A Wing and a Prayer

My Very Own Website

2011-09-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned quite awhile back, I've been trying to get a web design and development business up and going. I've done four sites now, albeit without much income to show for it. But today I finally got my OWN website up. Now when users click the "site design by" link at he bottom of the sites I've done, a page actually comes up. It's a small step, but it makes me feel much more official.

Just click on the thumbnail above if you want to check out the site.

Double Fourteeners

2011-07-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

Among mountaineers, a 'fourteener' is a peak over 14,000 ft. There are 546 in the world, 53 of them in Colorado. It's a popular challenge among Colorado mountaineers to try to 'bag' all 53.

I had two under my belt before this hike -- Bierstadt and Quandary. Our latest hike allowed me to bag two (Grays and Torreys) on the same hike. It was a total 3,600 ft. elevation gain and 9 mile distance (round trip).

Starting out, the slope is very gradual, with streams and pretty wild flowers. (No trees, though, as you're already above the timber line):

Near the summit, there's very little vegetation and the slope is much steeper. Climbing this section of Grays, I decided there was no way I was going to make Torreys Peak, too.

Once on top, though, I got summit fever and decided it was a shame not to bag them both. Here I am on the summit of Grays Peak (14,270 ft.) looking toward Torreys Peak:

This is the saddle between the two peaks:

and that little blob in this picture is me heading up to Torreys, the second peak:

Here's my brother, BG, and I at the top of Torreys:

and here is the view from Torreys. You really do feel like you're on top of the world.

And best of all, we were heading down the mountain by noon (unlike our hike on Quandary where we started out too late and had a dangerous close encounter with lightning!).

Back from Yellowstone

2011-06-29T23:28:00.000-07:00

We've arrived back in civilization (i.e., Denver) after our camping trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We had a great time and saw the most amazing things... but we also froze our tails off, with night-time temperatures in the 20s and 30s.

The fire ring at our campsite was buried under 3 feet of snow. (No fires for the first few days!) To add insult to injury, there was no hot water or heat in the bathrooms.

But despite the hardships, we would do it all over again in a heart beat. (At least Karl and I would - I'm not so sure about the girls!)

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip:

Riverside Geyser

Bottom of Lower Falls (from the Uncle Tom trail)

Mama grizzly with two cubs, after crossing the road

Brown bear in the trees

Palette Springs

Tower Falls

Fox running near the road

Bison grazing in a meadow

Bison along the road

Great Fountain Geyser

Grand Prismatic Spring

Yellow-bellied marmot who came out to wish us farewell on our way out of Yellowstone

Grand Tetons

Grand Tetons reflected in Jackson Lake

Off to Yellowstone

2011-06-10T20:54:00.001-07:00

...and Salt Lake City, the Grand Tetons, Denver, and Breckenridge. I hope to make a few posts chronicling our adventures from the road.

In the meantime, here are a couple random projects from the past couple of months. First, a Mother's Day card. I found this sentiment (originally from Tiny Prints) on a the Holiday Snobs blog. I loved the saying so much that I turned it into a house card using stamps and scrapping supplies:

The next project was for my niece, who was a speaker at her high school graduation. I didn't get a photo of the final product (it looked much cuter with a title and some of these Ditto tabs sticking out). I really wanted to get a Smash Book, but they weren't available yet, so I just used a composition book. My niece is a writer and she seemed to truly like it.

There was one other graduation this spring: Charlotte graduated from her elementary school, where she has attended since Pre-K. She's moving on from her small charter school to the public middle school, where the just 7th grade class alone is as big as her whole previous school.

Here is Charlotte with her dad:

and my favorite shot, a candid of the girls jumping off the stage:

Pinteresting Stuff

2011-04-14T21:49:00.001-07:00

I have a new internet addiction: Pinterest. It's a virtual "bulletin" or "inspiration board", where you can "pin" all kinds of images that you find on the Web. But besides pinning your own images, you can see what others are pinning. It's the best visual feast on the internet!

There are lots of decorating images, like these:

Do It Yourself ideas like these:

Crafts like these:

Quotes:

And other just plain interesting or silly stuff like this:

You can pin your own finds (with a link to the original source) or re-pin others' finds. You can also "follow" people's pin boards.

Another interesting find (via Pinterest, of course) is TradHome online magazine:

It's a free, 344-page online magazine that is a collaboration between Traditional Home magazine and Lonny magazine. It's a more modern take on traditional style that is a pleasure to look at.

Back in the Saddle

2011-03-09T21:58:00.000-08:00

I'm back in the saddle! Literally, because I've started horseback riding again after almost 30 years. Figuratively, because I'm finally blogging again after 5 months.

In fact, I've been spending so much time outdoors that I haven't scrapbooked at all. I want to change that, but realistically, it won't be real soon. Spring break is in a few weeks, then Karl has his every-seven-year sabbatical with Intel this summer. We're going to travel and visit some of the national parks, like Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Park. All in all, we will be gone for over a month.

Here's some photos of what I've been doing all this time. This is me on Annie, a 4-year old quarter horse:

Annie was a rescue horse that had been destined for the slaughter house at just 2 years old. She was saved by the Luv Shack, and trained by Taylermade Equestrian Services, where I am riding. The Luv Shack recently found Annie a permanent home. I hope it is a good one!

Here I am on the ground. If you look closely, I am wearing spurs, for the first time ever!

When I'm not riding or running, I try to climb Squaw Peak. It's a 1,300 ft. climb at a pretty steady incline. It's such a good feeling when you reach the summit, though. Here are a couple of self-portraits from the top:

Unfortunately, the yellow cloud hanging over the city in this picture is pollution:

Yum!

2010-10-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

I thought I would be safe mentioning my birthday after it was over. But I underestimated my sweet friend and neighbor, Alice. Six hours after she heard about my birthday, she was down with this deliciously decadent chocolate cake:

Alice has been taking a pastry class, so this tasted even better than it looks. I'm fortunate to have such a wonderful neighbor who shares her baking talent, even if it is hard on my willpower.

Scrapbooking has taken a bit of a back seat to starting a web design business lately. But I will be back at it soon -- I still have lots of photos of our Colorado vacation to scrap, such as these:

Christmas Gifts

2010-09-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

With fall on the way (or here, in some places), I'm starting to think about the holidays -- even Christmas. I like to give photo gifts to grandparents, who really don't feel the need for any more "things".

Here's a super-fast mini album I did last year. I found a wallet size photo album at Michael's with the right initial and altered it a bit. Then I took scans of layouts that I already had on my hard drive, put them with some quick text inpsired by the Live Good book, and slipped them into the photo album. Voila! Done in about an hour. And if you make multiple copies, even less per album!

On a few pages, I slipped in just photos.

Now I need to decide what to do for this year. I think I may get out my soldering iron and try some photo jewelry, similar to this:

Calendars are also great gift, because they combine a scrapbook with something that is used daily. Designer Digitals has basic calendar grids (and is having a sale right now!) and Two Peas In A Bucket has some adorable mini calendars.

And if you really want easy, Heritage Makers has pre-designed calendar templates -- just pop your photos in, tweak the design (if desired), and the calendar is sent to you (or directly to the recipient). It doesn't get much easier than that!

Or you can roll your own and print them at home like I did a couple of years ago using 8.5 x 11 paper and a combination of paper and digital scrapping. One of the nice things about this is that when the year is over, you can take the calendar tops and slip them right into your scrapbook.

Ready for Halloween

2010-09-07T10:10:00.001-07:00

We're ready for Halloween earlier than we've ever been, thanks to the Happy Howl-loween digital stamp set at Digital Doodles.

You may recall my earlier post about candy buffets, where I said I was looking for an excuse to create one. Well, I found it -- Halloween! We have to have a party now!

The glass containers are ones that I had around the house (mostly from Ikea). I found the adorable Halloween gems in the glasses at Pier1. I also covered a message holder with the Happy Howl-loween pumpkin stamp to make it Halloween themed. Now all I have to do is keep the kids from eating all the candy for two months...

