Chinese New Year

Time for the annual Chinese New Year celebration! We had a lot of fun at our local Sushi & Hibachi Buffet.

I downloaded some free clipart from the Internet and got this lovely "Year of the Snake" picture.  The rest of the page is made with a kit by Saxon Holt called "At the Museum - China."  Unfortunately, Saxon retired and the kit is no longer available.

This is more from Saxon Holt's kit.

My child is a goofball!  Where she got the idea to pretend she was being punched is beyond me, but you can see she can barely control the laughter! 

I love blog trains and this page was made with elements and papers I downloaded from all the freebies on the "China Orient" blog train hosted by Digiscrap Forum:

http://www.digiscrapforum.com/showthread.php?t=3895

Anytime you hear of a blog train, go check it out.  This is a chance not only for you to download a lot of kits for free, but a chance to see lots of different designers you may not have heard about before.  Everyone's taste is different and I love blog trains because they include designs from many different styles.

Getting Started with Digital Scrapbooking

Getting Started!

I've had so much fun with digital scrapbooking I thought I'd share with you. I tried making layouts using Photoshop, but it was a little complicated for me. I found this page on Facebook called MyMemories. I lurked for a while and thought maybe I would give the software a try. Everyone said it was really easy, so I decided I was going to "bite the bullet" and buy the software. It was $40, but a friend gave me a code to use to get $10 off the software, plus $10 to spend in the shop mymemories.com. I figured that was like half price, and I'm a real bargain hunter, so maybe this would be the thing for me.

First, I went to the website and took a look around. They had all these free kits you could download, whether you had a PC or a Mac. Plus, if you choose not to buy the software, you could download them as "General" files and use them in Photoshop. Well, what's better than free? Then I looked at the Dollar Store. So many kits for $1.00!! Wow! You get the papers and embellishments with some of these kits - for $1.00? Loving that.

Downloading the software was easy and so was downloading the kits. Once I got the software installed, I opened up the file for one of the kits, and it automatically downloaded to my Applications folder. Cool Beans! I decided to try one of the "Quick Pages." The designer puts together everything but the photo. I have SO MANY photos I need to get scrapbooked! Holy cow! It was so easy! And it looked really professional. I really liked it, so I decided to try a page using the kit and make it up myself. Not super good, not super bad. I uploaded a jpg of the page to the MyMemories facebook page and asked for critique. A lady said it would look better with "shadows" so I gave that a try. What a difference! It looked like all the photos and embellishments jumped off the page! Go look for yourself! It's http://www.mymemories.com

I am having so much fun with this! If you think you might want the software, I'm going to do for you what my friend did for me. If you buy the software, when it asks for a Promo Code, cut and paste this:

STMMMS31635

It's best to cut and paste so your get all the letters and numbers correct. That will get you $10 off the software and the software will come with a coupon for $10 any purchase in the store.

If you decide to give it a try, let me know. I'd love to share pages and tips with you. If you decide not to get the software and continue to use Photoshop or something like that, also let me know. I'd love to swap ideas!

A Month of Thankfulness

Well, life has gotten in the way of updating my blog.  I finally finished my Month of Thanksgiving pages.  It's the last day of February, and I finally finished my pages from November!  Of course, photos from before November aren't scrapped yet, nor Christmas, etc.  But at least November is done!  Hooray!!! So, here's the full month of Thankfulness!


In November, I was still up in PA, taking care of my Mom. She fell on Memorial Day and broke her hip.  They put 3 pins in her hip and it never healed.  October 2nd, she had another operation and now has a new hip. So much had been happening in my life, I decided to make November a month of Thanksgiving. Every day, I wrote something I was grateful for.

This first layout was done with CatDesignz's "Thankful Calm." I love the colors in this kit! And the flowers are really beautiful. I actually bought the Thankful Calm Bundle, because you get so much for your money.  This one is found on: http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=CDCR-BP-1210-23692&r=CatDesignz

I used "Thankful Calm Stacked Papers" by CatDesignz for the background and the Word Art from the kit "All Because of You," by Word Art World.

