Happy Birthday, JJ.

"Happy Birthday, JJ!"

It has been a long week of not feeling the best. And I have been a little under the weather, so not too much got accomplished especially storytelling wise. I did get a few goody in the mail, that did get opened but that is about it. After four different doctor appointments with two different doctors, I finally found out yesterday what is going on with my aging body. I am passing a kidney stone. On the down side today, my co-work called me and said that the boss said to stay home one more day to make sure things are doing ok and I am able to sit all day. WOO HOO, staying and may be able to do something scrapping wise, we will see.

Sunday we took my partner to dinner for his birthday to one of his favorite restaurant. His dad and girlfriend came over to visit and went with us. 

It was a rainy day, but when we got there is was dry and warm enough to sit out on the deck with the river view. Had a really nice time, just wish the pain wouldn't of not distracted me from taking more pic! 

I almost forgot, the prints came from Persnickety. I love how they came out and did get them trimmed and put into pocket page. This page had a white border that I really didn't think was going to be there, but I made it work. I trimmed the white from one of the pics and decided to check the size, then decided to leave it on the others. Going to have to make sure the size is different next time. The other 12 x 12 pages turned out GREAT, too!

 Friday, on the drive home, I saw the funniest sign on a truck that really made me laugh after taking a hard look at the wording to make sure I was reading it correctly. It was a small maintenance business box truck. I took a pic for my weekly album....(I add the gray writing with my phone app). SERIOUSLY....LOL.

That is about all the update worth writing about for this week, but we will see what I come up with for the rest of this week.

Happy Scrapping and Storytelling!

Project Life's first 12 x 12 order is on it way....

Credit to Dunia Designs for the Journal cards, Thanks!

Good Afternoon everyone!

I am really excited and can't wait to get my order from Persnickety Prints. For once I didn't go hog wild and order tons and my testing I talked about last week, (printing my Project life pages as a 12 x 12 and cutting them to put in the pockets). I did order a some of layout I did a while ago of a visit to Brevard Zoo. I have not had a 12 x 12 print, have always printed 8x8 because of the ability to print them myself, but at $1.99 I thought I would give them try. I would love to add some of my layouts to my albums, so I am excited to get them in a couple of day!

Here are the layouts I ordered.

Yesterday, I had a couple of my good friends over to help start them pocket scrapping with the project life goodies we had gone shopping for a couple of weeks ago. Debi has asked me to help her make an album for her daughter for a gift. Allison will be graduating from College and will be a great gift for her to treasure. We had a wonderful time throwing around ideas and enjoying some common interest in photos and having them tell a story. We planned out her title page and organized the themes she wants to use. I started a couple of pages and having so much fun with it. Funny how it is sometimes easier to work with other people photo's and ideas than your own? Would love to share our work in progress but can't take a chance Allison will see it, so will have to share it in May after the graduation.

This morning I opened my email to find another deal of 50 prints for $5.99 at Walgreens, so I have been editing and upload more photos for my PL of 2012...yes I am a little behind but working at each of my ideas a little at a time. 

Even though I am working on 2012 I found some cell phone photos of Mateo's birth that I was going to try to edit because they aren't very good for printing, they are all we have, so I came up with this, please let me know what you think?

Have a good week and I will hopefully have some more to share next week.

Happy Storytelling!

Hello Scrapland Friends and WELCOME 2014

Happy New Year EVERYONE!

Project Life Page of "2012 in Review"-pg 1

I hope this finds everyone having a great new beginning to 2014. It has been a crazy end of 2013 for me and I am just getting back in the swing of working in Photoshop, my scrapping tools/supplies and photographs. I have organized photos, supplies and setting up a work space about half way through last year and made four albums for my children for Christmas this last year. With that said, been editing and printed over 500 photos for those albums. I used the theme of Christmas Gatherings from the year 2005-2013 (after Christmas was over, I picked out the best ones and had them printed so they could put them in their own books). For my girls, I got 12 x 12 albums so that they can add more pages (or pages I make for them to add in the same albums. Pocket pages are so the way in preserving  memories and storytelling of ones life. I have to say, Becky Higgins is a GREAT inspiration for her beginning her Project Life method of scrapping memories for future generations.

