Re-Scraping My Dad's Photo Ablum

My Dad made three or four photo albums of our family.  Think about that it was my Dad who made them not my Mom.  I have two of the albums.  I am not sure what happened to the others.  My brother who lived with my Dad until his death and lived in his home until the house sold did not have the albums when

I visited him in 2009. 

A few years back I had taken some of the pictures out of the book and placed them on black pages and wrote what my dad had written for each page.  I wanted my albums to all be 8.5 x 11.  I didn't feel good about this so I did not proceed with the project.  

Saturday morning while preparing to go scrapbooking with some friends, I hit upon a wonderful idea.  Why not cut the pages out of the books, leaving his pages intact and add them to my paper to fit my books.  I asked my fellow scrapers and they agreed. 

I am posting just some of the pages here.  Now that the pages are scanned I can also send copies to my brothers.

 

 

I didn't make the pages fancy, just a few embellishments, I wanted the main focus to be my Dad's pages.  These pictures are from their Honeymoon at Niagara Falls, they went to both the NY and Canadian sides and swam in the Great Lakes.

 

 

It was hard deciding what paper to use.  I would think oh trees in the background may be a green or a stone bridge brown. Sometimes it was I just like this paper so I went with it.

 

 

I did nine pages but I won't bore you with all of them.  I am happy with the results.  I may add some journaling notes and copy what my Dad wrote as his white ink is very faded on the black paper.  I even tried my white ink pen on the old porous paper and it soaks in and is very faded.  I want to save the information.  

 

I did post some of the other pages here.

 

 

Here are the two album I have.

 

 

 

 

Mixed Media

What do I mean by Mixed Media, just that I have been doing a little scrapbooking and a little embroidery. 

Scrapbooking first!

I have been using the Kiwi Lane Design Templates for 11 months and I wanted to try using them a little different.  My first variation was to use them with spray glitter ink. 

 

I placed them on the paper and sprayed around them.  The next time I will cover the holes with tape, not that the little dots look bad.  Worked well.  The spray wiped off the templates with a little bit of spray cleaner and a paper towel.  I am working on some old pictures from the late 60's and early 70's.  I am not spending a lot of time just short journaling and adding pictures.  Here I used paper, I think the next one I will use card stock. 

 

 

My second idea was to punch holes around a shape and then sew it with floss.  The fish is really more noticeable in person.  This was fun. 

 

 

First I decide where did I want that fish.

 

 

Then I made some holes with a tapestry needle.  I first

marked all the points and all the dips to mark where the

template went in case it slipped. 

 

Time for more holes about 1/4" a part, as even as possible, then I did the stitching.   I was going to use a lighter blue but it didn't show at all, so I went with the darker.  Where the paper is three layers deep it was a little hard to punch the holes so I stuck my needle in the back of an eraser to I could push without hurting my fingers.  It worked well. 

 

 

Isn't he cute! So much better in person.

 

Here is the progress I made on my little Baby Step Quilt, both sashings done, and the main vine of the border is completed. 

Maybe tonight I can start adding buttons. 

Now it is time to clean up my creative mess. 

 

Happy Stitching, Scraping and Life.

 

Look What I Have Done

All the borders are on my Twisted Flag Wreath.  I am liking how it looks but I might go get some more fabric so my flags will all go the right way.  I made sure all those little flag blocks where going in the right direction. 

 

 

So do you think I should get more fabric and make the flags all go one way?

 

 

I did some more work on Baby Steps.  There are more buttons on both sashings.  The leaves are all done on the left side.  I didn't get a lot done as it was Spring Break and kids where home from school.  We did some fun things.  Plus I am still coughing.  I had a chest X-Ray and I am now taking antibiotics.  I am sure a day home with no running around would do a world of good.  I wonder what that is like? 

 

Have a wonderful day and have fun stitching, scrapbooking or just enjoying life.

 

 

 

In Addition...

In addition to my accomplishments in the last post I have been doing some teaching.  It feels good to have full classes

and excited students.  My Twister class went very well.  I

learned a few things that will make the next class go smoother. 

My next class I will do the same wreath pattern but with flag fabric.  I saw one done on Pinterest but the pattern was a little different.  I didn't realize that until mine was almost done.  No matter, I am going to make it work. 

 

 

Here it is with a border preview.  I am going with the flag fabric.  I am also thinking of doing the waste border before this final border but I need to finish constructing the center and than make the waste border before I decide.  The tan border does nothing for the center.  I saw the same wreath pattern done in Halloween fabric but I think for a fall class I will do the Witch's Hat I did a couple of years ago.  The wreath pattern is a nice size because the center is done when class is done.  The teacher needs some variety.  

You can see that Witch's hat here.

 

My other class that was full was a Beginner's EQ7 Class.  Another bunch of excited ladies but they were on brain overload by the time I finished with the 3 hour class.  They are so excited about learning more about EQ7 they want my Beyond the Basics Class in May. 

