Ethnic Scrapbooking

Crafting on the Go Part I

A couple of weeks ago, I hung out with the Scrapaholix girls to get a little scrapbooking done, (jumpstart to a scrapbook retreat).  I showed up only with photos (a bunch of random photos from my iPhone)  in hand and walked away with three completed pages using Chela's "scraps" (literally scraps from her throw away pile) and I borrowed some rubber stamps from Monique and journaled with a black pen.

See it doesn't take much to be a scrapbooker...photos+journaling=preserved memories

Note:  Just use random photos from your phone, there are no rules to scrapbooking, your work does not have to be chronological or photos from the same event to have a home on a page.  The journaling ties the photos together.

 

It only takes a few minutes

...to make a scrapbook page that is.

A few wallet sized photos printed at home, a few strips of scrap paper, a couple of embellishments, pre-printed words and about ten miuntes you've got a preserved memory.

The photos are from a "home photo session" I did with the boys after church about a year ago.  It's not often I get them to dress alike so I had to take advantage of the moment.  So of course I had to scrapbook it!

 

Another First

In keeping with Black History Month, I had an article featured in the Premiere Issue of the FIRST e-magazine for Scrapbookers of Color.  I've been supporting, my on-line friend Tiare, Founding Editor for a number of years now in her efforts to add diversity to the scrapbooking industry.  I'm so proud of her for her diligence,  but sometimes, you just gotta be the first and do it on your own.

Click on over to www.scrapsofcolorespire.blogspot.com and click on the cover of the premiere issue to download a fantastic publication for FREE! 

The first persons to leave a comment on my blog page and facebook pages to restate "Tip #5" from my article will win a signed copy of my book and a goodie package!

 

Organize Your Photos!

I'm the guest blogger over at Scraps of Color Espire...come check it out!  Don't forget to leave questions or comments.

 

 

 

1984 Scrapbook Page #2

Here's the other half of the scrapbook page layout.

I love how it's a snap shot of my life and pop culture.  My kids freaked out when the saw MJ and MJ songs.  The photo of CMU (where I met the actor Blaire Underwood before he was famous)was taken from my dorm window (Tower A? 29th or 30th floor)...not quite sure why my cousins Mike and Therman King are on this page...neither of them went to Pitt with me.

 

1984 Scrapbook Page

I came across a magnetic album while cleaning last week.  I vividly remember scrapbooking about second grade in 1972 and then hardly anything else until college days.  This is a page that is still so me that shows that scrapbooking is in my blood.

 

A few comments about this page...

• Name and Address was from an envelope from a highschool friend
• I like to fit multiple photos on a page
• I'm definitely not afraid of using my own handwriting
• I remember buying the PITT Panther stickers specifically for scrapbooking
• I drew the helmet freehand
• I maintained the integrity of the original photos, but cutting the construction (yes construction) paper into shapes and not the photos

Handmade Gift

It took me a while to hunt down this 7Gypsies print tray, but I was determined to put some heritage photos in it.  When I finally sat down to work on it I wasn't too happy that the measurements for these tiny boxes weren't included, which would have meant quite a bit of guessing if Kat hadn't come to my rescue with a cheat sheet.  Initially, I wanted to make this to take to family reunions because it's small, but I ended up making it for my Grandmother as a Christmas gift.  I hope she likes it...it's antique looking and she's really a glitzy golden, bling, bling type of Grandmother, so I hope she enjoys it anyway.

Note:  In the D.C. Maryland area you can find these trays and similar ones by Tim Holtz at Queen's Ink at Savage Mill.

 

summer is gone

thankfully I have lots of photos...

We were very, very blessed to take a number of trips this summer in the midst of this depression.  One of the highlights was just being plaine ole lazy at the beach.  We rented a fabulous house at Topsail Island in NC, apparently an unknown gem of an  island, and we'd like to keep it that way. 

 The kids turned 5 shades darker, I got a beautiful reddish tan and my Dad, well...can I say the REDD Foxx look alika  LOBSTER, LOL.  We watched Alex Haley's Root mini-series everynight, went to a BINGO hall for the first time, celebrated National Cheesecake day by eating it for breakfast, laughed at our Guesture movements, introduced Sierra (the water dog) to the ocean, and just had a good time.

Labor Day

Three topics come to mind as items to scrapbook on the theme of labor day.

1.  Scrapbook a birth...describe the "labor" involved.  Click Here to see what I have done in the past.

2.  Take time tommorrow at work to snap a photo of you at your job, include some co-workers too.

3.  Scrapbook the occupation of your ancestors, be proud of the contributions they made to American history as well as your own personal history.

I'm very proud of my ancestors that were coal miners, steel mill workers and housekeepers.  For if it wasn't for their efforts to pay for college of my parents, I probably would not have a college degree.  So today I salute them, (and myself of course...as I sit in a client's office working on this "Labor Day").

Here's a shot of a colleague "at work".

 

I didn't know...

I loved my Grandfather Ernest Tarpley so much, I gave him a new name..."Poppo"  I'm not sure what my other two older cousins called him before I came along.  Poppo was very special to me, I spent ALL my summers with him, I lived with him for almost a year and I was his favorite...no doubt about it (sorry yinz, you know who your are).  He is single-handedly probably the person most responsible for my gloriously happy childhood.  I could write a whole book (and maybe I will) on him and our relationship over those few short ten years. 

Last week I was handed a big surprise about him...I found his 1935 high school diploma and report card.  I was absolutely floored...How could I have not known he graduated from highschool?  All of his younger siblings did, I have their high school graduation announcements.  Why is it I never thought he graduated, is it because he worked in the deep, cold DIRTYcoal mines of Pennsylvania, because he served in CC camps at the age of 17-18?  I'm mad at myself for never asking someone.  I guess I made an assumption without asking for the facts...but his brothers graduated and they worked in the mines...WHY DIDN'T I KNOW HE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL!  WHY!