Layouts using 3x4 journaling cards

Who rescued whom?

February 27, 2015 By Janice Daquila-Pardo 2 Comments

We rescued our beloved Oliver from a busy highway in 2002. He was a tiny kitten and sorely needed our help. But ever since whisking him out of harm’s way and bringing him home to live with us, we are the ones who have needed him. He has made us more loving people and brought us such great joy. Apparently, Oliver Longfellow Daquila-Pardo, you have rescued us.

Product/technique notes

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). I designed the title and cut it with my Silhouette Cameo and hand stitched across the two pages to mimic the stitching and banners on the journaling card.

Note: I’m submitting this to the Paper Issues “Prints Charming Beautiful Papers” link party.

Hello my name is artsy fartsy

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

These photos are from my freshman year in college (the 1985-86 school year). On a cold Saturday during winter quarter a little group of friends decided to dig up some fun for ourselves, so we went in search of photo opportunities. We were fortunate and found this building on the edge of campus that had some interesting recyclables and a wall mural. We made the most of it!

In my experience, there’s nothing like the fun you create for yourself.

L-R across the spread: 1) Jim Conlan; 2) my brother, Phil, and Micki McNiece Yackin; and 3) Jim Conlan, me and Micki

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), and I followed this Rochelle Spears sketch.
Rochelle Spear's Back Porch Memories sketch 3

Halloween 1975: Divvying up the loot

October 13, 2014 By Janice Daquila-Pardo 8 Comments

It was Halloween night in 1975, and my brother and I had just come home from haunting our neighbors for treats.

I remember quite well donning that homemade gypsy costume. I loved getting to wear the huge black hoop earrings (well before I had pierced ears) and head scarf. And what little girl doesn’t yearn for the opportunity to wear gobs of makeup? Unfortunately, I can’t remember where my mom came up with that flowered dress I was wearing, although I know that many of my costumes over the years came straight out of the depths of her closet.

Phil looks like he must have already downed some candy by the time this photo was taken because I’m pretty sure that red blotchy area around his mouth started out as a full set of red clown lips. And who doesn’t love a clown with a practical streak who wears a stocking cap on a cold Ohio Halloween night?

But as I was working on scrapping this memory, one thing that really stood out to me was the packs of candy cigarettes on the table. Can you believe people gave those away to children and that parents didn’t think it was a problem to let their kids “smoke” them? The good old days!

Product/technique notes

I crafted this layout based on this great PageMaps sketch created exclusively for Back Porch Memories and am entering it into their November guest designer contest. My products came from quite a variety of companies: The papers are from KI Memories and Fancy Pants, and the stickers and other embellishments are from American Crafts, Bella Boulevard and Studio G. I really love the added detail provided by that Martha Stewart punch-around-the-page spider web.

Reminder:

Don’t miss out on participating in my Blogtoberfest sketch contest for a great holiday-themed prize package!

Using stitching on a layout as more than just decoration

October 2, 2014 By Janice Daquila-Pardo Leave a Comment

Say bon voyage to boring layouts with hand stitching!

Stitching on scrapbook pages is used all the time—I use it all the time—to accent and decorate. It’s a beautiful way to highlight a portion of your design and makes a page more special. But it needn’t always be relegated to the embellishment category on our layouts. In the case of today’s page, you can see that it provides much of the meaning, too.

I wanted to leave as much of my background map paper on show as possible, but I didn’t want my page to be too simple, lest it turn out boring. As I thought about all the trips my mom has taken over the years during her summer breaks from teaching, it hit me that the design needed a fanciful flight pattern to complete the look and the message. And stitching was the perfect way to do that! I doodled a quick curlicue path with pencil, pierced holes along the route and stitched it with hot pink embroidery floss to match my mom’s shirt.

Celebrate Blogtoberfest with me all month!

This October I celebrate four years of scrapbook blogging! And that makes me feel like having a little party, so I’m hosting Blogtoberfest. Sorry, you’ll have to supply your own beer and brats, but I’ll bring the paper-crafting inspiration:

sketches
tutorials
product reviews
free cut files
a giveaway: I’ll reveal the details a little later

“Roll out the paper.
We’ll have a barrel of fun!”

I do hope you’ll join me often this month and help me celebrate the good things that scrapbooking brings to our lives.

Product/technique notes

The travel-themed patterned papers I used are from Jillibean Soup’s “Sightseeing Stew” collection, and the others are older scraps from my stash. The airplane is a foam Thickers sticker.

Our shared graduation party

September 15, 2014 By Janice Daquila-Pardo 5 Comments

What a big day high school graduation is in the life of a teenager...and his/her parents!

My younger brother and I went to school together. And by that I mean that we started first grade on the same day in 1973 and graduated high school on the same day in 1985. In fact, we started and graduated college on the same days as well, but that’s a story for another day. We essentially attended school as twins, even though we’re 13.5 months apart in age (because Phil started a year early).

So of course we celebrated our graduation party together. Mom and Dad put together a lovely fête in our Willoughby, Ohio, back yard and invited our friends and relatives. The top photo is of Dad, me, Mom and Phil. The bottom photo includes our grandparents on Mom’s side (seated), our Uncle Earl and Aunt Mary Lou, our Nana on Dad’s side and our Aunt Rose.

Product/technique notes

I created this layout to participate in the Scrap & Play challenge #9. The patterned papers are from a K&Co Amy Bulter pad and the journaling card, stickers and washi tape are from My Mind’s Eye’s “Now & Then: Dorothy” collection. I cut the title on my Silhouette, and the border punches are by Martha Stewart and Fiskars.

« Previous Page