It's Out! I've been PUBLISHED!

I just received my Somerset Memories Feb-March 2009 issue and there it was, on page 24, WWII Love Letters! This is my first LO to be published and although I'm to receive a complimentary copy of that issue, I just had to make sure I have another copy to give to my dad!

This is about my grandfather's letters to my grandmother. Lolo Martin was a USAFFE officer, captured in Bataan during WWII, part of the infamous Death March. While incarcerated by the Japanese, he was able to send letters to Lola Chiching, telling about his life in Camp O'Donnell in Tarlac. He talked about the cruelty of the Japanese, the scarcity of food, and even asked her to send some and to even visit him. He said that he missed her and his 5 sons, all still very young to fully understand the attrocities of war. Despite the odds, they were able to send these love letters back and forth under the very nose of the Japanese soldiers.

What makes this LO special is also the fact that I used an actual letter scanned onto transparency as part of the background. This was made tricky by the fact that at that time, I could only use A4 transparency sheets. Still, with a little trick of the eye (a.k.a. some placement of ribbons and paper), I was able to pull it off together. The journal is hidden, like I usually prefer. It comes out when you pull the lower right hand corner flowers underneath my grandfather's photo.

I do so love this LO, possibly the best I've ever done. I hope there will be others just as good.

Hidden Journal reads: Lolo Martin was a POW soldier of the WWII Death March. Upon reaching Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac, my grandfather found ways to send letters, even money to my grandmother, Lola Chiching. These letters asked her to send food, medicines and supplies to him while imprisoned. She promptly responded. His letters showed that despite the war, lolo and lola corresponded, continued to make the best of the situation, pouring out their fears, hopes and sentiments in their love letters. These letters are now kept in a vault to preserve history of that very difficult period in their lives.

Materials: Bo Bunny pps, transparency of scanned letters, Provocraft Alphaletterz, All About Scrapbooking Glittered Alphas, MM Springtime brads, Bo Bunny lace, Mokuba black ribbon, Liquitex black acrylic paint.