CHS Band

Steve and I had such a good time traveling to Spokane to watch Aiden perform at the Pacific Northwest Marching Band Championships. 

 

CHS Band (affiliate link)

This was the second layout I made for Game Three of the BYSS World Series. This time, I was inspired by the title of this page by Angie Feldman. I like the way she used the high school's initials on a tag above the rest of the title. I created a CHS banner on PicMonkey, cut it out with microtip scissors, then added it above BAND. 

In addition to the point for the inspiration, I earned points for using a specialty paper (the background is embossed and glittery), journaling, and an outdoor element (the football field sticker). That's a total of four more points for the Banshees. 

Trick-or-Treat 2025

Dressing in a chemist costume and greeting trick-or-treaters this Halloween was so much fun! 

Trick-or-Treat 2025 (affiliate link)

This was the first layout I made for Game 3 of the BYSS World Series. Unfortunately, my team (Scrappin' Banshees) lost again last week. While we won't be winning the Series, I'm hoping that we can get on the board this week and not lose in a sweep. This is the week's assignment: 

My layout earned four points for the Banshees. The NovMember prompt asked us to get inspiration from any element of any BYSS member's layout, other than the color or design of the layout. I chose to use the embellishment cluster in the bottom right corner of this page by Lisa Angie Miller. Hers is a smily face, a layered button, and the year '21; mine are two pumpkins (with smily faces) and the year '25. And some candy corn. 

  

My other three points come from including journaling, using specially textured paper (my background paper is embossed), and including an outdoor element (bat stickers). Go Banshees!

Chipboard Fiddle Craft

Have you ever wondered about the difference between a violin and a fiddle? The short answer is that they are the same instrument, played in a different way for classical and jazz music (violin) versus country and bluegrass (fiddle). The long answer is a lot more complicated. Since the fiddle has been named the state instrument of Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, I thought it would be fun to design a craft based on this instrument. If you need a violin craft, just follow the same directions! 

Before I get to the tutorial, here I am holding my fiddle to give you a sense of scale. Obviously, you can make it as large or small as you want. 

Chipboard Fiddle Craft

Materials:

• fiddle image (below)
• chipboard
• binder clips
• microtip scissors
• Folk Art paint (Pure Black, Yellow Ochre, Autumn Leaves)
• brown ink pad
• black felt pen
• black ballpoint pen
• pencil
• paper piercer
• 3 mm gold brads or gold pearls
• craft glue

Steps: 

Print the image of the fiddle in the same size you want your finished project. Using scissors, separate the neck of the fiddle from the body. You now have two pattern pieces. 

Use the binder clips to attach the pattern pieces to chipboard. Carefully cut out each one, moving the binder clips as necessary. 

Cut out three more pieces from the scraps of chipboard: the bridge, the chinrest, and the tailpiece. You should have five pieces total. 

Paint the neck of the fiddle black. Extend the paint into the center of the pegbox. Rinse the brush. Mix a dash of Autumn Leaves into Yellow Ochre, stirring until it is mostly combined but not completely. Paint the body of the fiddle from top to bottom (no sideways strokes) to mimic the grain of the wood. The slight color variation will help it look more realistic. 

Paint the pegbox next, allowing some of the black to mix with the wood color. Then paint the scroll and pegs. Finally, paint the bridge, chinrest, and tailpiece. Let the paint dry completely. 

Tape the two pattern pieces back together. Use this technique to transfer the location of the F-holes to the painted chipboard, then color them in with the black felt pen. 

Use the brown inkpad to ink around the edges of all of the pieces. 

Use the ballpoint pen to emphasize the pegs and the edges of the pegbox. Draw a line across the top of the tailpiece. Then poke four holes below the line and add the brads. (Or just glue pearls in place and skip the holes. Much faster!)

Using the pattern as a guide, glue the neck, bridge, tailpiece, and chinrest in place. Draw the four strings with a pencil. 

I am really pleased with how my fiddle turned out. It was a fun challenge to try to figure out how to make it. On to the next project!

First Car

This is the third layout I made during Game 2 of the BYSS World Series. 

