In Your Dreams - DST Weekend Gallery Standout

My sister took these great shots of a Raccoon in her holly tree, of course I just had to play. I wonder if this is really what puppies dream about????

All supplies from Cottage Arts

UPDATE How exciting, my page was picked by Jimea as a Weekend Gallery Standout at Digi Shop Talk! What fun, thanks Jimea!!

The Heart Sings - LOTD at Digtials!!

My wonderful friends at Digitals have just named this page LOTD! Thanks everyone.

It is a joy beyond words to watch a new one enter our world, when you are approaching your 99th birthday the joy is even greater. Great Grandma Coulter has waited with open arms to hold Brynn Fyona. As I watched Brynn, not even a week old, reach up towards this beautiful woman, my heart swelled knowing that in the innocence of childhood a baby knows instinctively whose arms hold unconditional love.

Supplies from Cottage Arts

Puppy Pal

A few weeks ago Amber had to make the hard decision to put Raine to sleep. Raine was adopted from a shelter in AZ soon after Amber moved there over 10 years ago now. She was her constant companion yielding just love and demanding nothing more. She saw her through tears and laughter and the addition of another Kitty - Katie and a pooch named Mushu. Raine always knew she ruled the roost no matter what they thought. I thought this kit from Cottage Arts called Puppy Love Page Pak would be just perfect to tell this story. (And on another note it was featured as a Gallery Standout today at Digi Shop Talk!)

Adventure - Featured in Scrap Street Magazine

This page is being featured on page 35 of the May edition of Scrap Street Magazine, which is a free E-Zine, check it out here.

Supplies: Digital Kit: Life’s Journey by Swissaroo at Scrap Street Fonts: Myraid Pro, Minion Pro.

Journaling: My roots come from Europe, my Great Grandparents were from England and Germany, my dream would be to visit where my heritage began, to walk the land, smell the flowers and get a feel for them. If it had not been for an adventurous young man in his early teens that set off on a Merchant ship from England to Canada in the early 1900's to join his brothers, I may never have been. That was my Grandfather Fred, sailing from England to St Josephs Island, Canada. Later he would meet my Grandmother Clara and together they would begin a family in the Eastern part of Washington and Oregon. Eventually my family ended up in SW Washington a far distance from the lands in which my blood began. I look at me today and wonder if I would have had the nerve to leave my family behind, knowing in my heart of hearts I would never see them again for lands so far away. It was lives full of long days and hard work to carve out homes for themselves. I wish I had known my Grandfather, to be able to hear his stories of home and family, to get a sense of me.

My Grandmother Clara (Kiehl) came from Kiel Germany. I do not know as much about them, but when Amber was in High School she had the opportunity to stay with a German family and they in turn took her to visit her Ancestors area. I have seen pictures of the beauty here, much like my Pacific Northwest and I hope that perhaps someday I will be able to see it firsthand as well.

Design notes: The shapes of the continents made great photo masks for the pictures of my family

Whoo Hooo I've Been Discovered

Hey everyone if you have a second pop on over to Scrap Street Newsletter, I'm their Digital Discovery for February, lol. It was a fun time writing up my little blip and giving them some details all about me

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But it was even more fun sharing my love of this great digi world of creating something from nothing. I love it and that love just seems to be growing and expanding. I'm doing a lot more hybrid now, expanding pages with my photography and learning more cool techniques like blending and masking. It's a fun pastime and one I'm sure glad that I discovered. I hope if you haven't started yet you'll soon do it and if you have then try to learn something new and keep expanding your creativity. Well enough about me, have a great day in the digi or real world!

My Family; My Heritage

This page was chosen LOTD at Gotta Pixel!

I was looking for a page to work with Silvia Romeo's new kit Cherries Jubilee and stumbled upon this family photo in an old album of my Grandmothers. I know it's been there, but I just don't remember ever seeing it There aren't a lot of photos of the 5 of them so this is a precious addition to our family memories.

