Scrap Dreams: February 2012

Sunday, February 26, 2012

LOAD 25

Had a really bad fibro day, so no Day 26 layout yet, but here is the one I made last night.

Another Cathy Zielski template. And all the pretties are from Krystal Hartley "Thankfully" kit.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

I totally scraplifted the idea for this layout from Amy. Credits:
template- Cathy Zielski.
datestamp - Miki Ferkul "date chips"
papers & elements - Krystal Hartley "Sunshine on a Stem" and "loving" alpha - Krystal Hartley "Shabby Love."

You've already seen this story in Sian's Storytelling Sunday, but now it has been scrapped!

Took the easy way out on this one - Miki Ferkul "Gilded Christmas" QuikPage.

And another blog story that was waiting to be translated to a layout. Template is Liberty Elements "Carbon". Papers are from Kelly Mickus "Chance of Rain."

Friday, February 24, 2012

Just a Quote for Friday

Thursday, February 23, 2012

LOAD 16

Somehow I totally MISSED this one when posting to my blog! Yikes!

template: Studio Rosey Posey Blended Template #73 (altered) - the cluster work was part of the template - I can't take credit!

background paper: Krystal Hartley "Natural Beauty

fonts: title - Porcelain, journaling - Avenir

LOAD 20 & 21

Remember back here where I told you about my 2012 "Focus" photo album scrapbook project??? Well, it hasn't been forgotten. I've been adding pictures and bits here and there, but hadn't gotten it down to comprehensive enough to post anything. Yesterday I finally did the "title" pages if you will for January and February:

For January, my focus was healthy eating. The papers are Close to My Heart, the butterfly is K&Co., "Jan" is Thickers and "healthy eating" are some very old letter stickers (as in about 10 years old!!!) I've decided that a two page spread in this book with actual scrapbooking involved should count as layout for the purposes of both LOAD and Twelve!

February my focus has been on meditation and rest. At the beginning of February I started a meditation practice via a link up with Jamie Ridler Studios to Susan Piver's Open Heart Project. This is free via online videos and I've found it to be a very helpful practice. If you've ever wanted to try meditation, but didn't have any idea where to start, check out Susan's site. There are other items added in the album, but nothing exciting enough to post (or you've already seen it as part of a different post... a lot of my Beyond Layers stuff seems to be ending up in here!)

Again, Close to My Heart papers, butterfly and "Feb" are from K& Co.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

LOAD 19

Template - Studio Rosey Posey "52nd Ave". Papers & Elements - Krystal Hartley "A Family Thing."

Now that I'm finally getting my digi photo library organized, I'll be able to make more connections like this one!

Monday, February 20, 2012

LOAD 18

Papers are from Katie Pertiet "Destination Seaside". Template is Tiffany Tillman "Storytellers" with a LOT of adjustments to fit my needs for this story.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

LOAD 17

Template by Studio Rosey Posey "52nd Ave"; Papers and Elements by Krystal Hartley "Piano Room".

And yes, that is a photo of actual vinyl record albums I still own, despite having nothing on which to play them!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Beyond Layers - "Painterly"

I started with this.

Adding Kim Klassen's "Sienna" and "Finale" textures and several hue/adjustment layers, I ended up with this. The goal was to make it look like a painting. I think I get that in the sky, but not sure about the rest of the photo. Not thrilled with the end result, but I did play, and I learned a new way to use the hue/adjustment layer in photoshop, so that's cool!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Just a Quote for Friday

I got 8 of these gorgeous roses for Valentine's Day. I used one to play with photos with the idea of using textures in mind.

Recipe for this one:

Alexa's "Honey Grunge" (download freebie here) on soft light at 100%. Kim Klassen's "Cherish" on darker color at 65% and duplicated on overlay at 65%. Finished off with Kim Klassen's "Wonderful Magic Scripted" on screen at 90%.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

LOAD - 14 & 15

template: K. Pertiet "Another Year Older"

Papers: "Daja Kit" by Laura'sKathi

Already put this photo in Jay's birthday mini album, but wanted a layout for my Library of Memories "Us" album. I have so few layouts about Jay in there!

template: Jessica Sprague

papers & elements: "Birds of a Feather" kit from retrodiva designs (slightly recolored to match the photo).

This is an old photo (2003) that I came across while working on cleaning up my digi photo library. Nearly 9 years later, nothing has changed between these two and this photo was perfect to illustrate their weird kitty relationship! I think their expressions say it all!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

LOAD13 - Why I Create

I thought it was an omen when today's prompt was "hobbies." I've had this page in mind since reading Stacy Julian's "20 Questions" for "Twelve" class. Finding photos of my older creations was a challenge - that was all pre-digi! But I did find and scan a couple and here we are!

