THANKFUL + TURKEY = NOVEMBER + FRIDAY = FREEBIE!!

I don't know how your month is shaping up, but mine has turned out pretty busy so far.  November is loaded with lots of birthdays to celebrate (both family and friends), and my grandson's football activities peaked this month as his team made it into the play-offs and WON the championship!  YEAH!  Been spending some time at the field cheering him on as the evenings get darker earlier and become increasingly chilly here on the oceanfront.  I know, I shouldn't complain.  The days are still plenty warm here, but as the sun drops the ocean breeze can feel damp and cool now in November.  I am not a fan of returning to normal Eastern Standard Time as we always do at the beginning of this month.  I much prefer Daylight Savings Time so I can have my extra daylight hours in the evenings, so I am one of those who would lobby to leave it on Daylight Savings Time all year-round.  There is something about light that makes me much happier, the same as bright yellow sunshine does against a clear blue sky!

Today is my only granddaughter's 5th birthday!  My DD is giving her a Rock 'n Roll themed party for her little friends in the garage of their home this evening.  I'll be there to rock on, but first I must whip up and print out a digitally designed birthday card for her with some cute fairies on it.  I'll be sharing some party photos with you later on some scrapped pages for sure!

What are your Turkey Day plans?  Do you have that menu all worked out?  I think my plans will include something about 4 wheels and about 800 miles.  Oh me!  However, if you need some food inspiration or some new recipes, check out the November Recipe Challenges in the forums at Digital Scrapbooking Studio and Designs in Digital, or you can look in the galleries at all the recipe cards being designed and displayed.  Maurine of LetMeScrapbook always hosts the monthly recipe swap at DSS, and if you submit a recipe card you will get all of the others at the end of each month.  Fabulous!!  Santa's Digi Express is happening right now at Designs in Digital, and it's oh so much fun!  There's a long list of challenges for it posted in their forum,one of which is a recipe card swap.  I must say, both of these site challenges are going extremely well.  I have been working on each project in that challenge list, posting my completed ones each day; and today I won an entire kit!  We also received a surprise gift just for participating already, a digital Advent Calendar we can customize and print out.  My grandkids just love to use those in December, so that was really sweet!

I'm still taking my weekly PhotoShop Friday lessons from Jessica Sprague for a dollar weekly, and I can't say enough good things about those self-paced lessons to help one learn more and more about how to use all the tricks within PhotoShop, PhotoShop Elements, and the CS series.  The video tutorials are just awesome!  Jessica records those at just the perfect speed, and with the ability to stop, start, fast foward, rewind, and replay them at your heart's desire; well, there is just nothing you can't learn about your software from her!!  She's giving a totally FREE class starting Nov. 29th (see and click on my top side-bar ad), so you may want to check that out and get yourself registered for the fun coming up soon!  She always gives a free class annually this time of year!  They are self-paced, meaning you don't have to be at your computer at any certain time, the lessons are there for you whenever you have the time.  So don't be skeptical about signing up because of your schedule.  It's great to have something to do when you do have free time.

Also, FYI, Scrapper's Guide has changed their name to Digital Scrapper, and Linda just closed registration on Nov. 15th for a discounted combo class of instruction on learning the changes in PhotoShop Elements 9.  I'm a Premier subscriber annually, so I get her monthly kits, quick pages, and video tutorials.  What can I say, another fabulous and energetic digital instructor!

I believe I also read today that Digi Design Resort will be offering 24 daily classes free by video online, so I'm going to have to check that out.  It starts toward the end of this month, maybe between the 25th or 29th.  It's probably posted somewhere in their forum.

Alas, I'm about two full months behind in providing you with layout inspiration; but fear not, I've done a ton of personal scrapping so it will be forthcoming!  For now, we'll just focus on some FREEBIES!

For today's FREEBIE I've designed for you a collection of PHOTO CORNERS, 14 sets in a variety of colors (56 pieces in all).  These are png files at 300 dpi so you can resize them to suit your needs.  I think everyone needs a bunch of these in their stash!  They can always handle a photo when nothing else seems to fit.  The download is stress free from box.net, and here's the preview:

DOWNLOAD HERE 

Leave a little love if you like my freebies.  I'm not quite finished with Halloween as Turkey Day fast approaches.  Therefore, I'll be back soon with a couple of freebies for each holiday.  Seems I can hardly decide what facial design I'm carving into my pumpkin as I hear TV and radio ads for "Black Friday".  Geez!  I would like a chance to enjoy one holiday at a time.  Is it me, or is the world moving too fast?  Just one of my pet peeves . . .

See ya soon!  TOOTLES!    

HALLOWEEN QUICK PAGE FREEBIE !!

It's time to get those knives out and carve those pumpkins!  In years gone by my family has hosted carving parties for friends and relatives with real competition for the most elaborate design complete with prizes!  They were always a huge success and loads of fun until it came time for the after-party clean up crew to get to work!  Teehee!  This year we've taken the easy route and just the family gathered to carve; plus we pretty much winged our patterns right from our own minds.  The kids had a blast, and I've not seen that much pumpkin guts flying around for a long time!  Here's my pumpkin, my own free-hand sketch of a Tim Burton design and then our collective effort is below that:

I've decided to accompany my grandchildren on their Trick or Treating adventures which begin tonight with a big Halloween fling in one of our local parks and will end with the collection of candy from good neighborhoods tomorrow night.  It will provide me a great opportunity to have some fun with them and take lots of little goblin pictures to scrap later!  Yeah!  Want to see my costume?  I'm going to be a Punk Rocker "Mimi", and my oldest grandson has already put his seal of approval on my look!  I had a blast surprising him in it already by picking him up from school with it on the day I got it.  Now, the look on his face at that moment was PRICELESS!  And alass, I did not have my camera in hand!  Live and learn!  The mask has horns!

