another day down, sick baby, and pl updates...

Oh for the love of..

snot!!

that's literally all i've seen tonight. You are so sick! I feel bad because you are still so young that I really can't give you anything to help you get over it. Luckily you aren't overly grumpy.

I've also added a few new things to my Project Life list.

I picked up a smash book to help me plan, organize, and play with journaling and emperphia. 

then I picked up their date stamp to help me label the journal cards. I LOVE it already

next I ordered my project life kit from Becky Higgins. I went with the Clementine edition. I guess I couldn't pass something up from Lili!! 

and I grabbed some design A page protectors.

and I couldn't pass up getting some Washi Tape from Cutetape.

Thats my start for after the December Daily ends. I've been having so much fun with December Daily I can't believe I'm over half way finished!! I'm completely caught up on all journaling... I just have some decorating things and photos to print off. Not bad for this lady ;)

I hope to take some time tomorrow to go and pick up my pl kit, try and find more smash supplies at Michaels (they were sold out earlier) make some prints, decorate the dd pages, and spend the day with you  <3 

sounds like a perfect thursday

xo Mommy 

Bringing back the past...

So sometimes as a scrapbooker, I stop and look back at some of my past layouts... and then it makes me remember why I do what I do. WHY I am a SCRAPBOOKER.

so I keep things online in "galleries" where I share my pages with other women who have the same loves as I do... Family, friends, life, photography, and of course scrapbooking. 

So from time to time we do "challenges" or "games" that send us back in time so that we can 'find' something. I was sent back in my gallery to find a layout I did with some work from an amazing designer named 

traci Reed

and as I was going I seen this layout-

which I knew used her kit... because I had LOVED this kit sooo much!!

** since I have a little problem with dating things... this was made 

· Date: Tue June 23, 2009

another great reason to upload to a gallery. Not to mention the positive feedback and amazing praises you get.

so if you ever wondered... Mommy had thought about you for a very very long time before you were born. and now I can look at these layouts....

and I love you... I love photographing you, I love recording every second I have with you... and I will keep reminding myself to keep doing what I love...

Scrapbooking.

Puppet Tutorial!

lets start with a new document. Open up any element object or shape you want to start with. I'll open something rather generic.

I grabbed a little diamond butterfly from a charity kit by Jenn Barrette.

Click that puppet warp button under the edit drop screen.

when you do that your screen will disable all other actions until you click on your object to drop your place marker.

I dropped my on the wing of the butterfly. it shows as a yellow with black dot


so after that I'll decide if I want to drop other markers or begin my warping there.



since I placed markers at all points of the wings I then clicked on the circles when they have the black dots and I can begin to manipulate the element. I can make the little wings curve or make the antennas bent...

and so on.



so here is before and after.

also a close up to show how detail isn't lost!!



I took a straight ribbon and made it into a heart... keeping all detail.

the mighty puppet warp!

So as I'm sure when you get older I'll teach you how to scrapbook... most likely we will both still do digital... so I'll aways show you new things as I learn them... in the simple fact I love to share with you and all the other ladies that love to stop by and read about you.

So anyway to my point.

by accident I learned the Puppet Warp tool in Photoshop cs5.

by accident? you are wondering how someone could do that right? lol its okay sounds strange but actually is true.

I was playing with the free transform action which you always do in scapbooking because you need to make things "fit" on your page. Well I slipped and hit the button above it... 

the Puppet Warp.

and I got stuck there with this PIN stuck as my pointer and unable to do anything else... I clicked on my element. Well that didn't do anything but set down this little yellow dot... thought what the heck????

so I started clicking and clicking then pulled my mouse and all of a sudden I started to manipulate the element and change its shape.... looked strange at first, but when my mind started to put things together I realized what it was actually for... and how I could use that wasted action I never used.

and so I learned how to bend a branch element that was straight to then curve around my elements in a cluster... and look absolutely fab mind you!!!

pretty cool huh??

all my other friends out there if there is something cool you use that warp tool for please let us know!

Thanks

3 years of Scrapbooking... Hits and Misses scrapping for others...

