live laugh LOVE scrapbook

DETERMINED to have Control

My Word for 2010 . . .

. . . coming in to play in an unexpected way.

The first week of February I had run into some unexpected "complications" at my annual gynecological exam and after a few different diagnostic procedures ended up having surgery on February 10th. The surgery was a relatively minor one and done on an outpatient basis. Afterward recovery was minimal and I was back up and about the very next day and completely back to my "old self" again within just a couple of days.

HOWEVER (and this is where my word for 2010  . . . DETERMINED . . . has come in to play in an unexpected way) . . .

My primary physician diagnosed me with Type II Diabetes (from blood work that had been ordered by my gynecologist). Talk about being thrown for a loop. It had me and everyone in my family, i.e. my mom and my four sisters, scratching our heads. Seriously. Out of all of us . . . I've always been the "healthy" eater. Whole grains. LOTS of fruits and vegetable. That type of thing. BUT . . . because of this I learned that my grandma (on my mom's side) was a borderline diabetic controlled by diet (though I had been told she was insulin dependent) and I'm thinking genetics has come into play more than anything with my diagnosis.

So now . . . I am in the process of learning everything that I can about my disease and am "D.E.T.E.R.M.I.N.E.D to have control" of the whole situation. And based on my glucose levels (I've been tracking them since I was diagnosed) my doctor doesn't expect me to be on the oral medication that he prescribed for me for very long at all. He is fully confident (again based on my glucose levels) that we will be able to control my diabetes through diet and exercise alone.

Anyway . . . enough about that. Now it's time to catch up (remember it's been a month since I last posted). Check back in a few days and I'll have a few layouts posted. Promise.

"be still my heart" and "beautiful"

"be still my heart"


"beautiful"


beau . ti . ful
having beauty; having qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind.

A couple of layouts that I recently put together for Design House Digital. Supplies used: ("be still my heart") Digital Papers: Jen Allyson (Vanity Fair Speia Papers, Vanity Fair Sepia Solid Papers) and Audrey Neal (Organic Solids); Hemp Bow: Audrey Neal (Organic Kit); Metal Flower and Staples: Meredith Fenwick (The Day Dreams Collection Magical Elements and The Day Dreams Collection Garden Elements). Font: Birth of a Hero.

("beautiful") Digital Papers: Jen Allyson (Vanity Fair Aubergine Solid Papers, Vanity Fair Sepia Papers, Vanity Fair Sepia Solid Papers) and Audrey Neal (Organic Solids); Metal Flower and Staples: Meredith Fenwick (The Day Dreams Collection Magical Elements and The Day Dreams Collection Garden Elements); Fonts: Birth of a Hero and Bookman Old Style.

Also . . . most everyone is aware of the devastating earthquake(s) that have recently hit Haiti and the resulting tremendous need for aid there. Jenny Bingham, one of the Creative Team members for Design House Digital, has created some of the most A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E children's valentines for download in exchange for a donation for Haiti. You can read about it on her blog . . . Jeneze Scrapbook Designs. Hope you'll at least pop over and take a peek. For those of you who would make a donation . . . God bless you. For those of you who aren't able to make a donation . . . God bless you too.
 

"naturally beautiful" and a SKETCH

This is a layout that I recently finished for Carina Gardner, one of the designers at Design House Digital using the same photos that I used in my Shutterfly photo book (truly . . . those photos are going to get a work out).

"naturally beautiful"


The layout is a two page layout (24 x 12) and a lift from . . . I'm not sure. I came across the layout on-line not too long ago and made a real quick pencil sketch of the base design without noting who the artist was. I've tried to retrace my steps where I had been but still wasn't able to locate the layout. So sorry to whoever the artist is! I would love to give you credit.

The products (digital papers) that I used are from Carina Gardner's Design 365 Color Kit 1 [Wintersings] and DISTRESSED Pastels collections. The metal flower and staples that I used are from Meredith Fenwick's The Day Dreams Collection(s) Magical Elements (metal flower) and Garden Elements (staples). The acrylic flower is my own and the fonts that I used are P22 Cezanne (large title) and Palatia (2009 and journaling).

And . . .



. . . a SKETCH of "naturally beautiful." Those of you who know me, or have been following me for a while, know that my interest in sketches is what got me started in digital scrapbooking. And now, just a short time later, I'm nearly exclusively digital with the only exceptions being boxes, birdhouses, clocks, and cards.

Really LOVE the sketches. And who knows . . . maybe the sketches will lead to digital templates. Just sayin'. ;D
 

"you defined" and "enchanting"

"you defined"
 
Front Cover and Title Page

"Why GOD made little girls" reads: God made the world with its towering trees, majestic mountains, and restless seas then paused and said, "It needs one more thing. Someone to laugh and dance and sing. To walk in the woods and gather flowers. To commune with nature in quiet hours." So God made little girls with laughing eyes and bouncing curls, with joyful hearts, and infectious smiles, enchanting ways and feminine wiles. And when He'd completed the task He'd begun, He was pleased and proud of the job He'd done. For the world, when seen through a little girl's eyes, greatly resembles Paradise.  ~Author Unknown

 
Pages Two and Three

 
Pages Four and Five

 
Pages Six and Seven

 
Pages Eight and Nine

 
Pages Ten and Eleven

 
Pages Twelve and Thirteen

 
Pages Fourteen and Fifteen

 
Pages Sixteen and Seventeen
These are my FAVORITES!

