Gallery

These are my favorite layouts thus far. There are more layouts and a few cards in my gallery at Scrapbook.com at my gallery.

As you see, I'm still trying to find my style. I think I prefer shabby chic, however, I'm still evolving. I'm contantly trying new techniques and also participating in a lot of challenges at Scrapbook.com and occasionally at punkyscraps.blogspot.com

I want to thank everybody who's helped and inspired me, knowingly and unknowingly. All the scrappers I've met locally and online have been super nice and more than willing to share tips and even materials. Scrappers are many of the nicest people I've ever met.

I hope you enjoy my gallery.



My son Keith in 1983 at one year old.



My son Keith in 2010 at 27 years old with my grandson, his nephew, Michael. They're playing a computer game together.


My fourth child and third daughter, Stephanie. There's hidden journaling behind the picture.



My middle child and second daughter, Monica, circa 1995 when she was about 12.



My mom circa 1960. She loved to sew and I think she she was very beautiful, hence the play on words in the title. All her life she was a seamstress and tailor. She worked in alterations and bridal and she made many of my clothes including my wedding gown. Unfortunately, she contracted cancer and died in 1988, much too young.



My grandchildren playing in trucked in snow last July (2011) outside on one of the most sweltering days of the year. :) This was their first time to see or touch real snow. We live in South Florida.



This is me summer 2011. This layout was made specifically for a challenge at Scrapbook.com. I am so blessed and so spoiled living the wonderful USA. Since I was born with a cleft lip and palate, I was extremely blessed to be born in a developed country with excellent medical care and fantastic plastic surgeons.



Stop! In case you can't see the picture very well, they're all of my youngest child/son hiding from the camera either by holding his hand, menus, or other items over his face. He hates my scrapbooking and hates having his picture taken. It's a real challenge to get a picture of his face in 2011.



In April 2011, I took my youngest son (age 16) and my grandson (age 11) to work with me. So many children accompanied parents and grandparents this day, the CEO took a picture with all of them and gave them each a copy. I have the best employer in the world! :)



My mother, Mae, again. She's in Heaven and although I know I can't hear her answers except in my dreams, I asked them in this layout anyway. I typed my questions on vellum which I put over her picture, to make it look like she's just behind the veil of Heaven.



My fourth child/youngest daughter when she was about 12. She was playing musical chairs with the young women at church and got three of her fingers caught in a folding chair. Unfortunately, they were broken. She was treated by the doctor and a family legend was born. No one will let her forget this unforgettable incident.



This is a picture of my grandpa Walter, and his older brother, Clifford, circa 1900. Unfortunately, although the picture is notated on the back of the date and names, it doesn't specify which boy is which. In case you can't tell, they have bright red hair. My grandpa was nicknamed "Red", surprise, surprise.



My middle daughter, my youngest daughter, and I have been busy bodies at the gym. My middle daughter most of all. I'm so proud of her (the one in the maroon shirt and glasses). She's lost a LOT of weight in the past year and she's down to a size 4, or maybe below. She still works out a lot at the gym. I, unfortunately, have slacked off and have to get into my routine.



This is my middle daughter, Monica, as a baby in 1983. Our car caught on fire in the middle of 4th of July traffic on Highway 90 which borders the Biloxi Beach. While my husband got our oldest two children safely out of the car and on the side of the road, he left me to get the baby out of her car seat. At that time, car seats were very difficult to open  or remove from the car, so I had to fight with it. Meanwhile, my dear, wonderful hubby yelled from the side of the road, "Hurry, before the car explodes!" I got my baby out safely adn the car didn't explode, although the engine totally burned up and the car was a disaster. Who cares about a car? My family was safe and my daughter is now a beautiful, healthy, and happy 28 year old in 2011.



My daughter-in-law in her fairy costume riding her motorcycle. My grandchildren are climbing on the motorcyles, too. I love this picture.



My dear hubby in 1979, when he first joined the Air Force right after he graduated from high school and was in tech school. I wish the picture was better. It's the only one like it, so although dim and blurry, it's better than nothing.



