I made an altered cigar box using a technique that I learned from Denise Lombardozzi of
First Born Studio. You can read all about it in the book
"The Adventurous Scrapbooker". The pages are loose with ribbon tabs so you can easily lift them out of the box. Both the front and back are decorated with photos, rubber stamps and embellishments.
This was a very cool project to complete...but it took me a long time. Not because of difficulty but because of the time taken choosing what photo to use, layout and sentiments. I did receive a note from
Terri who has patiently been waiting to view this completed project. Thanks Terri....it was what I needed to keep me on task!
This is the inside of the top lid with a collage of all my brothers and sisters. I gave crowns to the girls in the family. I also included a photo of the family farm taken in the early 50's. This farm is no longer in the family....the end of an era.
This is a photo of one of my mother's great aunts. Her name remains a mystery.
She was also my mother's great aunt...don't know her name so I decided it should be "Emma".
I love these photos of my adorable husband....my favorite is the one with the missing teeth! I had to make an algebra shirt for him as he loves math!
Esther became one of the most important people in my life. Our relationship began in 1970 when she was my boss at work and grew into being a "Granny" for my daughter and definite kindred spirit for me. She loved my sisters so we all hung out together when they came for a visit. I miss her terribly! The good news is that her daughter, Debbie and I have always been dear friends! So we're bonded for life.
This was without a doubt the best family reunion I experienced with my parents. My dad was close to 80 and he had his prized tractors all ready for the grandkids to drive around the farm. The weather was perfect and all the siblings were there...... traveling from Texas, Tennesee, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Iowa. It was one of those moments in time.....
I love this photo....my mom looks like such a sweet baby with her mother and grandparents!
This is a photo of my parents when they were on a double date. Yes, the other couple were married and ended up with fourteen children! Our family sounds small with 8 children, doesn't it?!
This is a photo I use a lot in my art work....it just appeals to me so much I guess. It was taken of the first corn crop after purchase of the farm in 1956. Already there were six children and he was beginning his career as a farmer who now owned his own land!
I do like this particular photo of my mother and her siblings. She was the oldest. It was one of the studio photos where they already looked like they were on stage...which is why I added the curtain.
Can you believe how time flies? We built a tree house for our daughter when she was seven...it was a total surprise as she was in Texas visiting friends for three weeks. We're almost finished with the construction! I love adding the crown that says "Be Bold" and that definitely describes her. She has gone from a children's designer living in NYC to a practicing attorney!
I can tell that I look a lot like both my grandparents....my nose from my grandmother and my eyes look like my grandfather's. I colored her corsage using chalks. I added eleven buttons to represent the number of children they had.
Oh how I miss Len....who became my brother-in-law when I was in 6th grade! He was my personal hero. I am devastated that he died. I can not find words to describe how incredible he was or words to explain the void!
My grandmother must have had a great time with her friends. She's the one wearing the crown.
I could not believe there was a photo of me when I was nineteen. There are very few photos as my husband and I experienced a devastating flood of 6 feet of water when I was twenty-two years old. We lost everything we owned which of course included photos. (this picture along with the next one were given to me)
How YOUNG we look! This was Bill's first visit to meet my parents before we married. The photo was taken in February in Iowa....and that year there was about 8 feet of snow on the ground. Bill never saw anything like it!
This is what the box looks like with the contents. It's perfect for the coffee table and if anyone wants to take time to view the pages....well....it certainly brings lots of conversation!
View of the Christmas tag book on my mantle. I made each tag book using the same Christmas double sided cardstock....but everything else was unique. No two pages are alike!
This is my fourth Christmas tag book! I could hardly stop once I got started.....the first one (earlier post) for the Calligraphy Guild exchange was more about letters. The second one was for my dear friend and it was a collaboration with my daughter Kimberly. This tag book was more about art and it turned out so adorable. Then I was inspired to make my daughter one (third tag book). I thought that was enough....but then I could not resist making myself one!. I think I am finished now....at least for this season!
View of the last pages of the tag book on my mantle.
I was inspired. My neighbor's friend Barb made her a Halloween tag book. That inspired Jan, my neighbor to make a Thanksgiving tag book. And that inspired me to make a Christmas tag book. Now that's a great chain reaction to ART!
This book is my exchange at a Christmas party.
The dress Sahara is wearing is made using velvet leaves and pedals. It was made by Susan of Stamp Diva.
McDowell's in Dublin came highly recommended to us as the place to purchase our wedding bands. Let me explain how I lost my first wedding band....I took it off while making bread in the kitchen laying it on top of the old refrigerator. The vibrations from the refrigerator had my band falling inside on the back. There was not a way we could take the back apart to retrieve the band. The second band was lost to a foe and not a friend. I had taken it off as my hand was swollen and there it was on my dresser for a dishonest foe. So a few years later at the local flea market, I found a silver band for $6 that had the Runes symbols inscribed. This band I wore for over 15 years.
This is the front of Trinity College. I took gobs of photos as this place was so magical. We had tickets to see the Book of Kells which was amazing. But the breathtaking experience for me was the Library itself at Trinity. The arched beam ceilings rise to an astonding height. Then there are the book shelves soaring at great heights, too. So many ancient volumes so beautifully maintained!
We ate at this restaurant before we went to the theatre. This was one of Kimberly's favorite places when she studied in Dublin. Oh my, they have the best crepes ever in this whole wide world. Yummy!
Bill is inside Lemon where we picked up their menu just in case I want to place an order "to go"!
Click on the photo to see the Heineken sign. It was very cool walking Dublin at night!
You will need to click on this photo to see the amazing casts of shadows on the building and landscaping. There were so many eye-catching photos!
Look at all the cranes! They were everywhere in Dublin.....the city is definitely filled with vitality. (Tulsa is definitely dead...poor Tulsans!)
This clock is very cool. On the hour, the dancers on the clock perform....just like the wall clocks from Germany.