 
Pages Eighteen and Nineteen

 
Pages Twenty and Twenty-one

 
Page Twenty-two (Back Cover had been left blank)

And . . . "enchanting"
Enchanting is an adjective and is defined as: charming; captivating. And that is what my granddaughter, Kaylee truly is. "Enchanting" is actually one of three layouts that I have recently created using the same photos as my Shutterfly photo book. The first layout that I created, I created using the same base design as the layout above with the same papers (black and white) and stitching around the border, but with different elements. I am presently re-working that particular layout (something very easily accomplished when working digitally) because I wasn't quite satisfied with the overall result. Once I have finished tweaking it will load it another day.

The third layout that I created (using the same photos) is a two page layout that I've just finished and will load it in a couple of days. I created it using brand new products from Carina Gardner and Meredith Fenwick over at Design House Digital. LOVE the products over there!

So . . . until next time . . . stay warm!
 

My Word for 2010

I've never been one to make New Year's Resolutions (mainly because I tend to lose track of them after just a few months), but choosing a word to guide me throughout the entire year appeals to me on so many different levels. And the word I have chosen for 2010 is . . .
 
. . . with two of its word forms . . . determine: (verb) to cause, affect, or control . And determination: (noun) the act of coming to a decision or of fixing or setting a purpose. Also, the quality of being resolute; firmness of purpose; resolve.

If you have decided to carry a word for 2010 I would love to know what it is (please feel free to share in the comments). =]
 

Design House Digital

 
Introducing Design House Digital . . . your home for fresh design! A brand new digital scrapbooking site dedicated to bringing you (us) the highest quality digital designs by some of the most talented designers in the industry! Designers like . . . Jen Allyson, Carina Gardner, Meredith Fenwick, Natalie Malan, Tiffany Tillman, Jen Wilson, and several others! They are set to launch January 1st, 2010 and they are launching with a HUGE bang offering 30% off the ENTIRE store all weekend long!

They are also offering a few FREE (digi)goodies just for stopping by and registering on the site and for signing up for their newsletter. Here's a peek at one of them by the extremely talented Carina Gardner . . . 

And please . . . don't forget to tell ALL of your friends! I can't wait to see you there! 
 

Does Santa Clause know your name?

EDITED: (December 26, 2009) For some unknown reason this blog entry didn't post at the time I had scheduled it to so am "manually" posting it now. Sorry.


My husband had shared this story with me some time back about our youngest daughter, Brookelynn and it had given me such a giggle that I have to share it. Brookelynn, now 16, really LOVES this story!

About eight years ago my husband, Barry had been out with our youngest daughter, Brookelynn doing some Christmas shopping when they stopped to enjoy a Christmas Parade that was making its way through town. It's important to note that our daughter, Brookelynn, who was 8 at the time, no longer believed in Santa Clause at that point and had expressed her disbelief to my husband when he had made a big deal that Santa Clause was in the parade.

As the parade was making its way through town and past Barry and Brookelynn, Santa Clause with some of his elves and sleigh were coming near and as they began to pass by my husband and our daughter, Santa Clause, recognizing my husband (he was my husband's sister's father-in-law), waved to him and with a voice loud enough so that my husband could hear (and everyone else standing nearby) said, "HELLO Barry!" (giggle) Brookelynn, with HUGE eyes (giggle), an incredulous look on her face (giggle giggle), and absolute shock in her voice turned to my husband (remember she doesn't believe in the jolly ol' man) (giggle) and said, "Oh, my goodness daddy! Santa knows your name!" (giggle)

Most definitely one of my all time FAVORITE Christmas stories! And certainly one that will make its way into my December album (formerly my December Daily) as just that. And speaking of my December album . . . it seems that I made a good choice in not waiting for BasicGrey to debut their digital lines (see this post . . . HERE) . . . it seems they've had difficulty launching their new web-site and their digital lines with it and at this point have no launch date . . . so . . . am really glad I made the decision that I did.

So . . . just wondering . . . does Santa Clause know your name? (giggle)

Merry Christmas to you and your family from me and mine! May your holiday be filled with joy and peace!
 

"JOY"

Just a quick post to share a layout that I recently (re)created and submitted for Ella Publishing's December Cover (and if you are wondering . . . it wasn't selected).

"JOY"
Kaylee Grace
Christmas Eve 2008

Hoping you are making lots of progress in your Christmas holiday preparations.
 

Switching Gears

I've decided to switch gears and not do a December Daily where I am documenting each and every day leading up to Christmas. But rather have decided to simply document my December . . . holiday decorating, holiday baking, my family's traditions, our festivities, etc. I was thinking that when BasicGrey debuts their digital line(s) in a couple of days I'll be too far behind to even think about catching up (TEN days is an awful LOT to catch up on). AND . . . there's no guarantee that BasicGrey is even going to release anything that I can use for a December Daily. So . . . have resigned myself to simply document December (I'm thinking this is going to be a better "fit" for me anyway). 

I've also decided to do a hybrid album instead of digital. I will be using Bo Bunny's 6 x 6 Bare Naked Binder with several refills. And will be using a combination of Christmas-ey BasicGrey collections . . . Dasher, Figgy Pudding, Fruitcake, and Wassail. With LOTS of ribbon and LOTS of embellishments.

As for December Photo a Day . . . I am on track with DPAD but have decided that it's not necessary to do a photo a day being as I won't be doing the December Daily. So . . . won't be making it a point anymore to get a photo a day. Instead will simply take what photos I need to complete my album (which I'm sure will probably end up being a photo a day anyway). And speaking of December Photo a Day . . .

