i carry your heart with me

Over the past month or so I have really wanted to do something about this....

Hopefully those of you who commented on the last blog about her creeping you out don't get haunted. But really.... she's creepy...

 

If you see her twin on Antique Roadshow or Pawn Stars and she's worth $2 million if you don't do what I'm about to do to her, please don't tell me. 

Yesterday, I posted about the new look her frame just got. Well, she got quite the make over as well. Once I popped her out of the frame, I realized that she was one with her backing. It was thick, good stuff, so she got to stay.... sort of....

My BA is in English and I've always loved literature and a handful of poets. ee cummings is one of those I randomly enjoy. His poem i carry your heart with me speaks to me on many levels. 

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

First, this poem is true about Dustin and me. We have a great relationship and I do carry his heart with me, as the poem states. Everything about this poem is us.

i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

It also speaks to me about our son. I've not mentioned it here, but our first born was stillborn on May 27th, 2009, on our 3rd wedding anniversary. We were 37 weeks. So, this poem speaks to be also because I carry Lane with me. I carry him in my heart.  His stone has a stanza of a poem with the moon in it, so moons are Lane to me. I carry both Dustin and Lane every day everywhere I go. So, this poem needs to be in our home. 

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) 

I also love tree outlines, so I searched the internet for a clip art tree. I messed around with the sizing; I stretched it around; I changed the colors. Since the poem refers to trees and roots and buds, I felt that this was appropriate as well. We don't have anything fancy. I messed around with the pic in Microsoft's Picture program... it was free with our computer apparently.

I put the poem in Microsoft Publisher and messed around with size, color and font until I had it just right. Then I put the clip art in. I have never used this program before either, but it was perfect. I made the sheet the size I wanted and messed around until I had it the way I wanted. (I started THIS part of the process in December.-- I wanted it JUST.....RIGHT)

 

I printed what you see and planned to cut and match it all up. I was editor of my high school newspaper and this was how I had to put the paper together each time to send off to be printed. Not the best solution, but a solution. Once I printed all 4 sheets on photo paper, I realized that if I made it just a bit smaller that I could print it on TWO sheets and only have a horizontal line to match up.  Oh, hindsight. So, I tweaked it a bit, moved it off to the side and up a bit more and printed it again.... on two sheets this time. I already had the glossy paper. If I had to buy some, I would have done it in a matte finish, but I used what I had.

Then, I needed something to matte the pic with. I didn't have any fun fabric... or paper.... or anything, really. But, I'm impatient and have 700 pages of the dictionary left from when I wallpapered the hall with it. So, I used it. I didn't want it to be noticeable or to take away from the poem so I cut it in strips with no words really sticking out. I also glued it to the scary girl (yeah, right over the top of her) sideways and upside down. 

 

My hope is that she won't be angry since I didn't cover her face :)

I didn't cover the whole "painting" because, well, I didn't need to. I just used clear tape rolled onto itself and stuck my poem on it. It did take some precise cutting. (I wished that I was a scrapbooker and had the cutting tools while I did this). But, overall, it was super easy.

Then, I put it all back in the frame, hung it up, and took some pics. 

The book page border might not stay, but for now, I still like it. 

 

Ole creepy gal has had quite the makeover this week! 

I know my directions aren't the best here. I was trying, unsuccessfully, not to be too wordy. So, if you want to try it out and need some tips or better directions, leave me a comment or shoot me an email.