It's All About The Pictures

Because there is another big shake up going on and unfortunately the CT I am on is being dragged ( or is it drug?) into it, I haven't been doing a lot of scrapping or posting. I have produced a few pages that I'm quite happy with, so today it's all about the pictures.
This first one was done for one of the most challenging Speed Scraps I've ever participated in. When I say challenging, I'm not kidding. Everyone has there own level of difficulty depending on what they are used to, this was way up on my Difficulty Scale! I got it posted with only one minute to spare! It was sweating bullets time all the way! I don't know if I got all of the instructions completely correct, but I do love working with a black background and a bit of bold color that pops right off the page.
I used a kit called Catch The Spirit by Digi Overdose and did only minor color adjustments.

Since my sisty sent me some of these old photo's from my past, I've had a lot of fun scrapping them. Recently this kit and I crossed paths and it was a match made in Heaven! The kit is called Live, Laugh, Love and it is by Create Wings Designs.
I used one of my favorite techniques, extraction. The Word Art is part of the kit. I'm especially fond of these pic's because I love seeing that I was a happy little girl once upon a time.The next three layouts I made for my daughter's Valentine's Day. She and her husband have raised their three boys to love Disneyland and everything Disney. I can think of a lot worse things to influence your kids with, and if you live close enough to go there, why not? Anyway, with the latest batch of Disneyland photos in hand, I made her three layouts, one for each kid.
This first one is of two year old Noah. I used a simple challenge to make this one. Everyone was given the same "mini kit" and had to use everything in it. It is really amazing how many different ideas come from the same set of tools. I'm pleased with how this turned out except that my handwriting is so shaky.

This second one is of Tanner, the oldest child. He likes musical instruments. I don't know if any one noticed or not, but the swirl under his picture has an ampersand like squiggle on the top. I put it there because it looks like the music symbol, but maybe backward because my brain works that way sometimes.
I love this picture of Tanner, he is so cute laying there in Pluto's bed. Looks like he'd be perfectly happy to stay right there and take a little puppy nap.
I used the kit American Pride by Digi Overdose to create this one.

This last one of my daughters three is of Isaac. I remember that it was made during a challenge, but which one I can't recall. By looking at it, it's easy for me to see that instructions asked for monotone and several other things that I never do. It actually looks like someone else's layout to me.(added note: I looked up on my notes and this was a Speed Scrap layout)
It has been 8 months since I've seen these guys and it surprises me to see that Isaac has changed more than his younger brother(as far as looks go). No matter, they just keep getting better looking all the time anyway! And I hope their beautiful Mommy like these little "Valentine's" that I made only for her. Not her sister's or her brother's or cousin's, just her.
OK, these last two are thrown into the mix just because I love working with Photoshop and the many different options you have to play with that totally change the look of your photograph. When it comes to portrait type pictures, my favorite effect so far is the "stamp". I used that effect in both of these layouts. The results in this first one are so awesome that I don't want anyone to see the original!

The stamp effect in black and white combined with the few touches of red make this a layout that I'm actually proud of.This last one is also using the stamp effect. This time in black and white and in gray and white. I was able to achieve that two toned effect because the picture is actually two separate extractions. In addition, the two top papers are blended together to appear as one and the title is also blended in there among the candy hearts.

The kit used here is Sweet Love by Stephenette.

That is it for now. A new month begins on Sunday and with it, hopefully, good news and better spirits.

Here are a few new layouts. I hope there are no repeats from previous posts. I noticed that I did that last time.

This first one was created using the Warmth of Friends blog train that Enchanted Studio Scraps had when they were just beginning. I did the layout for a Speed Scrap over a Scrap Matters today. It was hosted by Stefanie and lots of fun as usual! I loved her instructions (well, most of them) and I think this turned out well.



This one may be a repeat, but it's a sentimental favorite of mine so worth a second look. I call it "You Are Missed".

