes were burning with memories, and as she narrated I visualized the whole 40 years of their marriage.

 

The only thing she lives for and by are these memories, some of which she has packed in her file. She said she doesn’t feel sad, weak or old because each time she taps her memories it brings zest and youth.

While I was making this I was thinking of the time flies theme on vintage journey set out by Chris. http://www.vintagejourney.com/2014/08/challenge-12-time-flies.html. Entering to this challenge.

 

 The theme set by Karen this month “Nautical” is a perfect theme for my current mindset. Entering this to http://beyondgrey.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/bgc56-nautical-karen.html

 

I have scratched, tattered and crumpled my sail to appear "grungy" (a talent mastered by Suzz and Mona of simonsaysstamp blog DT)………………linking to http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/ 

Word Play http://countryviewchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/were-into-august-and-new-challenge.html


http://memascrafts.blogspot.in/2013/08/august-2014-anything-goes.html