America, My Country

America, My Country

 12x12 Book

I have been wanting to make an America Book for a very long time.  Last year our son and his wife, Brittany asked us if we would drive up the canyon and take pictures of them.  Of course, we love to take pictures, and especially of our kids and their kids!  So here is my 12 x 12 book of these pictures we took last summer.  I was so excited to see the girls dressed in their Red, White, and Blue dresses, and Jake and Brittany dressed in Red.  It was so much fun for me, and now so much fun to share with you the pages I created with their photos.

I started the book with a cover page of the American Flag.  In Vernal, where we live, on the 4th of July, and the 24th of July they city lines the walking park lanes with hundreds of American Flags, large ones as tall as an Adult.  It is so patriotic, I so love to drive by, and take pictures of the park.  It is makes me love my country more!  Remember, we spent 2 years in Africa, and every time I see our flag, my heart swells.  I my country so very, very much!!!!!  (This American Flag page I used:  Belgian Chocolate for the background, Blue Crackle back side for the frames of the pictures, Canadian Stripe, and Brown Classic Swirl, Statue of Liberty paper, Glitter fireworks, glitter trio stars,  America words-from retired RN paper, blue and red mini dew drops, blue, white, and red diamond drops - these make the stars, glitter red chipboard, large clear dew drop, other embellishments are from other companies)

This is their family picture shots, and of course, some funny pics too.  I wanted to spotlight them first, and so as the American flag envelops their family picture, (Jake is a soldier, so this is so fitting)  I used the American flag paper, America Sticker, Red classic swirl glitter cs, Blue crackle cs-back side, screen, Statue of liberty paper, Canadian stripe paper, nautical stripe paper, blue and red dew drops, glitter red journaling tag, America glitter words cs, blue glitter alphabet.  Timeless twine in Red, white, and Blue complete the page, holding up the flags, and coming down the side of the screen.

I woke up one morning to this sitting on my desk,  it was so refreshing, and looked like a designers desk a work in progress.  I had to get the camera and take a photo of this, just so I can remember how I felt like I was walking into someone else's work room.  I loved the feeling.

This page is of just Jake and Brittany together.  You know for years Jake would not allow us to take any type of good picture of him.  I think over time, he has just given up on me, and I just keep shooting with the camera to continue to have great photos of my family.  Now that he has his own family, he has started to liking having photos of them.  For Christmas, I make them a little mini book of these photos, and a Framed picture of them, and the kids in their own shots, so this was just a fun time for me to create these photos, and Jake with a smile on his face!  This page is created with Red Glitter Sorbet - the background of both pages,  I sprayed the right on the right side of the page, thus the darker areas of the paper.  I framed the picture in Nautical stripe, and 2 strips of paper, one red, one blue.  I punched stars from the Glitter chipboard.  I have fallen in love with the blue crackle background, and use this on almost all of the layouts because it is a dark navy blue and it gives a great contrast  to each page and to the royal blue color that I am using throughout the book.  Blue and red mini dews,and white dews are used on this layout.  I also again used the Timeless twine in Red, white, and Blue color.

Next is Becca Ann, she is the oldest of their 4 Children, now 8 years old, almost 9 years old.  Becca didn't smile a lot in photos last year, so her dad had to bribe her to get us some smiles.  She gave us some of the greatest smiles I love.  The way she stood in the photos reminded me of Lady Liberty, so I used the Lady Liberty paper.  It is a paper that is hard to work with, but with her in the middle of the page and framed in a wide red frame and a narrow blue frame makes her pop out, but blend in with Lady Liberty at the same time.    The right side is Admiral Fleur background, red cardstock.  I also used America Sticker, Red flowers (retired from RN), Nautical stripe, stars cardstock, America words cardstock, red glitter journaling tag, White pearl diamond drops, Statue of liberty sticker (retired RN Sticker).

Aliyah is next.  She is such a poser for the camera!  Her pictures turned out so cute!  I used Canadian Stripe, Glitter Fireworks, Blue Glitter Chipboard, Red glitter letters, Blue glitter journaling tag, red glitter dot cardstock, Nautical stripe. Red glitter rope, oval words,  and blue letters retired RN products

Kaydence is the 3rd daughter, and such a doll in these pictures.  I used Glitter Stars cardstock for the background, and blue glitter stars on red,  I framed her picture in with red cs, and blue crackle that is punched with a border punch, blue crackle is also used to frame in the nine 2" punched photos ont he right side of the layout.  Red glitter hears, and glitter fireworks, hearts, and trio stars, all distressed with brown kink.  Stars are made with blue diamond,  red and blue journaling tags, America words, cs, and red linen fabric, blue and red mini dew drops.  The heart is tied with Timeless Twine in Red, white and blue.

The last in the family is Caleb.  He is only 6 months old here, now he is a terror on very fast legs!  The background paper is red glitter stars on light blue, red daisy, blue crackle, blue glitter chipboard, blue burlap, and red linen watercolor are all used on this page.  Red and blue mini dew drops, and fireworks for embellishments.  Caleb letters are wooden -retired RN letters.

The kids group photo turned out so cute.  All stair steps, and such happy smiles, this was Jake's idea for the pose.  Love it. I wanted the words to look like a ribbon flowing across the page, then it ended up I put 3 paper ribbons across the page,  I love the look.  I is just a new way to bring America into the layout.  I used red glitter stars on red, blue crackle, America sticker, America Words glitter cs, Nautical stripe, glitter fireworks, Red dew drops, red, white and blue diamond drops, metal mesh, red glitter journaling tag,

This is probably one of my favorite layouts of the book, along with the photo, such cute sisters!
America Glitter words, Canadian glitter stripe, glitter fireworks, Lady Liberty paper, Red and Blue glitter chipboard, red and blue dew drops, and minis, large clear dew drop.  Other embellishments from other companies.

I really love the layout design on this page layout.  Products used:  Canadian glitter stripe, Blue glitter stars (retired), Blue crackle, Nautical stripe, blue fleur, blue glitter chipboard, Stars border cs, red glitter chipboard, white and blue diamond drops, America sticker, blue dew drops.

I include this page, not because it is the best of the designs, but because of the story behind the star.  I let our oldest grand daughter, Chelsea play in my scrapbook room one day, and when I went in there after she left, she had this star on the desk, to grandma, she had created for me.  She hand drew the star, and glued the dew drops on making this cute creation.  I love getting these fun little love notes, and creations from my grand children, and so I include this with my post.  Just a touch of love in my America book.

I also created a USA Binder just for my America layouts.  I used the Blue Leather Robin's Nest Binder, then I added wooden painted letters, and red stripe ribbon, I then created a tag with the retired America words paper, and a laser cut shape of the Statue of Liberty.

I worked on this book for a week and a half before it was finished.  In the mean time, I was working on other things around the house.  I posted about that on my personal blog   robinscreationsofjoy.blogspot.com Come visit my personal blog and learn a little about me.

Well, this is it, all my pages posted and shared with you.  I hope that you love our America line of papers, and want to include them in your paper stash,.  This is such a fun book for me to enjoy, each of Jake's family members, I love them all so much.

I love America, what it stand for, and who we are as a Nation.

Starting in July, I will be posting on every Wednesday again.  I love to have you come and visit me here on the Chatteringrobins.blogspot.com but also come visit with me on my own blog too.  I love hearing from you and your comments.
Ciao and big hugs from me to you,

Robin