December Photo a Day - Day Three

Sorry. I know Santa Man was Day Two. I simply couldn't resist another shot of him. He's just so stinkin' cute! ;D

December Photo a Day - Day Four

December Photo a Day - Day Five

December Photo a Day - Day Six

December Photo a Day - Day Seven

and finally . . . December Photo a Day - Day Eight

Now . . . with that all done and said . . . I'm off to get started on that album. I'll post pictures as I make progress. =]
 

December Photo a Day ~ Days One and Two

The last few weeks or so I have been gearing up for December Daily and December Photo a Day (hoping DPAD will keep me on track with DD) and yesterday when I woke up had thought that it was November 31st and that I had at least one more day to finish getting everything completely around. Imagine my surprise when dear hubby informs me that November doesn't have 31 days. Uuhhhh . . . since when? ;D

It seriously worked to my advantage though as I was still struggling with the December Daily. . . couldn't decide if I should do a hybrid (chipboard) album or go digital and then print as a photo book at Shutterfly. Serious advantages for both but was somewhat leaning toward digital (go figure). And even though I was leaning toward digital I still ended up pulling all my Christmas-ey BasicGrey. Sure would make my decision easier if BasicGrey would go digital!

Oh, wait!

BasicGrey IS going D.I.G.I.T.A.L! Can you believe it?! You can read the Web Announcement that was released earlier today HERE and also on Kelly Goree's BLOG.

So . . . long story short . . . problem solved. My December Daily will be digital using ALL BasicGrey! And until I can actually start putting my December Daily together (launch date is December 10) I'll be content to simply document my December Daily and work on my December Photo a Day (which is actually part of my December Daily).

December Photo a Day - Day One

A shot of our Christmas tree that traditionally goes up every year the weekend before Thanksgiving. We've been putting our Christmas tree up the weekend before Thanksgiving for a many, many years. Makes for a really festive Thanksgiving and Brandon, Brekken, and Brookelynn have really LOVED it! I think maybe they thought that it meant Christmas was coming that much sooner or something. ;D

December Photo a Day - Day Two

And . . . one of my favorite Christmas decorations . . . Santa Man. My husband and I bought Santa Man a really loooong time ago, so long ago I can't even remember, and has been hanging out at our fireplace ever since (only during the Christmas season though). ;D

Now . . . off to create something with the "traditional" Christmas-ey BasicGrey.
 

"Where There is Love"

   
"Where There is Love" for Becky Fleck at PageMaps

"Where There is Love" (8.5x11 format) appeared in the November edition of Becky Fleck's PageMaps Newsletter. I really, REALLY tried to remain true to the sketch and ended up only making slight variations from sketch to layout.

"Where There is Love" for Carina Gardner and MaryAnn Wise

I had been working on this layout when Becky contacted me and asked if I would contribute a layout based on an 8.5x11 vertical sketch. So . . . without hesitation I kept (pretty much) the same elements and simply jumped formats. The 12x12 layout I will definitely print . . . the 8.5x11 layout . . . at first I thought I'd create it and just file it away (it's typically not a format that I work in). BUT . . . am now thinking . . . I will go ahead and print it, even frame it,  and then gift it to daddy and mommy. Or keep it. Or both. Really wouldn't be difficult to print and frame one for each of us . . . it is digital after all. ;D

Supplies used: Digital Papers: Carina Gardner (Prep School - Subject Matter Paper Set); Focal Photo Frame: MaryAnn Wise (Curled Photo Frames No.2); (Inner) Focal Photo Frame (altered): Carina Gardner (Prep School ABC Book); Paint Splatter/Splotch: Carina Gardner (Bella Splatter and Splotches); Title: MaryAnn Wise (About Life Brushes and Stamps); All Other Elements: Megan Farrow; Font: Bookman Old Style.

Now I'm off to watch a movie with dear hubby! =]
 

Thank You Shutterfly and a WINNER!

HUGE thanks to each one of you who took the time to stop by and leave a comment and for participating in the Shutterfly Photo Book Give-A-Way. AND a HUGE thanks to Shutterfly for their generosity in providing the photo books for the give-a-way. Now for the WINNER . . . a winner was drawn at 2:00 pm from Random.org and the 8x8 Shutterfly Photo Book goes to . . .

  . . . ShanB!

Please e-mail me at petuniakay@gmail.com and I will get your 8x8 Shutterfly Photo Book CODE to you right away! CONGRATULATIONS!

"You Defined" and a WINNER!

First I'd like to thank each one of you for stopping by and participating in the (first) Shutterfly Photo Book Give-A-Way! And for all of your generous comments on my photo book "You Defined!" Now . . . to get down to business . . . I "drew" a winner at 10:02 am from Random.org and the winner is . . .

  . . . LISA FULMER!

E-mail me at petuniakay@gmail.com with your e-mail address and I will get your 5x7 Shutterfly Photo Book CODE to you right away! CONGRATULATIONS!

Now to answer a few of the questions that some of you had asked about "You Defined" . . . and details on how to win the 8x8 Shutterfly Photo Book (drawing to be held November 4th) . . .

"You Defined"
My Font Cover

Page 12

   Page 13
  And Page 22.

"You Defined" was originally intended for my youngest daughter, Brookelynn Amanda as a "Sweet Sixteen" photo book. But . . . things didn't quite work out that way (as you can see by the photo book I ended up with). Brooke and I had gone out on a photo shoot for her sixteenth birthday (the day BEFORE her birthday) and needless to say, the shoot ended up being a wash. Brooke hadn't been feeling well and it really showed on her face in her photos. I only ended up with maybe four or six photos that were decent enough to use (out of about 200). Fortunately Kaylee Grace had tagged along with us and fortunately I had snapped some shots of her in between shots of Brookelynn. And truly . . . I'm surprised that the shots of Kaylee turned out as well as they did. She wasn't the least bit interested in taking pictures . . . AT ALL . . . but was rather interested in all the leaves laying all around. Go figure a four year old would rather play in the leaves huh. ;D

So . . . my next Shutterfly photo book project . . . a Sweet Sixteen photo book of Brookelynn. Hopefully I will get that started sometime this week. Just as soon as I can get Brooke back out to shoot some pictures.

