Scrap Room Survivors

With the closing of our last independent scrapbook store in the Nashville area, The Scrap Room Challenge Club needed a new name. Thus, Scrap Room Survivors has emerged----SRS from now on.

I wasn't at the meeting, so I have no idea who these layouts belong to. But here they are:

AYM/By the Numbers

This month, in honor of February and Valentine's Day, I chose the number 2 as our focus. Here are the results. We had 3 new friends joining us from St. Louis.

 This is Carla M.'s January layout. She used a grid technique to showcase the 12 highlights of her year.

 This is Erin's February layout about her and her little brother. He grandfather took the photos.

 This is the left side page of Carla's February layout. "2 Cute" about her little granddaughter Olivia.

 Here's the right side page. She is a cutie.

 Janet's layout is about her and Ronnie. "You and me make 2."

 This is Jeanne's January layout with her 12 memories of 2012.

Here is her Feb. layout---"the 2 of us" about her and Jim. She journaled about how they met.

 Our newest little AYM member---Parker Manning---Pam's on babysitting duty these days. She looks like her mama---but she has her daddy's eyes!

 Pam's layout is about how she dressed her "2" just alike when they were little.

 My layout from last month. I think this was the very first time I didn't have mine on time!

 Karolyn's title is 2 X 2---something Bruce says all the time. She hand cut that chevron border.

 Susan told the story of her and Pete's meeting and wedding for the first time in her scrapbooks.

"Wee 2" is my layout about my brother and me. Once the twins came along, there was never another picture of just the two of us.

Next month's topic is going to be really interesting. Ernest Hemingway said that you could tell a story in 6 words. That's the challenge----tell a story in just 6 words. This promises to be challenging and fun!!

On the "Cropping" Block

Here are a few of the layouts I did on my scrapbook retreat two weeks ago. Not as many as I usually get done, but between all the talking, visiting around the room, drinking and my class, I didn't have as much time!

 Finishing up my ABC album---the last layout is almost finished (remember, I did two ABC albums in 2012)

 On this page about Mitchell, I had a little survey that he answered when he was about 10 or 11. It was about all his favorite things.

The journaling here was simple. "I love to call you "E." I'm not sure your parents like it, but it's just a little something between the two of us!"

 This layout about Jordan opens up on the right side to reveal her mess of a room and a little story about a bird she saw when she was little.

I just now realized that I posted Victoria's age as twelve on the far right photo. She's actually 11. I just think of 6th graders as being 12. 

I have another AYM groups going that has just started the ABC album this year. So, of course, I'm doing another one! The think I like about these types of albums is that it is a random assortment of things. It's a mystery with each turn of the page! Try it!

"My Private Secretary" is one of my favorites. When we were visiting Kalamazoo in 2011, in November, Elizabeth wanted to put in her "food" requests for Christmas. I told her that she better write it down, or I would never remember. I had to spell each thing for her---it was ALL sweets!

This is my current layout for AYM/2013 "By the Numbers." The challenge this month (for February) was to use the number 2. If you saw my "yoyo" tutorial on the AYM blog, then you can see how I used them here. 

AYM/1

I've been remiss in posting the "Y" & "Z" pages. There were so many of us who did not get them finished---and that includes me. I'll post my layouts that I did on my scrapbook retreat at Kinderhook with my friends sometime next week.
Here's what I have so far:

Making Yo-yos.

Yo-yos are an old quilting technique. A few years ago, I bought an old quilt that was falling apart. Right away, I knew I could use the old yo-yos on my scrapbook pages. Remembering my quilting days of the 1980's, I taught the technique to a group of friends on one of our scrapbook retreats.

1. Start with any size circle of fabric. Something thin like cotton is best. Whatever size you choose---just know that your little yo-yo will be half that. For example, it you have a 4 inch circle, you get a 2 inch yo-yo. If you start with a  2 inch circle, you get a 1 inch yo-yo.

Draw any size circle on the wrong side of the fabric and cut out. You do not have to be exact. Nothing about this technique has to be exact.

2. Thread a needle with any color thread (it won't show) and knot it. Start a simple running stitch about a quarter of an inch from the edge. Again, it doesn't have to be exact. A running stitch is a simple up and down motion. It looks like this:  ___   ___   ___   ___

Pull the thread as you go along. The fabric will start to curl. You do not have to pull it tight just yet.

3. When you meet the knot, then draw up the thread. It will look like this---a little pouch.

Knot it off. I usually run it through the gathered part a couple of times before knotting it. Do not cut the thread yet.

4. With the thread still attached, go ahead and flatten it out. You might have to pull some of the fabric to shape it.

 5. Voila!---finished. You can cut it, or if you plan to add any other embellishments, now's the time before you cut your thread.

6. Using your threaded needle that you did not cut off, sew on buttons, ribbons or anything else you want. The gathered part is the top of the yo-yo. With one 4" piece of fabric, you can get one 2 inch yo-yo or four 1 inch yo-yos. These can be adhered to your scrapbook page with glue dots.

When Mindy was a baby in 1984. I made these for her socks with lace, ribbons, buttons, little bells and bows. They were so cute. I wish I had taken a picture back then.


But, when I took apart that old quilt, I had so many yo-yos, I came up with this idea in 2010:

You have to look really close. The whitefish one is a yo-yo and to the lower left of that is another. I sewed buttons on to them and sewed them on to some glittery snowflake ornaments. This was a little tree that had handmade ornaments that I made that year.

I'd like to thank Jeanne for being my hand model.

No animals were harmed in the making of this tutorial.

AYM/1

The January assignment for A Year of Memories---All About the Numbers---was to scrapbook 12 defining moments of 2012.

 Pam scrapbooked the circle of life---including births, weddings, and deaths.

 Janet did 12 new things and events for 2012.

 Karolyn listed her 12  Perfect memories. She used strips of paper on her grid.

Karolyn and I had the same idea of doing a grid. I stitched between my rows.

A few people did not get their layouts done yet. I'll post them when they do. Their assignment for February is to use the #2