Fall, Where Art Thou?

Fall is definitely not here in Phoenix, Arizona. We are hitting records temps and I'm truly sick of it! I want to be here.......

 

Image found at http://www.pixofcanada.com/wp/?p=81

I want to be driving down this road with the beautiful fall colors lining the way and the cool breeze blowing through my hair.

Maybe it's the lack of fall that has me in a slump this last week. I have lost my creative mojo for sure. If you recall, I was feeling that way a few weeks ago, then I found it again for a brief period of time. I'm just not feeling inspired. I'm finding myself wanting to do a major overhaul of my scrapbooking system. I'm not sure why because it does seem like it's working for me. I'm sure it will pass. I seems like it always does. 

Layout A Day, (LOAD), starts October 1st. I was very productive in May when I participated for the first time. The topic is "Story" which I am excited about. We'll see if this will help me get out of the funk I'm in. 


Now I'm off to blog hop and to find the inspiration I need to get a jump start! There are so many talented people out in cyberland, surely something will click.

Little Photographer

I was so thrilled when I found the large photo of my granddaughter Hayley, when she was 4 1/2 years old, taking photos with a old  Polaroid camera we had at the time. My heart swelled with pride. I knew I had a couple more at least of her at different time periods taking photos. I loved being able to showcase them all together to celebrate this memory. I hope she will always love to capture her world in photographs.

Big Picture Classes

Big Picture Scrapbooking has changed their look and their name to Big Picture Classes. The site looks awesome. Check it out if you haven't already. Also, don't forget to change your banners and buttons here.

Horrible Weekend!

We had the most horrific scare this weekend, and we're so thankful  it's over and that the outcome was good. Our oldest granddaughter was in a bad car crash on Saturday. We got the call Saturday morning from her mom saying they had just been in a car crash, and Hayley was screaming she couldn't see anything. She had a head injury and she wasn't able to hear them and she also had just had a seizure. She was combative in the ambulance and they had to restrain her. That was the longest ride to the hospital that we've ever taken. They took full body cat scans of her and confirmed that there was no severe brain trauma, but she had suffered a concussion and had to stay in the hospital overnight. The trauma doctor thinks that she was acting the way she did on scene because she was in shock and the actions were caused by anxiety and the concussion. He didn't see any indications why she would have had a seizure. So we're thinking that it wasn't a seizure they were seeing. Her cousin who was sitting in the back of the SUV with her had a cut to the back of his head, but it didn't turn out to be bad enough for stitches. 

They were on their way to the Women's Expo and were stopped because the car in front of them had stopped to let a car turn into a driveway. A Ford Tundra slammed into the back of them at full speed, pushing their car into another one. The Tundra hit 4 other cars also before it was said and done. Hayley was the only one seriously hurt. The driver was a 19 year old girl who they think was texting! She was way to small to be driving such a big truck like that. Hayley and her cousin were in the third set of seats in the back of an SUV. They were only 2 blocks from home. 

She was able to come home yesterday. She was still pretty quiet and not herself all day, but today she is so much better. We kept her home from school because she's still pretty sore. She's bummed because she can't ride her bike or participate in P.E. for a couple of weeks. But other than that, she doing great. She's acting like her old nerdy self today! Thank God!

It was definitely a wake up call for us. You just never know if the last time you see someone could be the last time you see them. Give your loved ones an extra hug today. I know we will. 

This was what we were dealing with in the first hours after the accident. We will have nightmares about this for some time.

This was her 24 hours after the accident. A little stiff, but definitely getting better!

And this is her trying to repair the shirt they had to cut off of her. She loved this shirt and worked on it for an hour hand sewing it. Bless her little heart. We told her it wasn't worth trying to fix, but she insisted.

Today I Played

Today I have completed two more layouts for my Disney album that I have just started. The first one showcased the photos that I captured of Minnie, Mickey & Goofy climbing the Matterhorn at Disneyland. I wanted to mimic the Matterhorn in some way in my layout without getting "cartoony", if you know what I mean. I came up with using white paper strips in the background. Although they don't show up as I had envisioned, I'm happy with how this layout turned out. I wanted the photos to be the main focus of the layout. I kept the Disney product to a minimum.

I'm not a real fan of my own handwriting, but I started out using it on my pages due to the journaling cards I had on hand. I will continue using my own handwriting for the majority of the book and I will try to get over my uncomfortable feelings regarding it. See, scrapbooking is just like therapy. You work through issues all the time.