Now . . . for some of the specifics of "You Defined" . . . the photo book is my own design . . . I simply used Shutterfly's PSD templates (found HERE) to create my page. The template is merely a blank PSD with lines to indicate BLEED AREA . . . this is the area of the page that is cut off during the printing process to ensure that there are no white edges on the page.

And the photos are my own. Only minor adjustments were made in White Balance in Adobe Lightroom and then pulled into Adobe PS Elements 6 where I applied the black and white conversions.

The fonts that I used for the book . . . Angelic War and Bookman Old Style. Angelic War is the font that most people had asked questions about and are interested in. It can be found at dafont. com and downloaded HERE. Truly . . . one of the most BEAUTIFUL fonts ever created! LOVE Angelic War! Definitions for each descriptive word were taken from dictionary.com.

Once the page had been created I simply saved it as a JPEG (WITHOUT resizing) and then uploaded it to Shutterfly. Truly . . . the whole process . . . was soooo easy! And the end result . . . absolutely beautiful! Truly, I couldn't be more pleased.

Now . . . I have ONE more photo book to give away . . . an 8x8 photo book . . . the only thing you have to do is leave a comment on THIS post saying hello and telling me what type of Shutterfly photo book you are working on . . . baby, everyday, wedding, travel, etc. . . . OR . . . what type of Shutterfly photo book you would create if you should happen to win this one (and if you're not sure just say that)!

Again, HUGE thanks to each one of you for participating in the previous drawing! GOOD LUCK to each one of you for this drawing!

I HEART Shutterfly!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Shutterfly and asked if I would be willing to put together a Photo Book and showcase it on my blog . . . hhmmmm . . . let me think about it . . . are you kidding?! Of course I jumped at the opportunity! Who wouldn't. Right?

And though Shutterfly was a name I had heard before (many times even) I wasn't very familiar with the products that they offered. And after completing my very FIRST photo book I have but one word . . . WOW . . . I mean seriously . . . WOW!!

I am so impressed!

From registering for an account, learning to navigate the web site, to selecting a photo book, creating that photo book, stumping on how to turn Vivid Pics OFF, contacting customer support so they could direct me in turning Vivid Pics OFF . . . the entire experience . . . absolutely A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!

Shutterfly has made it so easy to share photos and preserve our memories with family and friends. Create photo books for a new baby, a honeymoon, or a weekend getaway. Celebrate special moments with their stylishly designed custom cards and personalized stationery. Whether it's a birthday invitation, baby shower invitation, birth announcement, thank you card, photo card, or greeting card, they have the perfect card for every occasion! You'll also find a tremendous assortment of photo gifts. At Shutterfly, it's easy to create unique gifts and amazing keepsakes with your pictures and then easily share them in award winning photo books, photo prints and posters, photo calendars, photo gifts, and cards and stationery. You also may want to check out their brand new assortment of holiday cards, Christmas cards, and Hanukkah cards.

AND . . . to top it off . . . they GUARANTEE your satisfaction! ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!

So . . . with that all said . . . let's talk about the photo book I recently created . . . "You Defined." And though I haven't yet received it (I only ordered it just this morning) I thought I'd share a few of the pages with you here . . .

"You Defined"
   
My front cover and title page.

   
Pages 6 and 7.

   
and Pages 16 and 17.

You can view the entire Photo Book over at my Shutterfly Website. Which ALL of my family members, in FOUR states, will have access to so that they can see all my recent photos and projects and just kinda keep up with what we are doing from day to day.

The actual process for creating my Photo Book was so stinking easy it was ridiculous. And I mean that truly. After selecting a size for the photo book that I wanted to create I simply downloaded the Shutterfly Templates and opened them in Adobe PS Elements 6. After editing my photos in Adobe Lightroom I pulled them into PSE6 and simply "plopped" them right onto the template. After only minor adjustments in photo placement I saved them as a JPEG just as they were (no resizing was necessary) and then uploaded them to Shutterfly. Once there, it was just a matter of dragging them onto the page in the Photo Book where they belonged.

So easy!

Now . . . if you are wanting even easier than that . . . Simple Path is for you. Simple Path is SHUTTERFLY'S new revolutionary product that makes it easy to create a photo book in a matter of a few minutes! You pick a size, upload your photos, and Simple Path instantly makes a photo book for you! It's ready to order or you can quickly change styles, edit photos, and even add captions.

Have I you convinced yet?

How about a Shutterfly Photo Book of your own . . . absolutely FREE of charge (you simply pay shipping and handling and any sales tax if applicable). Shutterfly has very generously donated TWO photo books to give to two very lucky blog readers . . . that means you if you are reading this! Alls you have to do is leave a comment on THIS POST simply saying HELLO. That's it. It's that easy. On November 2nd I will randomly select and announce ONE winner and then at that point will open one more opportunity to win yet another Shutterfly Photo Book. Drawing for that Photo Book will be held and the winner announced on November 4th. HOWEVER . . . there is ONE catch . . .

. . . if you are the winner . . . of either Photo Books . . . you MUST create AND order your Photo Book ON OR BEFORE November 30, 2009. No exceptions.