Hope you're in the mood to celebrate the seasons as they come and go!  With that thought in mind, I present you with another FREEBIE for this holiday.  I have a cool QUICK PAGE for you which is a 12 x 12 inch png, 300 dpi.  I left it sort of bare on purpose so you could clutter it up with your own favorite elements and just pop your photos in place.  The download is not too large and coming to you from box.net for ease.  I hope you will enjoy this!  Here's the preview:

DOWNLOAD HERE

I completely forgot to mention in my last post that another reason I was MIA during most of September and October here on the blog was due to my getting involved in the September Birthday Bash at Digital Scrapbooking Studio.  I not only participated in most all of the month-long challenges during the party but entered the layout competition in hopes of landing a spot on their site's layout CT as there were three openings, and the final top three layout artists would be landing those spots.  It was a five-week competition with probably 50-60 digi-scrappers competing in my category.  This went on in addition to the designer competition which was awesome and offered so many free downloads of their new designs as it went along.  My division had to make a layout with a new kit each week, and I made it to the final week before getting cut.  So, I was happy with that!  We got so many wonderful prizes along the way, and it was just so much fun to be involved.  They are one of my most favorite site's to hang out in online, so if you haven't checked them out, you should.  Sign up for their newsletter too, there's always nice freebies in it and good fun stories from The Piggy.  At any rate, I got involved in that competition while having two sets of company during the month of September, so you can just imagine how many late nights I pulled on the computer!  I'll show you some of my layouts from that in posts to come.

For now, I've got to run and prepare the rest of my costume for this evening.  The park shindig begins at 5 o'clock.  I'll hopefully be back tomorrow with another Halloween goodie for you, so do stop back in.

BOO for now!  I mean, bye.

TOOTLES!!

A "38-SPECIAL" FREEBIE FOR YOU!!

There's a pun in that title; isn't that a gun or something!  Teehee!  First, I apologize for going MIA for almost two months, so sorry.  I had that bad cold in September which really drug me down, then two sets of company arrived for Fall visits, so I did a ton of heavy cooking and entertaining.  We had loads of fun, and I was really sorry to see them leave.  During this time I focused on taking pictures and doing personal scrapping late at night rather than trying to design and keep up with blogging.  Please forgive.  I'm back and will try to make it up to you in the coming days and weeks. 

Does everybody like Halloween?  I've shared in running around over this beach looking at costumes for my grandkids and watching them change their little minds in the process.  It makes me recall my own younger days of planning and "making" my kids' costumes.  That's right, I sewed them up from scratch and sometimes put many sleepless nights into getting them finished.  Oh, those were the days!  I'm grateful that they always loved them and never minded that they were homemade!  That saved a ton of money even then.  It also brings to mind how my younger brother loved Halloween better than any other holiday of the year, even Christmas, as he was growing up.  We lived in a great neighborhood where all the residents participating in giving out candy.  The neighborhood was therefore always beseiged with hundreds of children, and back then there were no restrictive hours of Trick and Treating.  Kids would show up at the door before dark and it continued well into the night.  It was a tough choice, even as a kid, whether to dress up and go out and gather the candy or stay home and see the hundreds of kids coming to our door in full costume!  But not for my brother!  He ran as hard as he could, alone or with buddies, to cover the entire town!  His sack would get so heavy he would come home and dump it out and leave again.  He was like a Halloween maniac!  My sister and I couldn't keep up with him, he was out-of-control.  He still loves the whole process even as an adult.  He lives across the country from me now, so I don't get to see his adult version of Halloween in his home, but I'm sure it massive.  We had fun parents too who would dress up in costume to hand out the candy.  My dad was especially fun-loving and took great pride in pulling his own brand of pranks on the little kids as they came up our long sidewalk to the front door.  He would dress up in goulish garb and jump out from behind our shrubs to scare the kids and even their parents as they arrived.  Some took it well, some didn't; you can just imagine.  But my dad would laugh until tears would roll down his cheeks, and then mom would shame him if the children's reaction was bad.  I remember we always had to have loads of candy on hand for the numbers that arrived at our house.  It just seemed to grow larger every year, and my folks are still like little kids themselves, now in their 80's, but having already busted open the massive bags of candy on hand already to "taste test it" to see if it's any good before they give it away!  We always carved a pumpkin from scratch with a huge butcher knife, too!  It was such a glory to put that candle in it and watch it glow through the night.  We always had a light dinner that night, something nourishing but quick so we kids could get started.  What hub-bub, what fun!  We had pumpkin pie often during the fall, we saved the pumpkin seeds, ate some, planted some the following spring.  I even crafted with some way back then.  It seemed nothing went to waste.

In my own adult years with grown children, we have refined our pumpkin carving to a fine art using patterns and mini saws, and even hosting pumpkin carving contest parties.  I haven't used a butcher knife on a pumpkin for many years now!  LOL!  I'll see if I can dig up some photos of our best pumpkins and get them up here for you to see.  Now, this is giving way to me dressing up and going along with my grandchildren to watch them as they have fun.  I did get myself a special "look" for the spooky night, so if anybody thinks to take my picture, I'll get it up here so you can see how groovy this "Mimi" is.

Enough with the walk down memory lane . . .

I've got some goodies coming your way over the next few days, so do Trick or Treat at this blog!  The first FREEBIE for you is a huge pack of Halloween Word Art.  There are 38 png files in all, 5 word stickers in lots of variations to match up with whatever paper colors you may choose as your page backgrounds.  Here's the preview:

DOWNLOAD HERE

Let me know if you like this, I appreciate the comments you take time to leave.  You know love and appreciation spurs us on.

