Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking

Scrapbook Improv and Goal Setting

I took a 6 week Improv Class a year or so ago and I found that what I learned in the class helped me be more creative and prolific in my scrapbooking process; I think that so many of the concepts from improvisational comedy can be applied to scrapbooking, life, goal setting, and really, anything else you are trying to do.  I will be blogging about Scrapbook Improv every Thursday in 2013 and my goal is not to be funny but rather to try to explain how improvisational comedy concepts can be applied to your scrapbooking and your life.

I'm not the only one who thinks Improv can be applied to other areas of life, Tina Fey thinks so too; so hey, it must be true right?  There is a great article called  "Tina Fey's Rules for Improv and Your Career" about Tina Fey's book "Bossypants" on the Women 2.0 blog by Bryce Christensen. I think many of these Improv Rules can also be applied to your life and to your scrapbooking.   Take Rule #4:

"Rule #4 — There Are No Mistakes… Only Opportunities

If I start a scene as what I think is very clearly a cop riding a bicycle, but you think I am a hamster in a hamster wheel, guess what?

Now I’m a hamster in a hamster wheel. I’m not going to stop everything to explain that it was really supposed to be a bike. Who knows? Maybe I’ll end up being a police hamster who’s been put on “hamster wheel” duty because I’m “too much of a loose cannon” in the field.

In improv there are no mistakes, only beautiful happy accidents. And many of the world’s greatest discoveries have been by accident. I mean, look at the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, or Botox.

Lesson: Stay Positive, Learn to Adapt

If you do work of any meaning, mistakes are going to happen. Imagine the difference one simple change in attitude like this can make on having a positive work environment.

Just like improv, not every project will go as planned. You can take the amateur approach; stop the scene, destroy the momentum, and start over. Or you can be a pro; adapt to the change, make it your own, and do something greater."

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The lesson of staying positive and learning to adapt really speaks to me in my weight loss journey right now.  A few years ago,  I made a big declaration of weight loss: I wanted to lose 50 pounds.   I got really close but then I fell of the weight loss wagon and I lost a lot of ground.  So instead of becoming discouraged (or letting myself go too far down that road), I am trying to "be a pro, adapt to the change"  and stay positive rather than stopping the effort and beating myself up about having to start over.  I made a scrapbook page about making smaller goals in my weight loss journey.

Want more ideas for scrapbooking your goals?  Check out the Get it Scrapped Blog Post "Ideas for Scrapbooking Your Goals".

Want more ideas for using improv concepts in your scrapbooking?  I plan to write about Scrapbook Improv on this blog every Thursday of 2013.  Meantime, if you'd like to read what I've written on Scrapbook Improv see these articles:

1. Scrapbook Improv and Creative Flow

2. Being Present in your Scrapbooking Process & an SNL (Saturday Night Live) Mini Book

3. Improv for Scrapbookers and Creative Types

4. Applying the "Yes And" Attitude of Improv to Scrapbooking

5. Using the Improv Principle of "Taking it the Wrong Way" in Scrapbooking

 

The Century Scrapbook Project: 1940 & Valedictorian at Mount Allison University!

Isn't it weird how you can discover things about people you knew, that you never knew!  Yesterday I was looking at the obituary for  my "Nana" (grandmother) Ruby Grieve Fenderson and noticed that she had been the Valedictorian of her graduating class at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada.  I emailed the school to find out what year she graduated and they responded right away with the answer: 1940!

Journaling:  "Dear Nana, I remember you mentioning that you had been a math teacher and I knew you went to college, but I didn't know where - so cool that it was Mount Allison (my daughter's name is Allison) - or that you were Valedictorian!  Love Katie."

I scanned in her photo and used a reprint for this page.  I found the old postcard print of Mount Allison University on the internet, I think it is good to put these events - like graduating as valedictorian - into context of place - especially since I maybe saw this university once as a child but maybe never did; anyway - a picture is worth a thousand words right - it is nice to see what the place looks like.  I have been finding lots of photos old schools and churches on the internet for The Century Scrapbook Album.