First Car (affiliate link)

At first glance, it might be hard to see the way I used Gayle Selman's layout as inspiration. But if you look carefully, you'll see a 6x4 horizontal photo block in the middle, matted with cardstock, layered over two rectangles of patterned paper, and placed on a tone-on-tone background. There's a third strip of patterned extending the length of the layout. The title is in the upper left, the journaling is to the right of the photo, and the embellishments are in similar places. 

I really enjoy the challenge of taking someone else's page and using it to inspire my own creation. My page is 100% Cindy, yet the inspiration is definitely there. This page earned 3 points: one for the inspiration, one for the use of die cuts, and one for including a number (in the journaling). Go Banshees!

#1 Neighbor

Our across-the-street neighbor, Curt, was a fixture in our lives for 21 years. He was in his garage with the door open around 10 hours a day, so we saw him often. He knew everyone in the neighborhood and kept an eye out for anything out of place. He was generous with his time, his tools, and his knowledge. He has been a mentor and surrogate grandparent to Trevor, and a friend to Steve and me. When Curt told us he was going to sell the house and move closer to his sister, it didn't come as a surprise, but we were so sorry to hear he wouldn't be across the street anymore. We wish him well in his new adventure. 

#1 Neighbor (affiliate link)

This is the second layout I made for Game 2 of the BYSS World Series. I earned three points for the Banshees: one for the design inspiration, one for the use of die cuts, and one for including a number. Thanks to Linda Radford for her project that inspired mine. 

I finished one more layout during Game 2. I'll share it tomorrow. 

Scrapping Our Jeopardy! Experience

The Scrappin' Banshees lost Game 1 of the BYSS World Series, but we're back for Game 2 and hope to beat Twisted Scissors! This is my first contribution. It documents our time in the studio audience for Jeopardy. 

 

What Is Jeopardy? (affiliate link)

These are the requirements for Game 2. 

Last time, we got inspiration from another group member's color palette. This time, we're using their design. I chose to base my page on one by Mary Norris LaRive. I used the same basic elements: the title and one photo at the top, a second photo (mine is actually two photos matted together) on top of a block of patterned paper, three embellishments in a visual triangle, all on a solid background. 

  

I earned points for using die cuts (the speech bubbles) and including a number (the date), for a total of 3 points. Go Banshees!

Hidden Money Birthday Card

Each year for his birthday and for Christmas, I give my nephew Timothy a money-themed gift. I started doing that when he was 13. He turned 25 last week (!!) and I'm seriously running out of ideas, particularly since I have to mail his gifts now instead of giving them in person. (No more money trees or Air Force One style gifts). I've given Timothy a hidden money birthday card before, but I hid the money in different ways this time. For this project, I started with the idea of making George Washington the focal point, then built the rest of the card around that. Affiliate links below. 

 

Hidden Money Birthday Card

Materials:

• cardstock
• birthday patterned paper
• scotch tape
• tape runner
• birthday stickers
• baby powder
• foam dots

Steps:

Cut a base from black cardstock. Then cut the layers: a piece of patterned paper that is slightly smaller than the base; a strip of black cardstock that is the same width as the base; and a piece of white cardstock that is slightly smaller than the base. 

Use scotch tape to secure two bills to the black base. 

Use the tape runner to add adhesive JUST to the outside edges of the back of the patterned paper, then adhere it to the base, sandwiching the money in between the layers. 

Tape a bill to the back of the black strip, then use the tape runner to put adhesive onto the exposed black areas. Position the strip in place so that the money is hidden. 

Fold another bill so that just the face is exposed. Use the tape runner to put a tiny bit of adhesive on the back of the bill. Stick it to the center of the card. The bill will want to pop up a bit, but we'll fix that next. 

Select a quote sticker. Dust the back with baby powder, then add a foam dot to the back. Adhere it to the card so that a small part of the sticker holds the focal bill in place. Do the same with a second sticker on the other side. (I used a present.) Fill in the empty spaces with more stickers, as desired. 

Write your message on the white cardstock, tape another bill or two to the back, then adhere it to the back of the card. 

Here are all the places money is hiding:

Happy birthday, Timothy! 

Chemist Halloween Costume

This year, I dressed as a chemist for Halloween. 

