Defining a Generation Through Music

Hello everyone, TGIF!!  I did it again today... I put off the planned post in favor of my latest LOAD 513 layout.  This layout was so thought provoking and fun that I ended up actually turning it into a four page layout.  The first two pages are featured here today and I plan to only tell you about pages three and four.

Thursday's LOAD 513 was a weapon from the Clue game - the candlestick.  In an effort to come up with an idea, I was typing my stream of consciousness - Candlestick, menorah, burning the candle at both ends, burning out, jack jumped over the candlestick.... You get the idea.  When I reached "Jack jumped over the candlestick" I thought of Don's McLean's song, "American Pie" and the reference to JFK in "Jack jumped over the candlestick" lines.

American Pie took me to the thought of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" - a list of historical and cultural events in Joel's lifetime - all but 11 years, also my lifetime.  And then, because I couldn't just pick an idea and go with it, I started thinking of about music that defines different eras or events in my life time.  The sixties and seventies were full of anti-war and peace songs, one of my favorites being P.F. Sloan's "Eve of Destruction", released in 1965.  In May 1970 four student protester's were killed by National Guard at Kent State University in Ohio.  That fall Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young released Stephen Still's epic "Ohio" - better known by the name "Four Dead in Ohio".

In 1971 Don McLean released "American Pie", a musical poem that details music history of the 50's and 60's, with cultural and political references included.  McLean never really calls anyone by name, but the Music that died was Buddy Holly, The King was Elvis, the Marching Band that took the field was the Beatles, etc.  Jack Flash jumping over the candlestick - where this all started - was the assignation of President Kennedy.  When asked what the song meant, McLean once replied, "It means I will never have to work again!"  He was probably right!!

Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" is a highly percussive song from 1989.  The song was written because a student told Joel that his generation was inheriting a world that was a mess.  Joel thought about it and realized that the world has always been a mess - We didn't start the fire - and that it would continue to be so.  Good point.

These four songs - and yes, there could be others, I feel define my generation socially and historically.  I grew up in the 60's and 70's, watching in wonder the Civil Rights movement, the anti war protests, the British Invasion, the cold war, soldiers coming home, the POW's coming home, the American Bicentennial, Watergate and the Nixon administration which robbed us of our innocent belief in government (though truthfully that trust has been sold out LONG before).  I sang along with John Lennon as he Imagined... and with Elton John as he Crocodile Rocked!  We as a Nation protested the Olympic Games hosted by Russia, and we protested Apartheid.  So yes, these four songs do come close to defining my generation....

I used Studio J to digitally scrap these pages.  This was necessary because of the photos I chose to use.  I found era specific photos as well as the candlestick and fire images.  After selecting specific phrases from each of the four songs, I began writing my journaling.  I must say it is very difficult to cover this topic in one journaling block!

I enlarged the journaling for you so that you can understand the difficulty of fitting this information onto the pages.

I truly enjoyed researching and scrapping these pages.  Page three and four feature the same "papers" and colors, but no photos.  Just a title, a couple of embellishments, and the lyrics to the four songs.  Do you know HOW LONG American Pie is?  Two full columns in very small font!

If you would like to see this entire layout larger, just click on the photo below and it will open in a new window.

One last note, one of the funny things about my LOAD 513 experience?  I am sort of missing the boat.  It is supposed to inspire quick layouts from the prompt.  Well, clearly this was not a quick layout... And even though I am doing LOAD my way, I am having a great time with this!

I hope some of you might consider joining me in the next LOAD adventure - because I WILL do this again!

Life Lessons I Learned From Scarlett O'Hara

Hey-o everyone!!  I had a completely different post planned for you today, but I decided to bore you with yet another LOAD 513 layout - because I had so much fun with this one.  Yesterday's prompt was the "Miss Scarlet" character card from Clue.  A lot of people used red on their pages or embarrassing moments, etc.  But I went for the original "Miss Scarlet", Scarlett O'Hara-Hamilton-Kennedy-Butler!   I am assuming that I do not have to add that Scarlett is the main character in the Gone With The Wind saga.... If you did not already know that, sign off of your computer right now and go to the nearest library!!

