2 New Digital Art Journal Pages and some Good News I'm Sharing

Here are my Art Caravan Journal Pages for Weeks 7 (theme was Wonder) and 8 (Reinforce).

Also, I've been taking a few new classes at Big Picture Classes and I've been playing more with my paper scrapping materials lately. Here are a few tags I made as creative jumpstarts in May Flaum's Creative Retreat class:

Get it?

True, right?

And finally - my digital layout of Bloom Where You're Planted will be published in the Spring 2011 edition of Somerset Digital Studio! I can't tell you how excited I was to receive my copy in the mail. I opened it with my dear ScrapCellar Girls (my wings) and my dear Peggy took a photo of me posing with my copy. I'll be crossing that goal off my to do list now!

Thanks for letting me share! Have a fantastic week!

Holy Cow!

Guess what? Remember my dream bookstore? 

 

Here are a couple new ones:

 

The kit: Everywhere to Me, Laura Banasiak Designs

The journaling:

These are the scrap cellar girls, my paper scrapping girlfriends. We get together once a month to spend a day (or night) scrapping, supporting, eating goodies, laughing and sharing. Though I’ve known Leanne for over 20 years, I’ve only known her sis, Laura and their friend, Peggy for about a year. I feel like I’ve always known them . I’ve always longed for a group of friends who got me, who supported me, and I’ve found that with these ladies. They encourage me to try different things and lavish me with their friendship and support. They are truly good for my soul!

For the Art Journal Caravan

Kit: Place Vendome by Miss Vivi

Hope you're having a good week!

Real Beauty - The Mirror Project

For Ana's 8th grade graduation, I created a book for her to remind her what it really means to be beautiful. The directions for this project came from a Big Picture Scrapbooking class called, The Mirror Project, by Donna Kert. On each matchbook page, there is a special message from to Ana. I've shared just a few of the messages and I left some of the inner message pages for her to complete with her own ideas. Of all the mini book projects I've completed, I think this may be my favorite. One last thing before I share - the cover circle that just looks black is really a mirror, it just didn't photograph that way. I wish I could remember what the papers I used were - they were so perfect for my vision of this project. I'll add a note if I remember.

Weekend Catch-Up

What a busy weekend! I spent Saturday with the ScrapCellar girls getting some much needed inspiration and girl time. Those women really inspire me - I feel like my kids do when they are having a good time and don't want to leave a friend's house....I'm also inclined to whine "Do I have to go home?" when it's over! I made a very special book for my daughter - can't post it, since it's a surprise for her 8th grade graduation. Holy cow....when did she get so old!

I spent Sunday afternoon with my mom and dad and my kids beautifying my yard - didn't have my camera handy - I think my mom would have yelled at me if I had stopped working to get it! Everything looks super good again and I don't cringe to go outside anymore.


This weekend also was LOADED with wonderful things on the digital scrapbook front....I was selected to be on 3 creative teams (CTs) - when it rains, it pours! For my non-scrapbook friends, here's what happened. I was inspired by the work of these three designers and applied to work with them, creating layouts of their designs to promote and support their work. I'm absolutely thrilled! I posted some layouts (LOs) of Coffee Time previously. Here's one from Pixie Perfect Designs ......

Spa Day by Pixie Perfect Designs

The colors in this kit are so restful and very spa-like....turquoise, green, white, lavender, brown....I love it!


And from simply.scraps.....oh, you'll have to wait until I can post it!

Have a wonderful week! See you soon!

Some New Layouts to share....

Checking In

Peacock from here

This was a very good week. I got my hair cut - I call it short (took off 5 inches), but it's really just past my shoulders. I'd been hanging on to my long hair as kind of a security blanket for the past year. I felt ready to break free, finally. Then, I finally got something at work I've been hoping for - feeling kind of proud of myself for hanging in there. And, finally, I finished the Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge at Log Your Memory. Focus, my friends, is working for me!

I've completed these layouts, as well. Have I mentioned I'm so addicted to the digital scrapbooking and paper scrapping, which was once all I did, now feels so HARD, like I'm trying to scrap with my elbows!

