Roots Run Deep! by Jeanne Jachna

Have you ever felt a need to investigate your past? I mean going beyond you, past your parents and grandparents. digging deep into your Ancestry. Perhaps where you come from is linked to where you are going! I’d love to find some skilled artisans or simple crafters like me in my background. It would explain a lot! LOL

This collection is a wonderful mix of heirlooms. You’ll find cameo silhouettes and antique silhouette portraits, pressed flowers, time pieces and vintage cameras. The prints are plaids and florals in shades of gold, poppy and aquamarine.

Simple Stories has pulled out all the stops for this collection. It’s available in 12” and 6x8” papers and the embellishments include matching solid “Basics”, decorative brads, washi, bits & and pieces, chipboard, stickers and NEW layered stickers so you have lots to choose from for your designs.

I like to add a layer of solid color as a matte to my layouts. The Simple Vintage Ancestry Basics collection is perfect for this. Solids are also a great way to break up your patterns to keep them from looking busy too. I recently found a new way to use my extras – making my own envelopes!

Whenever I receive a new collection, I love to look through all the pieces and sort them out. I’ll put all the butterflies, hearts, flowers, portraits, sentiments, etc on little piles so I know exactly what I have. I cut apart the layered stickers and punch out the chipboard pieces too and add them to the others. It’s candy for the eyes sorting through all the different embellishments.

For a base I like to start with a 3x4” journaling card or larger piece of ephemera – in this case perhaps a post card or a larger image from the bits and pieces. I arrange the images on a piece of clear plastic the same size as my card base and add more embellishments – perhaps a butterfly, sentiment or silhouette. I can rework the arrangement as many times as I like before I commit and adhere the bits in place.

The finishing touches are always the strips of washi, bitty sentiment strips, and decorative brads or enamel dots. These little details add more layers, interest and color to your designs.

I think these cards will make great invites to family gatherings, congratulations for new additions to the family (wedding or baby), and reminders for tough times – because this family is strong together.

Maybe you’re starting your own family tree and thinking of your own branch and where the stems will lead. The Simple Stories Simple Vintage Ancestry Collection is a wonderful way to document and build on the memories of today.