The Book Stand

A Review of Outlander

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 21:14:00 +0000

As soon as I read a few synopses from Outlander, I knew I had to read it. From almost the first page, I found myself delightfully transported to places in Scotland I've visited like the Highlands, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, and the site of the Battle of Culloden. I could easily hear the Scottish brogue in the characters' dialogue as well.

One thing is certain, Gabaldon knows how to write romance! The graphically intense love scenes require some acclimation at first but the author's fantastic descriptions pull the reader right in. There are times when the scenes are so vivid and steamy, I felt I was watching more than I was reading. Because of that and the sheer frequency of those scenes, it would be easy to assign it to the genre of gothic romance, but Gabaldon's well-layered period plot and intricate web of characters puts it, in my library anyway, decidedly in historical fiction.

Some early parts of the story seem less than plausible. Despite her primitive-like experiences as an army nurse on the front lines of WW2, Claire adjusts more quickly to the rough and tumultuous way of life in the 18th c. than seems likely. Also, the comfort level that Claire and Jamie share so early on seems dubious as well, given the circumstances.

One of the most enjoyable and thought-provoking aspects of the novel is the idea of time travel as it links generations from past to present. Who hasn't ever wondered what it would be like to live among their own ancestors or other people they've learned about from history? It is, of course, the rock upon what poor Claire's fate rests, quite literally.

The novel has a bit of everything, including action, suspense and mystery. I highly recommend and very much looking forward to reading (and watching!) the rest of the series.

Walls Family Holiday Riddle 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Enjoy this year's riddle!

I am the shape of Captain Hook's arm
And a nostalgic Christmas charm.
In duplicity, I make a heart.
I'm a kitschy medium for art,
But to performers, I might cause alarm.

I sometimes have a wooden spine.
I resemble a barber's sign.
Jimmy Smits was heir to me.
I'm a cactus and a tree
And a servant for those who are blind.

I can be read, played, shot and licked.
I'd make a festive swizzle stick.
I'm an extra leg with a rubber foot
And a common bit of stocking loot
Dropped in by jolly old St. Nick.

I go up, then I come down.
I was made to curb sound.
I'm an alternative source of fuel.
You'll see me 'round at the tide of Yule,
But a game is my hometown.

I was the second known man on earth.
I conjure up rivalry and mirth.
I vary in color, species and size.
I'm a toothsome gem a small child espies.
Who else would appreciate my worth?

I alternate between hot and cold.
I am more than 300 years old.
A prop for tap,
I'm hard to snap.
An Aussie barkeep was once my role.

I'm the theme of a prosaic prayer.
I have a certain musical flair.
I'm the suffix of a violent storm,
But hang around in places that are warm,
Where I masquerade as a basket-chair.

I'm the crook of sheep-herding men,
And a renowned cinematic citizen,
Who just longed for his sled.
I'm an incomplete zed,
And hint at the blood shed for sin.

Unpublished Work © Heather K. Walls

Harry Potter Movie Tour | United Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 03:52:00 +0000

In September - October, I was very fortunate to be able to spend some time touring the United Kingdom and Ireland. Okay, you dragged it out of me, the tour was three weeks, and it was A-MA-ZING! One of my favorite parts of the tour was seeing various Harry Potter filming sites. Now, Harry Potter's world isn't a real place on the map like the setting on our Twilight Movie Tour, so everything had to be CG'd or superimposed or edited together to make it seem real. So, as you are looking at my pics, use your imagination. Try reading it in your best British monologue. Or, better yet, go re-watch the films - HP7P1 comes out tomorrow/today on disc, you know! Alright, then! Jolly good!

As soon as we arrived in London, we made our way down to the London Eye, then cruised on the River Thames to the Tower of London. Along the way, we sailed underneath the Millennium Bridge, aka the Wobbly Bridge, which was used in the opening scene of HP6.

The next day, Stacey, Tracey and I went on a tour marketed specifically as Harry Potter. We did see a lot of HP sites, as you'll see below, but not as many as we would have liked, such as the building used for Gringotts Bank or The Leaky Cauldron. Don't get me wrong, the other stuff was fascinating. I felt quite learned following Nigel's bloody riveting hullabaloos every time we transitioned to a new period of ancient architecture. Doesn't it speak volumes about my level of cultural refinement?

Our first stop was the cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral, which was used in filming a few hallway scenes at Hogwarts.

The entrance to Gryffindor Common Room was also shot here. In the films, there was a red door in the entryway. Can't you just imagine the painting of the fat lady hanging next to us? What was that password again?

More memorable is the alcove where Harry Potter hides out when he spots Snape talking to Malfoy in HP6. This alcove is also at the Cathedral. Stacey and I tried to conceal ourselves behind one of the columns. I think we would have been spotted.

From here, we went on to Oxford, the college town home to Oxford University. I have to admit, I did not think Oxford such a large campus. It really is a self-containing town. My big question for Nigel was, does the university make the town or does the town make the university? He said that it was one of the great debates of the town. Oh, yea, score one for me in the astute column!

Within the town are even smaller hamlets that comprise each of the major schools of the university. We stopped first at Balliol College. The cloisters here were used in HP4, when the students were wearing Potter Stinks buttons and Mad Eye Moody turns Malfoy into a ferret. This was my first "a-ha, I recognize it" moment. And, yes, I felt like I had arrived. Isn't this shot brilliant? I'd say, I ought to be a photographer, but I'm sure that Stacey's photos turned out much better.

It's tempting to want to post all of the shots from this courtyard in this post, but I'll refrain and just add one more: a self-portrait of myself with Stacey in the background taking a self-portrait of herself! Nope, didn't plan that! But, from this shot, you can easily see the entrance they used to come in and go off camera during the scene.

Next, we stopped at the Bodleian College Library near Radcliffe Square. (Not making that up.) A few scenes and inspirations can be found here. First, this room was used in HP4 when Professor McGonagall teaches Ron how to dance just before the Yule Ball.

Nigel speculated that this case inside the room was the inspiration for the vault lock sequence in Gringotts Bank. Things that make you go ... hmmm.

Christ Church College was our next stop on the Oxford tur. (I didn't just misspell that word. It's how the Brits pronounce it.) Besides being one of the largest colleges of the University of Oxford, it also happens to be a popular filming location. The cloisters courtyard within the church were used to film winter scenes in HP2 and HP3.

Imagine snow falling! Stacey and I positioned ourselves inside one of the open-air windows.

Also at Christ Church is the long room that inspired the Great Hall at Hogwarts in the film, its walls covered in paintings much like the renown School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you look closely, you'll see that there are only three table rows. If I recall correctly, Nigel said they CG'd the other row into the scene in order to accommodate all four houses of students.

The paintings here were the inspiration for the moving pictures in the films. Nigel pointed out that this portrait of Thomas Andrew Terance, if I'm deciphering the nameplate correctly, literally seemed to move as we were walking past. I think Nigel was trying to impress us, but we know this is because the painting lacks a third dimension. Oh, Nigel!

The piece de resistance, which wasn't part of the original tur, but a landmark we requested, was to see the house used as Four Privet Drive, which is located in the lih'le burough of Picket Post Close.

The house appeared to be undergoing renovations, given the dumpster in front. And, of course, it was only used in HP1, before Warner Brothers constructed its own set.

Back in London, while were taking some night shots, we stood on the Lambeth Bridge, the same one the Knight Bus is on when it squeezes in between two other cars. Just so happens that scene was filmed at night! Stacey got a cool time-delayed shot with cars streaking past. I would link to it here if Stacey had it posted somewhere. =]

A few days later when we were in the Scottish Highlands, our wonderful tur director Konrad pointed out that majestic Glencoe is where the flying car from HP2 was CG'd into the mountains here. Look familiar?

At Edinburgh Castle, J.K. Rowling gave a reading in part of the Governor's house, because it resembles Hogwarts.

Finally, one night we happened to be eating dinner at Merchant's, which is just under the George IV Bridge, where, you guessed it, The Elephant House is located. Stacey and I figured this out from the map and took a little stroll up the street to the bridge level just to see the famous cafe where the story was born. Dulce et decorum!

Here is approximately where J. K. Rowling sat crafting the first installment of her legendary tale while she gazed out at Edinburgh Castle. How I wish I had time to sit here and sip some coffee!

I suppose I'll just have to return! Who wants to go with me?

A Living Legacy | Peter Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:52:00 +0000

Over Veterans Day, Adam and I had the fortunate opportunity to spend a couple of days with Travis Bowman, good friend and a 6th generation descendant of Revolutionary War hero Peter Francisco.

As someone who is passionate about preserving memories and heritage, Peter’s story is right up my alley.

Thanks to the hospitality of the Women’s Club of Hopewell, Adam and I were able to attend their monthly meeting at the Maude Langhorne Nelson Library, during which Travis -- who stands a looming six feet six inches just like Peter -- delivered his convincing interpretation of Peter’s life.

Upon returning from war, Peter admits, with obvious emotion, “I just wanted to hear my father say, ‘Good job, son. I’m proud of you. Thank you for fighting for our freedom.’ But I didn’t have a father. I went back to the plantation, and, rather than laurels, I was met with Judge Winston telling me, ‘Get back to work.’

That part really hit home.

Peter who?

Prior to reconnecting with Travis, I didn’t know anything about Peter Francisco. Peter was like the Sully Sullenberger of his day! People everywhere knew his name and what he had done for them. He faced adversity and danger with aplomb and little regard for his own life. He protected his fellow soldiers from open fire and allowed them to retreat to safety by carrying and repositioning a fallen tree limb so snipers could get behind it. He was a commando at Stony Point, second over the wall, and first to capture the flag. He rescued a stranded, 1,100-pound cannon from its carriage, hoisting it with his arms onto a wagon. With his quick thinking and deft hand, he saved the same Colonel not once but twice during the same battle! He cut down eleven British in another battle with his formidable five-foot blade. He was instrumental in securing America’s freedom. My freedom.

