Travelling Art

My Papa passed away just over a month ago. After the initial shock and sorrow we began cleaning out his house and quickly realized that Papa was a bit of a hoarder. 

Now it may be something common of the generation as a whole, I know a lot of grandparents with significant collections of "stuff", or it might have been a part of my Nana that rubbed off on him after almost 30 years of wedded bliss. I'm just surprised I hadn't noticed before - I'd been to his house a million times.

While cleaning, one thing that quickly stood out to me, besides the stashes of coins in film canisters everywhere, was the significant amount of travel souvenirs Papa had collected. Mostly from Canada and the United States, he had a pin, postcard, and patch from every place he'd ever visited,

As a kid I was enrolled in Girl Guides, where patches were frequently traded and highly coveted, so when I saw this collection I eagerly claimed it, and was surprised the rest of my family saw it as trash, not treasure. 

I had something in mind for those patches...

Inspired by my handmade butterfly art and the strong desire to display the patches as a constant reminder of my Papa, I decided to use them as art, mounted on white paper in a plain white frame to make the colours pop. 

The process was fairly straightforward and the supplies minimal - A frame from Ikea, white poster board, and hot glue gun. I sketched a rough layout and used a ruler to ensure the patches lined up while I glued them to the poster board. The glue dries immediately so there wasn't any delay, I assembled the frame right away and it was done. 

I will admit that the patches sat on my table for a few weeks as I procrastinated finalized the layout.

I think it turned out incredibly well, better than expected, and now I just need to find the perfect place to hang it! I'm also thinking of carrying on the tradition, what a great way to showcase your travels and relive the memories.

Enjoy!

Calli