I've made some Halloween Quick Pages and Photo Masks/Mats to give you, so be sure to drop back by in the next few days to snag yours.  I've also made lots of templates and fall papers which will be coming your way as I get back on some type of schedule here.

In the meantime, don't get a toothache from helping your little goblins eat all that candy!  Have lots of fun, and do be careful out there!

TOOTLES!

TEMPLATE TUESDAY - FREEBIE !!

As promised, I'm back with a neat FREEBIE template for you!  I'm trying to stick with my own mental weekly schedule of goodies, and I don't sleep much anyway.  So, today I have my 11th template to give my peeps!  While working on this one, I formulated plans for another one to come to you later; I just love how my own creativity flows.  I'll have to make notes so I don't forget the next design while it's in my head now.  Check!

This one is a 12 x 12 inch, 300 dpi and includes a psd, tiff, and all the png files so everybody can hopefully use it.  Here's the preview and download link below that (from Box.net) for ease.
 

DOWNLOAD HERE

I worked up a layout using this template to give you some inspiration.  There are various things you can do with the geometric shapes on this one, but here's what came to me as I worked:

I used the kit "NEW BEGINNINGS" by none other than Janice Ward of JW-Digi Scraps since I'm so hooked on her designs and try avidly to collect everything she makes!  This kit has pretty soft colors in a nice variation and lots of pretty elements for inspiration.  You could place papers in a bunch of the spots where I chose to place photos!  Have your own way with the template, and most of all enjoy the scrapping!

I'm making my posts on the short side on purpose.  I've finally caught my DH's bad cold, so I'm not feeling so good as it's coming on.  UGH!  I really avoided him and tried not to get this, but alas, it's got it's old nasty claws into me anyway despite my evasive measures and a ton of disinfectant spray!  There's just no escape from these types of viruses!  Nothing can be so pleasant as having a heavy wet cold in the summer heat here!  Woah is me!  So my tissues and I will say bye for now and will return in a few days hopefully feeling better. 

TOOTLES!!

"MASON JAR" MONDAY PROJECT

Hi all!  Today's project going in the "MASON JAR" is one for the tweeters!!  No, I mean the real tweeters . . .  the birds.  This handmade lovely is entitled "Home Tweet Home" Gourd Birdhouse_01.  I took a look at my current selection and chose a pretty mottled purple one for you today because so many folks just love the color purple.  A little about this item:  I grow the "birdhouse" shape gourds myself each year, but when I don't have enough of them I do buy field grown ones here locally in my area.  The process of crafting with them is a long one.  They must be totally dried out which can take up to a year from the time they are taken off the vine, which here is in December/January.  They are usually green at that point but turn a light brown when completely dried, and you can hear the seeds rattle around inside when they are dried out nicely.  I scrubb off the outside with a scratchy pad (like you would clean your pots and pans with) and some clorox water.  This gives me a nice clean smooth outside surface to work on.  I cut the entry hold with a handmade sawtooth tool my DH made me for this purpose, but one of those pumpkin carving kits with the little toothy saw in it would work just as well probably.  My tool is much more sturdy though.  These gourds are like light-weight wood when dried.  I use fine grit sandpaper to round up my hole, and then use an ice pick tool to make my holes in the top for my hanging wire or cord.  After I've removed all the seeds and fiber from the inside of the gourd using forceps and a scraping tool, I then apply my own "secret" texturing compound to the outside.  That's the part I love doing because each one turns out looking different.  Sometimes while the compound is wet and workable I apply other decorations to it, sometimes not.  This step has to cure out for a few days to dry completely.  At that point, I have fun with painting the surface in different ways, and when all happy with the look I apply a sealer so the finished piece is weather-proof.  Most always, I make a curly coiled wire hanger of some type for the top.  Tah-dah, finished!  These are sturdy, weather-proof, and unbreakable!  They should last you and your fine feathered friends for quite a few years!

This particular one has a wooden twig perch, and the overall dimensions are approximately 8 inches in height by 6 inches wide.  The price is $12.00 + $7.95 shipping.  These non-digital items offered here are on a first-come, first-serve basis because at a given time I may not have multiples of the same item.  If you see it listed here, it's available.  When sold, I will edit this post and remove the item possibly replacing it with something else.  Here's the preview:

ITEM SOLD

NEWS ABOUT MASON:  My extreme preemie grandson, little "Miracle Mason" is now 4-1/2 years old and just this week got accepted to a local preschool, head-start kind of program which is free!  Yeah!  Our family is so tickled pink over this!!!  Application  and testing for this program was in June, and Mason's dad had received a letter later during the summer that stated that Mason did NOT get in.  However, at the last moments as the season begins, they shift things around and end up with certain numbers due to people moving and whatever else happens, and they then call some of the applicants back and take them into the program.  So, that's what came down.  I had been praying over this recently, and I feel my prayers were answered for Mason to be able to attend this program.  His dad is a self-employed handyman and doesn't always have enough work to afford the extras, such as paying for a preschool program for Mason.  I therefore worry over the future for Mason, the things of reality like the cost of college education, medical insurance for now, needs in general.  He is at such a disadvantage not having his mother so young and not having the additional income that a second working parent can provide.  God brought Mason through his extremely premature birth circumstances, and without any disabilities whatsoever.  He is so smart, so lively, and such a really pleasant mannered, intelligent little child who is just a lot smaller than most children of his age.  Maybe he will catch up physically someday when he is a teenager or going into male adulthood, maybe not.  But I feel a need to contribute to my miracle grandson in some way, and being unemployed for the last two years has been a real bummer for both my DH and myself.  The economy here is based around the tourism, and it's been way down for several years and we were both cut from our jobs.  My DH just found a job again this month, so at least one of us is back up on his feet.  Maybe I will be next.  That's why I developed this "MASON JAR" project.  I've always been a crafter since my youth, and I have a lifetime of experience at it.  I do everything imagineable, from oil painting, glass fusing, jewelry designing, to all types of stitching, etc.  I felt a need to turn that creative time into something that Mason will benefit from for perhaps a small contribution from me to his educational fund.  I can't replace his mom in his life, but I can be the best "Mimi" I can be for him.

