little ponderings

Designer Spotlight Sale at GDS

2011-09-30T12:30:00.006-04:00

You are in for such a treat today.
Created by Jill is being featured this month in the Designer Spotlight
at GDS and to celebrate, Jill is having a phenomenal sale

50%0ff! Here is what I picked up. Just need a little
time to scrap the pumpkin patch and apple picking
photos -- and tomorrow is the picnic, so let's hope
the rain goes away and we can enjoy some outdoorsy fun

And, since I am working on little miss's Owl Costume
for Halloween, I am in the looking forward to
scrapping with the Boo To You collection
(yes, I just had to get it all, but each piece is
available separately too)

and dont forget the coordinating alphas

Here is the whole Boo To You Bundle

I can't wait to come back and post photos of the Owl wings.
I had a bit of a glitch with the Heat Bond, but I think I can
fix it up with some of mypurple rubber stamping inks.
I am pretty sure that once the Heat Bond is set,
you can wash/launder the items, but I am wondering if my
ironing the "feathers"of the wings is what is causing
the Heat Bond to not be bonding?

Here is my inspiration, which I found on Pinterest

For my version, I decided to line the inside of my wings
to hide my stitching a bit.

Holly Jolly Blog Train -- stop here

2010-12-21T14:40:00.012-05:00

Welcome to the Holly Jolly Blog Train.
You should have arrived here from Jayne's blog.

Is everyone all ready for Christmas? Are you in the mood for some Christmas freebies? I put this wintery Quick Page together using Marshmella Design's Holly Jolly Bundle available HERE at Gingerscraps.

It's 41% off until Dec 26th. Please be sure to download this now because this freebie will no longer be available after December 22nd.

Sorry. The link is now expired.

and here is my inspiration page

Your next stop on the Holly Jolly Blog Train is
here with Lone
Happy Scrapping!

And be sure you leave a comment on Marshmella Designs blog for a chance to win the Holly Jolly Bundle!

Can you say "SALE"

2010-05-28T23:48:00.002-04:00

Marshmella Designs at GDS is having an amazing sale,
just because...

why not stop on over and
check out some amazing
products in Marshmella's shoppe

I made this page using

a 50% off SALE!

2010-05-04T21:44:00.004-04:00

Marshmella Designs is having a 50% off SALE

tomorrow May 5th!
Check out some of the great kits in the shoppe
at GoDigitalScrapbooking

Long Time No Blog...but it is iNSD!!!!!

2010-05-01T22:03:00.003-04:00

iNSD is here and I am sure I am not the only one
who waits all year for the festivities! There is
so much going on in digi-land, and here are a few
of the great sales I have found

Why not stop on over to Digiscrapaganza and
check out the awesome deals!

Christmas Giveaway: Day 11

2009-12-23T10:11:00.001-05:00

Day 11 is here of Digiscrapaganza's holiday giveway
Head on over to Digiscrapaganza or click the image
below for Day 11's goodie!

Day 10: 12 Days of Christmas at Digiscrapaganza

2009-12-22T10:27:00.002-05:00

Day 10 is already here!
Click the image below to pick up Day 10
of Digiscrapaganza's holiday give-away

happy scrapping!
don't forget to stop by and snag Day 11 tomorrow

Day 9: 12 Days of Christmas at Digiscrapaganza

2009-12-21T10:45:00.003-05:00

Hey there scrappers!
Here we are for Digiscrapaganza's Day9 of the holiday Giveaway

Enjoy
(just click on the image to pick up the next piece)

Days 8: 12 Days of Christmas at Digiscrapaganza

2009-12-19T10:42:00.001-05:00

Time for another piece of CocoLatte at Digiscrapaganza's 12
Days of Christmas Giveaway

Just click the image below to pick up this goodie

Happy Scrapping!
Dont forget to stop by tomorrow for the next piece of CocoLatte

Days 6 and 7: 12 Days of Christmas at Digiscrapaganza

2009-12-18T10:37:00.000-05:00

It is that time again
Time for Digiscrapaganza's 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway
Click the images below to pick up Day 6 and Day 7

Happy Scrapping!

Day 5 - 12 Days of Christmas at Digiscrapaganza

2009-12-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

What a treat for Digiscrapaganza's Day 5 for 12 Days of Christmas giveaway

Head on over to Digiscrapaganza HERE to pick up the next piece of CocoLatte

Happy Scrapping!

Days 3 and 4- 12 Days of Christmas at Digiscrapaganza

2009-12-15T10:15:00.003-05:00

If you haven't already stopped by Digiscrapaganza this week,
you are going to want to head on over there now. For 12 days
Digiscrapaganza is giving away a piece a day of the fantastic,
warm and cozy Collab kit called Coco Latte

Here is Day 3's portion from Queen Pamedalah
Enjoy!

Click HERE to pick up Day 3 of Coco Latte

12 Days of Christmas at Digiscrapaganza

2009-12-14T11:45:00.004-05:00

Here is Day 2 of Digiscrapaganza's 12 Days of Christmas giveaway

stop by Digiscrapaganza HERE to pick up these gorgeous papers
Be sure to stop by tomorrow too for another piece of Coco Latte

And here is another page I made using CocoLatte

12 Days of Christmas at Digiscrapaganza

2009-12-13T11:36:00.001-05:00

Digiscrapaganza is celebrating with 12 Days of Christmas.
Stop by Digiscrapaganza each day until Christmas for a piece of the December
Collab kit, Coco Latte --

Click HERE to pick up Cooc Latte

and here is a page I made using Coco Latte
by ScrapShana, Queen Pamedalah and Horsedreamer Designs

duckie days

2009-11-13T01:01:00.001-05:00

One of the very first words that Little Miss spoke was
the "duckie sound" -- not "quack quack" but a sound
like the ducks made. We would walk along the duck
pond quite a lot, and always stop to watch the ducks.
While we play at other parks with playgrounds now,
we still stop by several times just to feed the ducks,
and smell the flowers

I made this page using Painted Dreams & Imaginative Things
by Holly Designs.

Speed Scrap Anyone?

2009-10-21T23:23:00.004-04:00

I love Speed Scraps, probably because I am such a slow scrapper and they force me to make a decision and stick with it. Usually, I love my SS pages and I can't believe that I can actually scrap that quickly. The prompts do help, but each SS takes on a life of it's own. Here are a few of my recent SS pages

I used the Endearing series by Dancing Princess Designs
for the above page. Tons of goodies in the collection, and I dont have to think about trying to coordinate anything. It is already done for me.
My favorite were the glossy plastic styles -- I just love the flexibility
and ease of using styles, and being able to add some fun touches,
quickly!

I made this next SS page tonight at a Speed Scrap hosted by
Val of geniaBeana Designs. I have been waiting to scrap
with the Hoo's My Girl Collab (Little Miss loves owls!)
by geniaBeana Designs and Kimi's Creations!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-13T00:09:00.005-04:00

Little Miss was so excited to go to her very first field trip with school.
The wagon ride to the pumpkin patch was a hit, with scarecrows scattered all along the way. We were allowed to pick any pumpkin, as long as we could carry it. Our first pumpkin was a little white one. Our second was an orange one, a bit bigger. When we got back to the wagon, others had massive pumpkins, I felt like I should have let her pick a big one, but I had no idea they were going to drop us off in the parking lot to bring the pumpkins to the car. Live and Learn. Evenso, the farm was a hit.

And here's what I used
Autum Harvest by Scrap Shana available at Digiscrapaganza

Spookalicious Collab

2009-10-11T14:20:00.005-04:00

October is well underway and Halloween is fast approaching.
We have finally narrowed down our costume search between
two outfits. But Little Miss sure has had fun trying on the
masks, wigs, outfits and assorted trick or treat bags

The Spookalicous Collab at Digiscrapaganza has been
perfect for our fall activities

Here are a few pages I have made using Spookalicious

And,
I have a fun template to giveaway

To pick up the Spookalicious template,
simply click HERE

Happy Scrapping!

