Ink-a-licious

You know it's a good weekend when your hands look like this at the end of the day on Sunday. With MK's birthday card I seem to have rediscovered my lost love of sponging and other ink and paper combos that I played with all weekend and now my hands look stained.


I also worked in a less mess format on this digi page about Sienna and her ever expanding vocabulary.

Patterned Paper: MTeresawa, Designer Digitals (Beautiful Day floral)
Elements: AEdwards, Designer Digitals (Details), KPertiet, Designer Digitals(Stacked Vintage frames) MTeresawa, Designer Digitals(Ric Rac, Sticker, Tab)


This age is one of my favorites as the vocab expands seemingly on a daily basis and the never ending struggle to decipher what she is really saying. I was also reminded how much toddlers thrive on routine. I stopped by to visit her at her Nana's on my way home from site visits on Friday and it took the poor thing 10 minutes to try and make sense of me at Nana's, that's never happened w/o one of her parents there at the same time.

And as the weekend fades away, I'm celebrating a goal met...check out the number of May posts...33 baby, I did it plus a couple of bonus entries. Yay Me! Bring on the new month...

Have a box like this? Full of cards looking for a good home and you've given out as many as you can and still have leftovers, because let's face it making them is just plain fun. I challenge you to join me and send them off to Cards for Heroes. You've probably heard of this organization, but maybe like me and haven't taken the time to learn more. I stumbled onto a blog hop to promote the organization over the memorial day weekend and was moved to participate. How it works: we send our cards to a CFH shipper and they send them oversees to Afghanistan, Iraq and other bases in harms way and the folks serving can take there pick to send back to their loved ones instead of having to buy mega-expensive cards...and we all know that handmade cards are 100s of times better than store bought cards. Their also looking for any hero cards, cards with notes from random people like us sharing gratitude. So I made a few of those with some scraps hanging around my desk...now I just need write in them and send away.
I did make one special card for the extra special Mary Kay for her birthday last week. I think I may have over done it...go figure, me over doing it, sometimes I can still here my HS art teacher saying sometimes less is more...and other times it's just right.

So let's dance, this last dance
let's dance, this last dance
let's dance, this last dance tonight

Sad, so sad, tomorrow is the last day for my beloved Scrapbook Destination. I have loved nearly every moment and wonder what Saturday's will be like after tomorrow.

So, come on baby, dance that dance
come on baby, dance that dance
come on baby, let's dance tonight...

Idol Withdrawal

I know it's been over a week and I really should move on with real life, but thinking about this performance makes me smile a week later, so that must be good for something. Sorry this is about the best quality I could find.



PS...yes Houston I realize I just posted a country artist on my blog, the ends of days must surely be near.

Mix it up...

Just wanted to reassure all that despite my recent forays into the digi world, I'm just as content to push paper around for hours, and while this layout ended up being super simple, it sure didn't start out that way...I tried fussy cutting and then some pleating and I forgot what else, but in the end I came home to stacked flowers and tiny alphas, you just can't beat them for the perfect pop of color.

Patterned Paper: MME(dotted background), Cosmo(Title, Stripe)
Embellies: Primas, unknown button
Alpha: Making Memories

Bubbly Toes

So this was the layout I started a few days ago and mentioned that it wouldn't really fit with the blog. Distressed and vintage papers on a layout about modern tech just didn't jive, go figure remember I started working on after my bedtime, but with a picture of cute baby toes, what could be better?

Template: Katie Pertiet, Remembering You Designer Digitals
Patterned Paper: Jessica Sprague Thank You Kindly Kit(peachy floral), Rhonna Farrer 2 Peas(Brown Distressed) SBetc. Sweet Country
Elements: J Edwards Smoothie Shop Designer Digitals(Stitching), Ali Edwards Designer Digitals(Blessing of You)

Reflect

"Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some" Charles Dickens

This week my ever wonderful friends at google reader recommended the 'One Little Word(OLW)' blog, I love it! (totally stole the quote from OLW) I wonder if I've been under a rock or so lost my own little world to have missed it for so long. I met the lovely Rhonda P at Emily's house not so long ago, it was great to see more of her work and some other uber-talented scrappers. If you've missed it too, definitely worth checking out. This weeks word is reflect, couldn't be more perfect for my little space of cyberspace, with that as a jumping off point, I returned to my idea of a digi-page celebrating the 100th post and thinking about why I blog. I think it's a little funny to scrapbook a blog that's about scrapbooking.

