All About Me

Filed under DigiScrap | Comments (7)

An all about me page. I did this page for a Weeds and WildFlowers challenge. Tough for me because I don’t take pictures of myself much. I had to look hard to even find this. So here it is. If you want to read the jouraling, go to Flick page and select “All Sizes” on top of the picture for a bigger look. It’s just a little story about me.

Credits:

Page was created using Gina Huff’s Lazy Days, Cherish Add-Ons, Being Me.
World map from Stock Exchange, www.sxc.hu, user cjluc photo ID#: 953490
Font: Caterpiller

I am at home today. I didn’t go to the conference, had to cancel yesterday, due to my sickness. But, everything, or many things at least are closed today. The roads are super icy. Initially we were suppose to come in late but another text message came and my work decided to close. The hubby came in late but he came home an hour later — they decided to close too.

We’re watching Transformers now — for the how many times — M just loves this show. It’s almost over and then it’ll be nap time. Yeah!!! Oh wait, I just took a peak and she’s already napping. Ahh, the little turd… didn’t invite her mommy! Ok, enjoy the rest of the day. Hopefully soon I’ll feel well enough to make a video. I can make the videos now but then there’ll be no voice over. How good is that, right?

I am a Stalker

Filed under DigiScrap | Comments (5)

For reals. I can’t get enough of a blog, it’s Melissa Goodsell’s blog. I have her listed under my favorite blogs and in my Google Reader. It’s so exciting when I get something new from her and it’s something related to what she’s doing in her so creative life. She is amazing. She’s like my Martha Stewart, ha! Well, if you have a minute, check her out. From her site, she has a lot of links to her favorite blogs and goodness, some of those ladies are so insanely talented too. I’ve been digiscrapping because I haven’t been really motivated in even attempting to start a traditional layout. It’s actually what I love to do the most, so relaxing to me. But the last few days I’ve been coming across some awesome sites and they have been quite inspiring. One of my favorite is Christine’s blog. I found her through another blog, long story, but you should check her out and her flickr page. AWESOME! So I think I’m getting warmer. The next chance I have to go to a scrapbook store to crop I will!

I like too many things, I am getting more addicted to crafting! After I am done posting my latest digi pages I’m going into felt/sewing mode so that I can get ready for Emma’s birthday (and school starts again on Monday). I am borrowing some idea from Mel and going to Joann’s to buy some zigzag cut, oh what is it called, scissors. I know that at least one little friend is coming so yes, we’re having a party! Hope the weather stays decent though, no major snow storm.

So here are my latest LO. I did these to complete two challenges. The SCS scrapbook and the MFT “pink” challenge. I’ve been liking these challenges because it’s motivating me to do better. Let me start with the credits. Actually this layout is going to be pretty easy. I used MFT papers and the rest are Gina Huff’s design from Weeds and Wildflowers. The big alphas, the A, E, and Y. The were of different color, background, and texture - see here. What I did was I outlined the letters (so that the little marching ants are going around the letter only), plopped the pattern paper I wanted on top of it, made sure that the pattern paper layer is selected and made a copy of it. I pasted this on top of my layout and I have this different pattern alphas. I’ll do a video of this later… after I get my two courses up online and ready to go for Monday. Yes, yes, can’t forget my day jobs. Oh, I also distorted and warped the bottom of the E so that it’ll curve and made the head of the e smaller.

Here’s the journaling:

Running text: Mommy, look at my silly faces, come take some pictures, please

Left: This was what you said that day and I couldn’t help but grab my camera and started shooting. We love this smiley picture of yours because it’s just so you. We love the shocked look, just too pretty for words.

Right: Emma. you have the cutest, silliest, most expressive facial expression sometimes. So adorable and we love them so much. You have so many of them that it was just so hard to pick the best for the scrapbook but out of all your little looks, we think that these are the “bestest” of them all. Love you little girl and we’ll never get tired of those little different little expressions.