Be Inspired ~ Be Silly

2009-09-30T12:24:00.004-04:00

Here is a sneaky peek of September's Be Inspired posting bonus, be silly

A Wonderful Day

2009-09-13T23:59:00.006-04:00

Little Miss was quite the character yesterday. She was so excited to be going to the park, that she broke into song. When we came in from walking the dog, I wrote down her lyrics

It’s a wonderful day
to go to the park
in the fresh air and play.

Oh, can’t you see
twirl, twirl, twirl)
It’s a beautiful day.
It’s a beautiful day

It’s a smiley day!

I was playing around in Photoshop with some gradients and styles I picked up at GDS, by Tricia Curtis Designs. Oh, what fun and so addictive. These were the first gradients I have bought, but they sure are easy to use, and a great way to add some fun to your pages

I first changed my photo to b&w.
Then I applied a gradient overlay, adjusted the opacity a bit
and transformed my photo to this

I have been waiting for the weather to be cool enough
to put this gorgeous sweater on Little Miss. It was a gift
from my sister, and yesterday was perfect fall-ish weathter.

Here is what I used in the page
I see lots more time spent playing around with the styles and gradients

I have been trying to get in lots of outdoor activities and outings while the weather is warm, and before Little Miss starts school next week. We have been going to her favorite parks and playgrounds. She loves the Spillway and has as much fun in the little patch of sand as she does at the beach. On the way back to the car, we cross a long bridge. There is a small, relatively shallow area where one can walk on the rocks to get across. Little Miss was thrilled to sit down on the rocks with the water trickling over her toes.

And I used Bumblebears by Kathryn Estry

An Amazing Artist

2009-09-12T14:35:00.004-04:00

Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.

If you have a few minutes, watch the video
Kseniya Simonava's Sand Painting

There is a point in the video where a man is speaking in the background,
the audience is in tears while she creates the scene in sand. I only wish
I knew what was being said. Evenso, I found myself transfixed, just
watching. It is so worth seeing these amazing scenes unfold.

Kitten's Garden

2009-09-11T22:51:00.004-04:00

Little Miss has had mixed feelings about starting PreSchool next week. When we drive by her school, she just has to point it out to everyone else in the car. We have been reminding her all summer long about school starting. Sometimes she just listens, other times she will say that she isn't going, that she will be staying home with me instead. She will go when she is five. I am not really sure how the first day next week will go. Since she starts in the afternoon, we are both going to take her to a special lunch beforehand and go in all together for the meet and greet. I have been thinking of having her write out Little Miss's First Day of School on a piece of paper, so that we can use her own little writing in the First Day of School photo.

I just couldn't wait to scrap a pre-preschool page today when Little Miss informed me that next week she is going to Kitten'sGarden. I thought it would be fun for her to look back at some of the mixed feelings about school. The Journaling Challenge at Digiscrapaganza was perfect, and this month one of the fonts is a fun kid-like crayonish font, called Ermanita. It was perfect to quote her Kitten'sGarden comment. Here is what I came up with --

I used a great school kit available at Digiscrapaganza.
School Daze Collab. I also used one of the templates in
the collab kit as a starting point

and here is another page I made using School Daze.
The art supplies were perfect for this page about my
Little Artist in the Making.
For this page, I used the second template in the
collab kit, by Designs by Tami

My Speed Scrap Fix

2009-09-11T00:33:00.005-04:00

Here's what I used

Only You

2009-09-02T01:56:00.007-04:00

Only you would be rolling down a hill, holding a pinecone so that
it could take a ride too!

Whispers and Wishes

2009-08-30T20:58:00.005-04:00

ScrapShana has a new, dreamy kit in the shoppe at
Digiscrapaganza called Earth Angel.
I fell in love with this kit as soon as I saw it...
soft, muted earth tones and a touch of whimsy.
(I think this kit was made for scrapping Little Miss)

take a look at a few of the pages I have made using
Earth Angel

Head on over to Digiscrapaganza and check out
Earth Angel while it is on SALE

August Be Inspired Challenge at GDS

2009-08-27T22:06:00.002-04:00

I have finally finished up with August's posting bonus for participating in
the Be Inspired Challenge at GoDigitalScrapbooking.

To find out how to snag this goodie, read about the challenge HERE

Happy Scrapping!

Anatomy of a Page: Only You

2009-08-15T21:59:00.001-04:00

I love Speed Scraps, and to be honest they are the only pages I make in two hours.
Most of the time I spend at least twice as much as that on a page, and if I journal, that can take me forever.

I tried a few things out on this page, with drop shadows, inner and outer glow and adjusting opacity levels. Someone asked how I did this, so here is an attempt to walk through some of the different effects I tried out.

Step One:

Choose a photo. (I loved this photo and the confident attitude of my daughter)

I really like the photo, but I wanted to soften it -- there was too much green from the grass.
I also wanted the photo to be more subdued to match the kit I was planning on using.
So I duplicated my photo layer, and changed the layer to black and white.

I then changed the b&w layer (make sure this is on top of the color layer) to "color"
Then I adjusted the opacity layer down (to 65%), allowing some of the original photo to show through. The photo below is the end result.

The important thing to do is play around with the adjustment modes, experiment until you get a look you like. There is no right and wrong.

Step Two:

Choose a background paper

I chose a paper from Dancing Princess Design's kit Dance In The RainII, the AddOn

layered another paper from Dance In The Rain above the floral paper

and changed the blending mode to luminosity, to get this result

Step Three:

Create a layered background, sort of like creating a mat, or a page border

I duplicated my grey paper that I changed to "luminosity" in the step above
And decreased the size to 96% of the original, and centered it. This is the result

Step Four:

Create a mat for the photo and place on the page

Step Five:

Add Wings

This has several steps.
I used swirls from Dance In The RainII, the AddOn
I duplicated the wings, and placed them as if they were attached to Little Miss's back, keeping the wings layers above my photo to be able to place them
I linked these two wings together, and duplicated them (there will be four wings layers)
The duplicated wings layers (and linked all four wings), were then moved behind my photo, but above the photo mat
I did some erasing on the wings layers that are above my photo
(I used the lasso tool and the magic wand to select the area of her body, and then erased those areas)

If you look closely to the wings, you will see a soft bluish halo
I got this effect by adding a soft drop shadow, and here is the fun
an "outerglow"
I changed the color of the "outerglow" to a dark blue
I got this color directly from my background paper, using the color picker too
(that is an easy way to get the colors from the elements you are using)
For those of you who want to try this out, my outerglow was set to
"soft light"
opacity 34%
0 noise

Elements:
softer
spread 64
size 72

color of the outer glow is: 1c454b

Step 6:

Add my journaling

Part of the Speed Scraps rules called for journaling
I was running out of time, so I chose to use some words and put the text on a path
I chose a fun font, TK Doodle that has a whimsical flowing feel

I used the selection tool to create a circular shape
I filled this with the paint bucket and moved the circle around the photo until I liked the placement
I then selected the circle and created a path based on this shape
Next I chose my font, with the path active, and started to journaling words and feelings

(I will save Texts On A Path for another time, but it sure gets addicting)
Once I was happy with the placement of everything, I deselected my circular shape
so that I could use it later

Step Seven:

Embellish

I added the other elements to my page and a little bit of journaling
based on the Speed Scrap instructions, hardware, strings, wrapped ribbon

Step Eight:

Some finishing touches

I used the embroidered heart from Chase the Blues Away by Dancing Princess Designs
I wanted a little bit more behind my photo, but soft and subtle
Something that didn't jump out and grab you, but added a little something
I layered the embroidered heart blending my photo and photo mat layers

Here is what it looks like

It is a soft effect, but adds just a little bit of interest
And here is how I achieved that softness
I used the embroidered heart as a "clipping mask"
I duplicated my bluish grey background paper and clipped this paper to the embroidered heart element
At first it will seem that there is nothing there since I used the same paper and the same positioning of the paper.

