Three water is smaller than four water

These pages of the book are inspired by my granddaughter. During the summer I signed my grand kids up for two-two week sessions of swimming lessons. The kids were so excited you would have thought I was taking them to Disneyland. The first day of the first session we went to the public pool, the kids found their classes and the teacher asked the kids to jump into the pool. My DGD would not jump in, apparently 4 feet was too deep for her. She would slide in but wouldn't jump in. For two weeks, every day I explained how she was 47 1/2 inches tall and the water was 48 inches deep. I asked, "Can you touch the bottom?" Yes she could touch the bottom. Still she wouldn't jump into the pool. The last day of class, the teachers tested the kids. DGD made several attempts to jump into the pool, only to slide in at the last second. Finally the last attempt was a half slide-half jump. She came running over to me all excited that she had jumped in. I told her it didn't look like a jump to me, but we would let the teacher be the judge. We walked over and asked the teacher if it was a slide or a jump...he said it was kind of a jump. But he did suggest she take the class over. The next session of swimming lessons were at a different public pool in the city. The first day of lessons came...we had the talk about really jumping in this time. We got to the pool, and were sitting on the chairs waiting for class to start, and I pointed out the fact that the shallow end at this pool was only 3 feet deep. She went off to class, the teacher asked the kids to jump into the pool, and DGD JUMPED IN! When the lessons were over and she came over for her towel, I asked her why she jumped into this pool but not the last one. She said she jumped in because the three water was much smaller than the four water. How are you going to argue with logic like that?
The photo of the woman in the old fashion bathing suit , diving into the pool, is my great grandmother. She apparently like to jump in.

Make today worth remembering...

The first pages of the book have pockets. The left pocket was made from
AMX-CC offer. The opening is slanted. I sanded off the lettering and applied turquoise ink to distress (and of course some Ranger distress ink pads), a stamp in black ink and a rub on. The tag in side the pocket has a turquoise loop that I found bouncing around the dryer, not sure what it came off of.

The little black safety pin was connected to the small black tag between the the cover and the acrylic. I applied another black rub on to the acrylic page.

The "Today" page is one of the junk mail envelopes with large velum windows, distressed, stamped and rubbed on. Basic Gray patterned paper lines the envelope.

The back of the tag is a line from the Music Man..."You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering".

Working Title..."Summer Book"

I have taken a trip every summer for the last nine years ...big trips, sometimes more than one. The kind you really diet, scrimp, save, bring sack lunches to work, look up on the Internet all the wonderful things you are going to do, find it all on a map, kind of trip. When I come home I scrapbook them all. In fact trips are of my favorite things to scrapbook (next to my grand kids). Places like Scotland, Ireland, Shetland, England, San Francisco, New York, San Diego and last summer I even dipped my toe in Paris (which means it was a really quick trip). This summer there wasn't a trip. None, Zilch, Nada, Zip. Despite the fact British Airways taunted me with their fabulous "low" fares. This summer I had to use my imagination to run away from home.

Now I told you that story, to tell you this story...

I was helping my grandson open a toy he had gotten for his Birthday. I started complaining about the over packaging. Thick sheets of plastic acrylic, book board weight backing. There I was holding the pieces in my hand, getting ready to toss them in the recycle when the creativity began. I measure and cut until I had 2 pieces of acrylic and 2 pieces of backing the same size. They sat on my work bench for about a week waiting for me to get inspired.

While shredding the junk mail I came across some envelopes with large velum windows that were the same size as the acrylic and the backing. A design for making a book was coming together. The book would be my summer get away. I didn't design the pages in any kind of order. I only set two boundaries for myself. I had to use supplies I already had and the pages had to be about the summer of 2008.

As of today, this book still doesn't have an official title.

To be continued...

Cat in the Hats

As you can see this cat has a rough life. This day the grand kids were over and the sun room turned in to a playroom which means the cat went into hiding. Barbies, cars, Lincoln Logs, stickers, costumes, books, and more, all over the room. The hats got dumped on the footstool and when the kids went home to mom and dads house, the cat appeared from her safe place (that place cats hide while the grand kids are at granny and papa's house), she discovered the hats. This was something new and different on the stool, so apparently upon closer inspection, it called for a nap.

Someone told me it's all happening at the Zoo...

..."I do believe it, I do believe it's true"...You all do know Simon and Garfunkel's "At the Zoo" right...or am I singing by myself?

We took the grand kids to the Phoenix Zoo the other day. It's something we try to do with them in the Fall. You know, weather is a bit cooler (it was 95), it's Fall Break so there isn't a lot of people around (it was packed), and it's fun to see all the animals (anything in the cat or dog family was napping).The grand kids had a great time, I got to play with my camera, and grandpa got to push both kids and all the "stuff" around the zoo in one of those cover cart/stroller things.

We always start with the Giraffes, the kids like to climb up the lookout tower, where they can be about eye level with the giraffes. There we two baby Zebras, not so small , but still just as cute. We walked through the Monkey Village.

A good time was had by all. And yes I admit it...I dig the Zoo.

Lighting a Fire Under Grandma

In my Mystic Paper Design Team sack for October I also received four sheet of Basic Gray Perhaps patterned paper. The colors went well with a picture of my grandmother when she was a young girl. I set the paper and the photo on my table, and waited for some inspiration to come...it took a while.

I remembered a technique I had seen at Art Unraveled last year. A photo had been copied on to a transparency, and it had been burned just enough to melt the edges. A very cool effect. I played around with the transparency of grandma and figured out how to burn the edges ...with out burning down the house. I was pleased with the way it turned out...what do ya think?

For Birthdays and more...

Ta Da...I completed my Design Team project and took it in to Jennifer at
Mystic Paper.
My kit was a Basic Gray Perhaps matchbook album. Have you ever run out of ideas for a birthday "little something" for friends and family?


These Basic Gray matchbook albums are great. Add a few pictures, a birthday poem or some quotes, bits of ribbon and lace, a few brads and of course Ranger Distress Ink.


And you have a nifty gift ready to give. If you live in the area, stop by MP and take a look...while you are there, pick a few Basic Gray matchbook kits, you never know when you will need a quick gift.

A Place to Nap

I was all set to spent the afternoon getting my Design Team project finished. I turned my back for a minute, and when I turned back the paper and ribbon had become a place to take a nap. She is right smack in the middle of the whole layout. This is a cat that loves paper...to eat. I have had to chase her down the hall to pull a paper scrap out of her mouth that she has discovered on the floor. She usually naps on the stool next to my chair, today she made it to my table.

One Big Mess

Yes I am really working on my Mystic Paper Design Team project. I do make a big mess when I design. Can ya tell? I don't know how Sheri gets hers done so fast! Her Thanksgiving book looks great. I haven't checked in on Lindsey and Yasu yet. Maybe I'm the only one that isn't finished!

Got'a get back to work...

Family Connections

I spent the afternoon with my Aunt Louesa and Cousin Sandra organizing boxes of family history items.

This all started out innocently enough earlier this summer. I had asked my Aunt if she had any pictures or stories about a great-great (add some more greats) grandmother. Looking for information turned in to a twice a month get together of going through boxes and files, scanning photos (and writing the names on the picture of the people in them...if we could remember), copying documents and family stories. I enjoy looking at old photos anyway, wondering about the lives and stories of the people in them. When the pictures are of your own grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, it gives you a connection . Realizing their history is really a part of my history and for the most part these ancestors were trying to make a better life for their descendants.

By the end of the afternoon Aunt Louesa, Sandra and I had organized all the boxes and filed about 95 % of the families history. Now the next time we get together ...we're going to lunch.