Rebo Scraps

Gift for Rylan | January 2012

2012-02-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

This is just one reason why I love digi scrapping. My co-worker had a baby a couple weeks ago, and emailed this photo around the office announcing the baby's birth. Photo + digi supplies + picture frame = one customized, personalized baby gift. What's not to love? (To keep baby's info private, I used a Gaussian blur on the baby's face, and removed some of the identifying information from the box with the baby statistics.)

i.am.Rebecca.Jean | Photo from Easter 1981

2012-01-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Yay! I scrapped! I actually spent real dollars for a year-long scrap class called "Project: Love, Me 2012" for a couple reasons. One of which was to get some inspiration for scrapping, and the other was so that I would actually scrap something. This is my first page for the class.

Journaling:

i.am.rebecca.jean

Origin: “Rebecca” is Hebrew, meaning “to bind.” Rebekah of the Bible was “a maiden of beauty, modesty and kindness.” “Jean” is Hebrew and means“God is gracious.”

Rebecca is not a family name, but Jean was a nickname of my mom’s.

Like most kids, I often imagined myself with different names, but no longer: I love my name. I like that it’s from the Bible, and that it is a strong name with rich history. I enjoy my nickname, “Rebo,” but... don’t call me Becky!

Click here to read credits for the products used in this page.

Great post on design principles for Scrapbooking

2011-12-30T21:08:00.000-08:00

Laura Banasiak, a digi designer (check out her shop at Scrap Orchard), wrote a terrific post over at DigiShopTalk about design principles for Scrapbooking. She hits all the highlights with examples for each to make it easy to visualize each principle. Highly Recommended!

Tools of the Trade: Perfect Products to Help You with Page Design Principles

Tipsy: What a little shadow can do for you

2011-10-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last week I was out taking pictures at my favorite place, Disneyland (where else?) and while I was waiting in line at Toy Story Midway Mania, I was snapping pics of some of the great poster art decorating the queue. This one caught my attention not because it's the most interesting (it's not) but because it suddenly occurred to me that one of the reasons the art is so great is because of the terrific shadowing.

The posters are absolutely 2-dimensional, but the darts look like they are standing straight out, like you could reach out and touch them, and it's because of the shadows applied to the design. Here's what I mean. On the poster on the right, the darts appear to be popping off the page. Or look at the pink balloon near the top. The words also appear to be dimensional ("Surprises Galore.")

In the circle on the left is a close up of one of the darts. It's really 2-dimensional, but it's shadowed to make it appear 3-dimensional. Clever, right?

When you see a great design that catches your eye, it's worth it to stop and think for moment. After the initial "this is awesome!" let it soak in for a second until you start to analyze WHY it's terrific and you might learn something useful for scrapbooking.

I've actually done this on a digital scrapbook page, but only once. I was using this awesome book element as if it was an actual scrapbook page, and placed the photo I was showing off "in" the book. I used a handwriting font for the description, and then shadowed a feather pen to make it appear is if it was standing up off the page.

Very briefly, here's how I did this. I made a copy of the feather element and placed it under the original feather. Then I rotated it and resized it until it was in a position that it looked like where a shadow would fall. When resizing, I am generally careful to re-size proportionately, but in this case, it actually works better to shrink it disproprtionately. Think about when you are walking outside at sunset and your shadow is really long, or at midday when your shadow is really short because the sun is overhead. Shadows are not always the same!

Back to how I did this, after stretching and shaping my second feather in the shape I wanted, I added another new layer. I "hid" the second feather by clicking on the eye in the layers palette, and then I selected the layer by using CTRL+clicking on the layer thumbnail. (All of this is working with the second feather that is the shape of the desired shadow.) Next, I simply used a the paintbrush tool to paint in that selection on my blank layer. I used a grayish blue color rather than black. Once my shape was painted, I reduced the opacity of that layer until it looked right.

That was a really quick explanation, please comment if you have questions!

Charlie and the Trains | July 11, 2011

2011-09-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

I scrapped! I haven't been doing nearly as much scrapping and have been doing even less posting on the blog, unfortunately. (My other blog is suffering too; I'm an equal-opportunity blog neglector.)

Last night I was baking and hanging around home when I noticed there was a Speed Scrap happening at ScrapMatters, and it was kicking off around the time my last batch of brownies was coming out of the oven. Perfect!

I grabbed this photo of Charlie playing with the trains, and searched my stash for some transportation-themed supplies, and this is what I created:

"CHOO CHOO!!! Charlie has lots of toys to choose from at Oma’s house:

cars and books and on and on. Today, he set up the trains and of course

I couldn’t resist getting out the camera to capture my favorite cutie.

- July 11, 2011"

CREDITS: Birthday Blog Train Template Freebie by WM[squared]/Whitney(whitneyt) and It's a Journey Collab by the ScrapOrchard Team
FONT: FG Sara Elizabeth

Tech Girl After All | 2011

2011-07-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

So, a few people have told me lately that they are following me scrap blog, and I have been TERRIBLE at posting anything. Guess I'll have to remedy that!

I'll start with this one. I created this page just for fun to use this scrapbook kit, Techno-Girl by Pixel Gypsy. How could I resist all those adorable doodled elements?

The journaling on this page reads:

i never thought

i’d be a “tech” girl
but then i got a laptop
& an ipod
& a sweet digital camera
& a smartphone
& a tablet.
once photoshop & i became friends,
my laptop and i became inseparable.
So yeah....
i guess i am
a tech girl after all!

The only correction I would make to this page is that I don't really have a smartphone. I've taken to calling it a "dumbphone" and swearing at it under my breath now and then because I. Hate. It. Maybe someday my techy status will rise to the level of an iph*ne. Maybe.

Guest posting on Krisi's Kreations today

2011-05-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

I wrote up a little post today about about my latest hybrid project on the Krisi's Kreations blog. To read more about the creative process behind this project and see a bigger picture, hop on over there and check it out!

Font Friday: peach sundress

2011-04-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

I seriously have a font problem. I have close to 1000 fonts on my computer, and somehow it's not enough when I find another adorable typeface. This one is cute and whimsical, and I had to have it the moment I first laid eyes on it! "peach sundress" is available at dafont.com.

Now for the good part! I'm working on a fabulous tutorial and freebie using this font, and hope to have it posted in the next couple of days, so stay tuned!

ABC Book | Christmas 2010

2011-04-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of organizing of my files on my computer and online. I've have tons of projects I completed over the last 6 months or so that never made it on to the blog, so I'm picking some of them for new posts, since I've cut back on how much scrapping I'm doing right now.

This book was a looooooooooong time in the making. I started it last spring, and finally finished it just a day or two before Christmas when I gave it to my nephew as a gift. The book contains a page for every letter of the alphabet, and two pages at the end show counting from 1-10. Since it's so long, I thought I'd experiment with a slideshow on this post. Here goes!

Font Friday: Pass the Chex

2011-04-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for this font FOR.EVER and I can't tell you how excited I am to have finally found it!!! Leave it to the fabulous Kevin & Amanda to be the creative souls. Best of all, you know what that means - this font is FREE!!!! You can find Pass the Chex here.

Here's the name of the font spelled out, first in CAPS, then in lowercase. I love the funky mismatched sizes and styles of letters, especially the polka-dot letters.

Here's my name in the font. I typed it in both upper and lower case,

then picked from the two to get just the mix I wanted.

The numbers give you a feel for the randomness. The sample below is actually all one font size!

Happy downloading!!

Photo Geek: California Screamin'

2011-03-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

This is my very favorite ride at the entire Disneyland Resort. I love the countdown to the launch, the super-fast acceleration, the soundtrack, the hidden Mickey that I found on my own. These photos were again from a day where there were very few crowds at the park, and I think I rode this coaster three times. Twice for sure, maybe 3 times. I really love it!! Then I walked over to watch the launch of a few trains, and got the idea to take a few pictures. I balanced my camera on a railing for most of these, and the experimenting began.

I started with my camera on the action setting, so the camera knows I'm trying to capture something fast and it selects appropriate settings. What's useful about that is being able to check the settings the camera picked because it gave me a good place to start when I went to more manual setting. The camera started at a shutter speed of 1/800 sec for action shots. After a few clicks, I realized I had the camera set at ISO400, so I switched to ISO 100 and started slowing down the shutter speed because I decided it would be fun to try and capture the action in my shot instead of trying to "freeze" it. I also started shooting in shutter priority mode, letting the camera pick the aperture. Here's a shot from after those initial changes:

ISO 100, F5.6, 1/500 sec. (remember the camera started at 1/800 sec.)