As I contemplated Scarlett O'Hara (for several hours, btw), I realized that even though I do not like her as a person (or would not if she were a person), there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained from the way the character lived her life.  Both positive and negative influenced lessons.

I did a Google search on Scarlett O'Hara and found a lot of photos, character analysis, and funny comments.  The photos from the movie and having read the books, helped me compile my list of life lessons.  Without further ado:

I am not going to comment on every lesson listed above, but I am going to mention a couple.  As obsessed as Scarlet was with Tara, she was the sister who saved the plantation and the family, admittedly through scheming and hard work.  If we get rid of that scheming element, home and family are very, very important and are worth working to save - And that was a good lesson.

I confess, without the corset photo I would not have thought of the good underwear lesson. But hey, we do need quality underwear to hold all of parts where they are supposed to be instead of where gravity tries to place them!

Finally I would like to mention "Fiddle-dee-dee".  I always thought Scarlett was being dismissive when she said this.  My thoughts on that phrase have developed with age... I think she was saying "don't tell me it won't work, don't tell me I can't do this, don't try to hold me back...."  If nothing else, through most of the book/movie, Scarlett believes in herself and her ability to get what she wants.  As women, we can learn from that.  Believe in yourself!  Trust yourself!

I hope you enjoyed my Scarlett layout.  I add the photo able so that you could see the circle stitching... This is a great way to add texture to card stock/backgrounds.

To see this layout larger, click on the photo below.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out Miss. Scarlett today!

Struttin' It Like a Peacock

Hello everyone.  I have another LOAD 513 layout to share with you today.  The prompt for this day was Mrs. Peacock.  It was suggested that we could use literal Peacocks, use the color peacock, use feathers, etc.  I started thinking about Peacocks and I came up with the idea of a peacock strutting and showing off his feathers.... And that thought took me to our family peacock - Mr. Aaron!

All three of my children have very unique, fun personalities.  Aaron is very outgoing and charismatic, Bethany is a social butterfly, and Ian is more introverted, but very caring and funny.  When thinking in terms of Peacocks, Aaron's sense of "acting like himself" presents many opportunities to strut his feathers.

I looked through my photos and grabbed a few current photos of Aaron to use on this layout.  I could have gone back in time and found photos of his crazy actions that would have been vastly amusing and come closer to making my point of him being the Peacock, but those photos have already been scrapped.

Creating this Peacock layout made me realize that I need to do two more layouts - one each for Bethany and Ian, describing their personalities and uniqueness.   In fact, I should probably do more layouts about our family as individuals and less events.  Gives me something to think about.... One more good lesson learned though the LOAD class.

Thanks for stopping by today.  

Happy Mother's Day

(Susan and Mom)

Hello everyone.  Doug and I are visiting our moms so I am missing the BBTB2 post this week.  Please do go by BBTB2 and look at the great flower projects the design team has created.  In the meantime, I thought I would share a couple of photos of us with the moms!

My mom and I attended a Mother-Daughter banquet at her church on Saturday evening.  Two of my aunts and several cousins were there and it was nice to see them all.  

(Brent, Mom, Doug)

Today Doug and I made the 100 mile drive from my mom's house to his mom's house.  Doug's mom had spent the day with Doug's brother, Brent.  The four of us went out to Panera Bread for dinner - mostly so that I could use the Internet.  

I will be home again tomorrow so my scrapping life will get back to normal soon!

Get a Clue - The Beatles with the Revolver in the....

Hey-o everyone.  If you were here earlier and only found photos and no text, that is what happens when your blog owner loads her photos but forgets to go back and finish the post.  I confess that I awoke at 5:00 am and realized that I was going to have a picture only post, but I did not jump up and correct it.

