Intro to Digital Scrapbooking Class at Maggie's Place

Want to try digital scrapbooking but not sure where to start?  Join us at Maggie's Place on July 22nd from 2pm to 4pm.

you'll create a layout like this one!

I will be taking you through the steps to create a beautiful digital scrapbook page like the one shown above.

The cost is $25. Please register in advance. The deadline is to register is July 15th.

Bring your laptop and a thumb drive with one vertical and one horizontal photo of something or someone you love.

You will learn to use a mask to build a frame that coordinates perfectly with your layout.

Before class, please download the trial version of Photoshop Elements 10 if you don't already have a version of Elements (older version are OK).

You will go home with a set of digital scrapbooking supplies, comprehensive directions and a printed copy of your layout.

Yikes! That's Short!

CHSMTA Gala

On Monday, B and I went up to the Palace Theater in Waterbury to watch Daniel and his castmates perform at the CT High School Musical Theater Awards Gala.  It was a wonderful evening - it amazes me how talented these children are.  It makes me wonder why TV shows insists on using adults to pretend to be kids, when there's so much talent out there!

I set my camera on sport continuous and made a moving GIF of the resulting images:

"Brand New Day" is the Wiz's equivalent of "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead"

Zentangles

Inspired by a friend (Hi, Betsy!), I finally gave Zentangling a try.  Now I'm not sure why I waited so long!

First, to practice, I made a sampler of the designs in the book. 

Then I jumped right into a full page design using one of my watchwords - "grace" - as in grace under pressure.

I'll be giving a class in this technique at Maggie's Place this summer.  Check Maggie's Calendar.

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Trumbull High School Spring Concert

Last night was my son's school's Spring Concert

I love how much he enjoys himself up there!

so serious

He even had a solo!

It was the same solo he had during their recent tour of France - he sang it in Notre Dame Cathedral!

The Men's Ensemble wondering - what shall we do with a drunken sailor?

I can't wait for the CD and DVD!

Button Farm Club Kit February 2012

Last weekend I finished my latest Button Farm Kit.  The kit came with a 7 Gypsies library drawer, lots of Tim Holtz goodies and the usual excellent instructions.  I supplemented with distress inks, distress stains and glimmer mist.  I also added some manilla ATCs, some kraft ATCs and some canvas ATCs and had lots of fun playing with tecniques.

If there's interest, we could start an ATC club at Maggie's Place and play with various techiques once a month or so - let me know if you are interested!

the box

There are 4 sections in the box, so I decided to dedicate a section each to my two sons, my sweetie and the puppy

the fronts of the cards about son #1

the fronts of the cards about son #2

the puppy cards!

and last but certainly not least - my sweetie!

Family Cookbook

This project has been several years in the making, but I finally collected all the family recipes and put them in one document.  I was originally going to accompany the recipes with photos of the dishes, but when my Dad scanned the family photos, I realized I could do something a lot more fun.  Using a We R Memory Keepers 8.5"x5.5" album, I paired the recipes with digital layouts using photos from my childhood, and photos of my folks.  I kept the layouts simple, background paper, the photos as large as they could be and still fit, basic journaling and maybe one embellishment.  I'm very pleased with how it turned out.

Of course the first thing my Mom wanted to know was when her copy would be ready.  ;-)

Then I got the idea to put the whole thing on DVD.  I took my original word document and added the digital layouts to approximately every other page.  Then I created an altered CD cover complete with a table of contents.  Now everyone in the family has their own copy of the recipes and layouts.  And if anyone wants a hard copy, they can print the pages, fold them in half and put them in 5.5x8.5 page protectors and voila!

the DVD and the cookbook

the little boy on the right is my grandfather

Trouble With Big-Hole Bracelet

the stopper (right) won't catch when I try to screw it to the threads on the end of the bracelet (left)

Button Farm November 2011 Kit

From the first moment I saw this kit, I knew it had to be mine.

the outside of the box

the box with the left flap open

the box with both flaps open - now we can see the album in the box

with the album slightly opened - what secrets will be revealed?

the first two pages in the album -
there's a mini accordion album tied up with  pink ribbon

with the mini accordion album unfolded

the second pair of pages - mini folders hide more photos

the sewing machine decorations inspired the theme for my photos -
sewing, knitting and crochet projects I've done
that's my sewing machine on the right - it does embroidery too

showing the mini folders opened

the back side of the album - this side features needlework

another pair of pages from the back side -
that's another mini accordion album tied with blue ribbon

the accordion album extended out

the inside of the box

I made a very few changes from the excellent instructions, and of course because nothing can look new, I had to grunge it up.

Busting Myths!

Over the weekend, we saw the Mythbusters in Hartford.  What a fantastic evening!

Dan's been a fan of the show probably since it first came on.

Dan's a Theater Wiz!

Dan was a member of the cast of his High School production of the Wiz.

Time for Crafting

I was scrapbooking at Maggie's Place a couple weeks back, and decided she needed a clock.  Of course just any old clock wouldn't do, so I made her a scrappy, crafty clock!

The clock mechanism and wooden plaque came from Michael's.  Next step was to create a digital collage.  I started with a digital version of a Tim Holtz paper that I faded a bit.  Then I added some clock faces scattered on top of the Tim paper.  I printed the digital collage on my Epson R1800 printer and distressed the edges (and then some) with Distress Ink.

Next, I took some clock themed stencils (one from Tattered Angels, one from Crafter's Workshop) and spritzed over them with several colors of Glimmer Mist.  I used my Making Memories Slice cutter to make the numbers, the frame and the curlicues.  I enhanced the numbers and the frame with a Krylon gold leafing pen, and the curlicues with Stickles (boy, do those take a long time to dry!  I had to hit them with a heat gun.)  I used alcohol inks and black Smooch to enhance the hands - they looked much to shiny and new!  I outlined the numbers for more contrast, printed the motto ("It's always time for scrapping at Maggie's Place"), and layered the paper frame and the bling-bling frame (from Michaels) over the "Maggie's Place."

Now the crafters at Maggie's can tell what time it is, and it makes me smile every time I see it on my friend's wall.

It's Pink!

printer bag

sewing machine cover

detail of embroidery on sewing machine cover

I picked up some pre-quilted fabric (a la Vera Bradley) and made myself some goodies!  And because more is more, I added some machine embroidery.

The printer bag has a sleeve on the back so it can slip over the handle of one of my scrapbooking totes.

Winterfair Gifts

I took the name from a short story set in the universe of some of my favorite books.

The "gifts" consist of a multi-strand necklace with crystal, pearls and rhinestones, a pair of earrings and a bracelet.  The pearls and rhinestones are re-purposed vintage pieces (I've been haunting tag sales looking for vintage costume jewelry).

Winterfair Gifts

Bracelet detail: I snipped off the pin mechanism from this small rhinestone crown and glued on a bail to convert it to a charm.

Close up of the focals

I bent the earring post on the rhinestones to make a loop so I could add them to the earrings.

Long before I heard the Mythbusters say it, my motto was "anything worth doing is worth over-doing".