Oh, and the sizes you will win . . . November 2nd . . . winner will receive a 5x7 Photo Book and the winner on November 4th . . . an 8x8 Photo Book (VERY popular size for digital scrapbookers).


And just because I can't resist . . . two more pages to share . . .
   
Pages 18 and 19.

To see the rest of the photo book you really will have to pop in over at my Shutterfly Website/Gallery. =]

GOOD LUCK to each and every one of you! Oh, and . . . I really HEART Shutterfly!

Introducing our Newest Little One

Karlee Renae

 Born September 14, 2009 at 2:22 PM

Weight 6 pounds 15 ounces
19 inches long

And those of you who are friends with me on Facebook . . . yes, her name WAS Karlee Hope . . . but only briefly. Daddy and Mommy ended up changing their minds and decided to call her Karlee Renae instead.

Also . . . if you are interested in what I've been working on . . . I've just completed a layout for Becky Fleck over at PageMaps. It will appear in her newsletter November 1st. I've also managed to get a couple of layouts done (in spite of all the cRaZinEsS lately and will definitely post those soon). And finally . . . I am just finishing up a couple of SHUTTERFLY photobooks. One of which I will post the first part of November (crossing my fingers that I receive it by then) . . . and . . . with that post will actually give TWO of you the opportunity to win your very own SHUTTERFLY photobook. No kidding. So don't forget to stop back. And soon!

Popping in to say . . .

. . . HELLO!

It's hard to believe it's been an entire month since my last post! It absolutely amazes me how fast time flies when things go cRaZy! Know what I mean? And though things are starting to settle back down, I've got a few deadlines yet looming and will begin posting again once I've squared with them. Promise.
 

"you"

"you" for Carina Gardner and MaryAnn Wise

My Oldest daughter, Brekken Marie. The photo was taken earlier this year and was one of those spur of the moment kind of things. She had come over looking so irresistibly gorgeous and with a little prodding I was able to talk her into letting me get a few shots of her. Something I don't get to do very often anymore.

Journaling reads: "Today you are you that is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you."  ~Dr. Seuss

"you"
Supplies used: Paper: MaryAnn Wise (Button Borders Solid Papers); Grid Overlay: Carina Gardner (Bella Bella 2 Beauty Overlays); Flourish: MaryAnn Wise (Flourish Corners Brush Set); Title: Carina Gardner (Peony Place Clear Gel Alpha Set); Focal Photo Edging: Katie Pertiet; Flowers: Megan Farrow (Buttercup); Gems: Unknown; Font: Bookman Old Style.

What I am working on right now . . . I am putting the finishing touches on a layout that I created for Carina Gardner using her The Spider's Web Digital Kit and The Spider's Web collection. Love, love, LOVE this kit! First time I have ever scrapbooked HALLOWEEN! No kidding. cRazY huh? I'll post the layout within the next day or so.

"play pause grow repeat"

I have often been asked about my creative process when scrapbooking (both hybrid and digitally) and had intended to "dissect" "play pause grow repeat" in order to describe that process or flow BUT . . . because my computer was infected with a Virus AND a Trojan (through Facebook) earlier this week will have to put that off for another layout . . . another time.



"play pause grow repeat" is a layout that I created for a weekly challenge that I participated in over at Two Peas in a Bucket (BEFORE the virus got me). We had been challenged to "Lift a Garden Girl" and I chose Garden Girl Gennifer Bursett. The post with the layout that I lifted can be found . . . HERE (BOTH layouts are there . . . give it a few seconds to cycle). I really LOVED the simplicity in Gennifer's layout and absolutely could not resist lifting it . . . challenge or not. ;D

After creating the layout I decided to convert the photo of my granddaughter, Kaylee to a black and white image for another weekly challenge that I participated in over at Two Peas . . .



. . . their weekly DIGITAL challenge . . . "tinting a black and white photo." Once I had converted the image I applied a chocolate tint to it and then applied a hand tint to just her cheek area. I'm thinking that I like the layout with the color photo better. Quite unusual for me as I typically tend to prefer black and whites.

The digital paper and gems that I used are from the Watercolor Beach collection by MaryAnn Wise at Two Peas. The flourish brushes are Katie Pertiet and Jen Wilson. And the font  . . . Angelic War . . . that I used for the title can be found HERE at DaFont.com.

"Succession of Moments"

A layout that I created for MaryAnn Wise at Two Peas in a Bucket. My first as one of the newest members of her Creative Team!

Recently MaryAnn asked me to join her Creative Team and without hesitation I said yes! This is the BIG news mentioned previously in "Old is New." Sooo excited about this! MaryAnn has some of the BEST digital products on the market and it is going to be an absolute privilege to work with her!

As for the layout . . . everything that I used in "Succession of Moments" is from MaryAnn's newest release . . . GREAT OUTDOORS . . . and can be found at her store at Two Peas. I really, REALLY enjoyed working with these products, especially the brushes . . . love, love, LOVE the brushes! That whole . . . "My name is Katherine and I am a brushaholic" thing. Know what I mean? ;D

"Succession of Moments" for MaryAnn Wise

As for the photo I used . . . you should recognize it from a previous post . . . For Today :: August 4, 2009. I ended up cropping the photo and and making additional edits to achieve a look that was better suited for the mood and tone of the papers that I was working with (so easy to do when working digitally). The "quote" in the layout is my own, created in Photoshop, and reads . . .

"Life truly is a succession of moments unexpected and unrehearsed, full of beauty and timeless innocence. Moments that will forever remain in our hearts and in our
memories."

