a birdie told me...

This photo of Astrid was taken when Ben went home with her to Colombia to meet her family and see her country. This was taken at El Dorado. I think is was so thoughtful of her to dress to match the background so beautifully, which, as luck would have it, also coordinates so well with this Basic Grey "Vagabond" collection that can be used just as effectively for a feminine page as for a masculine.

From Wikipedia: El Dorado (Spanish for "the golden one") is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into the lake Guatavita.^[1]

Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated - and so far eluded - explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors.

Imagined as a place, El Dorado became a kingdom, an empire, the city of this legendary golden king. Deluded by the legend, Francisco Orellana and Gonzalo Pizarro would depart from Quito in 1541 in a famous and disastrous expedition towards the Amazon Basin; as a result of this, however, Orellana became the first person known to navigate the Amazon River all the way to its mouth.

I used to stitch my ribbon, but then I visited Gabi's blog "Such a Pretty Mess" (link provided on my side bar) and discovered this much easier way! Simply use your single hole punch and punch 2 holes close together, then weave your ribbon through. Gabi provides pictures on her tutorial.

I have so admired the stitched borders on so many of the layouts at SB.com, but do not have a sewing machine, so decided to see if this Sassafras Lass - Nesters Clear Stamp Sets - Stitched Borders 2 stamp would accomplish a similar look. It doesn't, but I like it just as well. I used it all the way around the outside border, as well as around the photo, in the space between the circle and ring and on the journal tag. I think it brings cohesiveness to my page. I also used 2 of the new Martha Stewart border stamps I recently purchased at A Cherry on Top on their buy 2 get one free sale.

For the embellishment cluster I used: Zva Creative - Self-Adhesive Pearls - The Fountain Flourish - White; Prima - Medicci Collection - Flower Embellishments - Venice, BRAND NEW; Prima - Grand Dame Collection - Fabric Flower Embellishments - Sterling, BRAND NEW.



The bird cage and bird are Silhouette cuts.


Thanks so much for taking a peek.