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Sunday, August 18, 2013

Extreme Flashback, SRA edition!

Okay, I don't know if this is just a Texas thing, or what, but when I was in elementary school, we had this fun reading program called SRA. It was self-guided, and basically you got to do it if you finished your other work. I LOVED it.

I think that there were two things I loved the most about it. No, three things.

First, the self-guided part. As much as I love learning, I wasn't overly fond of school. I was bored a lot, and I never did my best learning in an environment where you had to try to sync up 30 people. That's true today. It's just not my thing. I actually don't think it's anyone's thing, and as a former elementary school teacher, I could go on for days about that, but I know, you don't have days.

Second, it had an Angry Birds/Candy Crush feel to it. Everything was contained on neat little cards, and when you finished something, you got to go on to the next card. It really had a game/puzzle appeal, and I LOVE games and puzzles.

Finally, it was color coded. This spoke to my graphic and color-oriented brain. I loved having milestones marked by color. My only disappointment here was that one of the highest, if not the highest, levels was brown. REALLY? BROWN? Sheesh. I can tell a man came up with that. No offense men, but you creatures like brown a lot more than we felines do. The highest level OBVIOUSLY should have been a beautiful aqua, you big ding dongs.

Any time I have a chance to make things that are ROY G. BIV I do, and I also have all my paper, ink and accessories ordered by ROY G. BIV. It's like the math of art. (I can hear you rolling your eyes, UnderstandBlue's Father).




Pin It

Stamps: Carry On
Paper: Watercolor, Whisper White, Modern Medley DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Kiwi Kiss, coastal Cabana
Accessories: Crystal Effects, Rhinestone, Derwent Inktense Bark Pencil, Embossing Powder 

Speaking of our friend ROY, this is a card I did for Dare to Get Dirty on +Splitcoaststampers for my friend +Jeanne Streiff's challenge. Hard to see here but the little purse has Crystal Effects on it so it looks like patent leather.

And are you impressed with how I cut out that tiny purse handle?

Well I didn't! :) I just watercolored it to match the background. Booya.

Now - back to cleaning the stamp cave. It never ends.

Loveyameanitbye.


13 comments:

  1. Eeeeeek! You have just articulated everything I LOVED about SRA - loved those color coded cards and loved the different levels and just love it all! Oh, good memories...thanks...

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  2. I saw your post on FB and you had me at SRA!!! I was here in a flash to see if you meant My FAVORITE SRA or if it was a new acronym for something else. (ummmm...I am still a little illiterate with all the texting short speak!)

    I LOVED SRA. Reading was so my thing and yup, I loved the challenge of it...and of course it didn't hurt when I almost always made a perfect score or just below. It would kill me when I didn't get a perfect!

    I don't remember the color code thing...I think I was too busy reading but it made me smile reading what you wrote about it. Yes, BROWN? How UN-motivating!

    Your card is stunning! TFS :)

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  3. I forgot to tell you how much I love the card! Hate shopping but love your card...the colors are AMAZING!

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  4. I remember SRA! Goodness gracious, but I loved that program! The GOLD stars were MY favorite part. :)

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  5. SRA must be a TX thing. Never heard of it...BUT brown - I agree should be a bright happy color.. Luved the card. I have that set - more ideas..

    Thanks

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  6. We had SRA in Wisconsin in the 60's and I LOVED it more than anything! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

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  7. We had SRA in Wisconsin in the 60's! I LOVED it more than anything! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

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  8. WHY do you ALWAYS make me LAUGH!!!!! Oh man, those lucky kids that had you for a teacher!!!! Lydia your brain NEVER shuts off! and I'm sorry UnderstandBlue's Father... ROY G BIV is the ONLY way to have things!!!!!!

    Signed,
    Deprived of SRA in Oregon Education System

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  9. I love SRA too! It was here in utah and I thought it was not fun that my kids didn't have it. It gave us something to do when you got bored of being done with your class work.
    I always hated that brown was the highest level too!

    Card is so darling and makes me want to shop shop shop at some fun antique stores!!!!

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  10. Lydia... I could just hug and squzzeeee ya... You are soooo funny... and my daughter is so much like you... She Loved SRA and she LOVES her colors.... but her mama LOVES her BLUES....

    Kelli... where in Oregon are you... I'm down in Bandon... both of my children were in the SRA program... It really was the only thing my daughter like about early school, like Lydia said, Sarah was bored most of the time.... it took alot on my part to keep the both of them interested...

    Great Art Lydia... Love what you have been doing....

    Faith

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  11. Be still my heart! SRA was easily the best thing about third grade! I lived in NY at the time, and that school year was 1962–1963. I'm still an avid reader.

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  12. I LOVED SRA!!!!!! And yeah, Aqua would have been awesome.

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  13. We had SRA here in Illinois! I hadn't thought about it for YEARS! I can't remember what it looked like, but I LOVED it! My kids (and their DH's) are all teachers and my youngest teaches 4th grade. Now they have AR - Accelerated Reader. The books are given a grade level number and they read the book and have to pass a multiple choice quiz on it to prove that they read the book. They take the test on the COMPUTER!!! Heehee...

    Susan, aka Soozie4Him on SCS
    moot96 AT aol DOT com
    (I don't use gmail address)

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