This is such a fun kit! It's "Thanksgiving Feast" by Christin Thomas. I just love those Turkey and Pumpkin Papers!! So perfect for the Thanksgiving theme!  You can find the kit on: http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=LCCT-CP-1111-8777

This page is a little from one kit, a little from another, and a little from a different one. Mostly "A Class Act" by Story Rock: http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=SRGM-AT-1007-0725

In this spread, I had so much I wanted to say, I felt like any other embellishment would take away from the words. The background paper is from "Thanksgiving Dinner" by Aprilisa Designs. Found at: http://aprilisadesigns.blogspot.com/

The sweetest little face I know! I decided to try a couple of QuickPages. I used "All Boy Peek-a-Boo Overlays" by Albums to Remember, found on http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=ARBP-EP-1109-6766 And the page came together so quickly. I was a little difficult to find photos that worked well with the points of the stars, but increasing or decreasing the size of the photos helped.

In this one I had a lot of fun with the MyMemories program for the lettering on "Luke." I used the WordArt Designer and chose the "Grease" font and then filled it with "Autumn Flurry" by Story Rock http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=SRDN-PP-1010-0780

This Quickpage was free! It's "Sweetboy" by Suzy Q. Scraps and she's still got the free Quickpage and one called "Sweetgirl" on http://suzyqscraps.com/2012/11/24/play-date-sweet-boy-sweet-girl/

This page was made with "Freedom Pack" by Just So Scrappy. That one is found at: http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=JSSK-CP-1105-1922

This one was about my business, so I had a lot to say. The background papers are from "Autumn in My Heart" by Mye de Leon. Mye gives lots of freebies on her site and her work is always beautiful. You can find this kit on http://myedeleon.com/2010/11/digital-scrapbook-day-freebie/

These papers are from "Fur'ever Love" by Marieh Designs http://mommymetimescrapper.blogspot.com/2012/01/fur-ever-love-and-clustering-template.html

I love making clusters!  I'm not that great at it, but I'm just having fun.  And isn't that the whole point? The papers are from "Fall Frolic"from Marie H Designs. The frames are from "Autumn Air" which was a freebie during a "Blog Train".  If you ever see one of those advertised on an website, play along!  So many fun freebies and you get to see the work of so many designers!

This layout was really fun to put together.  I took the photo on the right and changed it to sepia tones, then fiddled with the opacity until I faded it to the exact shade I wanted.  I really like the way it makes the flowers POP! The kit for this one was "Thanksgiving Dinner" by Aprilisa. Her Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aprilisa-Designs/360128774953?fref=ts and she always has incredibly generous freebies.

 This one, I had some fun with a pre-made cluster I got as a freebie.  

It's called "Teengirl," but I really like the colors.

I had so much to say, I didn't want to clutter is with photos or embellishments. 

The background papers are from the "Thankful Calm Bundle" by CatDesignz. https://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=CDCR-BP-1210-23692&r=CatDesignz 

I LOVE these papers! They are from "Faith Base" by Albums2Remember on http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=ARBP-CP-1110-7997

The buttons in the corners are "Autumn Flair" by Story Rock

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=SRDN-EP-1110-7456

The other embellishments are bits and pieces from lots of different kits

The little element on the bottom is from the freebie 

"Thankful Gathering" by Rosey Posey Studio

http://roseyposeystudio.com/studio/thankful-digi-kit-freebie/

Oh man! Did I have fun creating this page! 

I used "Give Thanks" by SweetPea Designs

https://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=SPPF-CP-1111-8603

For this page, I used "Fall Frolic" by Marie H Designs, 

but it seems she has retired this kit.  

I can't find a link to it anywhere. 

I loved the idea of making a "split-screen" by using 

two different background papers.

This was made with one of my favorite kits, "Thankful Calm" by CatDesignz

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=CDCR-BP-1210-23692&r=CatDesignz

I wanted to make the roses look slightly different, 

so I resized them and rotated them, 

trying to bear in mind where the "light" was on the rose, 

so I didn't wind up with light shining 

up from the bottom of a rose.