That's all I have for today. Once again, I thank my Ana for proofreading :) See you soon!

A story about Jack, who is not a PUG.

Hi friends- I wanted to remember and share this story about my dog, Jack. He's a good boy, HUGE, but a good protector and just the right dog for us right now.

Jack's 5 years old this year (that makes him 35 in people years, right? He's almost as old as me!) and has adopted that wise look of a dog who's seen it all. He's still a puppy in the snow though, but he's not too fond of getting muddy in the rain anymore....I hear you, boy, I don't have fun playing in mud anymore either....must be our "advanced" ages.

(thanks Ana for your proofreading...how embarassing!)

Oh March, you lucky month! A brief, brief overview

I created a layout last night as part of a challenge from the Guest Designer, Suzy Iverson of SuzyQ scraps, using her new Serendipity kit.

Also, one of my digital layouts was selected to be published in the Log Your Memory 2010 Yearbook! I'm beyond excited about that and feel incredibly lucky to have found such a great bunch of on-line ladies to create with. It's this one here.

Just bummed that my real-life scrappin' gals at the Scrap Cellar won't be able to get together this month - sending them good vibes for health and new grand daughters and husbands!

Ana had a blast on her trip to Washington DC at the end of last month....I'll post pictures soon.

Hope your days are full of luck and dimes!

Today, I'm Excited....and I Just Can't Hide It!

Okay, so dorky song title today, but really, I am excited! My layout was selected as the layout of the week over at LogYourMemory.com! Totally made my day. My layout was submitted for the weekly challenge: How has your daily life changed because of the Internet?

Come see my response here: http://logyourmemory.com/2010/02/26/youre-going-to-lol/

If you haven't been over there yet, I suggest you check it out http://logyourmemory.com/....great ideas, fun challenges, and loads of inspiration and cool people, with a focus on documenting the story and scrapbooking our everyday, real life.

Hope your day is full of good surprises, too!

Another Layout....

Creating grids? Learned. Next?

Learned a new technique!

I learned how to make a grid....baby steps......

Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge #5....(but really I've only completed 1)

This digital page was created for a logyourmemory.com challenge. I'm still learning how to get Photoshop Elements to do what I want it to.

Looking at the 2 photos, about the only similarity I see is that I'm wearing the same necklace in both (more on my "default" necklace another time)!

I'm proud of both the girl and the woman, for without the 25 year-old me, there wouldn't be all the blessings that the 38 year-old me enjoys.

Join Me For Some Sweet Talkin'!

We’re kicking off a month-long challenge at one of my favorite sites today (actually, I'm a few days late, it started February 1st...) … the Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge at Log Your Memory!


I hope you’ll come on over and check it out today … there will be an entire month of scrapbooking challenges with a focus on “real life” journaling, plus the chance to earn points and prizes along the way! And if you’ve never visited before, you’re in for a treat! We have a wonderful group of friendly, helpful scrapbookers just waiting to say hello and show you around!
Get started by visiting the Log Your Memory Blog HERE and get ready to journal your way to becoming a Log Your Memory Sweet Talker!
(And tell them ericksoc sent you!)

Another Saturday Morning

Don't really know why, but I'm feeling a measure less tense that usual. Maybe it was the couple of days off work that I took to be 100% MOM, or having a good idea of what I want to focus on, either way, I woke up this morning with a renewed sense of hope that I would be able to make the most of this weekend. Nothing profound here, just living on a Saturday, which is profoundly wonderful.

I made breakfast this morning that didn't involve shaking the contents of a box into a bowl:

I laughed at Ana's attempts to raise both her eyebrows separately:

I finished the scrapbook pages that I started last night:

I did an assignment from Shimelle Laine's Blogging for Scrapbookers (this post, and the scrapbook photo set up).

Next, I get to take my little Karate Kids to their class, going to my mom's house to watch Pretty in Pink (because when I mentioned that Ana might be ready for John Hughes movies, she gushed that she LOVES those movies), then, who knows....saving cleaning the house for tomorrow after church....