During the rest of the year, I got a new job, finally. But I was not feeling well which isn't like me at all, so I spent lots of time running to doctor appointments to find out that my blood pressure was running high again. Finally got that fixed (I hope) so I am back to my real love, documenting our life in pocket pages using photographs, mostly digital but doing some of my older prints as well. I am sure you see that I am couple of years behind scrapping, I am starting my 2012 album now, but really enjoying it.

My best friend and I were talking the other night, in one of "Whip the World" long chats, how she saw some gals putting together their project life pages digitally, having them printed 12x12 and then trimming them apart to put into pocket pages. I thought that is a good idea, especially for gals like us, that have been digitally scrapping and sharing on our blogs with other gals in our scraping communities. I added her idea to the idea I had seen that gave me the inspiration to make my 3x4 card in gray scale and adding a splash of color with glitter for the monograms in the colors of the months birthstones. The day just got away from me, I made all the cards. Then took Linda's advise on making my own template for the page. And last I added the photos to just see how it would turn out....I am very pleased. Now just need to get the page printed. WOW...I think I really like this idea. THANKS Linda aka Bon Scrapatit Designs for the great IDEA. I am sure you are going to love it too.

Well, I sure hope it doesn't take me as long as it did this time to get back to my blog, but until then I hope and pray everyone is doing well and still putting your memories and storytelling in an album for all your loved ones or even for yourself to share your favorite and even some of your not so favorite times so they are kept alive. Sweet Dreams!

PS....Here is page two!

PSS....I forgot the most important thing that happened this week...how could I have forgot this!!!!!

This pages was made for my Sn@p Album I am make as a Photo and Craft Journal for 2014

  

Photo Editing and Restoration

Hi everyone, have been playing in Photoshop the last few days and had watched a very good video on you tube for masking and touch up for photos. So I had to put this new knowledge to use. This is a photo I had edited before, but it was one I had scanned in for repair, so I used it again. WOW, I have to say that I have learned a lot since the last time I edited and repaired it before. What you think? In stage one was the touching up and repairing using PSCS5 newer tools I learned in my Digital Photo Class. Stage 2 I did some blending, masking (from the video I watched) and in the final stage I had lessened the saturation and lightened it up just a little bit. It all took me about 2 1/2 hours.

First time                    This time

 I have been working on the organization of my printed photo's still for Project Life and designing a few core cards for the older photo's I have been working with as my story is starting when I was born. I did get one page together but have not go the journaling complete yet. I am trying hard to take my time and do this for the final time. I have had my photo's in albums, old school magnetic photo albums, but they were falling part, so Project Life has it's own meaning to me....started way back in the day first to tell a story of my life and family.

Here is a look at my first stage of page one, the photo is not very good, but you get the idea....Until next time....Happy Scrapping!

Memorial Day....Walking down memory lane.

I hope this finds everyone having a great weekend and feeling as Grateful and Thankful as I am on this MEMORIAL DAY....all my brothers served our country and so very thankful and proud of them for doing so and that they are all very proud AMERICANS. Thoughts and prayers to those whom were not as fortunate as our family is to have them home with us.

I have spent the weekend walking down memory lane, sorting through my old paper photos. I was actually finishing up the organizing job I had started a year or so ago. Just about got it all filed. I will be so glad to start the storytelling part of this Project Life. I am trying hard to get the paper photo's arranged and start my album with them. I have about 35 years of paper photo's until I changed over to digital....I have so much going through my head about this project but my main purpose is telling my life story with all these captured memories. Hoping to leave my kids with a story to go along with shoe boxes of photographs I have collected over the last 55 years. 