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I am attaching her obituary printout to the back of this layout:

Saturday, July 24, 2004 - Bangor Daily NewsBANGOR and CALAIS Ruby E. Fenderson, 85, wife of the late Frank Fenderson, died July 22, 2004, at a Bangor hospital. She was born Oct. 25, 1918, in Harvey Station, New Brunswick, the daughter of Frederick and Sara (Wightman) Grieve. Ruby graduated from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, as Valedictorian, following college she taught mathematics in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, where she met Frank at a skating rink while "White Christmas" was playing. She was married on Feb. 9, 1944. Ruby was an active volunteer and mother; she enjoyed gardening, painting, and collecting antiques. She was devoted to her husband, Frank, through 54 years of marriage until his death in March 1998. She is survived by one daughter, Carolyn and her husband, Ray Lapointe, of Glocester, R.I.; one son, David Fenderson of Veazie; her daughter-in-law, Margrette Fenderson of Veazie; six grandchildren, Kathryn Scott of St. Petersburg, Fla., Jennifer Fenderson of Springfield, Mo., Cherilyn Palmer, Catherine Stone, and Crista Fenderson, all of Sarasota, Fla., Craig Fenderson of Grande Prairie, Texas; nine great-grandchildren; a nephew, Laverne Swan and his wife, Bonnie, of Harvey Station, New Brunswick; and special friend, Mildred Butler of St. George, New Brunswick. In addition to her parents, and husband, she was predeceased by two sisters, Hazel Cameron and Doris Grieve; brother, Stanley Grieve; and her son, Robert Fenderson. A service of remembrance will be held 11 a.m. Monday, July 26, at All Souls Congregational Church, Bangor, with the Rev. Dr. James L. Haddix, Pastor and Teacher, officiating. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments in the Hearth Room immediately following the service. Graveside services will be held 5 p.m. Monday, July 26, at the Calais Cemetery, with the Rev. Dianne Graham, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Calais, officiating. Gifts in her memory may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association, Maine Chapter, 163 Lancaster St., Suite 160B, Portland, ME 04101. A service of Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor.

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P.S. I got an email from Allison University today stating that Ruby was NOT actually the valedictorian :

"Hi Katie,

As Brian mentioned your grandmother graduated in the Class of 1940.  I have copies of the convocation programme but the valedictorian appears to have been Alexander MacIntosh.  Your grandmother graduated magna cum laude with an arts degree.  Her picture appears on page 33 of the Allisonian yearbook but I have been unable to locate other references to images of her.

I can make photocopies or scanned reproductions of the items but there is a charge of 29 cents a page with a $5 handling fee.

Let me know how you wish to proceed.

Thanks,

David Mawhinney
University Archivist
Mount Allison University"

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So now I'm wondering how to change the scrapbook layout!

Get it Scrapped Post: More Ideas for 5 Photo Scrapbook Layouts

I am lucky enough to live next door to my in-laws; it was actually my decision to buy the house next door to them.  I grew up near my own grandparents and I wanted my children to have that same experience.  This past year my daughter goes to Grammy's house until we get home from work.  Grammy is 89 years old!  The two of them spend time making things, painting, playing backgammon, and doing puzzles.  I loved the papers from Jillibean Soup for this page because there were old style phone numbers  and thread spools - Allison spends time calling us on the phone and sewing with Grammy so these papers hinted at some of their activities.

I took this series of photos on the last day of school last year and thought it was time to get them on a page since this new school year has already started.

I used Debbie Hodge's layout (link: http://debbiehodge.c...ivedForWeb1.jpg ) Received as my inspiration and while I didn't follow it exactly, it did give me a starting point for the page.  I've also had the concept of "full bleed" on the brain for the last month or so - Get It Scrapped did a post about this a few months ago, so I decided to arrange my 5 photos in a series across the page in a full bleed way.  I think that the photos going to the edge of the page in a series hints at the fact that this activity is ongoing (maybe that's a stretch - but it sort of looks to me like - hey slow down and look a this - because life moves fast and this is special so notice it).

I've also been having fun with Instagram lately and I photographed this page in progress and put it up on instagram.

Supplies:  Jillibean Soup, Recollections, Margie Romney Aslett's line (numbers), machine stitching.

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Want more ideas for 5 photo scrapbook pages?  Head over to Get It Scrapped!

Get It Scrapped Post: Office Themed Scrapbook Supplies

I thought it might be fun to use office themed supplies on a back to school page.  The alphabet strip from the Cosmo Cricket paper worked well with the school theme.

Journaling: "Every year - its become a tradition that I take a photo of the kids in front of the front gate.  The kids cooperate and this year they knew what to expect in their 2nd year at the "new" school."

Supplies:  Creative Imagination, Cosmo Cricket, Rusty Pickle & October Afternoon Papers. My Mind's Eye Bracket Stamp.

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For more Office Print Pattered Papers Scrapbooking Ideas, head over to the post at Get It Scrapped!

 

Get It Scrapped Post: Long Titles

My Aunt Cary came over recently with a big box of old photos from my Grandparents' house.  My Grandparents have been gone for several years now and we had always intended to go through their photos and get them scanned etc. but never the time until now!  It is so exciting to see these old photos - some of which I'd never seen before.