Fall Is in the Air

2010-09-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air. (Well, sort of -- lows are in the 70's now instead of the 90's.) But there is a wonderful, refreshing coolness in the air in the mornings and evenings that makes Halloween seem not all that far away. Digital Doodles latest multi-stamp kit, 'Happy Howl-loween', which will be on sale next Tuesday, is a great way to get a jump on the preparations.

I used the kit to make this Halloween banner. The kids like it so much that I am going to leave it up until Halloween, even though it is a bit early.

Here is the full kit:

I also have to mention two other kits that I used to create this : the Bubble Bubble digital kit by Betsy Tuma (for the paper) and the Banner Die Cuts kit by Liana Lamb (to cut the banner shapes). The die cuts kit contains files that you can use with a Silhouette or Cricut to cut wonderfully detailed, layered banners.

Check back next week for another project using the Happy Howl-loween kit -- something involving candy that I have always wanted to try!

A Card Set

2010-08-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

This week Digital Doodles released a set of sentiment stamps to match their previously released images. This makes creating cards even easier, since you can select a sentiment to compliment the doodle perfectly.

Here's a set of 4 cards I made using some of the doodles and matching sentiments:

I especially love the round sentiments -- they are such a fun design element on the cards!

I changed the background color of the round sentiments and added some digital "stitching" around them using Photoshop brushes. I used the "Round and Round" brushes by Rhonna Farrer, which appears to no longer be available. Fortunately, however, similar brush sets can be found here and here.

Back to School

2010-08-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

With the kids back in school, I have my days free again. I have no problem filling this time up, however. I just signed up today to be a lunch duty aide at my daughter's middle school. Brave or foolish? Not sure which! But hopefully it will give me a feel for the middle school environment, as I did not go to a big middle school. (Besides, that was so long ago, it wouldn't really count anyway!)

Back to school is also the theme of the latest Digital Doodles stamp, 'Pencil It In'. Kathy asked us to create a project this time, and I'm pretty happy with the results (if I do say so myself). I made some decorated paper clips, binder clips, and stickers for a teacher's gift. If you're interested in school-themed projects, check out some of the others on Kathy's blog -- there are decorated school supplies, more teacher's gifts, and cute lunch box notes.

Latest Digital Doodles

2010-08-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

Whew! We're back from vacation, the kids have started school, and it's time to share my latest Digital Doodles card, which uses the 'Party Hats' stamp:

This is another super-versatile stamp: it can be used together (like I did) or separated, and is perfect for birthdays or any other kind of celebration.

If you a love Kathy Martin's adorable stamps and would enjoy creating with them, she is having a design team call! Check it out here.

E Is for Elephant

2010-08-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

'E Is for Elephant' is the name of the latest Digital Doodles stamp from Kathy Martin. This little elephant just makes me happy! Like most of Kathy's stamps, it can be used so many different ways. I used a circus theme to make a baby card:

We're still in Colorado, but now high up in the mountains in Breckenridge. Yesterday we hiked our second 'Fourteener' (peak above 14,000 feet). It was quite an adventure, including a close encounter with lightning. Full story and photos to come soon!

Cooling Down

2010-08-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

During these hot summer days, Kathy Martin's new Digital Doodle stamp 'Double Scoop' will help you cool down (mentally at least!) Even better, the top scoop of this adorable little cone is separate, so you can add as many additional scoops as you would like. Here's my card using the 'Double Scoop' stamp:

Fortunately for us, we are cooling down literally as well as mentally. The girls and I have been in Colorado for the past week and a half visiting my parents. It has gotten up to 90 a couple of days, but compared to 115, that's cool. This week, we are really cooling down up in the mountains, where the highs are in the low 70's.

We discovered during our visit that Colorado has a professional soccer team, so we had to take Charlotte to go see her first major league soccer game. On our way up to the game, we stopped at the Colorado Department of Transportation's 100th anniversay celebration, where they happened to have face painting as one of the activities. It just seemed natural to have Charlotte put on her 'game face':

We really enjoyed the game, despite the fact that a few fans had the infamous vuvuzelas that were such a annoyance at the World Cup games. This is my favorite shot of the game action. The goalie was unsuccessful in blocking the free kick, as you can see by the ball in the lower left corner of the net:

2010-07-19T00:39:00.000-07:00

I don't have any new cards or layouts, so I thought I'd share some other cute things I've found recently. First is this cake from Better Homes & Gardens:

It's made from upholstery foam and felt -- how clever is that?!?

The next item is also a type of cake: cupcakes . I love the cuteness of cupcakes, but not the calories. Here is a way to recycle some old sweaters and make a calorie-free 'cupcake' at the same time:

The book above by Betz White can be found on Amazon. There's also an online tutorial for similar cupcakes here.

This pincushion is similar and just as cute. Instructions for it can be found here.

And lastly, here's a photo of Charlotte from today:

Her class had a "Come as Your Favorite Despereaux Character" party after they finished the book. But Charlotte would like to have her beanie back, so I had to capture this before I dismantle it.

Dog Days of Summer

2010-07-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Wow -- has it really been over two weeks since my last post?!? I've been running around getting Sophie and Charlotte ready for camp. At least the kids went up to higher elevations to escape the heat -- our lows are in the 90s!

I have been doing some creating, though. This first card is uses the newest Digital Doodles stamp, Little Lamb. The lamb's wool is actually French knots made with fuzzy yarn. It sounds terribly time consuming, but it really wasn't!

This card uses two of the previously released stamps, Party Banner and Happy Bird Day:

I've been itching to do some layouts, too, but haven't found the time. In addition to having the girls home, I am making a big push to purge around the house and start some web design/development. I am hoping web design can be my next "job" -- hopefully one that will allow me to be creative and work at home.

Two Digital Doodles Cards

2010-06-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

I've fallen behind in my posting, so I have two new Digital Doodles cards to share:

Flutterbug

Fur-ever Friend

I've decided that this summer is dedicated to getting my house in order. When you are (or were), a working mom, who also happens to be a 'keeper' married to another 'keeper', things tend to accumulate. So I am purging everywhere. I even made the decision to get rid of most of my scrapbook supplies and start over with a fresher, leaner collection. I slimmed down my paper quite a bit, although I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of all my old KI Memories and Scenic Route. I may be scheduling a round two...

The upside of all this was that I made a shopping trip to the biggest scrapbook store in the city. I was surprised to find out that they had converted a quarter of the store to fabrics and patterns. And not just any fabric, but Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Moda, and other hard-to-find designer fabrics. I was happy to find out where I can go for those. But on the other hand, it is another indicator that scrapbooking is coming down from it's peak. There seems to be blurring of lines between crafts and a lot more cross-craft inspiration -- which in the long run, has to be a good thing.

Cards and Candy Jars

2010-06-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

First, here is a new card using the latest digital stamp from Kathy Martin, Garden Mouse:

How sweet is that little mouse?!? I used the flower making technique I posted about earlier to make the ribbon petals in the flower, but cut the ribbon apart first.

For some other inspiration, here are some photos I came across while looking for ideas for those big glass jars that are so popular right now. Apparently using them in "candy buffets" is a big trend, especially at weddings.

Here is an example from event planner Amy Atlas that includes some other favorites of mine -- banners, labels, stripes, ribbon and happy colors:

I don't know what event I'm going to use a candy buffet for, but I'm determined to find one!

Beaches and Bathing Suits

2010-06-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

We just got back from California, where we spent an afternoon at the beach. Just about everyone there (except me) was wearing a bikini similar to the one in Kathy Martin's newest digital doodle, String Bikini:

While the California girls were running around in bikinis in the 72 degree (but breezy) weather, I was huddled on a beach towel wearing a jacket. That's what living in the desert will do for you.

We're having a relatively cool summer in the desert, which is wonderful, except that I can't take advantage of the weather for outdoor activities because of my collar bone. I hope to get the go ahead to resume normal activities soon.

China Adoption Page

2010-06-03T23:14:00.000-07:00

This is the last page I made for 'Rose', the little girl from tne Starfish Foster Home who was just adopted and is now home with her family in Georgia.

This is her visit to Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton). All Chinese adoptees visit the US Consulate here to complete their immigration paperwork just before they leave for home.