Despite the fact that it feels like 'little old woman who swallowed a fly...' sound in my head to do this page, it was excellent to really think about this blog, what my goals are and remember why I spend the time to develop it. Hopefully it will be a reminder to me for 'those days' when the last thing I want to do it blog, those are the days I probably need to do it most. Reflection, indeed.

Patterned Papers: JEdwards Designer Digitals(Smoothie Shop:floral, stripe, hotpink) RFarrer 2 peas(green scallop)
Elements: MWise Designer Digitals(Reflect), SBetc(ribbon), JSprague(Scratchy overlay, recolored)

Card Fun

I've totally been in the card making/stamping mood lately...I blame enabling blogs like Jennifer McGuire, Angela and Becky(just to name a few, I could go on and on) and if my 'scrap' stash is any sign I could go on and on making cards and not buy supplies for years (where's the fun in that) since I've been on a supply shopping spree lately, I'm justifying it by combining old papers with new stamps or vice versa.

First up: a card for the weekly challenge on the Hero Arts Blog. Pattern look familiar? Sentiment looks like it's on a grocery bag? That's because they both are...this week's challenge was to recycle/repurpose something for the card, as I was putting away the bag I realized how cool the 'pineapple' print would be as a background for a card and since I was cutting up the bag I might as well use it for the sentiment and accent pieces, I think it turned out pretty cool.
Next a lift of a card Jennifer McGuire did awhile back,...go figure... mine didn't come out quite as cute as hers, but I still like it, the color combo makes me happy.
Lest you think I forgot my bellas, think again, although this card doesn't technically use a bella girl, the precious owlies are from stamping bella so that still counts.

Finally a card I did last weekend but never got around to posting...again using a die from the summer QK 'Re-Use' special edition set. This is the tree that sold me on the set, I didn't notice at first glance the number of teeny tiny leaves that made up the design, much smarter to use the relief(is that the right spelling for the leftover part?) I think the alpha is awfully 'metro' like, but I still like and think it will come in handy. I also used my score pal to add some decorative embossing...
see what I mean, new things with old supplies, I'm giving myself a billion brownie points to trade in for more new items at some point...heck I've got to find a way to justify it some how.

100th Post

The moment almost passed me by...I knew I needed to blog I didn't want to have this be the day that my goal of daily blogging for a month falls apart, again, how sad would that be since I'm so close....and I looked over at the running tally and saw 99. A celebration is in order and since this is a crafty blog I thought I should post something crafty, go figure, but it's late...so I had the brain child of celebrating the achievement by doing a digi-layout, but the one I was working on just doesn't seem to be working out and I need to go back to the drawing board...and since it's almost 10 and all energy for the day was tapped about 8 hours ago, the post will have to be projectless. :(

I know 100 is just a number, but for this blogger it's a significant one...one that took me until mid-August to reach last year. Better news: people are actually reading it. I started this blog when I moved from Alaska to Colorado in the summer of 2006(did you wonder where the blog addy cam from? now you know) and at that point only my mom and occassionally a few Alaska friends checked in every so often and I really didn't write all that often. Over the years, I've gotten better (talking consistency here, not necessarily writting or content) and many of you have found this blog and better yet have come back, I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see readership increase. After 3 years and some 300+ posts I have almost achieved national domination...there are just a few states that have yet to send any my visitors to my blog, at least according to google analytics.

The goal is to have a totally green map, then I will move on to global domination. So if you know anybody in the white states who is a crafter please send them my way, pretty please.

Hope your weekend is going swell!

Summer Days...

I have been so looking forward to this weekend for a number of reasons: an extra day off couldn't come at a better time, my patience has worn thin and I am in serious need of downtown to de-stress and gear up for the next couple of weeks. Plus today marks the day we move to a summer work schedule. Friday half days, the week of July fourth off and no Mondays in July. The extra time off is a critical motivator to get through these last few weeks of school.

In other news, our office is moving and I saw the new space today...it has pros and cons

Con: Commute is doubled(no pity party needed, I'm still under 20 minutes which is way better than most)

Pro: An office with a door. no more cubicle farm. Windows, floor to ceiling windows that face south, close to a plethora of lunch time yummy choices, pass the big 3 craft stores on the way home. Yippee!

And...this started last night, bring on the dancers

Common Cement

With graduation looming on the horizon and consuming a lot of my time lately, I thought this was the perfect video. Tulane commencement with Ellen...I know this is a little long, but if you've got 10 minutes it's funny in a classic Ellen way and heartwarming at the same time.