** Please Note **
My links in "Succession of Moments" are failing to work (something is glitching in Typepad's Editor). Until they are back up and working you can link to MaryAnn and Two Peas using the images in my sidebar. =]

"PRECIOUS"

Kaylee Grace

Hybrid layout that I created some time ago using the photos I edited and loaded the other day (this was one of the layouts that I submitted for MMM 2008).

Quite a bit of layering with this layout (SEVEN different papers in all). When I created this layout I was only just learning how to manipulate my photo editing software (the black and white conversion was an AUTO conversion). Needless to say . . . the selective coloring (Kaylee's eyes) was done using a Tsukineko VersaMagic ink pad (Aegean Blue) because I couldn't figure out how to do it in the photo editing software. Certainly not a problem now. ;D

Old is New

Working with some older photos of my granddaughter, Kaylee Grace. This particular photo was taken when she was three months old and was taken using a Sony point and shoot. Most definitely one of my favorites from "way back then."


SOOC (Straight out of the Camera)
Not too bad though there definitely is a color cast.


SOOC with only minor adjustments being made in Saturation and Contrast.


Processed in Adobe Camera RAW (ACR). The color cast has been removed but I have to admit . . . I think I prefer it with the color cast. Really. But nonetheless . . . I removed the color cast so that I could do this . . .


Manual Black and White. Conversions (almost) ALWAYS work better when the photo is adjusted for color casts, exposure, etc.

And this . . .

Sepia with Hand Tinting.

And finally this . . .

Through the Viewfinder (TTV)

Through the Viewfinder photography (or TTV) gives an old fashioned look to your photos that you just can't get with modern digital cameras. It was popularized a few years ago by a fellow named Mr. E Cipher and has gained tremendous momemtum lately.

Through the Viewfinder photography is defined as taking a picture of any subject through the viewfinder of any camera with another camera.

And though this photo hadn't been taken through the viewfinder of another camera it has been made to look as though it had. A relatively simple process in Adobe Photoshop. A process called . . . FAKE TTV. ;D

If you would like to know more about TTV (real and fake) I've found a really good article/tutorial on the whole process here at . . . Hank & Willie. If you're interested in the process, or simply curious, go take a peek. Hank and Willie have provided LOTS of really good information on the whole technique/process . . . with more links.

One more thing . . . I've got some really good news I'd like to share so stop back in the next couple of days. News that has me REALLY excited!

For Today :: August 4, 2009

I really liked this simple documentation idea from Ali Edwards who got it from The Simple Woman’s Day Book via apple likes orange.

FOR TODAY
August 4, 2009

Outside my window . . . summer days are beginning to wind down.

I am thinking . . . of simpler times from long ago.

I am thankful for . . . friends, both past and present.  And always, ALWAYS for family. 

From (in) the kitchen . . . baby back ribs are waiting to be rubbed and sauced and then thrown on the grill (by hubby).

I am wearing . . . denim carpi's with tan stitching and one of hubby’s t-shirts (white) . . . and . . . no shoes (of course).

I am creating . . . an altered box for my sister who plans on giving it to one of her friends, a monogram to display in my scrapbook studio, and a scrapbook for my youngest daughter detailing her school memories (plus other projects in various stages of completion).

I am going . . . to continue to put my trust in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I am reading . . . a Proverb everyday. AND my favorite epistle . . . the Gospel of John. I'm also reading The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie OMartian when I can find the time to do so.

I am hoping . . . I can afford to be reckless and carefree tomorrow but still get some of the more responsible stuff done.

I am hearing . . . hubby play dinosaurs with our granddaughter, Kaylee Grace.

Around the house . . . toys are strewn everywhere and I am content to leave them lay knowing that the day comes too quickly when they are put away for good.

One of my favorite things (memories) RIGHT NOW . . . a conversation that I had recently with my granddaughter Kaylee . . . it went like this . . .

Kaylee . . . (as she's rubbing my lower arm) "Gramma you my favewit."
Me . . . "Aawwww, you're sweet honey. You're my favorite too. Is Grandpa your favorite?"
Kaylee . . . "No. Juss you."

I wonder if it's because I'm the only one who feeds her? ;D

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . one more shift to work, scrapbooking, a (Junior) photo shoot with two of my favorite Juniors, and a trip to Indiana Beach over the weekend.

A picture to share . . .

Kaylee Grace
Summer 2009

Beautiful in Orange

One of my favorite things to photograph, aside from my children and grandchildren, are landscapes and flowers. Especially beautiful, bright, ORANGE flowers that literally SHOUT summer! Just like this gorgeous daisy does that I purchased on my way home from a shopping trip that I went on with my sister, Debbiey and my daughter, Brookelynn. I purchased this beauty solely with the intent of photographing it. Simply couldn't resist.
 
SOOC (Straight out of the Camera)

 
After processing in Adobe's Camera RAW editor. Notice how the colors are just a bit brighter . . . more . . . vivid. Only minor tweaks were made in exposure, clarity, and vibrance. White Balance was left as shot.


Same flower, processed, with a TEXTURE added. Prior to adding the texture I did create an adjustment layer and reduced the saturation of the overall photograph drawing a lot of the color out muting the tone of the overall picture.


And one more purely for fun. Truly . . . textures have, recently, become one of my (new) favorite "toys." Really LOVE the looks that can be achieved with textures. Especially on portraits.

And . . . what I'm working on right now . . . a few layouts in various stages of completion. That whole stumping . . . blocking thing has got a hold of me right now so I've had to walk away. ;D Waiting patiently until it's time to go back. Know what I mean. In the meantime I play with stuff like this. Just as fun if you ask me. =]
 

Beautiful (and easy) Photo Effects

Working some different (and easy) photo effects for different looks for my scrapbook pages. Digital and hybrid both.