At this point, I just kept dropping the ISO to get the motion effect that I wanted, from 1/500 to 1/200:

ISO 100, F11, 1/200 sec.

Then from 1/200 to 1/124:

ISO 100, F10, 1/124 sec.

Then from 1/124 to 1/100, where I got this shot. I was also really hoping to get the photo I wanted with the RED train because I thought it would be the best contrast and create the most interesting photo. I was pretty happy with this one:

ISO 100, F14, 1/100 sec.

I took a few more shots of the following trains, but eventually got bored of standing in the same place. By the time I got done, I had taken about 20 pictures in this one spot. It wasn't until I got home that I decided this very last shot with the yellow train was my favorite. The camera settings are the same as the one above with the red train, but by zooming out, the train is placed in the setting better. Also, as it turned out, the yellow provided a better contrast with the blue sky and the bright red roof in the building behind the coaster. I think I have a winner. :)

ISO 100, F14, 1/100 sec.

Photo Geek: Space Mountain

2011-03-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

You know you're a photo geek when... you have fast pass but get in the standby line anyway just so you can get a picture. And here it is:

ISO 1600, F5.0, Shutter 1/13 sec

Processing: High Pass Filter, 25 pixels

This photo was a little grainy due to the high ISO, but I'm not sure I could have done much better without a tripod. I did take a few shots at ISO 800, but I started to lose clarity due to a longer exposure (1/8 sec.) I guess proof of a true photo geek is bringing a tripod to Disneyland?

Flower Candle | Hybrid

2011-03-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

This was easier than it looks!!!

Recipe for a cute hybrid project:

1 - 3" square jar candle
4 - large hearts punched out of pink/yellow paper (approximately 1 3/4" x 1 1/2")
4 - large hearts of white printed paper
5 - small hearts punched out of red printed paper (approximately 1/2" x 1")
1 - 2" circle of paper
1 - 1"x11" strip of printed paper for the band
1 - button, about 1/2"-3/4" diameter
3-4" narrow white ribbon

First, glue the band around the candle. The 11" wasn't quite enough to go all the way around, but the place that is not covered by the band is where the flower is glued on.

Next, use the 2" circle of paper as the base for the flower, and the first layer is made from the pink/yellow paper hearts. Cut a slit in the heart, about halfway up from the point, and overlap the now two points and glue them. This will give your "flower petal" some dimension, and you can fold/wrinkle/bend it as you like. Repeat for 3 more pin petals, and glue them on to the 2" paper base.

Next is the 4 hearts from the white printed paper. First, cut across the heart, removing the point, about 1/3 of the height of the heart. Then, like with the pink "petals," cut a slit, overlap the bottom sections, and fold/wrinkle. Then glue these on top of the pink hearts.

Last, is the 5 red hearts. This was made from a smaller, narrower heart shape in my example, so you may or may not want to cut the point of the heart off before shaping them, just like the larger heart-petals. Layer these on top of the flower.

String the ribbon through the button and tie a bow, trimming the ends of the ribbon to your liking, then glue the button on top of all the heart petals to hide the unfinished edges.

Last step! Glue the entire heart on to the candle, and done!

Font Friday: junko's typewriter

2011-03-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try and get back to posting fun fonts again! Another new font obsession I have is with typewriter fonts. I've been having fun with this one recently, and the kind of cool thing is that I've actually used it twice in the last couple of weeks. First, the font, junko's typewriter, available on dafont.com:

I like it because it's random and kind of has a "ransom note" quality. The messy spatters are really fun, as are the funky angles and varying sizes. Mix in caps with the lowercase adds even more fun, like in this flyer I made for my church:

I used it as part of my title in this scrapbook page. I created this page as part of a "speed scrap" challenge, and I combined two of the instructions, use a font and an alpha for the title and use a spatter or splat, and used a spattered font.

You know you're a photography geek when...

2011-03-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

Last week, I went to Disneyland for part of a day. At the end of the day, I was stopped by a cast member taking a survey wanting to know how many rides I'd been on that day. Keeping in mind that on the day I went the place was as empty as I've every seen it, I went on... 6 rides in 6 hours. However, my photo count for the day was 178 frames. That's 30 pictures an hour, or one every 2-3 minutes. The photos I'm about to post are boring. They are of the parking lot. But, they did provide a chance to stand in one place and tinker with photo settings until I got the photo I wanted. :)

I started with the camera in Program ("P") mode because I knew I definitely wanted to keep that pesky flash from firing. A shot in that mode is useful to know what the camera picks so you know what to start changing. For all these photos, I was using an improvised tripod by setting my camera on a railing. (And lest you have a sympathetic heart attack about the camera sitting on a railing 4 stories above a street, you should know the strap was still around my neck!) Here's what I got, and really, I was happy with this photo as a snapshot:

Geeky details: ISO 1600, Exposure 1/60th of a second, F-stop f/4.50

Then I started to play around a little because I wanted to see if I could get a cool effect with the moving cars. I can't remember if I switched to Shutter mode ("TV") or Manual ("M") for the rest of these shots. If I was in Shutter mode, the f-stop was selected for me by the camera. If I was in Manual, I set it myself. I do know that I increased my exposure time, and reduced my ISO, and this is what I got:

Geeky details: ISO 800, Exp 5 sec, F-stop f/22

I don't remember really looking at this image on the camera screen too much before bumping my exposure up again. At the top of the ramp, just about dead center of the photo, there are headlights, but 5 seconds was just not long enough to get the effect I wanted. So here's what I got next - WARNING: Sunglasses required!!!:

Geeky details: ISO 800, Exp 10 sec, F-stop f/22

It was when I saw this image that I realized for a long exposure I needed to change my ISO, so I dropped it all the way to 100. Ah, much better:

Geeky details: ISO 100, Exp 10 sec, F-stop f/22

Now I'm getting close! I have some long trails of headlights, and the exposure isn't so bright that I feel like I'm going to get a headache. I increase the exposure time once more to 15 seconds, and shot a couple more frames, and this is the one I like the best:

Geeky details: ISO 100, Exp 15 sec, F-stop f/22

This is still not perfect as it's still a little bright, but I had fun and learned something, so that's what counts, right?

Coffee Card Challenge | Hybrid

2011-02-27T13:11:00.000-08:00

I've definitely been busy scrapping this month, and my poor blog has been neglected. I'll do some catching up soon! One thing that kept me busy was creating my first card template for a challenge over at ScrapMatters. Anyone who knows me knows that I love my coffee, so what could be better than a card shaped like a coffee cup?

Check out more of my projects in my Hybrid Project Gallery

Interested in giving it a try? The template download includes PSD, TIF and PNG files for two different cards - the shaped card like the one in my photo, and one that has a coffee cup on the front of a traditional rectangle card.

Visit the ScrapMatters It's In the Cards challenge forum to get the download link!

New Obsession

2011-02-03T16:29:00.001-08:00

The Graphics Fairy. Fabulous free clip art, mostly vintage and all fabulous! Go check it out!

Peacemaker Card | Hybrid

2011-01-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

This is for the It's In the Card's challenge at ScrapMatters. Check it out to download a free template and give hybrid a try! I was inspired by the bird element in this kit, and created the word art in combination with the kit's alpha. I cut out several copies of the bird to create a 3-dimensional element on the front of the card.

For credits and more projects, please visit my Hybrid Gallery.

Sea Babies Shower Invitation

2011-01-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

Oh, sad, neglected blog! I have LOTS of catching up to do! But for now... posting current instead of what's already past!

I designed this baby shower invitation for my sister-in-law who is co-hosting this shower for her sister, expecting a boy! The request was for something to match her chosen nursery theme, Sea Babies, as seen here:

And here's the invitation I created:

Congratulations, Sarah! I can't wait to meet baby Joey!

Font Friday: Pharmacy MMX

2010-12-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

I love this font... I first spotted it in use in some Stampin' Up! products, and loved it! When I found it, I grabbed it right away, and ended up using it for a "ReboScraps" logo, which you can see in my current blog header. :)

To me, this font feels a bit classic and retro, but it's also fun and whimsical. You can find Pharmacy MMX here.

