When Life Gets Away From You

Crafting has taken on new meaning in the last few months.  I started out to simply make a nice little scrapbook using the OLD family photos.   It hasn't been that easy.  I needed to get with the program and identify all those old photos.  I needed to find photos of some of the ancestors.  Before I could start any of it, I needed to do something else as well.

It seems that I know very little about my family history.  I guess I just went around with my head in the sand for years.  I didn't pay much attention to all the family things.  In fairness to myself, before I beat me up for this lack of knowledge, I'll say that both of my ancestors were not really available when I was young.  My paternal grandfather died long before I was a thought, and my maternal grandfather died when I was three.  I do remember a little of my paternal grandmother, but she died when I was young also.  My maternal grandmother I remember quite well.  All of my great grandparents were out of the picture long before I was around.  My maternal grandmother was an orphan at the age of twelve.

This story is getting longer and longer... and I'm suppose to be talking about crafting.  The point is that my crafting got completely sidetracked by the need to know.  I'm afraid genealogy has stepped in and bitten me badly.   I'm busy trying to find out about all these family members and identify old photos as belonging to some of them.

It's working.  I happened upon a cousin... second cousin once removed... who is an expert in genealogy.  He has been doing this for years and has been a treasure trove of information.  With his help, I'm finding lots of information and am heading back to my original plan soon.  I had to buy a genealogy software program as it is the only way to really keep the information straight.  My original plan has expanded beyond all reason.   It grows each day.

If I could say anything on this post to encourage anyone to start collecting family stories, identifying pictures, or in any other way preserving your family history, I'd be a happy person.   I spent too many years throwing photos in drawers and ignoring that kind of thing.   If nothing else, take your pictures and write with a  photo safe pen on the back of the picture.  Identify the person/persons in the picture.  Tell how they are related.. a date, if possible.  A few clues on some of the pictures really helped.

I'll be back with more... sooner than later, I hope.

Apology

The confession: I'm afraid I've been more than neglectful about this page.

The excuses: Life seems to keep me from doing everything I want to do. The calendar fills up too fast, and I don't seem to get around to the fun of crafting like I wish to do.

The apology: I'm so sorry!

Planning:

I do have a big scrapbook project that I'm trying to get into. It has been a long time in coming, and perhaps I can share here as I get into it.

I've never been one who is compelled to spend time in genealogy research. However, I realize that if I don't get busy and put together some of my family history, it will not be done. I've been trying to find information on some of my ancestors: The standard dates and such, some pictures and other records, and some personal stories. My plan is to use my love of scrapbooking to create an interesting album of my family history. Actually, when I get one made, I'll probably duplicate it for some other family members.

Supplies:

I have a ton of photographs that I've gathered from my mother and other family members.

I invested in a dedicated Epson Perfection V500 photo scanner.

My closet is full of Creative Memories scrapbooks and other accessories that will help me make beautiful albums.

The Promise: I'm excited about doing it and will try to post here to let those interested know how things are coming along.

My House Repair Album

Since my entire October was taken up with the great saga of my home repair, I decided that I must get it into a book for sharing. The home fixing up thing took over my life. It really did.

Thankfully, I did manage to find some humor in the whole event. I took pictures by the tons. My nice Master Carpenter Man grew accustomed to my snapping his picture. He just gave up and ignored me.

I purchased an 8 x 8 traditional album from Creative Memories in chocolate. I thought that nice rich brown would go well with all the pictures of Master Carpenter Man tearing up my house with saws and such. I used white pages and, of course, page protectors.

I started the album with a few pictures of Master Carpenter Man when he was working for my mother. I wanted it clear that I knew what I was getting into when I commissioned him to come make a mess in my house. I was fully aware that there would be issues of what I called 'Tim Droppings'.

I used some paper that I had purchased previously from CM and decorated the page. I even cut a few circles with the circle shape maker and think it adds a bit of interest in the border... almost like pegs in wood.


