Tell Your Story

Once Upon a Train: The Fisher Boys and their Trains

MM Tell Your Story Once Upon A Train pattern #166

• 12×12 Mosaic Moments Grid Paper: Navy
• Mosaic Moments Paper Tiles: Cherry Splash, Husk, Medium and Dark Glorious Green, Cobalt, Huckleberry Pie, Grapefruit Bliss
• Mosaic Moments Die Sets B and C

The Layout:

MM Pattern #166 column style layout

Pattern # 168 a column pattern and its mirror image

I have selected five photos to tell my story. They represent two different occasions; one is from our annual town Blue Tip Parade when on occasion they run the trains to carry passengers from here to the next town and the other is from a family vacation to South Dakota and an old steam engine we rode through the Black Hills.

Trains have been a huge part of our family history. My late husband spent a few years working on the trains out of Northwood, Ohio. We also had a friend out there who was a retired engineer that had a huge set-up in his basement with trains that fascinated us all. Our boys loved it. They also loved reading the Thomas the Tank Engine series and as well as the TV series plus our house backs up to the train tracks that run through our town. We’ve even traveled to Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, just to ride a train!

This month my youngest child, Andrew, will turn 21. He was young when his father passed away and might not remember much about time with his dad, but they shared a love of trains and both had March birthdays. I thought a layout and matching card to help him recall some of these events would be a perfect way to celebrate his birthday.

I had a bit of train cardstock left-over from some baby boy cards I’d made a long while back and used that as my inspiration for my color scheme and will use in the card too. They are primary colors a bit muted and rustic on a navy Mosaic Moments Grid page. The border pattern with these colors gives a look of a Mondrian painting to the page while still conveying a “little boy” color scheme.

Many of my older photos were printed at 3.5” x 5” and with a little bit of trimming using Die Set C fit just right into the 3×4 block space. With a 4×5 mat, and a wider side border I can add a bit of a label of a date/place. I enlarged one photo to a 5”x7” print and trimmed with the largest die from Die Set B. The other large 4×6 spot on page two is reserved for the journaling.
Now, with a simple layout quickly assembled you have time to tell your story and make a card as well.

The Story:

A part of the story of the Fisher Boys and their trains is written out for Andrew as these photos focus on his train ride photos with his dad. Font is Life Saver and a broken dash border surrounds the text. The Die Set B layering die was used to center the text and trim.

MM Tell Your Story Once Upon A Train journaling the story

The Card:

MM Tell Your Story Once Upon A Train card with train

Beginning with a sheet of cardstock cut to 8.5” x 7” scored and folded to 8.5” x 3.5” I’ve used a 1” strip of my patterned paper at the top and bottom and created an image to resemble the head-on view of an old steam engine train. The number of the train is cut using the Advent Calendar Dies from Memory Box and trimming the hook portion off. Of course I chose the corresponding number to match his age. Several Spellbinders Circle Dies and pop dots and foam mounting tape give dimension.

MM Tell Your Story Once Upon A Train creating the cowcatcher

The cow catcher is a section of red cardstock cutting away 1/8” sections and gathering together to bow it out. A bit on either end is trimmed away and then tucked in behind for a flatter, fuller look.

The Summery:

MM Tell Your Story Once Upon A Train layout and card Primary muted colors on Navy Grid

Maybe you have a photo with an old story tucked away to tell the family about. Why not create a layout and get that memory on paper for everyone to share? Is there a grandparent that has passed away that you want your kids to remember what they did together when they were little? Gifts they gave places they went to together, nicknames, funny stories, games or favorite sayings? You may think you’ll never forget that story or that memory, but you owe it to yourself…and to your family to Tell Your Story and do it soon!

Andrea Fisher

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Mosaic Moments Tell Your Story Once Upon A Train layout and card