I also used a lot of my pen tool to out line the area I want to add text into or one and voila. I have text in a not so perfectly rectangle area and on my first page and also the “express” I have text following a funky line. This is the same concept as that text in circle video that I made a few weeks ago. But, if you’re not familiar with this technique it can be confusing. So I owe you a few videos.
So that’s it and probably after this I won’t be posting as much. I’d love to but we’ll see. If I do, it’ll most likely be crafty birthday stuff. I am though excited about my French class. It’s been awhile and it’ll be nice getting into it again. Maybe we’ll go to France on our next overseas vacation — well if the economy is ok that is.

Another DigiScrap

Filed under DigiScrap | Comments (6)

Well, another layout for January. I had so much fun with this layout. Not because I am scraping my favorite subject but it’s because I finally got to use the element set from Jovia Devoe. Isn’t she awesome? They look so realistic (look at the butterflies and wings). There are a few other items I want to get but I want to only get them when I need them or when I’m going to use them. I’m not going to hoard on the digital stuff since I can reuse the ones I already have over and over again. I’ll just get those that I really need then.

So here are the rest of the credits:
Ronna Penner Express Yourself Word Art
Jofia Devoe Ephemerals II
Weeds and Flowers Gina Huff
Shabby Princess Sun Porch

Journaling:

I know that you just can’t wait to grow up and be a big girl. You can’t wait to go to the big girl school, you can’t wait to wear mommy’s high heel shoes, you can’t wait to get your own diamond ring. Yes, you want to be a big girl, ”just like mommy”, you’d say. But no matter how quick you want to grow-up please always remember to be that girl we love so much. The one who loves to giggle and thinks that everyday will be a great day. The one who always smile, even after a fall. You are the joy and love of our lives and we want you to always cherish every moment of your life. Every day is a special day and every day something new will come your way if you open your eyes.

For this layout I played around with a lot of the filters settings using the filter gallery. Using the gallery gives me the option to layer the filters. Try it out. I’m not sure if PSE has it but Photoshop does, I know CS-CS3 has this feature. Now, for this, I didn’t write anything down. I should. So next time I’ll share what type of filter settings I used. This way you can try it out too.

Have a great day!

Back to Work

Filed under DigiScrap, Tips | Comments (4)

Wow, after being home a week and a half, it was a bit tough going back to work. It took me a little bit to get back into work mode yesterday and on top of that I was quite sleepy. I’ve been up so late on my holiday break that it was hard going to bed “early”. So I ended up laying in bed for a little bit that first night.

This month is going to be super busy for me. I have a 4-year-old birthday party to prepare for. I need to make six cute little invites and find + create things that have any scent of a little girl dress-up party. That’s what she wants and with with her big eyes and puckered up lips she said, “pleeeeease, can I have a dress-up party at the house?” How could I say no? I initially had the idea of having a little something at her school like last year but on her own she wanted a party. So a party we will have. If any of you have ANY idea on what I should serve, get, do, please let me know. Besides the what to wear, I am so clueless on the rest of the stuff! In a week classes starts too so I need to make sure my two online courses are good to go between now and then. I’ll be out of the blog more often than in, even if I do I’ll just a small post from work or a little card to share.

Here’s what I did last night and finished up today. I did a page for the brat. I love her to death, can’t you tell She is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I love my husband but I think nothing compares to your own child. She’s so polite, so sweet, so caring, so smart, so clever and she loves me oh so much too. Just an amazing little thing — maybe I should have change the title, huh?

Anyway… what did I do with this page? I used the following material:

Paper: Shabby Princess Harvest Spice and Weeds and Wildflowers by Gina Huff Cherishing Every Moment
Elements: Weeds and WildFlowers by Gina Huff: Being Me Elements; Shabby Princess: Harvest Spice, Vintage Floral, and Festival; Kim Liddiard: Fantaisie D’Aile, and the brad’s by me.
Font: Marydale, Abadi MT Condense, Dakota Handwriting, London Between, Georgia, LondonMM, Plantagenet Cherokee, News Gothic MT. Source from either dafont.com, scapvillage.com or preinstall by Apple.