I printed my own photos for this book, so sized them smaller and also used an editing program to add some comments directly on the picture. When I thought about doing this, I have to admit that I was rather pleased with myself.

Again, I went for the simple look in decorating the pages. A bit of colored cardstock cut in triangles to give a little accent.




I even followed Master Carpenter Man into the attic and managed to bug him there. Like I said, he managed to ignore me most of the time.

I accented this page with some CM paper that I'd saved. Again, I used a triangle on one page and a random cut of paper on the other. I used some orange cardstock and cut holes with CM's Bubble shape maker. Lining the holes up so I could see them, I then used the large Square shape maker. I even saved the little dots left when I punched with the Bubble maker. Using CM's Precision Point Adhesive, I glued the little dots around the square. I rather like the look.

I've had a few friends visit since the dining and living room ceilings have been redone. I've kept this book on my coffee table in the living room. When friends look at it, they have been amazed at exactly how much work went into this whole fixing up process. They have chuckled and seem to have enjoyed looking at the pictures. I've given you just a sampling. There is more... much more.

I've enjoyed them too. I have plans to have Master Carpenter Man return to work on the kitchen. Each time I look at this album, I wonder about that. Oh, there will be more pictures and more pages added to my book.

Stuff Going On

I have a confession. I realize that I've not posted for awhile. I can't promise an everyday posting. I admire those who have their daily lives disciplined to include all those important things. I just can't seem to get it all together. Sometimes I rebel.

This past August, I signed up to be an independent Creative Memories consultant. The policy of the company kept me from being too verbal about it. They have guidelines, and posting on blog sites about all of it wasn't permitted at the time. However, the company has revised their guidelines, and I am now able to be more up front on my blog space about what I'm doing.

I've told you before that I'm into scrapbooking. It really is all about preserving memories and telling stories. I plan to be back and let you know what I'm doing.
I will be back with pictures, etc. soon.... Really... I will.

Taking the Red Out

I've torn myself away from playing with layers, and I've started trying to recover some of the old photos. The top photo is one taken of Right Back many many years ago. His grandmother had this photo in an album that wasn't photo safe. There may have been other factors as well that caused the picture to take on a reddish cast. I will admit that the house was a pale pink, but not that pink.



I'd scanned this top photo some time ago with my HP all-in-one. I think it did a pretty good job of scanning, but there wasn't any way for me to really fix the color problem.


I retrieved the original photo from its resting place and scanned it again with the Epson photo scanner.

I clicked on customize when the window popped up, and I clicked for it to adjust color.

I then opened it in Photo Shop Elements and did another automatic color adjustment.

I'm thinking that the second photo would be far nicer in an album, and I feel I have that precious moment back again.

I'm seeing all kinds of possibilities here!

Playing With Photo Shop Elements

I've certainly strayed from card making lately, but I just may have found what I want to do when I grow up. I want to play with graphics!!! Oh, wait! I am grown up, and I am playing with this new toy. I just LOVE learning new things.

Last night I decided that I'd best get into the tutorials that come in Adobe Photo Shop Elements. It certainly beats trying to figure everything out by myself.

I've always wondered how people took photographs and changed their content moving things from one picture to another. After the tutorial.... I knew! It is about making layers.

This photograph was taken in I-Needa's yard close to her front door. I opened that in Photo Shop Elements and used it as a background layer. Not long ago, I-Needa decided to take up painting. Her first project was a mushroom. Her second was this frog. She had sent me photos of each of these items separately.

I opened the mushroom (brought it into Elements) and pulled it on top of the yard photo. Then I erased the background from the mushroom picture with a background eraser. I then had the mushroom showing in her yard. I used a move tool to position the mushroom, and a sizing tool to get it the size I wanted.

I then opened the frog picture into Elements and pulled it on top of the yard photo. Then I erased the background with a little background eraser. Again, using the move and sizing tools, I worked until I was satisfied with the look. Then I used a flatten image command followed by saving the photo.