There is a lot of blending her between papers and photo to achieve this look.
Fonts Long Island - Dico Medium

I loved the quote, I searched family, heritage quotes online and ran across this one.

If you look deeply into the palm of your hand you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people. Thich Nhar Hanh

Wonder - DST Gallery Standout

Well this is the second of my blending pages, this one with Zoie. I just love this picture of her, another from Photographer Erika Green. The captured, far away look was just perfect for this page. I wanted a dreamy, soft look like I achieved with Pyper's page. Thanks to Michelle at Cottage Arts who helped with the fonts for my word art (my quote by the way) I was really satisfied with how the page turned out.

I used a new kit, just released from Cottage Arts called O Christmas Tree and then blended in a snowflake paper from the Joyeux Noel Page Pak. Love both these kits for this deep wintery feel.

As soon as I posted tonight I saw where this page was picked as a Gallery Standout at Digital Shop Talk! This is a first for me I've not had a page picked there for any reason. Made me feel really good because I really love the pages that are showcased there! Check the thread out if you have time they really have some pages to inspire your creativity!

I got to thinking, after reading all the responses in the gallery to this page, that perhaps it would be fun to include the original photo here as well, that way it will give you more of a perspective of what you can accomplish by blending several papers with your photo. I think the key is to keep experimenting with the blend modes and masking away bits and pieces. It's amazing the combinations you'll come up with. But above all don't get frustrated, just have fun!

Dreaming

I work on the Creative Team for Cottage Arts. Michelle Shefveland is the owner and a true inspiration. She is a very talented lady! If you're not familiar with Cottage Arts you're really missing out. Please stop by and check out her store. Anyway, Michelle challenged the team to try the Ethereal look for Christmas, well I'm still working on that Christmasy page of Zoie, but I had this picture of Pyper and just had to try it with a 'not as Christmas' look. This is another photo from Erika Green Photography. She does a beautiful job capturing that dreamy look in Pyper.

I'm not as comfortable with this type of page, it took a lot of playing to achieve the blending of papers and elements that I thought looked right. I kept changing fonts, it's amazing how the font can set a mood of the page and I wanted one that conveyed this soft, dreamy feel. I finally ended up with Liorah. Everything here is from Cottage Arts except I did use a couple of Linda Sattgast's (Scrapper's Guide) styles. I love the finished look though and have already started another of Zoie which I think I can achieve more of a wintery feel with. I really like the contrast of the Black and White photo with the exposure of the red rose. So fun to try new things!

The quote is one of my own:
From the innocence of youth,
there do we receive
the hope
of our future.

This morning as I was checking the comments left on the page at DST I saw where I'd been featured in the Genuine Praise Blog. I wasn't familiar with this blog so please take a look, I think she has a super idea going here!

Well I've now been chosen as LOTD at Digitals. It's so uplifting when you've worked so hard on something and find out you've touched a cord with others as well! Made my day I'll tell ya!!

O Christmas Tree - Pixel Pick of the Day & LOTD

Today - December 9 - I got a notice from Gotta Pixel that they've picked this page again this time as LOTD! Thank you Gotta Pixel!!!

I did this page of memories (lots of journaling, lots of memories). As I looked at these photos and relayed to Momma on the phone what I was seeing my eye was drawn to different places in the dining room, other than the tree. It always amazes me what you see when you scan and enlarge an old photo. Often I've seen things in digital and enlarged on my monitor that I never saw when looking at the original. I agree there will always be something nostalgic and heartwarming to hold an old photo in your hand and wonder about it's origin. But it's amazing to let technology take over and see it in a whole new light. I'll post the journaling at the bottom of this post if you'd like to share my memories

I used Silvia Romeo's Cozy Christmas, perfect title don't you think? Silvia sells at several stores including Digitals, please check her things out. I also received notice this morning that this page was picked as a Pixel Pick in today's newsletter at Gotta Pixel. Sweet that others like what I do!

The journaling on this page reads:

A tree you might say?