It’s no wonder this guy is known as Hercules of the Revolution! Anyone remember that scene in Forrest Gump when Forrest carries all the men in his platoon off the front lines to safety, even brawny Bubba? That’s what I’m talking about! Booyah!

A Dutiful Tour

After signing some books and eating lunch with the sweet ladies of Hopewell, Travis took us personally on a tour of landmarks and monuments that now commemorate Peter’s life and legendary prowess. He even let me try on the hat! We stopped at City Point, the dock in Hopewell where Peter was deposited and deserted after spending weeks held captive on a ship by greedy swashbucklers.

We went onto see the monument in Hopewell in front of City Hall – one of five monuments in the nation. Now dusk, we drove into downtown Richmond and visited St. John’s Church, where Peter stood outside listening to Patrick Henry’s inspiring oration. Built in 1741, that church is truly a monument to its own history. Elizabeth Poe (Edgar’s mother) is also buried here.

Peter Francisco is buried in Shockoe Hill Cemetery, among other notables such as US Chief Justice John Marshall and famed Union spy Elizabeth Van Lew. The thing about cemeteries for me – and I’ve said this before – it’s the last place on earth a person was. No speculation. No imagination. Peter was there. His soul had departed, but the vessel – his body – the one he so freely tendered for our freedom touched that cold, winter earth.

Adam and I brought two Betsy Ross flags to place at his grave. Travis and I did the honors.

The piece de resistance was seeing Locust Grove, the post-war home Peter and his family occupied for nearly two decades, which we visited the next day. It’s possible Peter inherited the property, but he did not build the house, as was evident from the standard-sized doorways. The property is privately owned, but the owners, who restored it to its former glory, graciously let us in for a look-see. The fireplaces were probably original, and I could imagine Peter warming himself there, perhaps contemplating the legislative matters of the day. I could have spent hours walking those rooms.

Lastly, we visited the Buckingham County Museum, which is located in the Housewright House on James Anderson Highway. This museum contains the most documents and papers on Peter Francisco. They have a Civil-War-era sword that was recovered from Locust Grove and a tall cabinet that was hand-crafted by Peter Francisco.

What a fantastic way to spend Veterans Day, learning about one of America’s Founding Fathers! Thank you, Peter, for your service and for your willingness to sacrifice yourself. And thank you, Travis, for sharing your ancestor’s legacy with us.

Check out more the photos from the trip.

Learn more about Peter Francisco. Or better yet, read the book!

What stories of memory preservation inspire you?

Ode to Comfy Jeans

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:26:00 +0000

Thou goest on without a struggle.

From the dryer art thou smuggled.

Thou art like an extension of my skin,

A chameleon for every occasion.

Thou never gappeth, droopeth or saggeth;

Ye frayed legs never draggeth.

Though ye knees art worn

And ye belt loops torn,

To no other pair

Doth thou compare.

Thou zippeth, buttoneth and snappeth with ease

Thou makes me looketh so good, me wants to strip tease

O, how do I love thee comfy jeans!

Childhood Memorabilia: Keepers or Castoffs

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:29:00 +0000

Had the fortunate opportunity to spend three weeks in the United Kingdom with some members of my family – girls only. We even went on a Harry Potter movie tour! That’s right, Harry Potter and Twilight in the same year! I thought about blogging during the trip, but there was really only so much time during the day. I did keep a journal (for the scrapbook!) and will post some pictures to the blog soon.

We had a blast visiting England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and even Belgium. Can you believe we didn’t encounter a single scrapbooking store?! Many of the souvenir shops didn’t even have stickers. Fortunately, there are sites like Scrap Your Trip. After the second week, I was convinced scrapbooking just isn’t as popular in the UK as it is in America. Certainly hope that isn’t a sign of things to come!

Find order in organization

Since returning from the UK, I’ve been on a cleaning and organizing binge. For someone who is so passionate about paper and often finds herself surrounded by it, even I get tired of the trail that somehow ends up all over the house. Number one organizing rule of thumb: don’t set it down -- anywhere! Any scrapbooking expert will tell you that staying organized is the key to completing any project, advice I would do well to take, lest I find myself on another scavenger hunt.

Not all of the paper belongs in the recycling basket, though. As a lover of all things papyrus, including memorabilia, I have amassed quite an assemblage of Summer’s drawings, painting and art projects. Early on, I tamed it by purchasing one of those oversized accordion art folders, dating each item, and grouping them by month. Come scrapbooking time, I thought, it would be a cinch to pull something out for whatever page I happened to be working on. However, the months and years have quickly generated a paper mound that would rival kindling for a bonfire. And she hasn't even started school yet! Sheesh! At least I had good intentions!

Sad truth: we can't keep everything

Yesterday, with a little trepidation, I spent the afternoon going through a lot of Summer's old drawings and art projects. Part of me felt very accomplished as the pile gradually dwindled, but the other part felt like a heartless mother casting off the imprint of her child’s first years. As I went through each stack, I set aside one out of every dozen or so pieces. What criteria did I use to determine what to keep? You may wonder. It wasn’t easy, because every piece is precious in some way, but there comes a time when even the mawkish among us must find a way to let things go.

Scrapbook-perfect. First and foremost, I held onto anything that would fit neatly onto a scrapbook page beside other items without having to manipulate or shrink it. I can just envision a Valentine's Day page from 2010 embellished with those two red-hearted teddy bears bearing Summer's penciled-in faces and circles.

Sentimentality. I know what you're thinking: what of our children's art doesn't have sentimental value? I agree, but had to exercise pragmatism in solving this dilemma. I know they are all cute, but how many pencil drawings and paintings of stick figures do we honestly need to recollect our kids' youthful innocence and unsullied world view? I elected to keep anything Summer worked on with members of the family. For example, my mom occasionally does one-on-one projects with her about stories from the Bible, like Joseph and his colorful coat, and sometimes the three of us draw cards to give each other on holidays.

Milestones. I never want to forget how small Summer's hands were, so I kept anything with the shape or outline of her hands. I also kept things like her first coloring book, or the progression of her practicing to write ABCs and 123s.

Originals. Some pieces were easy to separate based on whether she had worked on them herself or she had some “help.” While some of the more intricate pieces are nice, originals by Summer are much more cherished.

If there was a piece of memorabilia I was waffling over, I snapped a picture of it, then committed it to castoffs. In everything, there is compromise.

Do you keep all of your kids’ artwork through the years? If so, how do you keep it organized? In sifting through it, how did you decide what to keep? How have you incorporated the artwork into your scrapbooks? I'd love to hear from you!

Next organizing project: Scrapbook merchandise inventory (that means sale - stay tuned!)

The New Jacob and Bella

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:32:00 +0000

For all you Twilight fans pining over Jacob Black and still waiting in vain for the installment in which Jacob and Bella do hook up, meet Max & Menna. While Max and Menna are fraternal twins born in a small town in a family without a single hope, the unlikely friendships they forge teach them about things their home life does not. Things like love, acceptance, loyalty and sacrifice.

The first novel by friend and debut novelist Shauna Kelley, Max & Menna is a melancholic coming-of-age story about beating the odds and breaking free from the cycle of generational influence and rural mores that has all the shadow and mystery of Twilight sans the supernatural forces.

Although the first few pages read awkwardly like excerpts from a collegiate creative writing assignment, as the relationship between Max and Menna starts to unfold into a gentle cadence between past and present, Max & Menna quickly develops into the story of me or the story of countless latchkey-like kids who, growing up, were the product of broken homes, abuse or otherwise distracted, derelict parents. We all had a place like the Hill, whether real or imagined, and, like Max and Menna, while there, we rarely spoke of why we fled to it, as if doing so would somehow diminish its sanctuary.

Kelley aptly captures the void one feels — even into adulthood — that results from dysfunction and abandonment. The way the weight of its emptiness latches to the soul like a dense, torrid humidity.

This underlying emotion — clingy desperation, perpetual inadequacy and permanent entrapment — may be lost to readers unfamiliar with nuances of a childhood riddled with alcoholism and abuse. These depressive states are easily vanquished, though, by the feverish intensity between Nick and Menna — the new Jacob and Bella — and, even amid tragedy, the unbreakable bond of friends.

Max & Menna was published by Lucky Press on November 1, 2010! Look for it at Barnes & Noble and on Amazon!

French Broad River Bike Ride | Biltmore Estate

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 23 May 2010 21:00:00 +0000

[Written August 9, 2009]

We spent one of the few torrid days this summer season outside in the back yard. Summer played with a bucket of water and her sandbox. Adam trimmed some low-hanging branches, and together we transplanted Summer's sunflower from a large pot on the deck to out in the yard. While Adam was digging the hole with the augur, Summer exclaimed, "That's cool! What's down there?" If you can imagine that in "Summer voice," it was quite humorous. Because of the heat, we didn't stay outside very long and soon returned inside to shower and thank God for whomever invented air conditioning!

Today also happens to be Crop Club. I have just one guest today, and she'll be arriving late. So, after I put Summer down for a nap, I use the time to peck away at the Biltmore Estate trip album.

The next few pages are among my favorites because the pics are of the bike ride Leslie and I took along some of the trails and French Broad River on the Biltmore Estate grounds. This bike ride ranks among the top ten most inspiring experiences of my life.

As we pedaled passed a field of corn towards the lagoon flanked by the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, sprawling vineyards and timeless architecture, my spirit was freed. I was living in the moment without a care about yesterday or worry about tomorrow. I was grateful for Leslie's company because she truly got it. I would have rather been with no one else at that moment. As we rode along the Lagoon Trail, pedaling in time with nature, I remember commenting, "This is what life is all about." At the end of the Lagoon Trail, we were rewarded with a spectacular view of Biltmore House reflected in the lagoon, a gentle reminder to inwardly examine ourselves.