No! I am not ready yet to take pictures and try to teach Photo Shop Elements. I'm a very very beginner. I have to tell you.... this is fun... way fun... totally cool... I see new things on the horizon.

Working With Photos

Today I purchased and set up this new photo scanner which I purchased from Staples. It is an Epson Perfection V500 Photo scanner. It came with scanner software bundled with Adobe Photo Shop Elements.

Why, oh why, am I getting involved with this? It is something that seems to be growing bigger by the day. It started as a simple desire to copy and repair some of the old family photos so that they could be preserved in either a book or scrapbook form.

I quickly found out that my regular all-in-one HP printer/scanner/copier just wasn't up to the task. Don't get me wrong... I use the dickens out of that piece of equipment. I just found that a dedicated photo scanner would produce a higher quality and do more for the photos.

I'm now at square one learning how to use Adobe Photo Shop Elements. I've messed around before with 'Paint', but this is a much bigger program, and it is going to take some doing on my part to develop some self taught skills.

While I may be a tad in awe of this whole undertaking that I've managed to commit myself to doing, I do think it will be fun. I'm going to be using lots of problem solving skills and exercising my brain but good!

I've spent a good portion of the afternoon just messing around with Photo Shop and reading what I can in the instruction portion of the software. I long for the good old days of a nice written manual that you can hold in your hands and take with you to study. Somehow, I just don't want to run off the fifty some pages on my printer.

I'm going to have to do some serious organizing in my head about how to scan and organize the pictures in the computer so I can find them easily. There will be a lot of pictures.

I've about had it for today, so will try to clear the cobwebs out of my brain and come back for another round tomorrow.

Sorting Pictures

You are probably wondering if you are going to get to view yet another table full of my mess as I work on my trip to Michigan. Really, I'm not that cruel. My mess is mounting, but my book is also growing. I'm going to start page 35 today, and I'm really liking the way it is turning out.

This is a picture I couldn't resist adding as it was sent to me by my Creative Memories consultant. She happened to mention that it was her mess. No way! That does not at all qualify as a mess. This is organization at work.


The feature item here should be that nifty sort box. It is a place to start with photo organizing. The box itself is approved as photo safe, which really should be a concern. It certainly is a large step above throwing photos into a drawer, which was my method for far too many years.

Thinking ahead as to photo order when preparing to start an album seems a basic must to me. I made an album of my two children when they were little, and I had one section for I-Needa with pictures entered from youngest to oldest. Then I started another section for Right Back, again with pictures progressing in age.

My Michigan trip photos are arranged by travel days. I've also labeled each new day and made a little note about what we expected to do on that day. I have to remember to include enough information that it will make sense to me twenty years down the road.

If you are reading this and thinking about a drawer full of jumbled photos in your own home, I might casually mention that you paste a sticky note somewhere concerning future organizing. Start by getting a container that is photo friendly. Make sure it is truly photo safe! A sort box might be a great place to start.

It is time to get back to my own album making. Therefore, I leave you with the challenge to do something to preserve your photos. If they were important enough to keep, they are important enough to preserve safely.

Working on Album

I understand that this photo will not win any awards. However... that is NOT the point here. I just want you to know that I'm really hard at work on my Michigan trip album. The last two days, I've completed 34 pages, which isn't bad. I'll be working on it again today.

I will just say, for those who might be mildly interested, that putting together a photo album, or scrapbook, whatever you chose to call it, doesn't have to be elaborate to be nice. For me, it is about having enough information to recall the trip years from now. I also want it to look pleasing on the page.

I am using a Creative Memories 12 x 12 true coverset with white pages and protectors. The true sets are new. CM has added just enough page area that the usable space on the page is a true 12 inches. That is nice as 12 inch decorations will fit in either direction. It also gives a little more room for photos.

I had most of my photos printed this year. Some I have printed on my own computer. The nice thing about printing them myself is the fact that I can print them in smaller sizes if I choose and fit more on the page. The nice thing about having them printed is that I don't have to print them myself. It is costly to print pictures on a printer... ink...paper. Therefore, I've probably saved a little money by having most of them printed.

