Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is something always wildly anticipated in our house. Living in Canada, anything that means spring might be coming - and relief from the massive piles of snow we inevitably get every year - is a welcomed sign. Even if I'm pinning my hopes on a rodent not seeing his shadow, I'll usually take it by February 2!

In 2012, my husband had a unique opportunity to actually be on hand as Shubie Sam made his prediction at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park in Nova Scotia. Much to my relief, Sam's shadow was nowhere in sight and he enjoyed the mild weather for a stroll around his burrow. My husband snapped a shot, which turned into a scrapbook page about Groundhog Day.

With this one, I decided to be a bit whimsical and create a banner of die-cut flowers and snowflakes. For what other reason can you make a page with both those elements?  On the back of my tag, I explained the history of Groundhog Day and emphasized my excitement that spring was in our sights with a Hero Arts stamp.

Even if you don't have the opportunity to get a picture of a groundhog on February 2, there are a couple of ways to incorporate Groundhog Day into your scrapping. Here are some easy ideas:

-  Snap a picture of your kids or pets on Groundhog Day and document whether or not they see their shadow. Using a spinner and arrow would make a really fun interactive page!

-  Play on the Bill Murray classic comedy, Groundhog Day (1993), and use it as an opportunity to document what your days are like. In the movie, Murray's character is trapped in a never-ending cycle of reliving Groundhog Day until he gets it right. Bring the idea to your scrapbooking by documenting hour by hour (or even more frequently!) what your family does throughout the day on February 2.

-  Dig up a picture of a favorite spring activity and do a page about how you'll soon be able to partake. Or, conversely, snap a picture of your family doing a favorite wintertime activity and do a page about how it's either coming to an end, or you'll have six more weeks of enjoyment, depending on what the groundhog says.

-  A page showing weather trends or discussing that year's weather might be a fun way to mark the day. For photos, dig out pictures of your family enjoying the winter season or snap photos of beautiful winter scenes.

-  Another great way to mark the day is to have your child draw a picture of a groundhog and document that. Interview the kids about what they think the groundhog will predict and see if they're right on February 2.

Supplies:

• paper from Doodlebug All-Seasons pack
• tag from stash
• snowflakes cut with Sizzix die
• flowers cut with Cuttlebug die
• twine
• stamp by Hero Arts
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink die in Faded Jeans
• Pink Paislee letters ('spring')
  
• "Sam says" letters from stash
• Tim Holtz Upon a Time strip diecut ("Feb. 2, 2012")
• frame from stash