I also recently spotted an interesting variation of this font. You'll need a program that can use font as a photo or image to make this kind of change. I started with this, the word Christmas:

Then I transformed it into an image instead of text (if you are using Photoshop Elements like me, right click the layer and choose "Simplify.") Then I "smooshed it" - a very technical term - making the letters shorter. The result is another look for this font!

One other thing to notice in this font is that a few of the letters are different. The first "Christmas" is written in all caps, and you can see the "R," "M" and "A" are different in this word than in the one below. The other letters that differ in upper and lower are "E" and "N."

Font Friday: Pupcat

2010-11-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

I have a couple different alphas based on this font, and I've been trying to find it for-e-ver. Then, surprise, just surfing dafont.com one day - there it was. :)

Pupcat

Thankful Cards | Hybrid

2010-11-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

Saying "thank you" never goes out of style, and with the Thanksgiving holiday here on Thursday, there is lots of thankfulness in the air.

Earlier this month, I participated in the ScrapMatters blog train with a printable card, and this week, I finished this one:

For credits and more projects, please visit my Hybrid Gallery

Font Friday: Fontdiner.com Sparkly

2010-11-19T14:31:00.000-08:00

I've had this font in my stash for quite a while, and haven't used it... until now. With Christmas coming, it seemed to have just the right amount of fun and... well... Sparkle!

FontDinerdotcom Sparkly

I did a quick project for my church using this font, making a layered heading. I simplified some of the sparkles to enlarge and embellish the title as well as the rest of a small flyer.

Font Friday: Birthday Edition & Free Word Art

2010-11-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of my birthday on Sunday, I had to share this font!

Rebekah's Birthday

This is just one of the AWESOME fonts available for free at www.kevinandamanda.com!

They have tons and tons and tons of great handwriting fonts and larger "scrapbook" fonts.

Just for fun, I made a few birthday-themed word art pieces using Rebekah's Birthday and Pea Jack and Jane! Enjoy!

DSD Blog Train | Freebie

2010-11-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

*** Thanks for stopping by! The freebie in this post has now expired. ***

A special welcome to anyone stopping by my blog as part of the ScrapMatters blog train! If you are following the blog train, you should have arrived from Mye De Leon's blog. If you get derailed, no worries! You can find a list of all the stops at the ScrapMatters blog!

Don't forget to check out the terrific sale at the ScrapMatters Store!

Here's a better look at Many Thanks, the collab kit you receive free with a $20 purchase:

And here's what you've been waiting for...! Your freebie, a pair of printable cards:

** This freebie link has expired. **

Your next stop on the train is Carly's blog! (Carly's post might be a little late; if it is, please check back later for her stop, and go on to Sarah's blog!) Enjoy your trip!

Font Friday: Sketchy

2010-11-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

I guess it was about 6 months ago that I started seeing sketched fonts pop up in scrapbook kits... and I went a little NUTS. Here's a few I can no longer live without!

Love Ya Like A Sister

This was one of the first sketched fonts I went nuts over, when I noticed it used on several elements

in the ScrapMatters Queen of Scrap kit. I was beyond excited, when I found it!

Clementine Sketch

The obsession continues... this one was featured on The Daily Digi and started popping up

ALL OVER the scrapbook galleries. I told my friend Sarah, "we're going to be able to date

our layouts as having been created in 2010 because they use this font!"

(Make sure you read the font info that comes in this download

so you know how to properly finish your words!)

Doodle Pen Limited

This is the latest in my sketched font collection. I have a bunch I haven't even used yet,

but I just KNOW I'll find a good use for it... eventually!

Scrappers Give Thanks!

2010-11-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about Scrappers Give Thanks? This is a project for artists, crafters and scrappers who want to design for fun and brighten someone's day. This year, the project assignment is to create brag-book size pages which will be assembled into books that will be donated to children's hospitals here in the U.S. Anyone can participate, and digital or paper submissions are accepted up until November 24!

Go check out the website! And don't miss the page where you find out about the terrific prizes they have! Everyone who participates is eligible to win!

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the project and create a few cards as early examples. Here they are!

For full credits, please visit: 2010

Digital Scrapbook Day is coming!!!

2010-11-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Digital Scrapbook Day (DSD) last November is probably the point where I can say I became truly hooked on digi scrapping! Not to mention that it's one weekend of the year to stock up on supplies, because almost everyone is having a big, BIG sale!!

It's a great idea to do some pre-shopping and make your wish lists so you can shop quickly when the sale starts! Ready to do some pre-shopping? Here's some info on a couple of sales!

ScrapMatters is having a sale, with a bonus free kit with $20 purchase:

Here's a better look at the free kit, Many Thanks. Starting Saturday morning (8:00 am Pacific) there will be a HUGE blog train with freebie add-on's to this kit! (Really! HUGE - 49 stops planned so far!!!!)

Font Friday: Halloween Edition

2010-10-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

What would Halloween be without some spooky fonts?

PS Bluegum Forest

Inspired by Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, this one came into my collection

as a direct result of my Disney obsession and great appreciation for the

annual holiday makeover of The Haunted Mansion attraction.

Grant's Ghosts

Just a great all-purpose creepy font.

Harry P

Need I say more?

Family Reunion Album: DV fam

2010-10-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

The Family Reunion album page count keeps ticking up!

CREDITS:
Blocked Templates #1 by Andilynn Designs
Family Matters: The Family Tree Collection by Graham Like the Cracker and WM [squared]
(Family Matters: The Kit, Family Matters: The Extras, Family Matters Bonus Alpha Pack)
FONTS: 3HourTour, FG Sara Elizabeth

Font Friday: Back to School

2010-10-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

I have a thing for fonts, and today, when I was yet again scrolling through the fonts at one of my favorite sites, dafont.com, I thought... maybe I should post a few now and then. So here we go, the first edition of "Font Friday." (With absolutely no guarantees how often I will get around to this!!)

In August and September, tons of designers were posting back to school kits, and I kept seeing cute fonts I liked. I tracked a few down to show you! The font names are linked to the download page for the font.

School Script Dashed

This is the kind of font that started it all! I kept seeing it in word art. I also saw papers with blank lines, ready for journaling to be added (using a \ keeps the lines between words!)

Penmanship Print

A neat print version with the lines... there is supposed to be a way to include blank

spaces on this one as well, but I haven't figured it out yet.

English Essay
This font reminds me of my own handwriting, in that I tend to write with
more vertical lines rather than slanted lines as in School Script.

Mama Que Nos Faz

I have no idea what this means, but I think it might have something to do with being a "really cute font."

Learning Curve and Learning Curve Dashed

(Two for one! Both in the same download.)

Recoloring in PSE7

2010-10-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

I've got a quick "how to" today, on how to recolor an element that is black. Some products, like some alphas and elements are sold as "easy to recolor." Sometimes I've used the paintbrush and repainted them, but then the outer edges seem to lose their crispness. These instructions are for an object that begins as pure black.

I'm going to start with this signature file, and change it to match this paper swatch. (Signature is from Created All Around by Krisi's Kreations and the paper swatch is from This Woman's Work by Trixie Scraps and Wimpychompers Designs. I'm having a little love affair with this particular paper!)

Select your target layer and from the menu:
Enhance > Adjust Color > Adjust Hue/Saturation
In the dialog box, CHECK the box marked "Colorize" and it resets the sliders.

I start by sliding the "Lightness" slider to the right. In the middle, this slider shows your object as black, and as you slide to the right your object lightens, all the way to white at the far right. In between, you'll see it change your object to shades of a color. Once the lightness/darkness is about where you want it, play with the "Hue" slider until it gets close to the color you want. Then tinker with the "Saturation" slider, which will make your color more intense to the right and less intense (more gray) to the left. I usually end up tinkering with each slider a couple of times until I get my color right where I want it.

Here's my finished signatures:

Easy-peasy! Give it a try!

Little Hello Card | Hybrid

2010-10-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

This card was made using a kit I've been wanting for a really, really long time!!! I was so excited to finally have a chance to play with it. :)

From Hybrid Projects

Quick Print Cards: for Baby | Hybrid

2010-10-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

My greeting card stash is completely missing baby cards, so I designed these as "quick print" cards I can quickly make up if I need one!

From Hybrid Projects

Susannah 10 months | September 2010

2010-10-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

Isn't she a cutie? :-)

From The Auntie Album

CREDITS:
Girls Gone Wild by Dysfunctional Designs and Pixel Gypsy
Pocket Full of Templates 5 by Britt-ish Designs
Font: Clementine Sketch and FG Sara Elizabeth

Beautiful You Gift Box | Hybrid

2010-10-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

For credits and more projects, please visit my Hybrid Project gallery.