 

That's my own front porch. Rather than open the door repeatedly as trick-or-treaters showed up, I thought it would be more fun to just hang out on the porch to pass out candy. And indeed it was. The trick-or-treaters loved my set-up and had lots of questions about the mystery liquids, the test tubes, and letters on my sign. I loved watching them choose their candy from petri dishes. I chatted with parents and was much more involved with my neighbors than if I'd stayed inside and just opened the door when people knocked. 

I'm really pleased with my name badge and candy sign. I used PicMonkey to create the images, printed them, then backed them with cardstock. I slid the CINDy into a badge holder and I folded the CaNDy into a table tent. 

I'm fortunate that I can spell my name with elements from the periodic table. Steve was disappointed to learn that he can't. Neither can Trevor. My mom (KAtHY), my sister (KArI), nephew (TiMoThY), niece (AlLiSON), and mother-in-law (PAt) all can. 

If you are interested in dressing up as a chemist, here's a supply list to get you started. Affiliate links below. 

Chemistry Costume and Porch Decorations

Materials: 

• periodic table t-shirt
• lab coat
• lab goggles
• plastic flasks
• plastic petri dishes
• plastic test tubes
• periodic table reference cards
• food color

This costume was so much fun! I'm going to have to start thinking now about how I can top it next year. 

Munching Greens

I love the video of Brayden and Tulip munching their greens and decided to use a still photo to document their cuteness in the scrapbook too. 

 

Munching Greens (affiliate link)

Just like yesterday's layout, I made the layout entirely using BasicGrey. Well, almost. The BasicGrey elements are from four different collections. The stickers I used to spell GREENS are from Imaginisce and I used Stickles to add sparkle to the flower stickers. 

This page earned three points for the Banshees: one for the letter stickers, one for the glitter, and one for the color palette scraplift. The layout that provided the color inspiration is by Gina McLeod. 

I love how my page turned out. I'm looking forward to Game 2. Go Banshees!

Lindsay Wildlife Experience

Steve and I were so excited to get a personal tour by a certain Animal Keeper Intern at Lindsay Wildlife Experience over the summer. I'd been there in 2024 but Steve hadn't been there since 2010. It was so fun to learn all the goes into caring for their many non-releasable birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. 

Lindsay Wildlife Experience (affiliate link)

This was the third page I made during Week 1 of the BYSS World Series. I knew I wanted the woodpecker to be "speaking" the title of the page. When I went looking for a speech bubble sticker, the first one I found was by BasicGrey. So I challenged myself to use only BasicGrey products on the page. (I still have a ton, despite them closing 9 years ago.) Success! You can click the link below the layout, or click the layout itself, to see which collections are represented on the page.  

I used this layout by Jacinta Mott for color inspiration: 

I only earned two points this time (one for the color palette and one for the letter stickers). But I managed to make one more page for this week's game, using scraps and sticker sheets from today's layout. I'll share that tomorrow. 

Thriving Pink Renewal Retreat

As a scrapbooker, I take a lot of photos. I am always thinking about how I'll scrapbook the special occasions or ordinary moments in our lives. When I attended the Thriving Pink Renewal Retreat, I made the decision ahead of time not to take a single photo during the entire weekend. Not only did I want to be fully present for every minute of the retreat, but I didn't want to risk having someone in my photos who didn't want to be in them. Not everyone wants the world to know they have cancer, or wants to be photographed during a vulnerable time. Fortunately, the organizers took pictures. I printed three of the group photos that were published publicly and used them to make this layout:  

 

Thriving Pink Renewal Retreat (affiliate link)

I kept the journaling pretty basic. I intentionally didn't label the attendees, since I knew I would be sharing the page online. Instead, I wrote everyone's names on the back of the layout so that it's properly documented. 

This was the second page I made during the first week of the BYSS World Series. Once again, I earned three points: one for the color inspiration, one for the letter stickers, and one for the use of glitter (the silver glitter stickers around the journaling). I'm particularly pleased with how well I used the color inspiration. Mostly pink (with stripes), some white, and small pops of green and teal - nailed it! The inspiration page is by Kim Munro. 

It feels great to be scrapbooking again! I didn't make a single layout for nearly 8 weeks - first while we were traveling and then while I was blogging about the trip. That's a really long time for me to go without scrapping, but I'll be making up for it through the rest of the BYSS World Series! 

