two-page layouts

The one with no turkey

November 12, 2011 By Janice Daquila-Pardo Leave a Comment

This has been two-page layout week on Sketch Support, and today my layout is live! Please head over to grab the sketch so you can use it in your own crafting, and while you’re there I would love it if you would leave a quick comment for me. 🙂

Here is a look at the layout I made.

This layout is based on a sketch from www.sketchsupport.com.

I loved this sketch and followed it quite closely. The only changes I made were to use a wider variety of patterned papers in the strips that form the background and to add a hand-crocheted edge at the bottom (for a cozy “sweater-weather” feel).

The journaling reads, “We had started a special diet in October and were doing well on it, so we agreed to forgo the traditional Thanksgiving dinner for a long walk around Town Lake. Although we missed the turkey and fixins, we spent a really lovely day together being thankful and healthy! 11-26-2009”

Here’s a closer look at a few of the details.

I punched evenly spaced holes along the bottom edge of the background and used cream crochet thread to add a simple border.

Be sure to visit the Sketch Support site to pick up this fabulous sketch to use in your own scrapping. 🙂

The colors call to me

October 22, 2011 By Janice Daquila-Pardo Leave a Comment

Blogtoberfest Day 22

In a lot of states (like Ohio, where I grew up), you experience the autumnal change of colors when you look out your window. I truly miss that part of living in the north. Now that we’re in Texas, we have to go where the colors are. There’s a great little state park about 3.5 hours from us that has a spectacular stand of maples and other deciduous trees that, when the weather conditions have been favorable to them, release glorious color.

It’s not time yet to make this trek, as it usually occurs around the end of October/beginning of November. But I am itching to see those fall colors. So, I’m sharing a layout today of our first trip to Lost Maples in 2008. The photos are from November 2nd, and the layout is from November 15th, 2008 (I guess I couldn’t wait to print out these photos and immortalize our trip!).

We had such a beautiful day hiking and admiring the handiwork of God.

The journaling reads:

Head out early for a day at Lost Maples State Natural Area in Vanderpool
Get lost and drive an hour past the turn to Vanderpool
Find the cowboy town of Bandera and take an antique break
Finally arrive at the state park at 4:00; the park closes at dark!
Opt for the longer 5-mile hike, which helps us lose the crowds
Slip on the rubble on the steep walk down the mountain and turn my ankle
Almost run out of gas on the drive home
Have a wonderful fall day together out in nature

I hope you enjoy this wonderful fall day!

Blogtoberfest Day 16

October 16, 2011 By Janice Daquila-Pardo Leave a Comment

National Feral Cat Day

Today is National Feral Cat Day! This annual event is coordinated by Alley Cat Allies as a way to raise awareness about feral cats, promote Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), and recognize the millions of compassionate Americans who care for feral cats. Each year cat welfare groups and cat lovers across the country plan events to help educate people in their communities about feral cats and TNR. This year there are over 300 events planned in all 50 states.

Matt and I are involved in feral cat rescue efforts in our local area. We take great pride and pleasure in helping improve/save the lives of cats without homes. In fact, layouts of cats that you may have seen or will see on my blog are of those we have trapped and fostered.

Our favorite local cat rescue organization is Shadow Cats, a group “dedicated to improving the lives of community cats through humane advocacy.” The reason we like them so much is that they are dedicated to the care of the current resident population of ill, immune compromised, injured and senior cats. In other words, they take the cats who would not otherwise have any hope.

So, when Shadow Cats recently held an art market fundraiser, I decided to use my craft supplies and creativity to make a scrapbook album for them to auction. I made the album in all one color palette, using a subtle cat theme (mostly through my titles and a few images) and with spaces for only 4×6 photos (so there would be no cropping needed by the person who ends up with it).

I had a great time creating this project and hope that someone who has a beloved cat or cats will enjoy it forever. Have you ever used your crafting habit to help an organization in whose work you believe? I can highly recommend it. It made me feel warm and fuzzy—like a cat! 🙂