Candy Box Template by Krisi's Kreations
Beauty Within by Scrapmuss Designs and Anna BV Designs

Two takes on "Chef Aaron" | September 25, 2010

2010-10-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

These pages show off all kinds of creativity. For Aaron's 3rd birthday, I sewed a kid-size chef apron and matching hat. His mom made sure to take some great photos and email them to me so I could make this scrapbook page (using Harvest Happiness by Jady Day Studio):

Click here for credits and more projects: The Auntie Album

Of course, being Aaron's mom, Sarah had to make her own page, too... and she picked the same page kit. Two scrapbookers, two pages, SAME page kit... and two completely cute and different pages! Here's Sarah's page:

For credits and more projects, please visit: The Auntie Album

Family Reunion Album: River Rafting

2010-10-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

Most. Fun. Ever.

CREDITS:
Daddy, Fish and Me by Scrapmuss Designs and TomaSoloma
Date Blots by Stolen Moments
FONT: Clementine Sketch

Happy Fall Y'all Treat Box | Hybrid

2010-10-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

How fun is this? :) I'm actually using this box as a birthday gift box - tomorrow! (Shhh!! Don't tell the birthday girl!)

From Hybrid Projects

Cute Sentiment Cards | Hybrid

2010-10-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

This template was too much fun! Of course it helps that I have a bunch of circle punches, so I could add some layers!

From Hybrid Projects

CREDITS: The Three R's: Homeschool Edition by Threeology
Template by Dalis and Krisi's Kreations

Get a free kit from ScrapMatters + ALL ScrapMatters collabs on sale

2010-10-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I {heart} ScrapMatters and hang out there all the time. My first purchases were for some of their collab kits, and I keep using them over and over, they are terrific! They have a special going on this week, where you can get a free kit by becoming a newsletter subscriber and following them on Twitter. You'll get half of the kit from each place, but you must sign up and follow by Friday, October 8. Check their forum for more details, and links to sign up!

Plus, ALL their team collabs are on sale through Thursday, October 7 for HALF PRICE. That is a sweet deal, go check it out! More info in the forums or go straight to the sale!

Sand Art Brownies | Hybrid

2010-09-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

I've been busy cranking out the hybrid projects... but I actually did a digital scrapbook page today that I can post on Wednesday.

I've made Sand Art Brownies before, they make great gifts! I decided to make one as a gift last week, and then I dressed up the jar with some fun digi papers and some bright red ribbon.

From Hybrid Projects

Chores Organizer

2010-09-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

I made this project for my sister-in-law. She was looking for a way to keep track of her list of household chores, so I created this box and tabs. Every chore gets written on an index card, and then filed by day or month according to when it needs to be done next. Some chores get done every week, of course (OK, in a perfect world!) and others only need to be done once a month or a few times a year.

And here's a closer look at the pieces:

For credits and more projects, please visit My Gallery

Prettying up my ever-present beverage container

2010-09-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

I take my coffee tumbler with me almost every day, and I love using my digi scrap supplies to give it a new outfit. Here's the latest fall fashion on my coffee tumbler:

For credits and more projects, please visit My Gallery

I also used a digi template to cut out out this water bottle wrapper, and then I stamped the decoration on it. I made about a dozen of these for my mom, using her Stampin' Up inks and stamps.

For credits and more projects, please visit My Gallery

Hybrid Cards!

2010-09-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

Oh, my! I need to post more! Here's some hybrid cards I've done lately...

For credits and more projects, please visit My Gallery

Midway Mania | December 13, 2009

2010-09-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

It's no secret I'm a big Disney fan, and this attraction is one of my all-time favorites. This photo was taken on my mom's birthday last year, with my sister-in-law Genevieve and my cousin Ashley. I went a little nuts when I first saw the kit I used to create this page, Vintage Carnival. The colors and theme were prefect for Midway Mania, and I'm thinking if I can find any photos of me at the fair when I was a kid, it will be great for those too!

.

For credits and more scrapbook pages, pleas visit my gallery

FireTruck Box & new Calendar Templates | Hybrid

2010-09-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

I made designed these for a friend of mine who is planning a firefighter-themed birthday party for her son who is turning 3 later this month. She actually did a different project already with this theme, and I adapted it for this box, the Box It Up: Handle template from Krisi's Kreations. As much as I love this, it's the little detail on the bottom that I'm really excited about. The "Created by Rebecca" on the bottom is part of a new digital stamp set from Krisi that came out today, Created: All Around. I scanned in my signature and she digitized it (that service is included with purchase!) so I can mark all my hybrid projects. I'm a little bit excited!!

For more projects and credits, please visit My Hybrid Gallery

Krisi also released a new calendar template today, Quickie Calendar: 2011. This has several pre-designed calendar toppers where all you have to do is drop in a completed square scrapbook page, add a few additional elements, and the topper is done. I designed mine as year-at-a glance page.

For more projects and credits, please visit My Hybrid Gallery

Movie Money Jar | Hybrid

2010-09-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

There is a hybrid challenge over at ScrapMatters to dress up a container or jar from around the house by using digi supplies. I decided a jar to stash movie money would be fun, and this Movie Night kit by The Design Girl made it so much fun. Add a themed font and some thumbnail images of a few of my recent favorite movies... and it's fun all around. Want some more inspiration? Check out the challenge details here!

See more projects and Credits HERE

Susannah's Baptism | June 20, 2010

2010-09-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness my friend Sarah keeps me well supplied with photos of her adorable kids. :) This is her baby, Susannah, who was baptized in June, in her special baptism dress. The scrap supplies are from a new kit by Dysfunctional Designs, Joyful. The sweet rainbow of colors were a perfect fit for the other elements Sarah created for the day, including the invitation she sent to friends. She provided the photo to me with the words "We do, God helping us" already embedded on the image, also in a rainbow spectrum. It's not hard to see why this kit felt like a perfect match for this photo.

From Pre-Pub Projects

Gift Card Box | Hybrid

2010-09-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

One can never have too many cute ways to dress up a gift, right? That's why I decided this Gift Card Box Template from Simply J Studio would be a great one for my collection. For the design, I was inspired by the digital flower element to make a 3-dimensional one that was similar to decorate the outside. For the inside, I used the same design to make a coordinating card. Just add a gift card, and it's ready to go.

For more projects and to view credits, please visit my gallery:Hybrid Projects

Colorado Vacation Title Page | June 28, 2010

2010-09-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

I've been very, very busy creating, and will be posting a bunch of pages and projects over the next few days! I'm super-excited about this one. I've been wanting this On the Trail kit by Chelle's Creations since it was first released, because I knew it would be perfect for my summer vacation photos. Today, I created the all-important title page for my project, and I'm SO happy with how it turned out. I wanted to feature the whole-family photo and keep the layout simple.

Please visit my gallery for credits: 2010

Christmas Gift Tags | Hybrid - And a free template!

2010-08-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

I just realized I never even posted this project, and today it was featured on the Chelle's Creations blog! Woo-hoo!! I made this project to coordinate with the recipe cards I gave away in July. After all, if you bake homemade goodies to give away, especially at the holidays, how much cuter are they with a custom gift tag attached?

For credits and more projects visit: Hybrid Projects Album

I was so excited about being featured that I made my design into a template to give away! The original design creates 3 tags on a 4x6 file, which can be printed as a photo, or at home on an index card. Cut the tags apart, fold down the center, attach a ribbon and you're done! The template freebie also includes the same design in 5"x7" and 5.5" x 8.5" plus PNG files of the word art.

Ready to create? Download the templates here!

Best CT EVER and a call - come join me!!

2010-08-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, ScrapMatters held a site Creative Team (CT) call, so of course I applied! This was the very fist site I joined when I started digi scrapping. I about fell out of my chair when I received an e-mail soon after that I was invited to join their CT!!! YIPPEE!!!! I can't even say how excited I was - and am - for thisi opportunity. Starting September 1, I'll be doing even more great projects using the terrific products of their great designers.

Right now, ScrapMatters is having another call for ScrapMatters Girls. In exchange for hanging around on the site and helping to make it a fun and friendly place to be, you can earn free product. Check out the site here! Applications are open until September 10.