These photos bring back so many memories. We stayed in the same hotel (twice) and took our daughters' pictures on the same famous Red Couch (twice). Just for the fun of it, are Sophie and Charlotte's on the 'Red Couch' pictures:

Charlotte in 2000

(She's the crying one in red)

Sophie in 1999

Happy Bird Day

2010-06-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Just when I think that Kathy Martin can't possibly come up with anything as cute as the last stamp, she does it again! Here is a birthday card using her latest Digital Doodles stamp, Happy Bird Day:

If you get a chance, check out the rest of the design teams cards at Kathy's blog, Card-Blanc.

Meanwhile, school is barely out, and we've already sent kids off to camp. Charlotte is up in the mountains at a week-long soccer camp, and Sophie is on a 'red-eye' trip to Disneyland. (A day at Disney, sandwiched between two overnight bus trips). Definitely something designed for the young!

Handmade Flowers

2010-05-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

If you're a scrabooker, you know how popular handmade flowers are right now.

I recently came across a technique on Rhonna Farrer's blog that I was totally taken with. It involves melting polyester satin ribbon until it crinkles up to resemble flower petals. It was a bit time consuming, but the results are gorgeous. (I'm also hoping it will go much faster the second time around.)

Here are my results:

and here are the original instructions from Rhonna's blog.

The other thing I had to share was another card using Kathy Martin's Digital Doodles stamp. What's unusual about this card is that I didn't create it -- my 11-year old daughter, Charlotte, did.

After twisting her arm to get her to write thank-you notes for her birthday gifts, I turned her loose in my scraproom. (I gave her some pre-printed cards, but she wanted to make her own.) I came upstairs later to find this:

She had found a print-out that I had used to paper piece the card I made in the previous post, and used it to create her own card. Further proof of how Kathy's adorable designs appeal to everyone!

Tweet Retreat Card

2010-05-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a card using the latest Digital Doodles stamp, 'Tweet Retreat':

Is that stamp just adorable or what?

I've got to keep my posts short for awhile... After my latest X-ray, I am under strict orders not to use my right arm at all. Fortunately, I am left handed, but it's amazing how hard it is to do things with only one hand. I'm hoping that if I'm really good for the next two weeks, it will all be over and I can get back to doing the things I love (like hiking and scrapbooking!)

A Card and A Cake

2010-05-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a card using the latest adorable Digital Doodles release, 'Field Flowers':

For this card, I filled the flowers in in Photoshop, which was a quick and easy way to get the colors to match the patterned paper.

Kathy Martin, the Digital Doodles designer, always posts all of the design team cards, along with lots of other great cards and give-aways, on her blog. It's well worth a visit!

My other crafty endeavor this weekend was a soccer birthday cake for Charlotte's 11th birthday. I don't think cake decorating is going to replace paper crafting for me anytime soon, but I did want to share the results:

I've never baked a birthday cake for either of my girls, so I made up for lost time by getting ambitious and biting off a pretty elaborate one. The soccer ball turned out a little rough. (It just looks more authentic, like it's been kicked around on the field a bit, right?)

It was Charlotte's idea to have the goalies hold up the birthday message. She even made the signs herself:

I have to give a lot of credit and thanks to my mom, who was a huge help, since I was doing this with one arm! And to Parenting Magazine, where the original idea came from. Click here for detailed instructions.

Too Much Fun on Mother's Day

2010-05-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a card using the latest Digial Doodles stamp, 'Meowy Messenger':

How cute is that little kitty?!? And the message area makes it so easy to make a great card!

It's a little harder if you only have one arm, though... which is now the case with me, since I had a little too much fun on Mother's Day -- I managed to break my collar bone in a bicycling accident. A piece of advice for those who (like me!) are not smart enough to realize this ahead of time: Don't follow the kids on their off-road bike course!

Another Waiting Baby Page

2010-05-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

I made one more page for "Rose", the little girl in the Starfish foster home. (Who is now truly at home with her forever family.) And who will soon have a 45-page Heritage Makers book documenting her time at Starfish, including this page of her first three Halloween's:

It's such a joy to look through her whole book and see the pages contributed by different scrappers with different styles.

And because it's getting hot here, this article on iced coffee recipes from Home Made Simple really caught my eye.

I'm trying to cut back on my Starbuck's consumption, with varying degrees of success. (Sometimes you feel like it's been a rough day and you deserve an iced mocha. At least, that's what I tell myself.) I doesn't help that Charlotte has developed her own (caffeine-free) Starbucks habit, thanks to a friend. The moral of the story: watch those trips to Starbucks with kids, unless you want to develop your own little Starbucks afficiando!

More Digital Doodles Stamps

2010-05-04T11:03:00.001-07:00

I've been busy this weekend! I went to a crop on Saturday (National Scrapbook Day), where I made this page using the new Digital Doodles stamp, Home Sweet Home. I've been wanting to do a page about my neighborhood for quite awhile, and this stamp was perfect for that:

I also made a baby boy gift bag using the K Is for Kite stamp, which coordinates with the baby boy card I made earlier:

I have to give my husband credit -- while I was out scrapping, he took the girls to their soccer try-outs and flew kites with them. I think I see another page using the kite stamp in my future!

Science Fair

2010-05-01T00:37:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a couple of scrapbook and card projects, but I've spent most of my week helping Charlotte finish her science project. She did most of it herself, but there was still plenty for us parents to do. Here she is performing her experiment:

and her she is with the rocket launcher her dad built for her out of PVC pipe and rubber bands:

Sometimes I wonder if our kids' science projects aren't a little more involved than most because they have two engineers for parents...

Scrapping for Waiting Children

2010-04-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

A week ago, I got an e-mail from a friend looking for volunteers to make digital scrapbook pages for children waiting to be adopted in China. With my background, I couldn't say no.

But I didn't realize just how rewarding this would be. I am totally taken with this charity, called Starfish. (See their website here and their blog here.) It's run by an South African living in Xian, China who takes care of children that the orphanages can't -- children with medical problems like spina bifida, cleft palates, and heart conditions. Doctors volunteer their time to correct the children's problems, and many times the children are adopted. Not all of the children that she takes in survive -- but what a difference she is making to the children who do!

In fact, the name of the charity comes from a story with that theme:

The Starfish Thrower

Once upon a time there was a man
who used to go to the ocean to do his writing.
He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day he was walking along the shore.
As he looked down the beach
he saw a human figure moving like a dancer.
He smiled to himself
to think of someone who would dance to the day.
So he began to walk faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he saw that it was an older man

and the man wasn't dancing.
Instead he was reaching down to the shore,
picking up something
and very gently throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer he called out,
"Good morning! What are you doing?"
The older man paused, looked up and replied,
"Throwing starfish into the ocean."
The man noticed there were hundreds of starfish
all washed up on the beach

from a storm the night before.
He watched as the man carefully
continued to pick up the starfish one by one.
"I guess I should have asked,
‘Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?’"
"The sun is up and the tide is going out.
If I don't throw them in they'll die."
"But don't you realize
there are miles and miles of beach
and starfish all along it.
"You can't possibly make a difference!"
The older man listened politely.
He bent down, picked up another starfish
He looked at the starfish
as he prepared to throw it into the ocean,
past the breaking waves and said –
"I will make a difference to this one!"

The charity founder takes great photos, and by the time the child is adopted, she has quite a few. So volunteers put together scrapbooks for the children to take with them to their new homes. How I wish I had that for my daughters!

Here is a page I did recently for "Rose", going home soon to her 'forever family':

Since adopting again isn't feasible for us, this is a great way to make a small difference. Plus, getting to scrap pictures of these little cuties is it's own reward.

Clothes Line

2010-04-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

Digital Doodles has already released another new stamp, Darling Duds:

All of the Digital Doodles stamps are so adorable and versatile, but there is something extra sweet and appealing about clothes hanging on a line. I'm going to give this to a friend who is expecting a baby boy next month.

This time, instead of printing the stamp on patterned paper and piecing it together, I added the patterns in Photoshop before printing. (I didn't think my scissor skills were good enough to cut out the little clothing details by hand.) Both methods work great.

Next card, I am challenging myself to NOT use clouds. I've become addicted -- to the point where a project doesn't look complete without them! But I don't want ot have too much of a good thing (even cute fluffy clouds!).

