I don't think I was fully prepared for Motherhood when I had my kids. Sure, I read all of the books - how to care for them, what games to play, what to do when ... - but really, no book can ever fully describe the scope of the job. No one ever said how hard it would be to be a mom. Giving up everything for a new little being, having a new life and new priorities. Feeling their pain when they get hurt or their sorrow when someone else makes them sad. Understanding their frustration when they can't do something or their disappointment when they are told that they are too little.

I would like to make this issue of U-Turn about the moms. Showcase little gifts that may make this Mother's Day a bit more special for those giving, hardworking, seemingly effortless Mothers, Grandmothers and Stepmoms in our lives. We have a few very personal, home-made projects that would touch anyone's heart, and our artists were gracious enough to include tips on how you can make these projects too.

Our first one caught my attention right away. The little mini album, I Love You Granny, was made with a lot of love by Tracy Gardiner, for her mom. A perfectly neutral palette, sepia photos to match, and lovely little poems, make this album a perfect way to tell any Granny how much you love her!

Tracy makes it look so easy, doesn't she? Making word shaped chipboard mini-albums can be a very daunting task, but Tracy gave us some hints to make the process a little easier. She says, "Select a range of coordinating papers; scrapbooking manufacturers have made it so easy for us by creating coordinating lines of papers and embellishments. This helps to speed up the process as you do not have to spend time mixing and matching patterned papers. I also select a maximum of 3 plain cardstock colors to match; I find that using more makes the project quite distracting. I also try to use toned down colors rather than brighter colors for the same reason."

I have made these types of books in the past and I know from experience that your best allies are your craft knife and sanding kit. Apply glue to the letter that you are going to cover and lay the paper on top of it - pattern side up. Flip the letter over and use your craft knife to cut off the excess paper. The sanders come in handy now to sand off excess paper; pieces too small for a craft knife to fully get. Sanding also makes your edges a lot smoother and neater. Some letters may have smaller areas to get into and I found the smaller file sets, such as my favorite from BasicGrey, are the ones that will help you out here. Another great idea is to seal the edges of the album with a project adhesive, like Beacon's Liquid Laminate, as mini albums will be handled a lot and the pages may get destroyed.

Tracy describes her process for the easiest way to tackle a mini-album, "I cover each page with printed paper or cardstock first. I then select my photos and temporarily place them to get an idea of where I want them to go. Then I focus on each page as a mini project in it's self with it's own design, embellishments, ribbon, rub-ons, etc." Easy and beautiful!

I Love You Granny by Tracy Gardiner

Supplies: Paper: BasicGrey, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Treasures, Flowers: Prima Marketing, Making Memories, Chipboard: Making Memories, Maya Road, Stickers: 7Gypsies, Ribbon: My Mind's Eye, Rub-Ons: American Crafts, BasicGrey, Other: ribbon, bling.

Design Notes: I used pertinent "Granny" poems (there are loads on the internet. One of my favorite sites is www.scrapbook.com/poems.php) and printed them onto cardstock then added rub-ons in amongst the words.

Journaling: The computer swallowed grandma, Yes, honestly it's true. She pressed "control" and "enter" And disappeared from view. It devoured her completely, The thought just makes me squirm. She must have caught a virus Or been eaten by a worm. I've searched through the recycle bin and files of every kind: I've even used the Internet, but nothing did I find. In desperation, I asked Jeeves My searches to refine. The reply from him was negative, Not a thing was found "online". So, if inside your "Inbox", My Grandma you should see, Please "Copy", "Scan" and "Paste" her And send her back to me!
Everything my grandma does is something special made with love. She takes time to add the extra touch that says, "I love you very much." She fixes hurts with a kiss and smile and tells good stories grandma-style. It's warm and cozy on her lap for secret telling or a nap. And when I say my prayers at night I ask God to bless and hold her tight. Cause when it comes to giving hugs my grandma's arms are filled with love!
A granny is warm hugs and sweet memories. She remembers all of your accomplishments and forgets all your mistakes. She is someone you can tell your secrets and worries to and she hopes and prays that all your dreams come true. She always loves you no matter what. She can see past temper tantrums and bad moods and makes it clear that they don't affect how precious you are to her. She is an encouraging word and tender touch. She is full of proud smiles. She is the one person in the world who loves you with all her heart who remembers the child you were and cherishes the person you've become.