After I edited this photo of my very beautiful three year old granddaughter, Kaylee Grace, using Adobe's Camera RAW, I simply added a gorgeous frame and Word Art using a PNG file. With PNG files you simply drag the element(s) and drop it right on to your photo and then re-size if necessary. So easy.


Here I inserted another beautiful frame and word art but this time used a brush. In Photoshop a brush is essentially the same as a stamp. Love, love, LOVE brushes and just like stamps . . . I have TONS!


Using the same photo as the one above, I applied a hand-tint using an adjustment layer for a gorgeous vintage look (I actually used TWO adjustment layers here). I am so loving this look! Note the cheeks . . . the cheeks were hand tinted using a default brush.

And finally . . .

The hand-tinted photo (from above) with a grunge frame applied using a layer mask and then cropped.

All four of these techniques are VERY easy to do and only take just a few moments to complete. No kidding. No labor intensive work here. Really. And get this . . . you don't even have to be a digital scrapbooker to achieve these looks on your photos. Honestly.

Now . . . it's time to scrapbook! =]

Wishing EVERYONE . . .

. . . a happy and safe Fourth of July!

One Last Shot

of Joshua John Boyanowski.

My favorite from the senior photo shoot I had done with him a short time ago. And though I have others that I really, REALLY like, I won't post them because he and my daughter have since . . . shall we say . . . parted company. So . . . out of respect for Brookelynn, it's not likely I will be posting any more photos of him. BUT . . . you will continue to see him in my scrapbook pages (remember he took Brookelynn to Prom). I can't NOT scrapbook those. Especially when they turned out so stinking good! Right? =]

". . . follow your dreams . . ."

Joshua John Boyanowski

You should recognize him from a previous post (Angola Prom).
My daughter, Brookelynn's, very photogenic, loves playing to the camera, boyfriend.

 

These photos are from a senior shoot I did with him a few weeks ago.  Absolutely LOVE these shots though they aren't my most favorite one(s). I'll post my favorites in the next couple of days or so (I'm trying to get some photos edited that I took of his sister and her new husband . . . that whole trying to prioritize thing coming into play here). ;D

And . . . a layout that I did for him in honor of his graduation . . .

. . . follow your dreams . . .

Journaling reads . . . "You must follow your dreams. You must follow wherever they lead. Don't be distracted by less worthy leads. Shelter them, nourish them, help them grow. Hold your dreams deep, deep down where dreams grow. Follow your dreams, pursue them with haste for life is too precious, too precious to waste. Be faithful, be loyal, in all the day through, the dream that you follow will ultimately come true."
~Author Unknown

Supplies Used: Computer Software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. (Original) Design: Unknown (sorry), Creative Team Member, Studio Flergs. Papers and (all) Elements (not otherwise mentioned): Troublemaker by Megan Farrow (Flergalicious); Various Brushes (paint work, etc.): Artists unknown; Title: (dreams) Valorie Brown; Fonts: Bookman Old Style (journaling) and P22 Corinthia ("follow your").

Kimi's Kreative Homework #63

Photo taken at Adam's Lake Pub, Rome City, Indiana (SOOC)

Photo taken at Adam's Lake Pub, Rome City, Indiana (Edited)

Some time ago I met a women named Kim Boustany on the message boards over at Jessica Sprague's website, a website that I frequent OFTEN. And though Kim (she goes by Kimi) rarely visits the forums anymore, I have continued to follow her through her blog (you can find her under Blogs of Interest). Kimi's skill with photography and Photoshop is absolutely A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! I mean . . . jaw . . . dropping . . . A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! Really.

Anyway . . . she "hosts" a Photoshop challenge over on the Photoshop Creative Elements web-site called Kimi's Kreative Homework. And though I've never participated in any of the assignments before, I found myself completely unable to resist this week's tutorial. Absolutely LOVED this! And so terribly easy too!

So . . . pop on over, take a peek, and consider yourself "challenged" to give it a try! ;D

Seeing in Black and White . . . Part 2

“One sees differently with color photography than black and white...in short, visualization must be modified by the specific nature of the equipment and materials being used”         
~Ansel Adams

Converting images to Black and White is one of my favorite editing techniques and one that I typically use often. And though there are several different ways to convert images to black and white my focus here will be on the most basic two . . . automated black and white and manual black and white. In order to convert images to black and white (as described here) you will need some type of photo editing software. What I use, and of course recommend, is from the family of Adobe Photoshop products. I presently use Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. You can download a FREE trial version of Adobe's newest versions of these products HERE on the Adobe website.

Once your photo editing software is in place the first step in black and white conversion is of course, selecting a photo for conversion. I've chosen to convert this photo of my darling daughter,

Brookelynn Amanda. Prior to converting my photos in black and white I first adjust my White Balance, Exposure, Brightness, and Contrast using Adobe's Camera RAW editor found in both Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 (or in my case PS CS3 and Elements 6).

Once you have your photo selected and opened in Photoshop, first thing you will want to do is to DUPLICATE your Background Layer. You do this either by right-clicking on your image and selecting DUPLICATE or by simply clicking and dragging on the BACKGROUND LAYER in the Layers Palette and dropping it onto the New Layer button at the top of the Layers Palette. RENAME this new layer Automated B&W, Edited Background, or something similar. Next, go to ENHANCE (at the top of your workspace)
click on CONVERT to BLACK and WHITE in the fly out
and then select the style you would like to set for your image.

The style I chose for this image is Urban Snapshots.

Automated Black and White in Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.