As I continue through learning a little more about myself... I want this blog to be dedicated to you, but also I want you to  know more about everyone who is around you. I do that through scrapbooking as well. Before I had you.. I really only scrapped about myself, Daddy, your family, and travels ect... I've noticed now that you are born I've focused only on you... and I can't forget you wanna know more than just you.

<scrapping for others, rather than myself>

Miss

I've noticed the layouts I love from the layouts I hate... our the ones that I put all my heart into rather than just trying to meet a requirement for a ct team. When I purchase the kit for myself and its one I really really love... I get more into it and create absolutely beautiful layouts. I can also see separate time lines where I have more mojo than other times. I think it happens to all of us at some point in time but I notice if I scrap for myself and myself only... I am so much happier! I'll journal a story, I'll place the elements, and critique so much better than the opposite of I have this kit and in 2 days I must make a layout, work full time, watch you, play with you, feed you, feed myself, blah blah blah lol.

this is one of my favorite layouts of all time.... It has so much love and meaning to it... its perfectly set and clustered and shadowed to be perfect.

and one of my least favorites...

okay yea I scrapped daddy in a girly girly of all girl kits. wait I think I may have missed shadows again... wait is there a title anywhere??? a story??? a date?? journal?? 

This is what happens to me when I scrap for others. I was on a creative team... had my day or two to complete the layout... couldn't I suppose and I made something. Completely not happy with it... and I didn't do the kit justice at all. 

over the years I've worked with some of the most amazing designers you can meet...

Scrap Orchard

Shawna Clingerman

Valorie Wibbons

Emily Powers

Jenn Barrette

Traci Reed

I've also guested with some amazing women

Lauren Grier

Kate Hadfield

Darcy Baldwin

and so on... but as much as I miss them... I'm happy to scrap to my hearts content. Then if I need a day off I can take it.. if I want a week off its mine.

I had also tried to sell templates... again not my love. 

.......

to be continued

3 years of Scrapbooking... Hits and Misses experimenting with design

So to continue with these lovely posts inspired by another amazing scrapbooker named 

Nettio

I want to continue with what some hit and misses are throughout my scrapping journey. 

<Experimenting with designs>

HIT!

I've never placed myself into a design box. Some people would say their styles are "traditional" "fantasy" ect.... Ive always looked for inspirations, challenges, and inspirational people. If I love a kit, template, design... I go for it.

ex:

I do liner paper designs

then i do cluster design

and try traditional

simplistic

not simplistic

shoot i even take a swing at making a magazine cover layout

i say the altered design works!! going for a hit here

.........
to be continued 

My 3 years of Scrapbooking... Loves, Laughs, Cries, elements, and paper

So one of my greatest adventures and life altering hobbies that I found was 

Digital Scrapbooking

I've always love to scrapbook, but was just terrible at it. I really couldn't afford all of the supplies, and I was annoyed by anything "laying' around the house, so the thought of a bunch of supplies laying everywhere makes me cringe. 

So one day on the phone with Grandma Toby she said you have to check out these digital scrapbooking site, kits, and forums. These people would help you and I'll help you learn how to make a digital layout

and so I said okay lets do this!! and 3 years ago this month... I joined my first forum and made long friendships with some of the amazing women that are in this community.

from then on, Sweet Shoppe Designs has become a "home" to me. I've celebrated, cried, laughed, opened up, mentored, looked up too, chatted, and enjoyed many personal and fun chats with these ladies. With some inspirations from them....

 I made my first digital Scrapbooking layout

 

OMG can I absolutely see EVERYTHING that is wrong with this layout.... ack its such an eyesore. 

first of all there isn't dimension to it at all. I don't think I've touched this layout with a drop shadow. Also look at the annoyingly "floating" text. I know digital can break some "traditional" pages... but that text is so wrong!! Where is the story????? THIS IS MOMMY's and DADDY's wedding.... and you would have no idea the story behind it, what happened, who was there... blah blah blah... These things the layout should say not me in your blog over 3 years later. oh and looking now I would say this was from the planning stage!!! not even my wedding. Now thats the dress but not my bouquet and then we married on Ft. Walton Beach in Destin Florida. So yea idk what I was thinking... but yeah this isn't what I wanted relayed in the layout.

