Quickie LO

PS. The colorful paper I used on this LO was some beautiful paper that I found out measured 11 3/4X 11 3/4 inches. No matter how I turned it I was going to have to do some trimming and patching, so I decided to use it as matting.

Also what are your opinions on someone who's decided to bring their baby to scrap nite. Don't get me wrong I love babies, but we don't get what we want done. Because we're having to hold her baby while the mom scraps. I got a blanket Friday and put her on the floor right by us and got a comment "I guess Lynne's tired of holding you." Well, yes I was. I had other things to do like scrapbook. It's my one night a month I totally devote to scrapbooking and invite my friends over. I did make the comment to the baby and off handily to the mom that "she" the baby wasn't going to be allowed over much longer, because I could see her eyeballing the scissors. I turned it into a joke that hopefully she get the double meaning. I'm trying to come to terms with finally telling her it is a ladys night and the chance that she might not want to come. Geeze I hate these situations.

Lynne

Your page looks great! For what it's worth here's my opinion of babies at crops. I understand that some mom's are nursing and need to feed their babies so they bring them but it is my night to scrap and visit and I don't want to spend the majority of the time holding a baby so the mom can scrap or listening to the child cry. I have been to crops where in the evening a baby will be brought into the crop area and they are in a car seat or bassinet type thing and they just sleep the whole time, this is fine as you hardly know they are there. I've also been cropping when a new mom will leave for a short time and go home and nurse the baby-also a good choice. Once a child is big enough to grab things and cause harm to itself or your projects the mom should make arrangements for a sitter or unfortunatly just try to work at home till the toddler is out of this phase. I had to forgo some events I would have loved to go to but they weren't events to take a child to so I didn't go. I learn to scrap around nap time, kindergarten-the oldest one,and sometimes put the baby in her excersauser give her someting to munch ie. popcorn twist put on the t.v. and sneak downstairs to do some computer jornaling for about 10-15 minutes. After all my babbling my point is no, you are not their to babysit and if the child needs one they should not be brought!IMO! Barb:o)

The letters you used are really neat. Are they stitched diecuts?

I have a problem too about little ones at a crop. At ours on Saturday a new scrapper joined us and brought her baby who is almost one. She was really good - the building is huge and her mom brought in a walker on wheels. She was all over the building and the older ones played with her all day. I was kind of worried about how it would work when I saw her tote in a playpen, walker, diaper bag and basket of toys, but we were lucky. It certainly wasn't your place to hold or take care of someone elses baby at a crop. When ever I bring mine (8 & 12) I run them home when they start to get noisy or need more attention. I figure it's my day and it only happens once a month. You need to add a post at the bottom of a crop flyer spelling out terms of the crop. That would help a lot. Sandy

I love your LO's. I especially like your Calgary Zoo page. Very nice. I have Zoo pictures from last year that I have to finish scrapping. I have never gone to a crop (none locally). But I would agree with you about babies/kids. Its unfair to you to hold or watch after someone's children when your there to scrap.

Chrissy

Many Lsses have Kid areas for childen to be entertained while Mom shops but I have not been to a crop where anyone bought their children. I think it is distracting even at home to have children around my scrapping materials. I think that one of the perks of going to a crop is to have a night or day away from family and responsibilities to just enjoy what we all love to do. I also love the social part....talking with other scrappers . I think I would have to have a notation about no children at crops,please. I love children but when I scrap...I scrap! LOL

Hugs, Sabrina in Kentucky

a good friend is a life long treasure

Lynne, I really like this LO and imagine you forgetting to thank poor DH....LOL I love the Title...it fit so well with the patterned paper colours. How did you achieve it? Now I am having a second look I think I have that patterned paper in my stash too. I goes really well with your muted tone background. Love it! Marilyn

Well, just got out my paper and measured it and it is 12 x 12, so it must a different paper, although I am positive it is the one I have here. Mine has a quote on saying "our family is a circle of strength & love" but I think when I bought it there was a matching paper without words :o)