With these feelings in mind, I begin to layout the page. I saved a page completion kit just for this cluster of pages. The kit contains a double-dipped -- that's scrap lingo for double-sided -- border and two double-dipped journaling boxes. The page completion kit is aptly named Riverside and contains images of river rocks. I shuffle the three pics, border and journaling box around until I'm happy with their positions. I also want to leave room for a special vignette in the bottom right corner.

Next step is to crop the pictures with the personal trimmer. For a fleeting moment, I consider using the oval patterns to crop the pictures in shapes of rocks, which would have been pretty cool if I could pull it off. The intent wouldn't be immediately apparent. Also, I couldn't bear to crop out too much of that lush landscape. So, at least in this instance, it's hip to be square or rectangle, as it were!

The title emerges as the clear obstacle for this page. For one, I can't think of anything appropriate. For two, I have no idea how to craft it. I consider punching squares with square maker in dark green and sand card stock and embellish with cornflower ABC/123 stickers. I then remember I have dark green 3/8" ABC stickers in my stash. I try in vain to transfer "French Broad" to the page but the oval shape is slightly too narrow, and the stickers don't cooperate.

What will I do to cover up the mistake? you ask. I plan on cutting an oval with oval patterns to eclipse it. That's the least of my concerns. I'm still suffering from scrapper's block on the title. I thought "River Ride" and even "French Broad River Ride", but I'm not sold. It's missing pizzazz. So, I do what I always do when I hit a roadblock: go around it! No reason to hold up the entire page for one hurdle.

I know I have to cut an oval to hide my last blunder, so I grab the medium-sized oval pattern, my red blade and cutting mat. After slicing the oval from sand cardstock, I realize I have much more room to develop the title. I think: It would be sweet if I could cut/draw some outdoor elements (trees, river), add them to the oval, then put the title around 'em.

With my trusty pencil, I start by tracing the outline of a river fading into the horizon. I professionally cut some "evergreen" trees in - you guessed it - green cardstock then fill in the trunks with a brown fine-tip pen. The result is pleasing and will coordinate nicely with my planned vignette.

I complete the page with the vignette, professionally cutting trees and using the tearing tool to form the hill. I professionally cut an image of a bike and to make it look more like the bikes we rented, I color in various parts with the black round tip and silver metallic pens.

The final product is a fitting tribute to memory Leslie and I knotched out of the weekend.

Next episode: Bike Trail Map holder

Make Gift Tags From Greeting Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:32:00 +0000

I know I'm not alone. You get excited when those greeting cards come pouring in the mail, especially at Christmas. Some of you probably tear right into them. Others of you wait until there's a small collection, then savor them with your favorite cup of holiday cheer. You display all of the cards with pride on your door, mantle or card holder, taking care that the most unique or most treasured cards occupy a prominent spot. You tweak the arrangement so the photo cards aren't obscured. You never know when those family members might drop by!

What happens when the season is over, and it's time to send the decorations into hibernation once more? If you are like me, you're not quite ready to part with the cards. But after several weeks, the stack of cards you had such good intentions for becomes more of a nuisance than a source of pride. Then you're forced to filter the stack into toss-outs and treasures.

No more. Turn those toss-outs into gift tags!

You treehuggers out there will appreciate this idea. I've been talking about it for a while. Some of you have even been recipient to a few. So, anyway, here's how I make them:

Trim your favorite part of the card with multi-purpose scissors or personal trimmer. This could be an image, words or both.
Embellish the cutout with brads, eyelets, ribbon, etc. of your choice.
Choose one to three pieces of coordinating cardstock.
Trim a piece of cardstock that is slightly larger than the card cutout. Use the cardstock to charge the cutout or cut slits in the corners following steps five to nine below.
Using a photo corner maker, punch slits into all four corners of the cardstock.
Make sure the card cutout fits into the slits. If not, trim to fit.
Optional: Trim corners of cutout if you don't want them to appear on the other side of slits.
Put tape runner on the back of the cutout and slide it into the corners.
Trim another piece of cardstock so that it fits into the slits on the reverse side.
Put tape runner on one side of the cardstock and slide it into the corners. (If you trimmed the corners of the cutout in step 6, this new color will appear on the front side in place of the corners.)

Using a eyelets setter, create a hole on the corner, top or bottom. You can later insert ribbon to attach it to a gift.

With a metallic round tip pen and your best penmanship, write To: and From: on the back side of the tag.

Attach to the gift package!

Scrapbook-izers Anonymous

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:49:00 +0000

Those faithful few of you who’ve followed my blog from the beginning know how long it takes me to complete a project. I’m deluding myself if I say I’ve got it all figured out. I make no pretense. I do have an occasional breakthrough or personal triumph, but eventually I start to question my own self-awareness. I will depart this life one day – and what will my legacy be? A pile of scrapbooks and albums with missing pages, blank pages tagged with sticky flags, haphazardly strewn stacks of embellishments and memorabilia, and a work table surrounded by the leavings of my latest temporarily abandoned project and the faint odor of adhesive. It could rival the domestic lifestyle of Walter Sickert.

How much better is this than a container- or computer-full of unorganized, unmarked pictures?

This subject came up at one of my recent crops. One of my good friends asked me point blank why I think it so hard to finish some projects. She tactfully grouped all of us into the same category, but I knew she meant me.

She’s right. At any given point, I might have four or five different projects going on at one time. Believe it or not, I don’t plan that; it’s just a symptom of a VERY short attention span. I have the memory retention of a dog. Doug from the movie UP comes to mind here: Hi, there. My name is Doug. My master made this collar so I may talk - Squirrel?! – Hi, there. My focus constantly migrates from books to movies to scrapbooking to copious miscellaneous side projects (e.g. gift tags, Valentines, paper albums, greeting cards, borders, journaling boxes, writings). I can’t even use the same shower gel for more than a few days at a time without experiencing ennui.

Have you ever started a book only to have several weeks go by without ever picking it up again? You suddenly feel disengaged from the story, forget who the characters are and wonder what brought them to the page where your book bungee has nestled itself. Then you contemplate starting over or giving up on it entirely.

Let’s just call it: I’m a scrapbook-izer with an insatiable need for variety. I like to play the field. My commitment falters because I’m tempted by the flirtations of newly purchased supplies, project ideas, or recently experienced events.

I have good intentions, but, frankly, the novelty begins to wane. Some days, after weeks of neglect, I’ll walk by my work table on the way to the kitchen and think: Ugh. Do I still have to finish that? What inevitably follows are the haunts of past projects that I never called back. I probably have enough now to warrant keeping a little black book. Oooh – a little black scrap book! Sounds like a good diversion. Anyone know where can I find a gently used genie lamp?

In part, it’s what we in the scrapbooking world reluctantly admit as scrapper’s block. That really happens to some people. But, for me, it’s just more of a doctor’s note excusing me to put personal projects off indefinitely. After about the 30th page or so, I’m suddenly spent – fresh out of ideas or embellishments or motivation.

Do any of you belong in this camp or am I the self-proclaimed leader and sole member of the club? Is there any cure for it?

To alleviate myself from the commitment, maybe I’ll put it to vote and let my two or three readers decide which project I should complete (list below).

Comment or message me to vote. My future generations are depending on you.

1. 2001/2002 Years in Review
2. Biltmore Estate girls’ weekend
3. Hawaii Revisited
4. 2009 Walls Yearbook
5. Blank, tagged pages from so-called completed albums
6. Project I can’t remember still in progress

My Hands - My Perceived Weakness

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 19:53:00 +0000

[written Sunday, August 2, 2009]

Last day of staycation. Went on a bike ride along C&O Canal yesterday stopping at Dickerson Recreation Center along the Potomac River. Dirt splattered onto our legs with each pedal and bugs smacked against our heads, announcing their arrival with a buzz. But we were in the heart of nature, near where the Confederate Army crossed the Potomac River during the Civil War. The terrain is flat flanked by the canal on one side and the river on the other. We picnicked at Dickerson Recreation Center and watched White's Ferry make its routine crossing a few times before biking back to our car.

From there, melancholy crept in. The thought of returning to work is almost unbearable. Soon autumn will be upon us again and with it the rush of back-to-school activities and holidays and, ugh, winter. By the time you read this, that dreaded season may well be over.

This may be the last page of the Biltmore scrapbook I complete for a while, but I'm happy with my progress this week.

I've got most of this page worked out already. I selected a couple of 6 x 6 background papers that resemble Victorian wallpaper to arrange in checker formation behind my pictures. I also know I want to use a "Rest & Relaxation" rub-on in the center of the page.

For the journaling, I plan to cut strips of beige cardstock to flank the pictures. But right now, I adhere everything with tape runner. As I'm trying to line up the papers with the edge of the page and with each other in the center, I silently curse because my very unsteady hand won't cooperate. When I'm old and decrepit, I'll have tremors. You heard it here first.

Wiggly, wobbly hands is my chief weakness from my vantage point. They contribute to camera shake and many an error when handling delicate embellishments like alphabet stickers and tiny wands with stars. Fortunately, the digital age has been my saving grace. Gladly, the shake doesn't negatively contribute to vigorously moving a popsicle stick back and forth over a rub-on, which I proceed to do now onto a piece of beige cardstock. I add this to the center.

Ink color is the only real decision I'm faced with before completing this page. I consider three shades of pink before reasoning that black would coordinate with the R & R title. I lay beige cardstock under the first picture I'm going to caption, then mark with a pencil where I"m planning to cut. The mark is a guide for me when I write so I don't scrawl beyond the cutting point.

I set the captions on the page where I plan to adhere them. I don't adhere immediately because of my commitment-phobic tendencies. Read how I conquered this. Sometimes this works to my advantage, like today. I initially write vertically for the top right and bottom left photos but don't like it, so I rewrite captions on smaller squares, then adhere with tape runner right on photos. Since all my paper, adhesive and ink is acid- and lignin-free, this is safe for my photos. The result is a smidge more whimsical.