Credits: Template by Jessica Sprague for Type+Writer class, Papers and Elements are from "Butterflies are Free" kit by Krystal Hartley at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Monday, February 13, 2012

LOAD 12 - Take Twelve

template - Cathy Zielski 12 on 12;
papers - Krystal Hartley "Angels Among Us"

Sunday, February 12, 2012

LOAD - 9, 10, 11

Tiffany Tillman Storyteller Template, Jenn Barrette "Dandelion Wishes" kit for the papers and elements.

Katie Pertiet Blended Template; Jessica Sprague Kraft cardstock background.

Ali Edwards template from "Yesterday and Today" class, Background paper and elements from Miki Ferkul "Hands of Time" kit; ribbons papers and journaling paper from Miki Ferkul "Frosty Nocturne" kit.

Although I'm not laying this out for you side by side (because you wouldn't be able to read it), this is a two page layout...

Friday, February 10, 2012

10 Things on the Tenth

So for today's "Ten" list, I thought I'd share my favorite go-to's for digital scrapbooking (not in any particular order):

1. Ali Edwards @ Designer Digitals. I love a LOT of her stuff, but my favorites would be her templates from her "Yesterday and Today" class over at BPC. Also loving these, which occasionally appear as free downloads on her blog:
31 Days Of Thankful Thoughts Photo And Journal Overlays

31 Days Of Thankful Thoughts Photo And Journal Overlays

2. Cathy Zielski @ Designer Digitals. I really love Cathy's clean, linear style and fantastic use of type. Her templates are a real go-to for me. Like this one that I bought today:
Cathy Zielske's Layered Template No. 61

Did I mention that Designer Digitals is having their quarterly sale right now??? 30% of EVERYTHING in the store!!!

3. Katie Pertiet @ Designer Digitals. I would be embarrassed to admit how much of her stuff is in my digi collection. Right now I'm enamoured with her blendable templates - like this one:
Blendables Layered Template No. 07

4. Sue Cummings @ O'Scraps - especially her 52 Inspirations line.

5. Jessica Sprague @ JessicaSprague.com. This is the place for Photoshop Elements Education! If you are relatively new to Photoshop and want to learn to use it, I highly recommend this class:

6. Krystal Hartley @ Sweet Shoppe Designs. I adore her kits! Like this one:
Butterflies Are Free to Fly by Krystal Hartley

7. Miki Ferkul - Studio Miki @ ScrapbookGraphics. If you are looking for richly saturated color kits, Miki is your girl!
Belinos Page Kit

8. Lorilei Murphy - Studio Rosey Posey @ ScrapbookGraphics - blended templates, fragments, wonderful collections with multiple uses...
You Are

9. Kim Klassen @ Kim Klassen Cafe - the only place to go for textures! She offers a weekly newsletter with freebie textures. Her site has free tutorials, a subscription area, and classes. Her work is amazing.

10. Kayla Lamoreaux @ DigiScrap101 - for everything you ever wanted to know about digital organization! She has a class called "Finding Photo Freedom" about organizing your digital photos. She offers FREE tutorials on Lightroom, Photoshop Elements, and more. She has great blog articles about why your photo library is so important, the necessity of backup, and the power of 20. Lots of good stuff here.

Just a Quote for Friday

I really wasn't happy with the self-portrait I used in my One Little Word album, so I tried again...

Thursday, February 9, 2012

LOAD 7 & 8

LOAD #7. Today's prompt was "I always thought..." I went off-prompt to create this layout from Easter 2003.

credit: Jardin QP from Studio Miki

LOAD #8
Today's prompt was "I miss..." which immediately made me think of my sis!

credits: template is Tiffany Tillman's "Storyteller" collection. Papers are from Studio Crew "Plum Tuckered Traditions".

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Move More Eat Well - February Edition

Monday, February 6, 2012

LOAD - 2,3,4, & 6

LOAD2 - I did my Move More, Eat Well pages, but didn't want to share them on the LOAD Flickr group, so I also created this layout which is helping me track all my "to do's" for the month of February!

LOAD3 - the prompt was "Look at Me Now". I had fun with this layout - it's digi and everything is from Studio Miki's "Glorious" kit. I haven't done the journaling yet, but it will talk about how I used to be so shy and unsure of myself and how although I haven't given up my introvert tendencies, I've definitely learned to compensate! The younger "me" is a photo from 1978, when, as a junior in high school, I was inducted into the National Honor Society. Watch for a reuse of the newer photo on Friday! :)

LOAD4 - on the 4th, I went to a shorter day crop. I was only there from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and all I took to work on was Rachel's "School of Life" album. Less to pack and I'm working on the whole "FOCUS on one thing at a time" deal.

All of the pages I completed on Saturday were fairly simple and mostly school and class photos.

But I managed to complete a total of FOURTEEN pages! Her album from Kindergarten to Sixth grade is really starting to take shape. Which I guess is a good thing considering she's a senior in high school!

LOAD5 - after doing 14 pages on Saturday, I decided to observe the sabbath and give my creativity a rest.

