I'm going to be published!!!

I'm so excited!! One of my layouts was selected for publication in the May issue of The Artisan Notebook!

Details will be available on May 1!

I'm extra excited because I get to promote my published status with a new blinkie over there > > > > > in my sidebar. Cool, huh??

Me*jer Garden | August 2009

From my vacation to Michigan, Summer of 2009. I spent the day with my friend Ruth at Meijer Garden, which I think must be one of my all-time favorite places.

Credits: A Slice of Life by the ScrapMatters Design Team, Springy by Carola Okeke (FWTS) and Jennifer Jacques (JJ Scrapping)
Font: Batik Regular

I'm not the only one who made a brag book this week!

Check out this post from the very talented Katie Pertiet on the Ali Edwards blog, showcasing her mini album. She arranged her mini pages on an 8.5x11 sheet, and printed at home. It turned out so cute!!

Mommy's Little Brag Book | December 5, 2009

So "Little" really does mean little! The preview below shows all the pages of what is actually an 8-page mini brag book I made for my sister-in-law. The "cover" page is enlarged on the preview, but actual size of all pages is 3-3/8" x 2-3/8". I printed the pages four at a time on a 5x7 standard size print, then trimmed them to size. I bought "badge holders" at an office supply store, inserted the pages and tied them together with ribbon. This really is a pocket-sized project, so perfect to slip into a purse, or even clip on to a diaper bag.

 

Credits: Sunny Day by Majula Designs

Fonts: Century Gothic, CK Becky, CK Hopscotch

Love, Honor, Cherish | May 22, 2005

Another scrapbook page using a photo from my brother's wedding... I wasn't sure what other direction to go with this kit than something wedding themed.

Credits: Softly Does It by Carena's Designs
Fonts: Scriptina and Post-It Pen Script

Lucky to Have You (card) | March 17, 2010

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

* - * The Backstory * - *

This St. Patrick's Day card was for Font Challenge at godigitalscrapbooking.com. In that challenge, the font is assigned, everything else is up to you.

Credits: Best Friends by Doreen Stolz
Font: Leprechaun Hats
Template: adapted from Manda Girl

Ft Collins Friends & Family | August 2009

Visiting my cousin Jane and her family in Ft Collins, CO, I was also able to have lunch with some high school friends who live in the area.

 

* - * The Backstory * - *

I completed this page for a Speed Scrap over at ScrapMatters. Those are so unbelievably addictive!!!

Credits: Slice of Life collab kit by the ScrapMatters Design Team
Fonts: Batik Regular, Century Gothic

Bridal Shower Invitations | May 15, 2010

I designed these three choices for an upcoming bridal shower. Which one would you pick? The planning group chose option #3. (Names and details have been changed!)

Credits: So This is Love by Summer Driggs; Font: CK Fun

Credits: Happy In Love by Mel Hains; Font: Bookman Old Style

Credits: Credits: Dinner Party by Sara Carling, Limeade by Summer Driggs, Miss Kitty (add-on) by Britt-ish Designs; Font: Bookman Old Style; Design inspired by Summer Driggs.

35 Years Together | June 9, 1973 - October 2008

This page celebrates 35 years of marriage for my parents. The photo on the left is a wedding photo that I scanned in, and the right photo is from a family portrait session we had done a couple years ago. Inside the envelope is a copy of the newspaper announcement from their wedding.

* - * The Backstory * - *

I completed this page for a "Heritage Challenge" at godigitalscrapbooking.com. Like a lot of my pages, it just sort of evolved from one idea to the next... often what I end up with is not what I thought I was going to get when I started. :)

Credits: I.Love.You by Mistica Designs
Font: Trajan Pro
October 2008 photo by Sara Goetz Photography

Christmas | December 25, 2009

I love Christmas! I designed two 12x12 pages to make a double page, 24x12.

* - * The Backstory * - *

This is layout 3 of 6 for GoDigitalScrapbooking this month! The kit provided wasn't designed as a Christmas kit, but the colors were right for it, so I decided to put a different spin on it.

Credits: Best Friends by Doreen Stolz
Fonts: Batik Regular, Caribbean
(The text in the circle pattern was provided as a kit element and I don't know the fonts that were used.)
Template: Andrea Gold

Template Preview:

I used the left page and made a mirror image of it for the right page.

Chicago 1 & 2 | August 15, 2009

Girls weekend in Chicago last summer was SO MUCH FUN!!! I get a warm fuzzy happy feeling just looking at the photos and remembering. Must do this again as soon as possible!!

Today I scrapped page "1 of 2" - I had previously completed page "2 of 2."

Left page (Today's Speed Scrap)

Right Page (completed previously)

* - * The Backstory * - *

Today's page (the top one) was done as part of a speed scrap challenge over at ScrapMatters. In this challenge, you follow a "recipe" but you get one instruction every 10 minutes for an hour, ending with a 7th and final instruction at the 60-minute mark. Then you have one hour to finish the project and post it, usually to get a small prize.