The next page is very easy. I mimic the layout and color scheme from page five posted under Biltmore Rewind. I trim the background paper to fit, which consists of drawings of caddy, overdressed women gossiping over afternoon tea - perfect for this page of us eating breakfast on the Biltmore Inn patio. Using a few purple and green photo mats from the Everyday Storybox, I charge three of the pictures. I crop the picture of our waitress, and trim a section off a green photo mat for the background. I cut a strip of purple to charge a vellum accent, which reads: "Friends are the sunshine of life." I write about the pictures on a purple journaling box using a lime-green colored fine-tip pen. I adhere all with tape runner and frosted splits, which are for the vellum.

Next episode: Bike ride on Biltmore Estate

The Six Day Twilight Book and Movie Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:19:00 +0000

Braving the elements and armed with only a sketchy map, a few POIs, Mandy (our GPS) and our wits, Stacey and I embarked on what would be the adventure to remember: a six day tour of all things Twilight.

Day 1 – Arriving in Seattle

From Baltimore, we flew into Seattle, Washington. A quick side trip to the Space Needle was a must. We ate lunch in the rotating restaurant Sky City at the top of the needle on an abnormally sunny, clear day. The pictures speak for themselves:

From there, we drove Northwest toward the Puget Sound and hopped on the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry with our little rental car, which we later dubbed "Lamby." Again, the clear day made for superb photos. We didn’t mind the wind.

Nearing the Olympic Peninsula, we continued the nearly-four-hour drive to Forks, WA. After a long day of traveling, we were more than happy to bunk for the next 3 nights at The Miller Tree Inn, the designated Cullen House in Forks.

One of the best things about traveling in March was that we didn’t have to fight any crowds. We had most places to ourselves, which only added to the experience.

Day 2 – La Push, Downtown Forks

Our first stop on another gorgeous, sunny day was La Push or First Beach. I still don’t know why Summit Entertainment didn’t film here except that Indian Beach was much more secluded. The view was breathtaking.

The tour of downtown Forks only took about 30 minutes. Everything is 2 – 3 minutes apart. At times, I thought I could hear Mandy whisper "Seriously?" when we tapped the next address onto her screen. I’ll admit, my favorite part of the downtown tour was the shopping. Literally, every commercial establishment in town sold some sort of Twilight merchandise – even the Lock & Key! Dazzled by Twilight is decorated to mimic scenes from the film, particularly the meadow with a grassy floor and trees and rocks at every turn. Leppell’s Flowers & Gifts carried all of our Twilight scrapbooking needs!

We ate dinner that night at the official Treaty Line in La Push, wolfing down a werewolf burger, then stopping back at First Beach to catch the sunset on a still-clear evening!

Day 3 – More La Push, Port Angeles

We stopped in La Push again to visit the designated Jacob Black house and baseball field before heading out to Port Angeles for the day. These were not the easiest landmarks to find since nothing is clearly marked in La Push. We turned around more times than I can count and ended up on some pretty remote, unpaved trails. But our tenacity paid off.

Port Angeles is pretty desolate on a blustery Sunday in March. Few stores open before 11 am. The ones that do operate seem to do so only for the benefit of the other shopkeepers. Despite the 1.5 hour, sidewindy trek around Lake Crescent, Port Angeles is probably not worth an entire day, unless you tote along your passport and take the Ferry over to Victoria, British Columbia. All the Twilight landmarks are nestled together within two blocks and Bella Italia doesn’t open until 4 pm.

While we were in another Dazzled by Twilight, Stacey spotted an advertisement for a free tasting of Sparkling Twilight at the Olympic Cellars Winery about 6 miles east of downtown. We took that as a cue for a little diversion.

Day 4 – Indian Beach, Oregon and other filming locations

We woke around 4:45 am, bid farewell to Washington state and drove the 5-hour journey down the Pacific Coast to Indian Beach, where the La Push scene was filmed in the movie. For you trivia buffs, The Goonies was also filmed here. At first, we didn’t think we were in the right place, but as soon as the unmistakable domed cliff off shore came into view, our excitement materialized.

After about an hour there, we drove to Vernonia, Oregon a cornpoke little town that would go wholly unnoticed by the universe if not for Twilight. Downtown Forks was shot here for the film, including the police station (a credit union), passing the Forks welcome sign, and the concrete bridge seen just before the inconsequential dialogue about Bella’s hair.

From there, we stopped in Saint Helens of Mt. Saint Helens fame. Most of the downtown Port Angeles scenes were filmed here and also Charlie Swan’s house. Just like in Port Angeles, everything except the Swan house is nestled together on 1st St. We stopped in Jilly’s, the dress shop that sold all of the prom dresses to Summit for the film, and reenacted our own version of the dress shop scene. The best part was walking down the narrow alley to see the Thunderbird & Whale bookstore on the hill and then the back lot where the "lowlifes" try to herd Bella. All look exactly as they do in the film.

From Saint Helens, we crossed back over the Columbia River to Kalama, Washington, where the outside school scenes were shot at Kalama High School. With just enough daylight, we mapped out spots in the parking lot, paths, and feigned a walk up the hill in the rear of the school where Bella leads Edward to reveal the knowledge that he’s a vampire.

Our final stop of the day was The View Point Inn, where we’d be staying for the next two nights. The dark drive up the windy mountain was a little treacherous and disquieting at times, but it was worth it. The place is an inspirational retreat - a perfect getaway.

Day 5 – Filming locations along the Columbia River and in Portland suburbs
Another early start to the snowy morning led us first to Vista House, where we took in some spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge.

A few miles down the road is Multnomah Falls, which appears in the film just before and during the Twilight baseball scene. One of many beautiful falls along the scenic river drive.

Next we stopped at the Bridge of the Gods, the large bridge Bella and Charlie cross as they head into Forks. It also offers some grand views of the river.

From here, we went to spy on the location where the Twilight baseball scene was shot. This area is also known as the Shire. Of all the stops on the trip, this was my favorite. It was like having a backstage pass to the set of the movie. I couldn’t help but think that this must be what the Garden of Eden was like, so pure and still untainted by mankind.

Nearby are the rocks where Bella and Edward conduct their intimate conversations about his lifestyle as a vampire and the backstory on how he ended up that way.

To round out a long morning, we drove to Oxbow Regional Park to get a look at the “say it out loud” scene, which was still staked. The opening scenes of the movie were also filmed here. It’s about 1.6 miles into the park on the left-hand side just before campground A.

We took a little more time than necessary at Oxbow Park and got a little lost on the way, so we nearly missed our Twilight-table reservation at the Carver Café for lunch. But we made it and ordered burgers like Charlie & Bella do in the film.

A few more stops that afternoon included the Blue Heron Paper Company, where the Grisham Mill scenes were filmed. We didn’t venture too far onto the property, just enough to snap a picture. Then we went over to Clackamas Community College where the infamous greenhouse field trip scenes were shot. Since classes were done for the day, there weren’t many people around, so we sneaked a peak inside greenhouse #2.

The piece de resistance was a leisurely romp around the boulders at the Stone Cliff Inn. This was the film equivalent of the meadow scene in the first book. The Stone Cliff Inn rocks. They marked everything with signs to make it easy for Twilighters to get oriented. The boulders are literally right beside the parking lot and each flanks the other, so we could easily see how the scenes progressed in the movie. I couldn’t believe how close to the ground Edward’s tree is. We tasted our final dinner of the trip here as well.

Day 6 – The View Point Inn at twilight + a couple of last minute stops
We woke before sunrise again in attempt to capture The View Point Inn as it is in the film – with waning sunlight. Of course, it was raining, but some of our shots still worked out.

After packing up our things and bidding the beautiful Inn adieu, we set off to find a few more landmarks before heading to the airport. The first of which was the Cullen House used in the film, locally known as the Hoke family house. The address is 3333 NW Quimby, Portland, OR.

For any avid reader, being in Portland means close proximity to the original Powell’s City of Books! Didn’t have time to browse the full block of books, but grabbed a quick shot out front. Hey, I was there!

Then we drove the short distance over to the empty office building filmed to represent the façade of Mimi’s School of Dance. The sign on the building was empty, so that meant we could digitally fill in the appropriate wording later!

Last stop before flying home was James Madison County High School, where the interior school scenes were shot. We didn’t think they’d let us in, but when we inquired at the school office, the head of maintenance said it wouldn’t be a problem since 30 minutes were left in the current period. We easily found the cafeteria, but it took a little sleuthing to find the “biology” classroom.

The trip was fantastic, and I highly recommend it to any crazed (or closeted) Twilight fan.

Check out all the pictures from our trip on Picasa.

Want more? Check out Paula Wessells' Twilight Movie Tour on her blog It's All a Part of Life's Rich Pageant.

Irish Soda Bread Paper Recipe Album

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:56:00 +0000

I posted these pics to Facebook, but never got around to posting them to the blog. There's quite a few, so I'll post my faves here. You can view the rest on Facebook.

So, here's the backstory: in late autumn, my sister's boyfriend Dave began expressing an interest in Irish Soda Bread. He likes to cook and bake, so I think he was trying to figure out how to make it. Everywhere Amy went it seemed - restaurants, get togethers - she sleuthed for info about the bread and recipes.

Late autumn means holiday shopping, right? Traditionally, we exchange gifts with everyone on my side of the family. When Amy started interrogating people about the bread, the wheels in my head began to turn. In want of an original Christmas gift idea for Dave, I asked Amy if he had an Irish recipe book or something similar. Since he didn't, I decided to make one using the Spice of Life Paper Album Kit.

I culled together various images and clippings I found online. I printed the pictures using my Kodak printer, cropped them, and, along with the paper and stickers that came with the kit plus a few other embellishments, created a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

I wasn't sure I'd get it finished in time for our holiday get-together, but I did, with a LOT of help from Adam! This product resulted from our joint effort. He sacrificed much of his time (and sanity), so I could finish it. What a great husband!

The whole thing only took me about 2 - 3 days to complete. I started with the history of Irish Soda Bread, which I printed on vellum. I added a basic recipe plus a few variations, including one involving jalepenos!