My granddaughter, Crystal, when she was four, at our community fair last spring 2011. She was enjoying a snowcone.



I had to make a mini album for a Scrapbook.com challenge and this is the cover. It was my first mini album and I really like how it turned out. I used cardboard for the pages.



This is my youngest son, aka 16 year old teenage boy. Need I say more? He's pretty typical - he eats us out of house and home. He loves computer games and usually looks like an alien with earplugs coming out of his ears. He also glares a lot (when I remind him to do his chores.)



This is my youngest son when he was about ten, in 2006. We enrolled him in Taekwondo to teach him discipline mainly, and also to get him moving and socializing with other kids his age. Unfortunately, it taught him how to use num chucks and swords against his older sisters. Fortunately, they took Taekwondo, also, and were able to defend themselves. Still, I often almost walked into the middle of sword fights in my living room.





My cousin, Debbie, and her husband Charlie, live on the west coast of Florida about five hours drive from us. When my aunt and uncle visited them in April 2011, my kids, grandkids, and I piled into my van and we went for a visit.



My grandson, Michael, the day before Easter at an Easter egg hunt in April 2011. He really enjoyed the bounce house before the hunt. Unfortunately, as the hunt itself began, he was pushed down and trampled by bigger kids. He was scraped up and bleeding and unable to finish the hunt. However, he had a lot of fun before hand in this bounce house, so I hope this is what he'll remember.



October 24, 2005, category 5 Hurricane Wilma tore through South Florida and through our house. Although our house didn't fall, it needed all new siding, many new inside walls, a new roof, new fence, new paint job, new front door, and a new garage door. Fortunately, we had insurance, although insurance didn't cover all the repairs. This was a really devastating, unforgettable storm.



Circa 1986, July 4th. My family and I visited my aunt, uncle, and cousins in Cincinnati, and we spent the day picnicing and swimming at the lake.What an awesome day!



My middle and youngest daughters and I at the gym this summer 2011.



My youngest daughter, Stephanie, circa 1995 or 1996 when she was about 6 years old. She was a Ninja Turtle for Halloween.



My Dad and I circa summer 2010 in Cincinnati.



My middle daughter, Monica, circa 1983. She loved to scream. Usually she was smiling while she screamed.



Julianne Hopper, my husband's great-great-great grandmother circa 1880.



My mother's mother's family, circa 1920.



My mother's father's grandfather, August Krug. He was a civil war soldier. Unfortunately, he experienced a lot of health problems because of the war and he was never the same once he returned home to his family.



My granddaughter, Crystal, in 2010. She's quite the ham.



My grandson, Michael. He's also quite the ham. He was playing with his aunt's softball helmet.





My mother used to sing "Mairzy Doats" to me nightly along with a couple other songs (Paper Doll and Daisy). Her voice was so sweet and I cherish these memories. The picture is of my mom holding me in 1960.


This is my husband's father's mother when she was about 6 years old, with her family. Circa 1900 Kentucky.



My youngest daughter, Stephanie, circa 2010. She's supposed to make journaling strips to describe herself on this lay9out, however, I'm still waiting...



My beloved cat "T". I got her when I was about six and she was my baby for 15 years until my mother accidentally let her out and lost her while I was on a vacation. This kitty was a long haired silver, orange, and white calico - so beautiful. She was a hunter, yet at least twice, she was the hunted. She was shot twice, once with a bb gun and once with a rifle - both times in her haunches. Luckily she survived both and was restored to health again. I miss her so much.



My oldest child at 3 years old. I took her to a petting zoo. She grabbed onto a huge goose and wouldn't let go. The poor creature squawked and tried to fly off with my child in tow. Still, Kim wouldn't let go. I had my 15 month old in tow, too, and I was quite pregnant with baby number 3, so I had a tough time trying to save the goose. Kim was fine. I'm not so sure about the goose. Circa summer 1983.



Our cat. We were supposed to babysit her for 2 weeks. Surprise! Five years and several vet visits later, she's still here. Guess she's ours now.