Typically with portraits, selecting Portraits or Urban Snapshots will produce a very nice black and white image (see above). You can then adjust, (if you choose) your REDs, GREENs, BLUEs, and CONTRAST based on your preference. Or simply leave the conversion as it is. Click OK. You should now have a black and white image that is quite pleasing with minimal effort.

Now for BLACK and WHITE MANUAL CONVERSION . . . follow the steps outlined above for the AUTOMATED CONVERSION up to and including duplicating and renaming your background layer. With manual conversions I typically rename my Background Layer Manual B&W. Go to ENHANCE
ADJUST COLOR
REMOVE COLOR. Now DUPLICATE your Manual B&W layer TWICE. Rename the TOP layer SCREEN and the MIDDLE layer SOFT LIGHT. With the SCREEN layer targeted (simply click on it to target it) click on NORMAL at the top of the Layers Palette and select SCREEN. Reduce the opacity of this layer to roughly 30% depending on your preference (opacity is located at the top of your Layers Palette to the right). Next, target your SOFT LIGHT layer, click on NORMAL and select SOFT LIGHT. Reduce the opacity of this layer to something like . . . 70%. Again, based on your preference. Continue to make adjustments to these two layers for the desired effect. If your image needs to be lighter adjust the opacity of the SCREEN LAYER. If more contrast is needed, adjust (increase) the opacity of the SOFT LIGHT layer.

This is my image in Manual Black and White . . .

SCREEN 30% and SOFT LIGHT 60%.

Voila! That's all there is to it. Pretty easy isn't it. And you thought it was rocket science. I encourage you to continue honing your skills in the effects of black and white conversions. The impact that it will have in your photography and even in your scrapbooking (if you are a scrapbooker) will be absolutely TREMENDOUS! I promise! =] 

"Black and white photography does more to evoke an emotion and freeze a moment in time than any other medium. Looking back over the decades at such famous photographers as, Steigletz, Weston, Adams, and others has helped elevate black and white photography to a fine art form. The subtle tones of grays, the strong emphasis of the blacks, and the softness of the whites makes one look much closer at the subject and composition due to the lack of natural color. Emotions are always much easier to portray with black and white because of the stark contrasts and the sharp focus on the subject."     ~Bob Snell

Seeing in Black and White

Joshua and Brookelynn in black and white! Absolutely love, love, LOVE these!
Conversions have been made in Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 which I will share my work flow in my next (photo) post.

Wishing you . . .

. . . a very, very happy birthday baby boy!

Our littlest guy, Kyler Edward, turns one today. So wish we were with him to celebrate this very special occasion. He and his daddy and mommy (temporarily) moved to Texas and even though it has only been four days, we miss him terribly. His daddy and mommy too. Hopefully they won't be gone too awfully long.

Happy Birthday, Kyler!

 

Angola Prom 2009

Angola Prom 2009. Two of my most favorite shots of my daughter, Brookelynn from Prom.
She had been waiting for this night for what seemed like forever! Especially since she would be going with him . . .

LOVE this shot!

And this one . . . my absolute FAVORITE!

It seems Joshua is just as big a camera ham as what Brookelynn is! =)

Starting to Make Progress

Finally beginning to make real progress and liking it. Only a few additions and tweaks over the next few days and I should be completely set. Thank goodness. I thought I'd never get it done. Really. Stop back in the next few days and I'll have my daughter's prom pictures up. Maybe even a layout or two. =)

"YOU ARE SO beautiful"

All digital layout that I ended up creating TWICE! No kidding. Photoshop had failed to respond to a simple text command as I was working on the title and it shut itself down. Hadn't been saving as I was working so . . . ended up doing the layout twice. And truly, I know better than that! ;D

This layout is actually a lift from Kathi H. (with a few tweaks of course) who lifted it from "sabine2598," one of the creative team members over at Designer Digitals. Sorry I can't post Kathi's layout, which was absolutely FANTASTIC but, I have tracked down the layout done by sabine2598. And here it is . . .

LOVE the layout. And really LOVED the whole lifting thing. So easy and QUICK! It really didn't take much time at all to complete. Even though I did it twice! And of course the beautiful little girl in the layout is my precious granddaughter Kaylee Grace! This was taken just a couple of weeks ago on one of those rare days when it was really nice outside. We had spent the entire evening outside blowing bubbles. I got LOTS of GREAT shots which I will share soon.

As for the adjustments to my blog (please see previous post), over the next week I will be making some changes to the overall appearance of my blog. And if you are wondering if I was able to overcome the clipping in my brush work, I was. But still wasn't satisfied with the appearance so am going to re-do the entire thing. I could have probably had it done by now but . . . the twelve hour shifts that I work tend to get in the way quite often. Once I'm satisfied with the appearance I will begin posting regularly. I promise. =)

YOU ARE SO beautiful
Supplies used: (Original) Design: sabine2598, Creative Team Member, Designer Digitals. Papers: Katie Pertiet (Notebook Paper), Heather Roselli (Dark Blue),  Megan Farrow (Light Blue); Photo Frame: Katie Pertiet; Butterfly Accent: Katie Pertiet; FotoBlendz: Anna Aspnes; Title: Katie Pertiet (YOU ARE SO), Ali Edwards (beautiful).

 

WELCOME to my new BLOG!

Though it's not quite done, it is up . . . finally! A tremendous feat all on its own. Over the course of the next few days or so I will continue to fine tune the site so please, check back. I've got LOTS and LOTS to share! Might even do a give a way. ;D Until then . . .

live out loud, laugh often
LOVE unconditionally and scrapbook every opportunity!