To have it stand out, I added an "Outer Glow" to the embroidered heart element
I chose color #a2664f an orange, based on the colors in the page
Here are the outerglow settings I used:
"soft light"
opacity 57%
0 noise

Elements:
softer
spread 79
size 19

Step Nine:

My last detail -- draw attention to the photo

I went back and forth with the step and wasn't sure
The rules of the speed scrap called for a circular shape, and while I journaled along a circular path, I thought I needed to define the circle a bit more.

For this I did use an acrylic style. Some day I will figure out how to do this one on my won, but I have fallen in love with the Clearly Styled Acrylic Styles by Bec's Bits. I love being able to click one button and get some neat style that would take me hours to get on my own.

Remember that circular shape I used to journaling along?
I moved this layer above my photo, and applied an acrylic style
I wanted a little definition, but not alot
Here is what the final page looks like

And that is how this page was created.
The page doesn't have many embellishments, but I used some fun effects
Play around with your scrapping software
See what you can do with it
Try out a few new techniques
You might find something that you like to do, and
the more you use a technique or effect, the easier it will be to duplicate

only you

2009-08-13T19:52:00.000-04:00

Little Miss had the best time at the petting farm
She walks as if she owns the world, and I was taken with this photo
The confidence she has amazes me

I am going to use this photo for tonight's Speed Scrap at GDS hosted by Dancing Princess Designs
I love that we often get a little "hint" about how many photos will be needed
I usually spend too much time searching through photos, and when I need multiple photos for an SS, it just throws me for a loop.

To get this effect,
I duplicated my photo layer
I adjusted the bottom layer to b&w
I changed the blended mode of the top layer (oringal image) to multiply
I then reduced the opacity layer to 60%

Be Inspired and Be Happy

2009-08-13T00:35:00.004-04:00

For this month's Be Inspired Challenge at GDS,
I chose an Etsy treasury as the inspiration.
This is my page for the challenge. I duplicated my photo, colorized the duplicate layer a soft brown, then set that layer to soft light and reduced the opacity. I also did a bit of color burning on Little Miss's face.

You can find out more about the be inspired challenge and how to snag the posting bonus this month by clicking HERE

and here are the papers
(i am still working on getting the elements done and all packaged up, but this layout of Little Miss and her favorite pony Thunder, was made using the be happy posting bonus for the challenge)

It is Speed Scrap Time

2009-08-12T19:05:00.003-04:00

Bliss

2009-08-09T19:15:00.004-04:00

I love using photo masks in my scrapping.
I think they are a fun and easy way to make a great page quickly

Dancing Princess Designs has a cool new mask called Bliss

And, here is a page I made using the mask.

I always loved this photo of Little Miss all wrapped up in a blanket after her tubby.

I chose the background paper from Once Upon A Time by Dancing Princess Designs
I duplicated the paper layer and clipped this to the Bliss PhotoMask (because my photo wasn't large enough to cover the entire area of the mask and I wanted Little Miss's face to appear in the middle of the mask)
I then clipped my photo to the Bliss PhotoMask
I really liked the tone on tone, so I continued that with the elements I chose.
I used a curly ribbon from Once Upon A Time and again clipped my original paper to this.
I had it slightly off, so that some of the original ribbon would show through.
I then added a drop shadow to the ribbon, so that it would be slightly raised from the background paper.

I used a few different alphas to create my date and title (Dance in the RainII, Mark It Date Stamps, and Full Hand Alpha all available at GoDigitalScrapbooking by Dancing Princess Designs).

I have some wonderful news
Dancing Princess Designs now has a newsletter
To sign up for it, simply email a request to
newsletter@dancingprincess.com

If you would like some more fun, easy tips and trick to help with your scrapping, head on over to the DancingPrincess Designs blog HERE and try some out for yourself.

More news, a CT call

for the love of Pete

2009-08-05T23:26:00.000-04:00

Little Miss had fun today at the petting farm and play time in the pool with our houseguests.
The balloons and Bolt cake were a hit for her b-day party, and she was pretty tuckered out by bedtime.

Here's what I used from GoDigitalScrapbooking:

Dream In Color

2009-08-04T01:52:00.002-04:00

This summer has flown by. August is here and Little Miss is turning FOUR~I don't know where all the time has gone. Here she is doing what she loves, playing outside, picking up leaves in the grass at a favorite park.

I got the idea of using a b&w photo from JAB Design's fantastic word art. You can find this and all the other elements on the page in the GDS August Collab Kit, My Whimsical World. I did some blending of the papers and just had to use the topiary trees to decorate the outside of the fun little house. (DH does not like topiaries, so I take any chance to scrap with them I can get)

Here is a peek at the kit and you can find it by clicking the image below. Just spend $10 at the GDS shoppe (in one order) during the month of August and you can pick up this whimsical kit free

Once Upon A Time

2009-07-16T20:06:00.006-04:00

GDS has released a fabulous Collaboration Kit called Once Upon A Time, that is sold in individual pieces by each designer. So many styles and goodies to choose from. I used Dancing Princess Designs' portion of Once Upon A Time to create this page.

Not too long ago we watched Prince Caspian, the second movie in the Chronicles of Narnia series.
I wonder if book three is in the works? I was actually starting to like the characters in Prince Caspian -- so much more than in the first of the series, the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Anyway, there was a song played in the movie that I just loved. I watched to the end for the credits and found it was The Call. The lyrics are quite sad, but the song begins:

It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word

And then that word grew louder and louder
'Til it was a battle cry

I knew I wanted to scrap a page with these lyrics. Once Upon A Time provided the perfect opportunity. I thought that the lyrics (although taken out of context of the song) described a mother's love and how I felt when I first learned I was having Little Miss -- a feeling, then a hope, an array of feelings, until a love that was "louder and louder" and then a love that would do anything for a child. So now you know how my mind works....

This is what I came up with

and here is Once Upon A Time by Dancing Princess Designs available at GoDigitalScrapbooking

While you are there, check out the other pieces too. Here are a few that I have on my WishList
(and there are lots more....)

Comfort and Joy

2009-07-14T21:14:00.000-04:00

GDS is having a month long event, Christmas in July.
Not only are all the items in the "Christmas in July" section 50% off for the entire month of July (how cool is that -- all winter holiday kits!) but Dancing Princess Designs is also offering a huge promotional offer. Why not head on over and take a peek

I had to get in on the holiday spirit and finally scrap a favorite photo from last year. Little Miss and I had gone to the garden center to buy PUMPKINS, and to my dismay, all the pumpkins were gone, in SEPTEMBER. Instead we find a massive holiday display and a forest of sort, complete with lighted Christmas trees, winding path, and little white house with a wrap around porch, perfect for little ones to peek in and see all the holiday splendor inside. Since I was planning on getting some photos for a Halloween card, I had my camera with me and couldn't resist getting some Christmas photos, just a bit early.

This page uses my favorite photo from that day, Little Miss standing on the porch, peeking into the little decorated house with eyes beaming wonderment. Comfort and Joy by Dancing Princess Designs was the perfect kit for me. As soon as I saw the background paper with pine boughs along the edges, I knew what I wanted to do -- extract the paper and nestle my photo beneath the pine. What do you think? The extracting was timely, but I think it was worth it

Comfort and Joy is one of Dancing Princess Designs latest kits available at GoDigitalScrapbooking. Check out the coordinating alpha and holiday card kit too

believe

2009-07-12T20:35:00.004-04:00

Kathryn Estry has a fantastic new kit out, so fun, whimsical and so very dreamy. I knew I had to scrap with it. Just An Ordinary Day -- anything but an ordinary kit

I am so happy with this page. I extracted Little Miss from the green grass in the background. I tried several clipping masks, but the green was just over powering.
I spent some time with the shadow work to try to get some sense of dimension. I am so happy with my final page.

