Feis Album Showcase

 

Hello Hello

Welcome to my 1st showcase -

Today I want to share with you a project that has been very near and dear to me. My best friend asked me about 2 years ago to make her daughter a 'traditional' scrapbook to collect all the photos and ephemera from her first year of Irish Dance. 

To be completely honest I am not a traditional scrapbooker, 

I prefer to call what I do…

Scrap Art

So naturally I said to my best friend, "Sure absolutely, when would you like it?" 

We settled on me having it done by her birthday which gave me more than enough time and well…

I waited

and

waited

and waited some more

(i'm a bit of a procrastinator if it weren't for the last minute 

i wouldn't get a thing done) 

What was I really waiting for? 

For the fear to pass, and not only that but the dread and the panic…

I mean after all this is my best friend - has been since the 6th grade - and what if I disappoint?

I had so much stress about it that I lost about half of the time that we agreed on.

So then of course I went straight into 'Panic’ mode and well…

You may be asking yourself, 

"why in the world would you say yes if it was going to be such a stressful undertaking?"

Good Question!

I like stress & panic

NOT  

but seriously I'll tell ya what do like:

...I like a challenge

...I like to shake things up

...I like to dare something new 

...I like to jump out of my comfort zone 

(even if in this case i was so far out i may as well have jumped right outta my skin)

but

BUT

Look

and

See

 

I did it!!! 

I refused to let my fear scare me 

I refused to let my insecurity intimidate my creativity 

I refused to let my head out smart my heart

I refused to say NO

I decided to

Dance!!!

I think that there are a lot of great truths out there, that are there for the taking, for the owning; we just have to be willing not to bullshit ourselves into to thinking that we aren't good enough, or worthy enough - but on the same hand we have to not lie to ourselves about who and what we really are. I got caught up in all my fear and insecurity (which stem from other areas in my life) that it really did almost disable me but then I got to thinking...if this were me having to cater for a special celebration then I would have absolutely every right to those thoughts and feelings of not being good enough, but this is crafting & creating that we were talking about and by God I might not be a cook and nor will I ever claim to be but I am for damn sure a crafter.

I am a creative person - I always have been, 

I am a visual person, and I am a passionate person 

so if there is one thing I know to be true about myself, it's that if I put my mind to tackle what my heart already knows, nothing is going to stop me from doing what I love, 

not even me.

So as the saying goes, 

"the rest is history".

Now about the album:

I used an American Crafts black cloth covered 3 ring binder with 20 8 1/2 by 11 pages protectors.  This one also has a photo frame on the front cover for a 4 x 5 picture - I think. You may have counted the layouts and yes there are only 16, I did this on purpose because I wanted Tami to have a couple of blank spots to insert dance schedules and awards and maybe a couple of extra large photos so that all the details in her daughter's dress(es) wouldn't go unnoticed. The paper packs I used were Posh from Teresa Collins and also the Be Mine by Echo Park Paper Co. I have used lots and lots of other products throughout and although I wish I had now, I did not at the time keep track of everything...so unfortunately I can not give you any more details or brand names other than what I've already listed - I apologize. What I can tell you however is that this album is super interactive. I have added everything that I could think to add in. There are tags that pull out, there are some that tuck in, there is a mini book that has several pages for journaling, there is a photo frame for 'the' picture to be added, there's even one photo mat that has a ribbon that can be tied around it, and there is an entire page that has a 'top 10' to fill in, I even added a zipper that actually functions.

  So there you have it, a completed scrap book album that eventually will be filled to the brim with lots & lots of photos and ephemera - bits & pieces from here and there - but most importantly it will hold safe all the moments that have now become some wonderful, cherished memories. I hope that my best friend and her daughter are able to look back through this time and time again and just be filled with joy and fondness for the journey that they both embarked on together. Tami for her love of all things Irish and her little girl who just wanted to dance to the music.

I am eager, as with my own two daughters, to see how our girls grow up - the women they will become. I think that we as mothers of daughters realize the struggle to raise a girl who is confident but not conceited, a girl who is kind-hearted but not a push-over, someone who is intelligent & independent but who can also enjoy life and love.

So to all of us mothers with daughters,  I raise my glass to you...to us!  Let us become the examples  that we want our daughters to be, let us not sit aside and be idle, let us stand up & dust ourselves off because… 

It's Time To Dance!!

Thank 

you 

for 

taking 

time 

out 

of 

your 

busy 

day  

to 

pop 

in, 

 I 
hope
you 

have 

enjoyed 

your 

stay,

next

time

say,

"HI". 

If

you,

any

of

you,

have

any

questions

or

suggestions

please

leave

me

a

comment. 

just

B