I included definitions of the different types of bread plus mixing and baking techniques.

I even put a space in the back for Dave to slide in his own recipe cards using a memorabilia pocket! How nifty is that?

I used an X-acto knife to cut a slit along the folds of the inside front and back covers to slip in the ribbon. Then, I adhered the ribbon with adhesive.

The icing on the "bread" was that Dave absolutely loved the recipe book! We even got him a large cast-iron skillet to go with it.

Page Completion Challenge 2010 - Win a $25 Shopping Spree

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:23:00 +0000

Who doesn't like free stuff, right?

Well, you could be the next winner of a $25 Creative Memories shopping spree by participating in the 2010 Page Completion Challenge!

The Challenge

Attempt to complete 210 pages in the 2010 calendar year.

Qualifications

Pages can be from any manufacturer, but in order to qualify, the pages must contain some use of Creative Memories products, such as adhesive, pen ink, paper, stickers, etc.
The pages also need to contain some form of journaling, such as titles, captions or journaling areas/boxes.
Every page counts: digital, page prints, picfolio, side-loading, or traditional.

Prizes

Grand prize - Cropper who completes the most pages (at least 50) wins a $25 shopping spree in January 2011.
First prize - first runner-up wins one pack of Creative Memories refill pages, any size, any style ($17 value).
All participants win a free workshop coupon for Crop Till Ya Drop in February 2011 ($5 value).

Keeping Track of Completed Pages

If you attend my regular self-hosted crops, then you will get a page log to keep track of your pages. You can also e-mail me and let me know if you completed pages outside of the crops, and I will keep track of them for you.

You'll also appear on the leaderboard here on my blog.

By attending my self-hosted events, you'll also have the chance to win free pages that you can add to your total. This number will appear within parenthesis after the number of pages the cropper has physically completed [e.g. Kathy Harrelson - 41 (10)].

2009 Results

Heather Walls - 137 (100 of these were the 2008 Walls Digital Yearbook!)

Kathy Harrelson - 52 (25) - WINNER

Stacey Prosper - 15 (5) - RUNNER-UP

Amy Hatfield - 8 (5)

Maureen Johnson - 11 (5)

Michelle Wheeler - 5 (5)

Good luck and happy cropping!

2009 Walls Family Yearbook - First Two Pages

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:01:00 +0000

My plan for the 2009 Walls Family Yearbook this year is to marry digital and traditional scrapbooking. I absolutely LOVE the digital storybook from 2008 - especially how quickly I was able to finish it - but I would have liked to include the memorabilia in there without scanning everything.

To circumvent that dilemma, this year I've decided to create a mix of digital page prints along with a few traditional scrapbook pages. I started with two pages entitled 2009 Year in Review. This template is available free on the Creative Memories digital center, along with several others. I just uploaded my pictures, dragged them into the template and ordered the prints. CM will print and deliver them straight to my door!

All I have to do is slide them into a side-loading sleeve or adhere them to a traditional refill page and add them to my album. I should be able to fit more pages in my album by using the page prints, since they won't add extreme bulk to the pages.

I've already planned which digital content I'm going to use for the page prints in conjunction with the Storybook Creator Plus 3.0 software (download from my website). Most of the content will comprise Primary and Jewel Power Palette Additions with a sprinkle of Earthy, Delight, and Black/White. The Black/White and Delight content are included with the Storybook Creator Plus software!

The best thing about the digital artwork is that, once purchased, it can be used again endlessly on a variety of projects.

Hawaii Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:42:00 +0000

I've been working diligently over the last few months to transfer my pix from a now long ago trip to Kauai, Hawaii, from a Target-bought photo album that was half falling apart to a shiny PicFolio Milestones Coverset. I'm more than halfway done, and I'm quite pleased with the result.

It's no fun having pictures in one place and memorabilia in another, right? So, finally, I've merged the two, and a few embellishments ta boot.

I started by culling all the pictures, captions, and memorabilia, then assembled and inserted them all in chronological order throughout the album. As I move on to each page, I know exactly what I need to incorporate. It's akin to the Power Layouts method.

What's even better is that I kept a journal of the trip to visit a friend when she lived there. How fantastic to recall my thoughts and memories from that week-long stint in paradise! I recorded details I would have never remembered otherwise.

I'm using the Delight & Discover milestones kit, Delight paper, Surfer Girl Power Palette Addition, and Delightful paper flowers, buttons and ribbon. Everything coordinates beautifully.

I also have some miscellaneous tropical page completion kits on hand also that coordinate well with some of the local grave groves, landmarks and relics.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the PicFolio Milestones Coverset, but it is just as versatile as the traditional albums now that the pages are removable and larger sleeves are available for memorabilia or large pictures. It's the perfect blend of traditional scrapbooking plus easy-to-use, slide-style photo album. I can still be creative yet it doesn't take me days to plan and complete a page!

Thirty-three pages thus far and still counting!

How to Crop a Wine Glass

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:46:00 +0000

Want to wish everyone a joyous Christmas and not to mention lots of scrapbooking and memory-preserving tools and tchotchkes under the tree! I've enjoyed scribing my scrapbooking exploits over the last couple of years. Thank you for following along with me! Below is what may be my final post for the year. I still have the entries of six more pages yet to post, so stay tuned.

[Friday, July 30, 2009]

I'm on a roll. If I can keep going at this pace, I might finish this by year's end. As long as Twilight doesn't keep destracting me. I'm reading Stephenie Meyer's Midnight Sun (the 246-page draft of the 5th novel in the Twilight series), and I've been re-watching Twilight after each chapter, so I can re-live it from Edward's point of view. Is this fanatical? Matter of opinion, I guess. But, as I pop a few pieces of cookie dough, I AM fanatical about this next page in the Biltmore scrapbook.

It consists of two pictures: me/Leslie and Jennifer/Shannon after we dressed for a Friday night dinner at the Inn on Biltmore Estate. I knew I'd used one of the wine background papers and since there is only two pictures, the bottle of champagne being poured into the flute glass is a perfect choice. Studying the pictures, I contemplate how to crop them. Wouldn't it be appropriate if I could trim them into the shapes of wine glasses? Yes it would! I answer myself. I go in search of an oval cutting pattern. Once found, I place the pattern slightly over the edge of each pic and using the red cutting blade, I cut the shapes. (image 1)

I push the remnants into my scrap catcher, not giving them another thought. I plan to cut vellum in the same shape for a glass effect, including the stem, but then I wonder if I'll be able to draw successfully the stem free hand to scale. What else could I use that would have that distinct slope? My eyes then fall to the scrap catcher. I pull out one of the u-shaped scraps I tossed away previously. Cut in half and inverted, this would do it, I think. I try it out with one of them and to my amazement, it actually looks like stemware! (image 2)

At this point, I break and we take Summer to her swim class and to pick up the crabs we ordered earlier from our usual place Always Best Crabs.

After having my fill of the renown Maryland crustaceans, I build upon my idea of the stemware-shaped pictures and cut a piece of sand cardstock with the multi-purpose scissors on a slight curve to form the shape of a table for the glasses to rest on. Unfortunately, the shape obscures part of the background paper image. To bring it to the foreground, I use the multi-purpose scissors to trim around the stem on the glass so when I put the "table" down, I can lay the glass over top. (image 3)

For final touches, I cut two ovals with the oval cutting pattern and the red/green blades from black and pink cardstock for the journaling, which will go in the center between the picture glasses. I adhere both together with tape runner; then, with the same oval pattern, I cut a little section off the top right, so it doesn't overlap the right-side picture glass. I add journaling lines with the patterns and pens stencil and the gold metallic fine-tip pen. I add a few food stickers to fill the table, then complete the journaling. An epoxy sticker with the phrase "Fine Wine and Good Friends: A Perfect Pairing" rounds off this page. (image 4)

Last weeknight of staycation and you know Twilight and Midnight Sun are calling!

Droppings and Scrappings

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:23:00 +0000

[Friday, July 31, 2009]

Remember as a kid when everything we did revolved around toys and amusements? The interest level of any activity was measured by how many toys were on-hand (or how many could be acquired), if there were any games or treats or rides or playgrounds. Nothing else existed. Times when we were forced to acknowledge those alter-realities became countdowns to bliss.

I was reminded of this blissful ignorance when we visited Havre de Grace yesterday. From the moment we arrived, the only thing Summer saw was the playground. Forget wildlife. Forget sailboats. Forget ice cream. Is that a playground? Are we going to the playground? I want to go to the playground. Is it right there? Can we get out now? Look, Mommy, there's swings! Come on guys, let's go!

Once we were on the playground, Adam and I seated comfortably on a bench, I was able to appreciate her persistance as passion and, more basically, zeal for life. Do I get that excited about anything anymore? I wondered. The responsibilities of life creep into our playgrounds, slow at first, like clutter. Not knowing how dense and unmanageable the chores will eventually get, we're meticulous in pruning them at first. A little pruning every day, and then we can play. It's acceptable. We tolerate it because we don't want to lose sight of the playground. It takes us months, even years to realize that each day we spend more time pruning than we do playing. Finally, we let it go, pruning only what's necessary to walk by the playground until one fine day, with one little shriek of delight, our children uncover it.

I immediately jumped off the bench to swing with Summer.

We were able to finally coax Summer off the playground, only by promising her that we'd return again later in the day. We ate lunch outside at Promenade Grille, where we found a mother duck protecting her eggs in a large planter. We walked the boards to the lighthouse, stopping in the Decoy Museum on the way. We practiced our duck calls, and eventually made our way back to the dock (and the playground). We ended the day with a sail on the Skipjack Martha Lewis. Adam helped hoist the sails. I got showered with bat droppings! It was hot but fun. Our pictures are posted on Facebook. When we arrived home, we found Summer's sunflower had bloomed.