Weird Al Concert

Back in August, Steve and I went with our friends Carl and Courteney to see Weird Al in his Bigger and Weirder 2025 Tour. The performance was absolutely spectacular. We loved every minute. Not only was the show itself great, so was the venue. None of us had been to the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University and we'd return in a heartbeat. We had table seating and brought a picnic to enjoy before the concert. The whole evening was so much fun. 

Weird Al (affiliate link)

I made this layout for the 2025 Bash Your Scrapbook Stash World Series. I'm playing for the Scrappin' Banshees. For the first game, we were challenged to use the following elements: 

NovMember is an annual November challenge, hosted by BYSS, that asks scrappers to get inspiration from other members of the group. Since the BYSS World Series extends into November this year, they're combining the two. So we had to base our color palette on someone else's scrapbook page. I chose one by Gina McLeod. Can you see the color inspiration?

  

I added a glitter element (silver glitter washi tape) and letters (the glittery title) to my page for a total of three points for the Banshees. I'm particularly happy with the journaling. It's really hard to find pens that write well on black paper; Ohuhu's Kakaako acrylic markers do the job perfectly. I'm going to be using them on black paper from now on. 

I'm really happy to have my page in the album. It was such a fun night. I'd love to see Weird Al in concert again someday. 

Standing Snowboarder Craft

Did you know that Colorado has named three official state sports? Colorado's state summer sport is pack burro racing (!) and its winter sports are skiing and snowboarding. This standing snowboarder craft may look familiar, as it's based on an Olympic snowboarding craft I did awhile back. I used the drawing I made last time as the template for this one, but I changed up some of the materials. I'm happier with this version. Affiliate links below. 

Standing Snowboarder Craft

Materials: 

• Bristol vellum paper 
• Ohuhu alcohol markers
• microtip scissors
• Mod Podge

Steps: 

Sketch a snowboarder and a snowboard onto a piece of Bristol vellum. Draw the arms and hands in any position you want, but make sure the feet are slanted slightly in the same direction. You can substitute a heavier weight paper, but don't go any lighter or your snowboarder might slump instead of standing. 

Color the snowboard and snowboarder with the alcohol markers, then cut out the pieces using microtip scissors. I'm not sure if my snowboarder customized his board to match his favorite scarf, or if he made the scarf to match his favorite board. 

Bend the feet upward so they are at a 90° angle to the rest of the body. Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the snowboard, then position the snowboarder onto the wet Mod Podge. When the Mod Podge dries, the board will be shiny and the snowboarder will be permanently connected to the board. 

 

I love how versatile Mod Podge is. And I'm really happy with my snowboarder. 

Silly Ghosts Halloween Craft

Not all kids like the scary aspect of Halloween. This fun project features silly ghosts and challenges kids to experiment with different cartoon-style facial features. Affiliate links below. 

Silly Ghosts Halloween Craft

Materials: 

• cardstock or construction paper (black and white)
• patterned paper (orange, green, purple)
• scissors
• black Flair pen
• craft glue

Steps: 

Cut a piece of black cardstock into the size you want your finished art to be. Then cut squares of patterned paper to fill the background. My background is 8" with nine 2.5" squares, but you can make any size you want. Glue the squares in place. 

Cut ghost shapes from white cardstock. Try to vary the shapes, making them different sizes, with and without arms, etc. Then draw silly faces on each ghost. Play around with different eye shapes and mouth shapes, then add teeth or tongues to some of the ghosts. It could be fun to add silly eyebrows, mustaches, or other features too. Glue the ghosts in place. 

If you're looking for other ideas for Halloween crafts (or costumes or carved pumpkins), be sure to check out all of my Halloween tutorials. There are also a few ideas for Dia de Los Muertos. Enjoy!

Pacific Northwest Marching Band Championships

After not getting together with my cousins since 2019 and my aunt and uncle since 2022, we saw each other this year in March and July. Unfortunately, both times were for memorial services. While it was wonderful to spend time together, it was a bummer that it was for such a sad reason. Steve and I decided we'd make a weekend trip to visit them in the fall. We planned our trip around seeing my cousin Tim's son, Aiden, compete in the Pacific Northwest Marching Band Championship on October 11 in Mead, Washington.  

