Memory Collage

I wanted to make a collage of our time in Budapest where we lived for almost 5 years doing Christian work. It was a special time in our lives when the Lord taught us so many important truths, and I wanted something to hang on the wall as a reminder of His work in our lives.

I started by making black and white copies of tourist maps of Budapest, an old map of Hungary, bus passes and Hungarian paper money. I also made enlargements of several photos I liked.

My background is a blank white canvas. I spent some time arranging the background and photos until I was happy with the layout. When I started decoupaging onto the canvas, some of the copies puckered a bit, but I smoothed as best I could, and the finished collage looked fine in spite of these.

This is a copy of a drawing a friend made of the house where we lived (in an upstairs flat) during the time we lived in Budapest. That home will always be special to us because it holds so many wonderful memories of Bible studies, small groups, and conversations about the Lord with international friends.

After several coats of decoupage on the background, I put the pictures on with decoupage. It looks streaky when you apply it, but dries with a neat looking texture...just make sure your brush strokes are as smooth as possible and go in the same direction.
 

 

This close up shows how streaky they look when wet.

I really like how it turned out. After several coats of decoupage, I put on a spray sealer.

Here are the explanations for each item I included. 

If you'd like to read some of the devotions I've written that have to do with our time in Hungary and our annual trips to Hungary, you can check these out:

💙4 Puzzle Pieces - How God sometimes directs our lives.

💙Just Another Day in Paradise - our time on a 100-year-old farm.

💙When God Changes Our Plans  - How we ended up in Hungary.

💙Our Divine Translator - Things I learned from speaking with a translator and how they apply to us as Christians.  

💙Did You Know My Brother is a Songwriter? - A wonderful revelation about God's family.  

💙God is Good Even When our Circumstances are Bad  - The story of being pick-pocketed.

💙He Developed a Curriculum for Survival While in Prison - this is such a good testimony from a Hungarian priest!

💙My Friend Lived in a Box - The spiritual consequences of Communism.

💙How Can You Shine Today? - Revelations from a Tram Ride. 

💙Praying for Those in Your Path - No matter where you live.

💙Caffeine-free or Extra Espresso
What ordering in a different language taught me about God - a story that is both humorous and profound!

💙100-year-old Hungarian Farm - This is a pictural look at our 3-week stay in an old farm...beautiful!!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my memory collage. I hope you'll also check out my home page where I send subscribers a 1-Minute devotion each weekday. I'd love to have you sign up for a free subscription. God bless you, Gail