Some might dub the table I use to do my scrapbooking as my playground. It's certainly rich with amusements and surrounded by various crafting tchotchkes: in the built-in shelf underneath the table, in the rolling 8-drawer cart to the right, on each of the chairs around it, on the large 3-drawer Pier 1 wicker cabinet (a $60 steal) to the left, and on the floor behind me. This work area seems to acquire new items every day.

Over the many pages of the Biltmore album, which I've been assembling using former 12 x 12 pages, I've been collecting remnants of background papers. (Note: With the new true 12 x 12 sizes, this is the thing of the past.) Today, I decide to use them in combo to pay homage to page gone by - preserving a memory of my scrapbook in general on a single page: a scrap page. I arrange the strips symmetrically. (image 1)

After arranging them I realize I need one more strip. Before I trim that, I adhere the rest with tape runner so I'll know exactly the width I'll need. (image 2)

Since the background is so busy, I cut photo mats from black card stock with the straight trimmer, so the pictures will stand out. Then, adhere them with tape runner. (image 3)

I reprise my epiphany from a previous page and write captions on strips of vellum. To adhere, I cut frosted photo splits in half, apply, then remove the backing. As designed, they dissolve into the background so vellum maintains 100% translucence. With that, this simple page is done. (image 4)

For those power-preservers who regularly exhaust all pictures and are looking for new challenges, consider retaining and gathering remnants or "scraps" from current projects, taking pictures of each of your projects and design pages that recount or retell the story of a project: how long it took, obstacles you faced, why it was important, etc. It will make a great commemorative reference album to all of your projects and help orient future generations to your stories.

Scrap Rap: Autumn/Winter Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:27:00 +0000

In this issue of Scrap Rap:

Bulletins – Need-to-Know Info
Specials
New products for autumn/winter – Heather’s Top Picks
Tip of the Month – Fun with Fonts
What I’m Working On

__________________________

Bulletins

I’m moving Scrap Rap to my blog for easier reading. It made sense for me to combine both of these communications into one location. By posting Scrap Rap here, I can also add links, formatting and sound bites that I wasn’t always able to via e-mail. I realize fewer and fewer of you are truly reading e-mail these days, so this way, the newsletters are always accessible!

My blog is now available as a podcast. You may have noticed the little icons throughout the page. You can subscribe by clicking the link on the right side or you can visit my Odiogo Page to subscribe and listen on the go. The podcast is also available free through iTunes.

The former Creative Memories Photo Center is now the Creative Memories Digital Center. The new URL is creativememories.com/digital. New features include: 10-minute gift ideas, click-to-enlarge tool for easier viewing, slideshow feature for viewing photos and storybooks, new “my projects” section, new flipbook feature, highlighting digital product ideas. Check out the specials available on this site just in time for the holidays.

Specials

#1 Receive FREE Winter Reflections 8-Sheet Paper Pack with any purchase over $50* (while supplies last)

#2 FREE gift wrap for any offline purchase now through December 31, 2009.*

#3 FREE Daisy Luggage Tag with purchase of Daisy Weekender, Project Tote or Wheeled Cart.*

#4 $5 OFF 7 x 5 and $7 OFF 8 x 8 softcover storybooks purchased through CM Digital Center (Expires Nov 30 – CM Digital ID: 94484775)

#5 FREE Jewel Paper Ribbon & Envelopes with Christmas Cards Featured Project ($27) – create 18 unique Christmas cards following simple step-by-step instructions at Creative Memories Project Center

#6 – FREE Expressions of Those We Love vellum accents with The Little Things Featured Project ($22) – create a paper album suitable for mailing to family members or friends

#7 – FREE Wavy Blade with Primary Bordermania Featured Project ($48) – create several autumn- and winter-themed borders using the included 12-inch rotary trimmer and primary autumn and winter additions

New Products for Autumn/Winter – Heather’s Top Picks
(View the new mini catalog online)

Power Palette Sets – These well-coordinated sets put you in the driver’s seat based on your time and level of interest. Each power palette now has a simple set ($25 includes tone-on-tone paper, photo mats, and journaling boxes), enhanced set ($14.50 includes designer-print paper and decorative ABC stickers), and a decorative set ($21 includes three photo-safe paper embellishments – ribbons, flowers, buttons, tags and/or frames). Items within each set can also be purchased separately.

Memory Mate Daisy Totes – Weighed down by scrapbooking baggage? Travel in style with CM’s new versatile organizational totes. Whether you need a little or a lot of storage, CM has the solution. Choose from Daisy Case, Daisy Weekender, Daisy Tools Caddy, Daisy Project Tote, and Daisy Wheeled Cart. There’s also a coordinating luggage tag that you can use to identify your stash! ($15 - $145)

Custom Cutting System Jumbo Oval Pattern ($14.50) – great for creating your own decorative cardstock!

Pocket Snowflake Punch ($12) – Folds down for easy storage and makes solid snowflake shapes

Check out all the new items on my website. (Choose “Shop Products” from the top navigation menu. Then choose “New Products” from the left navigation menu.)

Tip of the Month – Fun with Fonts

Creative Memories uses a variety of resources to create its printed and electronic pieces. If you are looking for fonts to use in your digital layouts or on vellum, consider searching online for fonts that have unrestricted use. To learn about fonts and font usage, consider the Fun With Fonts (PDF) handout.

Other font sites:

About Desktop Publishing

All Good Things Typography

All Graphic Design

Dafont

Esperfonto Typeface Selection System

Font Garden

Linotype

My Fonts

Veer

What I’m working on

Those reading The Scrapbook Stand know I’m continuing to work on a traditional scrapbook (12 x 12 Album) of my trip to Biltmore Estate. I’ve completed 11 more pages, and I'm nearly finished. My goal is still to complete it by year end (hey, I do have until the 31st!)

I have one of those traditional store-bought photo albums where I’ve been storing my pix from the 2001 trip to Kauai, Hawaii. Well … not surprisingly, it’s falling apart. Those things have a short shelf life, unlike CM albums which are guaranteed for a lifetime. So, I’m using one of CM’s PicFolio Max covers, pages and memorabilia pages to transfer the photos and also incorporate my memorabilia. Fortunately, I did write captions for the pictures, and I've already planned the layouts, so all I really have to do is trim a few background papers (like Tiki, Aloha, Delight Surfer Girl and Delight Designer prints), add titles and re-scribe the journaling using photo-safe fine-tip pens. I also kept a 35-page journal while I was on the trip, so it will be great to incorporate those memories also. Once completed, I'll have added 62 pages to my page completion challenge total!

I made a few baby journaling boxes for a surprise baby shower for one of my co-workers at the office using cardstock, some of the delightful paper flowers and the scallop maker. I solicited “tips from the trenches” from other co-workers, and I added them to the Treasured Memories journal jar as a gift to her. The journal boxes will coordinate with the colors of the baby’s bedding. The tips were a big hit, and everyone enjoyed reading everyone else’s tips.

In keeping with tradition, I made Summer’s birthday party invitations also. This year, we are having her party at Kids First Swim School, where she is taking swimming lessons. I created the front with die-cuts and the tearing tool. I printed the party details on vellum for the flip side and adhered with eyelets.

*Available only through CM Consultant Heather Walls

How to cut a piece of paper

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:07:00 +0000

[Wednesday, July 29, 2009]

Ever notice how each page presents different hurdles? On one page, it might be finding just the right background paper. On another, it might be conjuring up a clever title. Yet another, might be making the journaling fit or even journaling at all. For this page, my challenge is the layout. I have five pictures (more than my ideal average), plus I need to allow room for journaling. Background won't be as important on this page because most of it will be obfuscated by the pictures, but I already know I want to use a sheet printed with faux marble.

I start with an X-shaped layout (three pix diagonally, then the other two on opposite corners). (image 1)

I think this is right tired looking, so I try a plus- or cross-shaped layout (+), but the pix won't fit even if I crop them.

I leaf through idea books and magazines, visit the Creative Memories Project Center, but I come up blank. A classic case of scrapper's block.

I ponder the subject matter for a while (where inspiration often lurks). I jot down some words that come to mind in my margin: outside, exterior, statuary, shrubs, garden, ramble, pergola. Then I wonder: could I somehow mimic the shade/encroachment of the pergola on the page, giving it a layered look? I shift the now-cropped pictures to the center, in a rectangular window pane arrangement. This will leave me room in each corner to place the shrubs. I consider the printed paper I didn't use on the previous page: holly/ivy. The leaves are all growing in the same direction on the paper, so I need to trim it to ensure the leaves will appear to grow in the appropriate direction on the page (down for the top and up for the bottom).

I plan to use the jumbo circle pattern, but I can't cut a complete circle. I'll have to cut two half-circles in the same direction (basically like two smiles on top of each other). While I'm contemplating this, Adam comes downstairs and wonders aloud what I'm doing. (He often finds me staring at some random spot on the table.) "I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to cut this piece of paper," I say. Always the comedian, he retorts, "Scissors usually work pretty well." I har-har back at him and thank him for the tip. He goes back downstairs to practice his chanter, which allows me to resume my thoughts.

I trim the paper in half first with the 12-inch straight trimmer then turn one half upside down. I use the jumbo circle pattern and the new 12 x 12 cutting mat to cut two opposing half-circles, one on each half of the paper. (image 3)

Following this half-brained idea yet?

After the half-circles are cut, I need to cut each half-circle in half, so I use the grid on the 12 x 12 cutting mat to help me mark the center before I cut (that cardinal rule of measuring twice before you cut applies to scrapbooking, too). After double-checking my pencil marks, I trim the half-circles with the personal trimmer. Now, I have four quarter-circles (image 4).

To make the effect more realistic, I trim the quarter-circles around some of the leaves with the multi-purpose scissors. I lightly trace around where I want to cut with my pencil. I'm so thrilled with the outcome of the first one, that I give myself a high-five (images 5).

I trim the rest then adhere everything with tape runner. I adhere the ivy corners with foam dots (image 6).