This was also made with "Thankful Calm" by CatDesignz

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=CDCR-BP-1210-23692&r=CatDesignz

Lots of really nice elements in this kit and I really love the colors

I made this page for one of MyMemories Sunday Speed Scrap.  

I love this photo of my crazy Cousin Doris, 

and just had to make a fun page for it. 

I don't make the best clusters, but I try.  

I figure the more I make, the better I'll get at it.  

For this page I used Aprilisa Designs "Thanksgiving Dinner." 

It was a freebie on her Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aprilisa-Designs/360128774953?sk=app_14167664298

This was made with "Thanksgiving Feast" by Cristin Thomas

https://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=LCCT-CP-1111-8777 

Another page using Thankful Calm.  I just love that kit!!!

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=CDCR-BP-1210-23692&r=CatDesignz

Leaves from Happy Thanksgiving

https://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=ACAW-CP-1211-24664

Sunflower from Thanksgiving Feast

Word Art Aprilisa's Thanksgiving Dinner

This is a Quick Page from Gypsy's Scrapbooking.   It's called Thanksgiving 3.

 http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=GSAW-QP-1211-24485

My tall niece sometimes reminds me of a flamingo, so finding this QuickPage was too perfect!

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=CDCR-QP-1211-24361&r=CatDesignz

Another page using Thankful Calm. 

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=CDCR-BP-1210-23692&r=CatDesignz

This is such a gorgeous kit.  It's called "Golden Harvest"

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=SYSM-CP-1210-23651

Another page using Thankful Calm.  

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=CDCR-BP-1210-23692&r=CatDesignz

Word Art from Crazy-4-Monograms

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=C4MA-WA-1210-22912

The page is a Quickpage called "Autumn Delight" from Sweet Pea Designs

https://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=SPPF-QP-1209-21869

This WordArt is from one of my favorite kits... Thankful Calm!

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=CDCR-BP-1210-23692&r=CatDesignz

Yet again, another page using Thankful Calm.  I just love that kit!!!

http://www.mymemories.com/store/display_product_page?id=CDCR-BP-1210-23692&r=CatDesignz

Cocoa & Coffee Road Trip

Hey Y'all!  There's a Blog Train going right now.  FREE STUFF!!! (I love free stuff!) Go to the Stuff to Stamp's "Cocoa & Coffee Road Trip" starting at: 
http://a-mdigitaldesigns.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/take-road-trip-with-stuff-to-stamp.html 
and start downloading your freebies!  It's a great way to see what your favorite designers have contributed and meet some artists you didn't know before.  Have fun!

A week ago, we found a stray dog, covered in fleas and looking very bedraggled. Today, this little Pekinese is all smiles and happiness. It'll take a while for all her hair to grow back in, but a little love has gone a long way with this little Sweetie.

I used "Dog Family Pack" by PapierStudio for the bulk of the page. The "Puppy Love" word art is from "Love My Pet" by Albums to Remember. The fonts are "GoodDog Cool" and "Gretoon."

My Memories is having a fantastic weekend!They have a Blog Train where at least 35 designers are giving away free kits! I am having a ball collecting so many goodies! Go to http://www.mymemories.com and click on the "blog/forum" tab. Start at catdesignz and work your way through. The MyMemories Facebook page has been running contests all day, since it's National Scrapbook Day. Right now they have a contest to do a page where whatever photos you use must be black & white.

Here's my first. A photo of my great-grandfather Walter and my great-grandmother Araminta Owen. Don't they look lovely?

And here's my second entry. My Aunt Irene is in the middle. She is Araminta and Walter's daughter. Irene's daughter, Belle, was getting married to Frank Allen. His mom is on the left and my mother is on the right.

This week's MyMemories Blog challenge is the number 5, so here are 5 photos of Luke - taken on his first birthday. I mounted the photos over 5 papers, decorated with 5 buttons on the corners and 5 flowers on the vine. Happy Birthday Sweet Guy! Notice the bib says "Grandma gives the best Hugs!" Ain't it the truth!!!