Now for my second layout,  I couldn't resist regressing a bit and playing. I'm not sure how I feel about the end result, but it was fun to do. I wanted to use a "girly" background for the layout, but couldn't find a "girly" blue paper. Go figure. I did have the Sleeping Beauty paper on hand and decided to go with it instead. I was going to cut off the top portion of the patterned paper and do something different in my original vision. Then after deciding how I wanted to arrange my photos, I decided to try to incorporate the top portion in my design. And speaking of design, I'm using this term lightly. While I'm trying to make my pages for this album pleasing to the eye, design principles are not my main focus. I'm really trying to go with my inspiration and the flow of my creativity. I got the Stickles out and played. I haven't worked with Stickles much to date, so it was as good of a time as any. I wanted to put some sparkle on the page since there was so much gold and sparkle on the castle.

I'm surfing through my Disney stash often between pages so I remind myself what I've accumulated and trying to remember to use the best pieces as I go. I'm having fun. That's what scrapbooking is suppose to be all about. I think I have forgotten that lately! You all have a great weekend!

On My Way

As of yesterday, I felt like I'd lost my scrapbooking mojo. Today I definitely feel better about it and was able to make a two page introduction layout for my Disney 50th Anniversary album that I've started on. I kept it simple and took my time. I'm very surprised at myself that I'm not stressing out about which product that I should use first and if I am using it to the best of it's potential. I'm just trying to go with the flow and picking things that are eye pleasing. I'm going to get through this Disney stash and stop hoarding it. It's a good feeling. Here's what I came up with.

For now, it feels good to be back in the game.  Note: The star border was from an idea that I clipped out from somewhere, (internet or magazine), and tucked it away. So it is not my original idea. I'm so sorry for not keeping track of the name of the person that used it on their layout first.

Ode To Disney

Warning:  Very long winded post

I have really been in a funk the last week or so in my scrapbooking. I have just felt uninspired and feel like I have lost my creative mojo. I've questioned myself about what my motivation is for even doing this hobby. 

I do love to be able to tell the stories and share them with my family. But lets face it, they may not even care about them when I'm dead and gone. I do feel like my oldest granddaughter will care and cherish all of them. She's the type right now at the tender age of 11, that cherishes all of her possessions, photos, drawings and even her toys, past and present. So something tells me she will continue to love all these bits and pieces of her life and ours. But there are no guarantees. And even if she does, will she have the space when she leaves the nest to even keep them?

I really do love the creativity that comes with the hobby of scrapbooking. I've never been particularly very creative or artistic in my life, so scrapbooking has helped me to express myself and learn to be creative in so many ways. I love cutting, pasting, designing, and all the fun things that go along with making scrapbook layouts.  I think that is one reason I haven't gone digital yet. Putting together a layout is really like therapy for me. Feeling and working with the textures, product, paper & glue calms my soul.  It makes me feel happy and proud of myself for what I have done. And I love celebrating our lives in the photos and stories.

I know I  have to do this hobby for myself. I have to tell the stories for myself. If anyone else enjoys them along the way, then that is a big bonus! Memories fade. Days fly by way too fast. Unexpected things happen. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. Enjoy it now while I can.

So after much thought on this subject, I'm going to be extra careful about what I scrapbook about. Don't get me wrong, each layout doesn't have to be a long detailed story with no detail left untold. I will still make the occasional "fluff" page. But lots of times when I take a class or do a challenge, I get lost in the "what to do" & the "how to do it". I focus on the product that is being used or the design and forget until it's all done that I really didn't tell the story the way I really would have liked to. Maybe there was a connection that could have been made that I missed . I know you can use a photo more than once, and I have done that before, but that's not the point. My point is I can't get so caught up in the details of the class and "what to do or use", that  I forget the "what do I want this to be".  

I plan to slow down and not get so caught up in doing so many layouts if it means I feel rushed and I don't have the substance I crave in my layouts. Ironically I have already signed up for Lain Ehmann's Layout A Day class, and I fear that could be a problem. But there's no law that I have to keep up. If I'm inspired, great. If not, than that's OK too.

I have been in the mood to scrapbook some of our Disney memories. If you have read my blog before, you know scrapbooking Disney has really been hard for me. But what better way to get out of a funk, than to dive in head first into something that has paralyzed me for so long. I have decided to start with an album of layouts from our trip to Disneyland in May 2005 when they had their 50th anniversary. And since I took so many photos and have already printed them out, I am making a Photo Album Scrapbook right along with it. This way, they can companion each other and I won't stress so much about not using all my prized photos. Wish me luck. I feel pretty good about this. I can do it!

Here's what I've got so far:

I began with gathering up all my photos, product, and inspirational items that I have collected. 

This will be the opener to my Disney album.

And here's the opener to my Photo Album Scrapbook. This concept was introduced to me by Stacy Julian, and is a brilliant solution to vacation photos.