I added these notes about Mason in hopes that more of my followers here will read up the past posts covering "THE MASON JAR" STORY.  Some just glance at the "buy now" buttons and think I am just another digital store, but not so.  I invite those of you that actually read, to read a little deeper to understand what is going on here.  I am the grandmother of a true miracle child that God must have a purpose for, and I feel a calling to help him in some way since his own mother has been taken.  We don't always understand the whys in life, but what I do know is that while we are here, we must do the best we can do.

And with that, I will stop my ramble and jump off and prepare tomorrow's FREEBIE for you peeps!   Wonder what you would like???  Hummm. . . .Well, guess it will be a surprise!  Nighty-nite!

TOOTLES!

FRIDAY FREEBIE - PAPER PACK !!

I've been busy, and I don't know where this week went so fast!  I'm still getting used to my DH not being off on the normal weekends; it's strange but okay.  Just kind of throws me off mentally a bit!  He's been sneezing for 2-3 days now, seems everybody at his work-place has a virus of some kind right now, some with fever, some without.  I've been pumping him full of extra vitamins lately, so maybe that will help him past the unavoidable exposure to rampant illnesses one is subjected to when working out there in the public environment.  I've done the vitamin thing, even laying them out for him the night before so he won't forget to take them on his way out in the morning, mainly because he is dieting hot and heavy right now trying to knock off 15-20 pounds.  I'm not sure he is getting enough nutrition for a working man!  At any rate, my week has flown by, how about yours?

I won "Layout of the Week" at MissesBeeHaven in the Thursday Template Challenge last week for my layout in a previous post with the "I Collect Seashells by the Seashore".  It's cool to have something you've put together get noticed like that.  Made me smile!

I've completed by two-week, self-paced "BrushAbilities" class and 15 PhotoShop Friday lessons at Jessica Sprague.  I absolutely love having the lessons to do whenever I can sit down and focus.  I so look forward to each and every one.  I was able to take advantage of a hefty discount coupon for the BA class, and I get the PSF one at a time weekly during her "One Buck Wednesdays".  It's so great to feel like you are getting so much knowledge and instruction for such a discount!  This week, I designed my first set of 3 brushes, and after I test out their quality in a project or so, I'll probably share them here with you.  I'm a stickler for quality in my finished designs!  I learned more about various ways to use brushes, such as erasers, clipping masks, etc.  We finished up the BA class by designing new blog headers with varoius techniques learned throughout the course, so after I refine mine a bit more as to its needed size to fit here nicely, I will probably be sporting a new header and have more fun changing that more often!  Teehee!  I designed so much this week, I think I only finished one layout, so here it is:

The learning focus in this one was the swirly element at the bottom of the photo. It was a brush used as a clipping mask, then transformed into a "sticker" look. I love the design of it! We received so many cool items in JS's downloads for class. Yummy!!!

I took time back-tracking and upgraded my freebie in the August 16th post as promised.  There are now 4 tags (instead of 2) in the tag sample and 40 tags (instead of 20) in the MJP.  Better value since I learned how to "stitch".  Haha!  I think I will start breaking my label descriptions down further in the right side bar navigation so you peeps can find what you want easier.  Sound good?

I'll share a short story:  My mom is 82 yrs. of age, very super-active.  She had the mitral valve heart surgery in February this year so she could be ready to mow her 2 acres all season beginning in April in her part of the country, and she normally has had a garden every year of her life for as long as I can recall.  However, she has had to remain quiet this summer due to a seige of nosebleeds which began right after Memorial Day weekend, off and on.  She ended up in her local ER three times with hemorrhages which required nasal packing.  Basically, in cases like this, physical activity just has to be next to nothing until "the weak vessel" heals.  Consequently, she has had an excruiating summer of dullness compared to what is normal for her.  We've spent a lot of time on the phone because she is bored and going stir-crazy from being so idle.  No bending, stooping, lifting, running, or even fast walking; nothing to get that heart rate up and cause blood to pump faster.  Her restriction was up on August 18th and she had a scheduled recheck with her doctor that mid morning.  Wouldn't you know, she hemorrhaged again early that morning, requiring the ER once again!!  This time they were able to clean well enough to identify the source as a nasal polyp (tumor) on her septum about mid way up.  They surgically removed it, and she is now healing from that, on restriction again.  At least, if I can keep her from going nuts with all this inactivity, this may be the end of the red river seige she has been under!!  Heart surgery and that recovery went so fine to have her summer ruined by her nose problem!!  Humph!!  I'm sure in larger cities with larger hospitals, this nasal polyp would have been identified and removed much quicker.  Just the trials and tribulations of living in a small remote little area that I lovingly refer to as "the sticks".  End of that saga. . .

I have another medical story I can impart, but I'll save it until I have more updated news on it.  I've always found medicine very interesting.  It's also good to share what you know or have learned as you may be able to help someone else learn something they will be able to utilize somewhere in their own future.  Ya just never know . . .

