Thursday, February 26, 2009

Fresh Quick Page

Sorry for getting this up late!! I had to work late last night & forgot about it until this morning! Here's the quick page I made from my layout. Click on the QP to go to Box.net to get it. Please be sure to leave a comment & go to Digi-Designs by Nicole & Stolen Moments to see the rest of the QPs you can get along with the other pieces of the kit!


Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Speed Scrap Layout

Here's my layout from the Speed Scrap last night...boy was it tough!! (For me, anyway!!) Here are the instructions:

1. CHOOSE 2 PAPERS THAT ARE THE SAME COLOR AND STACK THEM ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. PATTERNS ARE FINE, AS LONG AS THEY ARE WITHIN THE SAME COLOR FAMILY.

2. CHOOSE 1 PHOTO, ALTER THE COLOR TO MAKE IT “MATCH” YOUR PAPERS SOMEWHAT, AND FRAME IT IN A CIRCLE WITH BLACK, WHITE OR BOTH.


3. MAKE A CLUSTER HOWEVER YOU LIKE. TRY TO INCLUDE SOME OF THE FOLLOWING: BUTTONS, RIBBONS, HEARTS, FLOWERS, LEAVES. THERE’S JUST ONE CATCH: FIND THE COLOR – OR THE CLOSEST MATCH – OF YOUR PAPERS ON THIS COLOR WHEEL. AT LEAST HALF OF YOUR ELEMENTS NEED TO BE A CONTRASTING COLOR TO YOUR PAPERS – NO FEWER THAN 4 SPOTS AWAY ON THE WHEEL. EVERYTHING ELSE SHOULD BE NEUTRAL – BLACK, WHITE, OR BROWN.

4. PLAY UP THOSE SHADOWS! LET’S REALLY SEE THOSE ELEMENTS POP OFF THE PAGE!

5. CREATE A ONE-WORD TITLE WITH AN ALPHA AND “ATTACH” IT TO YOUR PAGE. FOR BONUS POINTS, USE SOMETHING FROM YOUR CLUSTER TO CREATE A CONNECTION WITH YOUR TITLE - LET IT ALL RELATE TOGETHER..

6. REPEAT YOUR TITLE AS MANY TIMES ON YOUR PAGE AS YOU THINK LOOKS GOOD. USE A FONT THIS TIME.

7. HIDE YOUR DATE SOMEWHERE WITHIN YOUR CLUSTER.

Here is my layout using a photo of Tommy, Cyndi & Austin from our production of Disney's High School Musical in May, 2007. They are pictured with one of the directors, who happens to be the director from when my sister & I were involved YEARS ago as well as our teacher in 12th grade!! How things come full circle!! I used That Jazz by Digi-Designs by Nicole & you can get it here.

Monday, February 23, 2009

New Blog Layout

I figured since Musical Season is upon our family, I would decorate the blog to reflect it! LOL! I really love this kit that it is made from...That Jazz from Digi-Designs by Nicole...blog layout is by Allie Brown. She has the cutest stuff and most have matching headers.

Speed Scrap and a new Layout

Just got a reminder about tonight's Speed Scrap...this one hosted by Amber of Stolen Moments, who Digi-Designs by Nicole happens to be doing a collab kit with this week!! So cool! More about that at the end of this post. Click on the flyer to go to the forum for the SS!



This is the participation prize you'll get when you play along! Join us...it really is a fun time!!


Here is the layout I did for Digi-Designs by Nicole's newest kit "Fresh". As I mentioned before, it is a collab kit with Stolen Moments. Go to each blog every day to receive some awesome pieces!! I only used Nicole's part in this layout, but Amber's is pretty awesome, too! I can't wait to play some more!! Be sure to come back on Wednesday for the Quick Page for this layout!! I couldn't decide which photo to put in this layout, so I posted both. The one of Alexa in the car seat is from the day we brought her home and is too cute!! That is the layout for ther QP. The other photo is from just an ordinary day..I just love taking pictures of the kids :D Check out that cute date button!! It is adorable!! Below the layouts are the previews for the whole kit...click on each image to go the the blogs to get your freebies! Make sure you say thanks!! Oh, yeah...I learned a new technique last week...how to make your photo look like it's curled a little. Check out Sarah's post to learn how!! Thanks Sarah!! Be sure to check out her other tutorial, too! Pretty cool stuff!








Sunday, February 22, 2009

Lots of stuff happening around here!!

Wow! What a busy weekend we've had!! I worked Saturday & Sunday...not fun at all!! We have been so busy! I keep asking, "what recession???" People just seem to spend money like there's no tomorrow!! Today, a woman purchased $444 worth of Easter "china"...plates, mugs, bowls, serving platters, etc. WOW! How crazy!!