Soar

2010-04-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

"Soar" is the sentiment on this graduation card using the new adorable Digital Doodles stamp, K Is for Kite:

It's also my unofficial motto this year, as I attempt to get back where I was (or better than I was!) before my cancer treatment. Yesterday I climbed a peak (1,200 ft. elevation gain), and today I ran for 35 minutes. Not to mention, my hair is growing back curly. (Yea!) So in a sense, the message on this card is for me as much as the recipient.

Scrapbook Convention

2010-04-16T09:10:00.001-07:00

I'm off to the scrapbook convention today! I'm really looking forward to it, even if it is like sending a recovering alcoholic into a bar, as my husband likes to say. But my stash could stand with a little "freshening", and there is just something about the energy of so many scrapbookers all in one place.

Digital Doodles has released another adorable digi stamp, as they do every week. Here is a card using the latest, the Spring Garden stamp. That bird bath is just the epitome of spring!

I already have the stamp to be released next week in my hands, and trust me, it is every bit as cute! Keep an eye out for it next Tuesday.

Mother's Day Card

2010-04-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

Digital Doodles has a new stamp every week, and I used the latest, this cute little "banner bird", to make a Mother's Day card:

I love the banner the bird is pulling that you can put your message on! So easy to use, and it just says spring.

Party Banner Birthday Card

2010-03-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

There are quite a few spring birthdays in our family... and the new Party Banner digital stamp (and the Song Bird stamp) from Kathy Martin at TwoPeasInABucket were perfect for a spring card:

Banners are all the rage right now, and this stamp is so versatile, since it can be re-sized and re-colored so easily. It would look great on a scrapbook page, too.

But I'll have to wait till I get home to try it, because we are still in Colorado skiing. I saw this bottle of Mountain Dew buried in the snow outside the restaurant at the top of the peak today, and I had to take a picture-- it was just too perfect:

Here is our little speed demon in her Mercury wing helmet, trying to "get some air":

and our girls and friend on the lift:

Playing in the Snow

2010-03-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

We're up in Colorado this week, playing in the snow. When you live in Arizona, playing in the snow is a major thrill. The kids literally spent all day Friday in their grandma's backyard, sledding and building snowmen.

Now we're up in the mountains skiing for a week. It's so much fun, but boy, are you tired at the end of the day!

Fortunately, the weather is great (sunny and not too cold), and the slopes are uncrowded. Spring skiing is definitely the way to go.

Here we are at the top of one of the ski runs, somewhere around 11,000 feet:

Digital Doodles

2010-03-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be asked to be part of Kathy Martin's 'Digital Doodles' design team at Two Peas in a Bucket.

'Digital Doodles' are digital 'stamps' that you can re-size and re-color on your computer, then print. So they are like traditional stamps, but even more versatile. And Kathy's designs are so fresh and cute.

Here is a birthday card I made using her Sweet Cake stamp:

I can't wait to see the next releases!

Birdie Thank You Cards

2010-03-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

As soon as I saw this cute little Hero Arts stamp when the new Hobby Lobby opened, I knew I had to have it to make thank you cards for the people who were so caring and supportive while I was sick. Since I was blessed to have so many caring people, I need to make quite a few of them, so they're on the simple side.

I actually got out my chalks, which I had not used in years. I have to say, I still like chalks. They are great for adding soft color in a flash (although I sure wouldn't mind giving some of the new Copic markers a try, for comparison!)

Jillibean Soup

2010-03-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

Jillibean Soup is a relatively new scrapbook paper company with such fun, whimisical designs.

I managed to track down some locally (thank goodness there is still one independent scrapbook store within reasonable distance!) and made this page about one of our favorite hiking areas:

I also made this card using one of the adorable lollipop trees:

Now I just need to get some of their new Old World Cabbage Stew collection and their corrugated alphabet, which is so cool and versatile. Here's a link to the Jillibean Soup blog, showing several of the ways the alphabet can be altered.

Blog Redesign

2010-03-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

While surfing around recently, I stumbled across Elizabeth Kartchner's adorable blog.
The moment I saw it, I said Yes! That's what I want my blog to look like! (Never mind that Elizabeth was Scrapbooker of the Year and her site was professionally done. And those cute little clothes are from her new collection for American Crafts).

Here is my attempt at a fun, whimsical feel like Elizabeth's. At least the redesign got me to fire up the new Photoshop CS4 that I got for my birthday. Even though I'm quite familiar with Photoshop Elements, there's still a pretty steep learning curve with Photoshop CS.

Just for fun, here are my previous blog headers, starting with the most recent. Although I love the photos in these, there's something fresh and clean about having more white space in the header.

Mother's Day Mini-Album

2010-03-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

"Mini-album" and "digital scrapbooking" don't seem to go together -- but they can, and easier than you might expect.

Here's a 6x6 swatch book mini-album that I made, printed up by Heritage Makers:

The sad part is, I have yet to see this album myself! This is a new product for Heritage Makers, and the album shown is a prototype. But it's now available as a standard product, so I will be ordering one soon. The screw can be removed and replaced by a ring or ribbon, and multiple books could be combined together, making it very versatile.

I'm glad I did this album, because it made me put down all the things I appreciate about my mom, but never say. I know it would make me feel good as a mom! In fact, my daughter Sophie gave me a little treasure chest full of paper slips, each one with something she loves about me, to cheer me up when I've had a bad "mom day". They are crying to be put into an album like this.

There is also a brighter version of the same design in the Heritage Makers' template gallery, suitable for teens to give to their mom:

There's one other new Heritage Makers product I have to mention, not just because I'm affiliated with them, but because I think it's unique and a great thing for scrapbookers. This is an 8x20 "gallery wrapped canvas" (designed by Lynda Angelastro of Heritage Makers). It's canvas, wrapped and mounted around a wood frame so that it stands out one inch from the wall:

It also comes 20x8 (horizontal), as well as in square sizes. I'm thinking of using the horizontal size for a set of 3 of my favorite layouts (digi or paper). That way I don't have to frame them all separately and I can still keep them in my album.

Also notice how Lynda converted the photos to black and white, and then gave each a slight color tint. A very cool effect that could be used in any layout!

Date Your Camera

2010-02-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

I've realized lately that many of my best photos were taken in the past, during my photography class. It wasn't so much the class itself (excellent as it was), as the fact that I HAD to shoot photos to complete the assignments.

Then today I saw this "date your camera" workshop. It seems like an excellent way to motivate me to shoot photos. Plus it's free, low stress, and you can see the photos that others took. I'm in!

Here's some of the better photos from a recent kayaking trip. It was a very overcast day, so there wasn't a lot of contrast in the colors.

Valentine Layout

2010-02-20T11:37:00.001-08:00

Here is a digital layout I did using one of Hillary Heidelberg's final templates. Unfortunately, Hillary has closed her store at Scrapbook Graphics due to family commitments. I will miss being inspired by her clean, well-designed templates.

I actually did "love" script myself, using my Wacom tablet for the first time for handwriting.

A New 'Do

2010-02-18T21:10:00.001-08:00

Charlotte and her aunt made a deal: they would both cut off their hair on the same weekend and donate it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, to be used in wigs for cancer patients.

Charlotte couldn't get in to the hairdresser's the same weekend as her aunt, but she did eventually have 10 inches taken off (with plenty of hair left to spare).

Charlotte's hair has not been this short since her baby hair originally grew out. In fact, her long pony tail was one of her trademark features.

So imagine our surprise when her shorter hair turned out to suit her so well. It's swingy and has much more body. And an added bonus: it looks great under a soccer beanie! (More on that to come in another post.)

Here is the full effect:

And here is a photo of Charlotte with her new short 'do on the trampoline, just because she thinks this is a cool picture:

And lastly, here is a video done by a gal in Portland as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness:

Pink Glove Dance

It's fun to watch and is done to Charlotte's most favorite song in the world right now, Down by Jay Sean. When the video reaches one million hits, the glove company will make a sizable donation to cancer research.

Sports Photography

2010-01-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

Since we're the parents with the fancy photography equipment, always out there shooting pictures at games, we have become the unofficial team photographers.

