BYSS World Series 2022: COVID Sucks

We're on a roll! My team for the BYSS World Series 2022, the Scrappin' Banshees, won Game 2! 

For Game 3, we earn a base hit (1 point) for each of the four following elements: metal, stenciling, punches, and Project Life cards. If you get the home run, you can add the grand slam element, which is creating a 2-element mixed media background. 

This was not an easy challenge for me. Well, parts were easy. I use punches all the time and, while I don't have many, it's not hard to work a Project Life card into a layout. Stenciling is not my favorite, but metal was the hardest element for me. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to substitute metallic paint, or embossing powder, or anything like that. It had to be a chunk of metal. Fortunately, staples were on the approved list. Mixed media is totally not my thing, but I gave it a go. This is the page I made:

COVID Sucks (affiliate link)

I wanted to tell the story of our COVID experience. After avoiding it for nearly 2.5 years, we finally got COVID this summer. Trevor (vaccinated with one booster) came home from summer camp with it in mid-July. He had almost no symptoms and we wouldn't have even known to test him if other Scouts hadn't tested positive. Steve (vaccinated with one booster) and I (vaccinated with two boosters, because I'm over 50 and Steve isn't) stayed healthy for another month, but tested positive within a day of each other in August. I had three miserable days and then felt fine. Steve had five miserable days and continued to test positive for another 5 days. 

I started the page by stenciling the background paper using modeling paste. When it was dry, I added ink. Then I added the patterned paper, photos, title block, and embellishments. The metal staples are at the top left and bottom right. The circles are my punches. I actually used three Project Life cards (2 for the title block and ribbon behind it, then another for the blue in the bottom right). I'm really happy with how this page turned out. And it's my first grand slam!

I had time, so I went for a second grand slam... and failed. I'll tell you about that tomorrow.