I'm Back..........Did ya miss me??

Ok, ok, I know it's been three months. Bad kitty! But Let me just say that I have been very busy. It's not easy moving across the country. But we are here, and thus far, LOVING IT. The weather has been out of sorts for out here. Which is Ok with me. I much prefer the sun anyway. I found a job almost as soon as I got here. Chase is working as well. Which means CJ has started daycare. We are still adjusting to that.

Scrapping?!?!?! Yes, I have done a few things. I got my bug for Christmas. But I am still waiting to get into my own space where I can spread out. Right now I am scrapping on a card table. After scrapping for the last 4 years on a 6 foot table, you can only imagine how boxed in I must feel. Oh, to spread out again. I already have my next table picked out. I am getting it from IKEA. Love that place. I am doing one of the build your own table. I have chosen a red double oval top, with book case storage legs in white. Love it for only $129!!!! And now that I have IKEA only minutes from me I can't wait.

So with all that said, I have scrapped some, and I am very happy with what I have done with the limited time, space, and supplies that I have had.

Scrap when I get there.

The time is almost here. I am not looking forward to it. I have two altered projects to finish, then in has to happen. I have to pack all my scrappy stuff away.

22 days til me and CJ board that plane for our new home. Another journey. I can't wait to get there, and get settled. Find a new home for all my supplies. I hope I can find a place with natural light. I get to go shopping for a new desk.

Until then, my stuff must get packed. Right now it is just sittung there staring at me. I hate that it is not getting used. I just have no creative juice left in me. So I will just continue to snap pictures, and scrap when I get there.

Challenges Challenges Challenges

I don't know about you, but I am always up for a good challenge. Well, over at Have Your Way With Paper, there is one heck of a challenge going on. Sharon, a member of the DT, has created a challenge unlike any other I have seen. The Hide and Seek Challenge. She has hidden the various challenges with in the forums, and our job is to find the challenge and complete it according to the rules of that particular challenge.

As of right now there are 15, maybe 14, challenges posted. I have found all but number 14. I have completed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 15. I think some of my best work has come from these challenges.

I like when I am given a starting point to create a LO. For example: Use 4 flowers and 6 buttons on a LO. With this starting point I can take this LO in any direction I want to. I pull from the items or elements that I have to use, and go from there.

Here are two LO's that I completed tonight.

"Scrapbook Nazi"

Ok, so a few months ago, my husband and I decided that we wanted to move back to Washington. He is from there, and I spent almost 10 years there. We both really miss it, and consider it home. So we discussed everything and have decided to make the change on the First of the year. That date is approaching very quickly.



I am excited and saddened at the same time. I miss my friends in Washington. I will be leaving a piece of my heart here in Arkansas. My sister, Kelly. She is my best friend and scrapping buddy. I have introduced her to some of my favorite scrappy places and hope that we can continue our hobby together, even though we will be 2200 miles apart. I LOVE THE INTERNET.



She has a affectionately nick named me the "Scrapbook Nazi," as I won't let her do a layout without putting my 2 cents in. I'm gonna miss that. I know that she can produce some amazing stuff. Maybe I do over shadow her. It's time for to be on her own and see what she can do! My guess is that she'll be published before me.



Of course I can't just leave without having some control over her layouts. So I have come up with a gift thanks to one of my fellow board members at Babycenter.com . I can't reveal it right now in case she peeks in here! But it will be posted soon!



Me and my sis........

November 19 Sketch

Have Fun!

Good to go Back

I like to think that I am up to date on my albums. A have a few strays here and there that I still need to do, but for the most part I am just waiting to take more pictures. So what do I do in the mean time? I go back in time. I find photos that were not scrapped for one reason or another. The emotions that go through me as I look at them, bring me back to the day the photo was taken.

I had a challenge at Have Your Way With Paper that I had to have 2 paragraphs of journaling. The journaling was to be about the dreams that I have for a loved one. So I started digging through some of the pictures I had from when CJ was first born. I found one that was taken in the hospital, and everything about those days just came rushing back. I love looking at old photos. They put me right back in the moment.

November 14 Sketch

For your scrapping enjoyment!

What's in a Title?

For me the main purpose of a title is to set the mood of a layout. A title can be anything from a child's name to a song title to a quote. Finding that perfect title is always a quest for me. I am always on the lookout. I always have my scrapbooks at the top of my mind. So when I come across something, I immediately write it down.

There are some great websites out there to find titles. Two Peas in a Bucket, Scrapbook.com, and many others. But don't limit yourself to something that others have used a million times. Sometimes a layout just screams for something original. A play on words. The lyrics to that perfect song. That quote that just sent chills just racing through you.

This happened to me today as I was reading about the Sexiest Man Alive on People.com. I was reading about past winners and came across a quote from Johnny Depp. "Suddenly you meet your reason to live." I just got chills again as I write this. There is so much to be said in those few words. I just had to use it. So I came home, and started the hunt for the photos to go with the title. I found them.

Here is what I came up with!

Altered Photos

So many of us have one of those photo editing programs. But the only use they see is to fix that dreaded red eye, crop, or resize. Many people don't see the potential that these programs have to bring a different look to our pages.

Even the most simple programs have the ability to play with color. Make your pics stand out by changing them to Black and White, or even Sepia. Some programs can even add textures such as embossing. You can highlight certain areas of your photos, by just keeping one element in color. Such as brilliant blue eyes. The red Santa hats in a Christmas picture. The possibilities are endless.

In the layout below, I took a color photo and changed it to black and white. Then, I added a special effect called "sketch." This created a pencil like drawing of my image. The effect makes the part of the pic I wanted to focus on the highlight of this photo. His glasses.

Take the time and try some different techniques on your photos. I think you will like the results.

Nothing Negative about Negative Space

Negative space scares the crud out of many scrappers. I used to fear negative space as well. It can be so hard NOT to fill all the area on that large 12x12 space. The goal is to make something that is pleasing to the eye with out it looking crowded or not finished.

I think the first step in creating a negative space layout is to focus on one subject. You need to "ground" that subject/photo so it does not appear to be floating, but it is an intended design tool. I think to do this you need to "anchor" your design to a side or the top/bottom of your page. Some people are very good at placing the subject in the middle of the layout. I have yet to achieve this. So I stay near the sides or the top/bottom of my layout. Of course this all just preference.

In the sketch and layout below, I have achieved a pleasing negative space layout by anchoring my subject to the bottom of the page, and allowing the top to remain free. This brings the focus directly to my subject and the feeling I am trying to express.

Please feel free to try this sketch or make your own layout using negative space. I think you will like the results.