So over 3 years... where my design has grown and evolved to what it is today, I can say I'm much more enthusiastic and excited about it.

Here is my most recent layout. It is a template because I'm making it for a little challenge... but here is is....

wait look back up there... now scroll back down... yep see that

amazingly different layouts!! Even tho I'm using a template you can tell I now know how to use

Drop Shadows, correct font work, layering, angles, and total design work is all successful.

........

to be continued.....

As we come to the end of 6 months

as we near the end of April.. it marks the end of a new age...

6 months!

and its been so fun and exciting!

what we did:

April 1- Moved in to our new apartment, Grandpa Ronnie's Birthday

April 8- You crawled for the first time

April 10- celebrate family Easter

April 14- Weigh in @ 16lbs. 8oz. 

April 18- Mommy meet with Cancer Specialist, and was cleared

April 19- Mommy meet with a Plastic Surgeon about her surgery

April 20- 6 month Well Baby Visit and 6 month Baby shots

April 23- Easter meet up with Mommy's family

April 24- Your First Easter! Meet with Daddy's family

April 27- Grandma Toby's birthday

April 29- Daddy's Birthday

Who you meet with:

First time- Will and Barbara.. mommy's and daddy's friends

Seen entire family on both sides

stayed your first visit with the babysitter

.::some pictures from last month::.

wonderful women and RAK's

So I'm a strong member of one amazing community of women...

they are digital scrapbookers!

and seriously they are the sweetest, best, and most supportive group of women out there.

If I ever have a problem, wanna randomly discuss things, or just wanna chit chat about whatever, its always the place I go. You end up making some of the closest connections with these women. So I figured I would share where I meet and hang out with people... then I want to share what some of them have done for me...

my 2 main homes are 

Sweet Shoppe Designs and Scrap Orchard

and some place I frequent for fun stuff and randomness is

Ninth and Bloom and The Lilypad

now they are all centered around one of my largest passions...

Digital Scrapbooking

so now that I've shared that... I wanna show you some RAK [random acts of kindness] I've received from some amazingly talented women...

Life Lessons, Journal Entry 2/26

So it seems to be that I've been slacking the last few weeks... So I better catch up on whats been going on.

Mommy and Daddy are both working, taking all the time we can with you, changing to a healthier lifestyle, and giving you all the love and kisses we can.

You are growing so big, You've almost reached the 5 month mark. You weigh 14 lbs 7 oz and you are in the 75th percentile for height and weight

here is a recent photo

and the most recent of Mommy and Daddy

its not often we grab one together.

we took that one on Valentines Day.

I also made you a super cute layout that shares a life lesson with you..

{YOU MUST EXPERIENCE THE WORLD FOR YOURSELF}

Journaling reads:

everyday in this world you will learn something new. Its something that I myself strive on. I love learning, making new experiences, and meet new people. I think that is why I do what I do. Its why I cut hair, why I work in customer service, and why I’m so friendly. Underneath it all.. I’m very shy, but thats okay.. Shy people can still do all the things I said above. One very Important life lesson I want to pass down to you is- YOU MUST EXPERIENCE THE WORLD FOR YOURSELF. Please don’t every hold back, don’t ever worry how someone will react, how the will judge you, and worry how mom and dad will feel. We want ytou to break away from this mundane world that so many follow, and do exactly what makes you happy... because I guarantee it will make us happy so very happy for you. We love you.

Journal entry- 2/5/11 Happy 4 months!

So I've been slacking again on my blog.... hmm I have the tendency to do that. So of course now its 1230  am and I'm finding the time to update you. Its okay because even when I forget on here... I do some type of memory keeping! I love memory keeping... i just can't help it. 

I've been taking photos... ohh and I took a great one! 

its from a class I'm taking with Willette Photography! Its called the Joy of Love.

