Return to the ruddy scrapbook

[Sunday, June 22, 2008]

The busy spring season has finally come to a close, and once again, I let my stash slowly emerge from its hibernation. Fortunately, yesterday, while the girls worked on their projects during Crop Till Ya Drop, I was able to set up my work space so that I might continue with the Biltmore scrapbook.

There are times when after long, long breaks from working on my scrapbook, I feel that my knowledge, creativity, and craftiness (collectively, my power) have evaporated. It's only after I re-acquaint myself with my stash, previously scrapped pages, and my pictures, that I start to feel the buzz again. If Tim Russert's heaven is a daily edition of Meet the Press, then mine is a neverending loop of scrapbooking (and reading, of course).

After sorting through and fondling each scrap, piece of paper, sticker pack and memorabilia from my trip plus reviewing the pages I've completed thus far, I feel sufficiently immersed, though my hands unsteady. Turns out I'd made more progress on the next page than I thought. (image 1)

At this point, I stand up to reach for the camera, which sits on the buffet, so I can document my progress in pictures. Charlie always sleeps curled up to my right when I'm working. Whenever I stand up or even move slightly, he jumps up out of his sleep, afraid I'm going to either go somewhere or leave him behind. He's such a rattled, skittish dog. If I need a special tool or embellishment that requires me to get up or move, I sometimes find myself seeking alternative solutions that will not disturb his slumber. When Summer is awake, he rarely gets any decent shut-eye. (image 2)

I'm continuing the tour through Biltmore House, and I had already cut the as-built for the page and the postcards. I also printed the descriptions of each of the rooms for this and the next two pages on vellum, so all that's left is selecting background paper for the vellum. I'm looking for something both decorative and warm, a printed or patterned sheet that ties the colors together or makes the postcard images pop off the page. It won't matter how busy the print because the vellum will soften it. I happen upon three possibilities (image 3).

All three will work well, but the middle one mimicks the grandeur of the Banquet Hall (the largest and most stately room in Biltmore House), with its chunky, sweeping paisleys. I push the others to the side and set to work on the vellum accents. I trim the areas of the vellum I need with the straight trimmer, then mark on the background paper where I need to cut with the personal trimmer. Then I adhere the vellum with the frosted photo splits, which virtually disappear behind the vellum.

Then I adhere everything to the gold dust page with tape runner plus 3-D dots for the smallest postcard in the middle. One personal note: On your layouts, don't be afraid to let items overlap one another or to repeat images. This creates dimension and visual interest. It also keeps the reader's eye flowing over the page. (image 4)

I decide to add one more item to the page because the white space appears more like a gaping hole to me than a design choice. I professionally cut a fork and knife to go along with the theme in coordinating colors. I use precision point adhesive to attach the images to each other and to the page. (image 5)

This layout was the perfect way for me to warm up my rusty, ruddy bailiwick.

The Cellars

Labor Day Weekend


I took a break from the scrapbook for a bit to work on the invitations for my mom's surprise 60th birthday dinner. I'm happy to say she was surprised, and the event went very well!


Now that the invitations are finished, I return to the Biltmore scrapbook. It's Labor Day. Adam and I took Summer to Ft. Smallwood Park for a bike ride and picnic earlier. We've returned in time for Summer's nap.


This page is a continuation of the tour - to the cellars of the winery. I have four pictures for this page, so conserving space is a must. (image 1)

I decide not to use any photo mats for this page. However, I do need something to provide background to the photos. I check my paper options. I don't want something too busy but definitely want something that will go along with the subject matter of the pics. I have two choices: a piece of 12 x 12 floral vellum and a piece of 12 x 12 burgundy with types of wine in gold. I decide I'm going to cut strips to go behind the pics, in a sort of off-cross shape. I decide the floral vellum will work best since there are flowers and vines in the pics, and since there's a speckled pattern on the gold dust refill page.


The best pic of the page is of Jen & Leslie in front of the cellars sign, so I position the cross part of the strips directly under that. (image 2)



I'm planning on journaling for this page, but I'll have to create my own journal box using a template I received at a previous Creative Memories event. As for the color of the paper, that is a toss-up between something muted (like beige or brown) and something bright (like fuschia or green). I test beige and fuschia. Fuschia is too bright and beige blends in too much. So I consider light pink, which seems to work well. I cut the size I need with the personal trimmer. Fortunately, I had nearly the right size scrap leftover from doing the invitations. I draw the lines using the aforementioned template and fuschia fine tip pen (another freebie from a previous event). (image 3)

I was so pleased with the numbers I cut for the invitations, I do them again with light pink and salmon paper from the pink paper pack, spelling "The Cellars."


Time to start dinner. Our neighbor Joe is coming over.


(Sept. 5 - Wednesday evening)


Adam is off work this week, so he and Dad put the frame of the shed up today. It's very exciting to see it come together. It's going to give us some much needed room in our basement.

It's evening. Mom and Kathy are here, and we are all hard at work on our projects. Mom needed to make a couple of things into stickers using my sticker maker. Kathy ordered some refill pages and tape runner.


I ask Kathy what album she will work on next. She says high school or recurring album. "The high school album has remnant newspaper clippings, so it is not really a scrapbook." Sure it is, I say, that is exactly what a scrapbook is! Kathy comments that the page protectors only cover the refill pages between the reinforced edges. She had not been trimming the 12 x 12 paper to fit, but will start doing so.


I trim the pic of the hallway to the champagne cellar because the salmon letters I cut overlapped it slightly. I just cut the foreground set of letters in pink, and I adhere them together with the mini tape runner. I goof on the letter "E" and put the adhesive on the wrong side, so I carefully remove the adhesive using the pick-up square. When all the letters are done, I write my journaling with the fuschia fine-tip pen.




Kathy is getting ready to leave. Adam offers to carry her stuff. "If I can't carry it myself, I shouldn't carry it," she jokes. "I have a suitcase on wheels; it's just not big enough!"

Now, I'm ready to adhere everything. I use frosted splits to adhere the vellum because they "disappear." I use tape runner & mini tape runner for everything else. I wipe the photos with my polishing cloth. I place a few foam dots on the die-cut of the champagne bottle and adhere it. Then, I slide the page protector on. Another page bites the dust (but not off the wine bottles).