Gastown

I love going to places that have an interesting history and are just that little bit different. Gastown is that kind of place.

Gastown was Vancouver's first downtown core and is named after "Gassy" Jack Deighton, a Yorkshire seaman, steamboat captain and barkeep who arrived in 1867 to open the area's first saloon.

Gastown's most famous (though nowhere near oldest) landmark is the steam-powered clock on the corner of Cambie and Water Street. It was built in 1977 to cover a steam grate, part of Vancouver's distributed steam-heating system, as a way to harness the steam and to prevent street people from sleeping on the spot in cold weather.

I found a seat on patio of the Lamplighter Pub across the street. I thought it idyllic to be sitting in the sun enjoying great food and a beverage, and listening to the steam clock play the Westminster Chimes every quarter hour.

 

The inspiration for this layout came from the August 1st Stuck?! sketch designed by Laura Whitaker. I wanted to feature the steam clock picture and, as I am prone to do, tell a little about the subject I'm scrapping. This sketch did all that for me so all I pretty much did was follow right along with it.

  

 

I decided to use a solid circle. I knew the idea of the stitching would add to the layout so used gold jean thread, which is a thick thread that shows up well on paper, and outlined the circle. Unfortunately this thick thread only comes in gold and denim blue. It's great to work with and not only is more prominent but adds texture to the layout.

The journaling and title was fun to do. It took a few drafts before I found the right line breaks to accomplish the slanted look. I loved the suggestion of breaking up the journaling with use of the title.