I'll share more as I go on with these albums. If you've actually read this post, bless your heart. I hope anything I rambled on about inspired you, or made you think about your situation and what you may be happy or unhappy about. Happy scrappin'!

Grandparents Day

Yesterday was Grandparents Day. We had a wonderfully fun day. We started out by going to a beautiful park near our home and taking photos of the girls for this school year. The school photos you get at the schools always turn out mediocre, and they are expensive when you are buying for three. At Saguaro Ranch Park, they have these beautiful old brick buildings and I decided to use one of them as my backdrop.

The girls cooperated very nicely, and we were able to snap a few good photos.

And we were able to get a couple of candid shots too.

After the park we went to the Phoenix Children's Museum and spent 4 1/2 hours there. The kids had an absolute blast, and we had fun watching all of kids having fun. It was nice because grandparents got in free.
Then we went for a nice lunch of Mexican food. We sure didn't want the weekend to end. Good, good times!

Define Your Style

I have been struggling lately with what my style in scrapbooking is. I even took Lain Ehmann's Layout A Day class in May where the theme was Defining your Style. Yet, I still feel a lot of days that I can't answer this question truthfully. I know I tend to lean toward the clean and simple. That sometimes drives me crazy because I am so attracted to lovely embellishment clusters on layouts and a more artsy feel.

As I was mulling through my albums trying to decide what I could do that would make me happier, I put on the Paperclipping Digi Show podcast for this week. I don't listen to the Digi show that often as I'm not a digital scrapbooker, but I thought the title seemed interesting. The title was Save and Save Often. But what resonated with me in this particular podcast was the comments that Anna Aspnes made about her style. She said that she tries not to define herself in having any particular style. She goes with what she's interested in and what feels good at the time. Her style can change on a whim and can be dictated by the story she's trying to tell or what mood she is in. She said many scrapbookers worry about what their style is and what their pages look like,  instead of enjoying the process. By creating pages, that how you figure out what your style is. You learn what you like and what you don't like. She also talked about being inspired by other people and trying those things that they are doing. You see if it works for you and see how you can make it your own and add it into your process. It was like a light bulb came on. What does it matter what "style" I have. All of my layouts don't need to look alike, nor should they. My layouts do tend to lean toward whatever has been inspiring me lately. I know for the most part, there are similar characteristics in my layouts, but I think I can feel confident that as long as I'm enjoying the process, and I like what I see, that's all that counts. We always put too much weight into what others are going to think.

So here's to my usual "style" I tend to lean towards. Nothing wrong with that.

And here's to going with others' creativity to inspire me and make me go a little wacky with my layouts.

And then when I'm in the mood, go a little artsy. It's not perfect, but it was fun!

Have a great weekend everyone. Hope your creativity brings you many smiles and happiness.

A Trip Back In Time

Next in line in my quest to use themed product from my scrapbooking stash, was the cute little cheerleading outfit made by Jolee's boutique from EK Success. It is from their Pep Rally series. When I see these little miniature stickers I cannot help myself. But I am vowing to think more carefully in the future when I purchase these dimensional stickers.

I had more journaling than my layout could fit, so I decided to make a flip book with brads and add my journaling that way. I saw this technique done ages ago by Becky Higgins.

I was also glad that I could incorporate my Sophomore letter in the layout. Hated seeing it sit in a box in the closet. I got the T and the F quite awhile ago at Big Lots. They are made by Li'l Davis Designs. Again, I'm very happy I remembered I had them before I put the layout together. The yummy patterned paper is called P214 Periwinkle and is from my stash that I tend to hoard by Kaiser Craft.
I plan on making a second page to this layout at some point. It will be photo heavy with my prom photo, class photo, and a few more photos I have from my sophomore year. 


Tomorrow is a new week in my Adventures in Scrapbooking:Use Your Stash class by May Flaum at Big Picture Scrapbooking. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

Where's The End To The Themed Product?

As I'm meeting my self imposed challenge of using themed products from my stash, my heart just sinks at all the product that I purchased so impulsively. I like what the themed product contributed to these layouts, but it for some reason is so hard for me to use. And I find myself only using one or two pieces from the set of stickers. The Cat in the Hat layout was much more easy and fun putting together than the Karate layout. I just didn't know how to incorporate this bulky little Karate outfit into the layout. But I did what I did, and it will have to do. What I was happy about is that I came across the Asian patterned paper that I had forgotten I purchased and was able to use it. Again, purchased something with a specific use in mind, then let it sit until I forgot it. I think my shopping habits need to be more mindful. Sometimes it takes me awhile to catch on. . . . . .

How To Use Those Themed Stickers?