It's not really the tree that drew me to this picture.
Yes, I must say, seeing it through the eyes of an adult instead of a Christmas crazed youngster I can see the limbs were a little helter skelter. The shape not trimmed to perfection. But the love, ah the love behind this tree would be hard matched today. This tree, as many before and many after, was taken from the woods in and around our family home. Momma, usually, would go out and search to find the perfect one and chop and drag it home. This was in the days when my memories were defined enough to take notice. I'm sure there were many years when my brother's were home when they went in search of the tree. Tinsel hanging like snow from the boughs. Carefully placed one at a time by Mom's loving hand, It's unusual to see the tree here, in the dining room. I asked Momma about it and she doesn't remember having it here, but those are the walls, the windows, the cup rack that always hung on the wall there.And upon that little shelf on the right is a small ships wheel, actually it's a lighter. So what you might ask, I remember as a very young child Billy and I fighting over that wheel, as I recall it never had fluid in it, so it never would light. But when you spun the wheel the little flap would pop up to reveal where the flame should rise. When I was in my 40's I asked my Mom if I could have this little memento of times gone by and she sadly told me she had thrown it away. So sad, a memory to remain in my mind but not my touch. Several years later on my birthday I opened a special gift from my Mom, and there wrapped in pretty paper was this little ships wheel that Billy and I had so fought over to play with.

Memories from the past that still color your present days.
What better a childhood could anyone ask for?

Layout of the Week!

PRESERVING MEMORIES

Gotta Pixel picked this page as their Layout of the Week. I don't think I've ever had a page picked by them before. Big kudos for me, it's on the front page of their newsletter this week! Makes you feel so good that others like what you create! I used Silvia Romeo's The Winery kit for this one. Bethany is the creator of this fabulous word art - I sure hope you'll check out her blog - Elegant Word Art by Bethany and her store. Her word art is what helped make my page so special! Most of her word art is free, but be sure and leave a comment praising her skill and generosity!

My Sister's Golden Anniversay

This page was chosen as at Digitals!These photos are from my sister Carol's 50th Anniversary party. Since we were in the process of moving and relocating at the time I wasn't able to attend. Through the wonder of digital and email though it was only a short time after the party before these photos hit my in box. I was thrilled and this is my small contribution to recording such a special day and special event.

Carol and Pete were married on May 2, 1958, but that wasn't the beginning actually they had been going together for several years prior. Since there is 10 years between Carol and I their wedding was a real momentous event in my 10 year old life. I was thrilled, another brother who didn't pick on me as much as my other two! Blood does that you know, makes you open game as a kid for your siblings!

I know my niece so well, she's a lot like me and I know her love for her Daddy so I kind of improvised her words into the bottom photo, I think she'll be happy with it. The journaling reads:

I love you Daddy, no matter how old I grow, no matter what day dawns.
To be here today celebrating your love for Mom for 50 years,
what greater joy could a daughter ask?
To lay my head upon your shoulder
and feel the support you’ve always given
the three of us makes my heart sing so happily.
I love you because you’re my Daddy,
I love you because you’re Mom’s other half.
I love you just because you’re YOU!

Both these pages were created using the kit Everlasting designed by Silvia Romeo. Silvia sells at many stores including Digitals. Be sure to check out her wonderful talents.

LOTD at 3Scrapateers

I made this page about my Aunt and Uncle and it was picked as LOTD at 3Srapateers.

The journaling on the page reads:

I only saw my Aunt and Uncle a few times but there are some people you just instantly love. Perhaps because of Uncle Ernie’s kind and teasing manner, or because Aunty Lil made me think so much of my beloved Grandma. I love hearing tidbits from my cousins who lived nearer to them and saw them often.. Cousin Marilyn wrote to me of Aunty Lil
“Aunt Lil was my favorite person, but not about looks. She would ask Glenn & I to dinner I think before we were married and had reached out to me a lot as a child. Spending the night, or playing dominos or visiting her church which had a great Sunday school with flannel board stories.”
Marilyn and I have talked often, I trying to glean glimpses of these people who are a part of me. When I gathered these photos for this page I smiled when I realized they are surrounded by flowers in each photo, so appropriate for they both loved them and as you can see from the photos of the yard and driveway with flowers cascading everywhere.