Pocket Card | Hybrid

2010-08-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

I made this hybrid project this week, using a new template from Krisi's Kreations, the Line It Up: Templates v.1. This template set includes a variety of borders and strips that work for digital pages and hybrid projects. I made a hybrid card (and a layout to make it look cute in the gallery!) The scrapbook kit I used included the fun denim pocket element, so I decided to make that into a real pocket to hold a tea bag and a note. I used a flower element from the kit to embellish the paper clip as an extra touch, I thought it might be useful to clip the note into the pocket so it didn't fall out!

From Hybrid Projects

I was excited to see that Krisi picked my project to highlight on her blog for Friday's product announcement, and it was also featured on the Trixie's Scrap Stars blog today!

Let's Eat! | June 27, 2010

2010-08-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

I officially have three scrapbook pages done of my family reunion trip in June! Yippee!! When I got this new kit from Pixel Gypsy and Amanda Carlson Designs, On the Grill, I knew exactly what to do with it!

See credits and more pages here: 2010

Let's Eat!

One thing I know for sure... where this family gathers, there will be FOOD. It will be GOOD, and there will be LOTS of it! Different family members took turns planning the menu for each night and then cooking for everyone. Sunday night was one of my favorites. Pat’s family picked hamburgers, and Dan was the grill master. Some of us ate outside, where of course - everything tastes better! The weather was perfect, and as the evening wore on, a storm moved in over the mountains, complete with sound effects.

Note to Self and Little Pieces of Me | August 10-13, 2010

2010-08-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

I've decided to make a deliberate effort to scrap more pages about me, sort of artistic journal pages. This week, I made two.

First is Note to Self, just a simple layout with my photo and a quote that I was inspired by this week.

Credits here: All About Me Pages

Next is Little Pieces of Me, where I used journal strips to just tell a bit about who I am right now in life.

Credits here: All About Me Pages

Coming soon: I just got a sneak peek of PixelGypsy's fun new collab releasing next week, and I already have the perfect photos in mind! (That NEVER happens!!)

Thank You Box & Note | Hybrid

2010-08-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

I just love classic black & white, and I love it even more with a bold shot of red! I really liked this black & white print paper, and knew it would be fun for this project. The main part of the box is big enough for some chocolates or maybe some other treats like tea or coffee. The separate pocket on the front is the perfect place to tuck a short note, and one thing I thought this would be perfect for is a little "get well" package with some instant chicken soup in the box.

This is a new template from Krisi's Kreations, Backpack Template Junior, and the instructions include how to place and tie the ribbons to make mini backpack straps, like you can see in her preview. In mine above, I tinkered with the ribbon placement and it looks a little more like a purse.

Colorado Vacation Highlights | June 25-July 4, 2010

2010-08-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

I've officially started scrapping my recent vacation! Woo-hoo!! I picked one photo to represent each day of the trip, and made a quick 2-pager showing off some highlights. There are hundreds more photos of this trip, so many more pages to come!

I made these pages using 3 of the 4 products in Pixel Gypsy's August Grab Bag. There are some great basics in this set, and it's a sweet deal until the end of this month. You can check it out HERE.

Quick Print Cards | Hybrid

2010-07-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of cards, and although it's really fun to create a super-custom hybrid card, it's just not realistic to put that kind of time into each and every card. All the cards were super easy to design using pre-made card templates by Krisi's Kreations. So, I created a bunch of "quick print" cards that are simpler designs that don't require any post-printing work. They are also designed with a lot of white space so they don't use a ton of printer ink. With that kind of investment, I can keep a few on hand ready to go. Sorry, H*llmark... I'm afraid you may never see me again!

Made with Bracket it Up v.1: Card Templates by Krisi's Kreations

Made with Block It v.1: Card Templates by Krisi's Kreations

Tic Tac Toe Travel Game | Hybrid

2010-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Oh, I am so excited about this project, which turned out even better than I hoped! One of the hybrid challenges over at ScrapMatters this month was bottle cap magnets. I combined that idea with this cute kit by Pixel Gypsy and created a travel-size tic-tac-toe game, in a cd-tin. The bottle cap magnets will stay in place, and the tin keeps everything contained.

Credits: Mad Love by Pixel Gypsy
Font: 3HourTour

Yeah, me - a new CT!

2010-07-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! I was selected for the Pixel Gypsy CT! The designs are so great! I actually heard this wonderful news right before I left on vacation, and it took a few weeks to get caught up with my other responsibilities, but my first project for Pixel Gypsy is done, and it will "go live" tomorrow when the her new kit is out.

Want to see what I'll be working on? Check out the Pixel Gypsy blog and her store at thedigichick.

Charlie's New Car | May 8, 2010

2010-07-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Mom said she didn't want any presents for Mother's Day. We didn't listen. My brother's family and I bought her a special toy for her grandson to play with when he visits her house. He LOVES it... and so does Oma.

We Became Sisters | May 22, 2005

2010-07-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

On this day you married my brother and joined our family. I didn't know then how much I would grow to love you, & how much I would come to treasure having you in my life. I am so very thankful, for it was on this day that we became sisters.

Baptism Announcement | July 11, 2010

2010-07-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

Today, my nephew is being baptized. I created this invitation/announcement for the occasion. His mom picked out the colors and basic design, and I filled in with papers and choice of font. I loved that I was able to be a part of this day in a small way.

Christmas in July Blog Train & Recipe Freebie!

2010-07-09T03:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to visitors from Krisi's blog train - thanks so much for stopping by!

It's Christmas in July with holiday items on sale at the ScrapMatters Shop, and the release of the new Recipe/Index Card Templates by Krisi's Kreations!

Krisi's CT has been busy creating an extra bonus for you, too! The Christmas in July Print It: Recipe Cards is free with purchase of the Recipe/Index Card Templates through the 14th! You can print these as is, or add your own recipes before printing:

Now, about that freebie!! I couldn't resist the Christmas in July theme, and picked two recipes to share with you, both of which are great holiday recipes. This first recipe is a "new favorite" as I've made it twice and it's gotten rave reviews. It's sweet and rich, and melt-in-your-mouth yummy!

This next recipe is a family favorite, and our family devours these cookies at Christmastime. These treats have been part of our holiday celebrations for as long as I can remember!

To grab these recipes, click on each image to view it full-size, then right click and "save as" or simply click and drag to your desktop.

If you are following the blog train, you should have arrived here from Quietangelsb's Scrap Corner, and your next stop is Sandi Lee Scraps. Miss one? Check the Krisi's Kreations blog for the whole list!

Challenge with Free Card Template

2010-07-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

I've been having so much fun with hybrid, that I decided to make hybrid projects the focus of the July Style Challenge I'm hosting over at GoDigitalScrapbooking! To make the challenge easy, I'm offering a free card template:

Check out the Style Challenge HERE to download the free template!

Pillow Box Door Hanger | Hybrid

2010-07-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

Another fun project from Krisi's Kreations using her Pillow Box Door Hanger. I've made pillow boxes and door hanger before, but never thought to combine them! This would make a fun treat for a child, or a welcome gift for your houseguests.

Party Hat | Hybrid

2010-06-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

I'm having so much fun doing hybrid projects for Krisi's Kreations! It was her birthday last week, and I created this with her Party Hat Template. What's not to love about curls and glitter on a birthday hat?

I haven't done much other experimenting with this template yet, but others are saying it would be a perfect little door-hanger if used upside-down. I've seen cones like that with candies at the holidays or with flowers for wedding decorations. So many possibilities!

Happy Birthday, Krisi!

2010-06-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's Krisi's birthday, and she's celebrating with a blog freebie and a sale! First, check out her blog to download your free party hat template. (Only available today, so hurry! This item goes into her shop on Friday!)

The sale is also just through today, so head on over to Krisi's ScrapMatters store and pick up some discounted birthday treats!

PenScrappers Contest with free kit!

2010-06-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

Head on over to PenScrappers to check out their June contest! You can download a free kit, then enter to win by creating a layout with the kit and uploading it. The free kit is Wild Hearts from Michelle Coleman, and it's great! The red/aqua combo seems to be really trendy right now.

I loved one of the word art elements, so I decided to do a new tumbler insert, using the Tumbler Template from Krisi's Kreations:

I'm not sure how the winner is selected, but there is an option to vote for layouts... if you want to vote for mine, here's the link to my page!