I'm a firm believer that simple is good. I have organized my album by days. Each day of the vacation is highlighted by different colors of accent paper. I have lots of photos and have used just a touch of color on each page. A little corner piece or a thin strip of paper along the side gives it a little interest, but it isn't overdone. Again, I'm using CM paper as know it is acid and lignin free. That is important in the long haul as I want my albums to stay nice for many years.

I took pictures of signs, when appropriate. I just cut around those signs and put them by the pictures. It certainly is faster and easier than trying to write all that information. Actually, I wouldn't write all of it, so I'm giving added information and interest.

I do think it is important to journal. I've written a little information or just a thought or comment under most of the pictures.

If you are looking at this, and you have never put together an album, I want you to know that it doesn't have to be hard. Also, you don't need a ton of stuff to do it with. Investing in a quality album is the first thing. It will be kinder to your photos in the long run and not fall apart. A corner rounder to snip off those photo corners, a tool to crop (cut away) parts of the picture that aren't necessary, adhesive, and a good acid free journaling pen will put you on the right track.

My Mess

This is my mess, and it's going to get worse. I dug out my Creative Memories 12 x 12 true album, and I'm putting all those pictures from my trip to Michigan into it. I journal as I go and have finished day three of eleven days. I'm going to have to kick back for a few minutes and let my mind and body recover. Don't get me wrong, I really like doing this. I'll love the results and will have a wonderful book to let me relive my most excellent vacation.

As you can see, there is NO hope of any card making going on for a bit. It is going to take a few days to finish my project here. They will be days well spent.

I'm glad Daughter I-Needa impressed upon me the importance of preserving photos in quality acid free, lignin free, and buffered albums. It is a lot of work to put pictures together, and I would rather spend a little more now and get quality merchandise. I'm sad at some of my mother's photos that were ruined by being placed in organizing photo albums that virtually destroyed the pictures.

I had a drawer full of family photos when I-Needa first took me under her Creative Memories Consultant wings. She showed me the error of my ways and set me on the straight path.

Unfortunately, the consultant path became too much for her as her teaching career was just too time consuming to tackle an additional activity. I do have a wonderful consultant, and she is always encouraging me.

I seem to be rattling on a bit, but it is due to something tired in my brain. I'll leave you with the picture of my mess. Just know that I'm busy being creative!

Whine

I'm waiting for the new Stampin Up catalog. Last time I found myself with the crowd that was almost beside themselves with anticipation. I decided to cool it and be sensible. Uh huh.

I keep hoping that they will get some 'cute' animal stamps. I would love to see some hedgehogs, bunnies, ducks, etc. SU has lots of lovely flowers and other items, but I do hope that one of these days they will include well detailed animals.

I've been looking around and am close to ordering some cute Penny Black hedgehogs and bunnies. The Penny Black website doesn't have sales online yet, but I've found them at
Addicted To Scrapbooking, and I'm going to have some soon.... TAH DAH!

Album Making

If you've been on my Humor and Doings site, you know that I've been up to my eyebrows, almost literally, trying to get photographs from my recent trip to Michigan in order.

I decided not to print my own as I go. I ordered them... uploaded and waited for them to come in the mail. Lovely.

My crafting lately has been on the computer trying to load photos to Flickr and put them on my site. That has consumed a vast amount of time.

I do have all these pictures sorted and will soon be ready to start the album. I purchased a new True 12 x 12 album from my Creative Memories consultant, and I am ready to go.

I really believe in putting photos into something nice and telling the story. Let's face it, in time you can't remember the details. I like having a visual record to help me relive the trips I take. It is good to have fond memories.

No Fun

I seem to have been missing in action. I seem to find so many other things to do each day that card crafting has not been happening. I'm SORRY! I don't intend this to be a permanent state of my being. I plan on getting back to it and playing. Please forgive and come back again.

