I LOVE this picture of my youngest son.  He was so delighted to get his hands on a real M-16. (I’m just glad there weren’t any bullets in it!)

To make all these solid papers more interesting and rugged looking I did allover stamping with distress inks.  I used Vintage Photo, Faded Jeans, Walnut Stain and Pine Needles inks. The stamps I used were the All Night Media Splatter Pattern, a crackled background stamp by Rubber Stampede, Map of the World Rubber Stamp (Inkadinkado) and the Harlequin Background Stamp(Inkadinkado.) (All quite manly and Marine-like, you know.)

I also spritzed random areas with mini misters filled with distress reinkers and perfect pearls in heirloom gold, green patina and pewter.  (Ranger Perfect Pearls Embellishment Pigment Kit, Aged Patina) This kept it from looking too clean.

I love making pockets in my pages to hold memorabilia.  The newspaper I wanted to include in this one was so thick that I had to mount the entire page on dimensional adhesive Squares Foam Tabs to accomodate the thickness.

To keep your pockets from ripping any further from stress, make a small round punch at each end of your slit.  I do this on the page as well as in the page protector.

Oh, and I’ll leave it to you to try to find Josh in the platoon photo.  🙂

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