Today's recipe:

1. Find a multiple photo template (3 or more photos). Alter the template in some way by flipping, moving, or adding something to it.

2. Make at least one photo a circle/oval shape and another photo much larger than the rest.

3. Choose your papers. Use at least one patterned paper and have it prominently displayed on the page.

4. Mat your photos.

5. Add some stitching and ribbon or trim, then add whatever other embellishments you want.

6. Add a title using an alpha and embellish it somehow.

7. Date, add shadows, and journal if you wish.

CREDITS (for both): Slice of Life collaboration kit by the ScrapMatters Design Team

FONTS (right page only): LD Edward
TEMPLATE (left page only): adapted from a template by Designs by Li

Forever | May 22, 2005

* - * The Backstory * - *

These photos are from my brother's wedding five years ago. I did this layout specifically to complete a challenge, since I already have a 100% complete scrapbook from the wedding! This challenge was called "Digi-Dish" and basically gives a 'recipe' to be used in completing a page. It's not unlike a "speed scrap" only without the time pressure. The recipe seemed simple, so I specifically took it on to see how quickly I could throw together a page. Haha. 90 minutes later...!

Here's the "recipe" for this page:

1. 1 Solid, highly textured background. Either very dark or very light. No more papers...
2. black and white photo(s) no more than 3
3. center you photos on the background
4. make some pretty clusters around your photos. use some colors that pop off the background.
5. add a scatter or 2
6. add some string and/or ribbon
7. Title with a doodled alpha and a handwriting font

CREDITS
PAPERS: Year to Shine by Summer Driggs; Remembering Christmas by Kiss this Designs
ELEMENTS: Dipsy Doodles by Dylabel/Dancing Princess Designs; Monthly Memories Collection by Jennifer Barrette; Round Midnight by JW-DigiScraps; Merry Little Christmas by Michelle Coleman; Route 66 by Dreams Fulfilled; Sun Porch by Amy Teets; Beginning by Nona's Creations; Pastel Romance by Dikeledi Designs
FONTS: LD Kris Kringle, CK Ali's Hand


Actually, the recipe idea is pretty fun, and I may use it again. Want to play along? Go here.

A Special Grandma | January 10, 2010

Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting.

This is my sweet grandma, 89 years young! I took this photo on the day we celebrated her birthday. She is such a blessing in my life, and I'm so lucky to have her!

* - * The Backstory * - *

This page was for one of the kits I received on the Supreme Team at GDS and I also completed the "Layout Lottery Challenge." In the Layout Lottery, 5 numbers are chosen each month, and to participate, I had to create a layout using elements corresponding to the numbers. March numbers are 4, 3, 5, 1 & 11, so my layout includes: 4 papers, 3 frames, 5 ribbons/strings, 1 photo and 11 flowers.
 
Want to play along? Go here.

Credits: Heartfelt Country by Dylabel
Fonts: Scriptina, Occidental

March Desktop 2

Well I was bored one night... and even though I already had a desktop, I had some fun new supplies to play with, so I made another one!

Credits: March Collab ~ You are My Sunshine! from the team at GoDigitalScrapbooking.com
Template by Christy Skaggs

Tulip Time | May 2008

My first page as a member of the Supreme Team at GDS! When I saw the pretty tulips in this kit, I immediately thought of my visit to Pella, Iowa a couple years ago.

Credits:
March Collab ~ You are My Sunshine! from the team at Go Digital Scrapbooking
(This kit is free with a $10 purchase this month, and it's HUGE!)
Font: Arial

March Desktop

One of my first digital projects ever was to make a computer desktop... many designers post ready-made templates so all you have to do is drop in your own photo and you're done. Now I like to make my own. This month I adapted the Template Tuesday Challenge over at Scrapmatters to fit the size of my desktop. Other than using the template, the only challenge was to use the color green - easy!

Credits: Monthly Memories Collection by Jennifer Barrette and Bella Gypsy
Font: Century Gothic.

I won! I won!

Tonight I found out I'd been selected as a winner in the Supreme Team scrapping contest over at Go Digital Scrapbooking!!! Wow! All that hard work on my layouts for the competition paid off. Now I will be on their Supreme Team for 4 months, so I will be doing even more scrapping using their products and hanging out in their forums. I'm so excited, I can't believe it!!

Brag Book Quick Pages - Gotta Pixel Challenge

These are 4x6 "Brag Book" pages - the idea being that the designing is done, and you just have to drop in a photo or two in each page and you have an instant album. For this challenge, I was given four "mini kits" with paper sized to 4x6, and I was asked to design one page. At the end of the month I will get copies of the pages everyone else has designed for the challenge.

I guess I wasn't paying close attention, because I designed a page for each of the four mini kits, but the minimum requirement was to design one page from the kit of my choice. Oh, well! These went together really fast, so no big deal.

You can see what others have designed by checking out the Gotta Pixel Gallery.

CREDITS

(from top to bottom):

Dusty Bear Designs

Colie's Corner

Shawnery Mathis

Spinky Dink Scraps