I also Scrapbooked.

I wrote all that tonight. I forgot to copy and re-paste here so it would be easier to read!! ack I'm terrible tonight! I'm stuck with a super bad cold and I'm just not getting over it.

I love you kiddo!

Mommy ;)

digital scrapbooking convention!

digital scrapbooking convention...

Here I come!

and here are the two split layouts. Its a double page vertical design!

journal entry- 1/19

credits: Grab Bag Collection

To my beautiful emma grace. Its been an amazing 3 month stretch we’ve had together. Its been full of amazing times, sad times, stressful times, joyful times, and all around fun times. You begin by simply putting the biggest smile on my face. Every new move you make, every new sound, and every giggle I hear makes me laugh. Every screaching cry and every painful somber, makes me cry. I take in everything, even though it feels like a ton of bricks resting on my chest. I never thought or knew what this would feel like, this overwhelming feeling of being a mother. A mother is a nurse, playdate, friend, comedian, scientist, imaginary tickle monster, snuggly cuddle bear, and psychic spy. I feel that I’m all those things every single day. I write you this letter so that one day you know exactly how I feel every second I’m with you. I know someday I’ll be able to show you and you know exactly what I’m saying, but for now I sit while you are asleep and think, pray, and journal down all my feelings this way. I show you all the love and affection I can every waking hour of my life. You are my life. You are everything to me. I spend my days waking up early in the morning and snuggling with you while you grab an additional hour or two of sleep. Then we head down steairs while I prep our breakfast. I usually grab a bowl of cereal and you a bottle. We both eat and I’m ready to begin the day. Somedays tough, we both sneak in an extra nap. Sometimes I take that time to do my hobbies like cleaning the house, scrapbooking, painting, or taking photographs. Usually you are my photographic inspiration so I do that when you are up. We spend our days playing, reading, singing, talking, taking pictures, watching educational television, or visiting places. Some of your favorite places to visit our your best boyfriends Brady and Evan. They are ttwin boys born to mommy’s good friends Stephanie and Mike. You also like to go to the mall and get pushed around as you check out all the faces. You love to go visit family. You have an amazing large and loving family that consist of Grandma Melody, Grandma Toby, Grandpa Ronnie, Grandpa Duane, and then your your 9 aunts and uncles. You learn so much from all ot them. Like grandma Melody taught you how to click your tongue, and Uncle Ryan taught you how to constantly stick out your tongue. It seems like you pick those things up easily. You are so stinking smart thats why! You are so far ahead on your developement that you’ve passed up most kids that are three months old. Well I look forward to all the time we still have left to spend together. I know I have a fun day planned of releaxing and cuddling, learning, singing, playing, and talking today!. Much love always.

xo Mommy

Things I do in spare time??

So I'm sure you wonder what crazy things your momma does when shes bored?? 

lets see....

I create artwork! Mommy loves to grab out an old paint brush and a dirty shirt while I spend my afternoon covering a stretched white canvas with acrylic paints.

I love to photograph! I photograph mostly you, your puppy, mommy and daddy, and family and friends. 

then I love to digitally scrapbook!! its an amazing stress reliever and its a community full of amazing women.

I create digital layouts like this one!

and then I create and work for many amazing women at:

Scrap Orchard- full time

Lauren Grier- February *hopefully longer after that*

Log you rmemory- June 2011

So I spend a lot of time in their forums and chatting with people. 

then I spend time on Facebook

then I'm either working on your blog, exercising, working, motivating women, and then the majority of my time is doing my favorite thing in the whole world.....

SPENDING THE DAY WITH YOU!!!

xoxo Mommy 

A new layout- I'm finally getting to scrap!!

Hey I finally got the chance to scrap you another layout! I'm in love with the kit I purchased so I keep getting inspired. I was also inspired by a great post from Laura B. over at we so scrappy!

Challenge: Scrapbook one page that highlights at least 10 things that you would like to do or accomplish in your life.

here is my inspirational page-

http://www.ninthandbloom.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8371&title=cuddles&cat=522