I was pretty stuck on the journaling. I had an idea to journal inside a path and make it the shape of a road, starting at the bottom of the page and having the text go up each line, almost as if walking up steps. No matter what I did, I just couldn't get the image I had in my mind. So, I thought about the feeling I was trying to convey, and one word came to mind "believe". Little Miss's stance, the wind blowing her hair. I thought if I was looking at her, maybe her eyes were closed and she might be dreaming about all the possibilities.
We were actually at her favorite park, and the entrance to woods was a few hundred miles away. Little Miss has such an imagination, and each time we visit, she "feeds" her "horse" (a fallen down tree) pine cones, acorns, dried leaves, and flowers. I imagined Little Miss dreaming of fairies and sprites, the grumpy old troll who guards the bridge in the woods beyond. Believe seemed fitting.
I used Kathryn Estry's Words of Faith, Set2

Gallery Standouts

2009-07-12T13:33:00.003-04:00

I am so excited to have one of my pages featured on the Gallery Standouts Blog.
I visit the blog often for inspiration and to see all the gorgeous pages in the Fingerpointing section.
It is such a great honor for me.

I made Reawakenings for the All About Me Challenge hosted by Dani Alencar at GoDigitalScrapbooking. I dont usually scrap about myself, but I thought I would give it a go.
After all, Little Miss has pages and pages about herself, so "maybe" one day she would like to look back and see what things were like for me

Dancing in the Rain

2009-06-14T19:24:00.003-04:00

Last week before I left for the wedding, I had promised Little Miss we would go out to the field and pick daisies after the post office. We took a little too long getting ready, and it started to pour before we even got there. The little squeaky voice from the back of the car nearly broke my heart, so I stopped anyway. Little Miss had the best time and didn't seem to care that she was wet and soggy. I snapped a few photos and loved how they turned out in black and white.

I was so shocked when I got back from the wedding to see this new kit by Dancing Princess Designs called Dance in the Rain. It was perfect for my b&w photos, and what a title -- a week earlier Little Miss had been dancing in the rain. I couldn't resist. I loved the photos so much, I took Little Miss back to the same field for some shots when it wasn't raining. While she didn't have as much fun, since there were no puddles to jump in, the wind was blowing the wildflowers and the setting couldn't have been more perfect. I used Dance in the Rain for two daisy pages

And these are my sunny day photos picking daisies.
I made this page for a Speed Scrap at GDS hosted by Dancing Princess
I didn't quite fill the SS's requirements since I ran out of time and couldn't add my title, but I like how the page turned out with some photos tucked under the curve. I also added a little fun to the flowers with an acrylic style. The look reminded me of epoxy elements and the glue I bought that was supposed to give the effect, though I could never figure out how to make it work in real life. I think I used half the bottle trying to make an "epoxy" title. These flowers were much easier and quicker to make.

Here's what I used

Preparing for Pre-School

2009-06-10T19:05:00.003-04:00

Now that Little Miss is preparing for pre-school, I have been wondering where the time has gone. Nearly three years ago, we celebrated her first birthday. What a crazy ride, and I can honestly say that back then, I could not have imagined getting ready for pre-school.

I had it in my mind to make an album of firsts, and Little Miss's First Birthday seemed like a great place to start.

and here is what I used, the Big One by Kathryn Estry and Clipping Masks#5. I have become such a fan of clipping masks. They make it so easy to get a great effect. For this one, I duplicated the mask layer, moved it beneath the clipped photo layer, and stroked it with a blue the color of the background paper.

Check Out this offer and a Speed Scrap

2009-06-09T13:19:00.002-04:00

Check out this amazing promo for the month of June with Dancing Princess Designs at GoDigitalScrapbooking. One in five, now those are some great odds. There are so many goodies in the shoppe too -- and more on the way, soon!

And, if you are a Speed Scrap junkie like me, Dancing Princess Speed Scraps are great fun.
There will be a SS at GDS this Thursday, June 11th at 9pm EST. Give it a try, you might have fun, and get a page done in the process too!

Back from California

2009-06-08T23:42:00.000-04:00

I am back home from my trip to California.
The wedding was wonderful and the weather held out for a perfect day. Not too hot, not too cool, and not raining! The ceremony was outside, with a view from the hilltops as the backdrop. Gorgeous.

I am so happy to be back to my computer and scrapping again. I couldn't resist taking Little Miss outside. She was thrilled to have her umbrella from Hollywood and so wanted to go out and play in the rain. It rained off and on all morning, and then, ofcourse cleared up when we went outside. We will have to wait for more rain to jump in puddles and twirl umbrellas, but Little Miss had fun picking flowers and playing at a favorite park. For some reason I love taking photos of Little Miss's hair blowing in the wind. Maybe it goes back to one day she was looking up to the sky, eyes closed, tiny little smile on her face, and asked me if I felt that breeze and commented how wonderful it was. I think she was just over two. Oh well, enough of the reminiscing!

I found this picture so peaceful, I had to scrap it.

and I used a fab new kit by Dancing Princess Designs at GDS called Face The Sun and the floral clipping mask is also by Dancing Princess -- it was a posting bonus for a Speed Scrap about a month ago. I started to make my own title using a font, then realized Wow! there is a super cool alpha in the kit too. For me, that is such a great bonus as I love alphas. I dont mind making my titles with fonts, the clipping papers or stroking it -- but an alpha already made for me is the best treat.

My Bloggity Makeover

2009-06-03T00:55:00.002-04:00

My blog is still under construction, but I am getting little pieces here and there.
Tonight I found a fabulous tutorial and after months of trying, I have finally been able to put a divider between my posts.

I am not sure I like the divider, but I finally did it
I can't imagine how I got through school without the internet
I still remember having to search for articles, going through bound books to find a reference, then using that reference to find the microfische. Wow, how long would it have taken me to find out how to update my blog if I had to go to the library to search for tutorials?

A Lunchtime Scrap N' Chat

2009-05-27T23:59:00.003-04:00

I was so glad rain was in the forecast for today. I really wanted to go to the noontime Scrap N' Chat hosted by Dancing Princess at GoDigitalScrapbooking.

During the course of the Chat, 20 words were given, typed in CAPS, that scrappers needed to copy down. The words were only given once. We were tasked with using as many of the prompts to complete a cohesive page. The person who was able to use the most prompts would win a gift card to the Dancing Princess Designs shoppe.

The chat was lots of fun, and I wasn't able to collect all twenty. I got 17 words, so I thought I was in good shape. I finally finished up my page with two minutes to spare. Here is what I came up with using: realistic flowers, paper, swirls, greenery, paper flowers, fasteners, brads, clipping mask, title, journaling, ribbon, and a date. I just couldn't squeeze any more on the page. The other items I could have chosen were: chipboard, inked/chalked edges, circles, wordart, buttons.

I will definitely do more of these chats. They are planned for the 4th Wednesday of every month at GoDigitalScrapbooking

This is the page I came up with -- photos I had been wanting to scrap for a while. I wanted to extract several poses of Little Miss in search of Stubby, but I just couldn't make it work. My favorite part is clipping my photo to some swirls in the kit to give the look of ripples of water in a puddle.

and here is what I used to make this page, all available at GDS

and, while you are there, check out the awesome sale going on for May in the Dancing Princess Designs shoppe

and, while I am at it, check out this page by briarwoodpups, who used all twenty props.
isn't this page amazing?