These were days when fashion and appearance were a large part of a woman’s makeup. Look at photo of Grandma and Aunty Lil above, both probably ready to go to church. Gloves in hand, sisters they were. The photo above of Uncle Ernie is just as I remember him as a child. Momma also talks of their flowers and how many they had around their home. Two people so destined to be together. They were truly the ex amp lo of true love.

I used Silvia Romeo's kit Romanza for it, such a beautiful kit. You can pick it up at 3Scrapateers or Digitals.

I WON!

I won the Layout Laissez-Faire at Digitals hosted by Diana Burton. She picked my Sow Kindness layout and I get to choose any kit in her collection at the Digitals store.

This month Layout Laissez-Faire is called Title It I hope you'll go on over to Digitals and try, it's so fun to step out and try something new and who knows maybe you'll be the lucky one this month! Diana has a fab website Here, hop on over and see if she has any surprises for you.

Two New Heritage Pages

Great Grandparents:
I don't know why but I felt like this Psalm would fit them. In my mind and heart I felt they loved one another very deeply, whether this be fiction or truth I do not know. My Great Grandmother had four children, my Grandfather five. Grandma Eva died in 1905 and Grandpa remarried in 1908 and lived until 1939. Credit - Surrender - Beth Rimmer at Digitals

Mandy -

This is Mandy Debus and her daughter Thelma (the one on the left in the rocking chair). I've always been fascinated by the photo of Mandy with her long hair. It's dated 1908. Mandy married my Great-Grandpa John in 1908 and I think Thelma was born in 1911, the same year Dad was born. Daddy is the one on the right in the chair next to Thelma. Grandma never had too kind of words to say about Mandy. I think though, looking at it from an adult perspective, losing your mother when you are 10, as Grandma had, made it hard for her to accept someone taking her Mother's place. Credit: Lori Giles - Opera En Duex at Digital Scrapn

What Snow? Picked as LOTD at 3Scrapateers!

You girls are a kick, just give you a few flakes and you're begging for hats and gloves to head out.

Sticking your tongues out to grab a few flakes, dancing and prancing like there will be no end.

Tussling, scuffling, scampering around, isn't it neat how a flake here and a flake there can turn a Ho hum day into a whole new adventure?

Done with Winter Nights from ScrapKitty at Digtial Scrapn.

I got a notice this morning that this page was picked as LOTD at 3Scrapateers. Thank you 3S!


Go to ScrapKitty's blog today to see how to get this great Freebie Quickpage, made by yours truely.

Tooting My Own Horn!

Stacey Kluczny at 3Scrapateers has asked to use my page Winters at Home in their next EZine issue (available December 1st). How exciting! It's so nice to have your peers like something that you enjoyed making. This pictures is so special, I didn't even realize I had it until I was recently scanning old photos into the pc and ran across it. This was taken out home on Bunker Hill. There are so few snowstorms like this one anymore. Dustings are more like it now. I just loved the pristine softness of the snow here and just the glimpse of the house. Always makes my heart feel happy to look at photos from home.

I have Joyce deJonge to thank for her Tenderness kit which I used here and Sue Jones for her Children's Word Art. Both Sue and Joyce sell thier wares at Digitals, please check them out they have someone wonderful items for sale.

Toot Toot LOTD at 3Scrapateers!

AT THE FAIR

I was just notified that my page was picked as Layout - of the Day at 3Scrapateers!

This one was about the most fun I've had creating a page. I had asked Bryan and Amber to take some pictures when they went to the fair. They'd just gotten a new Nikon camera. So when the photos came in my email I was so excited. And what did I get?? The little guys in the filmstrip above, a bunny, a chicken and a mean old rooster!

