Best Friends

It was so wonderful to have my best friend since 4th grade (when you are 51 that's a LONG TIME lol) come visit last week,  We talk several times a month for several hours which is like getting together but in person was amazing, wonderful, fabulous..... and any other super great adjective but still wouldn't describe it totally.  I treasure her friendship.  We have so many things in common (crazy about critters is high on that list)  It's so comforting to have someone just "get you".  Lori can call me out on things & really encourages me like no one else.  During one of our talks I mentioned no one wanted to see the Bacon Brothers with me (I've been a fan since late 90's).... next thing I know she has a plane ticket scheduled.

Holding Pom who just got his first haircut at the groomers...

It was so great just hanging out together.  The highlight was going to a concert celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Sugar Hill GA.  The line up was Haley & Alexis Band, Andy Velo Band & The Bacon Brothers.

We got there in time to see the car show leaving....

Swoon a Mustang had to take pic for my son (we're both total Mustang freaks)

This sports car was really cool 

Portapotty looked like a phone booth 

Pretty courthouse & park area 

We're waiting for the show to start. 

Lori bought me a hair clip since it was so hot.

Haley & Alexis Band is really great.

I am now a fan & can't wait to see where their musical journey takes them.

Love their original tunes & they rocked the covers especially Johnny Cash....

Really talented musicians in their band

Andy Velo

My scrapbooking friend Maggie's son is the drummer Matt Pozzi

I've been following them & a fan for a while

This crazy drone that was flying around...

During Bacon Brothers set it caught Kevin Bacon's eye & he said it "was freaking him out" lol 

It was dark by the time the Bacon Brothers came on so pictures from iphone not so good 

We were 3rd row on the left.  Brought our lawn chairs it was great

They are fabulous musicians & showmen.  So talented 

They played a great mix of old & new (not released yet) music

and a few unexpected covers

Encore was incredible with lots of shiny pieces of mylar shooting out of cannons on either side of the stage...

a magical end to an incredible night

It was a wonderful night we are ready to go see them again!!!!

The new CD coming out in a couple weeks will have to be enough

I already bought the single "493 Miles"

Link for itunes

If you aren't already a fan I encourage you to give them a listen.

Lori wasn't very familiar with their music & is now ready to follow them across the country with me lol

CHA Paper Show Atlanta GA 2014

I attended the CHA Paper Arts Show last week with the owner of the local scrapbook store I design for Susan Moore of EMI Scrapbooking.

We expected a small show from the list of manufacturers attending but since we are local figured it was worth going to since we didn't have travel expenses.  The week before this show there was a small show in Salt Lake City UT so many who went to that show didn't attend Atlanta's show.

Susan reserved a room for us in the hotel for Wednesday night.  

Having everything all in one location was really nice.  

The room had a great city view.

It was really nice to not have lots of crowds in the booths when placing an order but there wasn't near as many samples to inspire you.

Seeing Madison from Echo Park/Carta Bella always puts a smile on our face.... he is so much fun

Susan ordered all their lines.  We especially loved the new thin metal dies & stamp sets

Some companies I hadn't been impressed with in recent years have really stepped up their game & I'm loving their new products!

Kaiser, Bo Bunny, & Jillibean all had strong releases that Susan purchased & will be coming into the store over the next several months.

I will be posting lots of pictures that Susan took of each line on the EMI Scrapbooking blog in the next couple days.

The "cash & carry" sale was a bit disappointing.  

I guess we expected the attendees to bring lots of old product to clearance out... with shipping charges that may not have been very cost effective but it could have been communicated better.

We did get some great stamps from a new company called Pink and Main.  We enjoyed chatting with Michelle & seeing her beautiful samples & products.

Thanks for stopping by...

Looking Back....I've Been a Behind the Camera Person for Most of My Life

I've always been a scrapbooker....

Way before their was a scrapbooking hobby or industry filled with products I used my babysitting money at Woolworth's 5 & 10 Store to buy an old fashioned scrapbook - those big blue or red faux leather covers with the gold inlay framing it.  The pages were like construction paper in a kraft color.  Many times they were filled with clippings of an eclectic variety of my favorite music groups (Partridge Family, Bay City Rollers, Led Zepplin,, The Who, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, among others) or Movie/teeny bopper Stars (Leif Garret & Matt Dillon).  I loved & purchased monthly Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, 16, Cream, Rolling Stone, etc at Greetings & Readings in Towson MD.  I will dig them out soon & take pictures of them for a post in the future... they are something else lol.

