My First Design Team Challenge

     Last Friday it was my turn to post a Design Team Challenge over at Let's Scrap. As you all know my favorite thing to scrapbook are heritage or vintage layouts.  I am very fortunate to have several pictures of my ancestors along with stories about them.  So when I do their layout I want to be able to include as many pictures and stories about them that I can without having to do several layouts.  Hidden journaling and or hidden pictures is what I need. 
     So my challenge was for the members of Let's Scrap to do a vintage layout with hidden journaling or photo's on it.
Here is my the layout I did as an example

     I tried a new technique for the layout.  It was wet distressing and I just love how I was able to wet the edges of the cream cardstock, squish and pinch the paper to where I liked it and then use my distress ink on it. I'll be using this technique again thats for sure.  I did figure out that I have been making way to many boy layouts.  I have no idea what to do with flowers and had an awful time trying to use them for embellishments.  Still don't like the way it turned out but only have them on with tape I can move so I can play around with  them a bit more.
     The little book in the bottom opens up to share the story about how my Great Aunt Eva came to be named from a character in the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin".  Also on that page as you can see the pocket holds extra pictures plus a very scaled down copy of Eva's birth registration.  On the right hand side both pictures lift up for hidden journaling.  The reason one of them is blank is that I have contacted Evs's Great Grandson to verify some information before I add it to the layout and haven't heard back from him yet. I also shared a layout I did a few months ago that has a cool steamer trunk on it that has hidden journaling and if you would like to see it you can go to this link .
     When I decided to do hidden journaling for my challenge I went searching on the internet to find some more examples or tutorials for them to use. I was really surprised to find there is very little out there. So I went to the next best source for information. Let’s Scrap member Michelle Van Wyk. Michelle is a scrapbook teacher and makes the most amazing layouts. She is such a sweet lady and always willing to help if she can. Michelle was nice enough to share with the members pictures of some of her layouts using hidden journaling and also some tips on using them.  She said it would be ok to share some of her layouts with my blogging friends incase they were looking for idea to. So here are a few of her layouts.

Aren't they fantastic.  I just love Michelle's layouts, she has such great ideas for them and I am always amazed at how many pictures, embellishments etc. that she can get onto a layout. If you would like to see more of Michelle's work check out her blog here.  If she didn't live so far away I would love to take her scrapbooking classes, but I think going from Canada to South Africa would be a bit of a stretch for a class LOL.  Thank you so much for all your help Michelle, you are an amazing friend.
     I also want to thank Kristel for helping me out with the film strip for my layout.  She was kind enough to make me one that I could cut out with my Cricut and Scal.  You should check out Kristel's blog because she has some amazing svg. files for scal and lots of great project ideas she is doing . You can find her here http://www.k%20andrewdesigns.blogspot.com/
     Thats all for now, I hope you are having a fantastic week and Happy Scrapping.