CSI Case File #9: Universeum

My layout for this week’s CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration challenge is a bit late, because I was a bit sick last week and didn’t have enough energy to finish it. I love the colours of this week’s case file and it has some of my favourite elements – birds, text paper, dictionary page, definition stickers, and the fun hot-air balloon. Here’s the case file:

Here’s my layout:

From the evidence I used: two different dictionary pages (one in English, one in Swedish), text pattern, definition stickers, mesh, birds and watercolour paint which is translucent. From the testimony: I documented a journey both in the form of an excursion and in the form of a journey of exploration within the wonders of this awesome museum, as well as using the inspiration word ‘wing’ (stamps saying ‘spread your wings’, ‘fly’ etc.).

The layout is about a day at a natural science museum and all the fun things we did, I wrote long journaling as usual, printed it out on an A4 page, added some leftover photos and tucked it behind the layout. The day left such an impression on my son that he talks about it almost daily still and it formed the basis of his very first longer ‘discussion’, about dropping a cookie that the monkey’s might have found. I wanted to use a lot of photos, so I did a double page layout.
Everything on this page has a meaning. The hot-air balloons and the birds were stamped on dictionary paper, with the words ‘fish’, ‘explore’ and ‘monkey’. They were painted with watercolours. I also used a section about sharks from a dictionary, and definitions of ‘experience’ and ‘discover’. The big birds were die cut from canvas and painted with a mixture of pool and pearl, and Stream Dimensional Pearls, to try to achieve the almost glowing light bright blue in the combo. They were stamped with text stamps.

The background was stamped in a darker blue using stamps relevant to the story (gears, balloon, birds, pointing hand, definition of ‘curiosity’, ‘the journey awakens the soul’, explore, dream, discover, etc.). I also misted it with Turquoise Perfect Pearls.

Close-ups:

The 'fish' dictionary balloon.

'The bluebird carries the sky on his back'.

'Explore' dictionary balloon.

Thank you for stopping by! Don't forget to check the CSI site to see the rest of te DT layouts.

Supplies: Tim Holtz Stamper’s Anonymous Mini Ornates, Steampunk, Mini Muse, Curiosities, Ultimate Grunge stamps; Reprint Luftballong; Artistic Outpost Huck Finn; Odd Bird Planet birds; Darkroom Door Essentials 1; Hero Arts Newspaper Background S5601, Watch Gear CG421; Versafine Magistic Blue; Ranger Pearl and Pool paint dabber, Stream Dimensional Pearls; Perfect Pearls mist Turquoise; Daler & Rowney watercolour paint; Sizzix Birds die; sticky back canvas; Collections elements word strips; Cosmo Cricket letter stickers; Making Memories felt letters and definition stickers; American Crafts rub-ons; mesh; gauze; old dictionary pages; pearls.