Gone, Gone, Gone

Last week our retired teachers' local group had an auction. Each year we do this to raise a little extra money. Many of the ladies bring wonderful fattening baked goods. I decided that I'd do something different, so had been working on most of the cards that I've posted lately to give as my donation to that auction.

I'm proud to say that the auction went well. I avoided the baked goods as am trying not to eat everything that will go straight to padding. I was very pleased with the sale of the ten cards that I took. They were bid as 'for each' items and the highest bidder took what they wanted at that price. The rest went to the second bidder. They raised far more than if I'd taken a baked item, and I was really pleased with the amount donated.

I came home and realized that all my new cards are gone, gone, gone. In some ways, it made me rather sad. I'm going to have to get busy soon and make new ones to replace those.

In the meantime, I've been working on a project taking digital pictures of really old family photographs. I'm planning on making a family history album and having it printed in hardback form. I put a little about that on my Humor and Doings blog. I think helping my friend with her scrapbook has jump started me back into this project. I have found that it is difficult to find enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do. Welcome to the world.

A Little Help for a Friend

Something happened in my dining room yesterday. I'd promised to help a friend with creating an album of her mother's birthday celebration. It's amazing how hard it can be at times to just get going. I finally called Mary and we set a date for her to come. Yesterday was the day. I took this first photo after she had been working for awhile getting things organized. I believe she had run to the car for a Pepsi at this point, so her chair is obviously vacant. I also took the opportunity to quit working and grabbed the camera thinking of my blog. I think she also needs a picture for the end of her album, just to show how hard she worked on it.



Mary has returned and is again hard at work. She was so tickled with how this is going and has decided that she is really enjoying herself.

She has a ton of pictures. She purchased a Creative Memories Premiere Album with extra pages. We finished the first set of pages and started on the next set. I think she was surprised that I didn't expect to finish the whole album yesterday. I had to laugh about that.

She finally gathered up her album. It had been raining hard, and I was a bit alarmed about her carrying everything off in the rain. She just couldn't leave it at my house as wanted to take it home to admire her work. I sent her home with a few tools and pictures and album wrapped in a trash bag for protection. She looked eager to carry on with the project. I hope to see her and the album again soon.

It is a wonderful thing to capture life's little moments and use a little creativity to tell stories. I know that she is going to happily share her album over and over. Of course, she is taking it to her Mother to enjoy. I'm probably going to give her a call soon and check to make sure she is journaling. We talked about that a lot.

Ashamed

I'm rather ashamed of myself for not posting here lately. I intended to do something every day. Then I realized that I have another life as well. That one is my real life, and I'm just not crafting every day. I've been outside pulling weeds and trying to get the yard ready. The green grass is poking through the golden colored grass, and I need to have my yard ready. I've been doing other things, but I WILL craft again soon and post something. I do appreciate your stopping by and feel a little bit like I've invited someone to dinner, then left the building. Sorry

Bunny Finds

Yesterday Crafting Ida and I went to that great Hobby Lobby together. There is something dangerous about us going together. We are both stamping addicts and enable each other something awful. Add to the mix the fact that paper was 8 for a dollar or 5 for a dollar depending on paper size, and you have crafters on the loose.

I couldn't resist this cute bunny paper. I matched it to my card stock samples and decided it would do for a little trim. I just couldn't resist the bunny. Then as we sailed down the stamp isle, Ida just had to point out the bunny stamp. She said, 'See, its the same bunny!' Darn that Ida and her fast eye for details. Of course, I HAD to have the bunny stamp. Ribbon was also half price, so I had a shopping good time. I have assembled my Hobby Lobby purchases plus a little wheelbarrow stamp from Stampin Up's Blooming With Love. I've been playing with this, but just don't have the card I want to show yet. Just use your imagination and think what could be done with all this cute stuff. I'll post a card as soon as I have something I like. Meanwhile, I just couldn't resist showing you this pile of stuff.

