Class Review: 12 Tags of Christmas

Before we're through with December, I thought I better write my Christmas class reviews.  Even though Tim Holtz's Twelve Tags of Christmas is not technically a class, it definitely has that feel.  Each day, between Dec. 1 and 12, Tim posts instructions for completing a tag using a variety of products (especially his signature products).  This is the third year in a row in which he has undertaken this project and the first year that I haven't finished all twelve tags.   The bloom was a little off the rose for me this year, I think, because so many of the tags featured products that I don't own - especially his die cutting machine and dies.  Although Tim encourages participants to substitute other products, I found it difficult to do in this situation. Also, it struck me that a large portion of the tags used variations on these materials.  In the past, almost every tag featured a different technique.  So, this was not my favorite 12 Tags of Christmas, but I did enjoy making my tags, revisiting some old techniques and learning a few new ones.  Plus, it's all FREE!  Hard to be too critical of a free sharing of information. Something new for this year were videos.  I love listening to Tim Holtz talk about how to create and so would play them for background, even if he was describing how to use a machine I didn't own.  His voice is so calming and supportive that it increased my creative enjoyment. As always, alternative viewpoints welcomed. Overall grade: B.

First Day of School: the bigger picture

School started for the kids last Wednesday, and there's some details I want to jot down before I forget them.   But, before I go there, let me note the bigger picture:  I am so grateful I have these two wonderful, healthy children in my life.  I'm not sure how we got so lucky, but I thank God we did.

Clara is such a funny mix of independence and clinginess.  She wants to do most everything for herself but will still give me a hug when she hasn't seen me for a while. She's very conscious of her appearance, and she just got her hair straightened before school started.  She also had her first facial and a consultation with my estetician so she could learn about how to take care of her skin and about the proper types/ways to wear make up. She's going to continue swimming and working with her math tutor this fall but feels pretty confident about school. She loves to text her friends, play with her cat, watch DeGrassi on TV, read Judy Blume and beg us to get her another pet (usually a dog). She takes the bus to increase the amount of social time she has with her friends.

Henry is such a young man. He loves to practice driving and has become quite good at staying on top of his own schedule. He's finally self-motivated about personal hygiene. He still wants me to drive him to school everyday but is content to take the bus home. He's looking forward to fall baseball and the start of soccer season. He talks to friends on facebook and sometimes via texts. He's following the S.F. Giants and hopes they make the playoffs.  He likes to watch silly reality shows on MTV and loves hip-hop music.

Eclipse the Movie (art journal page)

How perfect is it that this week's Drunken Stampers challenge corresponds with the art journal page I was working on about going to see the movie with DD Clara.  Background is tissue paper, adhered with gel medium.  Paint splattered and "Eclipse" stamped in paint.
Will you be going to see the movie?

Girl Power (photos to scrap)

DD Clara turned 12 last week, and she had so much fun!!!
Here's how it went down:
3:00 girls show up at our house, and we head to the shopping mall for a scavenger hunt (they had certain things to buy and certain things to find/photograph with their cell phones).

6:30 Scavenger hunt declared a huge success. Although mom had to waive the rule "you're disqualified if you get into trouble with mall security." Because both teams got in trouble with mall security.  Several times.  Apparently you're not supposed to run in the mall . . . we laugh on the way home remembering Paul Blart, Mall Cop.

9:00 - 10:00  After pizza at Round Table, time for makeovers and really loud music.  Mom and dad hide downstairs and pledge to be "cool" and not ask them to turn it down until 10:00 p.m.  We just make it.

 10:00 pm - ??? Clara loves the idea of having birthday cake at 10 pm!!!  Then it's presents and movies (a scary movie, a funny move and a romance).  

9:00 am the next morning   I guess they stayed up late, since they were still completely sacked out the next day well into mid-morning.  
Oh, to be 12 and have good friends and be so full of girl power that you feel like you're going to burst! I love it!

Last Dance (Art Journal Page)

On Sunday, I got together with some friends to scrap. I worked on DD's "school days album," which catalogs her activities in elementary school.  Even though she's in 6th grade, I was working on her 4th grade year and came across pictures from her dance show show that year.  They brought up such strong emotions, that I decided to do an art journal page about them.  For those in the shimelle class, notice my nicely pleated ribbon! You can click on the page to enlarge it and examine it.  I drybrushed gesso over the photograph.
Here's the journaling:
"Fading memories . . .
They say that scrapbookers are really good at scrapping the first . . . the first tooth, the first step. But we often miss the last . . . the last time you read your child to sleep or the last time you walk them to the bus.  When I scrapped this ballet show two years ago, I didn't realize it was the end of dance.
But now I do, and it makes me a little sad.  Basketball and swimming are fine, but I miss this . . .
The End . . ."

Scrapbook Sunday

I've been a little surprised by how many people are voting to see scrapbook pages on my blog, so I've decided to dedicate Sunday posts to scrapbook pages.  Hopefully this will motivate me to scrap.  I'm really hoping this will evolve into a weekly feature on heritage scrapbook pages, so that I will get to that project sooner rather than later.  In the meantime, here's a couple of pages for your enjoyment.  And don't forget to leave a comment on this post after you vote in the poll to have an opportunity to claim the prize in this week's week-end give away. The deadline is 9:00 p.m. California time.

So Strong (click on layout to enlarge it)

Product used:  Club Scrap Solstice kit
Why I chose this layout:  it features some of my most recent photos, and I wanted to capture my thoughts before I forgot them.
Favorite bits:  the journaling and the pictures.  Journaling reads "I hadn't seen Clara swim in a while, and I was taken aback by her performance in this meet.  Five races, five personal bests.  Already chasing A-times at the 12 year old standards.  But what really struck me was her demeanor . . . so strong.  Gone was the goofy, nervous novice, replaced by a strong, powerful competitor.  10/31/09"
What I would change: the journaling on the left should be about half an inch higher.

Huntington Beach (click on layout to enlarge it)

Product used:  Club Scrap Maritime Collection from 2009 Cruise
Why I chose this layout:  because it features a picture of my big brother, Pete. His birthday was Friday.
Favorite bits:  the seahorses; the tag (which I made in the very first class I ever took at a LSS); the journaling on the left which I added after a Shimelle prompt on improving your journaling. Original journaling read, "The big cousins play in the waves while M. watches from the shore."  I added:  "Is this what we looked like?  Could that be Dad holding Tricia's hand while Cordie, Petey, Tommy and I play in the waves? I have such strong memories of going to Huntington Beach as a child, but I never thought about it from my parents' point-of-view before."