Here's one of the items we will be giving the girls along with their trophies at the end of the season: a "players card", similar to pro players cards that are traded among fans:

Now I've got to put the individual and team composites together, and decide if/how much to charge.

Back to Normal Life

2010-01-11T20:36:00.001-08:00

Now that all my treatments are done, I'm trying to get back to my normal life. That includes returning to Hillary Heidelberg's digital creative team at ScrapbookGraphics. It feels great to be creating with Hillary's awesome templates again! Here are two pages from the latest template sets:

I love how quick and easy it is to get photos scrapped using these templates.

Christmas Day

2010-01-01T14:53:00.001-08:00

We had one of Charlotte's friends and her family over on Christmas day. Here are a couple of quick digital pages of the event I threw together for each of the girls to have. There's a lot to be said for just scrapping your photos right away and getting it done!

The girls got a big kick out of the pages. I think even they realize it's better than having a bunch of prints that may or may not get into an album.

This and That

2009-12-29T22:55:00.001-08:00

It's a little early for Mother's Day, but since that is what I have been scrapping lately, I decided to share a couple of favorite pages from a recent "Things I Love About You" mini album I made for Heritage Makers:

The mini album will be appearing in the Heritage Makers catalog and template gallery in February.

Here a few shots from Sophie's birthday and Christmas day, including the perfect present for a soccer girl, her very own backyard goal: :

Christmas Card 2009

2009-12-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

This year's Christmas cards are finally off to the printer, hopefully ready in time to reach the recipients before Christmas.

I didn't have time for a family photo this year, so the front is photo-less:

Since the card is a tri-fold, there is an inner cover as well:

which opens to a 3-panel interior:

I really wanted to let the pictures do most of the talking, although there is a short write-up of our year.

I have to say, you just can't beat digital Christmas cards!

Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking

2009-12-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Charlotte was the 'Timex' soccer player this weekend -- she "took a licking and kept on ticking". Her team was in a tournament this weekend, playing four games in two days. And boy did she take a licking.

One team especially had huge players -- some as big as me. The goalie for our team took one looked at them and wailed, "THEY'RE NOT 10!"

You're always biased when it's your child, but I'm positive Charlotte hit the ground more than any other player in the tournament -- often flying through the air first. We weren't able to get any pictures of her actually in the air, but here is one of her just after she was hit by a "10-year old" on the other team (nicknamed 'Tiny", with great irony).

But her team managed to come in second in the tournament. I was most proud of her in the final championship game. Most of her team's offensive line got tired and discouraged and just gave up. But Charlotte stepped up and was all over the field, supporting defense and offense, like a good midfielder is supposed to.

She did start falling apart once we got home, however. She was tired, bruised and sore. It's a good thing tournaments are only a couple of times a season.

All Hallow's Eve

2009-11-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

This year's Halloween costumes were a far cry from last year's homemade ones. It took all the energy I had just to pull together candy and some store-bought costumes. But that didn't stop the kids from having a great time.

Charlotte's sumo wrestler costume had a built-in fan to give her extra bulk. And Sophie's was recycled from a previous year, but still looked great on her.

I even managed to make one of the mushrooms that were featured in Martha Stewart's magazine. The flat pumpkins were a little harder to find than I expected, so we just had one mushroom instead of a whole patch.

The Best Camera...

2009-10-29T00:47:00.000-07:00

Is the One That's With You

In addition to being a great quote, this is the title of a cool little 6"x6" book, The Best Camera Is the One That's with You, by Chase Jarvis.

All the photos in the book were taken by Chase on his iPhone. Granted, Chase isn't your average cell phone photographer. But his book is inspiring for it's examples of photos that are not digital SLR sharp, but do a great job of evoking a feeling or mood. It makes me want to quit blowing off my cell phone camera and actually use it! Chase did post-process some of his photos in his iPhone app (which is conveniently for sale for $2.99), but I still think it's impressive that he didn't use Photoshop or any other high-end photo software.

Some of the photos remind me of photos taken with old film cameras. There is a school of thought that says that imperfect photos taken with old film cameras (like those from the old Brownie cameras) actually capture the "truth" of the subject more than today's super high-res, exact-replica cameras. (Some examples of Brownie photos.)

Here are a few examples from his book that especially caught my eye:

In addition, there are several quotes from the book that I think are classics:

There's an old adage in photojournalism: "f/8 and be there." Now we don't even have to remember the "f/8 part".

If you don't think you can take a picture of something with a certain camera, you're playing by the rules.

People usually ignore the camera that's built into your phone because they consider it useless. That comes in handy.

The dirtiest secret in photography: shoot a hell of a lot of pictures to get the ones you want.

Taking It Up a Notch

2009-10-15T00:24:00.000-07:00

Until recently, I'd never even heard the term 'club soccer'. Basically, it means you belong to a soccer 'club': an organization with several soccer teams that play teams from other clubs. You must try out and the play is competitive, complete with rankings and (occasionally) swinging elbows.

Charlotte is the smallest one on her team, but surprisingly, one of the fastest. She plays 'center midfield', which means she runs up and down the field a whole lot, playing some of both offense and defense. Midfielders generally don't get the glory that forwards do -- but as I keep reminding her, David Beckham plays midfield.

Club soccer is a larger commitment as well. There are hour and a half practices twice a week, with games or tournaments almost every Saturday, year round.

But she loves it. These are her kind of girls -- athletic, energetic, and physical. (As opposed to most of the girls at school, whose main interest is fashion.) And she never complains about soccer practice (in stark contrast to violin practice!)

Photos courtesy of Min Mar

I am apparently a perfect example of the cliche 'soccer mom', because I actually enjoy going to all those games and practices!

So Much Support

2009-10-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't wanted to bore blog readers with my health issues, but I had to share this gorgeous layout that my friend Deanna created. It appeared on the Marks Paper Company blog (where Deanna is a designer) for Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

12x12 Digital Layout Created by Deanna Kroll

I have been so humbled by all the support I have received during my treatment -- Deanna's beautiful layout, my niece's running in the Komen Race for the Cure (in a t-shirt with my name on it), my sister-in-law donating her hair in my honor, my parents coming to stay during the duration of my treatment... Not to mention all the prayers, calls, e-mails, meals, and other help and support our family has received.

It has made such a difference, both practically and emotionally. I could not have done it without you all!

(Sorta) Feels Like Fall

2009-09-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Temperatures have (finally!) dropped below 100 here . So -- I'm officially switching to fall. I've changed my blog header... And I plan to decorate my yard with some of these adorable pumpkin "mushrooms" from the cover of this month's Martha Stewart Living magazine.

I may be living in the desert, but I can at least pretend like it's fall! (No matter that we're still wearing shorts, and sweaters are a couple of months away...)

Overscheduled

2009-09-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

As the kids get older, it's increasingly difficult to keep track of all the activities going on. So I made a white board calendar using scrapbook supplies. It's large, in a central location, and each family member has their own color.

I don't know if it will solve all our scheduling problems, but at least it's cute to look at!

Oldies but Goodies

2009-08-27T02:08:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't been creating much lately, I thought I'd post a few oldies (but hopefully goodies) that I haven't posted before.

Here are a few rare layouts about me. (Who knows -- someone may want to know these things someday... )

This one I did because it's easier to grasp how how many different places my family lived when I was growing up when you see it visually. (Not to mention, my brothers don't even remember everywhere that we lived anymore!) You can imagine how hard it is to answer the ubiquitious "Where are you from?" question. I finally came up with the answer "All over". It's short and accurate, even if further explaination is sometimes required.

This layout I did because I just love the cool template from Hillary Heidelberg and the adorable digital coffee kit by Kasia Designs (which unfortunately, appears to have been retired):

50 Years of Marriage

2009-08-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

These days, 50 years of marriage is quite an accomplishment. I am proud of my parents to making it so far. I know it hasn't always been easy, but it's been worth it!

Right now, they are here to help us through my chemotherapy. It's not the best circumstances in which to celebrate a milestone anniversary, so we are saving the real celebration for this Christmas, when everyone's healthy and all the kids and grandkids can be there.