I also filled some with scribbles of memories &  photos I had taken on the latest camera technology of the day because I LOVED being behind the camera... 

(thanks to http://www.mrmartinweb.com/ for the pix of old cameras)

This wasn't my camera but I fell in love with photography using it

When everyone complimented my photo composition

Dad's fold out Poloroid

I made this scrapbook page about a photo I had taken of my parents with this camera

& fell in love with photography

So over the years many Christmas mornings I opened the latest in camera technology as my favorite gift

Instamatic 124

Used a flash cube clipped in on top of the camera & would spin one turn after flashed.  

I always had them bulging in pocket since you only got 4 shots with each cube.

Pocket 110

This one was slimmer but still used the cube flash.  

I remember feeling so high tech with this camera.  

I would take it to school to get some shots of friends. 

 It really took poor quality photos especially action shots.

SLR

The best Christmas gift ever!!!

Dad bought the flash, a wide angle & super long zoom lenses for me too
at a local camera store in Towson MD.

I was the happiest girl in the world 12/25/77
Hanging out at that store after school & researching at the library
I started experimenting with different types of film
I loved Black & White and even took lots of slides

The latest model Poloroid One Step

Christmas 1979

Christmas 1980 an underwater safe version of the 110 camera by Minolta

Which I don't think I ever took underwater lol

Christmas 1982 latest technology was the Kodak Disc camera

The film was a disc & the negatives were on the disc when developed

I unfortunately used this camera to take some of our wedding

day photos.... 

I didn't want to lug big SLR around & this was compact and took good pictures

When those candid photos got ruined in a flood we had in 2000 I couldn't find anywhere

that could process to make prints off the negative wheel.

================================

One of my first jobs in the early 80's was in a little photo hut booth

called FOTOMAT

Here's a good post about them

I would sit inside & wait for cars to drive up to drop off/pick up film pictures

at Rockbridge Road location.

Customers could select one day (big deal wow) or several days for a lesser price

It was could have been a boring job...

but I liked the independence (only me in booth)

I brought books or magazines to pass the time

We didn't have cell phones with us so if I called anyone it was on company land line phone that I couldn't tie up for long just in case a customer or manager called me.

All of us who worked there would glance at the pictures in envelopes

You honestly wouldn't believe some of the things customers took pictures of

& brought in for developing 

lol scar the eyeballs for life images 

Then since I had experience sitting in a box

I advanced to be a floater

driving from store to store

filling in for people who called in at last minute

&

training the new people to stay occupied

while waiting for the customers or the drop off/pick up

of film/photos each day

====================================

Then came the digital age.....

I've had lots of different point & shoot cameras

then invested in a Pentax DSLR (since I already had good lenses)

But lately my go to camera has been the

iPhone

I get my son's hand me downs

(he's a latest & greatest guy)

So started with 3gs

then a 4

(I was dying for Suri to talk to....)

Finally on New Years Eve 2012 

I used my xmas money from my dad 

to buy a brand new iPhone 5 at Sam's Club - super sale $125

I wanted white but they were out of stock

I like the way you can switch the camera to face front

The quality isn't always great but it's always with me to capture the daily memories....

==============================

We've really come a long way with technology

It's wonderful to be able to see that the picture is good & take another

without the unhappy surprise when you picked up the prints back in the day.

I take lots of pictures on digi format 

I couldn't have afforded to do that with film cameras

For digi the storage is inexpensive & you can be selective about which ones to print

In addition to One Hour processing

We have ability to print at home on inkjet printer

With as great as technology is it can also complicate things

I have learned hard way to back up multi  (min 3) different ways

*yep I've had both computer hard drive & external hard drive both fail at same time*

Don't let technology get too ahead of your archives

I'm learning hard way from not being able to print that dang negative disc wheel

to transfer your archives to the newest technology

My parents too VHS video of the boys growing up

so I need to get those on DVD soon

I have lots of family photos from the 20s-50s

They all look great.  Very few have faded too much unless they were worn or creased

So why do photos from the 80s & 90s look SO BAD?