All of that said to say, getting a page finished to share is a larger order than I had expected...I have my goals set on what I want it to say, but actually getting, what I want it to look like is something a bit overwhelming faced with too many options to go with. One thing that is been a challenge is that during the 60's and 70's there were so many different size photo's, so they have to be trimmed and mounted or wait til that size page protects are made. I know I could start in the middle where the photo's get more standard in sizes. What is a girl to do? Paper scrapping has always been a challenge. No second chances once you cut...no undo button like I have used a lot in PS.

I could go on and on about the things I have been coming up against but it is a start and just sitting here looking through them has brought me a wonderful stand in time looking at all the blessing I have to cherish. So I will carry on and update you with the progress as it gets started in the right direction.

   

Project Life-Book One "Days Gone By"

Project Life-Book One "Days Gone By"

     Good afternoon everyone. A couple of weeks ago I ordered Becky Higgins, Project Life album, different size pocketed page sleeves and a few other things to start scrapping my paper photos. I got everything out (as you can see above) and took pictures of my new goodies, dug out the organized photos which my family helped by put into what we think is by the year, then event where we could. WOW, I have lots of paper photos too. So I asked myself, where do I start and what do I want this album's theme to be since I have so many they will not all fit into one album. Trying my hardest to stay focused on the task at hand, a flood of ideas started swimming in my head. So I stepped back, grabbed a bundle of photos that was labeled "ERVIN STREET-Scan to edit". That was a starting point, I guess. . . . or a distraction from not knowing WHERE to begin....Laugh Out Loud!!! (*WINK, BFF*)

     Needless to say I haven't been back to the scrapping table yet this weekend. But all is not lost...I did work on some scanning and editing which I shared with family and friends on FaceBook to get some feedback to start or add to my journal for these photos. I had some good laughs from what comments I did get back in return, so I was a good thing. But as I was scanning and trying to edit, I am having a couple of light bulb moments. I know once I do get a direction in mind and start, I will have no problem telling my family's photo Story. Any suggestion, please feel free to pass them along in the comment area, PLEASE!!!! 

     The first was, I sure don't know what I was thinking when I took these pictures. 110 Instamatic and can't remember the other, but the flash washed out everyone's face. (laughing because after taking a couple of classes and ALL my digital friends out there, I know better now). And the second was I sure should of SLOWED down to focus and frame the images much better. BUT I tell myself now, at least I have the moments and memories even if they are hard to make what they should be like. I love working with restoration but there are just some that are beyond help...LOL. 

    So now I have some cleaned up photos I printed, more importantly correct journaling for them and now my weekend is almost over. So I will share a few I got ready for my first few pages. Wish me luck, I am going to get more photos ready during the week so that I can spend next weekend, SCRAPPING!!!! 

Photo's (edited) from 1976-1980

iNational Scrapbooking Day 2013

     "Friday Fun" at the park

I hope this finds everyone enjoying all the goodies and special deals out in SCRAPLAND today (this weekend). I have exams this week for my Spring classes I took, so I should be studying but I can't miss all that is going on in Scrapland today. This is the time of year I start digi-scrapping back in ???? (it has been a long time, but I think it was 2003 or 2004.) F.O.R.E.V.E.R! But always love telling the story and getting our family memories documented for future generations.

I have been surfing the web for inspiration in Project Life, W.O.W. there is alot of awesome ideas out there, that's for sure. I am trying real hard to focus on my school stuff as these tests are going to be real hard for me, but I keep telling myself that the reward is getting to scrap and start my Project Life. (I can do this, I can do this!!!)

I have started editing photos and printed a few so that as soon as next week is over I will start cutting and putting together my first pages...I will share them as I get them finished. I have been playing with Instagram as well as I have tons of photos on my phone I would love to get printed and add to my book.

Well I hope everyone ENJOYS the day and be back soon.