In the meantime, we kids did get together to arrange to have an anniversay gift delivered on their actual anniverary: eight dessert place settings of china that they can use at bridge parties. It's something they've been wanting for awhile. They weren't planning on fine china, but if a 50th wedding anniversary doesn't deserve a special gift, I don't know what does! And design-wise, I just love those round boxes that the place settings came in!

Happy Anniversay, Mom and Dad, and best wishes for many more!

Business Cards and Brochures

2009-08-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

Last week, I got a call about a actual job involving web design, graphic design, and brochures! They asked for a portfolio (including at least two brochures) which caught me a little bit off-guard. I am expanding my skills to include web/graphic design as well as web programming, but my "portfolio" is a admittedly little thin as yet.

Here is what I can claim as my portfolio so far (excluding scrapbook designs):

Brochure Cover	Business Card

Giveaway Mini Album

Plus a couple of cards I have done for others:

Guess I'd better get to work and develop some other brochures and a website or two if I really want to pursue this.

The Agony of Not Running

2009-07-24T23:45:00.000-07:00

The title of this post also happens to be the title of an article in the August issue of Runner's World Magazine. It's ironic, because the reason I bought the magazine in the first place is because I'm frustrated by not being able to run... So it is the perfect issue for me.

Unfortunately, running is not the only thing I have not been able to do much of lately. Scrapbooking has taken a back seat as well. Since I have a limited amount of energy, I am focusing what energy I do have doing activities with my girls.

Here is a fun craft project we did we did with our neighbors before Charlotte and I went to DC. The most amazing thing about these little purses is that each girl made it completely by herself, from picking out her own fabric "fat quarters" to cutting and stitiching with the sewing machine.

(Teddy in bunny ears not included.)

Fantastic Friends Book for Tweens

2009-07-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked to do a small 7x5" book template for Heritage Makers. This book is designed to showcase the relationship between a pre-teen girl and her friends. And of course it's perfect for my own little pre-teen, who is moving on next year to a middle school that is different from where the rest of her friends will be going. Here are a few of my favorite pages:

You can view the whole book here.

Charlotte's Trip to Washington, DC

2009-07-12T00:18:00.000-07:00

Wow -- It's been almost a month since my last post! In my defense, I have been unusually busy with doctor's appointments and (much more fun!), a trip to Washington, DC.

My brother and sister-in-law started the tradition that when each niece turns 10, they travel to stay with them in Washington, DC. They live on Capitol Hill, within walking distance of the Capitol, so it's a real immersion in Washington culture (not to mention a great learning experience).

Charlotte is the fifth and last niece to follow the tradition. After hosting four other girls, my brother and sister-in-law are experts at children's tours. The trip centers around the girl -- we adults just get to come along as chaperones.

Here are a just a few highlights from Charlotte's awesome trip:

Charlotte with her aunt and uncle in front of the Washington Monument:

The Capitol the evening of July 4th:

Charlotte and a Revolutionary soldier:

Charlotte on the steps of the Supreme Court:

Inside of the Capitol dome:

Spiral staircase inside the Supreme Court:

Free Photo Editing Class

2009-06-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

If you're a photographer and/or digital scrapbooker, there is a free online class coming up from Jessica Sprague:

Jessica's very well respected in the digital scrapbooking world for her PhotoShop and design skills. And how often do you get to take a quality class for free??

Registration starts here Monday, and the class starts July 6. You can use PhotoShop or PhotoShop Elements for the class, and if you don't have either one, Jessica tells you where you can download a free trial version.

Another Father's Day Card

2009-06-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is another Father's Day card I did, this time for my dad:

Front:

Inside:

Back:

We've been very lucky here -- it's the middle of June, and the highs are only in the 80's and 90's. We can even go to Charlotte's soccer practices and sit outside comfortably! We'll see how long it lasts...

Interviews

2009-06-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

Karl is on his way to Portland, Oregon to interview with the Intel fab there. Part of me thinks moving to Portland would be exciting, and the other part dreads the effort it would take to move. Plus, while I definitely wouldn't miss the heat, I would miss the sun. On the up side, Oregon is supposed to be great for kayaking and outdoor activites, and is known for their vibrant crafting community.

I couldn't resist posting these new folders. They were a totally frivilous purchase, but make me smile whenever I use them.

Father's Day Card

2009-05-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't been doing much scrapbooking lately, unfortunately, due to my surgery and the recent tragedy involving the drowning of a family friends' son. But I did do a couple of digital Father's Day cards, such as this one here:

Cover:

Inner cover:

Inside (3-panels):

A fellow scrapbooker recently asked if she could feature one of my layouts on her camping blog. I said Yes, because I think it's a pretty cool blog, with some really useful information if you camp:

http://rjnbenterprises.blogspot.com/

Charlotte's 15 Seconds of Fame (with Taylor Swift!)

2009-05-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Charlotte's not mentioned by name either, but she was on the local news this morning as part of the Taylor Swift concert coverage. Taylor came down the aisle of our section at the concert, and a kind lady offered to pick Charlotte up to get her closer to Taylor. Charlotte said "Hi, Taylor!", and Taylor came over and put her arm around her.

I have to say, I love what a good role model Taylor is. The fame doesn't appear to have gone to her head at all, and she seems truly grateful to her fans. Plus the show was just to darn much fun!

I knew these photos from my camera phone would turn out lousy, but I totally under-estimated just how God awful they would actually be. But with the belief that (in this case at least) any photo is better than none:

You'll have to take my word for it that the bright spot to the left of the girl in the yellow dress is Taylor's blond hair. ;)

Karl's 15 Minutes of Fame

2009-05-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

It's not really fame, since he's nameless -- but Karl is featured on Heritage Makers Father's Day flyer. That's him, on the book in back (one of my designs). I didn't know he was on the flyer until a friend told me. Not a big deal, but still kind of fun!

Sophie graduated yesterday from 6th grade, tonight we go to see Taylor Swift in concert, and next Tuesday is my surgery. Busy times!

10th Birthday

2009-05-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, for Charlotte's 10th birthday, we went to the biggest amusement park in the state. (Which isn't saying much, compared to other places!) But we had a great time.

Charlotte went on the big double-loop roller coaster once, but Sophie went over and over, for as many times as she could squeeze in.

Here's Charlotte looking somewhat terrified in the front car of "Desert Storm":

Here's Sophie looking a lot more relaxed in the same car:

and here's the birthday girl on a slightly less intense ride:

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-05-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

Spring is a hectic time around our house -- there are reports, overnight field trips, school plays, and science projects. Charlotte went on a 3-day field trip to Kartchner Caverns, and Sophie was (one of several) Juliette's in her class "Shakespeare in the Park" production.

Charlotte, her grandfather, and I took some time out to go shoot pictures of the Dave Chihuly glass sculpture exhibit at the botanical gardens. Charlotte was a hit with the other attendees, doing whatever it took to get the shot, including lying on the ground. (I wonder who she gets that from...)

Here is a digital layout using some of my photos and a template from Studio Hillary at Scrapbook Graphics:

Cafe Press

2009-04-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying that I didn't put my work on Cafe Press because I thought it was so good that it just had to have a larger audience. It was a requirement for my design class, to get some experience in selling our work.

But I have to say, I do like this design on this yellow and black messenger bag. The color schemes fit so well together:

I may put the "Catfish" tesselation on some pet food bowls, too -- it's such a perfect fit!

The Desert Museum

2009-04-18T22:47:00.001-07:00

Here is proof that fun was had on the Girl Scout camp out a few weeks ago, despite the drama.

I had forgotten how lush the desert is in Tucson. It really was beautiful, and we got to get up close and personal with a lot of different animals.

This layout uses another great template from Hillary Heidelberg at Scrapbookgraphics.

Transitioning to SAHM

2009-04-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

In 'message board' speak, SAHM stands for 'Stay at Home Mom'. I knew I would love being a SAHM, but I didn't realize the time and effort that would be involved in transitioning from a WOHM (Work Outside the Home Mom) to a SAHM. There are the the outplacement evaluations, the 401K rollovers, the new budget... I can't wait for it to all be over so I can get to steady state again!

