Little Book of Quotes

Hello Blog Friends,

This week, I'm sharing some of the scrapbooking project that I started on the retreat to I attended several weeks ago.  

I have some very special friends where I work, three women who mean very much to me.  Two I think of as younger sisters, and one I think of as a daughter (she is my youngest daughter's age).  I will miss seeing them on a day to day basis when I retire next spring.  Heather, the youngest of the three, is getting married in October, and of course, a quilt is in the works for that.  Paula and Lynn are like sisters...Paula will receive a quilt as a "remember me" parting gift.  I've chosen to make Lynn a little book of quotes.  Lynn has recently been diagnosed with MS, and I hope this book of encouraging and enlightening quotes will brighten and comfort in tough days to come.

The book is made of chipboard pages, each 6" high and 7" wide.  Each page has a different shaped edge.  The pages will be held together with a locking binder rings, covered in pretty ribbons.  The nice thing about this smaller size is that I am using some of the larger "orphan" paper scraps in my scrapbooking stash.  So, in essence, this is a stash-buster project also!  

I'm using both the computer and stamped images to create the sentiments on the pages.  The book is still a work in process, but here is a sampling of what is inside:

The front cover.  Back cover will be covered in same paper.

 Inside front cover and page 1.

 Page 1 up close.

 Absolutely love this paper!

 The words in brown paper stand up off the page for emphasis.  I still need to add a few paper flowers to this page.

Another page with stamped images.

There will be 10 chipboard pages in all when it is done.  I have 7 pages and the back cover to make yet.  I really like this project, and plan to make one for myself at a later time.  

...I am hard at work on the second stash buster quilt.  Details next week.  Until then...

Chicago Museum Pages

Hello Blog Friends,

Denis and I were in Chicago several years ago and we visited the Museum of Science and Industry.  I've been diligently working on finishing up the pages for this museum, then our Chicago album will be done.  Here are some of the pages I have done recently:

For the Circus exhibit:

 These pages were mad with the "Animal Cookies" paper pack by Close to My Heart.  I love the whimsical colors and patterns.

 I also relied heavily on my Cricut die cutting machine to cut the silhouette shapes and the letters in the top photo.  This page has pictures of the circus train diorama at the museum. 

Here is a working model of a three ring circus under the big top.  I again used cutouts made with the Cricut.  All the cutouts were from the "Carousel" cartridge.

For the Ships exhibit:

These pages are made with the "Majestic Blue" paper packet from Close to My Heart.  The antique map print paper was perfect for pictures of old time sailing ships.

Next time... A Show and Tell project from the Quilt Expo.


 

Scrapbooking Night, Surf's Up Papers

Hello Blog Friends,

Tonight was our monthly scrapbooking group.  Remember, my daughter Kristy is a Close to My Heart consultant, and each month, a group of scrapping friends gather to make six pages from a paper packet featured that month.  Tonight, the paper packet called "Surf's Up" was featured.  Here are the pages we made tonight:

This one is missing it's title...I wanted to wait for the pictures before I decided on one.

The colors and patterns are very "mod" and remind me of the '70's.  Which, in turn, reminds me that the Beatles movie "Help!" is being released on Blu-Ray on June 25.  As I did when it was first released in the theaters, I'll be faithfully standing in line (so to speak) to buy one!

 

Shades of 1970's....Groovy!

 

These were cute papers and fun pages once completed. 

 

Until next time...

Pages and Pages in Books

Hello Blogger friends,

I've been relaxing a bit this week, recuperating from scrapbooking retreat.  It was very hard to get back in the groove of working again, and this week seemed especially long for some reason...perhaps it is the cold and rainy weather that has once again descended upon us.

I thought I would share with you the bulk of my scrapbooking work.  Here is a photo of the completed scrapbooks I have made.  They currently sit on the lower shelf of my sofa table, as you can see.

Most of my books are travel related books, however, I do have two volumes of Christmas, one of our wedding and honeymoon, one volume of my Quilt Diary, and one complete volume devoted to my kitty girl, Betty the Kat.  From time to time, I'll pull out some favorite layouts and share them with you.

Scrapbooking Retreat, Day 2

Hello Friends!

I'm happy to report that I've been busy here at retreat and have 16 pages completed.  I finished Shedd Aquarium pages and I've posted pictures of these pages below.

All our ladies are here now, the last group having arrived this evening about 6:00. 

 

Back to work...more in tomorrow's post.

Over the river and through the woods... to scrapbooking retreat we go!

Friends,

It is time to switch gears from sewing to scrapping for this coming week, as I will be going to a scrapbooking retreat with 30 other girls.  I leave bright and early on Thursday morning to head to northern Wisconsin for 4 days and 3 nights of girl talk, wine, good eats, and scrapbooking!

I'm packed and ready to go.  Here's a picture of all my stuff.  I'll be posting from the retreat and will show you my space once everything is unpacked and set up.  I'll also send some pics of finished pages.

Now, I know what you are thinking..."You're taking all that???"  Well....yeah.  I have my 12" Cricut machine in its travel bag (far left), along with cutting mats, cartridges and other accoutrements.  I have all my papers (a must for scrapbooking, kind of like fabric is a must for quilting), ink pads, tools, embellishments, ribbons, acrylic stamps and blocks, laptop, printer (not shown), and the Gypsy Quilter's Sit Upon.  Now you are probably thinking..." I hope she has a large vehicle like an SUV."  Fear not, I have a KIA Sorento. 