Today's layout - The Beatles - is one that I made LOAD 513 (Layout a day - May, 2013).  The daily prompt was Revolver, as in the revolver card from the Clue game.  Being a huge Beatles fan, my mind went to the Revolver album, hence my title = The Beatles with the Revolver in the (fill in the room).

The Beatles are one band that every member of our family enjoys, probably because the parents have corrupted the children!!  I can honestly say that the Beatles were the first "band" that I was conscience of as a group.

This double page layout is long over due in my scrapping life.  I have not previously scrappedooks or movies or whatever.  LOAD 513 is making me look at that at bit differently.  Scrapping does not always have to be about an event or specific outin about things like bands, favorite foods, favorite bg.

The journaling in the upper right corner is a list of the original Beatle albums that were released between 1960 and 1970.  I somehow thought there had been more than 14.  But then I did not include the Red Album, the Blue Album, the LOVE album, the ONE album or any of the later releases.  What I find fascinating about the Beatles music library is that there are different versions of the same songs - my favorite Lady Madonna is a jazz version on one of the later albums - a version they decided not to put on the original album.  Their library includes so much music that if I were required to listen to only one band, I would choose the Beatles.  So much of what they recorded was never released, or is just being released.

Sorry for forgetting to add the text to this post last night... These things do happen. Have a great weekend and give the mom's in your life, whether your own mom or a mom you admire, some love this weekend!!

Through the Years Mosaic

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Hello everyone.  I gave myself a mental health day off from blogging yesterday.  I had planned to post this layout, but was simply too tired to do the write up after a busy and an evening of scrapping.

I made this double page layout for one of my LOAD 513 prompts.  The prompt was the name of a classic mystery, the Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.  Using the title as a prompt we were asked to create a scrapbook layout.  I like to work in double pages so that the pages match once they are in the book.

My idea for this prompt was Doug and I as empty nesters.  We started with just the two of us and it seems like in no time at all it is just the two of us again.  I hoped to be able to show the passage of time in these two pages.

I used Mosaic Moments grid card stock to help me space my photo tiles.  I started with young us placed in the upper left  and progressed to the second page lower left were we have the current us. And in between are the children as babies, toddlers, elementary, middle and high school ages.  There is at least one college age of each child, and then it is just Doug and I again.

In the middle of the left pages I added the journaling below:

The top right twenty-two year old Doug and Susan.....  Four years before the first child joined us....

The current Doug and Susan - 31 years later....

One of the things I am enjoying most about LOAD 513 is the challenge to look at scrapping differently.  I tend to scrap events or activities.  This class is encouraging me to think in more specific terms.  I would not have thought of an age progression mosaic without this prompt.  With the first week of LOAD completed, I am looking forward to the next three weeks!!

LOAD 513 Day One Layout - Mrs. White

Hello everyone!  I am ready to tell you more about LOAD 513 now that I am getting the hang of this.  Each day there is a prompt that somehow relates to the Clue game.  Day one the prompt was "Mrs. White is in the house," the Clue character, Mrs. White.  You could do anything that had white.  There were several snow layouts, white belts in Karate, white space on the layout, etc.  I went with white lace.

Last fall one of the guys that my son Aaron grew up with was married.  Dane is a great guy and we think his wife is so nice.  I had previously cropped the family pages from the wedding - but then I received a couple of photos from the professional photographer.  I like this photo of the wedding party with Dane and Megan up front.  Aaron is the man in the back right leaning against the pillar.  He was a groomsman.

I included a lot of white lace cuts on this layout to meet the "white" requirement. However, I decided to make my own flowers for this layout using dies.  I cut, shaped, and assembled the flowers following the steps below.

I started by inking the edges of the off white side of the petals.  Then using a stylus and foam mat, I began shaping the flowers.  I stared with the smallest sections and shaped the petals inward by pulling from the center of the petal down toward the center hole.

For all of the other layers of the flowers, regardless of size, I started with the petals face down.  Using the stylus, I made a back and forth C shape across the outer edges of the petals until the edges roll up.  As they rolled I used a finger to nudge the edge into the roll.