Basket Babe

Nothing says Easter like pink bling, right? This is another one of those layouts that's been in limbo, I started it at Emily's house month or so ago and just put the finishing touches on this past weekend. I think you can see the title better in real life, but maybe not.

Weather is starting to lean towards hot summer days, I was in Greeley yesterday and the carmometer said 95! Blah, spring can never last long enough for me, I would be so happy to live somewhere where it was spring all the time... maybe a week or two of fall and then back to spring...and lilacs and tulips bloom year round. Is there such a place? In my dreams...probably so

Hey Little Girl...

I honestly can't remember if I've shared this page or not, it's hard to believe that I haven't, it's become one of my favorites from the past couple of months. I love it so, because the photo so accurately portrays S for the fun, quirky, little girl she is quickly becoming. Often content to chatter away to herself, if no one else is listening.

Monday Quote

A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.
D. Elton Trueblood

That's all I have for now, wasn't much in the editing mood last night...might be back later with something crafty to share and then again maybe not.

Cards? Yes, Cards...

I was supposed to organizing my space to make room for the supplies I've been hoarding as the store's final hours tick away (so sad), instead I was totally in the mood to make some cards. I started with an easy assembly of this card, totally designed and prepped by Kelly McGarry(who doesn't have a blog, but totally SHOULD, you can echo that in the comments maybe we can guilt trip her into it) all I had to do was assemble, what could be better than that?At the frenzy I stamped a couple of extra hello trees on the green because I thought it was such a great combo and knew it would come in handy a some point... and it sure did last night...Inspiration #2 this video by Jennifer McGuire she posted a couple of weeks ago, she's such a genius always thinking of how to add something a little extra...like color to embossed and then sanded card fronts. Love her! Love the way the card turned out.

the pink ribbon looks straighter IRL, at least I think so...

Inspiration #3 the weekly HeroArts blog challenge...'Dots'...could there be a challenge that is more me?(ok so maybe a scallop challenge could come close) so I worked out the last card, using new dies from the QK special edition 'reUse' set. I think I got a little carried away with the dots, imagine that.Hope you having a wonderful and creative weekend!

Layout of the Day...

Do you ever feel like you get into a grove and you start to see particular patterns emerge everywhere you look, it happens to me quite often (perhaps because of the unusual amount of tetris I played in my younger days). Lately that pattern has been grids, everywhere I look...websites, scrappy mags, online galleries, I'm drawn to the grid. So I decided to try it on a layout myself(yep the layout I've been talking about since I began my foray into digi is the same layout) I also wanted to try out Emily's great tips on making pleated flowers she posted on the Studio Calico blog a couple of weeks ago(how time flies) oh yeah...and...I wanted to work in some stacked frames that I see Paula use all the time. And maybe that's the problem, individually I love all of the elements, together I'm not so sure...but two weeks is about the longest I've ever fussed with a layout and I'd say it's about time to lay down the cards on this one and walk away. Time to start something new, don't you think...


Note to self: I've been spoiled by my work machine with the full version of PS where cropping and straightening is a breeze. Trying to see if 'I can live with' just photoshop elements; definitely need to research how to do the perspective crop at some point.


Patterned Paper: Basic Grey (Wisteria)
Frames: Katie Pertiet
Embellies:Tim Holtz (tickets), Making Memories (Button)

Layout of the Day...

Left to my own devices, this digi layout didn't come together quite as easily as the ones we did in the class. I had several instances of 'paralysis by analysis' going through my digi supplies, so easy to swap papers, photos, etc. I just kept tweaking until I came up with this one and then decided to apply the same methodology I use w/paper scrapping and just walk away.


Patterned Paper and Tags: Jessica Sprague
Other elements: Scrapbooks Etc.

Daily Dose

Here's today's layout, can't remember when I was successful in making enough layouts/scrappy projects to fill a week's worth of posts. How many days does it take to form a habit? 21? Or is it 21 to break the habit... I think I knew that at some point...that seems like a lofty goal. Can I tell you how cute I thought this quick page was from Katie Pertiet(another freebie from my Jessica Sprague class) so I was totally motivated to use it quickly. Add a cute photo of S crashed out on the coach at my house and voila super fast and cute page...gotta love it.