Alrighty then . . .  it's FREEBIE time, and I have a nice one for you today!  I've collected lots of brushes during taking my classes, so I've been practicing using some of them to make papers!  Today I have for you a nice set of an even dozen 12 x 12", 300 dpi background floral papers in a subtle range of colors that should work nicely for some of your scrapping.  They are textured, and the florals in this set are only up and down the left side of the papers, so you have plenty of room for your photos, elements, and journaling.  I think they are cool, so I hope you do too!  I'm working on several more sets to bring along to you later with more grunged up edges and different focal points, so keep checking back in for those.  I've named these "Floral Essence, Set 1" and here is the preview:

DOWNLOAD HERE

Luckily the zipped file ended up being small enough I could upload it to Box.net, so it should be a quick and uninterrupted download on your end.  Ahh, yes!!  I think of you!!

Well, that's wraps up my time here today.  I've got to go figure out how I can finish up this week in a productive manner.  I'll be back soon with lots more digi prizes!!  Stay tuned!

TOOTLES!

MASON JAR MONDAY + WHOPPER FREEBIE !!

Do the weeks just seem to whiz by, or is that just me?  I'm going to lift us all up and start your week with a NICE HUGE FREEBIE!  I read the comments you leave, and one sweet follower told me she was especially enjoying the frames, so my sizeable FREEBIE today was designed with her in mind.  She will know it pays off sweetly to take a second to be kind or encouraging to a rookie designer, especially yours truly.

First, it's Monday again, so follow me as we add another project to THE MASON JAR.  I've designed 12 monthly oval accent frames that match the "Season Accent Ovals" offered as a freebie in a previous post back in July, I think it was.  I use this type of accent on my own layouts quite often because it's such a clean, sharp, elegant look and helps me get away from the cluttering I tend to do so well.  These are png files at 300 dpi and can be resized larger or smaller without loss of print quality.  They can be used to accent a photo, to journal within, to encompass a calendar grid, and the list goes on.  So, be sure to think outside the box a little when you need an extra touch of nice that won't be overpowering.  I hope you can enjoy these for many years of scrapping!  When you purchase, include your email in the space provided, and you will be emailed the download link inside of 24 hours.  Here's the preview:

 

Enter Your Email Here

Onward we go now into FREEBIE -LAND!  I think I got wound up on frames this weekend!  I have a really sharp design that I enjoy using, so I went overboard and made you peeps 35 of them!!  I don't think you'll be able to get the beauty of the real McCoys from this tiny preview.  I worked extra long and hard trying to get a decent preview built for you, but I know I can't see much from this.  You'll just have to trust me that these will be pretty awesome when you move them onto your layouts!  The zip contains 35 png files at 300 dpi, and I built these in a 8 x 6 landscape aspect, but don't forget you can turn them for 35 more frames in portrait.  Wooohoo!  You can resize them and more than likely recolor lots of them to your own liking or clip papers to them even.  At any rate, hope you have as much fun using as I did making!!  I've named them "Frame Sophisticates" because of their ultra clean design.  Here's the preview:

DOWNLOAD HERE

As much as I would like, I cannot tarry here today.  Much to do, and deadlines to meet.  Oh boy, gotta get my racing shoes on for sure today, my list is growing! 

Have a pleasant start to your week, and watch out for the little children walking to and from school and school buses again.  Slow down, use caution.  Take care!

Be back soon!

TOOTLES!

REMEMBERED IN LOVE

In the rising of the sun
and in its going down,
In the blowing of the wind
and in the chill of winter
we remember them.
In the opening of buds
and in the rebirth of spring,
In the rustling of leaves
and in the beauty of autumn
we remember them.
In the beginning of the year
and when it ends,
When we are weary
and in need of strength
we remember them.
When we are lost, sick at heart,
and have joys we yearn to share
we remember them.
So long as we live,
we remember them.

Posted for others who have also suffered loss and in loving memory of my Lorie.  This came to me in the mail this week, and I couldn't have expressed my daily feelings any more clearly.

SPECIAL WEEKEND FREEBIE MASK !!

My intentions were good for another FRIDAY FREEBIE, but I got detained from my work here, so it's a SATURDAY SPECIAL for my peeps!  It will give you something to play with over the weekend, if you have any spare time!  Haha!  I realize for those with children school is beginning this Monday in a lot of areas, so you may be pressed for time in reality getting those supplies in and everything ready to send your babes packing once again.  My own 8-yr. old grandson loves school so much that he looks forward to returning and finds it difficult to occupy himself fully across the summer.  He loves learning and having new mental challenges that much; what a blessing!

Bye the way, I have fixed the one bad "Buy Now" button that wasn't working in The Mason Jar offerings.  Thanks gals for letting me know!!  Please do if you find any buttons or links on my blog not working correctly.  Nothing expires, so everything should work all the time here!  I try to test everything as it gets posted, but sometimes broken html gets past me for a bit, so thanks for the shout-out. 

Also, I've just learned more about how to apply stitching, so I went back and made a set of the Old World Tags with stitching added.  How cute they are!  I'm going to beef up that Mason Jar offering in my last post to more value by adding the stitched set to the download file, so you will get a total of 40 tags for the price rather than 20.  I will hopefully make those changes this weekend and you will see the preview change to say "40" instead of the now stated "20".  Those that have already purchased will get a new download link by email to snag up the rest of that set.  Yes, I believe in a good value! 

I should be able to get some major digital reorganization accomplished this weekend.  My DH has new days off which are in the middle of the week, so I'm getting used to being able to work on my creativity across the real weekends which is very different for me.  That's life, full of constant adjustments. 

