Rainbow Shirts Revisited

Today, we are finishing our visit to Glen Echo Park for the 2021 NPTC convention picnic. Before the convention started, I posted a request that people wear their 2020 Virtual Convention shirt to the picnic. This isn't terribly unusual — we typically wear the prior year's shirts on Fridays. But my request included a participation request that everyone get in rainbow order, so I could get a group photo. I was thrilled at how many people came over for the photo. Just outside of our picnic area was a set of risers. I'm not sure why they were there, but they were the perfect way to bring everyone together for the photo. 

I created this layout based on this idea from the CM Blog. I wanted something a little fancier than a plain white background, so I decided to create one. The small squares are made with a CM Border Maker punch and then adhered diagonally across the page. It was a LOT of punching, but it was worth the effort. In addition to this are the diamond shapes created with the CM Custom Cutting System. Since that filled the space with so much color, I journaled on some of the plain white Write Strips. 

You're Never Too Old

This blog continues the coverage of the Glen Echo Park picnic for the NPTC 2021 convention. You saw the carousel in the last post; now you can see me and my friends enjoying our free ride. Truthfully, I could have taken a dozen turns; it's such a great carousel! I chose a rabbit for my ride. I'm amused that one of the members chose the sled instead of an animal.

I chose another of Noreen Smith's 1-2-3 layouts for this topic. You can see the original blog post from December 2016 here. The papers are from the CM Picture This pack. A few of the embellishments are from the coordinating Shutterbug pack. I liked the large block of photos on each page. The flash strips are part of the Shutterbug collection's page of printed borders. I needed to include them as the Shutterfly photos I use are JUST shy of 6" long. Since there was a small gap, I added the borders to fill in. Although not part of the original sketch, this is one way to differentiate your layouts if you use the sketch multiple times. I used two mats to finish the page — one as a title and one as a journal box. Because the photos do so much of the work, these layouts come together quickly.

A Roaring Good Time

Today, we continue our exploration of Glen Echo Park. Part of our Friday Night picnic included a ticket to ride the historic carousel. Some of the animals date to the early 1900s (and the horse pictured on the right page is not available for human riders due to its historic legacy). This carousel reminds me of Knoebels. I love it when they use ostriches, tigers, and large rabbits as animals to ride. There was also a Wurlitzer organ playing the music for the ride. Beautiful statues that you get to ride. How perfect was that for our club?!?

I based this layout on one of Noreen Smith's 1-2-3 sketches, which can be seen here. I chose some Ivory cardstock and a piece of paper from the new Creative Memories 1920-1930 collection. I was thrilled to discover that CM offered a series of decades-inspired papers and stickers. The animals are so lively that the Ivory cardstock is a good resting spot for the eye. The title cluster may be too small. However, the kit doesn't come with mats, and I couldn't find one that worked well as a title. The little girl embellishments are from a heritage pack I've had in my stash for years. They were the perfect decoration for this ride.

The Gang's All Here

Welcome back to the 2021 NPTC convention and to our Friday Night Picnic! The bus tour ended with a stop at Glen Echo Park. It is one of the portions of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, and is a great destination. It was a leisure destination for Washington, DC, during the early 20th century, and it still has some ways to relax. The historic carousel is here, and you'll see that in a future post. We used the pavilion to host our Friday night picnic (a tradition for many years now). One of the rangers shared some information about the park, and we had plenty of time to catch up with our friends. I have photos with some of my favorites — many of whom I hadn't seen in years!

This layout is based on a Club Scrap free sketch. They post the sizes and cutting guides, making it easier to assemble. The papers came from an old CM patriotic pack. I liked the vibrancy of the designs. You can mix patterns by using a large, medium, and small one, so it doesn't feel too overwhelming. I started using dark blue gingham paper for mats, but that proved overwhelming, so I switched to navy cardstock, which helped create a clear distinction between the photos and the prints. A few stickers from the stash, and the page was done!