Happy iNational Scrapbooking Day!!!!

Back and Excited about Project Life!

Hello EVERYONE!!!!!

Surprise, I am still ALIVE...just finishing up my Spring College coarse and have missed playing in Photoshop and got into my PS this weekend. Mainly as I have found something I would really like to do, Becky Higgins's PROJECT LIFE. After 2 more weeks of classes, I am going to get started on my first album for ME and my family to work on together.

Fill you in more about that later.Just wanted to stop in and say HELLO and that I will be back and sharing my project as we get started and working through my thousands of photos I have been hoarding. I love this idea of simple scrapping and getting my photos from my computer to an album to share with family and friends. I am really hoping on dragging my daughters and granddaughter into doing this together.

Exams are next week, wish me luck and really excited in getting started on sharing our memories for all our futures GENERATIONS! 

Monster Truck 5 years Birthday

Today Was my grandson, Xander's 5th Birthday Party! HE sure loves Monster Trucks. We had a great time today on a Great Adventure for the day!

 First stop was the Brevard Zoo where his Papa Charlie works. Jessica and John met us there and we had great time seeing all that the zoo had new until it got too hot and then we all gathered at Cici's Pizza. A pizza buffet place that we most often have family birthday party's at. 

The only thing Xander had asked for was "Monster Trucks" and he is truly what he got. In all shapes and sizes. He was so surprised from the BIG monster truck he got from his "Mimi" (Aunt Jessica, Brittany and Chaz). He was so cute when he opened his birthday cards. He knows that he was suppose to read them when you open them, but being only 5, instead of saying, "Can you read it mommy? or just throwing it a side to get at the package, he began to make up his own word, "Happy Birthday Xander! I love you, Love Mommy." It was so cute, as the second card he opened, he made up his own story of the graphics that was on the card and in it. What a sweet boy! He said, "Thank You", which time he opened a gift. Without being told to do so. Good matters, too! (Great job, Mommy!)

WELL, this will be my last week of "Summer Vacation" for me, as I start back to college. Still working hard on my Associates Degree. 3 Mini term courses that I lucked out on and got them all online. I got more out of the online courses than the ones on campus. That may be as I started out going to collage on line. By this time next year, I should finally have my associate degree!

Well, it is late so I will close for now. I do have some really cute photos of our family adventure to but I want to edit the batch and resize them first. I hope that everyone has a wonderful week and I will be back soon!

Happy Crafting and Scrapping!
credit to Albums to Remember for her digital scrapping kit called "Monster Truck" sold at MyMemories.

Rekindle A New Creative Outlet

It has been so long since I have blogged, that I wasn’t sure where to begin. I know most of you do follow me on Facebook, so you know that I am still alive and kicking. I have been using my creative MoJo in a different direction. I shouldn’t really say totally different, but in a way that I like to call, a huge “stress reliever”. I will get back to those facts and information later in the post.

At times, I will visit my blog looking for a link to something, then say to myself, “Dawn, you need to blog about something. It’s really been that long since I have blogged?” Which in turn gets my mind to wonders off on how much I haven’t shared, then the overwhelming thoughts of collecting and organizing what I would need to do to do so take over. By the time I get back to what I wanted to say, it got lost in the overwhelming - ness of doing so… so I have decided to go with a different mindset about it…just “move forward” and don’t make a huge task of trying to catch up on the past. This will help in avoiding and adding to my overfilled and flowing platter (I have graduated to a platter, as my plate just wouldn’t hold enough).