My oldest three children when they were babies, circa 1984. I used modeling paste and stencils to make the red flowers.



My grandson and granddaughter Christmas 2009 or 2010.



My aunt, uncle, and cousins, circa 1956 Ohio.



This is a pull out accordion book that I attached to the layout to add more pictures and journaling.


Mom and I joined my dad on one of his business trips to New York City when I was six years old, circa 1966. It's the only time I've visited NYC and I barely remember it, but these pictures prove we were at the zoo.

 




My daughters and I at my husband's annual work picnic in March 2011. We enjoyed lots of hotdogs, bar-b-q, ice cream, and baseball.



This is my grandparents parrot, Polly. For real, that was his name. They inherited him from another relative and kep him until he died. Polly lived to be at least 50, more like 55 or 60. He was a beautiful bird, but a really fiesty, mean one. He sounded sweet enough when he said "Polly wanna cracker" but if you got your fingers too close, he'd bite - HARD! I found out the hard way.



My granddaughter "representin'". She's a real character. My daughter-in-law posted this on Facebook and I just had to snag it.


My mother's mother's and mother's father's family had a huge reunion in the summer of 1970 when I was 9. I counted about 70 people in this picture. I hadn't realized I had so many cousins until this reunion. Unfortunately, it was the only one like it. We held it at my grandpa's picnic grove where I spent many fun hours as a kid.



My mother's father's little sister. She died in childbirth with her second child, the same year my mom was born.



My middle daughter is infatuated with her hat and rarely takes it off. My youngest son and youngest daughter love to try on hats when we go shopping. So, snap happy picture taker I am, I snap away when they get silly. I found other pics of family members in neat hats, including my husband and his little brother circa 1965, and voila! This cool layout was born.



My husband took me, our youngest daughter, Stephanie, and our grandson, Michael, to an all0-stars of yesteryear game in February 2011. The kids were more intersted in the hot dogs than the game.



My granddaughter thinks her lip gloss is delicious and eats it. Here, when she was four years old, I caught her in the act. Hence, the layout is titled "Yum".



This is my husband and I at the Monkees concert June 6, 2011. I used stencils and red modeling paste to make the clocks.



One of the Scrapbook.com challenges was to journal about where we were, what we were doing, and how we felt on 9-11-01. Here's the layout. I was at work (I still work for the same employer) when we heard news of the first plane crash. Everyone hopped on the Internet and turned on radios. No one was working. When the second plane crashed, we ran down the hall to the only TV in the building to watch the events live. Shortly after, we were called into a prayer meeting for about half an hour (we're a very prayerful group and have at least two prayer meetings daily - optional except for this time.) At about noon, we were sent home to be with our families. The whole ride home, I was scared, shocked, and in a daze, I'm sure like everybody else.



This layout was made for another Scrapbook.com challenge. We had to make a layout about our favorite scrapbooking tool. I chose my computer. I make a lot of my titles from the many computer fonts I've gathered. I've also downloaded a lot of paper piecing patterns including the mouse attached to the computer in this layout. I journal on vellum and ribbon. It's an awesome, versatile tool.



Last but not least, is my "Time Capsule 2011" layout. Surprise, surprise, it's for another Scrapbook.com challenge. This time, I made the challenge. When I was in eighth grade, circa 1974, my American History class put together a time capsule. My contribution was one of the million data cards my dad had all over the place. He was a computer programmer. At the time, it was a last minute grab, and I thought it quite lame. Now that I look back, it was probably the best item in that time capsule.

I don't recall what reminded me of that 1974 time capsule, however, something did and I wanted to make another one. I fancy myself a historian, if not a professor of history. The items I put into this time capsule are:

a flat iron, MP4 player, pedometer, HD-TV, digital camera, remote control, GPS, boot cut blue jeans, CD/DVD, ebook reader, smart phone

On an articistic level, I painted the background with pink and blue paints to grunge it up. I love how the colors turned out and so I entered it into a punky scraps challenge, too.

More to come. Stay tuned. :)