Uncle Nano 2 - The Hunter

Here's the next one in my series of "Houston Memories Card," based on Sian's Captured in a Card idea and using my May counterfeit kit.  For this card, I used the card sketch challenge posted on the Counterfeit Kit blog.  It's a great  sketch!
This card is also about my Uncle Nano.  You can see the first of his cards in this post.  This one reads "My Uncle Nano used to love to hunt in a place called 'The Big Thicket.'  There were lots of deer and antelope heads mounted and displayed throughout his house, but his real trophies were a boar's head and a rug made from a mountain lion hide.  I remember being totally fascinated by their preserved teeth and marble eyes.  We actually drove up there once. The mosquitoes were so thick that Uncle Nano threw my dad a bottle of 'Off!' insect repellent and shouted,'Here Pete, take a bath!'  I don't think we kids ever got out of the car.  Decades later, my sister Cordelia and I worked with a Realtor to sell the property as part of settling Aunt Vera's estate.  I actually think he sold it to someone who intended to use it as a hunting lodge."
And here's the scrapbook page I made to go along with it:

I don't really know anything about this photograph, as I found it in a book about Latino history in Houston, Texas that I found in my Aunt's house.  I guessed it was circa 1925, as my Uncle looks younger than when he married my Aunt in 1933.  I'll ask around to see if anyone knows any more about it, and I left some space to explain whatever I find out. At first, I thought it must be a military picture, but perhaps my Uncle Nano really hunted on horseback? The other thing I don't quite understand is that the photograph has the name of a Houston photography studio on the back (Cantu Studios), which makes me wonder who took the photograph and how.  Did studios in those days shoot on location? Or did my Uncle Nano bring this horse and his outfit to the studio? Speaking of which, I don't ever remember anything about my Uncle owning a horse! Very curious.  Anyone have any guesses about the photograph or knowledge of photography studio conventions in the U.S. in the 1920's?

"Great Minds Think Alike" Card Sketch

I make a lot of photo cards.  You can see some of them by clicking on this link.  Most of them use a full photo with some added embellishments and a sentiment.  This card is a little different.  It uses a 1-2" strip cut from a photo, mounted on a white card (which is why it's hard to see the edges of the card).   It's based on this sketch, which I sort of developed:

I say that I sortof developed it because the sketch is based on two almost identical cards that I received in the mail today from two different people!  This one is from Amy in Australia:

And this one from Deb in Arizona, USA:

Aren't the cards pretty?  And isn't it a little eery to get two such similar cards that to my knowledge were created independently?  Anyway, it's a very fun and easy sketch to use.  Here's one more I made:

 Let me know if you decide to to use the sketch.  And, if you put the photos on white, be sure to photograph or scan them with something in the background! LOL!

A Quick Scrapbooking Post

I got together with some of my crafting friends for our monthly gathering.  I did eight pages and wanted to post this one, hopefully in time for Shimelle's Scrapbook Day Contest call for "There's a story behind these pictures."  The journaling tells about what it was so important that we went to Panda Inn Restaurant.  You see, it's the "mother ship" for the Chinese fast food chain "Panda Express," which has been Henry's favorite restaurant for most of last year. As I conclude in my journaling, "The food was really good, and Henry said "Now my life is complete."
Here's my other favorite layout from today . . . a Christmas layout with lots of patterned paper:

Back soon with something more creative!

My Uncle Nano

Time for another "Houston Memories Card," inspired by Sian's Captured in a Card idea and made with my May Counterfeit Kit.  This one is about my Uncle Nano:

The inside of the card reads: "Uncle Nano (Fernando Salas) was a jeweler.  My sister Cordelia and I stayed with him and my Aunt Vera one summer.  He pierced our ears at the dining room table using a piece of ice, a cork and a sharp needle.  I remember his hands shaking and the pair of ear rings he placed in my ears - small plastic daisies on gold posts."  And, yes, that's a true story!  

My Uncle Nano was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and he married my Aunt Vera in 1933.  He was a prominent Latino businessman and civic leader in Houston.  In 1924, he co-founded an organization called La Asemblea Mexicana to help fight police brutality and Ku Klux Klan violence against Mexicans, as well as to help Mexican students in the Houston public schools.  He was also active in LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) during World War II and, in 1944, became the first Mexican American member of a Harris County Grand Jury.  He passed away on Jan. 6, 1982. 

For my heritage scrapbook page to go with my memory card, I did not do a layout about Uncle Nano but instead scrapped this wedding picture of my Aunt Vera:

Again, I went with pretty paper (from Club Scrap) and few embellishments.  The design was pretty much already decided because I had created this companion page several years ago:

I wanted the two pages go together well, and I think they did:

One of the reasons I chose to do the bridal layout was because I thought it would be quick and easy.  Also, I didn't think I had any pictures of Uncle Nano.  But, then, when researching the facts for this post  in a book called Del Pueblo by Thomas H. Krenek, I found some pictures of Uncle Nano (including the one posted above).  Oh well, Uncle Nano was a very colorful figure, and I've got lots more stories to tell about him involving hunting boar in the big thicket, teaching us how to play canasta, his encounter with the missing link and more about the jewelery business.  Thank you all so much for your kind words and feedback on my heritage/ genealogy scrapbook project.  It really is helping to keep me motivated.