I don't have much room for a title and journaling, so I write the letters P-E-R-G-O-L-A with the black fine-tip and green round-tip pens. I trim them with the multi-purpose scissors and evenly space them charged with foam dots across the center of the page. I journal a couple of lines on some strips of cloud cardstock with the green fine-tip pen and add the strips across the top and bottom (image 7).

Desperately Seeking Scrapbooker

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:53:00 +0000

[Tuesday, July 28, 2009]

I can hardly contain my excitement. After a long self-depravation, I'm getting ready to work on a page using REAL pictures! It is my hope that my progress will speed up as a result of this change in focus. I sort through the next dozen pictures, pull out two I won't use and group them into three sets. The first set are shots of us girls on the South side of Biltmore House under the wisteria- and trumpet-creep-covered pergola. I know immediately I want to use a sheet of green decorative cardstock. (image 1)

My next mission (which I accept) is to find a printed sheet of background paper, preferrably garden-quality. I look through my paper stacks and find two that might work: pink daisies and what look like ivy or holly leaves. I choose the pink daisies because it makes Leslie's top pop! Since pictures and memorabilia are typically the focal point in albums, it's ideal to complement them with embellishments. (image 2)

I take a short break to spend time with Adam & Summer before he leaves for work. We play with Summer's "trainville" and do some toy chaffing (i.e., donating the unwanteds). We chat with Mammy on the phone, watch a little PBS Kids, color a picture, then eat lunch. Summer and I put puzzles together, draw and read books while Adam gets ready for work. After his truck has disappeared around the corner, I help Summer brush her teeth and go potty, then help her nod off to dreamland for the afternoon.

When I return to my work area, I study the pix for the page, contemplating which of them I might crop. I consider using the oval cutting patterns to trim the pictures to fit the shape of the petals on the decorative cardstock, but worry that it would force me to cut too much from the pix, weakening the dramatic impact of the pagoda. I settle for trimming the sides slightly with the personal trimmer.

While these thoughts dance about in my head, I'm also wondering what I can conjure up to journal on without obfuscating the background. Vellum is the logical answer but after all the printing on vellum for the Biltmore House tour, I'm eager to write. I wonder can I write on vellum? Will it smudge? I know the ink doesn't ever smudge on cardstock, but vellum is another story. I test this notion on a remnant from prior pages. If this doesn't work, I could also journal on narrow strips of paper and place over the vellum. To my sheer surprise, it doesn't smudge at all!

Inspiration for the final element - the title - comes from one of the plant species that cover the pergola: wisteria. Can you guess Desperate Housewives fans? Yup, Wisteria Lane. One day, I'll look back and wonder why I selected it, since I'm not a DA fan, but, for the moment, I think it right clever.

I elect to professionally cut these letters and then charge them with vellum also. A bright yellow will do since there's a hint of it in the background. After adhering the letters to vellum with precision point adhesive, I decide to journal on yellow cardstock instead of the vellum (although writing on vellum was still an unexpected epiphany!) I trim the background paper to fit the page (still using former pages for this project - don't worry, I stocked up) with the 12-inch straight trimmer. Then I adhere everything with tape runner and precision point adhesive. I polish the pix with the photo polishing cloth, which, despite its unique ability to repel dust, for a fleeting moment, appears to shake some off for lack of use. (image 3)

My desire for photogenic subjects has been placated for now, but I am certainly desperate for more.

Tour de Fin

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:55:00 +0000

[Sunday, July 26, 2009]

We're on staycation this week. Adam just put up the tent in the backyard for Summer, which has caused her major excitations. I am working on the final page of the Biltmore House tour! I can hear the wolf-whistles and cat calls out there among you. You've probably been in picture withdrawal as much as I have these last few pages.

I notice that a sheet of my vellum has a coffee stain on it. Fact: all important papers have coffee stains on them. After all, the stained and dog-eared papers are the ones that have been handled and poured over most often or are in the path of spilled or dribbled coffee. In that case, I should put this sheet of vellum in the safe straight away!

I don't spend much time deliberating on the subtleties of this page. The three postcards take up most of the space. I trim the vellum description and the as-built with the personal trimmer. The only major thing I have to do is journal re: the main switch board (much bigger than modern-day circuit breaker boards). I inquired with the docent re: how the electricity was being delivered. If I recall correctly, she responded that a 25 HP gasoline-powered generator provided power in the form of direct current. I remember this because I thought Adam would find it interesting. The switchboard itself was in operation through 1989. (image 1)

A knock on the door and Charlie's barking as though we were being attacked intrude my thoughts. Since Summer is napping, I shush Charlie and crack open the door. I do not recognize the woman. "Can I help you?" I ask. "I'm sorry, I was looking for Tyler's house," she responds. I point next door with my thumb, quietly close the door and return to my table. I'd be lying if I said these little interruptions don't jostle me sometimes. It's like being thrown without warning from an otherwise pleasant train ride.

For the finishing touches, I choose a light brown fine-tip pen (which coordinates well with hues in postcards). I also wish to find a patterned background paper for the vellum. I moved much of my stash upstairs in prep for Crop Till Ya Drop yesterday, so I tiptoe passed Summer's bedroom door to the office to gather some options. As soon as I open my scrap paper holder, I see it: remnants from a recent page with the exact colors I need. Back downstairs, I quickly trim it and adhere the vellum description with frosted splits. I cut a piece of gray cardstock to charge the as-built. Then, I paste everything down with tape runner.

Incidentally, now that my postcard spree is over, it occurs to me this might be a useful tip to share: I've been placing the tape runner around the printed portions on the reverse side of the postcards in the event one day I wish to remove any of them or if I have to move them (e.g., if I made a mistake). The identifying info won't be obscured or torn. A page protector completes this page. (image 2)

It's quite a relief to have this section behind me. I have a feeling I'll be moving more swiftly through the final pages. One day, I'll be glad I took the time to incorporate it, but, for now, I'm eager to move onto some pictures again. For the last several pages, I've kind of felt like a banker who is only allowed to handle toy money.

Scrapbooking tools are not just for scrapbooking

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:41:00 +0000

[Sunday, June 7, 2009]

It's somewhat of a misnomer that scrapbooking = scrapbooking. The paper kits and tools we've come to associate with that hobby have multiple purposes. Here are just a few ideas, for those who don't scrapbook per se but may have dappled in the occasional paper craft or two:

for the student - if you have school-age kids at home, then you have no doubt received more than a few pleading expressions from them, begging for your assistance with last-minute assignments. Cutting tools, punches and adhesive are time- and hand-saving catalysts for these projects.

for the avid photographer - got photos? If so, you probably need a safe place to store/organize them, and I don't mean tupperware or shoe boxes! Power sort boxes can hold from 600 - 2400 5 x 7 photos, and they'll be protected from harmful deteriorants (humidity, sunlight, dust) for many years. In addition, Memory Manager 3.0 can quickly find and sort digital images as well as automatically backing them up, so your images are always there when you need them.

for the card-maker - If you enjoy making your own cards and gift tags, you'll go wild over the multi-themed paper ribbon/flowers/buttons/frames, tag maker, tearing tool, cardstock and vellum accents.

for the custom gift-giver, decorator and party planner - Like giving the perfect gift, especially when it's customized? Then, you'll enjoy the CMphotocenter, where you can create wall posters, calendars, personalized poems & frames, and photo panels.

for the classroom - teachers will love the punches, cardstock, and cutting patterns for creating everything from calendars to bulletin boards to art projects. My friend Kathy, who teaches pre-schoolers, recently created a Teddy Bear's Picnic bulletin board using some of the CM tools. With the personal trimmer, she measured and cut 4 x 4 squares to create a checkerboard pattern. She also adhered some of her items with tape runner and outlined the food shapes with round-tip pens. (image 1)

You may have thought I gave up on the Biltmore Estate album. There are times when I've thought that myself given all the distractions, side projects, etc. However, it's not true. I've been moving along and recording my progress, it's just taken me a while to translate it to the blog. In fact, since my last Biltmore post, I've completed 11 more pages. A few of them are not without surprises, so stay tuned!

The next page I work on is the basement level in Biltmore House. The "tour" portion of the album is nearly complete. Since I've been alternating between the former 12 x 12 gold dust refill pages and former white refill pages, this page will be in gold dust. (Not sure if I mentioned that before or not.) That's one way to change things up a bit: alternate style of refill pages. The textured refill pages like Spargo come with a built-in background.

I've got the basic layout of this page, which consists of the main kitchen and servants' dining room. (image 2)

I found one of the pictures of the kitchen online and printed on my Kodak printer. The others are postcards. I hem and haw about whether to copy the descriptions from the flip sides of the cards, but know I don't have room for both, since I have the vellum accent for the kitchen, I opt to include the dining room card description, if I have nothing else to journal.

If you're stuck (scrapper's block), start with what you know. Often, completing those elements will inspire the rest of the page. For example, I know that I want to mat the Kodak-printed photo with black card stock. So, after measuring and trimming the mat with the 12-inch straight trimmer, I decide to reprise the gold/black palette from a previous page. I trim a strip of gold metallic paper to charge the vellum accent. (image 3)

Next, I start thinking about the title, but scrapper's block consumes me once again, so I pause for the day.

[Wednesday, June 10, 2009]

I don't have much room, so ABC/123 stickers won't work, but just handwriting it isn't enough. I decide to compromise and use one of the brown monogram swirly stickers for the initial letter, then hand write the rest. I adhere the letter to a piece of peach cardstock. With the petina fine-tip pen, I hand write the balance of the letters on mediterranean cardstock. I cut another piece of mediterranean cardstock and using Patterns & Pens (former CM gift), add lines in the same color of ink. I adhere everything with tape runner, journal, and add page protector. (image 4)

What kind of scrapbooker are you? Take the quiz.

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:52:00 +0000

[Sunday, July 26, 2009]

When you hear someone utter the word scrapbooking what images come to mind? An mammoth-sized canvas bag filled to the brim with paper, cutters, buttons and brads? A surface-abused table littered with haphazardly strewn adhesive, pictures and memorabilia?

