Tx Scrapbooking Retreats

Mother’s Day 1993. I was mommy to four. Wonderful memories:)

I always work on a particular album close to that holiday.

I find that I enjoy working on what is on my mind and in my heart at the time:)

I painted the flowers by using 3 different colors of blue acrylic paint.

Barely blending instead of mixing will create a water color effect.

Generously applying the paint will create more dimension. 

I actually had these flowers on file, waiting for the perfect layout!

Once in a great while I have a day to just play and create embellishments for future layouts.

Have a Happy Mother’s Day!

p.s. And for heavens sake find a day to just create and play!

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I believe that the best gifts are created not purchased! That is probably because I am a mom and have a treasure trove of handmade items from my kiddos. I am still making my mom treasures from me:) Last year I gathered all the pictures of just me & my mom and created a vintage mini album for her Mother’s day gift.

 I scanned in the old pictures and converted them to black & white for the design of the album.

FYI-I was born in 1964:)

I love this next photo…notice how adoringly I am looking at my mom:) I look at this and realize how much influence mothers have with their children. They notice everything we do, imitate the things we do and generally learn much about life from us. What a joy, what a responsibility!

I usually print the pictures for these types of projects at home.

This vintage paper is my new favorite!

I chose a damask stamp with lavender ink which I stamped on the edges of the chipboard album.

I added a collection of K&Co embellishments with birds and paper ribbon.

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone who mothers anyone:)

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 In recent years I have learned to love taking pictures of landscaping, decor, food, and holiday displays.

It is much easier than people:) No wiggling, whining, or complaining from the subjects!

All of these things help to tell the story of our lives and traditions.

My holiday displays change from year to year. I use the same basic decor but mix it up a bit.

And… when I just can’t resist I will add a piece here and there to my collection

(usually involves a trip to Hobby Lobby!)

Details of layout:

Bazzill paper (of course!)

Strips of various printed papers cut in varying strips

Paper ribbon from K&Co

The Easter title and eggs were cut from the Designers Calendar cartridge (one of my favorties!)

I added blue & green water color pencils in a shaded effect to the title and outlined the edges with blue pen.

I traced some of the pattern on the eggs with a pink watercolor pencil.

Water color pencils are easy to use, you just color and then brush with water.

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This is one of those pictures that speaks to my heart!

My boys loved to climb this gumdrop tree at Nannie’s house.

The layout was a happy accident.

I punched the scalloped  circles out of the picture mats (thrifty!) and was trying to put a flower on the layout when I saw it…the tree:)

I did the children’s music at church for many years and “In the leafy treetops” was a favorite song of the kids!

Don’t you love the boys choice of clothing?

It is proof that I didn’t try and control everything:)

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We really haven’t done much to celebrate St. Patricks through the years, but I am really having fun scrapbooking all this green…it is such a happy color!

I do remember wearing green every year so I wouldn’t get pinched at school!

A couple of years ago we had the idea to do green cinnamon rolls…we over did it on the icing just a bit:)

I created this background by cutting various green printed strips and adhering them in no particular pattern.

We had so many colors of green in the photos and this was a good way to blend lots of shades of green.

And as usual I punched out the mats which always give me journaling shapes.

Happy green scrapping:)

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