Mother's Day Photo Shoot

Every year for Mother's Day, all I ask for from my kids is that they let me take a good portrait of them.  This year, we went down to the harbor area near my art studio.  We found a wicker love seat near one of the industrial buildings, and I took this photo of my kids, my husband and my dog.  Next up - some portraits in front of a weathered wooden shed I've been craving to use as a backdrop:

I also took a few in front of a rusted out pick up truck from a surf shop and a big container truck from the same place:

Although interesting, these didn't seem as successful to me.  Part of the problem was that it was difficult to get the lighting right there.  On the whole, the kids were good sports, and I am really happy with this year's photo shoot.  I'm glad we went someplace different and looked for interesting backdrops.  Have you ever done anything similar?  Do you have any favorites in today's post?

Four People Twelve Times (ten, if you're being picky)

Welcome back Blogger!  So, the system has had some weird problems lately.  My Mother's Day Photo Shoot post (which was up) is now gone.  I'll try to repost it.  Also, this post came up before it was scheduled to, so it's a bit incomplete.  But I don't want to try to move it.  So, here it is!  This a collection of photos taken over the course of the last year as part of my 4 people, 12 times project. Enjoy!
May 2011 (top) and May, 2010 (directly above).

June, 2010 World Cup Edition

Fourth of July, 2010

August, 2010 Lake Tahoe

September, 2010 at the Giant's game, AT&T Park

October, 2010 at the pumpkin patch.

December, 2010 at the Tree Farm

January, 2011 at Panda Inn, Pasadena

Mother's Day, 2011

My Tia Lupe

Here's my first "Houston Memory Card," based on Sian's idea called "Captured in a Card." and made with my May Counterfeit Kit.  Inside it reads, " My Tia Lupe was a talented seamstress, and she often made matching outfits for us."  As you may recall, my plan is to make a set of cards from the counterfeit kit to record random memories from the summers I spent in Houston, Texas visiting extended family.  As a way to finally work on my heritage/ genealogy album, I am also trying to complete a scrapbook layout every time I do a memory card.  Here's the scrapbook layout I made with the few pictures I have of my Tia Lupe (you can click on it to enlarge it and see the details):

The journaling reads:  "Guadalupe Ontiveros. [I hope to insert birth and death dates] Guadalupe and Pete Ontiveros, circa 1925 (left). Below, Guadalupe and Pete, with friends [I left room hoping that I'll be able to find a date or explanation for the photos - my sense is that it was about 1941].  Lupe attended Elliott Elementary School, but only continued through third grade.  She worked at Lone Star Bag & Bagging Co. from age 14-19.  During World War II, she went to school to learn welding and then worked as a welder at Brown Shipyard Co. for 2.5 years. Following the war, Lupe worked as a pantry girl at the Lamar Hotel and as an upholsterer at Shelby Dinette.  She operated her own restaurant, Ontiveros' Mexican Food (on Lyons Avenue) from 1963-1966.  She began working at Coney Island off the Square the next year as executive chef.  She became manager in 1970.  She never married and lived with her mother in the house on Wylie Street.  She came to stay with us a few times to help out when my brother Pete was born and again when my brother Carlos arrived.  She was a wonderful seamstress and often made matching outfits for me and my sister(s)."
I had so much fun making my first Houston Memory Card that I made this second one:

The memory on the inside reads "I knew that Tia Lupe worked at a restaurant called Coney Island.  I envisioned a place that made hot dogs on a boardwalk, so I was always confused when she brought home Mexican food from the restaurant. But I didn't  mind because it was some of the best food I ever tasted!" 

On the right hand side of my scrapbook layout, I have pictures from 1958, 1969 and 1974.  I've identified my family members and Grandmother in most of them. The 1958 picture (on the top left) is from Disneyland, and I'm not sure who is with my dad and my Tia Lupe.  It's either my Aunt Alice or my Aunt Pauline; I need to ask my cousin Irene for some help on that one. 
I'm really happy to finally be working on this album.  For some reason, I have previously found it too intimidating to work on, either because I want each layout to be beautiful and perfect or because I feel like I don't have enough information.  I'm trying really hard to quiet those doubts and just get the photos out of the box and onto pages with whatever information I have.  As you can see, the layout is nice but not particularly fancy.  I'll probably stick with this format.  For those who have asked before, I am scrapping the original pictures I have (I copy the ones I use in my altered art work and collage). I'm using photo corners, instead of adhesive to preserve their longevity and so that I can get to them if I need them.  I would love to hear about other people's experience with creating heritage/genealogy scrapbooks. Have you done it yourself?  Did you find it hard?  Any tips to share?