I have looked and then looked again at this amazing tribute to your dad. I read your description twice. It was so heartfelt; the love, and the sadness, shines through each word. Alcoholism is such a terrible disease. Your father had so many wonderful qualities and I’m so glad you could see them even when the bad times came. You have wonderful memories of your dad, Pam, and you did an amazing job preserving this time in his life.
Fantastic LO! I love that you included so much of the so many pieces of memorabilia that pertain to the accomplishment. The embellishments and ephemera were also nicely chosen. And muted neutral coloring gives it just the right vintage look.
This is a stunning vintage lo!!! I love the picture, and all the memorabilia you've included to showcase your dad's journey to an Eagle Scout. Beautifully done!
Know what I think? I think it is amazing how (sometimes) we share our past with really, total strangers that have become friends here on sb.com. Thank you for doing just that, although painful at times, your dad continued to receive your love and respect! Wonderful lo.
I had to come back and take another look at this awesome layout, this time on my computer where I can see details better. I love the clips, knots, tiny binoculars, shaker, compass, feather...all of it!
What an amazing tribute page!!!! Your bits of stamping and ephemera are cool, but what I love most are the copies of the original documents and those knots that you so patiently learned in order to scrap this memory!!!!
This is really beautiful! My Grandpa was an alcoholic and sometimes hard to deal with. Still, he was pretty amazing. He loved his family and would give what he could to others in need :o)Ro
I can't think of a more beautiful and special tribute to your Dad than this one. To have learned how to tie specific knots for this page further impresses on me that you put your whole heart into everything you create. The results are always amazing. I am in awe of every wonderful detail!
Pam what an amazingly real cathartic layout. What a wonderful accomplishment Eagle Scout; my nephew made Eagle Scout also. Side note I looked closely at every knot on your layout, such great detail and addition to this LO.
This lo is so beautiful! It's interesting to see he is from Indiana since I am from there also. Your father was a good looking man. Your story was beautifully written.
Oh Pam, I absolutely LOVE this vintage heritage layout! Beautiful work! Love all the wonderful details and technique work. The story of your dad is somewhat sad but heartening that you recognized his good qualities.
Pam, what a wonderful lo of your father. Sometimes our loved ones are the most difficult to understand.
So glad you enjoyed your camping days! Cute lo!
Pam, the story of your dad was a tough read & for your struggles as a young child. Obviously, no matter how sick he was you loved him dearly as it shows in this wonderful lo. Saving all of his cards, badges, & letter is amazing. I love how you created this lo & adding the embellishments to make this a treasure forever!:)
This is a photo of my dad at the age of 17 when he became an Eagle Scout. He was proud of this accomplishment and saved all of his membership cards, merit badges, and his Eagle Scout letter (reduced copy that I made on parchment in the lower right corner). I have used a combination of original documents and reduced copies in this layout, using clips instead of glue on the original items. My dad would be proud that I learned how to tie scout knots to make this tribute to him. A useful skill for crafting. The tiny book at the bottom is tied with a bowline at the top, and a double half hitch slip knot to secure it. A few other of my knot samples are in the middle on the left and on the embroidery thread around the trinkets. I embossed the bugle and the compass with gold embossing powder. The shaker is filled with blue sea glass, a treasured gift from Carri that I have been desperately wanting to use. One detail that is worth noticing is the content of the letter and the reference to Eagle Scouts who became soldiers. Thanks for looking!
Here is some unedited journaling that I did along with this layout: I did not come to possess most of these Scout items until after my dad passed in 2006. But I somehow convinced him to give me the 5 x 7 photo years earlier and have had it framed and hanging for most of my adult life. This particular photo was important to me because it reminded me of his best qualities. My dad always tried to do the right thing and needed to be perfect at everything he tried. He graduated from HS third in his class and joined the Navy not long after this photo was taken. He was honorably discharged 6 months later when they learned that he was blind in one eye. He was truly disappointed that he wasn't able to serve. He started working in the coal mines when he returned from the Navy but that only lasted until his former high school principal told him that because of his disability he was eligible for college benefits. He went to Purdue and got an engineering degree. He was always embarrassed by his blind eye and worried that people noticed but it helped him earn a college degree.
I think most of us have good qualities that are tied on little strings to less positive qualities. This was certainly true of my Dad's Eagle Scoutness. As an adult, whenever he failed to live up to his own expectations he would drink two bottles of vodka in what always seemed to me to be a suicide attempt. He was a binge alcoholic who could go 5-10 years without a drop and then suddenly he would drink, wind up in a hospital, loose his job, get divorced, recover, get married again.... He was married 7 times to 6 different women. As a child I was aware of my Dad's alcoholism from a distance. My parents were divorced when I was 9. We saw him for amazing summer camping trips where we would canoe in a beautiful wooden canoe that he built himself. I only knew he was drinking when we would start having tomato soup 3 times a week. My mother wouldn't say a bad word about him but she was raising 4 kids on her salary as a secretary and tomato soup meant she wasn't getting child support checks. A few months later everything would be fine again.
I adored my Dad and we remained always close. In my mind he will always be the perfect Eagle Scout.
Does this project or one of it's images contain pornography, profanity, or other illegal or offensive material? If so, please report it and our moderators will come by and clean it up in a flash.
February 13, 2024
January 31, 2022
January 29, 2022
January 19, 2022
July 16, 2018
July 16, 2018
July 16, 2018
June 19, 2018
June 19, 2018
May 11, 2018
May 11, 2018
May 11, 2018
May 11, 2018
May 11, 2018
May 11, 2018
May 11, 2018
May 10, 2018
May 10, 2018
May 10, 2018
May 10, 2018
May 10, 2018
May 08, 2018
May 08, 2018
May 08, 2018
May 08, 2018
May 08, 2018
May 08, 2018
May 06, 2018
May 06, 2018
May 06, 2018
May 06, 2018
May 06, 2018
May 05, 2018
May 05, 2018
May 05, 2018
May 05, 2018
May 05, 2018
May 05, 2018
May 05, 2018
May 04, 2018
May 04, 2018
May 04, 2018
May 04, 2018
May 04, 2018
May 04, 2018
May 04, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018
May 03, 2018