This layout became a work of love in tribute to my namesake Linda. I owe everything about the inspiration for creating this to Kim and Tina and their incredible kits!
Kim's "Au Natural" page kit is unbelievable lovely in texture and content. It's soft, understated colors brings the wonderful textures of handmade paper and dried flower details to life. It reminded me of leaves, herbs and flowers pressed between the pages of a book or scattered amongst layers of treasured papers and became the inspiration for how I could tell Linda's story.
Tina's "Circle of Nature Stackers" word art provided the perfect bridge, both physically and conceptually between the elements of the layout and the journaling theme. There are almost endless possible ways to use her kit to embellish and enhance any layout.

The photo is of my mother's cousin Linda for whom I am named. My aunt recently told me some details about Linda and why she died so young - not very long after this picture was taken.
On the papers behind her picture I attempted to tell her story in German as if she were writing it herself.
My additional journaling reads:
"We share the same name, Linda. My mother named me after you, her lovely cousin.
Throughout my life I've been told that our name means "beautiful" but only recently have I found out how much that beauty cost you at the hands of the Russian soldiers who came and took over your village in East Prussia. Their brutal assault on you, in their minds prompted by your beauty, was the cause of your death.
Yet when I look at your picture, I marvel at the beauty and serenity that shines from your lovely eyes and radiates from your soul. It is an inner beauty far more precious than worldly appearances.
That memory was not destroyed.
I am honored to carry your name."

For techniques...I did not do any recoloring to the kit or to the photo. The background is a blend of two of the papers from the kit using soft light, multiply and luminosity. The main journaling papers were made by blending one of the kit papers with the handmade paper element. A simple emboss was added to the word art to give it depth. Likewise, the title font has a bevel and emboss style applied for texture. The color for the title was eye-droppered from the kit, although it looks metallic, no action was applied to it other than the simple PS styles mentioned.

Credits:
Kim Liddiard's "Au Natural" page kit
http://store.digitalscrapbookplace.c...oducts_id=3017
Tina Chamber's "Circles of Nature Stackers" word art
http://store.digitalscrapbookplace.c...oducts_id=2994