Summer Excitement ... Big Picture Classes Style

I love the class offerings from Big Picture Classes. I don't always finish them on schedule ... but I love them anyway. And I just signed up for a free event that sounds like fun and starts tomorrow. Check it out if you are interested because free is good people. And I can promise you will get sone inspiration with the talented line up of ladies that are involved, like Stacy Julian, Wendy Smedley, and May Flaum ... just to name a few.

Finding Photo Freedom

I started Stacy Julian's Finding Photo Freedom class today over at Big Picture Classes. I am beyond excited!! I love Stacy's scrapbooking philosophy ... and my goal is to create more meaningful layouts by scrapbooking to showcase relationships rather than what my family and I did on Easter.

Today I ordered my photo binders, which I guess I should have done when I signed up for the class last week. But the way I look at it, that gives me more time to practice Stacy's method of valuing photos. And I have tons of old photos from before I owned a digital camera to prepare.

I am committed to sticking with this course throughout the 10 weeks and I know I am going to walk away a more inspired scrapbooker. Yay!!

First Sunglasses

Today I am sharing a Quick Page that I did in bonus lesson 1 of Jessica Sprague's Up and Running with Photoshop course. It was really quick and was the perfect follow up assignment from the first layout because there was no video for this lesson ... just a list of steps.



Oh, but there was a video converting the picture to black and white. I will definitely be scrapbooking this photo again though in color because Brianne's outfit (complete with matching hat) was just darling.

The journalling says:
This is a picture of your first encounter with sunglasses. I think you thought they were a really cool toy. What a cutie!! (DC Zoo - May 1988)

I love the journalling strips, but I wish there were one or two more. Well, perhaps future lessons will teach me how to add elements like that to the page. Did I mention I love that there is no mess to clean up? **grin**

Gettin' Digi with it

I created my first digital scrapbook page from Jessica Sprague's Up and Running with Photoshop class. I purchased the class about a year ago and then discovered my laptop didn't have the minimum system requirements to run Photoshop Elements ... DUH ... pretty sad for a technology person, huh? Well, since my daughter got a Mac (I am SOOOO jealous, but very happy for her), I inherited her laptop which happens to be twice the machine of my old and faithful Dell. So now I can actually run Photoshop Elements and finally take the JS class I bought a year ago. Oh, and I can Skype too.

Anyway, here is my layout. I actually LOVE digital scrapbooking so far mainly because there is NO mess to clean up. How cool is that?
The then photo is when Brianne was about 3 years old. She is holding a toy microphone, but preferred to use the top of the railing from my parents' spiral staircase as her mic. She would always sing "Bad" from Michael Jackson and it was so adorable. She is sporting a lavendar jumpsuit her Dad got her for Christmas that year. The now photo is one of Brianne performing along side of Jared from the Hip Hop Co Op, which is the first band she belonged to.

The journalling might be hard to read, but it says:
It was obvious at a very early age that you were born to perform. These 2 pictures show you "rockin' the mic" ... one at Mom Mom and Pop Pop's and the other 20 years later at the Whiskey with Jared from the Hip Hop Co Op.

My Punny Valentines

I finally downloaded the pictures I took of some of my Valentine projects from this year. The one on the left is a "Double Pocket Pretty", which is an idea from Michelle Wooderson's blog, here. I made it for my Mom and it has some yummy candies and a Panera gift card. The project on the right I made for my daughter ... she's a cupcake freak like me, so I knew that image would be perfect for her gift.



Here is the inside of the project on the right showing the 2 gift cards (one for iTunes and one for Dunkin Donuts) that I gave my daughter.

Patterned paper, stamps, and ribbon are from PTI.

Fall in Chocolate

**Edited to Add a better picture**




I made a tag with mostly PTI goodies that I didn't wind up using for my Valentine's Day gifts for my family. So I stuck it to the fabric of this basket I bought last year at Michael's and filled it with chocolate candies I picked up for Valentine's Day and took it into work.

It was quite a hit and how could it not be with the fun sentiment?!?!

Here is a close up of the tag.



Luckily, I'm still creating things here and there ... often times I just don't have time to get a decent picture. So these that I took with my iPhone will have to do.

Supplies for the tag: Simple Valentine patterned paper & Tag Sale #3 die are from PTI, Nestabilities, sentiment is from a Studio G dollar stamp set from Michael's last year.

Finding My Crafting Mojo

It sure is hard to get back in the stamping / crafting groove. But one of the best things to do is Just Do It. I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch to create a birthday book (this project came straight from Nichole Heady's blog from last year). I loved how it turned out and it will be displayed proudly in my studio; AND it will store birthday cards so I know where to find them. Not to mention, it will help me with one of my goals for this year, which is to send out cards and crafty projects to my friends and loved ones in a time manner.

I paired Fred the Bear with some retired Stampin Up papers and I dug out my Snap Stamps for cover and for each month in the book. The chipboard binder and calendar pages are from Papertrey.




And here is a picture of the inside of the book, which shows the January birthday page.

Thanks for stopping by and **fingers crossed** I hope this is the first of many projects I will be sharing.

Feeling Flakey

I updated my blog background last night and, kind of like picking out nail polish when you get a manicure, I love the name of the background just as much as I love the design. (You can find really cool, free backgrounds for blogger, here.)

Speaking of flakey ... did any of you watch the Bachelor? My sister sucked me in to yet another season of the show. It will be interesting to see if this guy can actually choose someone this time. One of the strangest moments of the night was the woman that calls herself a "manscaper" ... she actually waxed part of his forearm. Why he didn't pull his arm away is beyond me!?! Even more shocking is he kept her around ... WWWHHHAAAATTT?? And he kept the girl with the fangs. Hmmm.

I did get a chance to stamp last night though, while I was watching, which is great. Another one of my goals for this year is to **make** time to create, as well as sending out cards and other projects to my friends and loved ones in a timely manner. I am happy to report that the cards I made last night will be in the mail tomorrow. So this weekend I will share what I made, I want to make sure my cards are received first.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by.

New Year - New Blog

It's a new year and one of my many "goals" is to start blogging again. But this time, I will be using my blog not only to share the projects I create but also as a way to share every day life kinds of things.

Here is today's little ditty that I found when I was looking at Val's blog, who has always been one of my crafting idols:

From Dear Abby's column in Saturday's paper, a little reminder on how to live, Just for Today:


DEAR READERS: Welcome to 2011! While the last year has been arduous for many of us, a new one has arrived, bringing with it our chance for a new beginning.

Today is the day we discard destructive old habits for healthy new ones. I will share Dear Abby’s often requested list of New Year’s Resolution. Many were adapted by my mother, Pauline Phillips, from the original credo of Al-Anon:

JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I’ll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my health.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.