We went to dinner with friends last night...Tom, Alexa & I, that is! It was nice to get together since we haven't done it in such a long time!! We went to Hibachi, which is a Japanese restaurant where they cook in front of you. So cool! We had a really great time! Tom took Kelsey, Austin & Alexa to Chuck E. Cheese's for a BD party...so sorry I had to work LOL! I really just don't like the noise & the 400 kids running & screaming like lunatics!! Not my idea of a fun time. Tom said the kids had fun, though & Alexa really enjoyed watching all the kids running around. Did he bring the camera like I asked???? NOOOOOOOO!! Next time I need to just put it in the diaper bag like I wanted to!! After I finished work, we went to Lonestar Steakhouse for dinner to celebrate my dad's birthday, as well as Kelsey & Austin's. Did Tom bring the camera this time ??? NOPE!!! GRRRRR! This is so typical!! I have been taking "everyday" shots for project 365, but I have NO special occasion shots, if they've happened outside of this house!! Crazy!!!

Anyway...if you have a Lonestar near you, sign up for their E Club...they send you a coupon for a free appetizer when you sign up & then they send you another coupon for a free entree for your birthday (up to $15!!!). They are pretty quick about it, too...I signed up the day before my BD & got it within an hour!!! Cool gift & yummy food!!! 11 of us ate for $113 before the tip!! We had 2 appetizers & 2 ice creams, too!! Pretty awesome!!

I was cut from the Pretty Scrappy Race today :o( That's ok, though, since I don't think I really had time to be on that team right now. I did have fun, but I REALLY love the kit they are working with this week. I'm not sure if I liked how they had us in 2 groups using different kits...didn't really seem like a level playing field, but whatever. Anyway, here are some layouts I've done over the past few weeks or so.

Speed Sprap #7 from Digi-Designs by Nicole's forum
I used "Dreamin" for everything except the staples and string (The Necessities & All Girl) by Digi-Designs by Nicole
This is from the annual musical we're involved with. My eldest son, Tommy (LeFou), suprised us all when hetried out for the part. He normally did technical crew & stage crew. He loved it & was perfect for the role & did an awesome job!!


Template Challenge at Digi-Designs by Nicole's forum



This was for a "whisper down the lane" type challenge over at CafeMom

I used "Alias" for mostly everything, except the alpha is from "All Boy" and the bracket is from "The Necessities" all from Digi-Designs by Nicole

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Week 3 Freebie at Pretty Scrappy

Hello, all!

Just wanted to post my latest submission to the Quick Page Team Challenge going on at Pretty Scrappy. I've made it to week 3 & would love to go onto the final week!! I had a little bit of trouble with a creativity block for this week's challenge. I'm not sure why!! I think it turned out okay...take a look at the great entries!! It is going to be tough!! They are cutting the group in 1/2 this week, so only 10 people will go on. I created a desktop just for a little change of pace. Go to the gallery to get the download link for my QP as well as the other contestants! Don't forget to vote starting Friday afternoon! Click on the image to go to the gallery!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Lots of Great New Stuff!!

I have been slacking in posting this past week!! Sorry!! Digi-Designs by Nicole has lots of great stuff happening!!! She's released her first kit that was released only in her store. It's called Sweet Love and is available for $2.50 this week!!! It is such a great kit and can be used for much more than for love & Valentine's Day LOs. Here is my layout and below that is the preview of the kit. Click on the kit to go to the store!!

Just for the record...YES! That's my dad!! He is the greatest, yet GOOFIEST, dad in the world!! Somehow he & my mom roped my husband and my brother-in-law to also dress up in this crazy outfit!!! They gave my sister & I an 8x10 of them for Valentine's Day a few years ago!! Too funny!!

Nicole has also released a new freebie kit this week (boy is she busy!!!) It's another collab kit, this time with Vicki from A Work in Progress and it is called Sweet Flora. Be sure to visit BOTH blogs each day this week to get all the pieces!!! It is awesome!!! Here is my layout followed by each preview. Like always, click on the preview to go to get your freebies!!! Be sure to leave some love, too!!!






Lastly, I hosted my first ever speed scrap last week! It was actually a lot of fun & the participants made some AWESOME layouts from my instructions. I used Just for You Digi Scraps kit "Heart Attack" for my layout. I've put the instructions below the layout.
#1 Choose an odd number of photos. If you do more than 1, make 1 of them larger than the others.
#2 Pick out an even number of papers. only ONE may be a print!!! (textures as long as they aren't really patterned can count as a solid!)
#3 Alter 1 photo in some way. You can remove the color(make it B&W, sepia, etc), extract, recolor, use an action...anything you want.
#4 Frame 1 photo in some way. You can use a frame, ribbon, paper, buttons...get creative if you'd like!!
#5 OK...I know it's early, but you need some math skills LOL! Divide the # of papers by 2 and you must use 2 each of at least 2 elements. For example, I used 4 papers, so I used 2 paper strips, 2 glitter swirls & 2 pins. Clear as mud?!?!
#6 Title your page using one word and one word only!!! It can be a word art, font or alpha.
#7 Date and journal if you would like. Extra Challenge~do something creative with the date


Try it for yourself!!! It really is fun to have direction when you're stuck for a layout!! You can check out all the great layouts in the gallery at Digi-Designs by Nicole Forum Just look under Speed Scraps and then check out the rest of the great things everyone has been creating!!!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Freebie!!!