Here's your FREEBIE for today, a "Harvest" photo mat/clipping mask.  I love to make these things, so I hope you find this one timely for your own use as we head into the Fall season soon.  It's a png file at 300 dpi, so you can resize it larger or smaller as you need for your own layout.  There are many ways to use these masks.  You can clip background paper to it and then pop a photo on top in the middle, or you can clip a photo to the whole mask for an awesome cool look against a contrasting background.  I made a quick layout with this one and used a combination of the two methods by clipping a photo to the mask and then adding a small oval photo on top of that.  I really love my clipped photo, see my layout below for inspiration.  Also, let me know if anyone has a special request for a photo mat/mask wording, and I'll be happy to whip it up for you.  I have a ton of these ready to go, just need to post them one at a time for ya.  There's a great possibility I'm sitting on the one you really want already, so let me hear from you!  If you want to show off your layout using one of my masks, I'll be glad to post it here; just send it by email or download link to me in a small web size (600x600, 72-100 dpi).  My email link is in the "about me" section of this blog and also in my TOU in each downloaded file.  Enough said, here's the goodie!

DOWNLOAD HERE

That's via box.net for all our sakes since it's such a small file size.  Box is so uncomplicated and without a bunch of annoying pop-ups or wait time!!

Here's my layout using this mask . . .

What do ya think of those veggies??  I love taking macro photos practically crawling into the item myself as I snap the shot!  Onlookers think I'm a kook, but I get some very interesting photos that way!  I used another Janice Ward of JW-DigiScrap creation to wrap this up in called "Harvest Home".  Cute, hey?

Onward for a small tad of inspiration just in case you need a dose (teehee):

The above layout was my PhotoShop Friday #14 lesson from none other than Jessica Sprague using the materials provided in the download for ONE BUCK, complete templete and all the papers, etc.  All I had to gather in was a free font she recommended and my own photo.  We practiced the concept of using oversized puntuation, such as the question mark you see above, as a focal point in the layout, then adding an off-set stroke and sticker type background to it.  I like how this technique looks so much like real hybrid paper scrapping, it makes the digital practically jump off the page at you!  Do you see all those questions?  The page was built around the subject of the boundless curiosity most children have, and it was great fun to construct the page!

The LO above was made for the weekly Thursday Template Challenge at MissesBeeHaven with the template supplied and built around the theme of "scrap what makes you HAPPY".  For me, that was easy, smiling faces on these three makes me truly happy.  I used MBH product for it, Splash of Fun, which was their June Download-A-Day collab kit.  You probably can't tell I'm a teal mixed with anything lover!

And lastly . . .

Here again, this LO was made for the MBH weekly Thursday Template Challenge around the theme of "scrap what you collect".  I used MBH's "Splash of Fun" and "Bliss This Heart" for this page.  Living at the ocean, I collect a lot of seashells constantly, so I turn them into outer decor on the birdhouses I make and recycle them back into being used again to house another of God's creatures.  Pretty, durable, waterproof . . . a bird just couldn't have it any finer!!  These will get a cute coiled wire hanger, maybe a little color on the texture material between the shells, a sealer and then off to market they go.  If you like them, watch for one to hop into The Mason Jar eventually.

Okay, that all from me for the moment.  Thanks for stopping by, and I'll be back real soon with more digital happiness for you!  Have a wonderful weekend!

TOOTLES!!

IT'S "MASON JAR MONDAY" !! + FREEBIE !!

I do hope you, my peeps, will consider my frame of mind as we trek on through the month of August.  It's a tough month for me emotionally, and I am trying desperately to keep my mood up above the proverbial waterline, so to speak.  This week on the 20th marks one year since my firstborn daughter's death and, to me as her mom, it still feels like just yesterday.  I'm trying to focus and stay productive, and the digital scrapping and designing helps me keep my mind occupied the best of anything I've tried in the last year.  Thus, I'm spending time trying to help my angel-baby by stuffing "The Mason Jar" with projects in an effort to help her son left behind who is now 4-1/2 years old.  If your not familiar and would like to know more, read about this project by using my right sidebar navigation labels and click on "The Mason Jar Story".  I hope my Lorie is smiling down upon her mom.  She was an avid paper scrapper and had just begun to show an interest in learning how to also master digital scrapping, so I hope she approves of this effort for her Mason.

Today's offering is a nice set of 40 tags I've named "Old World Tag Set".  I'm currently taking another class online at Jessica Sprague, this one a 2-wk long, self-paced instruction class on more PSE techniques to master.  Every time I sit down and do one of the lessons, I'm so inspired I then go on and create something more of my own with the techniques I've just learned.  So, last night these tags sprang forth from me!  These are png files so everyone can use them.  They are textured, inked, stamped, pretty cool and grungy, 20 are stitched; and I did put a very small soft drop shadow on each of them because it makes them look so much more dimensional on the layout page.  I'm giving away a sample of them as your FREEBIE TODAY, so read to the bottom to snag that!  If you're as enthused with them as I am, perhaps you'll wish to have this set of twenty.  I tried to make you a close-up sample of some of the detail on each tag, so I hope you can see this preview well enough.

  

And darn while I was making that I stumbled across an entirely new technique, how to actually "slice" out the portion of each tag I wanted to use to show you the detail. Wow, so much learning is going on here with me!  Now here is the actual set offering:  When you purchase this by using the "buy now" button below, be sure to include your email in the space provided, and within 24 hours you will receive the download link from me.  Don't be afraid, it's through PayPal which is very safe, and you don't need a PayPal account to use it either as they process all credit cards shown below the button.  I've been using PayPal for years, well since it began basically and never a problem.  In fact, I have some really great stories I can share about PayPal, but I'll save them for another post.  I tend to get long-winded and off track.  Here you go . . .