Well being the Momma I am I just couldn't do a page of just animals, so I borrowed a couple of famous people and decapitated them then I took the heads off a couple of pictures of the kids and poof, just like digital magic I now had them appropriately dressed and at the fair.

You've heard the saying don't fool with Mother Nature, well it's not nice to fool with your Mother-in-Law either, lol, (my son-in-law thinks I'm evil but he still loves me!)

The kit is a great new one by Maddy Fernandez and is available at Digitals. It's called Funky Farmer. Maddy has another one she did just before this called Calico Farm they work great together. I hope you'll take time to check her stuff out, it's fabulous.

It's so fun to work with Photo Shop and all this digital stuff. Thanks for stopping.

Layout of the Day at 3Scrapateers

You know when you are doing something you have a real passion about and watch it evolve from the blank screen into something you love it's such a great feeling inside. Then when your peers pick you and give you extra Kudos there's no better way to start the day! Thank you 3Scrapateeres for picking my page!

This layout just came together so well for me. I loved Joyce deJonge's kit Mexico I used. It worked just perfectly for these photos.

This is Aunty Lill and Uncle Ernie with Uncle Ernie's brother George, wife Clara and son George Jr. They took a road trip in 1916 (it was on the post card) from around LA to Mexico.

I look at these cars and wonder how long did this trip take??? Look at those tires and does it even have a windshield, it must have, but there are no windows, now that's truly open air!

Uncle Ernie loved to travel, to be adventurous and see new places. Aunty Lill must have loved it too she looks pretty happy in all the photos I see of them going somewhere.

These were some of the few Heritage photos I haven't tried to remove all the dust and cracks and stuff from age and wear. I did enchance the colors a little but I liked the vinage feel of the post cards. And that's another thing that always amazes me. Since I've been scrapping the Heritage Album I have found so many of the pictures taken in this early 1900 era were printed on post cards. Such a fun glimpse back into my family's time.

Sierra Madre - 1919

I've been doing a lot of Heritage pages lately and this one has really gotten tons of attention in the galleries. The gallery at Digitals probably got the most attention because the page was picked as the Layout for the Day click on the photo if you'd like to see the gallery there. It's made me feel really good to see what people have written. It was a harder layout to do because I had so many photos I wanted to showcase, they were old, faded, blurred just not the best quality, but very important to the story I wanted to pass on to future generations. I think sometimes the photos that express the most are overlooked because they aren't top quality. I think that's a big mistake, even a worn and torn photo can tell so much.

Here's my journaling for this one, lots of conversations over the phone to my Mom to make sure I was getting the story correct.

Some of these pictures were dated October most December of 1919. My Dad had gotten very sick and the doctors thought that if Grandma could take him to the clean fresh air of the mountains near Sierra Madre that he would improve. I think the most poignant picture is the one on the bottom left where if you look closely you'll see Daddy in a wheel chair. He was so sick at first that Grandma had to push him up the hills when they went out because he wasn’t strong enough to walk.

The doctors told Grandma to have Daddy sleep outside in the night air to help his lungs and his body heal. These pictures are old, they've blurred and faded with the years but the story of three children hiking the woods, exploring the hilltops and just being themselves are told between the snapshots. This would have made Dad 8, Aunty Flo 6 and Uncle Bill 5.

I can't imagine what struggles this must have been at this time. How did my Grandmother do this, how did she manage with three small children. There are so many questions I long to ask, so many stories gone forever untold but I am fortunate for I have so much more to pass on to you my following generations than many. Daddy grew and lived to be into his 80th year so I bless you Grandma that you found a way to help him heal and grow into the man I knew and loved.

The kit is Maddy Fernandez - Turkish Delight and Turkish Delight Word Add Ons. Maddy sells exclusively at Digitals. I've been working on her Creative Team for less than a month now but I love her designs. I have lots more ideas for more Heritage pages with this kit.