In search of: Pool Pictures

2010-06-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

*** Thanks!! I've received some cute photos for this, so I'm off to scrap! ***

Friends, I'm looking for pictures that would make a great scrapbook page when paired with any of the word art elements pictured below:

I will be posting the finished page on a few different scrapbooking websites. If you aren't comfortable with your or your kids' photo being online, I completely respect that, and I could post it with faces blurred so no one is recognizable. You will get a high-resolution copy of the finished page that you can print out if you'd like. You can even pick the page size!

Interested? E-mail me at rjlrebo at gmail dot com with a link to the photos. I only need a few photos from one person, first come, first served... I'll update this post as soon as I have something. Thanks!

So Glad We're Friends | Michigan 2009

2010-06-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've done lots of scrapping in the last couple of months, and probably won't post everything here on the blog, but I had to post this one. When I was creating this page, I literally could NOT stop smiling, remembering how great it was to spend a few days with my dear friend Sarah and her family last summer. What's not to love? We reminisced about our college years, we grilled at the beach, we just enjoyed our time together.

Journaling reads:

At the end of girls weekend, the Syswerdas allowed me to catch a ride with them to Michigan for the next part of my vacation. I spent three days at their house, enjoying some great summer fun! One day we packed up the kids and walked around Calvin’s campus, reminiscing about our college days and admiring the new physical education building. Of course, our trip could not have been complete without a picture of us by “the cheese.” Afterwards, we stopped for a treat at the Traverse Pie Company. Another day we all went to Holland Tunnel Park for a cookout and swimming, and Beth and Joe met us there. No trip to the beach is complete without a trip to Captain Sundae, so we stopped there on the way home. In between, I played play-doh with the girls, cuddled new baby Andrew and enjoyed every minute of the time catching up with my dear friend Sarah. I can’t help but smile when I think about our fun time together, and I can’t do that without wishing we could spend time together more often!

I picked the colors and elements in this page to complement the one that will be across from it, Meijer Garden, which I previously posted.

Extreme Makeover: Scrapbook Edition | Michigan, August 2009

2010-06-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

This is the difference 6 months makes when it comes to digital scrapbooking experience. Below is the very first speed scrap page I ever completed, when I'd JUST started digital scrapbooking. I look at it now, and what I see is a page made using many of the techniques I used when I was paper scrapping. Some of my proportions are off, and I just don't love it anymore. For your entertainment:

Recently, I've been trying to actually finish the scrapbook pages for this particular trip, and decided the page about Grand Haven needed a different spin. I decided to drop the photo of the sign on the pier, and included an important photo that didn't make it into the first draft. I kept some of the same papers and elements, but switched things around a bit. This page was also a speed-scrap page:

Journaling:
This vacation just keeps getting better....
The next stop on my trip was Grand Haven, where my friend Joanna lives with her husband Rob, who is in the Coast Guard, and their two boys, Josiah and Tommy. Somehow, I managed to miss getting a photo with them, although we enjoyed two days catching up! (Aarrgh!!!)
It was an extraordinarily windy day, and we walked out to the beach to see the high surf. Later we had Pronto Pups on the boardwalk - a Grand Haven favorite - and went to an ice cream social at the Coast Guard Station, where Rob showed me a couple of the boats. After the kids went to bed, we went back downtown to see the musical fountain, which unfortunately we missed. We drove out by the lake again, and found it was now remarkably calm compared to earlier, and we walked out on the pier, enjoying the beautiful summer night.
Another highlight of my visit in Grand Haven was having lunch with my friend Heather at the Kirby House. Heather and I worked together at Baker and were even roommates for a year. We at some seriously tasty food, and I also got to meet her new son, Bear.

Another reason I wanted to makeover this layout is because it is going next to another page I'd completed somewhere along the line. To make the two pages more complementary, I used a different layout that included circles, I used some of the same papers, elements & alpha, and the journaling is opposite of the left page, creating some symmetry.

That last page is one I haven't posted here on the blog before, either. That page tells a really funny story, and I start giggling every time I think about it.

Journaling:
For lots of reasons, I know we’ll always be friends.
Beth & I met in our first year of college, and the rest is history! These photos are the proof of more great memories. After a fun day together, we sat side by side with our laptops to check our e-mail. And that’s when the fun really started.
Beth’s husband Jeff was across the room, and the poor guy just couldn’t figure out what on earth was so darn FUNNY ...because we just couldn’t stop laughing. We eventually let him in on the secret: we’d been sending each other instant messages. What a fun memory!!
I already can’t wait until next time.

These pages remind me of the reason I first started scrapbooking, which is to preserve memories of fun times with people I care about. I live far away from these friends, and it's wonderful to have photos to be reminded of the times we've been fortunate to be together.

New Creative Team!

2010-06-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce that I've been selected to CT for Krisi's Kreations! I've only just recently begun to dabble in hybrid projects, but since they've been so fun, I decided to try out for Krisi's team - and I got a spot! Definitely look for more hybrid projects in this space!

In the meantime, you can check out Krisi's blog and her store at ScrapMatters!

I wish I could bottle this feeling | December 2009 ... and free Word Art

2010-06-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

I guess I was feeling a little introspective when I did this layout. It was for a speed scrap. I've used this photo several times, because it's one of my favorite photos of myself, and the word art I created for it pretty much sums up how I feel about this photo now.

(Credits: Apples and Almonds by Summer Driggs (papers,) What's Cookin' by Dreams Fulfilled (red ribbon,) Treehouse Fun by ScrapMuss Designs (twine string,) Kiwi by Shabby Princess (stamp,) Pioneer Woman (Photo Actions,) Photo by LeAnn Scacco)

I redesigned the word art a bit to put all the pieces together, and made it into two versions, either of which can be easily recolored. The two fonts are Cambria and CK Becky. First, the words all together:

The second version separates the words that are in the different fonts, so you could layer them with different colors or shades:

To use this word art, click on each image to view it full-size, then right click and "save as" or simply click and drag to your desktop. Permission is given to use this word art for your own personal use ONLY. Commercial use or use for profit is specifically not allowed. If you have any questions about acceptable use, please contact me.

Featured on the Stolen Moments Blog!

2010-06-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Remember the ABC book I posted about last week?

Today, I was so excited to see the entire book (so far!) featured on the designer's blog! The templates used to create this album go on sale today, and Amber over at Stolen Moments featured my book along with her product announcement!! Go check it out!!

Amber also sells pre-made blogwear and custom blog designs, and she's giving away a custom design to one lucky winner. Since this blog could still use some sprucing up, I'm definitely entering to win!

You can enter, too, and the info is right there in the same blog post as my book project. (See, now you have to look!)

Hybrid Project | Thank You Card

2010-06-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

More hybrid fun! This is a thank you card for someone that I'm pretty sure doesn't read this blog, but just in case, I'll set it to post after it's been given away!

I used a real button and ribbon in place of the digital button, and ended up leaving off the butterfly, and using a stamp pad to give the word box a subtle border instead of layering it on a contrasting paper square.

CREDITS:
Because I'm A Woman by the ScrapMatters Design Team
MiaMia by HK Designs
Fonts: Pea Smashtastic in a Hurry, Love Ya Like a Sister
Template: Created by Julie (ScrapMatters It’s In the Cards 5/27)

Scrapping BFF's | January 2009 and May 2010

2010-06-01T21:48:00.000-07:00

If anyone is to get credit for my start in digital scrapbooking, it's Sarah. Yep, this addiction is ALL her fault! And for that, among about a million other resons, I love her like crazy.

On Sunday night we were both online,and contemplating another speed scrap, where a bunch of people chat online, somebody provides instructions for building a layout, and you use them to create a page. So, there we were, both at our computers about 1500 miles part, and chatting together about whether or not to scrap, based on the first of the instructions: "Today I want to learn something about you, so that's what I want your SS page to be about...YOU. Take some time now to pick what you want to focus on about yourself & get some journaling written."

So I had the brilliant idea that instead of scrapping about ourselves, we should each scrap a page about each other, and we should use the same photo. Sarah immediately agreed, and we started building our pages. We kept all the details secret from each other until we posted our final layouts to reveal what we'd created. What's really fun about this is that while our pages turned out very differently, many of our sentiments were the same. For both of us, it was the journaling that took the longest to get "just right."

I think this was the most fun I've ever had doing a speed scrap. A few hours of online time with my BFF, sharing a hobby we love, and celebrating ALL the wonderful things that make our friendship a mutual blessing!

