Scribbles Goes Green This Month

Welcome to a brand new challenge at Scribbles Designs challenge blog. The theme is Go for Green, which I thought was a perfect time for me to create a new layout of Wilson. No, he's not an Irish Settler, he's a Silky Terrier. But We like  to give him a photo opp for each holiday.
I've been creating a lot of digital layouts lately. I would like to send them all out to be printed and bound into a book (or two or ten). While I LOVE paper layout pages, especially chunky ones with lots of memorabilia, they takes up LOTS of room in my house. I'd like to have them all out to pick up and look through now and then, but there's only so much room. I think the books would be a good investment.
If you scrapbook, have you ever made your pages into a bound book? Which company did you use and would you recommend them? Still considering where to get my pages...
Anyway, my layout uses three digital images from Scribbles Designs: F81 Shamrock (FREE), F109 Shamrock Balloons,  and F110 Leprechaun Hat. All my papers are from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles: Chasing Rainbows Patterned Paper Kit, Glitterati Glitter paper in Gold and A Grungy Christmas Textured Paper Kit in dark blue.
I used a couple embellishments from Pixel Scrappers Pauline Thompson: Glitter Scatter 2 and Sheila Reid: Painted Heart Set 1, Brush 6. And my layout is complete...
Now it's time to go green and create something to link up to Scribbles Designs challenge blog for your chance to win  free digis from the Scribbles Store. I can't wait to see what YOU create!

Birth of New Beginnings at the Path of Positivity

Welcome to the midway point of March's challenge at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog. The challenges have changed to Anything Goes, but an optional theme is also offered. The optional theme this month is the Birth of New Beginnings. 

Graduation is the birth of new beginnings for students on their way to careers for which they've studied for the last four to eight years. It's also the beginning of a different kind of parenting as their child matures, moves away, marries and has kids of his or her own. Or chooses one of many other paths. Graduation isn't the end of anything, especially learning. 

I created this scrapbook page for my best friend, whom I coincidentally met while in college myself. Our kids grew up together, our families went on road trips together, and I even have a video somewhere of the two of them dressing up and saying they were getting married. She doesn't scrapbook, so when he graduated with honors from one of the most prestigious universities in Chicagoland, I had to preserve that memory for him and for her!

So, the challenge has two sponsors, Limited Runs

and Kitten Scraps

I used several papers and elements from Kitten Scraps:

Graduation Day Clipart #4,5,7,8,9

 Winter's Playground Paper Add-On Patterned Paper 67

November Thank You Boy Paper 2

Sunny Fish Fun Raffia 13

Now on to the good stuff! 

SPONSOR & PRIZE INFORMATION: 

• A $20.00 gift certificate from Kitten Scraps, one of our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch. In order to have a chance to win this prize, be sure to explore this idea of the Birth of New Beginnings.*
• A $10.00 gift certificate from Limited Runs, one of our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants. You need only create a project that is positive or uplifting.

• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

*If you do follow the optional theme: be sure to add FT after your name and leave a comment to let us know how your project relates to the theme if it's not easily apparent. 

Going Digital!

I have been playing in Photoshop and am slowly but surely getting my photos off the computer and onto layouts (yay, me). Here is my latest page, featuring my newest grandson, Jonathan.

For this layout, I used the Never Forget Kit from Studio Basic Designs, as well as elements from Pixel Scrappers Pauline Thompson and Janet Scott.

Challenges I am Entering:

Lasting Memories Scrapbook Challenges - Squares 

Time Flies When You Have Grandkids

I am learning Photoshop in leaps and bounds, especially since my goal is to create a layout at least once a week. So today's page is for a layout challenge at Pixel Scrappers, the theme of which is Circles. I don't normally like to play with circles, in my scrapbooking nor in my card-making. So this was a true challenge for me.
I chose my title after cruising through photos of my first granddaughter. Here she is three years old; today she is eight years old; tomorrow she'll be twenty-something...at least that's how fast time seems to fly!
Which is the reason why we scrapbook moments in our lives, isn't it? Scrapbooking allows us to freeze time into moments we can revisit over and over. We can have the best of both worlds, enjoying the men and women they have become at the same time as enjoying the little rugrats that they were.
Here is what went into my layout today:

Fonts: Hotline Bling, Dobkin Script

Paper: PS Ania Archer, Art of every Day Paper 1

Elements:

Debra Anderson, Go Digital Scrapbooking Welcome Kit, Sweet Element Hanging 8

PS Sharon Grant, It’s a Girl Thing Flower Scatter

PS Janet Scott, Strawberry Fields Yellow Washi Tape

PS Melo Vrijhof, Love You Elements Stitched Heart

PS Kerry Dempsey, Ice Cream Social Bow 1

PS Pauline Thompson, Masculine 2 Clock

Goodbye, Baby Teeth

Started to sort through my photos on my laptop, and decided I had better start to at least digitally scrapbook them. Today's page is all about my granddaughter, who this year lost her first 2 teeth. She is growing up faster than I can blink!