It had been about 3 decades since either Steve or I had seen a marching band competition and boy, have things changed! But before I get into that, I want to start with October 10, the day we flew into Spokane. It was a beautiful day, with blue skies. The weather was perfect as we enjoyed a walk around the lake where my aunt and uncle live. 

We had dinner at Das Stein Haus. Yum. 

Uncle Don, cousin Tim, Tim's wife Ginger, Steve, me, and Aunt Vickie. 

On Saturday morning, we headed to Mead for the competition. There were 15 schools participating and each school performed the same routine twice. We missed the first few performances driving, looking for parking, and getting settled in our seats, but that was fine since we saw them later. During the preliminaries, the smallest and lowest ranked bands (1A) performed first, working their way up to the largest, highest rank (for this competition, 4A). Then after a break, they performed again in reverse order based on their scores in preliminaries. 

From the first performance we watched (Highland High School performing "Hunger Games"), it was immediately obvious that high school marching band field shows are different than in my day. I hadn't seen large screens and banners on the field like that before, nor musicians in a pit. The pop culture theme surprised (and delighted) me. It was so much fun to watch the show!

West Salem's "Web of Dreams" was stunning. Look at all those cages! And the gigantic 7's. By the way, 

Ginger had gotten us perfect seats: high and directly on the 50-yard line.

"The Wildflower" by Central High School was absolutely gorgeous. I loved the color scheme, the interesting patterns, and the giant flowers that opened. 

Mead High School's "And Still... I Rise" was breathtaking. I loved the staircase props and how they moved and interacted with them. 

It was a fun surprise when they revealed that the stairs spelled out the name of their show. 

Next up was Aiden's school, Cheney High, performing "The Engulfed Cathedral." They also used staircases, but theirs were shaped differently and they interacted with them in different ways. That stage in the front right was for an electric cello solo. The performance was incredible. 

That's Aiden at the top of the purple staircase. 

We were mesmerized watching AC Davis High School set up that loooooong raised platform for their performance, "Seize Your Moment." 

Watching it transform during the performance was neat... 

... and it was a total surprise when the final piece opened up to make a star. 

The performance from Mt. Spokane called "Love, Ellie" was really neat. 

It was such a fun surprise when a single red balloon floated out of Carl's house and the band formed into a giant red balloon. I didn't catch those on camera, unfortunately. 

Lewiston High School performed "How Wonderful Life Is" - a tribute to Elton John. 

Ridgeline dazzled with "The Drop that Contained the Sea."

At the end of preliminaries, Ridgeline was in 1st. Aiden's school (Cheney) was 4th.

During the break, Ginger gave us a tour of the 'backstage' area. 

Most impressive: the Cheney band boosters raised enough money to buy their own semi, which is outfitted to carry instruments, costumes, and props. 

  

Each show they've done is on the wall inside the semi. The graduating seniors sign the panels. 

The boosters also have their own food truck to feed the students. A team was busy preparing huge amounts of yakisoba when we came by. It smelled delicious.  

This is where the band eats. Buckets and boards provide lots of seating.  

There's also a trailer for hauling gear. The students ride in three buses. 

After our tour, we used the rest of our break to find food... and shelter. You probably noticed the grey skies in all of my photos. We had had light rain - mostly sprinkling - on and off until this point, but then the rain became more steady. 

During the final round, we saw all of the bands compete, including the ones we had missed earlier. There were some fun themes: the Northern Lights, farming, coal mining, and the California Gold Rush. I didn't take a lot of photos due to the rain, but here is a sampling:  

There's Cheney again. They ended up placing 5th out of 15. If you're interested in seeing the scoring, including the 8 categories in which they're judged, you can see that here. 

On Sunday, we all gathered to celebrate Uncle Don's 75th birthday. 

Dessert was one of the famous apple pies that the Cheney band students make each year as a fundraiser. It was SO good. I'm disappointed they have to be picked up locally, but if you happen to live near Cheney and haven't had one, you should definitely order one. Or ten (they freeze well). 

Card games are a must when we get together. By the way, that's my godson Teagan standing to my left. He's a future member of the Cheney High Marching Band. 

All too soon, it was time for Steve and me to fly home. We had a wonderful weekend with family. And, despite the rain, we loved watching the marching band competition. We now have plans to watch one locally. If you have the opportunity to go to one, definitely do!