Janice Daquila-Pardo

The Cleveland Flats

February 10, 2015 By Janice Daquila-Pardo Leave a Comment

I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. And once I was old enough to start enjoying a nightlife with friends, it was the Flats in downtown Cleveland where we headed when we really wanted to party. Wikipedia says, “The Flats is a mixed-use industrial, entertainment, and increasingly residential area of Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The name reflects its low-lying topography on the banks of the Cuyahoga River.” It was rich with bars, restaurants and music venues.

When I recently came upon this photo of my mom and friends down in the Flats in the summer of 1990, I conducted a little Google search about the area to find out what it’s like now. I wanted to see how much the Flats had grown since I moved away. Much to my surprise, I read this: “The Flats’ heyday as an entertainment destination was short-lived. Three drowning deaths in one month in 2000, along with a city crackdown on fire and health code violations led to the closing of many bars. Patrons becoming scared off due to safety concerns led to a sharp decrease in business. While this was a boon for the redevelopment for the Warehouse District, the area just up the hill from the East Bank, it sent shock waves through the Flats’ redevelopment from which it has never fully recovered. Most of the East Bank has gone “dark” due to the number of businesses that have closed.”

Whoa. Not at all what I expected to read! I guess that’s what happens when you move away from an area and don’t really look back. Things happen without your knowing.

It’s too bad that things have changed so much in that area, but I still have great memories of time spent there. The peeps in my photo are: Mom, Mark Mathes, Hansel Moore, Phil (my baby bro) and Jenny Schwann.

Product/technique notes

All the Echo Park “Anything Goes” products I used to create this layout came from the Back Porch Memories February kit (thank you to BPM for allowing me to be a part of their design team through March). I followed this Rochelle Spears sketch and used a combination of Silhouette cut file and Thickers for my title.
Back Porch Memories sketch by Rochelle Spears

Love you beyond the stars

February 5, 2015 By Janice Daquila-Pardo Leave a Comment

Although love is big on all our minds in February anyway, I started thinking about the fact that because Matt and I originally met in February that gives us another great reason to celebrate love and life in addition to Valentine’s Day.

My journaling reads: “Some days creep up on you and change your life. Monday, February 5, 1996, was such a day for me. It’s almost more than I can get my head around how much life began to shift once Matt breezed into my office at UNC-CH’s Manning Hall that morning. Can that really have been 19 years ago?”

Product/technique notes

This clean and simple page came together so quickly, as it uses both sides of one piece of patterned paper (the stars at the top and the polka dots with heart embellishment at the bottom) plus a 6×4 card cut from another piece from that collection. Pop it all on a contrasting card stock background, add a pre-made chipboard frame for the title and you have a sweet page about love. All the Bo Bunny “Star-Crossed” products I used to create this layout came from the Back Porch Memories February kit (thank you to BPM for allowing me to be a part of their design team through March).

The catbird seat

January 31, 2015 By Janice Daquila-Pardo 2 Comments

My brother is a man of many passions. One of his current obsessions is The New Yorker magazine—its articles and history. While Phil visited us for the Christmas/New Year’s holiday, he read aloud to me a good bit of the book pictured here by James Thurber. Thurber was a cartoonist, author, journalist and playwright, best known for his cartoons and short stories that were published in The New Yorker magazine.

Because Phil was so “into” this topic while he was visiting, I asked him to let me take a photo of him reading the book. As soon as he sat down, as if on cue, Flash jumped up to read along with him! When I asked Phil what he thought I ought to title this page, he replied, “How about ‘The catbird seat,’ one of Thurber’s short stories.” Just purrfect!

Product/technique notes

Notice that I overlaid the title stickers in the “empty” space at the bottom of the photo. In this case, it worked quite well because the slope of my brother’s left leg and foot direct the viewer’s eye right to the title. So, the eye rests first on his face and the cat, then slides down the leg to the title and finally roams around the details of the circle grid to figure out how the patterned papers support my story. It helps connect everything.

I used patterned papers from BasicGrey’s “Oxford” and “Out of Print” collections and followed Let’s Capture Our Memories sketch #107.

Sparkle and shine

January 22, 2015 By Janice Daquila-Pardo Leave a Comment

This 1970 photo has always been a favorite of mine. I mean, get a load of that mane! I have worn my hair short for so much of my life now that a photo of me with wild and voluminous locks is rare indeed.

Of course, it’s also sweet because it’s unposed. From the look of things I was pretty engrossed in that book when my mom called my name and snapped this shot.

Product/technique notes

All the products I used to create this layout came from the Back Porch Memories January kit (thank you to BPM for allowing me to be a part of their design team for the next three months!). The pretty patterned papers are from Pink Paislee’s “Bella Rouge” collection, just perfect for a layout about a little girl.

Tutorial: Make a planner for the new year

January 19, 2015 By Janice Daquila-Pardo Leave a Comment

If the raw potential of a new year makes you feel like planning, then you might want to make this mini album to use as a way of organizing yourself.

All the products I used to create this came from the Back Porch Memories January kit (thank you to BPM for allowing me to be a part of their design team for the next three months!). The patterned papers are from BoBunny’s “Souvenir” collection.

Here’s a view of the inside of the accordion album with pockets on every other page.

You will need:
3 pieces of 12×12 cardstock
1 piece of 12×6 patterned paper
12 4×3 pieces of patterned paper for the pockets

Tutorial

Score the three pieces of cardstock at 4 inches and 8 inches. Then cut each down into two 12×6 pieces. You will have six scored 12×6 pieces.
Accordion fold the scored pieces and glue them together by overlapping the end flap of each. This will create an album with 12 two-page spreads.
Put a thin line of glue around three sides of each 4×3 pocket and adhere them to every other panel, including the back side of the accordion. When you’ve completed this step, on each of the two-page spreads you will have a blank left panel and a pocket on the right panel.

Put a thin line of glue around the sides and bottom of each pocket.

Make the cover by scoring the 12×6 piece of patterned paper at 3.5 inches, 4.5 inches, 8.5 inches and 9.5 inches. Adhere one end of your accordion to the inside center of the cover.
Now decorate your cover and either tie a length of ribbon around the whole thing to close it or attach two buttons and wrap with twine, as I did.

My planner’s cover, decorated and secured with a button-and-string closure.

On the left panel of each spread you can make notes or adhere photos or a calendar. And the pocket panel can be used to stash memorabilia, more photos, etc. I think I’m going to use my album to plan layouts and blog posts! I hope your planner assists you in organizing your new year, too.

« Previous Page