In 1999 I was introduced to the world of scrapbooking. My 1st niece was about to graduate from high school so I thought a scrapbook would be the perfect personal gift from me.
That got the ball rolling for 'the graduation scrapbook' gift from Auntie Lo!
Over the years since that first graduation I have made one for her sister, my three children and another niece. This year was my nephew's turn. With all good intentions to start it early, I waited until the last minute! In fact I began on Tuesday, April 24th and finished it on Tuesday, May 22nd. I worked each and every day. In some cases ALL day and into the evening. I left myself one day to clean up and pack and we headed to Iowa for Will's graduation, scrapbook in tow, on the 25th! That first book for Dori was a surprise. By the time I got to this book for Will, his mother (my sister) provided me with all the photos, even having categorized them all nice and neat in a box.
There is a HUGE creative leap between the book from 1999 filled with triangles of colored paper and lots of stickers, and the book of 2012. But then, isn't that how all crafts and abilities evolve over time?
Starting with the birth page
Here are a few more pages, not in any particular order.
I love taking photos that have a theme even if they are from all different ages. Then I create the artwork out of that theme, such as the Tinkertoys page.
Will was expecting the book but it was still a joy for me to watch him open the cover for the first time and dig in.
Inside the cover of each book I have written a favorite AA Milne quote from Winnie The Pooh
"I lay this book in your lap.
Say you're surprised?
Say you like it?
Say it's just what you wanted?
Because it's yours-
because I love you.”
note:
each book got a little bigger, and better, a n d b e t t e r.
sometimes it's best to be last!