Once all of the petal edges were curled to the back, flipped the flower over began the second step of shaping.  Using the stylus in a back and forth motion, I made tiny circles from the center of each petal down toward the center of the flower.

 As I rubbed with the stylus the petals began to roll up (all but the outer edges) toward the middle of the flower.  Once all of the petals are standing up (with the edges curling out) each flower section should look like the flower below.

Once all of the layers are shaped, I begin assembling.  The center of the flower is assembled differently than all of the other layers.  Overlap the left side of each petal over the next, gluing the petals to make a little tunnel.

After the center had dried, glue each consecutive layer into the next, turning the flower slightly to off set the petal layers.   Your finished flowers should resemble the flower below.

After I finished shaping my flowers, I gave them a spritz with Glimmer Mist Sugar Cookie color.  This added darker areas in the flower.  I followed this with a few brush strokes of clear low glam glimmer.  Finally, while the flowers were still damp, I sprinkled the flowers with a very small amount of fine white glitter.  I waited for the flowers to dry completely before attaching them to my page.

In addition the flower, leaves, and lace, I also added a title with a cutting machine.  I cut the title at 2.5 inches tall.

Here is one last look at my LOAD 513 day one layout.  I really do like the daily prompt and the motivation to get me into the scrap room daily. All daily layouts have to be posted in a private Flickr account by mid-night pacific time each day.  I am a bit concerned about when I go to my mom's over mother's day weekend.  Her Internet connection is very slow and is guaranteed to give me a hard time. Hopefully we can run out someplace and I can use their Wi-Fi.

Thanks for stopping by today and view my layout.  I will be back tomorrow with a new post.

Event Wednesday - Bodacious Party Favors

Hello everyone.  Today is Wednesday and that means it is time for my weekly Event Wednesday post.  Today I am going to give you a sneak peek into the party favors for my 1920's Speakeasy Party. 

If you have not been following along, I planned two parties/events this spring.  The first was an afternoon tea with my girlfriends on Palm Sunday in March and the second is a Roaring '20's Speakeasy Party later this month (in a week and a half, actually).  Last week I shared the handmade party invitations.  So this week I will share the party favors.

Since this is a Speakeasy party I thought we needed to send our guests home with "bootleg" liquor as they await the repeal of the 18th amendment.   I ordered old fashioned looking bottles with cork stoppers from a bottle supplier on line.  I went to our local liquor store and strolled the aisles until I drove the salesman mad looking for the perfect bootleg bottle filler.  I finally settled on Irish Cream Liquor. 

I used my Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette printable metallic adhesive sheets to create personalized bottle labels - Bodacious Bootleg Booze Bottled by Doug and Susan.  My friend Susan M. saved the day with the metallic sheets - I had ordered the sheets and they did not come in.  According to the store at some point after I ordered they sold out.  I could not get them from a local store, from Silhouette, or from Amazon.  But Susan M loaned me a package of the metallic sheets she had on hand.  In the meantime I found another on-line source and ordered sheets to repay Susan. 

Back to my labels - I set up a print and cut file in the Silhouette Studio software.  I personalized the fonts and the wording of my labels then I went in and changed the exterior cut shape.  The labels were cut at 2.5 x 2.5 inches.  I know the title - Bodacious Bootleg Booze - is a bit cutsy, but I like it!

I also printed and cut a sheet of Repeal buttons.  This is a copy of the buttons worn by The Crusaders, those against the 18th amendment.  I turned the art into a jpeg and printed and cut the buttons.  Using the cord, I attached the buttons to the neck of the bottle. 

The corked bottles are 6 inches tall and have an 8 ounce capacity - for 8 ounces of Irish Cream Liquor!!   I photographed the bottle next to my favorite liquid glue.  I am not sure this really helps with the perspective, but I am hopeful.

All I have left to do is fill the bottles right before the party.  I can only hope my guests like their Bodacious Bootleg Booze as much as I do!

Thanks for stopping by today for Event Wednesday.  I will be back tomorrow with another Mad Men inspired card to share.