Here's a little card using last month's Addicted Scrapper's kit. The kit is going on hiatus for the summer and returning in the fall. So if you love unique, fun, handmade embellishments, check back in September. Susannah (the owner) does such a great job handmaking embellishments like fabric polka-dot mushrooms and the felt cherry branch on the 'Fresh' layout.

Oh, the Drama!

2009-03-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

The Girl Scout camp out was a contrast between great highs (campfires, singing, visiting the Desert Museum) and great lows (Girl #1 can't hang out with Girl #2 because her clique at school doesn't allow her to, Girls #3 - 6 are taking sides and reporting on the situation to the adults.)

If this is what it's like in 4th grade, God help us when we get to middle school! Charlotte, unfortunately is Girl #2. It isn't helping that she doesn't want to take no for an answer, but continues to go back for more rejection. Hopefully she learned something over the weekend, so that she can avoid these situations in the future.

Here's a layout of Charlotte during a happier time, using more of the Addicted Scrappers March kit:

New Layouts

2009-03-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post, since I am on my way to yet another Girl Scout camp out. (This one in a tent for two nights!)

Here are some pages using the Addicted Scrappers March kit. I just love these colors!

Girl Scout Camp

2009-03-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

One of (the many!) reasons that I haven't posted recently is that I was off at Girl Scout camp with Sophie. I had never been to camp as a kid, and I have to say, it was a blast. There were lots of games, crafts, silly songs, and hiking.

One of the crafts we did was tie dye, which I had never done before either. Luckily one of the other moms really knew her tie dye, and showed me how to make the sheet shown here. (The cool pants and T-shirt are hers.)

Sophie used a more traditional method:

Which resulted in this sheet:

We also had some friendly competition in "Olympic Games". Our team was the Yellow Team, so we came up with this banner:

I think the girls did a great job with it!

More Cute Animals

2009-02-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

Here's another layout of a cute animal using the Addicted Scrapper's February kit -- this time featuring our Australian Kelpie, Toni:

She really does look just like a fox!

In other news, our little soccer player (seen in the "Play Ball" layout a few posts back), scored the only goal of the game yesterday, allowing her team to win their first game this season!

"Cat-Fish" Tesselation

2009-02-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post my latest design class project, a tesselation. It took me forever, but in the end I'm pretty happy with it:

The word "tesselation" comes from the Latin word for tile. The positive and negative spaces are supposed to both be recognizable shapes that fit together. This type of tesselation was pretty much invented by M.C. Escher in the 1930's. Sky Water is one of his most well-known works:

I am having the best time in this class. I had seen the Sky Water before, but had no idea who did it or what it was all about.

March Addicted Scrappers Kit

2009-02-14T22:46:00.000-08:00

Here are some scrapbook pages I've wanted to do for quite a while, and the March Addicted Scrappers kit is perfect for them:

On the home front, we are still working away at home improvement. The stairs are almost done -- now just the pantry and coat closet are left. The boxes of laminate that have been sitting our living room for 2 years now will soon be gone!

Design Class

2009-02-05T11:23:00.001-08:00

This is the first project from my design class, which I am absolutely loving. When the teacher first saw this, she said I should be designing sheets for Sears (which I did not take as a compliment!) But later she apologized -- apparently she is from Chicago, and back in her day, that was quite a coveted job.

The shapes were derived from a pencil drawing I did, which was itself was derived by photocopying pieces of nature (branches and leaves, etc.) The colored paper is paint chips from Home Depot -- hence the stripes, which I actually like.

Two-Pagers

2009-02-03T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some 2-page layouts I have done based on Hillary Heidelberg's templates at Scrapbook Graphics. I love 2-pagers because you can capture so many more photos, and Hillary's templates are a quick, easy way to get them done with great results.

And last but not least, there is one more pet who is running for MVP to vote for!

Super Bowl Altar

2009-02-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

I have often teased my dad that the Super Bowl is the "High Holy Day of the Religion of Sport". This year I actually joined him, worshipping at our very own Super Bowl altar:

Now, I can't watch just any football team, even in the Super Bowl -- I have to have some connection to the team. This year, our hometown team was playing. They were the underdogs, in their first Super Bowl appearance ever.

So we got a bunch of food, some decorations, and invited some friends over. Our team didn't win, but it was one heck of a game!

America's Next Top {Canine} Model?

2009-01-27T19:48:00.000-08:00

A family member has two pets that are in Bissell's "Most Valuable Pet" (MVP) Photo contest. The winner will appear on Bissell product packaging.

Check out at these two contestants and see if you can resist voting for one of them. (The hard part for me was choosing between them, as you can only vote once!)

Here they are:

Vote for Wylie!

Vote for Annie!

What I'm Doing with My New-Found Time

2009-01-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm employment-free, I don't have an excuse for not exercising and losing those few extra pounds. So I've been hiking one of the local mountains at least twice a week, in between running. My favorite is Piestewa Peak, with an elevation gain of 1,190 feet. It's quite a workout, but exhilirating at the same time.

I also started my 2-D graphic design class at the community college. So far it has been a blast. I'm not sure which is more fascinating: the design material, or listening to the conversations of the fresh-out-of-high-school guys at my table.

One of the intesting things we're learning about is the Divine Ratio. I knew that the Divine Ratio (or Golden Mean) was used in Greek architecture. But I didn't know that it's the basis for the musical octave and is found through out nature. I may even have to read this book:

The Golden Ratio

Who knew design had a mathematical basis?

I'll also be creating scrapbook pages for the Addicted Scrapper's February kit. Just look at these adorable papers: Addicted Scrapper's Sneak Peak. I love those happy colors and can't wait to start playing with them!

I've also made a new Father's Day Storybook template for Heritage Makers which will be appearing in the Template Gallery soon:

More Valentine's Layouts

2009-01-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pages using the adorable January kit from Addicted Scrappers:

Next up: Some Valentine's cards and a Father's Day book for Heritage Makers, which is due Friday. Have I ever got some scrapping to get done!!

Addcited Scrappers' January Kit

2009-01-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to have Susannah at Addicted Scrappers ask me to do some pages for their January kit.

Susannah has really outdone herself with this kit! Notice the little bird (one of two in the kit) -- it is hand-made out of felt and is just adorable! Plus the Fancy Pants papers are absolutely luscious.

Now that the kids are back in school, I am starting to actually feel like I'm not working. It's been wonderful! I have so much more time for running, hiking, scrapbooking, seeing friends, after-school activities, and (last but not least!), my neglected blog.

Christmas Joy

2008-12-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

To be honest, I am too stressed getting ready for Christmas to be experiencing a whole lot of Christmas joy yet... But I'm sure it's coming!

Here's a quick digital Christmas page I put together for my calendar. (Yes, I'm just now getting December 2008 done!) I just ADORE that glitter tree from Jofia Designs at Shabby Pickle:

In other Christmas-related activities: I started my Christmas baking last week, and my cheapie 20-year old hand mixer burned up. I have a cookie exchange this weekend, so I'm trying to decide: Should I bite the bullet and invest in a KitchenAid mixer, or just get another cheap one? I went to Target today and checked them out. The others just seemed so flimsy compared to the KitchenAid. Boy is that baby solid! If you have any opinions, please chime in!

The End of an Era

2008-12-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the last day of my 20-year career with Honeywell. I've known about the "reduction in force" for an entire year, and I'd considered staying home for a long time. But the actual last day was still something of a shock. There's something so final about turning in your laptop and your badge and walking out the door for the last time... sort of like turning in a part of your identity. Twenty years is a lot of your life.

There was an informal going-away get-together in my cube on Thursday, thanks to Kathleen and her cupcakes. My cube was almost completely empty, except for these 3 awards above. Kathleen asked, "You're not leaving those, are you?!?" To which I replied, "Sure! I took already took my patent plaque. And you've seen my house -- do I look like a need any more stuff?"

But Kathleen later convinced me that I should at least photograph them before I get rid of them. After all, she said, they could be an inspiration to some child or grandchild. She's right, of course. How could I call myself a scrapbooker and not at least photograph them? So here they are!

I'm sure I'll recover from the shock of being unemployed just fine. I already have plans to get together with friends and take a graphic design course at the community college. But right now, I'm still just a little dazed.

And still slightly stinging from the gal at Starbucks, who upon hearing it was my last day at work, said "Oh, are you retiring?"