This one is sort of a companion to the last one. I used the kit Sweet Lullabye by Digi Overdose. It is available here:

http://www.enchantedstudioscraps.com/xcart/product.php?productid=200&cat=0&page=6

I might as well say this next one goes along with the previous two. A lot of people may think I'm crazy but I've never been one to hold a grudge. It took a while, but I came to love her and her kids and she loves me and mine. We all suffered a great loss. I've Always loved this picture that I took of them on their wedding day so decided to scrap it, with love.

The kit Always is available here:

http://www.enchantedstudioscraps.com/xcart/produst.php?producyid=426&cat=0&page=1

Layouts with Digi Overdose Goodies!!!!!

As you know by now, I'm on a CT for Digi Overdose over at Enchanted Studio Scraps.I have a bunch of layouts that I haven't posted yet in this blog. I truly think this is the hardest I've worked at a job in like....ever! It probably would have been easy as cake just a few years ago. Nowadays though I really need someone to talk me through some of the techie stuff. I'm not really complaining, unless it's about getting old, I love being on a CT and just wish I could keep up with everyone else and learn as easily. For example, it is after 2AM and I've only slept 2 hours since yesterday (Wednesday) morning. All I've been doing is a few layouts and a lot of posting and trying to figure out what is where and do I have the correct notes on this one and that one and make sure I only transfer the correct ones to this place and then try to learn about all the different links to tie them all together. After I load the ones in here, I WILL get some proper rest. I can learn links tomorrow.

This layout was done with Always

I love working with black and white. Pictures, papers, elements....the great thing about the Photoshop type of products is that no matter what color you might have to start with, it is easily changed, and if you don't like it you can undo it and start over or just leave it alone. Pretty cool stuff!! All of the flowers in the Love is a Beautiful Thing layout started as the pink one.

This layout was created using American Pride

Lyrics are from Bob Dylan

Here is another layout using the wonderful kit Always

The Alpha is Hollywood News Sparkled

If I have time after doing a couple more layouts and finishing my posting and (Please, Please, Please) learning this linking thing, I get some more posted here.

It's time to buckle down and get serious. Enchanted Studio Scraps is now fully open and we have so much going on! Digi Overdose is currently 40% off everything in her shoppe!

I have been working with her fab kit April Showers! Here are the first couple of layouts I have done with it. You can see the versatility of this kit with these two examples.

I call this first one Brothers, shelter from any storm.

This one is Sisty and Me, 1954

I am having tons of fun playing with April Showers by Digi Overdose! If you want to share in my fun, fly on over to Enchanted Studio Scraps now and pick it up while it's still 40% off! Then let the MAGIC BEGIN!!!

Sisty sent me pictures of me on my 1st birthday! Of course I had to scrap them! I'm wondering, how do they compare to my grandchildren at that age? Any resemblance at all?


Please check out my post today on my Project 365 blog http://ajdih.blogspot.com . I'm hoping to get some feedback on it.

Enchanted Studio Scraps Is Up and In Business

My poor neglected Scrap Blog! Now that Project 365 is in the picture it seems to be the one getting all of my attention. It's also the only one that I KNOW anybody reads!

One of the things that I have been anxiously waiting for has finally happened! It is so exciting... Enchantment Studio Scraps has finally fully opened its doors!!! The Shoppe, Forum, all of it! You are just one click away from pure magic! Of course because I am about useless in the techie department, I have no idea how to put a link to ESS on here. I've seen so many blogs and sites that you just click on the word "here" and it hooks you right up. If they had an adult ed class to learn that stuff in this tiny little village of my residence, I would so be enrolled! I am going to try to get the info and install it in my sidebar when I do.

Another thing I have been WAY excited about, is photo's from the past. My past!!! When I was a baby and toddler! They are sooo cute! I'm not being egotistical, when I look at them it isn't myself that I see. I see my kids, sisty's kids, both of our grandkids! It's a very exciting connection to the past and the present that I've really been missing! Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), there is a lot for me to scrap about! The coolest part about having Photoshop, whatever edition you may have, it gives you the ability to bring together people and places that in reality could never be. Now I'm being driven by my heart, fueled by my imagination.

