Memories

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!