Rabbits and Raptors

If you were to run into Trevor, chances are almost 100% that he'd be wearing one of three things: a Scout uniform, a bunny t-shirt, and something with a raptor on it. I raided his dresser when he was on a Scout trip and photographed all of his rabbit and raptor shirts. It turns out he has ten rabbit shirts (8 short-sleeved and 2 long-sleeved). He only has two raptor shirts, but he also has a raptor hoodie, a raptor raincoat, and a raptor jacket. I didn't include those in this layout. 

Rabbits and Raptors (affiliate link)

I enjoyed putting this page together. I don't usually make layouts without at least one deRosier in them (human or rabbit), so it's fun to do something different. 

First Day of 11th Grade

 Trevor is midway through the first semester of his junior year of high school. Where does the time go?!

First Day of 11th Grade (affiliate link)

As a junior in the Early College program, he is taking four high school classes and two college classes. Interestingly, the four high school classes all take place on the college campus, while the two college classes don't! (They're online.) His high school classes include: English 11, Race and Social Justice, Chemistry, and College Readiness 11. Each of those is a year-long class. His college classes, which last a semester, are Statistics and World Geography (which also has a lab). He hopes to take California History and Environmental Studies when the next semester starts up in January.  

Duo Con Trouble

I've gotten into a routine of doing my daily Duolingo practice on the couch near Trouble's area. (He struggles with mobility now and stays exclusively on the carpeted area, so we're all coming to him rather than him coming to us.) When I first started doing Duolingo there, Trouble's ears would perk up with the various chimes and voices, but he got used to it pretty quickly. In this photo, he is completely zonked. It's not surprising; I'm there around 4:00 pm (just after school pick-up) and that is prime naptime for a crepuscular critter.   

 

Duo Con Trouble (affiliate link)

I think this is the first time I've ever used any Spanish on a layout. The title has the word 'con' (with), while the journaling has an entire sentence of Spanish: 'El conejo está muy cansado en la tarde' (The rabbit is very tired in the afternoon). It's a fun first for me. 

If anyone is interested in giving Duolingo a try, definitely do so! It's free and it's fun and it's effective. You're welcome to use my link to join or, if you're already a member, feel free to friend me. 

How I Pack for a Scrapbooking Crop

I do the vast majority of my scrapbooking at home, with easy access to my well-stocked craft room. It's convenient and where I am the most productive. But I'm happy to sacrifice a bit of convenience and productivity for the fun of scrapbooking with friends! Taking advantage of the Veterans Day holiday, Jennifer hosted Sheena and me for a 12-hour crop on Friday. 

Because I've never done it before, I thought it would be interesting to document how I pack when I scrapbook away from home. Affiliate links below. 

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What I Pack for a Scrapbooking Crop

I always start by gathering up my must-have tools. This includes: Fiskars trimmer (for 12x12" paper), bypass trimmer (for photos and smaller papers), and microtip scissors, Tombow tape runner (and two spare refills), Tim Holtz centering ruler, Supply Notebook, and pen. 

Then I add my photos. I usually do a photo order once every month or two.  

Next, I gather up the stickers and other embellishments I'll need to go with the photos I've printed. I also grab a bunch of letter stickers and little word stickers. These all go into an Art Bin organizer. 

Finally, I bring paper. I grab a bunch of cardstock in different colors, then a wide variety of patterned papers. I try to limit myself to just the larger tub you see below, but this time I ended up grabbing the smaller container too. The paper, stickers, and sequins on the right were for Jennifer and Sheena. I don't always have stuff to bring to them, but it's not uncommon. My last item is a sketchbook. It and the basic tools all go in the large heavy-duty tote, which I got during the Prime Blogger Conference.   

And that's basically it. I sometimes bring food to share, but not always; we rotate hosting and the hostess provides lunch, dinner, and snacks. 

You may have noticed that I do not bring journaling pens to crops. There are a lot of things I can do while chatting with my friends: trimming photos and papers, choosing titles, and adding embellishments are all easy. I don't even try to add my journaling while we're talking. I save that for once I'm home and can fully concentrate.

Tomorrow I'll share a layout I made during our crop. 

Puzzle Piece Ornament: Kids Catching Snowflakes

I love crafting with puzzle pieces. Thanks to the horrible puzzle company that shall not be named, I have a lifetime supply. I used two to make this pair of ornaments.  

Puzzle Piece Ornaments: Kids Catching Snowflakes

Materials: 

• puzzle pieces (needs to have three or four outies) 
• fine-grit sandpaper 
• paint (skin tone of your choice)
• Sharpies (black and red)
• felt
• glitter pom poms
• metallic cord
• craft glue
• snowflake sequins
• yarn (hair color of your choice)
• Stickles

Steps: 

Prepare the puzzle pieces by gently sanding them to remove the glossy finish. (Skip this step if you are using puzzle pieces made specifically for crafting.) Paint each piece with your desired skin tone. 

When the paint is dry, use a red Sharpie to color in the tongue. 

With a black Sharpie, color the open mouth above the tongue. You can draw the rest of the face now (eyes and nose) or wait until later. Glue a snowflake to the end of the tongue.

Make the hats from felt. I used a contrasting color for the band. Glue the two parts together, then glue them to the puzzle pieces. Add a piece of metallic cord for the ornament hanger.  

Cut lengths of yarn to make the hair. Leave it as is, or untwist it to get wavy hair. Glue it in place. Obviously, you can change the hair color and length, style it differently (ponytails or braids would be cute), or leave it off entirely. 

Decorate with Stickles. I put silver dots on the girl's hat and green dots for her earrings. I left the boy undecorated. Finally, glue the glitter pom pom to the hat. 

Only 46 days until Christmas!