Price is $1.15 (no shipping, it's a digital download)

Enter Your Email Here

Here's just a tad of inspiration.  I worked up this layout for a forum template challenge using a them of "friendship" hosted weekly every Thursday at MissesBeeHaven.  If you're not checking out digital shop/store forums for all the fun and freebies, you need to!  There are monthly, bi-monthly, and even weekly challenges in most all of them.  MissesBeeHaven is great for me as they host a weekly on their template challenge, so I (being the template junkie that I am) look forward to a new one there free every Thursday!!  Plus, check out the forum "RAKs & freebies thread, that's where folks like me post about and give links to personal blogs so you can run around and snag all the digital goodness you have time to download!  This layout features my grandson Donovan (8 yrs. old) and his BFF.

Aren't they just so cute at 8 and 9?  These guys are basically inseparable!  I LUV all my LO's, but here's one that I especially like the construction of, and it was using a template provided in my PhotoShop Friday Classes by Jessica Sprague.  I love how there is the larger photo clipped to a grungy edged mask and then the two smaller square photos on top of it on a small mat.  That's such a cool look, I'll have to remember to use it often in my future scrapping.  This below features my angel-baby's son, Mason, my personal love project.

Next is a layout of celebration to commemorate my DH's return to the work force last week!  Yeah!  I did it from pretty much scratch with paper and a frame I had made using again, more class techniques.  Practice, practice, practice!!  Do you like the coloration on that frame?  It was a happy accident!  Teehee!  I had applied a darker denim fiber paper of my own to it and accidently had left it on when I clicked again to add another style to the frame.  Oh happy days, that was the perfect look I was searching for on that light blue background paper!!

Most of the other elements in the above layout were gathered from several fabulous kits by Janice Ward of JW-DigiScraps; "My Men", "Mom For The Ages", and that awesome journaling tag from her "Resolutions" kit!  More journaling tags, please, Janice!!  I had a story to tell on that one and filled it up!  Somebody will love reading all that one day when we are but a memory. - - - Next up, below, is another spin on that lonely single sunflower of mine using a large photo mask I made, my own papers (with a technique used on the green one) and some more of Janice Ward's elements and a crazy looking ant by Mitsybelle, both of whom can now be found collaborating and offering their goodies at the wonderful The Studio.

A couple more, then on to your FREEBIE!  This year I have vowed to attempt to scrap a little more about myself.  Because we love, we tend to scrap everybody but yours truly.  I read so much of that in forums under the Project 365 and Project 52 threads, and I had been thinking about it even on my own.  I am always behind the camera and usually never in front of it, so much so that my own family is used to not taking pictures of me themselves with their own cameras; they can't get me out of my own lens long enough I suppose.  They have given up.  So, if I'm not in many photos, that's why, but I can at least take pics of what I do and scrap those.  Maybe I'll even learn how to set the timer on my digital camera on it's little tripod and them run and jump in the photo, you know, a self-portrait type of thing.  Ooh, but then I'd have to put on some make-up!  Forget that!  I'm scrapping some of the food I make, that's but one of my threads on thought on this subject, I have many and will start sharing those with you in future posts.  Like a photo prompt, if you need them.

Well enough about me!  It's on to your FREEBIE!  Here's a sample of the set of tags just put into "The Mason Jar" above so you can get an idea of how well you do or don't like or need them.  I'm going to work on some more creative designs for tags, so we'll see what I can come up with soon.  I'm interested in journaling tags as that should be such a large part of why we scrap, to leave our stories behind one day for posterity to read.  Can you envision your great-great grandchildren as adults one day sitting on the sofa looking through your old dusty scrapbooks their parents left them and reading all the great stories you left behind with the photos??!!  That's what it's about, sum total.  Snag up this freebie and have a great week!

DOWNLOAD HERE

I hope to be back soon with lots more goodies, so stay tuned in!  Thanks for all the great comments left and for using the chat box, too, guys and gals!  I love communication, and the comments spur on my desire to create.  Thank you all for the "thank yous".  Let me know if you would like any of the frames or photo masks I've made and used in these particular layouts above.  They could end up being freebies if you express your interest!  Speak up!

I'm back doing a p.s. to this post:  For heaven sakes, I just checked out Persnickety Prints for the first time, and I'm way impressed!  I've just added their blinky to my blog, and I want you peeps to run right away before August 18th is over and check out their August 15th blog post for a chance to win a huge set of templates!!  All you have to do is leave a comment under that post!  Cool, hey?  Here's the link for to their BLOG   Now run along quickly!!!!!

TOOTLES!

FRIDAY THE 13TH - LUCKY DAY!

WHOO-HOO! Congrats are in order at this house!  After 23 straight months of unemployment, my DH has landed a job as of this past Monday!  I don't have much good to say about the age we now live in where everything is "apply online" because it wasn't very productive for us.  The second job he applied and interviewed for "live" he got!!  You need that one-on-one, face-to-face to make your impression on somebody and for them to get a feel "of you".  Hallelujah!  My house is once again my domain!  I'm fairly sure I will be out the door to work next, of necessity not desire.

Since folks tend to think that Friday 13th is an unlucky day, I'm out to change that; at least for today for my faithful followers here!  I have THREE FREEBIES for you today!!  Yipee!  I'm on a good roll! 

Firstly, I want to add another project to THE MASON JAR.  My intention is eventually to do that every Monday.  So far I haven't been able to keep up with my own intentions.  If you're not familiar with THE MASON JAR PROJECT, please use the labels in my right side bar to read some about it.  Below is a preview of what is going in the jar today.  It's my very first ALPHA called "Shabby Alpha", and it's both shabby and grungy!  It has plenty of texture and interest, should be quite versatile in your projects because it allows some background color to show through.  I'm including both entire upper and lower case A-Z, numbers 0-9, and 31 symbols; all in both no shadow (ns) and with drop shadow (wds).  Each element is 300 dpi so you can resize it as desired without loss of quality.  Here's a closeup that I placed on a blue background so maybe you can see how the color is able to show through.  You'll be able to get lots of different looks from this alpha.

