Me & My Piano {Perfect Moment} @ STAMPlorations

{My DT work for STAMPlorations}

Hello everyone! Like I mentioned earlier, I was on vacation and had this post scheduled for June 5 before I left but when I'm back to find this post is still scheduled. Erm, wrongly hit the date, that's why. My apologies to some of you who may have visited STAMPlorations blog and came across Stencil Sunday #49 and June Mixed Media Challenge post yet unable to link up to my blog. 


Without further ado, here's my newest scrapbook page of myself for the first time in grungy mixed media form to suit the lady standing in front of her piano with additional bits of vintage element to depict the vintage dress I wore that belongs to my Mother in the 50's.

Here are some close up pictures:

The sentiment: "Life is like a Piano, what you get out of it depends on how you play it"; that is so true.

The Yamaha Piano is my prized possession; the most incredible gift from my parents for my 12th birthday. My love for instrumental piano songs begun during music lesson at primary school. I watched Miss Lee the piano teacher played the piano in the school hall. Her fingers ran smoothly from one key to another. My backdoor neighbor's daughters shared a piano and I loved listening to their beautiful performances playing mostly Richard Clayderman and some Mozart, Tchaikovsky etc. 
Sigh, I could only dream...and a dreamer I was. 
I never thought in my wildest dream ever that my beloved late father notice my interest in piano. Perhaps he did because he used to buy me ABBA records and cassette tapes when I was younger. At 7 I own my first ABBA record a gift from my father who knew I love Chiquitita and I Have A Dream so much. That's how I was influenced in music in the first place.
Nevertheless life wasn't easy in those days but my father knew what's best.
It was such a delight to step down from the school bus to hear someone played the piano. It was my middle sister. The piano arrived! It was unbelievable because I never ask for it. I began taking lessons at Yamaha School of Music but got bored in the first two weeks or so because firstly, the teacher was so fierce like a lion and secondly, all the elementary songs were completely boring! She kept circling the notes on the music sheet when I hit the wrong key {brrrr} and kept telling me to practice...practice...practice...as if I didn't {pffft}. She did step on my foot when I didn't press the pedal at the right note {ouch}. I finished the elementary book in just a week and the week later she wrote down a few first grade books I must buy. I practice non stop until I got bored. Music lesson was just once a week. And I had to keep practicing the same music notes every day. How boring! 
One day the following month my back door neighbor borrowed me the third grade books her daughter used. Maybe he must have been listening to me playing same junior songs every day and might have been bored listening to {teeheehee}. My sister Lili helped me photocopy the notes at the shop...those were the days unlike today one can easily scan {smile}. The first song I started to learn on my own was Fur Elise that was meant for 3rd grade student. I went beyond and practice Richard Clayderman's famous Ballad pour Adeline; the instrumental my backdoor neighbors always played, the one I dream I could play if I had a piano. A self learner studying the higher notes was tough but I didn't give up. It took me days of practice until I was able to play half of the note, I admit the chorus was even tougher and took me a month or so.

My sister bought me a few more instrumental piano books of pop songs including sentimental evergreen songs. She used to get me notes from her friend who taught music at her university.  He said I was gifted! Such sweet compliment from Mr Phang {smile}...correct me Lili if I'm wrong but I think that is his name right?

But of course, being gifted alone doesn't promise a certificate in music. One needs knowledge. I sat for 1st grade exam both theory and practical. I passed! Thanks to my ferocious piano teacher who hit my fingers with pencil when I played wrongly or step on my foot when I made it erroneous and once threw my piano book on the floor behind the piano because I didn't play with all my heart.

Looking back, it almost brings me tears because my parents made my dream come true. In those days only the wealthy can afford to buy a piano whereas my father was just a sole breadwinner who worked hard to give his five children the best in life, education is one of them.

If you are regular visitor you may have known by now my love for heavy duty layering and distressing Tim Holtz Ideolody collection is just awesome. The flowers are handmade using Sizzix dies and butterflies are Swirlydoos freebie. 
I used STAMPlorations patchwork frenzy graphic pentagons to stamp underneath the flower cluster for interest. I applied some texture paste through square links ARTplorations stencil to create random patterns around the layers.

So if you wonder why this layout is grungy is because of my positive and vigorous attitude that I believe in myself that I can play the piano on my own and I didn't want to let my parents down especially my dear father.
Then of course my mother's vintage dress will always remind me of her youth and hard life to make ends meet and ensuring there were food on the table for my four siblings and I. She still keep this beautiful dress and I would love to have it since I can still maintain my figure {chuckle}.

The awesome challenge at More Than Words attracted me because it is so inviting where "messy" is my favorite thing to do. I drop watercolor paints here and there for more depth.

I adore the mood board at Mixed Media Place. The combination of colors are perfect to depict my layout in the first place.

Then of course I can't do without this sketch at Scrap Club that kick start my project:

That's it for today. And don't forget to post STAMPlorations badge when you submit your entry before the month ends.

Thank you for dropping by today and hopefully you have enjoyed the musical part of my life besides my love for art {smile}.

Take care. Have a nice weekend.

Hugs and smiles,