Grungy Monday 05 - Run For The Roses

The latest challenge(#05) at Studio L3’s Grungy Monday was to use T!m’s niche technique so wonderfully demonstrated here. Since I’m doing all of mine as 8x8 scrapbook pages, I opted not to use foamcore and instead just used layers of thick stock and dimensional adhesive in between to create the look of depth. I hope that’s ok! My niche was cut on my Silhouette in the shape of the state of Kentucky and then filled with Roses!

I am a Kentuckian by birth and that means something very special to me. I truly love my home state and hope to someday soon move back across the Ohio River to once again be home. Kentuckians are also very proud of our thoroughbred horses and the Kentucky Derby. Every year on the 1^st Saturday in May, millions watch “the most exciting two minutes in sports” known as the Kentucky Derby. It’s a one and a quarter mile long “Run For The Roses” at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville Kentucky.

I couldn’t imagine a more fitting song inspiration than Dan Fogelberg’s Run For The Roses.

Born in the Valley And raised in the trees Of Western Kentucky On wobbly knees With mama beside you To help you along You'll soon be a growing up strong. All the long, lazy mornings In pastures of green The sun on your withers The wind in your mane Could never prepare you For what lies ahead The run for the roses so red – From sire to sire It's born in the blood The fire of a mare And the strength of a stud It's breeding and it's training And it's something unknown That drives you and carries You home.

And it's run for the roses As fast as you can Your fate is delivered Your moment's at hand It's the chance of a lifetime In a lifetime of chance And it's high time you joined In the dance It's high time you joined In the dance --

It brings a tear to my eye every time and even more so now that my Dad is gone…he loved horseracing and collected Derby memorabilia. Ok, enough of that emotional stuff….I’ve not used a single rubber stamp on this creation I’m embarrassed to say. The images are from art by Trish Biddle (amazing stuff) and even the racing program page that I made into a background was printed from google images; as was the bottle of Woodford reserve w/mint Julep. The base paper and mini roses are from Club Scrap’s April kit called Welcome. The background is a Claudine Hellmuth technique, although I think T!m also has demo’d it too.

I also want to shout out a thanks to Nancy at Squirrely Art for the lace that I used around the outside. She sent it to me some time ago and I've been waiting for just the right way to use some of it! Thanks Nancy!