Five years ago, those images would have been accurate. However, scrapbooking has come a long way since then, particularly since digital photography has become mainstream. These days, though, the politically correct term for scrapbooking is memory preservation. Preserving memories is no longer just chipboard, paste and glitter, but also photo organization, traditional photo-safe albums and digital scrapbooking.

To become a "scrapbooker" in the 21st century, all you really need is a computer or a set of pictures and your memories. To help you determine what kind of scrapbooker you are, I developed my own self-help quiz*. Record or remember your answers, then scroll down to see where you fit.

What type of medium do you use most often to take pictures?
How often do you take pictures?
Where do you have most of your pictures stored?
How do you most often display keepsake pictures?
If you had all the pictures already collected and organized for it, which subject or event would you be most likely to preserve right now?
What is the primary roadblock to preserving your memories?
What type of preservation project would suit you most?

Determining your personality

If you chose mostly A or B:
Page Stager/Paper Junkie. You are drawn to the craft store like a moth to a light. Desks and tables in your home resemble the aftermath of an elementary school art class. You frequently carry more luggage to a scrapbooking event than you do to the airport. You appreciate anything handmade, but often sacrifice sleep to achieve the extraordinary. You prefer to print your pictures but have recently turned to sharing them online via e-mail and photo sharing sites. You opt to traditionally scrapbook pages that involve memorabilia, but digital page prints have appeal. Prioritize events and focus on the most important ones first. Consider using the Power Layouts Kit to outline pages that need chronicling. For containing and transporting large stashes, Memory Mate Totes are a paper junkies’ dream.

If you chose mostly B or C:
Drive-thru Scrapbooker. You understand the value of preservation but you feel overwhelmed by the commitment and don’t always have extra time or space to amass the stash of a paper junkie. You recently switched to digital photography but still often get your pictures printed through a photo processing center or print them at home. A photo-safe storage system (such as Power Sort) would help you organize pictures/memorabilia while saving time. Quick kits and PicFolio Albums would help you achieve your goals without sacrificing creativity or time.

If you chose mostly C or D:
Graphic Minimalist. Your lifestyle is one of simplicity, and you rarely hang onto mementos or purchase souvenirs. You enjoy digital photography and dapple in graphic design but you wouldn’t win any prizes for having the most printed photos. You’re constantly on the go, and your laptop has become an extension of your person. Digital storybook creator software would enable you to create page prints, hard- and softcover storybooks or all-photo portfolios while staying mobile.

If you chose mostly D - F:
Storyteller. You wish to experience life with your own eyes and rarely from behind a lens. The photos you do have are a hodgepodge of different events and decades. Recount your memories in detail to eager listeners. Consider writing a blog or making an audio or video diary. Ask a family member or close friend to help you sort, organize and preserve photos for future generations. A photo-safe storage system (such as Power Sort) would help you organize pictures. A photo-labeling pencil can help you record details on the back of pictures without deteriorating them.

If your choices seem random:
You thrive on spontaneity and new experiences. You often do well at anything you try. You are not content sitting still. Try the Storybook Creator 2.0 software free to see if you like it. Consider attending an upcoming crop to learn more or contact your Creative Memories consultant with inquiries.

If your choices are split evenly between two personality types:
Split personality? Consider both personalities in your quest to preserve your memories, ancestry and biography.

*This is not a scientific quiz.

Turning Tricks Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Walls.) — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:01:00 +0000

In honor of Memorial Day (and also because I haven’t resumed work yet on the Biltmore album), I thought I’d share some of the veteran pages I completed from 2001 and 2002 using the power layouts method, which I first mentioned in A Breakthrough of Dr. Phil Proportions. This truly is a speedy way to complete albums, particularly if you’re a commitment-phobe like me.

I’ve loaded most of the pages onto Picasa, but selected these few because they illustrate some tips and tricks I wanted to share.

Trick #1 – Make an all-journaling page interesting

This page started off as a ruled canvas. Even though the layout has been done for months, I just populated it with journaling this afternoon. I can hear you all groaning. Journaling can be a challenge, and some of you may be thinking an entire page with just writing, yea right. Before you blow off the idea entirely, how many of you spent 15 – 45 minutes recounting a story or anecdote about an event or day in your life to a friend or family member over the phone or in person? I’d be willing to bet a lot. There isn’t much difference in verbally telling a story and writing it down. Your journaling doesn’t have to be eloquent nor qualify for the Nobel Prize nor does it even have to be grammatically correct (gasp!). Yes, that’s right, I am actually encouraging – no endorsing – writing the way you speak. It’s you on paper, and that’s what preserving memories is all about. If you don’t trust yourself to write it in your perfect way the first time, then write it out on another piece of paper or type it beforehand. Put your journaling down first, then develop the rest of the page around it.

For this page, which is the story of how Adam and I met, I typed out the details first. I kind of had to do it this way because I previously laid out the page. I feigned writing the first line onto the black ruled paper by writing in the air just over the paper (hoverpen!) to gauge how much would fit on the first line. I counted the characters including spaces, and concluded that I could fit one full line from the typed text to one full line on the page. However, I had more typed lines than page lines. I began to edit my text for unnecessary words and phrases – or phrases that really didn’t contribute much to the telling of the story. Then, I began writing with the silver metallic pen, editing as I went along. Fortunately, I had enough lines for the words.

I know what your next question is: Isn’t an all-journaling page kind of droll? There are two answers to that question. Yes, to you it may seem kind of dreary con weary because you want to see pictures, mon! But stop for a minute. Imagine what it will be like for your great-great grandchildren to read this witty, insightful passage into your world. It will NOT be dreary con weary for them, I can assure you. They’ll run their fingers over your old, clumsily written words, and feel they are peering through a window beyond which you are the view. Ok, did you get tingles? Because I did!

Ok, now that I’m over that, I didn’t just mean how to make an all-journaling page interesting to read. I also meant how to make it interesting to see. One way to do this is to find a sheet of background paper with a noisy pattern. Place the journaling block over it, so that part of the paper peaks out at the top and bottom. Add a vellum accent to the page (like a callout) to help attract those coveted eyes. Use an eye-popping color of fine-tip ink to makes those same eyes do a double-take.

Trick #2 - Be the next design star with your layout

Sometimes, just putting this here and that there can be kind of drab, right? Background paper, few pictures, journaling box, embellishment. Background paper, few pictures, journaling box, embelli … zzzzppp ….

Rejuvenate your album by creating an entire room or object in which your pictures or memorabilia are merely props. Here are a couple of examples:

I had some memorabilia from a production of Hair I saw at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis in October 2001 that I wanted to incorporate on page two of a two-page spread. These included the playbill, my ticket and a fold-out poster of the 2001 – 2002 Playhouse on the Square season. In my stash, I had the sticker border of people occupying theatre seats facing forward as if they were watching a show. I decided to prop up the playbill and poster within a large memorabilia pocket as if they were on a stage. I placed a full sheet of light gray card stock in the background. Then, with my trusty pencil I etched out the dimensions of the stage on dark gray and red cardstock. I trimmed the red into a rectangle with the 12-inch straight trimmer and the dark gray in strips with an angle at the bottom to give the stage depth. Then, I adhered the memorabilia pocket onto the stage, inserted the memorabilia, and embellished with the ticket and two comedy and tragedy stickers (donated by Kathy H.). My final touch was to clip the playbill down on the right so when the page is turned in my book, the playbill won't slip to the left. Ta-da!

I had been working on several Christmas pages when I got to this page and was ready for something outlandish. I was willing to gamble. If it didn’t work out, I reasoned, I would figure something else out. I outlined the shape of a Christmas tree with my pencil onto a piece of evergreen cardstock and cut out only the openings for the shape of the branches with the multi-purpose scissors. This became my background paper. I had three vertical pictures to incorporate, so I cut them into ovals with one of the custom cutting system oval patterns and blue blade. These would serve as ornaments for the tree. I cut one slightly larger oval in gold metallic paper with the red blades. I adhered the ovals and pictures with tape runner. Using an eyelet setter, I created holes for gold eyelets at the top of each picture so they would look more like ornaments. (Incidentally, I also thought about putting ribbon around them, but didn’t have the right colors at the time.)

To further trim the tree, I punched white, french vanilla and cranberry circles with the circle maker and mini circle maker. I pieced the white and french vanilla together with frosted splits to make little popcorn and alternated the popcorn with the cranberries to make a primitive-style garland. I added a few sticker ornaments from my stash, and using the same oval patterns cut strips to fit around the picture ornaments for captions.

Trick #3 – Mix it up with a split page

Have you ever had multiple good shots of the same subject but not sure what to do with them? Looking for a unique way to create an intro page or title page? Try your hand at this little twist.

Mark a regular refill page (in my case their 12 x 12) at the centermost point. Be sure to include the reinforced edges in the measurement. Trim the page at the mark with the 12-inch straight trimmer. Add tape runner to one side of one of the halves then place the other half over top and press together. Be sure the page loops are on one side and the curved reinforced edge is on the other. You can protect the page by trimming a page protector in half. Now you have a cute double-sided insert!

These are extra pictures of alligators we took when we went to visit my grandparents at their home in Wildwood, Florida in 2002. Using the custom cutting system oval patterns and blades, I cut all but one picture into an oval shape and also cut a background for each. Then, using the meadow micro maker, I punched shapes of a frog, fish, butterfly and flower to embellish.

During the same trip, we visited Epcot Center. I had quite a few pictures for this side trip, so I wanted to create an interesting intro. I professionally cut the letters to spell E-p-c-o-t. I also selected an image from my library that resembled the Spaceship Earth. I cut the foreground in gray card stock and the background in brick card stock. I placed one picture on this side of the split. On the reverse side of the split, I used a few random shots that identified Disney and Epcot Center. I charged two of the pictures with aquamarine photo mats and added a strip of mediterranean card stock to the left.

Look for Turning Tricks Part 2 within the next few months!