Organizing Treasure

I just love a bargain!! I also love finding something in a resale shop and putting it to good use. I was just browsing in a resale shop in my small town the other day. I saw this little plant stand and immediately wondered if some of my punches would fit on it. I thought I could put it by the chair where I stamp, and it wouldn't really be in the way. I eyeballed the depth of the shelves and decided it might be a good fit.

Being the shrewed shopper I am, I dallied with the idea of buying it, but decided to come back later. It might even be marked down. I went back a few days later. They had moved it to the window with some cute things sitting on it. I decided that I'd best buy it if I wanted it. I invested a whole $12.00 in this little metal stand. Look! They fit. The punches exactly fit.

Then I was eyeballing that little piece of furniture and decided I might be able to add a rod to hold ribbon. I just happened to have a curtain rod and some of those little sticky backed hooks. After trying a few other things, I just attached the sticky backed hooks to the front legs of the stand and placed the curtain rod on the hooks. Tah-Dah!

I may have to get a skinnier rod at some point as the very small rolls of ribbon are a bit tight on the rod. Otherwise, I think it will work wonderfully well. I can easily take the rolls off too. If, in the future, I have too many rolls for the rod, I'll just add another rod a little lower on the back leg. I feel so..... ORGANIZED... and so SMART. I LOVE bargains! Yes, I do.

Stamping Brenda

I went to visit daughter I-Needa. I-Needa often has a group over to work on album making (aka scrapbooking). I've gone to several of these events and love meeting I-Needa's friends. One wonderful friend is Stamping Brenda. I-Needa has always tried to help identify who she is talking about on the phone by putting a helpful adjective in front of their name. I catch on faster that way. Well, Brenda loves to make cards and also memory albums. She has been at it for years and years, and she is very good at it. So I-Needa would refer to her as 'Stamping Brenda.' I've just kept the name and think it is a good one.

I arrived for a visit with I-Needa and an album making event. Stamping Brenda was there. She is always such fun and full of enthusiasm for her crafting. I-Needa and Stamping Brenda had been talking about my new interest in card making. Both being generous souls, they had each collected a few items to help insure I had supplies. That was sweet!

I had a good time with both of them. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and I was pushed closer to the edge of addiction. Mind you, I'm not complaining. I went willingly.

I have to brag on Stamping Brenda a bit here. She has hand crafted many cards these past few years which she 'sells' and donates all proceeds to her city's Cancer Walk. I'm impressed with the idea of combing fun with generosity toward a greater good. Go, Stamping Brenda!

Crafting Ida Takes Charge

Sometimes in life, we just need a nudge to get us going. I was hovering on the brink of needing something artistic to do. I was observing others around me, but just hadn’t taken the latest plunge. Crafting Ida stepped in and took charge of me.

Ida showed up at my back door one day. She had ‘stuff’ with her... crafting ‘stuff’. She had a couple of boxes of crafting supplies. As she unpacked the supplies in what is now the space I use for card making, she announced that she had brought me a few things to play with. Ohhhhh....fun.

Sometimes we need to have things put into our hands and gently nudged into action. That’s what Ida did. She sat down and started showing me how to pull ink off the ink pads, and adding a little water in a jar lid, she loaded a brush to paint with a water color technique. She brought some stamps for me to try. Before long, I had stamped a flower and was busy painting it. I liked it.

Ida stayed awhile, making sure I was well into this stamping fun. She left the supplies ‘in my keeping’ for awhile to make sure I’d have the opportunity to play. Yes, I was well on the way to being hooked.

Ida had recently become a Stampin Up consultant. However, I’ll attest that she wasn’t trying to practice a sales technique on me. Her reasons for signing up to be a consultant were mostly to take advantage of some of the perks. It had been obvious to me for some time that Ida took great pleasure in making and sending hand crafted cards. She so enjoyed visiting with me about it and just sharing the joy.

I’d had the influence of I-Needa and Crafting Ida. That should have been enough. I was well on the road. Then while visiting I-Needa, Stamping Brenda finished pushing me over the edge.