Today's layout, I was determined to use these state dimensional stickers I purchased made by Reminisce. I have realized recently, that specific themed stickers can be hard to use in my style of scrapbooking. Back in the day when we just had sticker sneeze all over our layouts, using stickers was mindless and fun. Now I feel like I have to use too much thought to using them in my design. Also, you are limited to what you can use specific themed stickers for. I'd much rather these days buy product that I can use for a variety of subjects. 

As you can see, I decided to make a border for the bottom half of the layouts with the stickers. Also I incorporated them in my title. I loved being able to make them work for my scrapbook style. I also used older letter stickers from Making Memories. In fact they said "Making Memories 1997" on them. The reddish patterned paper is from Keeping Memories Alive, and I have had it probably as long as the letter stickers. Not sure who made the blue patterned paper, but the same is true for it. I'm trying to along with using up the specific themed stickers that I purchased and getting them out of my stash, I'm looking for older patterned papers or other elements that I can use up too.

Use Your Stash

Yesterday was the first day of Scrapbooking Adventures:Use Your Stash with May Flaum at Big Picture Scrapbooking. One thing I'm going to focus on this week in class is using all the papers, embellishments, and other product that I purchased for a specific reason, but that I haven't taken the time to use yet. For example, I purchased these mini metal stickers by Sulyn Industries, Inc. at Big Lots several months ago. I knew I would use them on a layout of our love for Famous Dave's Barbecue. I would always pass by them several times a week looking for product for other layouts. So I  am vowing to use all the themed product I have on hand at least for the first few days.

It just so happens that I also used very old patterned paper I had on hand. This is probably from The Paper Patch I'm guessing, circa early 2000. I just couldn't bear to get rid of it. I figured at the very least it would be passed down to my granddaughters to use on one of their projects. But it reminded me of the tablecloths at the restaurant. so I was able to use it. I think it worked out nicely.

Other product used was : letter stickers - Ancestry Die-Cut Alphabet by K&Co, journal spot - Blue Awning Journal Pads by K&Co, & rub on - Cinnamon Stick by Cloud 9 (also purchased at Big Lots for dirt cheap).

I hope everyone will have a safe a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

Rule of Thirds

Recently in my Library of Memories Community class, we were challenged to create a layout using the rule of thirds. For me, this wasn't an easy task. I do use the rule in a lot of my photo taking, but it really threw me for a loop for some reason to apply the rule to a scrapbook page.

The rule of thirds states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. So aligning your subject with these points can create more interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would.

In my layout, I tried to make good use of the space on my page that did not contain a picture or other large items. The Rule of Thirds suggests only over 2/3 of your total page should be used for these types of large items and photos. Applying the Rule of Thirds to blank space is as simple as only filling 6 of the 9 total squares of the grid. 

  

Scare Tactics - Ghost in House

A friend had posted this on Facebook, and I laughed my head off. I tried to email it to a couple of friends, but couldn't get it to work, so I'm posting it here on my blog. Enjoy if you dare. It's very funny. Poor guy, he's priceless.

Scary Photoshop Effects

No, it's not Halloween yet. No, nobody has died....recently. I am just having a little Photoshop fun. I love old cemeteries. We lived a short way from an old cemetery when I was young, and my friends and I spent a lot of time there. Not in a morbid sort of way. We were always kind and respectful in regards to the graves. We liked to wander around looking at the old headstones and talk about how the person may have died and how they may have lived their life. There are so many stories to be told in an old cemetery. So many memories buried away. I took these photos over the weekend at an old cemetery up north. Wow, was there a lot of history there behind those wooden gates. I have changed up the names and dates of the original information contained on the headstones. Oh, and I also added something extra to the photos.

On these two photos, I took an image of a little girl and a pioneer woman from some stock photos I have in my files and "ghosted" them up a bit. I did this by cropping the people out of the original photo with the magnetic lasso tool and then placing them on my cemetery photos. I then changed  the opacity of the photos and feathered the edges to help them blend in with the background.

In this photo, I did the light effect by going to Filter/Render/Lens Flare. Very simple, very fun. I have a lot to learn in Photoshop. My husband helps me quite a bit as he's a graphic artist in the sign business and uses Photoshop everyday. I plan in the future to take some of  Jessica Sprague's Photoshop classes. She has a  great cache of classes on her website. I have taken a couple of her free classes and they have been awesome. 


And on a more "scrappy" note, here's my latest layout I've been working on. It's inspired by the Big Idea Festival that was going on at Big Picture Scrapbooking a week or so ago. It is inspired by Karen Grunberg. It took awhile to cut out each little photo and get the grid work to line up, but I think it was worth it.

I am so excited because my new class Adventures In Scrapbooking : Use Your Stash with May Flaum starts tomorrow. I am always so inspired by her classes and am so productive. And I can't wait to work through my ever growing stash of supplies!