Pink Paislee Big Titles Layout

It's BIG TITLES week on the Pink Paislee blog and here is the layout I made for the occasion:

LOVE by Paige Evans

DESCRIPTION: I love hearts, I love hand stitching, I love using big'n'bold background elements, and I love a big title! So here is the layout I made combining all of these things I love!

JOURNALING SAYS: Everything you do is adorable! Cuz you're just the cutest little girl in the world and I love you!

HOW TO: I started by searching the Silhouette store for a big heart and found shape #61514. Instead of die cutting it, I replaced the blade with a pen and drew the love heart. Then I pierced a hole every 1/4" or so all the way around. To help the love heart stand out from the colorful polka dot paper, I painted it with several coats of white paint and let it dry. For the backstitching, I changed threads every 10 stitches using colors of thread from the colored polka dots in the paper. To define the love heart even more, I used a sewing machine with white thread and straight stitched once inside. Then came the trio of photos, embellishing with Fancy Free elements, and a bit of journaling!

SUPPLIES: Patterned paper, die cuts, puffy stickers, wood veneer, dimensional sticker, button, chipboard stickers, tags, journaling card: Fancy Free by Paige Evans / Pink Paislee; Love cut file: Silhouette; Die cut machine: Silhouette Cameo; Thread: DMC; Pen, adhesive: American Crafts; Sewing machine: Brother; Thread: Coats & Clark

DETAIL SHOTS:

Big titles make a big impact and draw the attention right into your layout!

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Afternoon Crafts Class at Big Picture Classes

I've got a new class up at Big Picture Classes today called Afternoon Crafts!

Got some spare time here and there? In this class I'll prove that completing fun DIY projects doesn’t have to take a huge chunk of your time. We create three quick and easy projects - each of which can be made in a single afternoon. You’ll learn how to make use of the supplies you have on hand to create adorable projects you’ll love to display throughout the year! All of the lessons include start-to-finish videos so you can see exactly how to create these pieces.

In the first lesson we create this layered paper frame duo - using Fancy Free of course!

The second lesson is all about upcycling - this cupcake tin was doomed for the gallows when I decided to simply give it a facelift and now it's a lovely part of Jane's bedroom decor!

And in the third lesson we create a mini album in a single afternoon - it CAN be done!

So come on over and join me in Afternoon Crafts at Big Picture Classes!

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Fox's Pre-School Graduation

After three fun years (he missed the age cut-off to go to kindergarten this past year by just 6 weeks) Fox graduated from pre-school!!

All the kiddos walking in.

Yesterday there was a little ceremony and Chris even took the day off to come watch.

 16 boys and 3 girls - where my girls at?! :)

 Mrs. Wagner presenting Fox with his diploma and Mr. Napoleon helping out. 

 Fox gets so funny in exciting situations like this, it's hard to explain, he just acts a little cray cray :)

 WAY TO GO FOX!

Then we had sandwiches and cake in the cafeteria.

Cute decor!

 Cute cake!

 I ran to pick up Jane (a few rooms down) and she got to eat some cake too.

Hugs for my big boy!

Congratulations Fox, we're so proud of you and can't believe you're going to be in Kindergarten in just a few months!

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Flossenbürg, Germany

Saturday morning looked like it was going to be beautiful so once again we high-tailed it out to go, see, do: Flossenbürg or bust!

Just a short 40 min drive away right near the Czech-Germany border is the little 1,600 person town of Flossenbürg. The town's roots go back to the year 948. Fox and his current smile, I love it so.

Up above the town are the ruins of the castle. Kids in a castle.

Construction on the castle began around the year 1100 and it was once a stronghold of the Hohenstaufen dynasty kings during the middle ages. 

Much of the damage to the castle came as a result of the Thirty Years War. 

Watch out for falling rocks! Fox pondering the beauty of creation. Or most likely he was thinking about Ninja Turtles. Or Minecraft. Or some new iPad game.

The hike up to the castle from the parking area is only about 300-400 meters and is a pretty easy climb. By the time you get to the to top you have great views of the Oberfalz countryside.

The plaque marking the top of the castle.

Looking down over the town and out to the Czech Republic. It is just so pretty here.  Ball and chain, lol.

Flossenbürg, both castle and town.  Lovely Bavaria (or Bayern in German).

On the top of the tower ruins is a viewing platform with a cool marker pointing to various areas of interest. Even the Rauher Kulm was on it!

Pretending to be in jail.

We walked down from the top of the tower and explored the rest of the site. It reminded us of ruins around Ireland.  Our family at Flossenbürg on Saturday morning May 14th 2016.

Jane and her "cane".

Aside from the castle, Flossenbürg is also known for the concentration camp that was here during the Second World War. The camp was opened in 1938 by the SS and served as a labor camp for the nearby granite quarries. Between 1938 and 1945 approximately 100,000 men and women from over thirty countries were imprisoned in the camp here.

The site has a small, well-done museum. This picture in the museum shows all the concentration camps and sub-camps that were set up by the Nazis.

 The washing room. Flossenbürg was a labor camp, not an extermination camp, so these showers were actually showers.

 A picture in the museum showing the camp run by the SS and castle ruins above it.

 A picture of the prisoners quarrying nearby granite from the hills.

 The site today as a solemn, peaceful memorial to those who were imprisoned or died here.

This was known as the "Valley of the Dead" because it was the killing grounds and the location of the crematorium. Today, a monument set up like a Christian "Stations of the Cross" path winds down into the valley. 

The plaque in front of the mound reads: "These are the ashes and bones from mass-burnings."

A Christian memorial chapel is situated above the valley near an old guard tower.
Inside the chapel plaques show country flags and the number of people from that land that were imprisoned here.

A stained-glass window depicting a colored triangle and number like all the prisoners were forced to wear.

A humbling morning for sure also filled with beauty and love.

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