I did a lot of color changes. Some of the elements for off white, very green, red, etc and I adjusted them, mostly using Hue and Saturation (I’m all about quick and easy — ok, I’m lazy). I used the Filter Gallery to edit Emma’s picture. Not sure if you notice but only her face is clear and the rest quite grainy/blurry. For the paper, there are actually two pieces of paper on top of each other. I put the textured one in the back of my patterned paper. With a rough eraser brush (and I adjusted it more in the brush properties) I removed the left top and bottom right corner so that it looks somewhat more grundgy, torn, etc. You might notice too that I did the brad on this one, just like the last layout, I did the corner piece and the brad. Well, I know how to make more things but brads are so quick and easy that it’s quicker for me to make a brad than to dig one out of my different folders. I did organize my computer but I still have no clue where anything’s at in regards to the little pieces of digital elements.

That’s it. I spent $0 per my Splitcoast challege agreement {::SMILES} Tomorrow I am hoping to participate in the Creating Keepsakes weekend crop but we’ll see. The hubby needs attention. I’ve been on this thing too much scrapbooking or making cards. I do hope my Nestabilities show up tomorrow or Saturday. I can’t wait!! great January.

Before Going to Bed - First 2008 Post :D

Filed under DigiScrap, Personal, Stamping | Comments (8)

We had a great New Year celebration and I’m just getting tired. We had dinner and we did some baking. Made some fruit tarts. A Barefoot Contessa Strawberry Tarts that became a kiwi, blueberry, and blackberry tart. I’ll post some pictures if my friend emails me a copy. They’re not as nice as the picture on Foodnetwork but the taste was pretty good. The instructions were a bit confusing so we kind of improvised. Despite the little snags here and there, we had a great time and the dessert was something worth trying again.

This is my last night though to be up late doing arts and crafts. After tonight, it’s back to work and tomorrow, or I guess later today, I’d be cleaning so I wouldn’t be able to do anymore crafty stuff until later this weekend unless I get really lucky.

Before I start blabbing about my projects, I just want to say… I ordered some rectangle Nestabilities rectangle set. Whoohoo!!!! Lowest price and the shipping is reasonable too. Plus they sent me a 40% coupon for signing up as a VIP member. Can’t wait to get them. Hopefully everybody will be back at work tomorrow. I’ll definitely post earlier than this weekend if I get them in before then!

So, back to my projects… the first project I did was this card. I’ve had this card embossed the same time I embossed my other two cards (few days ago post) but just never got around to doing anything with it. I still have two sets of MFT stamps that I haven’t used and this is one of them, the How Sweet It Is set. I used the SU markers and water color pencil to color thing. I really like using the pencils better than the markers. It seems so much easier to control and blend. I’m so curious what the Copic markers can do. I found an Ebay store that sells the Ciao for $35. I might get one set and try them out.

Then I did a two page layout as part of my SCS 2008 scrapbook challenge. Now I just have 2 more to go to meet my goals and maybe a few more just to get the extra points if I have time. My budget is $35 for the 4 layouts and I’ve spent $5 and change. I’ve also only used a handful of what I purchased and downloaded for free so I don’t think I need to buy anymore unless I see something that’s a big must.

I’m not too happy with this left page. Seems like something is missing. I think I did peak at the last page and I need a few weeks break from scrapping. I’m like this with scrapbooking. I go in short spurts and that’s why I am either so slow or I just don’t do it as often as I want to. That’s why I’m hoping the challenges will help me since I seem to do better when I create something for a challenge.

Here are the material info for this layout:

Paper: Suzanne Walker Mint Mojito. This paper was bright green but I changed the color through the Hue/Saturation process and came up with this.
Photo corner and brad: I did it. If you want a copy, let me know. I’d save and post for you to download but it’s super late and I’m about ready to go to bed right now.
WordArt:
Tag: DSP
Font: Scrapvillage Kathleen and Cochin
All other elements from Weeds and Wild Flowers by Gina Huff — LOVE their stuff!

For the photo corner and brad, one day I’ll do a tutorial on that. It was really easy to do. For those familiar with Photoshop here’s the quick run down, create the photo corner shape, pick a color, give it some dust and texture, play with the settings, blend it, and once the corner is done, use the circle tool and make a copy, paste it on top of the photo corner, change it’s colors and blending options and you got some brads.

Goodnight! It’s 5:31 a.m.