Layout of the Day

2009-05-23T17:09:00.000-04:00

Wow! It is such fun to open up the Gotta Pixel newsletter and see that my page, wow, has been selected for Layout of the Day. What a treat and brings such a smile to my face

and here are the kits I used to make my page, Kathryn Estry's The Ashland Collection: Doggy Furbabies and The Ashland Collection: Furbaby Stickers available at GottaPixel, Digitals, and Divine Digital

Friday Night Speed Scrap

2009-05-22T23:43:00.001-04:00

I was so thrilled to be able to attend the Friday night Speed Scrap at GDS hosted by Dani Alencar.
The prompts were simple and we had lots of room to "interpret" I chose to pick up on the colors and wavy lines in the inspiration piece. it was a lot of fun, and I really like the soft curves. I am going to have to try to make some on my own. I used Lovely Flavor by Dani Alencar that I snagged on iNSD for participating in the multi-designer Speed Scrap at GDS.

I love this fun little kit. It is jam packed, and Lovely Flavor has this fun alpha too!
You can check it out at GDS in Dani Alencar's shoppe

Something About You

2009-05-21T23:10:00.003-04:00

Little Miss had quite a full week. In the midst of Scooby and Scrappy's vet appointments, Little Miss decided to fly from the top of the couch in her playroom, and land unceremoniously on her face. The story changed to include a skeleton coming downstairs and scaring her, Little Monster bumping her and she landed in the middle of the blocks she was stacking, twirling and swirling baby phones wrapping around her face, and others. We were able to get an appointment at the doctor's, who felt her nose was not broken, looked straight enough, and gave Little Miss the okay to run and jump and play. The shock and frustration of trying to get the story from her when it happened, was alleviated by the doctor's opinion. So I switched to scrapper mode, dressed Little Miss in one of her fairy costumes, and sent her out in the yard to play. The photos were perfect for Andrea's Chat and Scrap at GDS. We were given a template and 12 hours to complete our page. Something About You by Dancing Princess Designs was the perfect kit. I really like the end result.

I also used Something About You for the May Principles and Elements of Design Challenge at GDS hosted by the Dancing Princess herself. This month the challenge was to scraplift a page in the P&E Challenge Gallery. I chose to scraplift briarwoodpups page about Kangee. I loved the layering and the softness of the inspiration page. I played around with the blending modes and removed bits of the papers to mimic the feel of sand on these tiny toes.

and this is briarwoodpup's page I lifted

this is the life

2009-05-20T22:28:00.000-04:00

The weather was gorgeous, the sun was shining, and I couldn't resist taking Little Miss for a picnic at that park. We had a rough start, but what a fun afternoon. As we were sitting on the blanket, Little Miss was looking out at the lake, with the warm sun glistening in her hair, taking it all in. It was surreal when she turned to me and said, "this is the life Mommy." Later on as we were trudging our way out of the woods, covered in mud, she told me she was having a beautiful day at the park. I knew I needed to remember this day

I used my fantastic Fanciful Dreams RAK from Designs by Tami
I just love the dreamy feel and was pretty happy with my photo effect

Woodland Dreams

2009-05-19T17:24:00.005-04:00

I took a few photos of Little Miss in her fairy wings at the park (before she tried to roll on down the hill with the wings still on) to try my hand at a magical page or two. Here is what I came up with for the May Color Challenge at GDS

Here is the color palette

I used Carena's Designs Sweet Pea, and a few other goodies

Miss Kitty aka Naughty Kitty

2009-05-18T14:16:00.002-04:00

Everyone knows I love my furbabies, and right now I have four, two dogs and two cats.
Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo have had a rough go of it lately. Scrappy Doo has a broken leg (from falling off the window seat while sleeping), two rods, a dozen or so pins, and still a chance of loosing his leg. Scooby Doo hasn't come out of all this craziness unscathed either. His yearly appt last week yielded the news of two abscessed teeth, on opposite sides ofcourse, that need to be pulled, with the infection manifesting itself on his face. Special diets, medication, xrays, surgeries have all filled my days since Feb 1st. It has been rough. While I am waiting to hear on Scrappy's X-ray results (super-vet is in surgery and will call....) I thought I would distract myself with some kitty pages.

Normally Miss Kitty is as sweet as can be, but yesterday she was Naughty Kitty for sure, and it was all I could do to rescue that baby bunny from her. I am still a bit upset with her for that! She is a cat, and an awesome hunter, but baby bunnies are going too far. Miss Kitty has a very big, whiny, scaredy cat for a son, aptly named Baby. Baby cries when his name is called, but he is much happier here than from where we rescued the pair. And here is Miss Kitty, where she loves to be, outside in the sunshine!

Dream Come True

2009-05-18T01:56:00.005-04:00

I just love template challenges and Andrea Gold hosts a monthly Sketch/Template Challenge at GDS. Some of my favorite pages have been made for these challenges and the posting bonus goodies. This month, the template challenge was a brag book page using Template#485

I also used Twinkle Toes - Girl from Scrapalooza Designs by Kimberly who is now selling at GDS. When I saw the kit, I knew I had to get it. I still haven't finished Little Miss's baby book, so this will be perfect

What A Day for A DayDream

2009-05-17T23:03:00.001-04:00

Wow! Today sure has been one of those days! It started out rough with a bunny rescue from Naughty Kitty, while out walking Scooby-Doo. Usually mornings like that lead to afternoons like that and spill into the evenings too. But, the sun was shining on me for sure -- I was highlighted at three different sites today for three different pages. Wow, talk about walking on sunshine!

I made Layout of the Day at Gotta Pixel for my page Easter Egg Decorating using Kathryn's fantastic Easter kit Funny Bunnies and Clipping Masks#3 (aren't masks the coolest thing)

I was Spotlighted (wow, how cool is that) at Digiscrapaganza for my page live every moment that I made for May's Template Challenge

and, in the evening I got a message from JustDigiLayouts that my page whistle me this, that I made for made for SillyBean's Friday night SpeedScrap, was being highlighted. I used the May Be Inspired! Posting Bonus at GoDigitalScrapbooking! Amazing! I am still walking on those clouds!

May's Be Inspired! Challenge

2009-05-15T01:34:00.004-04:00

Took me forever, but I finally have the previews for May's Be Inspired! Challenge at GDS
Take a peek at this super inspiration piece, called Spring Break by Pat Blair -- it is a hand painted quilted! Wow!

And, here is the posting bonus for taking part in the Be Inspired! Challenge at GDS
You can read more about the Challenge HERE

My Guys

2009-05-14T11:32:00.003-04:00

Life hasn't been easy these past months with my furbabies, that is for sure. Broken bones, infections, abscessed teeth, stomach issues, and medications, medications, medications.

It was fun to find some photos before the grey fur and all the craziness as of late.

I used Kathryn Estry's the Ashland Collection: Doggy Furbabies and Furbaby Stickers.

Hooray! I was RAK'd

2009-05-13T15:56:00.004-04:00

How cool is that?
I have been visiting Digiscrapaganza for a few weeks now!
They have some great challenges and a fun community.
I opened my PM'box and there was an awesome RAK from Designs by Tami
I was thinking I might try some templates, but I just had to snag Fanciful Dreams
I love the colors and the playfulness. I took some photos of Little Miss yesterday at the park goofing around, running barefoot in the grass, rolling (or trying to) down the big hill. I think this kit will be perfect, especially since she always ends up tangled in the trees.

Phenomenal Day

2009-05-12T11:09:00.003-04:00

Since Little Miss loves to be outside, in any kind of weather, we are always looking for new parks, playgrounds, and woodsy areas to explore. Last fall we were invited to an Engagement Party that was being held at one of the area parks. Now, that park is one of Little Miss's favorite spots to explore. There is the big hill, perfect for rolling down into the pine trees! There is the massive open area just right for picking flowers and playing kickety kick ball. There is the gravel path leading to the wooded path, perfect for blowing bubbles and drawing maps for Daddy. Of course, there are the bridges, any of which can provide shelter for the Grumpy Old Troll. In addition to treasures found along the mile long walking path through the woods, there is the "run" which alone can provide hours of entertainment. Time for Little Miss seems to stand still when we are at the "run" and often hours pass in what seems only minutes.