The {Long-awaited} Guinea Pigs

2008-11-30T15:12:00.000-08:00

Months ago, we promised Charlotte a guinea pig. But we said first she had to read 8 chapter books to earn the privilege... Then we said she had to wait until the flooring was done... Then until after the Thanksgiving holiday... Finally on Friday, it was time to follow through. We went to every PetSmart in the area, but none had the guinea pig.

Part of it was my fault -- I wanted a classic Beatrix Potter guinea pig: fluffy, with cowlicks. Finally, we found a PetSmart where they had 2 adoptable guinea pigs. They said they had one in the back with cowlicks, but that she was a little "tippy". (Apparently these two guniea pigs had had scurvy.) They brought out this little gal ("S'mores") and set her on the floor:

She was definitely a bit tippy, listing to one side. But that only made her more adorable, so we said we'd take her. Meanwhile, Sophie had fallen in love with this little one ("Oreo"):

Sophie wasn't supposed to be getting one, but since they were adoptable (i.e., free) and had been waiting for a home for quite some time, we decided to get them both.

It's taking awhile for them to settle in. They're gentle animals, but skittish in new surroundings.

S'mores is quite vocal, which is fun. We're still trying to figure out which are her happy sounds and which are the opposite.

Kids with Cell Phones: The Layout

2008-11-16T02:09:00.000-08:00

The photos from the last post have made it onto a scrapbook page. (Much quicker than normal, too!) That's because I used one of the great templates from Hillary Heidelberg at scrapbook graphics.com. It's so easy, it almost feels like cheating. If you've been thinking about dabbling in digital scrapbooking, a template is a great way to do it!

Pre-teens with Cell Phones

2008-11-11T21:57:00.000-08:00

I've never wanted to be one of those parents who gives cell phones to kids way before they really need them. (2nd-graders have cell phones at my daughters' school!)

But I must admit, my children are now officially Pre-teens With A Cell Phone. In my defense, we had to get all new phones because our carrier is discontinuing their old service... And the phone was only $20... And my oldest is starting to want to go places without us (like the mall)... And my daughters are sharing it... And it will be checked in and out... But, they are still Pre-teens With A Cell Phone.

And obviously loving it, as evidenced by these photos.

The funniest part: The phone wasn't even in service when I took the photos!

Wall-E

2008-11-08T00:14:00.000-08:00

Here, as promised, is Charlotte's Wall-E costume. It "only" took 2 engineers (Karl and me) and a scrapbooker (me) about 6 hours to create this.

I did the body, but Karl gets credit for the binoculars. I have to admit, they make the costume. Without them, she would be in danger of just looking like a kid in a box!

One of the funnest parts of the costume was seeing the other kids reactions. They were studying her in rapt fascination. I guess that's the sign of a successful costume!

The Perfect Family

2008-10-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

The other night as I was picking up my daughter from her junior high group at church, another mom came over to me, saying said she had to tell me what my daughter had done during the meeting. Uh-oh, I thought.

The youth leader had asked the group if anyone had a perfect family. No one raised their hand except....my daughter. So on the way I home, I asked her, "What about [insert family member]'s [less than perfect trait]. She said "Well, they're still perfect to me."

So there you have it. We're a pefect family in her eyes. I can't imagine any better validation as a parent. Although she's only 11. (A couple of months away from 12.) I expect we may have to remind her about this a few times when she's 14.....

On a more creative note, if you haven't already seen this pumpkin coach idea from Hallmark, check it out. The door and windows are made from belt buckles, and the top is a door pull:

Here's the link to the Hallmark site for more details if you're interested.

I would love to do this, but may have to save it for next year, as my hands are already full creating a Wall-E costume out of a cardboard box, duct tape, and foam. (Pictures to come soon!)

Another side note: I was at the mall today, and decided to duck into Pottery Barn to see if those plates from my post last Monday are really as gorgeous as they look. They must have been, because they had sold out already! Fortunately, they are getting more in this week.

Circles

2008-10-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

I've been on a circle kick lately. They add such a fun and energetic feel to scrapbook pages. Here's another layout featuring circles, with photos of my family at various stages. I love getting old pictures scrapbooked, and capturing a little of my childhood, not just my childrens'.

Fall Temptations

2008-10-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

It's dangerous being on Pottery Barn's e-mail list -- so many tempting things arrive in your inbox. These gorgeous plates are a case in point:

I like orange, especially in small doses with classic motifs, like this.

The last thing I need is more dishes. But it's so tempting....

I will try to console myself by making something out of this fall paper from MAMBI (which is already in my scraproom):

Way Too Busy

2008-10-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

I know, everyone is 'crazy busy' these days. In fact, sometimes it seems like a competition to see who has the most harried, frentic, packed schedule.

But I'm actually to the point where I want to DO something about it. I may actually -- yes! -- cut back! Because too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing. If it's reached the point where you're no longer enjoying it, why are you doing it?

Unfortunately, this may mean some tough decisions. The kids may not like it. (At first.) It may mean saying No and disappointing some people. But I'm just ready to slow down the pace.

So what have I decided to cut out? I don't know yet. I do know I don't want to cut my creative time, but the stuff outside of the house -- the stuff that requires running around from event to event, activity to activity, with hardly any time in between. Hopefully I will remember this entry when I get carried away.... When I think, "It won't take that much time", "I can squeeze it in," or "The girls really want to do it, how can I deny them?" (I'm able to deny them material things, but I have a hard time denying them experiences.)

On a more creative note: Since I haven't had time to scrapbook this week, here's a cute project from the Better Homes & Gardens website that would be fun to do with paper and ribbon scraps.

Crackers are a British Christmas tradition. Each person grabs an end, and when you pull them apart, they make a cracking sound and candy falls out.

I don't know how to add the 'crack' when you make them yourself, but I have feeling kids would be plenty happy with just candy falling out!

Here's the link to the BH&G Site for more information.

Digi Templates

2008-10-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

I hadn't really used digital templates until Hillary asked me to use hers at her new online store at ScrapbookGraphics.

I couldn't beleive how fun (and easy!) it was to use them. The basic design is done for you, but you can add you own touch by choosing whatever paper and embellishments you want. Here are a couple of layouts I did using Hillary's templates:

A Little Ad Inspiration

2008-09-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

I love using ads as scrapbook page inspiration. Now, I love getting inspiration from other scrapbookers, too -- but I'm sometimes afraid of being too influenced by them. With ads, I don't need to worry about that.

Here's an ad that I thought would make a great scrapbook page, because it's so striking. (And it's just cool!)

and here's the page that was inspired by it:

This is another ad that I think would inspire a great scrapbook page:

Love those swooshes and the movement they add!

Three Years of Home Remodeling Almost Over

2008-09-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

That's right, 3 years! We started tearing out the old kitchen three years ago this Thanksgiving. And last weekend we finished the last of the new flooring upstairs. Whew! What an undertaking!

In hindsight, it would have been easier to move. But at least we have a house tailored to suit us -- even if, according to Cottage Living magazine, it's officially a 'cottage'.

Here are some photos of the last bedroom:

And here's a layout of the my scrapspace, for the Save the Children benefit class at nycscraps.com:

Out for publication :)

This is based on one of Hillary's sketches for the class, which somehow for me always seem to turn into great layouts. And lucky for digi scrappers, she'll have new digi templates available at Scrapbookgraphics at the end of the month!

And Another Heritage Makers Template...

2008-09-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

I was asked to do another template/sample album for Heritage Makers, this time a Grandparents album. This was quite the project, since as a sample book that will be available as hardcopies, it needed to have real photos and journaling.

Fortunately, I had scanned quite a few heritage and family photos on a recent visit home, so I had some of the photos I needed. But not all! I had to call home several times and ask my mom for photos on a particular topic of their lives, then my brother had to scan them and upload them to a photo website so I could access them. Pulling this album off required a lot of work from multiple people. (Thanks everyone!)

I have to say that it was all worth it, even if my bed and I didn't see each other much for a couple of days. Gathering all these photos and stories together is something I've always wanted to do, but never seemed to find the time for. Getting it all together in an album that everyone can get a copy of is truly priceless.