Here's the offering: 

Price:  $1.15 and I will email you the download link within 24 hours of purchase.

Enter Your Email Here

FREEBIE #1:  I've used the above alpha to make you a nice Fall  plaque type element for your upcoming seasonal scrapbooking.  Plus, I'm including a BONUS of four of the "Shabby Alpha" letters for you to play with, a set to spell "Me" in both "no shadow" (ns) and "with drop shadow" (wds).  As always, everything is 300 dpi so you can play with the size to suit your needs without losing print quality.

DOWNLOAD HERE

 
SECOND FREEBIE:  I got on a roll late one night and had some fun with DOTS.  I came up with a paper template for you so it will be easy in most any software program using this png file for you to make your very own polka-dotted type, multicolored papers!  Whoo-hoo!  You can simply place a background paper under this template png, then either recolor the png file or use it as a clipping mask.  I made it 11-1/2 inches square because I wanted to use it as an inset paper so I would have a background border the same color as the dots.  You'll see when you use it, but feel free to nudge the size to 12 x 12" if you want.  What fun you'll have with this!!  I'm including a BONUS of two papers I made with it in jpg format.  Here's the preview:
 

DOWNLOAD HERE

I did a quick layout so you could see the end results with it:

 

Okay!  Onward . . .
 
THIRD FREEBIE:  Here's my 10th layout TEMPLATE for you!  Yeah!  It's spiffy!  It's a 12 x 12", 300 dpi and includes a psd, tiff, and all png files so everybody can use it!  Hope you like, give me some feedback please.  I love to make templates because I personally find them so handy when I'm in the mood to scrap but pressed for time.  They just speed up the process so much, so it's great to be able to make a bunch of them ahead.  So far, I've designed 26 of these, but I'm slow giving them out.  You'll get all of them if you just keep coming back to check in.  I may be slow, but I'm sure.  Tee-hee!  Here's the preview of TEMPLATE #10: 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Here is one of my layouts with it made with the kit, "Afternoon Delight" by JW-Digi Scraps.  Love her design talent! 
 

That's my only sunflower that popped up this year of all the seeds I planted!  I think this particular flower bed is too dry to germinate the seeds.  I'm lucky to get one of the things I plant in it!  Not a good bed for my green thumb reputation at all.  :-(

I think that's all for now, my peeps.  I need to jump off and so some real housework.  You know when your man goes out to work all day, he comes home and wants to know what you did with those same 8 hours of time.  Geez!  If they only knew all the multi-tasking a female really does in 24 hours, they wouldn't need to ask that type of question.  It always reminds me of how clueless the male species can be sometimes.  Or, maybe it's just me feeling guilty that I've been getting to stay home and enjoying the air conditioning all summer!  Oh well . . . I deserve it.

Do check back often as I have lots more goodies coming your way!  Have a great weekend!!

TOOTLES!

TGIF! TEMPLATE FREEBIE TIME!

What's shakin', peeps?  I'm jazzed!  It's the biggest crafty weekend of the year in my city; a 3-day event starting early this morning and lasting through Sunday evening.  Exhibitors travel in from all over the country to show and sell their art.  We have lots of other shows throughout the year, but this is definitely the biggest.  I've had to learn to discipline my spending at this event and am trying to make a habit to attend the first day just to look by leaving my purse at home.  I'll take time to think about my intentions at least overnight before making the purchases.  I can definitely go overboard at these events being an artisan myself and having too much appreciation for other folks' artwork.  They don't allow picture taking inside this event, so I won't be able to take you on a vitural tour of it.  :-(

My FREEBIE for you today is my ninth template.  I hope you can use it.  Seems lately everybody is going circle crazy, so I got into it here also!  Just imagine what you could do with this.  I did a sample layout for you using two different papers to fill the outer circles, but I'm wondering what it would look like done with photos clipped to all the half circles around the border.  This is a 12 x 12" square, 300 dpi, and I've included the psd, tiff, and pngs for everybody.  The zip was not too large, so I'm hoping it won't take forever to download by way of 4Shared.  Here's the preview:

DOWNLOAD HERE

Here's the layout I worked up with it . . .

Below is a layout I made for my 12th PhotoShop Friday lesson using the template and supplies provided by Jessica Sprague.  I learned how to load brushes into the eraser tool, and we used it to round certain corners on the photo and paper clipping mats.  Very cool trick to know!  All this plus the video tutorial for only $1.00 during "One Buck Wednesdays".  You shouldn't be missing all this fun knowledge for the price if you want to learn your PS, PSE, or CS.  In fact, you can get the PhotoShop Friday lesson for that price from Wednesday through sometime on Fridays.  I don't let myself miss one!  I hope she has them forever!!  You can stop and restart her video tutorial as much as you want while you work in your own program along side the instruction.  Way cool!

Then, of course, I couldn't stop scrapping; so I took that same template and kept turning it 90 degrees and reworking it to finish up a series of photos I'd been wanting to get scrapped of my birthday visit to Carowinds with my daughter, grandson and his friend.  We had a cool weekend there, and the rides were a thrill a second!  I'm a thrill seeker and rode them all.  Love the free feeling of the roller coasters as does my daughter!  Just another meaning for our "free spirit".

You can see this is the same template by Jessica Sprague which I just kept turning and reworking.  The kit I used is Life's Adventures by JW-Digi Scraps. 

Well, I've got to fly now!  Hope you all have a great weekend!  I'll be back soon with more goodies for you, probably some cool frames, as those seem to be getting the most downloads right now.  Stop back soon.  

TOOTLES!