Here is what went into my page:

Papers & Elements:

PS Sharon Dewi Stolp, Good Day Paper Paint Ombre

PS Violet Irisovna, Bright Days Extra Papers Solid Pink

PS Ania Archer, Art of Everyday Heart Scatter

PS Janet Scott, Christmas Day Pink Twine, Circles Border

PS Melo Vrijhof, Thankful Harvest Elements Rope 2; All the Princesses Elements Flower 1

PS Pauline Thompson Shell Hues 1 Paint Swirl

PS Elif Sahin, Flowers #8 Flower 05

Something New by Sugary Fancy, Arrow

Decosse’s Dynamite Doodles, Button 01

Fonts: Speedball No. 3 NF, Graphis

Playing in Photoshop

Had a little time tonight but my craft table was taken over by my daughter, so I decided to craft on the computer. I have been stretching my comfort zone and learning new things in Photoshop and created this layout of Wilson, our new rescue dog (new five months ago). That's him in the front of the "pack" with his winter jacket and booties on.
I joined this fabulous website that has not only helped me maneuver around Photoshop, but lets me choose a few digital goodies every day. It's called Pixel Scrapper and after lurking around for a few weeks and picking up my freebies, I finally had the courage to share a couple of my digital layouts.
Anyway, I have been collecting digital goodies here and there, and was able to not only put this layout together, but pulled Wilson out of the photo I took of him and "attached" his own antlers. See the shadows on my dog and the polar bear? I hand-drew them using a brush in Photoshop! (Can you tell I'm having fun?!
Anyway, here are the papers and elements that went into my digital scrapbook page:

Pixel Scrapper Pauline Thompson’s Shell Hues 1 Paint Swirl

Marta Van Eck Winter Elements 48 (Polar Bear)

Decosse’s Dynamite Doodles Frame 01

Marta Van Eck Winter Scene Papers 09

Fonts: LD Handwritten Greetings, Leathery Soft

Challenges I am Entering:

As You Like It challenges - Favorite Animal & Why (I love puppies and dogs, but up until last year I didn't think I would ever own one as I am allergic to dogs & cats. BUT Wilson, our 7-yr-old rescue dog, a Silkie Terrier, has HAIR, not fur, so I don't sneeze {or worse}. I love Wilson because he knows when I need a cuddle, and is patient with me as a new dog owner. He also doesn't bark, and loves to walk)
Scrap It with a Song challenges - Rock Song Hello I Love You by the Doors ( I used the two lines, "Sidewalk crouches at her feet Like a dog that begs for something sweet", except my love is really a dog!! LOL)

Guess Who's Gone Digital with SBP's Newest Challenge?!

Hello, lovely crafters!  It's time again for a new challenge at SBP Challenge blog. The theme is TAGS and the sky's the limit. You can create a tag, or create with tags! You can ink them, paint them, fold them, create a tag-shaped card, alter a tag, use tags on layouts, altered art, mixed media canvas...well, you get the picture!
Our guest sponsor this month is Lisa from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, and with her help and the help of my daughter-in-law, I have been brought into the 21st century with digital crafting! I had not yet jumped onto the digital bandwagon. 
First, I had to purchase Photoshop, which I finally did last Christmas by using a couple Amazon gift cards. But every stinking time I tried to do anything in it, I was left with disappointment, frustration and anger. I knew nothing about layers, and couldn't figure out how to get them, how to have fun with them, and how to put everything together. There were no You Tube videos out there on my Elements 12. Finally, I had my daughter-in-law over and we were able to mix it up and save things. I am still a newbie, and I need to practice and experiment every day, but I am finally having fun. And to prove it, here's my very first ALL DIGITAL layout, using elements from Lisa's fabulous Tag Grab Bag 1 Cotton Candy Collection. I used Flower 6 from the Floral Accessories, Button 2 from General Accessories, "With Love" from Sentiments, and of course Tag 11 from Patterned Tags to qualify my layout for the challenge. I made them into a continuous border. Once I got the arrangement finished, I popped in a photo and added text.

Okay, while I am over the top with my layout, I know that it is very basic and could use some tweaking, but the last time I created with Lisa's digis, I printed them up and fussy cut out everything on my project. And you can still do that!! That's what's great with digis--you can create with them no matter your tech level!!Meanwhile, this is it (nudge)--TAG< YOU"RE IT!!  Your turn to create or craft with a TAG for some awesome prizes. The challenge rules have changed so best read up on them before you link up.And as always, happy crafting!

Exploring the World of Digital Scrapbooking

I am slowly but surely discovering what my Photoshop Elements 12 can do for me. I just finished my very first all digital layout. Yes, it's primitive. But this time last week I could not even put two photos together to make one, so it is an improvement.
The patterned paper is from a prize package I won from "Touched by a Butterfly". I had almost lost any hope of ever being able to use it, and all the wonderful items I received as prizes! My inspiration came from Anne Geddes, of course. Her photography with babies and things of nature always made me smile.
So I decided to let each of my grandchildren bloom in one of the pretty blossoms on my page. I have some beautiful grandkids!!
Thanks to my daughter-in-law, I continue to learn how to manipulate photos and play with digital elements. I look forward to discovering more and more fun things to do here in digi-land!! Whee, here I go...