Looking Thru the Albums...

I love looking through my recent albums!  Especially those five that I have almost completed in the past year.  I admit the photos and memories are great; but hey, I can look at all those on my computer.  No, it is purely an egotistical journey.  I love those layouts I have made this past year.  I love the variety of papers that seem more beautiful than ever before.  I love the techniques I have used to make them aesthetically pleasing.  I love the embellishments - oh so much diversity with everything from cute wood to lovely gems.  I love the stories that I have put to paper.  And I especially love the heft as I turn the pages; each turn gives me a thrill with the feel of it.  Oh these lovely layouts creating these lovely albums of these lovely people with their lovely stories.  How utterly thrilling!

Then there are the albums of past.  I am also proud of those layouts - even though some can cause me to wince "What was I thinking!?!".  But those papers are pretty too and there is technique in the layouts as well. And even those pages there is heft; though not as much and those pages are not as fun to turn.  But these albums make me melancholy.  These photos and stories, while bringing a smile to my face, makes me realize that my babies have grown and I shall never be with those little people again. They are different people not only in size, but in personality and attitude.  And while I love these new persons more than life itself, and they are the ones give each day a reason to rise and purpose of smile, I miss those small selves so very much.  Thank goodness I have those albums and may revisit those little ones who make my heart sing.  Thank goodness I have those albums as much for the sadness as for the gladness.

So these albums that I regularly go through are a mixture of emotion.  Like me, they are rather bi-polar.  But one thing stands out... I am very proud of all I have created as part of this craft.  How lucky am I to be a scrapbooker?! How fortunate am I to have found a vocation that allows me to mix my favorite things with memories to create items that provide me such diverse emotion each time I look at them?!  How blessed am I to have "met" so many people that understand the sentiment and pride that looking at my own work brings?!

It is this reason that I revisit the sites, classes and blogs that bring me in touch with these companions; though not as often as I would like.  I am sharing my computer with my granddaughter these days so if I don't have something specific to do, I may only get to use it myself for a few minutes here and there.  But don't think it's just the computer where I suffer: it takes me an entire day to complete just one layout - even on those days when I have absolutely nothing else to do.  I have been down as much as up the past few months.  I hope it's just a temporary condition, that it's the MS that will eventually go into remission.  I so hope that I get back in the swing of things soon... I know I am missing so very much.

I have completed five layouts in the past two weeks while trying to participate in a retaking of the Scrapbook Remix class.  Since I showed the first two last week, here are the next three:

Crate Paper background with American Crafts all cut up on top.  AC diecut and flair, Basic Grey flags, Studio Calico veneer, Recollections gems and Spellbinder dies.  AC letters.



Echo Park background, MME papers with all kinds of little scraps on top (?!).  Lots of AC on this page too with Teresa Collins dots, Studio Calico veneer & mistables, MME words, KI Memories glitz sticker and AC thickers, chipboard and dimensional.

 

Everything on this layout is American Crafts with the exception of the small gray letters (Simple Stories), tape (Freckled Fawn) and yellow sticker (October Afternoon).  Help also comes from Spellbinders dies, Doodlebug twine and Wilton doilies.

 

 Sorry about the photos... took these in my room with my phone.  All the colors have turned out so very intense!  And I'm not sure if that's good or bad!?! Oddest thing though - those script Thickers are the Dear Lizzy Smoke Splendid ones - in the package and on the page they look white; but in every photo they are gray.  Just odd!

 

I hope you all are having a very creative time.  I hope to see everyone's blogs this week... and I promise if I can stay up long enough I will try to get caught up on all you've been doing. 

 

xxx

Cheerio!

 

P.S.  Cynthia, I love your cake!

 

"I love scrapbooks. They are one of the finest ways of dejunking life and abode... A good scrapbook is interesting and inspiring even to the stranger..." - Don Aslett