This is my entry for week 2 at Pretty Scraps. I used Terri's kit "Bee-Attitudes" (of Terri's Thing-O-My-Jigs". I don't normally go for the really bright cartoony kits, but I really like this one!! It turned out pretty cute. Go to the gallery at Pretty Scraps to pick it up. Please be sure to vote, too!! Thanks for looking!!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Random things

Hello,

I hope today finds you well. It is VERY windy here today...not too cold, just crazy windy!! I've been working on some layouts that I will share in the next few days. I am hosting the speed scrap over at Digi-Designs by Nicole Forum tomorrow. See the post below for details.

Also, I'm playing in a challenge to be on a design team at Pretty Scrappy. It's for Quick Pages and we're in week 2. Week 1's freebie is set to come down today so we can put up week 2's entry. Please stop by to check out the entries & vote starting Friday at noon. I'll put up my freebie here tomorrow!!

I hope you've been collecting all the pieces for Formal from Digi-Designs by Nicole It is only available this week!!! Check it out!!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Speed Scrap and a new Layout

This Friday I am hosting my first ever Speed Scrap!!!! YIKES!!! I promise I won't make it too hard!! I don't want to hear any whining!!! LOL! Click on the flyer to go to the Digi-Designs by Nicole Forum! You won't want to miss it!! We have such a great time chatting & scrapping, plus you walk away with an awesome layout AND a great participation prize. This one is from Digi-Designs by Nicole & it is an add-on kit to her Chocolate Covered Cherries kit. Just in time for Valentine's Day!!!


Nicole (from Digi-Designs by Nicole or DDBN) is releasing a BEAUTIFUL black and white kit called Formal. I had a bit of a tough time with this week's layout. I actually did two versions and couldn't decide which I like better. There is just a couple of small differences.

This was the photo Tom & I sent out with our wedding photos. I can't believe it's been almost 14 years!!! Where does the time go?!? Anyway, make sure you go to Digi-Designs by Nicole each day so you don't miss a part of the kit!! She has an awesome alphabet in there as well as some cool magnetic poetry!!! You won't regret it!!Here is the preview. You can click on it to go to her blog.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Quick Page Challenge Vote for ME!! LOL!

I decided to go a little out of my comfort zone and join a Quick Page Exchange/Challenge contest. The voting starts later today. You can also download all of the contestants' quick pages. There are 2 different kits, so you will see 2 different themes. You could do 1 12x12, 2 brag book size or a hybrid craft. I chose to do the 12x12 since that's what I use. Here is my page. Vote for me, please!!! LOL! I'd like to continue on in this challenge!! You have to go to the site to download...click on my image! Thanks!!


Also, Michelle challenged me to a little photo posting game. Here are the rules:
Go to the photo folder in your computer
Go to the 6th folder of photos.
Go to the sixth picture.
Put the picture on your blog and description of it.
Invite six friends to join the challenge.
Link them in your blog and let them know they have been challenged.

Well...in folder # 6 (mine go by the date they were taken since I started using PSE) there are only FIVE photos!! Hard to believe, but I guess it is because it is from when Alexa was only 9 days old. I thought I took A LOT more photos then hmmm... Anyway, here is my photo
It's hard to believe she was that little...

I think everyone that I know for sure checks my blog regularly has already been tagged...soooo, I'll just put it out there for anyone that would like to continue on...have at it! Mary, I see you've started a blog, but haven't publicized it yet...maybe this would be the time :) Hee hee!!

Thanks to everyone that wished Kelsey a happy birthday!! She says thanks!!

Happy FRIDAY!!!!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Happy Birthday, Kelsey!!

Today is my middle daughter's 9th birthday. Wow!! Where does the time go!?! It feels like she was born yesterday...well, not really, but it sure doesn't feel like 9 years!!! Here are some photos of her from over the years:

This is when Kelsey was about 6 months old in Ventnor, NJ.

These are both from when Kelsey was about 15 months old
.This is Kelsey at Easter in 2005, 5 years old
December, 2008, just about 9
.Today, decorating her cake.

Boy do I feel old!!!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Rustic Grass

Nicole with Digi-Designs by Nicole has released another kit!! This one is called Rustic Grass. It is a really cool kit...not your typical colors but they really pop!! Check it out!!! Here's my layout for this week!!

Here are the papers. Click on the image to go to her site. Don't forget to stop by each day to get the entire kit! I LOVE the alphabet!!


Nicole with Digi-Designs by Nicole has started to sell her kits at a new store. If you've missed any of her older kits, check out the store!! She's got a great "Disney" kit!!! AND she's having a Grand Opening Sale!!! It starts Monday! Click on the flyer to check it out!!