What struck me was that most of the photos my Grandfather took were of my Grandma and of everyday life - so Project Life right?  Except he did this in 1970 something - long before digital cameras and long before people took photos of the fireplace, the table setting and a person reading the paper or clipping coupons.

So the Title was best as a LONG TITLE because I wanted to give that perspective of how my Grandpa was doing in the 1970s what all of us modern scrapbookers are doing now.  I made the big parts of the title with my Quikutz and had intended to use a smaller font with die cuts for the rest of the title - but that's a lot of die cutting - so I hunted around until I found my Jenni Bowlin Studios letter stickers - using these cute little letter stickers made this long title go together much more quickly than if I would have die cut the whole thing!  And the Jenni Bowlin tiny alphabets have lots of all the important letters so I didn't worry about running out of "e"s or "s"s.

TITLE:  Grandpa Allen Documented Everyday Life Long Before It Was Trendy: 1970-something

JOURNALING: "I love these photos because they are how I remember my grandparents' house and how I remember my favorite couple."  "Grandpa's favorite subject was Grandma but he did manage to get a self portrait - look at the man in the mirror with the camera!"  (right under the second "y" in everyday).

SUPPLIES:  Jenni Bowlin, Cosmo Cricket, Quickutz.

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Head over to Get It Scrapped for More Ideas for Scrapbook Pages with Long Titles

Get It Scrapped Post: Scrapbooking the Color Blue

Journaling:  "Allison makes Barbie clothes and furniture - here she is making Barbie house shutters that really work.  BLUE PRINTS?  Daddy always uses them & Mommy never does.  Allison makes lots of stuff all by herself.  Can you guess if Allison uses Blue Prints?  yes or no?"

Story: My husband and I are polar opposites when it comes to attacking a project - he's a planner and I like to wing it.  My son takes after me, but I'm not so sure about my daughter - I think she's a mix - I'm going to ask her about this after school and write the answer on the back of the page!

Supplies:  Colorbok, DVWV, American Crafts, machine stitching.

Want more ideas for scrapbooking with the color blue?  Head over to Get It Scrapped's post: Scrapbooking with the Color Blue

The Century Scrapbook Project: 1960 & Stamp Collecting

This is the product of the research I did in The Century Scrapbook Project Episode #11 - I tucked the research and a few of the original envelopes in the pocket.

The Century Scrapbook Project: 1950 & Old Home Movies

I used my October Counterfeit Kit Challenge Kit to make this simple and unembellished page about my Dad and his family in 1950 when he was about 3 years old: 

I took these photos on my Sony Disc camera in 2002 by playing the old family movie and taking pictures of the television.  You might say I was doing a bit of hybrid scrapbooking back in 2002 because I did that collage back then.  I'm not totally happy with the margins on the old collage but I decided to use it anyway for this page.  I'm also guessing at the date since my father, Robert Thomas Fenderson was born in August of 1947, he looks like he is about 3 in these photos. 

I must say it is very satisfying to be getting pages done for my Century Scrapbook Album - it finally feels like I am making some progress into my family history and the organization of all of the records and photos.  Even if the rest of it is not completely organized, it will be so wonderful to have one scrapbook album that encompasses a century of memories.  I am hoping to have it finished before Thanksgiving so that I can share it with my family then.

If you are working on family history scrapbooking, please leave a comment with your tips or questions.  I would love to hear from you.

Two Tips for Family Research:

1. The British Version of "Who Do You Think You Are" is now on YouTube!  It is incredibly interesting.

2. You can find lots of bits in the Brown University Library - I found that High School Graduation programme from 1903 there. 

 

The Century Scrapbook Project: 1903 & Proof of New Bedford High School Graduation

"When Aunt Cary showed me this photo of Albert P. Cunningham, my great-grandfather, she mentioned that he was a smart man who never graduated from high school, but I noticed the emblem at the bottom of the photo "NBH" New Bedford High '03 or 1903.  I found proof that Albert Cunningham did graduate!  Hecompleted the 3 year commercial course (rather than the 4 year college course)."

I did a search on the internet and happened upon the Brown University Online Library and found the programme for the New Bedford High School Graduation Exercises on Wednesday, June 24, 1903 at the New Bedford Theatre.  Albert Preston Cunningham is listed under the Commercial Course (three years).  He went on to be successful in the banking industry in New Bedford.

This is the scrapbook page I made for the year 1903:

I also found the 1900 Census which showed that Albert Preston Cunningham lived with his parents and three sisters at 242 Chancery Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts.  Albert Cunningham was born in December 1885.  I added some of that information on the journaling card to the right of the photo.