My pride and joy is the two matching pieces of MIMI craft luggage (the red bags in the center, toward the back).  They are made of red suede and feature many clear vinyl pockets inside for maximum storage.  The bottom one has wheels.  I have all Close To My Heart inkpads in the tall narrow black tote on the right.  The smaller black and white square tote in the left front is by Creative Memories and holds all my tools. 

I never use preprinted photos, but print my own on my wonderful HP color inkjet printer.  I also take my laptop computer, so I can crop, resize, recolor my photos before printing.  We have internet access where I am going, so I will also use my laptop to use Cricut Craft Room online.

I have a great camera.  An Olympus DSLR.  I took the shot of Chicago skyline from the Shedd Aquarium.

We stayed in Shaumburg.  I took the shot of the clock tower at dusk.  P.S.  I love large photos...can you tell??

I am scrapping a trip Denis and I took to Chicago several years ago.  Can you believe it, but I started this scrapbook at last year's crop.  I have really lagged on this project, and like all UFOs, I want it DONE!  I am using many premade layouts for this, much like the one I showed you several posts ago (from scrapbooking group night).  As a matter of fact, all the pages I intend to use are from scrapbooking monthly group.  I need to work on pictures from the Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Field Museum.  I already have the Willis Tower and Adler Planetarium done. 

 Here is one set of pages from the Adler Planetarium.  The pages were premades from monthly group.

Here we are "on the ledge" at the top of the Willis Tower.  Again, premade pages from monthly group.

I'll be busy tomorrow night, packing the car and making some treats...my contribution to the food for the weekend.  My next post will be from retreat on Thursday evening.  I'll tell you more about the retreat itself then.

Scrapbooking Group Night Chantilly Papers

Hello friends!

It is monthly scrapbooking group night!  My daughter, Kristy, is a Close To My Heart Consultant.  Each month we gather, Kristy as our guide, to create 6 pages from one of the current kits in the catalog.  We cut our papers per her instructions, and assemble following her sample pages.  At the end of one year, we have 72 pages ready for photographs!  We worked with the Chantilly kit tonight and it features springtime papers with cute flowers and pastel patterns. 
Here are my finished pages:

For my quilting friends, the blank spaces are photo mats. 

Scrapbooking is a lot like quilting...you take a piece of paper, just like fabric, cut it into small pieces, then put it back together again!
 

Pennies from Heaven Shadowbox

This is a shadowbox that I made for both Denis and his brother.  There is a story behind the coins in the shadowbox.  Their dad, Bill, was a coin collector.  He would keep spare change (and would find it, too!) and would collect this change for an entire year, then cash it in at the bank.  It was his "mad money" while on vacation.  He was known to hide his stash of coins and money in the rafters of the basement at their home in Neenah.  Bill and Stella (Denis' mom) have both passed away, and Denis inherited the house.  He was doing some renovations in the basement (removing walls, etc.) in preparation to selling the house.  We often wondered about Bill's stash, if it even existed, and if we would find it.  The last wall to come down would reveal its hiding place, and at long last "the treasure" had been found.

I used some of the actual wheat pennies and rolls of coins as part of the display.  This is contained in a 12" x 12" shadowbox frame.  There are notations on the rolls written in pencil in Bill's handwriting. 
 

I gave this one to Gordon, Denis' brother for Christmas in 2007.  It was the WOW gift that Christmas.  It made him cry.  I made another one for Denis soon after.

Here is the write up from the shadowbox:  "Bill was well known as a collector of many things.  One of his most prolific hobbies was to collect coins, roll them in paper wrappers, and stash them in the walls ad rafters of his basement workshop.  During recent basement renovations, Denis had almost given up hope of finding this legendary treasure until the last of day of his work there.  The wall containing the door to the workroom was the last to come down, and there the treasure resided.  Rolls of wheat pennies dating back to the 1940's came tumbling down, as well as rolls of quarter and half dollars.  This display is dedicated to you, Bill.  Although you are gone from us, you continue to shower us with 'Pennies from Heaven'.  Thanks, Dad."

These photographs are the ones used in the display:

 Bill repurposed a variety of containers for his coins, including this Velvet tobacco tin.

Here are the tobacco tins and rolls of coins stashed within the wall above the door to the workroom.  This space was full of tins and coins.
 

Betty the Cat (BTC)

We have a kitty cat and her name is Betty.  She also answers (when she feels like it, of course) to the name of BTC, the Bets and Betzer.  She has been with me for 15 years and provides love and companionship (again, when she feels like it) to Denis and I.  Her breed is known as American Shorthair and she is an indoor cat only.

Being the scrapbooker that I am, I have made a book of Betty's life and times.  As a pet owner, I am aware of her finite lifespan, and know that someday she will leave me.  So, I made a book to commemorate the highlights of Bets's life.  Here are a few of my favorite pages:

We live in a split level home, 8 stairs up and 8 stairs down.  She loves to play "gotcha" on the steps through the stair rails.

This is my favorite page of the entire album.  Don't you just want to know what thoughts are behind those eyes?  On second thought, maybe not!

Dogs and cats are notorious for having very reflective eyes.  To a scrapbooker, no photograph is a bad one.  The result of that philosophy is this page.

I love this kitty bowl set.  It's made of ceramic.

Molly

As I mentioned in my profile speech, I am also a scrapbooker.  I've done a number of books for myself, but also some gift and commemorative pieces for family and friends.  Here is a commemorative piece for Jerry, a friend from work.  His golden lab, Molly, died from illness in 2011.  I made him this 12" x 12" page in a frame to help remember her by.  He displays this piece in a prominent place in his home.