I've been working on this one for longer than I'd care to think about! Although I had the concept for the journaling, it didn't really gel until today, as I sit here thinking about tomorrow's election. My scanner clearly needs to be cleaned - my son does not have dirt on his nose in the photo! I made the three accents at the bottom in Microsoft Word by layering text boxes over images. Behind “freedom” is an image of the Constitution taken from the National Archives' website. The image behind “equality” is a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. taken from a free stock photo website. And, since I voted early, I scanned my “I Voted” sticker and used that behind “responsibility.” All three are printed on canvas that I fringed. The hemp cording is attached with jump rings and the ribbons are tied to the hemp. Underneath the photo is the journaling (printed in brown ink on vellum - just like the title - and layered over a piece from Paper Love Designs' 4th of July paper). Journaling reads as follows: I can’t think of a more important time to answer this question than this, the eve of the 2004 presidential election. We have moved into a time in our history when questioning or disagreeing with our government is seen as unpatriotic. I heartily disagree with this view of patriotism. For me, a true patriot is one who constantly questions, seeking answers that will serve to make our country a better place for all Americans. As I see it, there are three principles that sum up the essence of what it means to be an American. The first is freedom, the second equality, and the third responsibility. A true American is one who takes seriously the responsibility of participating in making the United States a better place, one where someday it will indeed be true that all Americans are free and equal. TFL!November 1, 2004
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