Patterned Paper: Katie Pertiet(Bear's Life quick page)
Frame: Jessica Sprague
Word Art: Jessica Sprague Fonts: Marker Felt, Cracked

Animal Lover

Just wrapping up one of the last assignments for the Jessica Sprague class I've been blabbering about for the past week. Does everyone feel this euphoria when the digi finally clicks? Don't get me wrong, I will always love my paper and glue, but there is something a little rewarding about spending time on the computer and having something to show other than email chats and high scores on silly facebook games.

I'm still struggling with the organization system just a bit, thinking maybe I'll sort by color as I used to do when my regular supplies until I really got to know the styles of the lines/designers. We'll see...

Patterned Paper: Rhonna Farrer(Funky Florals-Pink Floral), Jessica Sprague (blue)
Elements:Rhonna Farrer(yellow flower strip), Tia Bennent(stitches), Carina Gardner (Journal Card)
Fonts:321 Impact, Never Let Go, Allura Script

Monday Quote

(quote and image from JessicaSprague.com --- Stories in Hand Class)

A little reality check page about/for me...

Patterned Paper: Jessica Sprague(Up and Running Class Supplies)
Alphas:K. Pertieit(Snap Frame Alpha), Fonts: Anthology, Myriad Pro
Brushes: Jessica Sprague(Flourish-Up and Running Class Supplies)

Another layout

Getting bored yet? sorry...I'm really proud to have finally spent the time to build some digi-competencies. For a gal who prides herself on being fairly tech savvy it was a little embarrassing to not have digi-skills. Now I do...although this LO isn't the best example, it is good practice.


Patterned Paper: Jessica Sprague(Blue, Stripe), Jennifer Pebbles(blue polka dot), ???(green), Katie Pertiet(sanded overlay)
Template: Jen Caputo

I feel so special...

Reason #87 why twitter is cool...

(image snapshot of my tweetdeck app)

of course what she really means is...'my layouts look beautiful with your pictures in them' but I'm not picky, I'll take what I can get.

Will she, won't she...

I know you're on the edge of your seats to see if I have another digi-layout to share today...will she make it the end of the class?(I wondered the same thing myself, 4 weeks of assignments is tough). So far so good, I'm a little sad that I only have two more assignments left, perhaps I should sign up for another while the mojo is still running or maybe I'll give the paper layout sitting on my desk some love this weekend.

For now, I have this little gem to share from the bonus assignment in week 3. Using templates...I had done this once before, but the results weren't nearly this cool. It's got my mind running and wondering if I can turn some of the sketches I did for the SD blog into templates, that would be so cool.
Don't get too excited I didn't organize my digi files, but did leave PS up so I could give proper credit before closing the files.
Patterned Paper: Carina Gardner(Pinks, 2 Peas May Freebie), Jessica Sprague(Blue, Echoes of Asia kit) K. Pertiet (Sanded overlay)
Template: Jen Caputo as part of JS class supplies/materials.

Even though I'm not, nor ever will be a chronological scrapper, I was still feeling a little guilty for not scrapping a page for Sienna's first steps(really, what kind of aunt am I?) so there's a feeling of relief to have this important moment documented.

Welcome to the weekend, hope it's a great one!

Friday Fun

So way back at the beginning of the year, I set a goal to blog more often overall and bonus points(if you can give yourself bonus points, I'm thinking camera lens) if I blogged everyday for a full month. I made a run in February, but fell short by just a couple of days. Maybe May will be the month as I show off class projects...then again May is crazy so don't hold your breath. In the meantime here's the layout from the 3rd lesson of the Up and Running Class.


fun, fun, fun...hey mom(or anyone else who cares) you can click on the layout for a better look at S.

Branching Out

still rushing home from work to play with digi scrapping stuff. Maybe the fact that the store is closing so the thought of not having some where to go to get supplies is a subconscious reason for the draw to digi this week or maybe it's the new mac that's super fast and has room to store, whatever it's the perfect match for me this week. So the first few layouts were built on templates, I just had to add photos and other elements in, last night we were on our own(by we I mean 'new Mac' and me, it's not a synchronous class) to build a layout from scratch to show off our new skills. What I learned is...for a paper scrapper I have downloaded a lot of digi-elements. Not unlike the person who would walk into a store and say I've spent $xxxx dollars and never made a page(except I haven't spent that much because there are a LOT of freebies out there) here's what I came up with...
I know I should give credits, except I have some serious organizing to do here in digi land(skipped that bonus assignment) and can't remember much other than the patterned paper comes from a kit called whitie tighties(yep really) and it was a freebie with the JS class. Everything else came from 2 peas just not sure of the designers (so sorry)

Bitchassness

Mom, Look what I made...

ok, so in terms of digiscrapping these layouts are a little like the proverbial 'ashtray' kid sculpture (do people still say that, if not, what do we call questionable clay sculptures?)