I have hundreds if not thousands of photos of our adventures at the "run" just waiting to be sorted through, printed, scrapped, and sent to the Grandma's. Dancing Princess Designs has a new kit out called Phenomenal Woman -- and wow! what gorgeous colors and textures. You can check it out at GoDigitalScrapbooking HERE that offered the perfect palette for my photos at the one, one April day this year.

I love Speed Scraps

2009-05-10T23:26:00.006-04:00

Do you love Speed Scraps?
I am hooked though I dont really know why.
Typically I take forever to create a page, changing things here and there, starting over, changing photos. I think I love Speed Scraps because I dont have that luxury and am forced to go with my first (or second) thought.

I made this page during a Speed Scrap hosted by Andrea Gold at GoDigitalScrapbooking Saturday night. The toughest part of the SS for me was the two word title. I really like the final result.

I used a series of kits called Step By Step that were the posting bonus at GDS for the NSD multi-designer Speed Scrap. You can click the image for the full list of credis.

A Froggie and Her Princess

2009-05-09T23:09:00.003-04:00

Little Miss went outside to play in the yard, and within minutes found a little tree froggie she calls "Stubby". In fact, she calls every frog is called "Stubby" She was so unafraid and loved holding "Stubby". It took several times to get her to let the frog go, and even that wasn't planned. Little "Stubby" jumped out of her hand, onto her dress, then to her arm, shoulder, and even the back of her neck under her hair! Ick! But Little Miss was thrilled. I am so glad I had just finished charging the camera battery.

I used a fabulous new kit by Dancing Princess Designs
called Step by Step available at GoDigitalScrapbooking
Head on over and take a peek. While you are there,
check out the great Promo for the month of May

Easter Egg Decorating

2009-05-08T22:53:00.001-04:00

Finally I have scrapped some of my Easter pages. For our first time decorating eggs, I think we did pretty well -- except for not covering the tiled kitchen table...next year!

I made these pages using Funny Bunnies by Kathryn Estry,
and Kathryn's Photo Masks#3 available at Gotta Pixel

International Scrapbooking Day is Almost Here

2009-05-01T11:12:00.008-04:00

The festivites for iNSD are almost upon us.
GDS is having an awesome 50% off sale, games, scavenger hunts, giveways and more

I am hosting a fun Bingo game at GDS at 9pm EST Saturday. You can read more about it here and hope to see you join in on the fun. Our game winner will receive this awesome, fun mini by Christy Skaggs called Fresh. Check out Christy's awesome store HERE

We will have some giveaways by GDS's very own Helen Ehrenhofer. Head on over and take a peek at Helen's store HERE

and I have a fun participation prize planned. Here are a few pages I made with the kit called Be Outside. Hope you like the sneak peek!

April Showers

2009-04-23T01:56:00.005-04:00

I am addicted to Speed Scraps. I would never have thought that I would like them, since I take forever to scrap a page, and re-think and re-do things many times. Somehow there is something about the time limited nature of the Speed Scrap that just prods me along.

credits: Spring Blessing, April Collab at GDS and SomeBeach, Somewhere Alpha by Snowflake Beach Designs.

I dont usually take the time to sharpen the eyes on my photos, but I did this time. The Speed Scrap required a photo effect, so I even sharpened the eyes twice. I like the effect.

ADSR4 Challenge#5 -- three types of frames

2009-01-21T13:49:00.002-05:00

Challenge 5 of ADSR really got me out of my comfort zone - and no photo! I love the end result
I used Sweet Melody by Bren Boone and a few other goodies (click on image for full credits)
I am using this page as the cover for my dd's photo book I am having printed.

ADSR4 Challenge4 ~ art&soul

2009-01-17T01:26:00.004-05:00

Here is my Challenge 4 Entry for the ADSR4

ADSR4 Challenge 3 - Remake Your First Layout

2009-01-13T21:59:00.001-05:00

This is my ADSR layout. I have always wanted to make a magical type layout.
As part of the challenge, we had to use the same photo and same text/journaling. No addiing photos, no adding or altering the text

And, here is my original layout, made back in October of 2006

ADSR4 Challenge 2 - A Collaborative Layout

2009-01-11T22:06:00.000-05:00

What fun and what a challenge. For this leg of the race, we had to make a layout collaboratively with your racing partner. Jenn and I brainstormed, and came up with this. The journaling is a compilation of both our days.

ADSR4 Challenge1 ~ torn photo challenge

2009-01-05T22:12:00.000-05:00

Here is my challenge1 layout. It was practicing how to do page tears. I tried on my own, but I ended up using Atomic Cupcake's Action. This layout shows little miss at her favorite park in the woods.

through the years

2008-11-07T23:12:00.003-05:00

I made this for SillyBean's Speed Scrap tonight at GDS. What fun!

(click image for credits)

I also had great fun working with Wild Thang by TammyKat Dezigns at PlainDigitalWrapper.
Little Miss's little pink leopard coat, which is just about too small now, was a perfect choice. It was also great fun for me to go back and start scrapping some of those baby photos. It is easy to do that when my camera is over at Canon some where being repaired. This is twice in as many months. I am pretty bummed and hope that they can fix it. It is hard to be without my camera!

(click images for credits)

I am so happy with the Memory Box frame I made using Kathryn Estry's Simply Soft and Simply Soft2 kits. Another baby page, I feel like I am on a roll. And, I couldn't pass up the fuzzy wuzzy photo wraps either. They had such texture, and just the little bit of soft fuzziness I saved from some of Little Miss's baby gift packages. There is just something about ribbons! And, I still have a hard time using them from my stash. Thank goodness for digi-scrapping!

I had great fun at Andrea Gold's NSD Chat at GDS. We got a great template to work with and if we posted a layout after the chat using Andrea's template, we got the 2nd side of the template as a participation bonus. Not only that, but Andrea gave away a $5 coupon to her store for attending that chat, and other goodies for afterwards. What a bonus, I just thought I was going to a chat, and I got presents. It was like Christmas. Andrea sure is generous. Here's the layout I made, using mostly Delightful by Veronica Hurly -- you gotta check out this amazing kit!
And, I picked up some awesome weathered CU overlays with Andrea's gift -- the textures are great and Andrea has tons of them in the shop.

Have you seen Art&Soul by Shannon of SillyBeanScraps? Such a great kit and I just love the painterly feel of the elements. SillyBean has some fun new kits out too, and Christmas Card templates! Gotta get working on those and my calendars too.

Great Big Leaf

2008-11-05T01:46:00.000-05:00

(click image for full credits)

Such a perfect day to be outside at Little Miss's favorite park. The sun was shining (a huge change from last week's snow and chilly temps), leaves were cascading down from the trees, a man was playing his guitar in the sunshine for everyone around to hear, and we found this huge leaf! I wanted to take a picture and as usual, I got the silly shot of the leaf blocking her entire face! I just had to scrap it.

Swinging

2008-11-03T13:27:00.008-05:00

We went to Little Miss's favorite park before our trip south. It was such a shock to find out that the swing set had been replaced with a different, uncomfortable, and crooked one. She was crushed.

I took this earlier in the summer before the town decided to tear up a perfectly good swingset.
(the new one even has fewer swings!)

Image is clickable. Credits: Sassy Pants by Kathryn Estry

Speed Scrap with Dancing Princess

2008-11-01T23:57:00.008-04:00

I have been enjoying Speed Scraps at GDS.
It forces me to not take forever to decide on things and to limit myself to working with a few kits. A layout in an hour is very unusual for me. I scrap so slowly, changing things over and over again.