MY PAGE

August 2010

Journaling reads:
You are my best friend, my BFF, the first person I call in gladness or tears. We talk about our hopes, our joys, our fears & our faith. In the next breath, it’s great sales, cute shoes & Queen of Scrap. You are my encourager & shoulder to cry on. You always listen & thoughtfully respond, affirming good decisions, & gently pointing me in the right direction when I’ve lost focus. You love me just as I am, yet always spur me on to be better. BFF, I am so VERY thankful God blessed my life with you. You make me a better person, & most importantly YOU MAKE ME SMILE.

SARAH'S PAGE

Journaling reads:
A friendship like this doesn’t come along every day. I always knew we had something special, but as each year passes I’m more and more grateful for the blessing of you in my life. We’ve shared a college apartment, a Disneyland vacation, and all those Thursday nights watching Friends and ER. We’ve lived in the very same room and on opposite sides of the country. We’ve danced our hearts out at the Bresa del Rio and at the weddings of so many we love. You’re the first one I call when I have a few spare minutes in the car to chat, the first one I email when I’m thinking of buying an outfit or pair of shoes and need a second opinion, and the first one I turn to when I need a listening ear to talk out life’s curveballs. Life has changed so much since we met thirteen years ago, and neither of us has ended up exactly where we expected. But through the highs and the lows, the boyfriends and breakups, the changes in clothing sizes and family sizes and the rest of life’s little surprises, one thing still holds true: this amazing, one-of-a-kind sisterhood of ours. Rooted in faith, bound in love, and thanks to unlimited talk time on our cell phones. You are one wonderful woman, Rebecca, and I’m so very, very thankful to call you my friend.

ABC Book

2010-05-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

In a speed scrap last week, I earned this a cool set of alphabet templates, one for every letter of the alphabet. I'd already been thinking of making an ABC book for my nephew, and these templates made it sooooo easy!!

Here's page A -

And another preview showing several pages with different colors. For a few pages, I used photos, but for most of them, I used scrapbooking elements for the illustrations.

The full set is over in my Picasa gallery - well, I've done through letter "R" so far, and hope to finish the rest this weekend at a Scrap night with some friends.

The template set that made this so fun is called Monogram It, and it's by Stolen Moments Designs. Definitely recommended!!!

Perpetual Calendar Project

2010-05-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

I have some serious blog catching up to do! I've been scrapping like CRAZY for the Queen of Scrap contest over at ScrapMatters, because there are some awesome prizes on the line. :)

One of the projects I completed was 12 pages of a perpetual birthday calendar. I designed it to be used for several years, and now that I have the digital files, I can update one page at a time if there are changes. I haven't proofed these yet, so there may be some omissions or misspellings!

This project went together very quickly, thanks to the 3.5" x 10" Perpetual Calendar Templates from Designs by HollyAnn. The templates have a place to include a photo for each page, but I chose instead to use holiday or seasonal embellishments for each month's design. Other than that, the only notable alteration I made was to change the width of each page to 4" so 2 pages would exactly fit on an 8"x10" print, which I'll cut apart to make the calendar.

CREDITS USED IN THIS PROJECT:

Used on every page:

Templates: Perpetual Calendar Templates from Designed by HollyAnn

Handwriting

Font: Pea Smashtastic in a Hurry

Used on some pages:

Arabian Adventure Add-On and Leave the World Behind by Britt-ish Designs

Beautiful Life, I.Love.You and Fresh Mini by Mistica Designs

Best Friends by Doreen Stolz

Euphoria by Andrea Gold

You Are My Sunshine Collab by the Go Digital Scrapbooking Design Team

Gigglerific by geniaBeana Scraps

Holiday Madness by Tallula Moon Designs

Irish Pride by Dreams Fulfilled

Merry Little Christmas by Michelle Coleman

Monthly Memories Collection by Jennifer Barrette

nitwit!blubber!oddment!tweak! from document.life.now/miss kim designs

Paper Piecing Freebie by Michelle Filo

Rhapsody by Carena’s Designs

Silverscatters by Man in the Moon Designs

A Slice of Life Collab by the ScrapMatters Design Team

Springy by Carola Okeke/FWTS

Summer Cocktail by Verena Karolyi Designs

Sweet November by Christy Skaggs

Up and Away by Dylabel Designs

TreeHouse Fun by ScrapMuss Designs

Tweet by Oscraps

Waiting for You by Majula Designs

Hybrid Project | {Smile} Card

2010-05-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

I decided to make this card using a couple freebies I got online this week: the {smile} word art and the sunflower photo.

I printed out most items individually and glued them together. It's hard to see in the photo, but the butterfly is only glued at the center, so it's wings "pop" off the card. The green is a ribbon instead of that paper piece. Once the ink dries, I may add some Crystal Effects to the butterfly, this is a finishing liquid that will make the butterfly appear to be glossy, or acrylic-like.

CREDITS
Template: Created by Julie (ScrapMatters It’s In the Cards 5/27)
Word Art: Krisi’s Kreations
Papers: Queen of Scrap by the ScrapMatters Design Team
Euphoria by Andrea Gold
Urban Cutie by Brenna Coleman
Monthly Memories Collection (July) by Jennifer Barrette
Butterfly: Pocketful of Sunshine by Digital Scrapbook Artisan Guild
Photo: Crestock.com free photo of the day

Hybrid Project | Scrapaholic Tumbler Insert

2010-05-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty much inseparable from my coffee tumbler from St*rbucks, and the one I have is a "create your own" design tumbler. I've made several paper inserts, but now I'm making fun ones digitally as well. May 1 was {inter}National Scrapbook Day, and in honor of the event and the whole month of scrap-happiness, ScrapMatters has a new kit out called "Queen of Scrap." I couldn't resist - I made a new "outfit" for my mug

CREDITS
Queen of Scrap by the ScrapMatters Design Team
More Curves by Britt-ish Designs

Hybrid Project | Shirt and Tie Card

2010-05-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

I've made my own cards for a loooooong time, but am now making some cards using digital products and templates. I use Photoshop to design the whole thing digitally, using a template to get all the papers to just the right size and shape.

Then each piece is set up to print separately, and I cut them out and assemble the card.
Now I'm all set for Father's Day... only my dad's retired and he doesn't wear ties much anymore!

Credits:
Template by wildblueeyez
Passport Required from Creations by Rachael
Happy Go Lucky by Shabby Princess

Organizing the stash....

2010-05-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

I used to be a traditional scrapper, and I guess I kind of still am. I definitely have a big box of paper and tools leftover to prove it!

One of the things I love about digital scrapbooking is that it doesn't take much space... anywhere I can bring my laptop, I can scrap. However, organizing the stash of digital supplies takes some effort too. One of the hardest things is that stuff comes in complete kits (collections) of coordinating items, but someday, I may need a blue button or a red ribbon for a layout and not know which of the 100+ kits it might be in.

That's why I use Picasa, which is FREE (I like that!) and works really well to organize stuff using tags. Over at The Daily Digi, there is a review of Picasa today, and I recommend checking it out:
Picasa – A free & useful tool in your digi scrap toolbox

TAGGING

This is the tool I find most helpful in Picasa, which they do mention in the above review. You can set up whatever tags you want, and then mark each graphic file with as many tags as you want. I tend to use simpler tags, so that I can easily cross-reference. For example, one paper might have these 8 tags:
paper
print
stripe
red
blue
green
black
distressed

If I'm looking for a stripe paper to match a photo with purple in it, I can search for "purple" "paper" "stripe." I use it most often when searching for elements. If scrapping using a themed kit, but that kit doesn't have a button or ribbon or string in it, I can search my entire stash in seconds by element name and color to see if I have something else that will work.

THE CATCH

Tagging a large stash can take a loooooooooong time. I've put in hours tagging, but I did go back and tag EVERYTHING. Now, I tag as I acquire new stuff, so it's much less painful, and once it's done - it's done!

Susannah is here | November 2009 ...and a Word Art Freebie

2010-05-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Susannah arrived in November, and is the newest little person who knows me as Auntie Rebo. What's not to love?

I have been doing some serious scrapping this last week, so more posts to come!

CREDITS: Photo by Sharp Images Custom Photography, template by Stolen Moments Designs, Peach-faced Love Bird by Verena Designs, stitching from Birthday Party by Maria Designs, word art created by me. Fonts: Batik Regular, CK Becky

I completed this page for a speed scrap and one of the steps was to use word art, and there wasn't any in the kit I'd selected - aaaack!!! So I made my own, and you can grab a copy of you like it! There are 3 PNG files below, one of the whole thing, and one with each part, so you can recolor it if you'd like. :)

PC users: click on each image to open the full-size image in a new tab/window. Then click and drag it to your desktop, or right click and use "save image as."

