Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived a young orphaned girl called Vivian. Vivian lived in a big dark brick castle surrounded by green hilly fields dotted with milking cows. Vivian was a good girl; she worked hard scrubbing the floors, bringing the cows in for milking and taking care of the younger girls.

The Nuns in the orphanage could be very mean and hateful towards the young girls and the slightest step out of line would bring the worst kind of punishment. One day Vivian had decided that she had had enough of the discipline inflicted by the Nuns for seemingly no reason at all and she decided to do the most rebellious thing she could think of.

When the Nuns were walking the grounds, with their heads bowed reciting their evening prayers, Vivian escaped to the green hills. The hills were in viewing distance of the Nuns saying their evening prayers, but far enough away for Vivian to feel safe in her rebellion. She gathered her courage and lifted her long skirts and turned cartwheel after cartwheel across the top of the hill exposing her ankles and legs to anyone who just happened to pass their eyes across the green hill tops. Needless to say, this kind of behavior would not be tolerated and Vivian did face harsh punishment, but at least this time Vivian felt the punishment was well worth her moment of mischief!

Telling stories is a crucial part of human nature. Since the beginning of time we have had stories conveyed through civilization to pass on significant events and family histories. We see the shrines in ancient Egypt with their stories of wars and conquering of nations. The rock art of the Australian Aborigines’ telling the story of creation and the coming about of their spiritual beliefs.

With the advent of writing came stories on stone tablets, pottery, parchment, bark and many other textiles before paper came along. Stories have since been conveyed in many different ways from music, pictures to sculpture. Now we have the digital age where we can share our stories on different digital media and social networks. These layouts all tell their own story... read along.

Embarrassing Graduation Story by Rene Tibbets

Digital Supplies: Kit: Oh So Posh Page Kit by Christine Gundersen, My Funny Valentine 3 Page Kit by Nicole Young, Maskerades Quick Bits by Christine Gundersen, Software: Adobe Photoshop CS4, Fonts: Arial.

Design Notes: I clipped the Maskerade Quick Bit mask to my photo, creating a divide in the page to allow room for my journaling.

Journaling: I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Odessa College with a degree in Child Development on May 8, 1987. I was so excited! Little did I know that the night would turn out to be one of the most embarrassing moments of my life! While all the graduates were waiting for the processional to start, I was standing on the backs of my high heeled shoes. All of a sudden, one of the heels broke off! I didn’t know what to do, but one of the adults who was helping with the graduation tried to put it back on and told me to walk out very carefully on my toes, trying not to put any weight on the heel. So that’s what I did. I made it to my chair, but couldn’t concentrate on the graduation ceremony because I was so nervous about my shoe. When it was time for my row to go get our diplomas, I carefully walked to the podium and took my diploma. Just as I was shaking hands with the president of the college, my heel fell off and flew across the stage! I was mortified! People laughed! I tried to walk normally, but it was impossible. Finally, I just took off both my shoes, walked over to where my heel lay, picked it up and proceeded back to my seat. It’s a funny story now, but at the time, I didn’t find it funny at all!

Her Hands By Kristy Piper

Supplies: Papers: Websters Pages, 7 Gypsies, Crate Paper, Bazill. Ribbon: Websters Pages Floral, Pearls: Flourish With a Bling, Rub Ons: Hambly, Software: Microsoft Word, Fonts: Old Typewriter.

Design Notes: Keep the embellishments to a minimum when the story is the hero of the page, journal from the heart. It really is therapeutic. Adding just a touch of black to pastel colored pages can really make the colors pop. Make your title a highlighted part of your journaling.

Journaling: I miss these hands. They were so soft, so scarred, so totally HER. I wonder how many times in my life those hands held mine. How many times they comforted me when I was sick or sad. They held your beloved grandbabies, told stories, did craft, cooked and created. How many loads of washing did they hang? How many dishes did they wash? I loved how those hands were often held by my dad, even after 35 years of marriage. I love the scars, from all of those years of dialysis. I love that I got to hold those hands as you died even if it broke my heart. Selfishly, I want them back. Only you and your beautiful hands could help me get through something that hurts this bad. But them, and you, are gone. I loved Her Hands.

The Holocaust by Lauri Durand

Supplies: Paper: DCWV- LA CRÈME stack, Ribbon: Bobbin, Glitter Glue: Stickles Distress- Antique Linen, Stickles Frosted Lace, Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Vintage, Colorbox Chalk, Software: Microsoft Word, Fonts: Cambria, Aharoni. Tools: Electronic Cutter: Cricut Expressions, Cartridges: Heritage cartridge; Hello Kitty Font.

Design Notes: I printed my journaling on my cardstock and cut the scroll design with my Cricut on a separate piece of cardstock. I removed the scroll from my mat leaving the outline. I carefully slid my journaled cardstock under the remaining scrap piece, using it as a template to line it up. I pressed it onto the mat, removed the excess paper and reloaded it into my Cricut and cut it out.

Journaling: Family History: Great Grandfather Samuel Greenberg left Lodz Poland to come to America. Leaving behind his wife, two daughters, his father and siblings. When Samuel arrived in America he sent for his wife and daughters. His wife did not want to join him and remained in Poland with their girls. Samuel stayed in America where he remarried, and had another daughter. More than a decade would pass before his oldest daughter from Poland would join him in the United States. A few years after her arrival, the Nazi’s stormed through Lodz, Poland. Samuel’s mother Malcha died by a bayonet during WWI, and around that time so did his youngest brother at the age of fourteen. It is believed that Samuel’s brother Avrum was married and got out of Lodz before the Nazi’s came and wound up somewhere in Russia. But the rest of Samuel’s family perished in the Holocaust. Samuel’s father & other siblings had this portrait taken. Samuel’s father Moishe (sitting) and Samuel later had his image super imposed in the photo standing behind his father. Samuel’s siblings; Sarah, Miriam, D’Vorah and Hershel. Children in photo unknown.