STORY OF THE PAGE: I forgot to take a first day of school photo of Cole this year. Part of is we were trying to get out the door and get there on time and part of is, well, he’s a junior in high school and let’s just say it’s probably not super high on his Back to School check list. So on the third morning of school I asked him if I could take a quick shot in the usual place (the back deck, safely out of sight from the general public) and he agreed. I took two photos and then asked, “Can you try to look happy?”
The result is the third photo I used on the page.
Now I feel a bit sheepish asking him to look happy because I just want Cole to look however Cole wants to look. This is his life to live, not some fantasy I’ve concocted in my head about happy go lucky teen-aged boys who love their mamas. I know Cole loves his mama. And he’s sorting his way out through life just life all of us are. And I think he’s pretty freaking amazing.
My hope, with this page, is some day he and I can both look at it and smile. It’s making me smile already, so we’re halfway there.
DESIGN STUFF: This is a hybrid layout. I took my computer and did some stuff. Then I printed stuff. Then I added other stuff. This is how I love to make pages. I start with a design that is simple and build. This page is decidedly symmetrical which really is my go-to balance approach. I used simple repetition of color (patterned papers informed the title color), font styles (in the subheading and the grade titles), and the use of little stars on either side of the subtitle. At the last minute, I decided to delete a small camera icon that is part of the template and pop in that little red chipboard circle from Studio Calico to complete the page.
TECHNICAL SHIT: I could tell you how I used a template to make a page, but it’s more fun to show you. This video also shares one of my favorite tricks for matching my colors on my text to the papers I use. (Hint: it involves scanning or just taking a photo of said paper.) Enjoy! (Note: if you prefer making a 12 x 12 page, you can simply mount the patterned papers and finished hybrid portion on a 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock.)
Note: I had a typo in my video on the word “kindergarten” which has since been fixed.
Questions about the process? Leave me a comment! I’m happy to answer!
My First Day template is on sale along with everything else in my collection until Thursday morning at 6 a.m. EST. Shop and save today! If you’ve had your eye on any of my 30 Days of Thankful sets, now is a great time to snag one to get ready for that November project!
Due to the response from many of you, I’m starting a new preorder for my 30 Days of Thankful 4 x 6 stamp set. This set is for anyone who would like to make a gratitude album during the month of November (or anytime, really). Because I’m a small business in the stamp world, it’s hard to know how many people want these sets and this time, I undershot that guess. So… if you would like to get a set guaranteed, place your order by Friday at 8 a.m. CST. You will be billed at the time of purchase and the stamps will ship in mid-October, in time for November to begin. I wish I could have a faster turnaround, but I use a small US company who puts quality first and a three-week turnaround from order to delivery is what I’ve come to expect from them. Thank you for your patience!
Note: I will not be reordering the 31 Days of Thankful sets (designed with Canadian scrapbookers in mind) as there is not time to get the stamps completed by October when they celebrate Thanksgiving.
Finally, I am working to put together a mini class on 30 Days of Thankful that will launch in mid-October. Many of you took my 30 Days of Thankful workshop last year which included a comprehensive approach: the inspiration, the video tutorials on how to use my digital projects and all of the digital and printable files. This new mini class will simply be an updated inspirational video about the project (the same video from last year with some new pieces) and a few fun downloads that I’m working on now. Of course, it will be priced much less than the original 30 Days e-course and I’m thinking of is as an amuse bouche of the CZ Classes experience. Watch my newsletter for more details coming soon!
Cara says
Oh Cathy, I was hoping you had fixed your typo of ‘kindergarten’ at the bottom of the page before you printed!
Cathy Zielske says
Whoops! Didn’t catch that. Oh well! 🙂
Lida says
I love how you documented Cole’s back to school.
Cathy Zielske says
Thank you, Lida!
heidig says
What a great page! Simple and perfect. He will love it when he’s older – how could he not?! Can’t wait for the next 30DOT!!
Beth says
Holy CATS, how much he looks like Dan in that photo. Whoa!
(quick aside: I have four sons, ages 14-21, and I commiserate and agree and laugh with so many of your experiences with Cole – and my only advice to moms of sons is to just love them, no matter what. They are always inside there, no matter how prickly or awful the outside shell is. :))
Linda says
Love the page. I can relate to the teenage boy attitude; my 2 youngest are boys and are 18 and 19 now. The last few years of high school was like pulling teeth to get the first day of school pics. However, the youngest is now a freshman at Notre Dame and complied with my request to do a selfie (with the Golden Dome in the background) on his first day of class! There is HOPE Cathy that they come back around.
Cathy Zielske says
Oh, how fun that he did that!
Linda says
I think you need to start doing “First Day of School” photos with Dan. He’s probably a more willing subject. And how cute would those pages be.
Cathy Zielske says
Oh, man! I should have had him stand in the same place I have Cole go! Maybe I’ll set one up this week. No one has to know it wasn’t the first official day!
Susan Pang says
Cole just doesn’t know how cute he is! (or maybe he does ?) Love this layout! Thank you!
Cathy Zielske says
I agree! 🙂
Kathy says
I love your hybrid layouts soooo much, it is my favorite method. I am off to DD to purchase this template!
Leora says
OH Cathy….I LOVED the video. I was giggling out loud. I, too, have paid in the form of baseball or Pokemon cards for the photos. So love they way you “explained” to Cole what the photos mean to you.
Can’t wait to give the template a whirl!
Thanks,
Leora
Kim says
I love back to school pics! My son who is a senior in college sent a selfie (per mom’s request) and my daughter who is a sophomore in college actually reminded that we needed to take the back to school pic. Love, love that she remembered and wanted to do it!
Kaye says
Thank you, Cathy! I use Artisan for my digital scrapping but still learned from your process. I have a few of those very serious first-day-of-school photos of my kids, too, and now that they’re both married, they are glad to have them. Cole seems to look a lot like his dad.
Whitney says
I just wanted to say thanks for offering another round of preorders for people like me that meant to order but forgot to in time for the first batch. My order was in on time this round and I’m looking forward to the stamps and the project!
Cathy Zielske says
You are welcome! I would order more stamps, but it’s hard to make it all balance with production costs and over ordering. 🙂
maurers says
Excellent blog post. I absolutely love this website. Keep writing!