I've been Photoshop editing all my kids photos because of funky color & fading

It's all about the processes

I wonder how the photos we are printing at home will hold up with time....

What are your memories of taking photos thru the years?

Project Life Mini Album

I know so many of us have lots of Project Life, Albums Made Easy, & just those great pieces of patterned paper that are filled with the 3x4 and 4x6 images for us to cut out (super inexpensive way to build up your card collection), etc.... every company is jumping on the pocket scrapbooking band wagon.   But you can only use so many of them right?  many times there are 3-10 of each style in a boxed set so lots of left overs that are super cute but you may not want to use them again in your pocket album.  

So what to do......

I was inspired by Susan owner of EMI Scrapbooking to take a boxed set of the Becky Higgins Project Life Azure Core Kit cards & the matching patterned paper to make a mini album sample & kits for sale at her store.  Each kit included 1 of each of the 3x4 cards & 1 of each patterned paper (when I kit I use every little bit of paper)

I started out just going thru the "decks" of cards to see what inspired me & went together to make an interesting title.  Adding the stamped "us together" words by Ali Edwards completed my title and balanced the page.

This is what I came up with....

I tried to make it generic enough for nearly any kind of pictures you may be taking right now

Here's some of the 33 pages in this album

Cutting up office supply file folders is a great way to add lots of room for photos or journaling.

It's filled with lots of flaps, folders, tabs & pockets 

Another stamped image on the super cute but plain heart card.

Stamping on some of the cards added interest 

I even cut down some of the Project Life cards for title embellishment 

Gluing a piece of paper gives a nice spot to tuck a "book" of cards made by stapling several together 

Fussy cutting of the butterflies brought them over to the other side of the 

2 page spread.  The photo mat is hidden under the paper just lift the flap

All papers are 95% pre cut & stacked for ease of assembly. 

Pre-stamped images, decorative borders punched & flaps scored.

Purchaser will have to do the fussy cutting example butterflies shown above.  

Includes binder rings

If you would be interested in purchasing this kit contact Susan at 404-273-4773

emiscrapbooking@aol.com

I'd love to hear what you think...

Do you do pocket style scrapbooking?

The Destin "Monster Mini" Book

** Warning super photo heavy I'm sharing each page & interactive element in this really big mini album**
After adding all the edited photos to the blog I thought I should have done a video... oh well next time

I had an amazing 2 weeks at the beach in Destin 3 years ago with my parents. It was a special time since we don't get to spend as much time together anymore & I rarely get to the beach anymore.

I had scrapped some of the photos & made a mini book kit sample with some of the memories for EMI Scrapbooking using Pink Paislee Nantucket.  The kit had an actual baggie of sand in it from my trip that I glued on the front cover to add texture & shells I picked up on my walks. (I never blogged about that mini so maybe it will be a next week's post)

However I had so much more journaling about the trip that I wanted to do & loads of pictures... I would take the dslr & iphone on my morning walks & end up dumping all the photos each day onto the laptop since I was running out of space.  I found beauty in the little insignificant things along my walk.  The time walking & solitude really changed my soul.

When Teresa Collins released Memorabilia came out I knew that was the perfect collection to put all my memories of the trip in one book.  The soft blue & black colors with a very classic/timeless feel.  I added the journaling book & folders to give me plenty of room to preserve the memory.  It started out going to be bound with coils & got so big with all the interactive elements that I had to use rings. Thankfully I had just bought some big blue ones (though was one short so a friend who also bought gave me one so wouldn't have red & blue rings).  So, the book was dubbed the Monster Mini.

I like a "kit club" feel to my projects mixing and matching from things in my stash.  But I loved the entire collection so much that I added a few embellishments from different companies but you will see I bought & used all the different types of embellishments & papers.  I used quite a bit of the Family Stories collection that was released at the same time.  It has some pink in it and it's more modern so I had to choose carefully which parts would go with my book

When planning a travel mini pick up lots of ephemera during your stay.  Maps, tickets, receipts, postcards, & unique inexpensive trinkets.  Notice the flip flops key chain that says Destin - it doesn't necessarily match but I love the whimsy

See what I mean about how thick this book is 

It's a bit unusual but I put one of the journaling booklets

that are available with the collection on the cover for journaling

I added eyelets to the front & back cover to allow me to knot off some 

Maya Road black & white gingham ribbon to keep the journal closed.

