The Constant Scrapper

If I'm not scrapbooking I'm thinking about scrapbooking!

Janice Daquila-Pardo

Gossip girls

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GossipGirls_Daquila-Pardo

Sometimes what you need is just a night out with the girls.

I’ve met a really fun group of women just by shopping at my local Archiver’s scrapbook store. Every person in this photo, except me, works or has worked at Archiver’s. We met because of a shared hobby, but when we get together, talking about scrapbooking is not on the agenda!

We all gathered on January 4th to celebrate the new year and to see our friend, Sri, who is pursuing her Master’s at the University of Pennsylvania and was home for the holidays. It was a happy few hours…lots of gabbing and laughing.

Front row: Jacquie, Sri, Jennifer, Deborah
Back row: Heather, Ashley, Virginia, me
Not pictured: Susan

Product/technique notes:
I created this layout to participate in the “Use your stash” challenge at Write. Click. Scrapbook. We have to use at least three older products on a project, and on this layout everything is older. Here’s my list: the background paper is from the English Moss collection by ColorBok; the rest of the patterned paper is from the BasicGrey Hello Luscious 6×6 pad; the paper crimper I used on the larger horizontal strip is ooooold; and the McGill mini file tab punch is also from way back in the day.

I also used this sketch from Creative Scrappers:
Creative Scrappers sketch 243 by Juliana Michaels

Valentine rose

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ValentineRose_Daquila-Pardo

I really enjoyed making this Valentine's card for my mommy!

When it came time to make a Valentine’s Day card for my mommy, I pulled out this big rose stamp and started coloring with my Copic markers. As a beginner with Copics, I found this image very fun and satisfying to color. The shading marks provided in the design of the stamp really helped me with making my color-shading decisions, something I continue to struggle with because I lack true art training. But I’m quite happy with how the shading came out on this one, and it was fun!

Now, cutting out this image was another story. Oi! Note to self: Next time you want to use this stamp, do yourself a favor and plan to leave the background intact.

I then created a matching background with Distress Inks and watercolor paper. A lace clear stamp by My Mind’s Eye completed the look.

Time flies when we’re together

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TimeFlies_Daquila-Pardo

I always hate to see my baby bro go back home after our holiday visits.

This photo of me and my baby bro just reminds me of how much fun we had when he came to visit us right after Christmas and into the new year. We were at the airport saying our goodbyes, and Matt snapped a few shots of us. I chose this one out of the bunch because I loved Phil’s laughing smile.

The title has a double meaning: how time figuratively flies when we’re hanging out together and because Phil was about to get on a plane and fly home.

Product/technique notes:
I cut that white background shape with my Cameo and backed the openings with My Mind’s Eye Lime Twist: Out of the Blue patterned papers. I also used MME’s January sketch and am entering this in their sketch challenge.
MME January sketch challenge

Hey, I have great news: I won the sketch contest at My Mind’s Eye! The winner gets a collection of his/her choice, so I picked Collectable » Unforgettable. Yay!

Mom’s favorite class ever

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FavoriteClass_Daquila-Pardo

Mrs. Daquila (Mom) poses with her kindergarten class of 1972-73 in our Willoughby basement.

I can’t decide who was more fortunate that year—the teacher or the students. In the fall of 1972 Mom’s friends, who had children the same age as Phil and me, devised a brilliant plan: Instead of sending their children to various kindergarten programs around town, they proposed sending them all to our house! Mom was a certified teacher, and her friends knew that she would be wonderful for their children. I don’t know how much cajoling it took to get Mom (and Dad’s) agreement to this plan, but convince them they did!

I have some pretty great memories of little moments from that year, like saying the Pledge of Allegiance and singing “Begin the day with happiness” together each morning. Or getting to sing a solo of “Away in a manger” for our Christmas program (yes, the parents came to our basement for the show). I also remember the day I spilled my drink during snack time and having to skip my snack the next day (I certainly give Mom a ribbing about that rule!).

But can you even imagine what a joy that year was for my mom? First, there’s the honor of being asked by your friends to teach their beloved children. And what mother who’s also a teacher wouldn’t want the chance to keep her own children home for one more school year, while at the same time providing them with a good curriculum surrounded by their friends? If we talked about teaching like the movies talk about gangsters, Mom would have pulled off the biggest heist in history!

Product/technique notes:
I am so happy to have had the chance to try the chalkboard look for the title treatment on this layout, and I’ll do a separate post to describe the technique I used. All the patterned papers came from BasicGrey’s Clippings collection. I used the sketch below from Creative Scrappers and am entering it in their challenge.
Creative Scrappers sketch 241

The gift of song

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GiftOfSong_Daquila-Pardo

This layout celebrates one of our Daquila-family Christmas traditions.

Have you ever read about the importance of family rituals to children’s development of identity and feelings of belonging? When I do it impresses upon me, yet again, what a wonderful job my parents did in providing Phil and me with such a stable, loving, tradition-filled environment. Our family’s rituals were many, but it will come as no surprise that my favorites revolved around Christmas.

Over the years we developed many Christmas traditions, but today’s layout celebrates the way we handled Christmas music. Although we had quite a few Christmas albums that we played over and over throughout the season, we had one particular favorite. It was the Anita Kerr Singers’ “Spend this holiday with me.” There was just something different about it that we all loved. In fact, we all knew every note of that record and sang along faithfully.

Our ritual became making sure that this was the first album we played at the beginning of each Christmas season. It HAD to be played before any of the others could be cued up on our huge stereo. Playing this album for the first of many times in the season was our auditory signal that it was time for Christmas.

And now this tradition has made its way into our celebration of Christmas. That sounds like a testament to a good album and a great tradition!

Product/technique notes:
I used papers from Simple Stories “Handmade Holiday” and My Mind’s Eye “Festive” collections to complete this layout.