Making My Mark

A couple of weeks ago, as I prepared for a trip to D. C., I was throwing a couple of books in my backpack (I have yet to join the Kindle Klub), when I realized I didn't have a bookmark. Sure, my boarding pass would do, but I was still in scrapping mode, and thought I could do better.

Here's what I stuck in my book:

Isn't it fun?! I took a bunch of scraps from Echo Park's newest collections, and piled them on the front and back of a sturdy piece of chipboard. After adhering everything, and before adding the baker's twine, I brushed on a coat of gloss medium. Start to finish, this cute little project took less than 15 minutes, excluding drying time.

Then, later this week when I needed one more project for the Scraptastic blog, I revisited this project and made myself another bookmark from the scraps of my April Great Adventures kit. I completed it with letter stickers, a flurry of colorful fibers and a brad that says "Dream Big". On the back is a favorite reading quote:

Now I can be in the middle of two books at the same time (I usually have one in the car and one on the bedside table), and my place will be marked securely in each. No more dog-eared pages or turned in book jackets. I'm also thinking they'd make great stocking stuffers for kids and the other bibliophiles in my life who still read the "old-fashioned" way.

Do you like to read? I love to read both fiction AND non-fiction. Any recommendations? What was the last book you read?

Crawfish and Canoe Trips

Today is a photo post. First up are pictures taken on a recent canoe trip though the waterways surrounding Lake Maurepas. The last time the CBS Canoe and Kayak Club paddled in this area, I thought it might be a little chilly on the water and decided to pass. Tommy accompanied Kevin instead, and when they returned, he couldn't say enough great things about the trip! Darn...I could have worn a sweatshirt! 

This time I accompanied Kevin, camera and dry bag in hand.

 

 We were informed that we'd be taking a different route from the last trip, hoping to make it through some narrowing waterways clear to the lake! Oh yeah, Kevin is ready. We boarded the canoes along the old Highway 51 and paddled under Interstate 55.

Starting off the waterway is deep and wide, surrounded by the most beautiful moss-draped cypress trees. Aren't they gorgeous with their knees sticking up everywhere?

You can see that even in early spring plant life is threatening to choke off the waterways after this year's very mild winter. I hoped we would be able to make it through to the lake!

 

We spotted a couple of wood duck boxes along the swampy banks. The cone below it is supposed to prevent predators from climbing up, destroying the nest and eating the eggs and/or young!

 

Lucky us! There were still a few purple irises in bloom. Hmmm...I wonder if that's where LSU got its colors?

 

And here we are at the entrance to the lake! At one point we didn't think we'd make it. We encountered a downed tree in a particularly narrow part of the waterway, but the outfitter who was guiding the group was able to clear the way for us with a trusty hand saw.

At the lake all the canoes and kayaks (probably a couple dozen) spread out and had lunch. We parked between two cypress knees and enjoyed the peaceful morning, resting up for the paddle back.

I can't wait for our next canoe adventure. Kevin's school has one of the coolest clubs ever!

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Here's what I'll be feasting on tonight:

  

It's the volunteer appreciation party (read: crawfish boil) at Jesuit High School. Even though Christopher graduated last May, I still volunteer at the school. I love the work we do and the people I do it with. Besides, Kevin will be there as an 8th grader in about 16 months. Yikes...my baby in high school?! 

Start And Finish

Here's another look at how I start my pages...and a jump to the finished layout.

In this instance, I choose the photo first, and then amass a small stack of papers that I want to use. After picking my patterned papers, I throw on top any and all embellishments in the same theme or color scheme. A little washi tape, some journaling cards, several tags, borders strips, stickers, chipboard, etc. Only about 50% of what you see here, aside from the patterned paper, makes it onto the page.

It comes together slowly as papers are cut and items are tossed aside. The finished layout is a mix of papers from Echo Park, Crate Paper, October Afternoon and Studio Calico. An organized collage.

I seriously LOVE the viewmaster reels, from Echo Park's Note To Self collection. Lately they have taken the place of those mason jars from the Dear Lizzy line of papers. And potty people are still a favorite. I couldn't decide if I should paint them or not so they're naked. ;)

I wonder what my next obsession will be?! Cameras, perhaps? Do you have a favorite item that keeps showing up on your pages lately?

Epcot Flower Garden

OK...back to my Disney pics! Our trip was almost a year ago, and I still have so many good times to document. Immediately after our trip, I went through and edited all my photos, compiling the best into a photo book that told the story of our trip. My 11 year old son helped me compose the captions that went on every page! It took the pressure off of me, as I knew I didn't have to scrap every single memory since they were preserved in the book. (I used one of those Winkflash coupons which allowed me to add up to 100 pages for free, so the entire 100 page book was around 30-something dollars! Can't beat that!)

