Friday, October 31, 2008

Another Scraplift..Getting digi with it



Still going through my ScrapTrends Magazine and trying to recreate traditional scrapbook pages using my digital supplies. The original layout for this page comes from Ginger Williams. It was a Baby page. So I scrapped about one of my babies. This layout took me about an hour. Well more like 2 and 1/2 but I can't count the snack breaks, folding towels and greeting my hubby after a night of playing pool. (He is number one in his league!) I am so loving the two kits I got from PCLayers.com. They are 7 gypsies kits. I have been a traditional scrapbooker longer than a digi one. So I am familiar with 7 gypsies and my mind can wrap around it alot quicker. I know, it's just a mental thing but it works for me. Oh by the way, Faith Sisters is doing a 9 week project on the real meaning of Christmas. At the end of the 9 weeks, you will have a nice book to share with your family. And if you are into digi scrapping there is a free download each week that contains materials you can use to tell the story. Or you can use other digi materials or even just traditional scrap the project. I think I am going to try to do both. I'll try to upload the pages as I go along. However, they are on week 3, so I am already behind. I know what I am going to be doing this weekend.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?



Practice, practice, practice. I totally love the women at 2peas. They have helped me so much when it comes to digital scrapbooking. On this layout I learned a new technique on how to cut paper. I know, I know, it seems simple when you are a traditional scrapper. But I couldn't figure it out when it came to digi. Oh and I learned about the Wacom Bamboo Fun from those gals. I used it to color in the buds on the branch. They also taught me how to make a text box and how to space my journaling...thank you Sande and your great videos on 2peas. I scraplifted the LO from Scrapbook Trends. It is a layout done by Angela Hancock. My hope is to be able to create digi layouts that look traditional. I know it is possible...so here I go....practice, practice, practice.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Tattoo



So I did a quick page with a hilarious picture that my brother sent me. For Halloween, his is Tattoo from Fantasy Island. He is on his knees and I can't seem to stop laughing. When we were just kids, my Uncle Joe use to call my brother "Tattoo". Now 30 years later he is living up to the name. Too funny.

Women of Faith


I did this page today. It will probably be my intro page for a mini album that I am doing digi. I went to the Women of Faith conference this weekend in Houston. And it was fabulous. Sometimes we need a boost. We need a moment energize our batteries and thank our maker for making us who we are and we are uniquely and wonderfully made. Hallelujah! More pages to come. I am trying a new kit I got from PCLayers. It is a great website that I discovered when looking through my Scrapbook Trends Magazine. They offer digi versions of paper lines like 7 gypsies. Can you believe it? Anyway, the price is right for their kits and they are amazing kits. Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

A cross and a prayer




Have you ever felt helpless in the time of someone else’s need? I have. I see their pain and their struggles. I see their hardships and I am left feeling poor. And I don’t mean poor in a monetary way but I feel like I am lacking. Well….maybe poor in a monetary way can be a part of it, sometimes.

What do you give the person that has just lost their home? After days of wondering how your home faired in the storm, you come home only to discover your home is wet from top to bottom. There is mold growing on the walls, the furniture and even the carpet. And the smell is something you can’t even imagine. You realize you were left with nothing. You only have what you packed in your car during the evacuation and any money you may have in the bank… which may be little or much. But what do you give them? Where do you start? Do you give them a blow up bed?....how do they blow it up? Where do they place it to sleep? Okay, well now they need a tent. And food, don’t forget food, but they no longer have a refrigerator so you need to get them either a refrigerator or a cooler, but then they need a lot more money to eat out since they can’t keep anything cool. Oh, and don’t forget cooking utensils, clothes (and a way to clean them). Do you see my point? How it can seem overwhelming. And if you don’t have much to give, then what can you do?

And the stress is unreal. Kids are going to school in borrowed clothes or donated clothes. They may not fit right or even be within dress code. So now they are singled out because those who lost nothing are wearing their normal uniform. And well those that didn’t do well…well they wear what ever sorta fits. And they are scared. Mom and dad are worried about when the claim adjuster is going to come and how are they going to pay the mortgage on a home that is no longer livable? FEMA helps but it is not perfect and where it stops or lacks, as a child, you look to your parents for strength. And no amount of books or videos can prepare you for this but you do the best you can and you move forward. Toys are scarce and little Sally and little Juan are bored. Sally misses her doll that you promised would be there when you came back from the evacuation. And Juan complains that his XBOX is gone….what is worse, he doesn’t complain about his XBOX. He just wants to be in his room again. He wants to sleep in his own bed. Even then I feel poor because no words I say to them will make their lives normal again. Nothing I will say will ease them and make the fear go away.

But God is so good. And someone listened to Him and was faithful. Someone, and I don’t know who, but someone went from house to house of those that were devastated and said they were sorry for their loss and handed them a cross and told them they are praying for them. And for those that didn’t answer the knock at the door, or perhaps there was no door to knock, a note was left and a cross. Sometimes we don’t see the fruits of our labor but God does. You see, a little boy that sits next to my daughter in one of her classes, wears one of these crosses everyday. When his parents finally let him come back to see his home, someone had been by and left one of those notes and left a cross on a necklace. The note said they were sorry for their loss and they were praying for them and that God is here and He will guide them.

So when he sees his parents worrying or when he thinks of his old home and all the changes he has had in his life, he holds the cross in his hand and knows he is safe and all will be well again. A prayer and a promise from a stranger not seen has brought peace and faith to one young man. God is good.

So when you don’t think you count or you think you can’t help….pray. Let God work through you and when you do, He will do more than what you could have ever done on your own.

Monday, October 13, 2008

A little something something



So after taking my class at 2peas, I created this layout. If you take the first 3 classes of Sande's you will recognized the format. I didn't use any of the items she used. I have plenty of free and paid for digi elements to last me for awhile. Sorry, 2peas. I know that is probably their intention when putting free classes out there. You see they list the items used in the class and you can purchase them. Well I have bought plenty digi things from 2peas, so I don't feel guilty. Now I know what to do with them. Actually, I do love the basic paper pack of the tutorial and I have some nice templates that I bought from 2peas that would go nicely with this paper. But I think I will hold off for awhile.

I used a brush from Rhonna, paper and additional elements from Carrie Stevens' Spontaneous Delight kit. Can you say FREE at Shabby Princess. If you have never tried digi, this is a great place to get complete kits for free. But restrain yourself. You can go crazy and overwhelm yourself. Grab a kit and play with it.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Getting Diggi with it

So life has somewhat come back to normal. The weather was amazing this weekend. We did the yard and cleaned the house and I took some free digiscrap classes at 2peas . If you ever wanted to try digi, go there and check out Sande Kriegers free video tutorials. And if you want to try her photo editing class then head over to Scrapbooks etc. Fast Foto Fixes . It isn't free but it is well worth it. I took it during Scrap-a-faire in November 2007...has it almost been a year...time flies. Anyway, I took all the classes back then when they offered a all inclusive pass for $100.00. Anyway, I took all my PDFs and sent them to Kinko's online . I had them printed and bound. I have to tell you. I refer to those classes all the time, especially the one on fast foto fixes.

OK, so while I write this, I am watching Starter Wife, and I have to say I am liking the show. I typically don't like the main girl, you know the one from Will and Grace, but I like her character on this one. And I have decided...if I could be anything, yes I would want to be an Observational Journalist, like Sex in the City or Dan in real life. But alas I lead a boring life and I don't have the patience to spend time writing and rewriting an article....just check out my blog...how often do I update it? But if they paid me money...well..perhaps then I could devote "time" to it.