I kept ribbon long to allow me to double tie blows so there are 4 loops visible.

Make sure you put some fray check on the ends I like little bit of fraying for interest

but don't want it going crazy & ruining my project.

Don't you love the bingo cards from Teresa Collins Summer Stories collection

Lots on a single piece of patterned paper

Lots of photos printed wallet size & tiny embellishments

scattered among the many journaled memories. 

It's sort of smash book style - very random

plenty of room to fill it with personal memories of the trip

Tip:  I save everything... the word memories is from the cutaway strip from a piece of patterned paper

in the Memories collection.

Pages 1-2

Lots of fold outs & pockets

Twine & American Crafts Dear Lizzy flare hold the 

Teresa Collins folder with pockets closed

Wood pieces are from Studio Calico

Page 2 has a border strip & one of the quotes

The binder clip keeps it closed

These pages are all about the "neighborhood"

Open out & filled with white shipping tags

 Opening the fold over made using a heavily textured paper that's

 very pliable almost fabric like

The "recorded" patterned paper is part of a waterfall

I staggered & folded the 4" strips of patterned paper to make the photo spots

binder clip keeps it manageable when closed 

Opening it up has room for lots more photos

Pg 3-4

First picture at the water's edge is on pg 3

Pg 4 is a folder - story about my dad coming to look for me because I was gone really long

(walked too far & my poor feet wouldn't bring me back without a rest)

He rode Mom's scooter

Matting the photos with black cardstock allowed me to layer them

The journaling strips gave it a more organized feel

Stamped images draw the eye and balance the photos

Since I had more to say I made a lift up flap 

Pg 5 & 6

Pg 5 is a day when my health & pain kept me inside

Thankful for a good book that our cousin Jackie had in a basket

Lift up the photo reveals the journaling

Pg 6 is a sturdy paper bag

With a card & tag inside.

My inexpensive necklace/earrings I bought while shopping one day 

journaling on the back

Pg 7 is a folder

the pocket holds title card (Jenni Bowlin Beach Bingo Card) & journaling

 Opening the folder the story is all about my Mom's love of the pool

I continued using the handwritten journaling strips

Pg 8-9

Note how I had to adhere the folder onto a strip of patterned paper....

that's because originally this was going to be bound by a WRMK Cinch wire coils

But since I was using rings it would have torn the folder & my photos were too close.... 

making it work after the fact lol

Pg 8 another of the great chalkboard look quotes that are part of Teresa's collection

Pg 9 is just random photos from the pier 

Pg 10-11

Pg 10 - Lunch at the pier with my parents each photo lifts up to reveal jouranling 

Pg 11 a post card picked up at the grocery store with Destin title

makes a great addition to any travel mini.

I adhered to another strip of patterned paper.

I like to be able to see next page from page I'm on sometimes

Bottom photo of my parents lifts up to reveal our food

Pg 12 -13

Pg 12 is backside of postcard kept simple with a special beach photo & journaling

Pg 13 is a photo I caught of my dad thanking a maintenance guy who gave us a ride when mom couldn't walk anymore... he is always giving out gold dollars as random act of kindness.  

Dad gave him several for his children - yes on a short ride my dad gets to know people lol

The journaling is inside the Maya Road kraft envelope

Pg 14-15

Pg 14 - a Heidi Swapp fold out booklet worked perfectly with this collection. 

Pg 15 is another of the textured black cardstock fold overs with a quote & border strip from collection

The booklet opened up to have several photos & journaling.

Pg 15 is another textured piece of black cardstock that opens out.

Another Jenni Bowlin bingo card is held in a cute envelope made by Webster's Pages.