My LIFE has been over flowing plate mode, most of the time I have been MIA. Whether I am just getting older (too old) and can’t handle the constant fast pace anymore or I have allowed my life to spin out of control so much, that it is hard to stay grounded enough to keep up with my wants and my need, K(now)W(hat) I M(ean)? I am kind of leaning toward the first one.  I am a true believer in “Life is what YOU make it!” but something’s life gets in the way of itself. Sometimes I try to sit back to regroup and analyze what I have collected on my platter (a plate is too small) but it gets so over whelming, which makes it hard to organize, complete and wipe off. So I just sit the platter down, walk away and hope that it takes care of its self. We all know that rarely happens, but don’t knock a girl for trying it once in a while. As I look for a calming retreat, I usually find myself sitting and doing nothing, daydreaming of other things, looking right past the platter that so badly needs my focus to complete, wondering if it is ever going to just slow down enough to take a breath to breathe. So is this what getting older means, all work, responsibilities’ with all the serious and depressing stuff …SERIOUSLY that isn’t what life is meant to be or is it just (My) LIFE and what I made it. Sometimes how we (I) deal with it, just looking past the plate and pouring it on a platter, is a coping mechanism to keep our hopes and dreams alive.

With all that said, it brings me here to share an age old craft which I have rekindled, that has helped me cope with life’s challenges and helped me finally quit smoking is CROCHETING! I find it to be my calming retreat, keeping my hands busy; my mind dreaming and my sanity in tack. With is stitch or pattern I get in a rhythm doing, I am always thinking of the next projects or who I can make with for. This is all very comforting to me and a huge “STRESS RELEIVER”. I have always found it very heartwarming to make things for others. Giving gifts from the heart is a gift in itself. I have always been very passionate of hand-made gifts through all kinds of crafts very special, especially when I am the one giving them.

My love for digital storytelling is still one of my favorites, but after 6 or 7 years of telling my families story, I am a bit burnt out on the production of it and sitting at the compute for hours, after a long day’s work, is not comforting anymore.  I find myself wondering and getting nothing  accomplished  because the W(orld)W(ide)W(eb) and Social Media keeps sucking me in. L.(aughing)O.(ut)L.(oud).   

So I will end this post with, Life is too short to not “Make it” what you want! Finding a way to be at peace with what life has or is throwing your way can be the key. Everyone has CHOICES, but it is what you do with the choices, that will make your life your own.

Above are a few of the items I have made. To see more you can take a look at my gallery here on my Flickr account.  I have credited all the wonderful designer of the patterns on my Flickr uploads,  most of which you can find on Etsy. 

I hope to be back more often to blog and share but we will see what choices I make in what life has in store for me.

Love, Peace and Happiness!

Dawn aka Snowsmoon’s Design

Well, Hello Scrapland! 

WOW, I can't believe it has been almost a year since my last post! I been going to college and fall term I did 4 very hard medical classes, plus life has just been crazy! Working on my associates degree and the rest of the classes I need to take are not offered until next fall, so with enough Pell Grant left, I am able to take 3 photograph classes. WOO HOO, something I am very passionate about. What I would love to do is photo restoration and other services as well. I am so excited, but one step at a time. Classes first and a new business plan. 

The photo's I have posted, are part of the my digital photography class and we are learning to use CS5 and the tools to edit photos to look their best, and print their best. I know I have found lots of tips through the years of scrapping but I was totally amazed at the things I didn't know it could do. Here is another photo I post on FB too! It was an over cast day, manual setting so if it isn't the most prefect picture, I am learning to correct them to look better. Will let you know when I print them in class.

  The original above and corrected below.

I am sharing with you as you all have been a big part of the encouragement and have gave me the support I need to follow a dream instead of a 9 to 5 job. I can do this, especially with wonderful friends like you in my corner.


I will be sharing all the tips I learn, in hopes it may help you out as well. I miss Scrapland and I am BACK! Will also be updating you on a few other events that have happened over the last year. Here is one of the most important one, please welcome my newest grandson, Mateo!

Happy Scrapping!