This weekend I participated in Speed Scraps with the Dancing Princess herself.
Some of the prompts were difficult for me -- like choosing a three color palette, but I think I like my final product.

bat girl vs the cutest little vampire

2008-10-29T14:31:00.008-04:00

Little Miss has had fun this year visiting the Halloween Costume Shops with me, in search of the perfect costume. She wanted to be an Owl...hmmm...my online search found very few and most were mascot type costumes. We made a compromise on an Owl Fairy (should be easy to find some fairy costume with browns and make a mask) Well, that wasn't too successful either. The costumes I found were for older kids and adults. I had this crazy idea to make the costume. I thought I can make a fairy skirt. I found a dress in a second hand kids shop, perfect for the embellishing. I soaked that pink dress in coffee for 3 days and finally got a color I loved. Then, I decided I liked it too much to destroy the dress by sewing layers of petals to the skirt.

The plot thickens. I had three of my four petal panels complete. One to go and a super idea of how to easily get the four panels together without damaging the dress. (Half Price Books and a Halloween Costume making book helped me out there)With just one panel to go, I was rushing to pack for our road trip to SC so that I could bring it all with me and finish making the skirt with my MIL. I got sick and wasn't able to finish in time to take with me.

We had our road trip, the beach was gorgeous, and the weather back here was cold. My costume pieces still sat where I had left them. I just couldn't get this done with one week until Halloween. But, I am still sending the pieces to Gram to finish for me, but a 60% sale on a fairy costume, some silk flowers, and my glue gun saved me and a new costume! But, my camera is broken again, so no pictures yet.
I am hoping that instead of trying to repair it, they will send me a brand new one.

Instead, I present Bat Girl
(made with Boo2U by TammyKat Dezigns available at PDW)

and Little Ladybug

and the cutest little vampire

Boo2U has a color palette that I just love with lots of fun embellies for all your silly and spooky pages
(images are clickable)

Pinocchio Noses and Sassy Pants

2008-10-29T11:58:00.018-04:00

I seem to be drawn to pretty greens and blues lately. Sassy Pants by Kathryn was a perfect kit to cheer me up. Maybe I have had my fill of this super cold, grey, rainy weather. I love the foliage changes in autumn, but the cold seemed to hit so fast. Last time this year we were playing outside, now we are stuck in with slushy, rainy snow.

Being that my camera is yet again, not working...I have been going through photos that I haven't scrapped yet. This is the same day Little Miss and I gathered chestnuts (or were they Ohio buckeyes) after the storms of Hurricane Ike. There is always something about walking in the woods that reminds me of childhood. I remember walking with my dad and the rest of the family up the hills and running along, without much of any care. The smell of the woods still reminds me of those times. It is always so special to me when I catch a glimpse of the filtering through the tree tops.

Blessings with a Blustery Day

2008-10-28T23:48:00.003-04:00

Dancing Princess Designs has a new kit in the shop called Blessings -- chock full of chocolately browns, warm reds and blue hues.
So many possibilites!

Blessings is now available at
DigitalScrapGarden
and
GoDigitalScrapbooking
Check out the great sales and dont miss NSD!

a litlte sneak peek

2008-10-27T23:18:00.012-04:00

Here's a sneak peek of a new kit that Kaylek Designs is working on!
I can't wait 'till it is finished and in the shoppe

I had so much fun taking these photos and just couldn't decide on what to use for our Christmas card last year. I got sick, so we didn't use any, but I did manage to get a few photos into my calendar.

Take a peek at the great SALE in Kalek's ScrapDish store before it ends

You at the Zoo

2008-09-29T18:28:00.011-04:00

We had a fun day at the Zoo, despite the fact that everything was under construction!
The elephants have been relocated for at least two years as their new habitat is being built. Blackie the Hippo is now retired and will no longer be on exhibit. The giraffes are getting a new home as well, and the bridge construction is still underway. Eventhough we have a Zoo Pass, it is still disappointing. Little Miss was crushed not to be able to see Hippo and was more interested in collecting acorns and crab apples to bring home to Daddy. We did get to see the Stingray Touch and Feel tank, and this time around she was pretty excited about it. I was surprised at how smooth the stingrays feel, and even more surprised as one swam by and splashed us both! So much for that video!

Sweet Dreams and A Birthday Celebration

2008-09-27T18:41:00.001-04:00

Digital Scrap Garden is celebrating it's Birthday with lots of fun games and challenges, and this sweet collab kit, called Sweet Dreams! It is available in the shop free with a $10 purchase, or you can pick it up separately. I made this layout for the Sweet Dreams Collab kit challenge hosted by the fabulous Dancing Princess herself (you can check it out here)!

(images are clickable)

Sweet Garden

2008-09-22T11:48:00.003-04:00

I loved this photo of little miss sitting in the grass - there was so much of it, that she seemed to be lost in it. She was actually ignoring me as she did not want to leave the park. I am used to seeing her back, a lot, lately.

(click image for credits)

Here is the fabulous kit I used, Sweet Garden by Kaylek Keegan Designs. It is on sale for only $1 right now at Designing-Moments. Check it out -- it is so worth it. Love the colors and textures, and so very feminine! (image is clickable)

And, while you are there -- check out Kayleks' new line -- custom banners and blinkies!
They are so cool!

Gathering Chestnuts

2008-09-19T11:48:00.002-04:00

I made this for the Heritage Style Challenge this month at GDS. I had never digitally distressed any of my pages, but this was a lot of fun. And, none of that sandpaper sound of grunging up real paper supplies!

After the storms from Hurricane Ike, lots of trees and foliage came down near my house. DD and I went for a walk in the woods and found chestnuts everywhere. She had the best time gathering them and then trying to figure out how to open the shell up to get what was inside. It was a first for both of us. The colors of the chestnuts were amazing, so shiny and rich. It was an experience.

(click image for credits)

Cloud Nine, Under A Shady Tree

2008-09-16T23:37:00.001-04:00

I had an amazing day -- It started out with a super cool surprise: one of my layouts (my layouts!) was listed over at DST in the gallery standout threads. Never in a million years would I have thought that to happen. Absolutely thrilled!

We went to the woods today and had a fantastic time. The storm (our small taste of Hurricane Ike's winds and damage) left lots of trees and branches down, and to my amazement -- chestnuts were everywhere! Little Miss had the best time collecting them (we always take her basket to the park, just in case) and opening up the outer shells. It was so cool! I have to get the photos from my camera -- I am hoping I got some good shots in.

And, she even walked the entire 1 mile trail in the woods -- the whole thing -- and asked only once to be carried! That was near the end, but we did fill up that basket with goodies. I was very careful not to touch anything I wasn't sure of this time. I am still getting over poison oak in the eye from our last trip to the woods. She collected acorns, leaves, what we called "pig nuts" as kids, some pods and rocks. Her biggest treasure was the grass she picked to bring home for Daddy! She was beside herself with glee!

After she was tucked in, I sat to read my layout comments, only to find that in addition to the Gallery Standouts at DST, my very same layout was posted on the GalleryStandouts blog. I am in shock and disbelief. So, here it is "Under A Shady Tree" that I made using Bubbly Mega-Mini by AmyLeigh Fennell at GDS. I also used a pretty cool brush by Obsidian Dawn too

(click image for full credits)

Bloom of the Day

2008-09-15T22:53:00.003-04:00

How cool is this? I got Bloom of the Day over at DigitalScrapGarden for my layout, strokes of love. What a treat to see your layout posted like that. I am starting to think that maybe I can scrap
I am never really sure whether people will like what I do, or if I have some different take on reality. The kit really made the layout for me -- it was like playing and making a garden, that I cannot seem to do in the real world!

Here's another layout I made using the Gabby's Closet Series. It is a bit of a change for me with the "white" space, but I did have fun making all the bubbles. I also (accidentally) placed on of the papers over my photo as an overlay and loved the look of it. The b&w was cool and some of the pink tones from the paper showed through, so I kept it.