About the baby at scrap nite question...while I think that babies are wonderful (as long as they are someone else's and you can cuddle then give them back....LOL) there are some situations where they are best left home with a sitter, or better still Daddy! It is probably fine when they are tiny and not mobile but you can't expect a child (5-6 months on) to accept Mom's distraction for several hours, while she scraps! They need attention and lovin', so Mom needs to modify her lifestyle to accommodate her child's needs. That what a Mom does and that is life!!!!! I was a great sewer and knitter when my kids were small but it was all done while they napped or were in bed for the night. I certainly would not have gone to a class or a friends and expected them to entertain themselves while I did my own thing....and I would not have considered it appropriate to expect someone else there to forego their crafting time to care for my baby either! Marilyn

I love the LO! Dave gave me some of the paper you used for your matting. I just love it!!!

I love the layout Lynne! I was trying to image the layout with the patterened paper as the background and just couldn't do it. You've done a superb job with it! If DH asks about you thanking him as an after-thought, just tell him you saved the best part for last. :-)

As for the little one at your Scrap Nite. IMO, it's your house, you should have a say-so as to children being arouond at the time. I would never take either of my children to a crop, no matter where it was, simply for the fact that a crop is my time to do something that I enjoy. I can understand nursing moms needing to bring their baby with them, but even then, there's ways to get around that. Hopefully this mom will get your subtle hint. I think you handled the situation a lot better than I would have!

That's was me Sabrina. Not that I don't love babies, but I had my Scrap Hat on and I was not enjoying oogling up a baby. I kept trying to be happy about it, but I looked forward to this night all month. Made arrangements for my kids to be entertained and there I was entertaining a baby. I tried to not be a curmudgeon, but the feeling kept creeping over me as I watched my friend "the mother" trim photos and work on her album. This baby is in daycare during the week, so it's not like she couldn't spend an evening home with dad.

Me, too, Marilyn. All my sewing was done at night and when I took a quilting class I'd find a sitter. Albeit I didn't leave the kids that much. Maybe one, two quilt classes a year. When my youngest turned 5 I learned that mommy need recreation time too and I needed to quit feeling guilty about it.

Lynne

Isn't it beautiful! Just the size was off on mine. So, found a good use for it.

The title was the easiest one ever. I bought these preprinted and cut out letters a while back. They are colors I seldom use, but I noticed they actually matched this LO. I stuck them all down and realized they needed so zip, so I took my Zig writer in black and traced a line in side to make the title pop.

Well I think you did a great job for all that was going on around you that night.

I completely understand about the kids. I had a scrapping buddy over Saturday evening to scrap. My family was all there and she brought her husband and son. He son is almost 3 and mine are 8 and almost 5. It was impossible for us to get anything done. Even though we thought with the guys there they could watch the kids, but..... You know how that goes. I did get 5 pages done, but no journaling yet. The kids was hipper one minute then whining the next. I don't think evens are good for us with the kids. Day time was better the last time we did it. They aren't tired and ready for a nap and if its nice we can hopefully through them outside to play.

Great layout and the paper is really neat looking. Great job!

I wouldn't bring my baby to a crop. I would leave them home with DH and if he couldn't watch them then I wouldn't go. I've walked into some LSS's when they had a crop going on and seen the babies on top of the tables in car seats. I think I would get distracted especially if they were crying. I would feel like I couldn't make any noise or anything. I feel like you and it should be about being with friends and doing some scrapbooking. I would want the adult time without the kids.

Looks wonderful Lynne, especially considering you did it under difficult circumstances. I think you are totally entitled to feel the way you do about bringing a baby to crop. It's not too much asked, to make arrangements for just one night a month. I love kids, but I do feel there is a place and a time... I also have a problem with people bringing babies/todlers to fancy restaurants. I'm not talking about your typical family place. It spoils the atmosphere when you are trying to celebrate your anniversary for instance by candle light and theres a little one running up and down at 10:00pm and his parents either ignores it, or just don't care. Same goes for movies. Again, daytime/early evening all ages movies excluded. But when I get people behind me at a 18 age restricted movie at 10:00pm and the 3,4,5 year old are crying to go to bed....it just gets to me.

Judy, SA