Good morning Scrapland!
We are over “hump day” and it is almost to the weekend, WOO HOO. I hope this finds you safe and not snowed in without utilities!  What a snow storm the United States had this week. 30 some states were affected. Seeing some of the videos and news reports made me feel glad I was in one of the few states that didn’t get it. I so remember the snow storm in the 1970’s around Thanksgiving. Kind of the same thing, 20 plus inches dumped over night. Not fun at all as we were visiting our grandma in Auburn Hills, Michigan (was called Auburn Heights back in the day). We lived in Independence, KY and they closed Interstate 75  the day we were to return home. My brother and I had concert tickets to see Electric Light Orchestra in Cincinnati, Ohio. You can only imagine two teenagers falling apart because we couldn’t get home in time for the concert. Funny the things that were important to us back then…(little blast from the past!)


I wanted to share a Blog Goodie with you, but first have some exciting give away I'd like to share with you.  My BFF, Bon Scrapatit Designs aka Linda Walton is offering on her blog.  It is so SWEET!

“ Win a $10.00 Gift Certificate”

to ANY Digital Scrapbooking Store of your Choice

You can find all the details H*E*R*E.

I will share with you the two kits she is asking you to use. I did four layouts using her new kit, “Warm Winter Wishes”. I so love it!!!! My blog goodie are made with “Warm Winter Wishes”, as she was so kind to let me share them with you as scrapatits.  My layouts will not be entered, as I have been doing some taste testing for her and sharing mine as Scrapatits for you.
OK, Here are the two kits:

You can download Warm Winter Wishes H*E*R*E

You can download her Friends, Dreams, Memories  H*E*R*E

Here are the RULES and please read  rest of the details from Linda’s Blog when you visit and/or download the kits.
Rules are as follows:

• You must use pieces from either the kit you download today, *Warm Winter Wishes* or from the *Friends. Dreams. Memories.* kit, which is still available for download on the side bar if you've not already done so 
• You may use templates as long as proper credit is given (you may view my layout HERE for an example of giving proper credit when uploading your layouts to public galleries)
• Upload your layout(s) HERE (membership is open and does not require you to wait for approval)
• Return to Bon Scrapatit Designs blog and post a link to your layout in the Bon Scrapatit Design's Flickr pool in the comment box of the post I establish specifically for your links.  This way I can easily use Random.org to choose a winner and/or winners!  (I will post and link at the very top of my blog for easy access)
• You may create as many layouts as you wish.  This, of course, will increase your chances of winning! Speed scrapping is fine, but out of fairness to all, I ask that you do your best and not just throw a layout together.  In other words, create a page that you would consider print worthy for a photo book or album *wink*
• Have fun and get your scrap on!

Deadline for posting layouts to the group pool and linking back here is 12:00 pm PST on Valentine's Day, February 14th!

I would like to  share the layouts I created with WARM WINTER WISHES. I had so much fun playing with this kit. And it is funny, my first reaction to seeing the preview was “this one is going to be a real challenge for me”. SURPRISE….I did two layouts the night Linda shared it with me. Got up the next morning and did two more. I think WARM WINTER WISHES helped me get my MOJO back, that is for sure! Thank YOU Girlfriend…tee hee! Please note that my layouts will not be entered in the give away, as I have been doing some taste testing for her before she released the kit, but here they are.

Everything in my layouts are from the kit except the stitching, which  is not included in Warm Winter Wishes,

(Credit goes to Redju for her CU Stitching)

I hope you enjoy Warm Winter Wishes as much as I do. It is an awesome digital scrap kit to work with. A very good addition to the Menu at Bon Scrapatit Designs.  Please remember to thank Linda for her hard work by sharing your layouts with her. One of the best rewards a designer can receive, to see what people have created their special memories with  their designs. Thank you so much, Linda!

Here are two of the Scrapatits  I would share.  I hope you enjoy them.

Download your Blog Goodies HERE!

I will be back in a day or two to share more photos of another couple of events I attended during the holiday and my mini vacation. I have to  go through them to resize and pick out the best ones. I have a tendency to take “too many” as my kids say.…he he!
Happy Scrapping,