Gabby's Closet by Dancing Princess Designs

2008-09-14T17:28:00.005-04:00

Can you say, "Wow!"

This bundle of kits by Dancing Princess Designs is fabulous!
Gabby's Closet is amazing -- Check out the bundle here!
Each piece is sold separtately too! (Images are all Clickable)
Now at DigitalScrapGarden -- so many possibilities and what gorgeous color and texture.
The embossed alpha is my favorite! So elegant and feminine

After seeing my layout, I am thinking I should change my journaling to
"you paint your world with little strokes of love" Hmmm. I think I like that better

Have a great day!
Take a peek at the new kits, they truly are wonderful!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

2008-09-12T23:27:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was such a gorgeous day! The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too chilly. We had a great afternoon playing outside and dh's work let them out early in honor of September 11th. So, we got to spend a little extra time together as a family.

(click image for credits)

I do realize that there is always something for us to learn. Little Miss decided to be independent and had to figure some things out on her own. The face she made after realizing that the thistle was not all soft and smooth like other flowers, was, priceless to me. I just hope that most lessons will not be so painful and easy enough to learn -- then I come back to reality!

I used a fabulous new kit by Kaylek Keegan, called Memory Lane and the Little Picnic Alpha. Right now it is on sale at Designing-Moments for the month of September in honor of their super cool, first birthday!
Check it out, all images below are clickable!

there's only one today

2008-09-11T23:12:00.002-04:00

I am still pretty bummed about my camera being smashed up. No word yet as to whether it can be fixed, but I am crossing my fingers. I really do miss it. Using my old camera has really shown me how much of a difference there is, and I just hope it can be fixed.
So, that is my lesson -- not to take things for granted. Being that today is September 11th, I spent some time remembering. It sort of led me on a little path as I looked at some photos from earlier this summer. Seeing the big change in little miss bumblebee these last months and remembering that day, that time, and now, really drove it all home to me.
There is only one today...

And, thus my layout title came to me. I used the fabulous kit, Summer Garden by Dancing Princess Designs available now at DigitalScrapGarden, and played around a bit with the blending modes. I have been doing that a lot more lately and learning some new things and seeing what I like and don't. I have always loved the dreamy photos and crisp clear ones in the galleries... maybe I will figure out how to get there one day with my Photoshop skills, but learning is still fun.

(image is clickable)

Color Challenge

2008-09-10T23:03:00.001-04:00

I was browsing through the September Challenges at GDS and saw the gorgeous color pallette for September's Color Challenge.

I thought I would give it a shot. Since being on a creative team, I found I strayed away from my normal style of using papers and elements from several kits. I always had a few favorite items I would use on most layouts, or try to anyway. So, this challenge allowed me to find pieces I might not have used otherwise and I had some fun. I loved what I came up with, but I also realized how much longer it does take me to search through my supplies to find things. So, I am torn now. It really is easy to use one or two kits by a designer who puts in all the thought and effort of coordinating items and complimentary colors. And, it sure is easier to keep track of credits when I don't pick and choose from all parts of my hard drive! But, I still have a hard time doing a few layouts with a kit, and not going back to it! I love the freedom of digital scrapping, and the ability to keep trying new things. I am still learning, but having fun trying to be more creative!

(click image for credits)

Ashalee & Sweet, Surprise!

2008-09-09T19:58:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I found an awesome message in my Inbox from Ashalee & Sweet.
They had sent me a customer appreciation coupon for $4 -- Wow! I love their store. I am a huge brush aficionado, and their stuff really makes it fun and easy to play around, for a long time.

Here's way I got, some awesome styles -- Check out the shoppe, you might find something you love too!

Rose Garden

2008-09-08T21:04:00.004-04:00

Wow! Have you seen this fabulous new mini kit by Kaylek Designs called Rose Garden. The colors are gorgeous (what girl doesn't love pink and green?) and what beautiful detail from the papers right down to the doodles! I had so much fun playing with the roses, and for someone who kills even cacti, I was loving every moment of the pretty blooms. Click the image for credits.

And, how cool is this -- I got Layout Of The Day at Designing Moments for this layout.
I am so happy, and what a treat after a pretty horrible day!
And, I did some shopping while I was there. They are having a birthday celebration and all kits are on sale. Check it Out ~ I got some really great buys. Now, I just need more time to scrap!

p.s. If anyone knows how to add a blinkie using BBCode, I'd appreciate any tips!

So Happy

2008-09-07T01:54:00.001-04:00

I am so happy to have been accepted on the Creative Team for Kaylek's Designs!
Her kits are gorgeous! Take a look at some of these (images are clickable)
Rose Garden was just added to the store.

Moon Chaser

2008-09-06T19:32:00.001-04:00

click image for list of credits

This was such a simple layout, but I love the effect. I used a fabulous background paper by Trish Jones, and then blended my photo with a beige background mat. So simple, but it was just what I was hoping for with my favorite photo from the beach.

Absolute Boy

2008-09-03T02:09:00.001-04:00

Dancing Princess Designs has her second release to the shoppe at DigitalScrapGarden
It is Absolute Boy, and I absolutely love this kit. I dont have boys, but I do have a nature-loving child who is always outside and on the go. It is just a great fun kit! (Images are clickable)

Here are a few of my layouts with Absolute Boy
(click images for credits)

Summer Garden

2008-09-02T01:39:00.002-04:00

I am happy to be on the Creative Team for Dancing Princess Designs.
Jenn's brand new shop is now open at DigitalScrapGarden!
And, the very first kit to land on the shelves is Summer Garden.
Just look at the gorgeous colors and textures. I have to say I am in love with this little bumble bee -- it is too cute! (One of my nicknames for my daughter is BumbleBee!)

Here are a few layouts I have made with Summer Garden.
Click on the image to see Credits

This was our first trip with the little BumbleBee to the apple orchard. She had so much fun!
And a completely different style with this layout using a photo taken last Easter

Inch Worm, Inch Worm

2008-07-12T17:17:00.000-04:00

Click image to see list of credits

What a great time we had this 4th of July. One of the highlights of the day for my daughter was this little inch worm. I had forgotten how cool they are and how they just inch along.

Time In A Bottle

2008-06-26T23:39:00.002-04:00

(click image for credits)

When I took this photo, the song Time In A Bottle by Jim Croce came to mind. I knew a few of the lines, but when I looked it up on the internet, I was touched by the words. Croce wrote this song for his child shortly before the plane crash that took his life. The song was released after Croce's death and made it to #1 on the charts.

Time In A Bottle

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that Id like to do
Is to save every day
Till eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
Id save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
Ive looked around enough to know
That youre the one I want to go
Through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
Ive looked around enough to know
That youre the one I want to go
Through time with

Wonderment

2008-06-21T02:41:00.001-04:00

I made this layout for a Challenge at Live Out Loud Scraps. I just love the place. It is such a friendly atmosphere, the kits are fun and fresh, and the Challenges are awesome.
I tried so hard to get that perfect photo of a bubble and was so happy when this got picked for layout of the week. (Click image for list of credits)

Magical

2008-06-16T00:17:00.001-04:00

This is one of my favorite layouts. Last year we had a little "Caterpillar Princess" for Halloween. A few days before I took photos to send to the grandmas, we went to a wedding where the bride made these little princess crowns all woven with curling ribbons in fall colors to give to the girls at the reception. The guests all received wands (straws with the ribbons) to wave around as the couple was on their way (instead of throwing rice or blowing bubbles). I collected the left over wands to make my own for my Caterpillar Princess. (click image for credits)

Color Me Blue

2008-06-13T02:51:00.001-04:00

I made this for the Color Challenge at Live Out Loud Scraps.
It was so fun to go back and look at my daughter's baby pictures and to see how much she has changed. (Click Image for Credits)