I created this layout a few days ago for a challenge. Today, this layout was recognized as a Gallery Stand Out. Totally excited about that! There are so many crazy good layouts out there and to be picked on any given day is pretty awesome in my book. I'm extra excited as I spent a lot of time on this layout to achieve this look....plus the journaling. Funny thing is....subconsciously this layout has been in the works for several weeks. A dear friend sent me this beautiful turtle that she found on RawPixel several weeks ago and I've been formulating an idea since then, just waiting for it to all come together into the perfect layout for the perfect turtle. Here we have it folks.
Little bit about the layout. It has over 75 layers to complete this look. I used the turtle picture, duplicated it and then extracted just the turtle to achieve the out of box look. The seaweed that you see around this turtle was not in the original picture. I created the look using elements that I duplicated, layered, blended and used blending masks to create this look (in short, it took a hot minute to create). I used 4 different types of paper and some magic lights to create the background look and used an overlay overall to add some grunge.
While the pictorial part of the layout is pretty awesome in my book, I decided to deepen the meaning of the layout by journaling. In case the journaling isn't quite legible due to my flattening the image, here's what I journaled.
Trust the journey you are on. BELIEVE that the course you are on is part of
YOUR destiny. A sea turtle has many years that are labeled as “LOST” years. These are the years they spend traveling their path, growing, becoming stronger. Once they reach mating maturity, the female turtle mates and then she finds her way back to her birth place. This is where she will nest and lay her eggs prior to heading back to sea to continue her journey. We all experience those years we consider as “LOST”
years, but take heart, they serve a purpose. This is our time to grow, become stronger and find our purpose. When the time is right, we will find ourselves on the exact path that we are meant to be on in this journey. Everyone’s journey is unique to them. We cross paths and even travel together on different parts of our paths and we each arrive where we NEED to, WHEN we need to.
TRUST THE JOURNEY & THRIVE!
I used the following to complete this layout (they can all be found at The LilyPad with the exception of the photo):
Artified: Incomplete Layered Template by Rachel Jeffries
Wanderlust Magic Lights by NBK Designs
On the Sunny Side Magic Lights by NBK Designs
Trust the JourneyThrive Bundle by Rachel Jeffries/Studio Basics
Salt Air MMA by Rachel Jeffries
The Path I'm On MMP by Rachel Jeffries
Poisson by Rachel Jeffries
Photo: Rawpixel edited by me
Font: American Typewriter