Super easy with Jessica leading the way and most of the template already done...for those keeping track this is 3 layouts in about as many hours, meanwhile a half done paper layout(the one I needed the frames for) sits undone days later.

all supplies came from Jessica Sprague 'Up and Running w/Photoshop' Class.

Digi, who me?

Yes me, so I was on the hunt for some free frames(I blame Paula and Lisa for that) and stumbled upon a sale on Jessica Sprague's site, my credit card number was in before I even knew what was happening. And here's my first layout(technically my 3rd digi-layout) I pretty much stuck close to the directions, off roaded by adding a couple of extra stars and voila...why share...because Jessica told me too (yes really, it's homework and you know I'm a stickler for getting assignments completed) that she thinks I'm awesome doesn't hurt either. Idol will have to wait, I'm on a role, off to lesson 2.

Sunday Worship Service

image thanks to ar1lee via twitpic

not me either, well at least not today, I found myself worshiping at the house of Apple, although my local 'cathedral' is nothing like the NYC one, that's really a site. And it was much like other 'services', love the music/opening...in this case a 'getting started' workshop, but the time with 'preacher' aka 'apple genius' left me wanting more. You might be wondering why as a long time mac user I went to getting started workshop, I wondered the same thing myself...would I really get anything out of it, but since the new operating system is so slick and has many bells and whistles I thought it wouldn't be a bad way to spend an hour on a Sunday am and I already had made the genius appt so would be going to the store anyway. It was nice to have a demo of the bells and whistles...and it really was a demo not a 'workshop' but we'll save a semantics lesson for the apple kids for another day.

My genius appt. took all of 6 minutes. I went because I was having a hard time finding my photo files I spent hours transferring last weekend, I could see them in iPhoto, but couldn't get them to open in elements or otherwise see them as independent files. 'Genius' says that's purposeful and to secure the iPhoto database and the only way to use them is to drag to the desktop and choose 'open with'. meanwhile keeping his sunglasses on and since he wasn't wearing a genius shirt I'm hoping he's wrong. It seems so un-Apple like to make it that difficult to get to individual files, so I got up and left thinking I'm going to go home and google this...why didn't I do it before? well I was sure something had gone kooky with the file conventions. Wish me luck and send advice if you have any.

Random Rant

or maybe not so random...

Today is National Scrapbooking Day, yes I know non scrappers it's hard to believe there's an actual day to celebrate this hobby, but for those of use obsessed with the craft, it's a bit of a holy grail day. The store will be full of projects and deals and we'll see lots of crafters come through and browse and play. We welcome all with open arms, but on the other side there's a couple of things that really bug me, most I can get past, but there's one that just grates on my nerves.

People who walk by my table and say 'that's kinda cute'. What do you mean kinda? Maybe I take it all too personally, but when I hear that I immediately think of the ugly baby or dog and no not the one that's so ugly it's cute, the really U.G.L.Y. ones. And that is opinion I think you should keep to yourself. Either something is cute or it's not, doesn't appeal to you? No big deal, but don't walk by my table and insult me and those that are working on the projects, we like them and most of the time I think things I make are pretty darn cute. so there.

And on that note, go forth and celebrate this day with lots and lots of cute projects.

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

another @God twitter find...contemplated waiting until Sunday to share, but was afraid I would forget.

Grow

Sometimes(heck most of the time) I have serious concentration problems on Friday afternoons, especially post faculty meeting. Today is one of those days. So what's a girl to do while she's trying to remember what she needs to do? Well... write a blog post of course. Not that I have anything profound to say today, that only happens occasionally. So how about a layout instead. I love this pic of Sienna discovering some of Spring's first blooms (you know the ones that popped up before the late storms, only to be destroyed later.) And I had been holding on to this Jenni Bowlin bingo card forever, I thought they made a perfect combination.



Patterned Paper: Making Memories
Cardstock: Basic Grey
Embellies: Jenni Bowlin(bingo card), Cosmo Cricket(Journal Card), Heidi Swapp(bling), staples

Looking forward to celebrating National Scrapbook Day at the store with the monthly frenzy and super sales. Be sure to stop by if you're in town, we have great projects and super duper sales.