December Scrapbook Pages and a Sewing Project

December was a busy month, but then it usually is. Band fundraisers, end of semester concerts, dance shows at nursing homes, parties…. it was all fun, but I’m usually glad to see the end of the holiday season arrive. I didn’t get around to cards this year- maybe in the new year? maybe not though. Robotics season  for 2013 begins this coming weekend and the first dance competition is only a few weeks away too. Here’s a pic of the kids Christmas Eve to wish you all a belated Merry Christmas!

  journaling: This was our first year helping with the band fundraising breakfast. I have to say that it was lots of work, and fun too. I was very impressed with how much was planned and how everyone, parents and students both, worked together to make it go smoothly and successfully. More importantly than the amount of money that was made was the fact that the families that attended had a good time and many said that they would be back next year.
credits: October Foundations by Crystal Livesay; Holiday Hoopla Collab at MyScrapbookArt; Stringbats 3 by Kim Jensen at The-LilyPad.com; Light It Up White by Gina Miller at The-LilyPad.com

  credits: Studio Mix #36- Miracle and Magic by The Studio Girls at scrapbookgraphics.com; font: Brush Script Std

journaling: We had an “official” White Christmas in Colorado Springs this year. For the weather service to declare it as an official event, there had to be at least an inch of new snow on the ground by 6AM on Christmas morning. The gentle snowfall began about 6 o’clock on Christmas Eve during the church service and continued through the night. By Christmas morning we had 1.5” of snow on the ground, and the first White Christmas since 1987. It continued to snow off and on all during Christmas day- not enough to make driving around town hard, but it was just enough to give the day a little extra magical sparkle and make us appreciate being able to stay inside next to the warm and cozy fireplace with family.
credits: Studio Mix 37: Puttin on the Glitz by The Studio Girls at scrapbookgraphics.com; font: Echelon

credits: at The-LilyPad.com: Michelle Godin- Christmas Canvas, Snarky Snippets: Winter, Keep Calm Splatter On; Jenn Barrette- Wild Child Mixed Bag; Jacque Larsen- Santa's Helpers; Valorie Wibbens- Stitching Christmas; Gina Cabrera at DigitalDesignEssentials- Holiday Cheer, Holiday Charm; Snow Layer Style by Wendyzine at scrapbookgraphics.com

credits: by Michelle Godin at The-LilyPad.com: Angelica- Art Journal Mini, Heavenly Papers and Heavenly Elements 

   
journaling: Brenna and her friends Alice and Brieyelle are doing a ballet trio together this year to the song “Glow” inspired by the Disney movie Tangled. Though we aren’t using the version with words, it talks about letting the princess in you shine.
credits: Whispers and Summer Nights alpha by Microferk at scrapbookgraphics.com; In Good Company template by Crystal Livesay at Pixels & Company; font: CK Becky

 
journaling: Unfortunately, the girls’ friends at school don’t always understand why they spend so much time at dance. It’s hard to say no to things they would like to do because they have dance class at that particular time. We’ve tried to help foster the friendship between Alice, Brenna and Brieyelle this year by arranging play dates for them outside of the dance studio. Usually they happen after they are done with their trio rehearsal on Saturday afternoons. The three of them enjoy having some unstructured play time together where they can relax and be themselves with friends who enjoy the same things, which makes for much happier girls all week.
credits: at scrapbookgraphics.com: Whispers and Summer Nights Alpha by Microferk, Blended Template 6 by Rosey Posey; Grow with Love Letters: July by Crystal Livesay and Sara Gleason at The-LilyPad.com; Found by Studio 68 at Oscraps.com; Stash Builder Scallops Trim by Megan Turnidge (blog freebie); Adding Light tutorial by Christine Smith
font: CK Becky

 
journaling: Bryce received the gift of Angry Birds in many forms this Christmas- pajama pants (2 pairs), a DS cartridge with 3 different video game versions, and Santa left a ‘real world’ version of the game for him to play with the family. He and the girls had fun building piggie forts on the table and flinging birds at them to try and knock them down. It’s harder than it looks... I think they need more practice!
credits: Ruffled Feathers by Traci Reed and Meg Mullens at SweetShoppeDesigns;  Grow with Love Letters: October by Crystal Livesay and Sara Gleason; at The-LilyPad.com: Angelica (clouds) by Michelle Godin, Sunny Santa (Santa hat) by Kate Hadfield; Christmas 2009 by Jacque Larsen (blog freebie)
font: Feast of Flesh, CK Constitution

I didn’t do a whole lot scrapping during the month of November, as I was working on a sewing project for one of the tap groups at our dance studio. They couldn’t find blue wizard robes like they wanted anywhere- either in the dance costume catalogs or in Halloween costume catalogs- so I was asked to sew them.

 

Between finding the needed materials, altering the pattern just a bit, cutting out all of the pieces for 2 different sizes and actually sewing the robes and hats, I know now just why dance costumes cost so much- the materials aren’t cheap even when you can find a good price, and it takes more time than you realize. Hemming yards and yards of fabric neatly, detail stitching in decorative thread, and hand-sewing on over 11 yards of marabou feather trim all takes a lot more time I thought it would. Now some of that time was because of my space limitations, cutting the fabric in the middle of the kitchen floor isn’t exactly ideal, and having to get all of the supplies out and put away every day takes time too. It was fun to work with something tangible for a change again though, and I have to say that seeing the girls dance in them is pretty neat too! (No, none of my girls are in this group this year, I’m just a sucker for a pleading request from Ms. Cindy to help her out LOL). Now I just have to get all of my own kids’ competition costumes that have come in altered!