I Scrap, You Scrap

With not many plans for the rest of the summer, I have been thinking about few things to keep my kids busy. We have had a pretty crazy summer so far, and I think a little down time is just what we need. Yesterday was the first day that we had absolutely nothing on the schedule. Just by accident, Sydnee & I ended up at the craft table together. I was making a card for Craig's grandparents that live in England. They just celebrated their 72nd anniversary. I know a card is just a simple jester for two people that have been together that long, but they love getting mail. I will also send them a few pictures of the family. After I made the card, I felt like creating for a little bit & started on a scrapbook page. I had some lovely pictures printed from just before we moved last November. Sydnee also wanted to scrapbook so we shared the table and got to work.

Sydnee had a picture with her favorite teacher, so I took out my box of school-themed paper & embellishments and she picked out what she wanted to use on the page. I guided her with a few design suggestions.
1. Keep embellishments close together, don't spread them out to all the corners of the page.
2. Use more than one set of alphabets for her title; one large, one small.
3. When stamping, an easy way to use a small stamp is to repeat the pattern on a strip of cardstock.
I think she did a great job! One thing I learned from her, don't think too much about it, just create!   
Here is the page that I created. I think I am excited for autumn!
I think this might be the start of a new weekly post! Do you and your kids create together? Isn't it so much fun?!

Blog Makeover

I know I haven't been posting much since the move, and I felt that I needed a new look here.
So I asked my creative friend, Megan, to help me with a spruced up blog design. Doesn't it look fantastic?! If you go over to her blog, she has written a post about her creative process.
Megan is great with Photoshop, and is so creative! I love to read her blog on a daily basis. She has got her scrapbook design all figured out & I am always inspired & amazed with everything she does: handwritten journaling, lovely photos, layered embellishments, & great techniques! I love her designs & she is one of my kindest creative friends.
Thanks Megan! I love the  way it looks!
Ready to post more often & use this place to share creative projects, fun ideas, & the highlights of our new life in Texas. Pinky promise!

Penny, Me, & Megan: creative good times

Senior Show Choir Album

 Before I left Iowa, my friend asked me to create a Senior Album for her daughter's graduation that highlighted the 3 years she had been in Show Choir.  {The album cover was created by Candi at The Vinyl Studio.}

 After we moved to Texas & things settled down a little bit, I went to work on the album. It was alot of work, but each time I would pull everything out to work on it, I would remember this wonderful girl & her family, and it would make my heart heal just a little from having to move so far away from them & all our other friends in Iowa.

 To keep the cost down, and focus on the photos, I kept the design & embellishments to a minimum. Sometimes with all the scrapbook designs I see on the internet, I feel that the photos take a back seat to the products. I know there is a purpose for selling products, etc. but when I was working on this album, I really came back to the basics of why we do this. To remember.

I used the songs that were sung each year by the Show Choir as the titles for each layout. I thought this might be a way that as she was looking at the album, memories would come flooding back. Music has such a way of bring back memories. Don't you think?

 

 Here are just a few of the layouts. I think there was a total of 36 pages??? Thanks to my friend who took these photos for me. I sent the book in a hurry to get there in time for the party, then when I was in Iowa I forgot to take photos of the pages too! So she saved the day.

This last photo was an Instagram I took of the last page of the album. I do wish Makayla all the best with her future! It looks so bright! I was happy to be able to attend her graduation party with my kiddos,it was such a sweet day & we were so happy to celebrate with her & her family!