I teach at a LQS, A Quilter's Oasis.

 

On February 7th I went to the AQS Quilt Show that was in Phoenix.  I went with my lovely friend Lorene, we meet through our blogs and when we realized we were both local we meet and became friends.  We had a lovely time.  It was a nice show but I get a little overwhelmed with the masterful art quilt and the fancy quilting.  The truth is I will never be that kind of quilter.  I just wished in shows they had another category for professional quilters but not the super professional quilters if you know what I mean. 

 

There were some fun vendors and I picked up a few new tools.  I have plenty of fabric and I am trying to buy for projects only and I don't need any more books or patterns.  Well I did buy one pattern. 

 

The first tool is called The Strip Stick.  It helps press those seams that are close together.  I used it on my new pattern and I was very pleased with it.  Short narrow strips, 1" wide.  Here it is in action.

 

 

Here I pressed the seams open but you can do them closed also.  Here is the back of the project I used it on.  It worked very well for this.  I used it on a bigger project, the center of the flag twister but I wasn't as comfortable with it in that size project.  I am sure I need a little practice with it.  This product is reasonably priced compared to others I have seen.  I purchased the middle size.

 

 

 I also purchased their Seams Sew Fast - Quilt Strip Piecing Guide.  It didn't work well with the 4" x 1" strips I was working with but I will try it when I do wider strips.  I like the concept.  The other tool I haven't used yet but I will review it when I use it. 

 

So the pattern kit I purchased is called Baby Steps from

The Red Button Company.  They have some really cute patterns, and many are kits.  There was a generous amount of fabric, I have left over sashing and squares. And the tiny buttons are just so cute!

 

So here it is.  I have started the embroidery. 

Those squares are 1/2" square.  I haven't worked with anything this small in a while.  I did the mini Square strips about a week after the show.  This week I constructed the rest and started the embroidery.  I had to brush up on my embroidery stitches.  I am only doing the chain stitch and a daisy stitch.  It is so cute.  I can see this done in 30's fabric.  I have enjoyed doing the handwork at night while watching TV with Mr. B. 

 

Well I think that makes up to date. I hope all is well with you and yours. 

 

Yesterday the 13th we celebrated our 22nd Wedding Anniversary! 

Here is a post I wrote on our 17th Anniversary part 1 and part 2.

And let me tell you the adventure continues.  There will be

some big news later this year but I will keep it under raps

for a little longer. We had a quite celebration of left overs and balloons and flowers.

 

 

I love the Maxine balloon.

CHOCOLATE

is a woman's reward for putting up with men.

Mr. B. knows I love my chocolate. 

 

Sweet and Simple!

 

Happy Stitching, Scrapbooking and just plan old living!

 

She lives...

 

What it may appear as if I fell off the face of the earth but I really haven't.  I have been dealing with a cough on and off since December 23rd and it is about to drive me nuts.  I get well for a week and hardly cough at all and then it starts up again, and I am coughing my head off.  Yesterday I hardly coughed at all but today I am coughing like crazy.  Not good.  I feel fine, I just get tired from coughing.  The doctor thinks it has something to do with allergies and I might have to get tested for allergies.  I'll talk to the doctor about that next week.  So that is one reason why I haven't posted a lot. 

 

The other is I haven't been doing a lot, you know those girls keep me busy.  I have done some scrapbooking pages both for me an my ancestors and the girls but I can't show them here. 

 

I have also done several adding of sleeves to small quilts.  Now doesn't that sound exciting?!  Well it is in a way.  A couple of years ago a co-worker gave me these nice little quilt racks.  I asked my husband to fix them so the rod which was fixed could come on and off to change out quilts.  He did fix them for me and hung them.  They have been up since before Christmas.  So two Christmas quilts have new sleeves, a Valentine quilt has a new sleeve as well as two spring to summer wall hangings. 

 

Here is a picture with the two current quilt hanging up.

 

I think they look lovely on my wall.  The lovely picture in the middle is the LDS Mesa Temple a limited copy done by a friend Thomas Manning.  He does good work.

 
 

I also have added a sleeve to three of my mini monthly quilts so they can hang nicely on their little hanger.  This one is for March and I have done January & February. 

How exciting can this get??

 

 

Above is Mr. B's quilt in December, I am showing you how much is rolled up on the take up bar.  Like I have said before, I have not enjoyed tying this quilt on the frame, wrong frame for the job, but I am using what I have. But look I have made progress!!

 

Look how much fatter the roll is!! 

I keep telling myself, if I would do 15 minutes a day it will get done.  Somehow I never find those 15 minutes a day.

 

 

Today I worked on tying the quilt and when I was taking my pictures looked at what I found peeking out on the bottom roller. 

It is the bottom first borders!!!  So I only have

1 and a 1/2 rows of blocks left to tie!!

 

I have more to share but it time to pick up girls from school, so I will stop here for now and get back to you!

 

Have fun sewing, quilting, scrapbooking and just living!