Mac users: Ummm..... sorry, I don't know what the correct instructions are. Feel free to enlighten me!

interNational Scrapbook Day - May 1!

2010-04-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend is a big one for scrappers of all kinds, and pretty much every digi scrap site out there has a lineup of celebrations! There will be fun events and contests, freebies and SALES!

I'll be hosting my first ever Speed Scrap on Sunday afternoon at Go Digital Scrapbooking, where I am on the Supreme Team, and I'm already making a list of all the great deals I don't want to miss all over the digi-scrap world! :)

It's going to be a great weekend! Here's the flyer for the events at GoDigitalScrapbooking, stop by and say hello!

I love being an aunt | May 21, 2009

2010-04-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

My (totally adorable) nephew has been the subject of several of my layouts, but I've decided I want to be deliberate about creating a series of layouts featuring the little guy. For now, I plan to feature my favorite photo from each month, and do multi-photo layouts, but since this is one of my favorites, it got it's own page. I will probably create an opposite page using the same basic layout to coordinate with it. This is one of my favorite photos because our outfits "matched" (completely unplanned, of course, and don't tell his dad!) and as someone pointed out when I posted this photo on F*cebook, our eyes match, too. Awwww!!!!

Credits: Gigglerific by geniaBeana Scraps
Font: CK Mini

--*--

One of the cool things about digital scrapbooking is that the ideas and inspiration online is essentially endless. I can easily spend an hour browsing through galleries enjoying the amazing creativity of others. One of the sites I hang out at frequently is Scrapmatters.com and they host a challenge there called "Grand Theft Layout" in which the entire point is to create a layout inspired by someone else. The layout below is called "ooh boo" and is by Sarah Bennett, who is a designer and scrapper. (Click here to visit the ScrapMatters Gallery and see credits for this layout!) See any similarities with my layout above? ;)

Published! Scrapbook News & Review

2010-04-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Another one of my layouts has been published! The magazine requests an exclusive for 30 days, so I can't repost the layout here, but here's a little peek of "Sweet Susannah." She'll be back on the blog in a few weeks. :)

Disney Album | 2009

2010-04-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

I've decided to make a small album of my year of adventures at the Disneyland Resort, so I've completed a few pages in the last week or so. This album is going to be 8x8 pages instead of the full size 12x12.

This one will be the cover page of the album:

Credits: Miss Kitty Add On and Mouse in the House by Brittish Designs, Mouse House by Dreams Fulfilled, Tag It 2 by Erica Zane. Font: Waltograph, Batik Regular. Template: Trixie Scraps Designs

This page will immediately follow that one, telling the story of how the obsession started....!

Credits: Mickey Christmas by Brittish Designs, Mouse House by Dreams Fulfilled. Font: Century Gothic.
Template by Eva Kipler/Eva's Divas.

This 2-page spread will be somewhere in the album, documenting the crazy cheesy Jungle Cruise ride:

Credits: Safari Park by Shien Designs, template by Andrea Gold (adapted), photo of Jungle Cruise entrance by SolarSurfer (public Domain). Font: JungleFever

Hawaii | January 2007

2010-04-19T00:16:00.000-07:00

Oh, Hawaii... I never get tired of looking at these photos! I did this page for a challenge to scrap phots using my favorite color, and these were an obvious choice since my favorite color is blue!

Credits: Euphoria by Andrea Gold, Template by Laura/Simply.Scraps
Font: Mistral

Keeping track of Credits in PSE7

2010-04-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

I read this tip somewhere recently, and have started using it on all my layouts, so thought I'd pass it on! When creating a scrapbook page, I often use art elements from multiple designers. At the very least, I have art elements plus a font, and sometimes a template. Sometimes, the art elements come from ALL OVER and if I don't keep track along the way, it can take a long time at the end to reconstruct the credits. Since most galleries require credits for posting, it makes sense to keep track, and here's a great way to do it.

Ready? It's not rocket science! HOW TO KEEP TRACK OF CREDITS:

Create a new text layer in PSE, and place it as the top layer of your document. As you add elements, make a list in this text layer. At the end... HIDE it before saving your document to print or post. Anytime you need the credits, they are right there embedded in the document.

For example, the layout I posted yesterday, I Miss Lilacs, was pretty simple and had a pretty short credits list. Here's the layout:

Here's a copy of the layout showing my text layer:

That one was pretty simple, but here's a more complex layout I posted last week, Not Giving Up on My Dreams:

In this layout, nearly every element was from a different designer, so the list was longer. For purposes of this blog post, I moved the credits to a blank area of my page and used formatting so it would look good on-screen, but normally, it's just up in the top left corner like in the image above.

Happy Scrapping!

I Miss Lilacs

2010-04-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

I did this page for a couple of challenges this month. The Journaling Challenge at godigitalscrapbooking.com for April required a page that contained the words, "I miss." Over at ScrapMatters, the Saturday Special challenge was to create a monochromatic page. When I put those together, I thought of these photos of lilacs that were taken by my friend Sarah, because I LOVE lilacs, and I MISS them, since they don't grow locally.

The Journaling on this page reads:
Oh, how I love lilacs. When I lived in Michigan, I waited every year for the lilacs to bloom.They bloom for such a short time, I could never get enough of them. I love the perfect color, the delicate blossoms, but most of all, I love the intoxicating fragrance, and oh, how I miss it!

Credits: "Because I'm a Woman" by the Scrapmatters Design Team, Template by Katie Pertiet
Fonts: CK Becky
Photos: Sharp Images Custom Photography (used with permission)

Baby Announcement and Baby Shower Invitation

2010-04-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

More baby stuff! The same scrap kit I used for Waiting for Charlie has some nice elements in it for more traditional baby projects, and I thought it would be perfect for Baby Announcements or Baby Shower Invitations. I think the best part is that nearly every element in the kit comes in pink and blue, as well as many of them also in green, yellow and/or white, so one kit is useful for any baby project.

Credits:

"Waiting for You" by Majula Designs
Fonts, Baby Announcement: Century Gothic, Scriptina
Fonts, Baby Shower Invite: Century Gothic, 3 Hour Tour
Baby photo: Public Domain

Waiting for Charlie | October 2008

2010-04-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

I got an assignment from GoDigitalScrapbooking to create a page using a baby-themed scrapbook kit. The blue color in the kit coordinated with the colors we chose for our last family portraits, so I thought it would be fun to use some of those photos, since my sister-in-law at the time was expecting. My page is themed on the kit title, "Waiting for you." I was REALLY excited with how this turned out!

Credits: "Waiting for You" by Majula Designs
Font: Funny Bunny
Photo actions: Pioneer Woman
Photos: Sara Goetz Photography

Not giving up on my dreams

2010-04-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

A friend of mind and fellow scrap addict described this page perfectly: Scrapbooking Therapy.

Journaling on this page reads: I love this photo. I knew when I clicked, it was going to be cool. The sky was perfect blue, and the puffy white clouds were amazing. The surreal reflection of nothing but sky on Cloud Gate spoke to me of infinite opportunity, dreams of a future full of possibility. Time has passed, and today this image reminds me it’s all still true, but I can’t let go of my dream just because it hasn’t yet come true.

Credits: "Dream Big" JAB Digital Designs, "Fresh Mini" by Mistica Designs, "Splendid Mini" by Christy Skaggs, "Earth Day" by the GDS Design Team & Shien Designs, "Dipsy Doodles" by Dancing Princess Designs and Dylabel Designs. Some design elements are my own. Layout design inspired by Janet Phillips. Font: Batik Regular

Beautiful Belize | July 2006

2010-04-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

When I think about Belize, I think about this photo. On our last work day there, we finished early, and had some time to just sit and enjoy the view. This is that view.

Credits: Earth Day Collab Kit by the Design Team at GoDigitalScrapbooking.com
Font: Mistral

My Favorite Things 2010

2010-04-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of scrappers that are doing "All About Me" challenges, and I thought it would be fun to do a few pages like that for myself. This is my first one, and it documents a few of my current favorite things, and my current favorite photo of myself. Thanks LeAnn for the photo!

Credits: Best Friends by Doreen Stolz

Fonts: Caribbean, CK Becky, CK Mini

I'm going to be published!!!

2010-03-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

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!!