LOAD6 - the prompt was "Little Girl Dreams". This layout looks like it could fit the prompt, but the journaling tells a different story.

I used Katie Pertiet's "Destination Seaside" #4 paper and "Notebook Edge Mask" #3. One of the easiest digi pages I've done in a long time!

Seriously, when was the last time you saw this much scrapbooking from me??? I'm thinking maybe LOAD was a good idea after all!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Storytelling Sunday - On Motherhood

As any of you who are mothers know, the job comes with a unique set of joys and heartbreaks that is unlike any other occupation or avocation known to humankind.

Sometimes you are amazed by how the tiniest thing your sweet child says or does can just melt your heart and fill you with the most profound sense of joy.

Other times you may wonder what ever possessed you to procreate in the first place. I have, on more than one occasion, been overheard asking Jay "whose idea was it to have kids anyway"??? Yes, sometimes the little munchkins can be exasperating.

In the past few months, I have experienced an entirely new phase of motherhood - that of sitting on the sidelines while my daughter gets her heart broken into pieces and then wading neck deep into the muck to deal with the emotional aftermath. Peter, Becca's boyfriend of three years, broke up with her two days before Christmas. They are back to texting "as friends" but still not back to being "a couple" and it has been over a month since they have seen each other face to face.

Becca is still holding out hope, still waiting on a miracle. Her emotions are all over the map. And I've been on the wacky ride with her... which lead to this layout:

The photo is me.

All papers and elements from Sue Cunningham's 2010 52 Inspirations collection, week 40, over at OScraps.com. And I have to admit, I copied her layout almost identically.

The layout will include this bit of hidden journaling, via a pull out tab behind the layout:

Template is Ali Edwards "Long Journalers" available at Designer Digitals.

I wouldn't trade my job as her mother for anything in the world. But I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm having a bit of trouble dealing with this particular phase of life. I'll be relieved when it finally resolves, one way or the other...

*This post is part of Storytelling Sunday. For more great stories, visit Sian over at From High In The Sky and click on the links!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Picture Inspiration {49/52}

The prompt was "recuperate." Kira is a champ at the sport of recuperation! One of her fave
places to practice this demanding sport is Becca's bed.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Beyond Layers - "Light and Blur" and Just A Quote for Friday

I shot this photo of pine cones laying among dead pine needles in the grass. I didn't get the dreamy "blur" effect, but I was really happy with the light!

Processed using Kim Klassen's "organic" texture in two layers - one as soft light at 100% and the second as darken at 75%.

Same place, same time, different shot. I think I got light and blur! :) No textures added to this one.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

LOAD1

So, being the somewhat insane person that I am, and even with everything else already on my plate, I went and signed myself up for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day challenge for February. It ties in with my Twelve class and will hopefully give me some added incentive to keep on scrappin'!

Yesterday's layout prompt was "you've got taste" and hey... wasn't that Photo Walk lunch treat just the perfect image to illustrate it?

All paper and elements are from Studio Miki's "Summer's End" kit over at ScrapbookGraphics.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

One Little Word Blog Hop - February Edition

Hello and Welcome to the One Little Word Blog Hop! If you came here from Kelly's blog, welcome! You made it to the right place. Grab a drink and stay awhile! I love visitors! If you are a regular reader, you already know the drill! ;) The entire hop goes live at 8:00 a.m. Pacific (11:00 my time) so if you are early, just check back later to catch everyone!

My One Little Word for 2012 is FOCUS. And it's really a big word. With a lot of challenge in it. I can't say at this point how it will play out. HAPPY still seems to have a hold on me and FOCUS hasn't really made itself felt yet. But I'm sure it is coming...

Here's my self-portrait to fulfill the January prompt. I honestly like last year's a lot better... but this is me... this is now... And there is no questioning but that I'm a work in progress...

My January page. I am using "FOCUS" as both a noun and a verb. And I love all the things focus can potentially bring into my life if I allow it.

I also love that the origins of the word "focus" go back to home and family... without a doubt the most important things I need to be focusing on!

Finally - close-ups of two of my cards. Here's where I got to play and create a little - book pages, butterfly stamp, watercolors... and the dimensional butterflies were made using decorative tape on cardstock and then punched and added bling.

Thanks for stopping by! Your next stop on the hop is Amanada's blog. And just in case you get lost, here is the entire hop list:

Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com

Sharyn www.lavieenchic.com

Jill http://jillconyers.com

Lynn www.crafty-creativity.blogspot.com

Jenn www.studiojenn.blogspot.com

Carmen http://www.carmenpaulsorthner.com

Marilee http://rose-brier.blogspot.com

Kristina http://hrinspirationfromthe403.blogspot.com/

Cindy C http://www.cynthiacrysdale.com

Kelly http://mindingmynest.com

Cheri http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com <----- YOU ARE HERE

Amanda http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com <----- NEXT STOP