We arrived at Epcot after the International Flower Festival was over, but there were still signs throughout the park. This topiary display of Lightening McQueen and Mater met us at the entrance to the World Showcase.

I loved this paper collection, This & That Graceful, by Echo Park. It had so many great florals and I wanted to use them all! So as not to be overwhelming, I punched large circles from several of the sheets to add to my page. I then cut others out from the patterned paper to layer over the journaling spot, which was used more or less to ground the embellishments, and not for journaling. 

Expect more Disney pages in future weeks as I still have an envelope filled with photos for me to scrap. 

Out On A Limb

Photos with a lot of green have been confounding me lately and I never know how to scrap them. I'll sort through my papers and nothing feels right, especially when there are no bright colors for me to latch onto. For this layout I picked out a few papers from Echo Park's This & That Charming, papers that had all those nice natural colors that I thought should work with my photo. But it didn't thrill me...until I added a little washi tape goodness. The orange chevron tape was just the punch it needed. I used it to frame my photo, set off my title, and otherwise spice up the design. It's an improvement.

Then there was this one little spot of "white space" that I couldn't leave alone, so I sketched an oak tree with inked foliage, in deference to the tree my son climbed in the park. Once he scaled it, he became unsure of himself, and didn't know how to climb down. I certainly couldn't come up and get him! Eventually, I coaxed him down to a point where he could drop into my arms. Yep.. it is a fun(ny) memory for sure.

Art Journal

I started an art journal several months ago. It's a fun little book where I get to play with my supplies and document things that might not make it onto a scrapbook page. To streamline the process, I like to use either scraps from recent pages or leftover kit contents. The colors are already matched which is a great time saver. Playing with scraps, I'm also not as worried about using up something valuable that I might want or need later. Double bonus!

Remember that paper chain I used as a mask recently? It's found a place on a journal page, along with some scraps and stickers from Scraptastic's Great Adventures kit:

Do you have an art journal, smash book, or similar? What do you do with your scraps?

Photos from D. C.

These past few days I've been in Washington D. C., giving voice to those living in extreme poverty, families in a daily struggle for survival, children growing up malnourished with no hope of reaching their full potential, as well as those whose lives are impacted by preventable and treatable disease. 

Scrapbooking is what I do in my "spare" time. 

This is what I do in my more valuable time.

 

Here are some of the incredible people who presented at the ONE Summit, men and women who are making a positive impact on our world:

 Florence Ngobeni-Allen and Cristina Pena, spoke on behalf of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, where they are fighting for an HIV/AIDS-free generation of children. Florence lost her first child to the disease. She has since given birth to two healthy HIV-free children due to advancements in medicine preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Twenty-five years ago, Cristina, was one of only 20 children in the Los Angeles area diagnosed with the disease. She's still fighting the fight.

"The next famine will not be prevented by food aid" says Roger Thurow, hunger activist and author of Enough: Why the Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty and the soon to be released The Last Hunger Season. Smart, cost-effective investments in agricultural development are the key to preventing hunger, driving economic growth, and putting people as well as countries on the path to sustainability. Check out the trailer for the documentary that will accompany his book. Inspiring. We have 401Ks. They have 401Cows. Seriously!

"Poverty anywhere is an affront to people everywhere." After 20 years as a journalist in Africa, Gayle Smith is a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at the National Security Council. She consults for a wide range of NGOs, foundations, and governmental organizations.

South African Ambassador to the U. S., his Excellency Ebrahim Rasool inspired us all with his wisdom on advocacy. One of the greatest lessons from the apartheid movement-sing! Carry your burdens lightly!

Here are three of the more than 150 volunteer activists who were at the 2012 ONE Summit in D. C.

 Katie and I, fresh and optimistic, before our first meeting at Senator Landrieu's office.

 Cedric Richmond has some beautiful New Orleans flavored artwork in his office!

 LOVE this piece of art that greets you in the office of one of the Alabama Representatives.

Yes, as we were walking down the halls from one meeting to the next, my eyes were constantly drawn to the decor in the offices of the members of Congress. Some were like mini-museums!

A beautiful rotunda in one of the buildings.

  

 And I'll leave you with this...the gas prices in D. C.! Quite different from home. Thankfully, they have a very clean and efficient metro system!

Please get involved. Go to ONE.org and lend your voice for those living in extreme poverty.