I have now completed 20 pages in The Century Scrapbook Project! 

 

 

The Century Scrapbook Project Episode #10: 1922 & Bachrach Photography

My Grandfather had his portrait taken by Bachrach in 1922, he was six.  Bachrach Photography Studios started in 1868 and is the oldest continuously operating photography studio in the world!  Founder David Bachrach took the only photo of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. 

So this page and the story is all about Bachrach Photography and I printed out a few bits from the internet and slipped them in the pocket.  The light bulb sticker was perfect for the portrait of Thomas Edison - also taken in 1922 by Bachrach.

I used a homemade kit to make this page, watch to see how I put it together:

Video streaming by Ustream 

The Century Scrapbook Project: Episode #9 & 1992 & The October Counterfeit Kit Challenge

Have you made your October Counterfeit Kit Challenge Kit yet? 

I have and it is so much fun to get it out and play!

Lately I've had an itch to travel but don't have the ability to go like I did back in college - those were the days - when I could pick up and go for three weeks, with a friend and a backpack and a Eurorail Pass.  Seriously, it was good and it was true.  My sister is going to Europe soon and I guess that's got me thinking about travel.

Here is the completed page which will go into The Century Scrapbook Project:

Here is a closer look at the story:

Want to see how I made the page?  Check out this ustream video showing from start to finish:

Video streaming by Ustream 

Get It Scrapped Post: Menswear

I like using muted colors or neutrals with bright colors; I like the contrast.  On this page, I didn't use color for contrast, instead, I wanted to use the houndstooth pattern as a contrast to the doilies, flowers and butterfly.   I like this contrast because this was 1943: a time in my grandmother's life when she had graduated from college and had just married my grandfather but contrast with that it was an uncertain time because of WWII.

I scanned in the photo and the back of the photo so that I used her name in her own handwriting at the top right.

Journaling:  "This is Grandma Grace Zita Flavin Cunningham.  She was born on March 3, 1918 so she would have been 25 years old. This photo is probably her college graduation photo, but it could have been shortly afterwards.  She went to college in Boston and so did Grandpa Allen and she used to tell me stories about when she'd sneak out her dorm room window to go on dates with him!"

Supplies:  Jenni Bowlin rub on butterfly; Jenni Bowlin, Basic Grey & October Afternoon Papers.

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Go to Get It Scrapped to see more Menswear Prints Inspired Layouts from Kiki Kougioumtzi, Amy Kingsford, Barb Brookbank, Ashley Horton, Deborah Wagner, Amber Ries, Corrie Jones, Kim Watson, Tiffany Tillman, Christy Strickler, Leah Farquharson, Doris Sander, Amanda Jones, and Audrey Tan.

The Century Scrapbook Project: 1982

I'm guessing my Dad snapped this photo of my sister.  Judging from her dress, I'm guessing that we were going to or coming from the Sears Portrait Studio because I'm pretty sure we've got portraits in sundresses and since my parents were divorced, my Dad would usually try to bring us to have our pictures taken whenever we were all together.  I think at this time I had started living with my Dad, but my sister lived in another state with my Mom.   I would have had to guess at the date but there was a calendar on the wall showing that it was 1982.  Check out the computer and the phone! 

The Century Scrapbook Project Episode #8: 1970 & Making One Page for Each Year of a Century

Here's where my story officially started.   I jotted down where and when I was born and the names of my parents.  The two photos on the left are reprints from scans of the originals and the photo on the right is an original.  Before using the original photo, I snapped a photo of the photos in case I want to use any of these in any future projects. 

Video streaming by Ustream Check out the video to see my progress in the Century Scrapbook Project Album, so far I have pages for 1912, 1925, 1935, 1945, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1977, 1985, 1991, 2002, 2007, 2008, and 2012 so that's 14 down and something like 98 to so since I am starting with the year 1900 and going all the way up to 2012.

 

 

 

The Century Scrapbook Project: 1969

I promise I'll get back to the videos tomorrow - I have almost no uninterrupted time on the weekends. Meantime, here's a simple page about my Dad's graduation from the University of Maine exactly one year before I was born.  I scanned the backs of the photos and used those as the journaling bits on the left of the photos.  I'm not totally thilled with this page - ie. I think the blue in the strip on the left is out of place with the aqua in the title and brackets, but this project makes it easy to get the pages done because the more I do, the more I see that needs to be done.  I could easily fill up a century of pages and then some.

Are you thinking of doing a family history scrapbook project?  Please leave a question or comment, I'd love to answer it in a video tomorrow.