Southern Adventure - A Work In Progress

Look! Actual scrapbooking! It know that it really doesn't look like much, please believe me when I tell you that this small selection of pretty papers - cut to size and slotted into place in an album - is evidence of real progress. I have been busily working on an album of the 'Southern Adventure' - a three week trip around the South Coast of England - that my parents took in May/June 2009.

It's been a labour of love. Not only because of the sheer amount of photographs, leaflets, tourist information brochures, receipts and postcards that my parents accumulated on their travels; but also because - this was their last adventure together before mum passed away in 2010. For a very long time, the idea of starting on this album was overwhelming - and, as the photograph below represents only half of the material I had to work with - I'm sure you can understand why!

Slowly, but surely, I've spent the month sorting. Sorting into usable and unusable, then sorting into counties visited, then sorting into date order. This became a whole lot easier when I found my father's handwritten notes and a rough itinerary tucked inside an envelope.

Currently, I've inserted two counties (out of five) worth of photographs, hand-written notes and memorabilia into the album and, alongside, I've started to fill in the blank spaces using materials from Soft Sunshine, my Counterfeit Kit for April. There isn't much embellishment at the moment - sorting took a lot more time that I would have expected - but I have included 'embellishment suggestions' in each little pocket!

It's a work in progress, but I am thrilled to have made such an amazing start on the album and I'll be continuing my efforts in May - no doubt inspired by the next Counterfeit Kit. With any luck, it will be finished in time for me to hand it over to my dad on my parents' wedding anniversary at the beginning of July. Wouldn't that be wonderful?