The long piece of polka dot patterned paper lifts up to reveal photos & journaling

Hearts punched out of different patterned papers draw the eye & anchors the bottom photo

Pg 16-17

Pg 16 - I matted the letters from the collection sticker sheet to make them stand out

Tip:  I add more liquid adhesive (like glossy accents) to embellishments like the enamel dots on mini books because they take a lot of handling & abuse

Pg 17 - Offsetting the Polaroid frame adds interest & showcases 

the plane in photo that could have gotten lost

The diecut metal clip is by Basic Grey

This page needed something it felt off balance so I stamped on vellum

and used staples to attach

Foam letters are American Crafts Thickers - add dimension & mix up titlework

Pg 18-19

Pg 18 - story of all the birds that walked with me in the morning

I put the bottom photo layered on one of the pockets from the collection

Pg 19 - is a strip of patterned paper with matted photos hanging over the edge

Pg 18 several jouranling cards filled with more photos & stories

(some of my all time favorite mini letter stickers by Making Memories... 

LOVE the mat finish I hate a shiny sticker) 

Pg 20-21

Pg 20 is the back of the strip of patterned paper - I staggered another matted photo & a journaling spot

Pg 21 - I sewed a piece of patterned paper closed with black thread to make a pocket 

Pg 21 - the tag pulled out of the pocket 

Pg 22-23

Pg 22 - backside of the pocket

Pg 23 photos at my favorite place on the beach 

It was a long walk to the Jetty so I had to plan if it was a good day health wise & had 

to remember that I had to walk back

Pg 23 bottom photo opens to the side to reveal more photos & journaling 

of my special place

Pg 24-25

Keeping it simple since this book is getting REALLY big

Pg 24 matted photos of the beach

Pg 25 strip of patterned paper with another quote hanging off the side 

Pg 26-27

Pg 26 is a matted photo on the back side of the quote

It's a picture of my son Andrew & my mom. 

He came down there to drive us home after dad left mom & me for another week

Pg 27 picture of my mom & journaling about her. 

Pg 28-29

Pg 28 - More photos (this time Andrew & I walked to jetty at dawn) & stamping on vellum 

Pg 29 is the largest file folder in the collection with another quote on the cover

Pg 30-31

Inside of the folder - is all about Andrew & I hanging out on Saturday 

He loves walking on the beach at dawn as much as I do

There's lots of flaps & interactive elements

Photo of us together is on the back side of the quote

The photo lifts up to reveal lots of room to journal.

Another pocket holds a card & 2 tags

Last year when we were clothes shopping....

I had Andrew take this tag off a pair of pants in the dressing room because I 

wanted it for a future project lol - had to have the kraft anchor. 

The size pants he bought didn't have this tag

I imagined another scrapbooker getting their hubby or son to snag the tag on his pair lol

Pg 32-33

Lots of photos of my son - love him so much!

He's so good to me... searching for shells & carrying all my beach treasures 

Pg 32 I outlined the cardstock die cut with gold pen to make it stand out.

It's also a great way to write on black if you don't want to use white pen

(I have a love hate relationship with white pens)

note the reinforcements that I put on the pages throughout the book to add

interest, make less likely to rip & it gives a uniform look

In design repetition helps make a cohesive project

Pg 33 opens out several times to reveal photos of Andrew walking on the beach

Embellshments are kept simple cardstock diecuts & some stamps. 

I love the beach theme ones by Prima.  

Hobby Lobby had 2 cute sets $1.99 each

The cardstock is a favorite of mine from Archivers - it's a smooth robins 

egg blue with subtle dark speckles

Pg 34-35

More simple pages - washi tape is a great flat embellishment

Pg 34 - talks about Andrew's expensive taste in houses & cars

Pg 35 morning & night photos of Saturday together

Pg 36-37 

Pg 36 - about the houses Andrew & I would love to own right at the Jetty.

His is a dark colored craftsman style feel

A postcard cut out of Pink Paislee Noel line was in my scrap 

box & surprisingly worked with the rest of the elements

It lifts up to reveal my dream house

Blue & white with lots of windows & porches

I imagine the inside bright & airy with ocean views from every room on the back of the house

Pg 37 is the last page.

The largest pocket in the Memorabilia collection was used

Then I cut a large tag out of white cardstock  to hold the photos & journaling I wanted

to use to wrap up the trip.

Notice I didn't even make it tag looking but works in the simplicity of clean lines

The back cover 

I still fondly remember those days in Destin & long for another trip to the beach.

Here's one of my favorite beach photos - colors were not filtered

It was that beautiful at 8 am

Thanks for taking the time to look at this whopper of a book....