The following are the tip of the iceberg on my journey to where the past meets the present. They aren't all remarkable in that way, I do like to participate in the occasional Speed Scrap or other challenge where the instructions just aren't suitable. I'm having a good time none the less!

This first layout was way fun to do! I started with a B&W photo of myself as a wee one standing in the large front yard of my childhood. It was necessary for this project to work, to tint everything sepia. I have a photo of my grandson Noah in which he is sitting just perfectly, and his outfit was near perfect! After a couple of misses, I finally got a nice extraction and sat him down in the grass next to me and tried to judge the size to be realistic.(we are both about the same age in the photo's) I was going to stop there, merge the two layers, crop it, and scrap it.....then an idea occurred to me. There was a lot of space left....what if I could find a similar picture of his momma (my daughter)! I found a good one. Her outfit wasn't summery but the rest was spot on. I went for it and this is the result!
This next one was just a bit of fun I was having. There is an extraction in it but it is very poorly done! I also don't use premade "alpha's" as a rule. They are very time consuming, so much to upload and if you want it nice and neat you have to use a grid....they are just a pain and for myself, not worth the trouble. This layout's title called out and begged me to use this cute apple alpha. At least it wasn't a Speed Scrap! LOL The whole idea for this layout came from looking at the picture on the right and seeing that my sisty looked exactly like her daughter Carolyn at the same relative age. So I put Carolyn and her twin sister up against sisty and me and I dare anyone to tell me there is no resemblance!

This one is kind of hard to explain because it's very personal. It's basically a look back to that time of innocence, still in the cocoon of my family's love and protection, before the real world found me.

This one was done for a Speed Scrap that I just lucked out in. My PhotoShop was already loaded up with a project that I had begun when I realized it was time for the Speed Scrap. Each one of the 7 instructions fell into place for me to go along with what I'd already begun. Just so I didn't feel guilty because I had sort of "started early" I went for 2 more extractions, leaving this layout with a total of 3 extractions and 2 photo blends.

The background photos are of myself (L) and my husband Jimmy (R). In the small photograph, from L-R are Donald Urquhart (b:11/20/48),Jimmy Urquhart (b:2/15/48),Janet (AJ) Urquhart (b:11/26/53). The photo was taken around, near Bakersfield CA. Donald and Jimmy were brothers, born 9 months, 5 days apart. I was born and raised in Michigan, but 3 of my kids were born in California.

I had other plans for this picture, but again, a Speed Scrap! Never got to load this on onto the site either. Aaarrrrgghhh! I just hate when that happens! My grandson was having his pizza party so I knew that I had less time than normal and the instructions called for something my computer doesn't like (7 different papers) and some thing I don't like (alpha's) especially during a SS! Plus this was a new site that I'd never worked on before. Well, somehow I managed to get it all finished, then came the techie stuff.....on a new site.....I accidentally copied the link code instead of the image code and just as I realized my error....knock, knock.....my time was up! Time to go celebrate with my grandson!

I do think that this is a Super Fantastic and Fun Family Foto! It's from March 1954, I'm the one in the blankie!

It's a New Year and that calls for a bit of Flair!

December Changes

It's been a long time since I've posted so I have a lot to catch up on! Being a CT for The Digi Twins has mostly been a fun experience and I'm really glad that I'm doing it. The only "not fun" part is the techie stuff that I have to learn. I'm finally catching on to it all though, so it's all good and should be pretty much sweat free from here on.
The month of December has been a real roller coaster ride at my favorite site, Digital Candy. First we got the news that Heidi was closing the doors at the end of the month which sent everyone into a tailspin! Once everyone had pretty much adjusted to the news and our designers had begun making new plans to move on so we could all keep going, along came Rick and Kate. They bought DC from Heidi and saved the site! Now it will be some of the old and some new Digital Candy. A lot of the designers are continuing with their plans to move on and many others are staying. There will be many new designers and probably new challenges too.I'm just happy to know that my digital home is not going away!
When the new year comes I will have my new old DC home plus the excitement of our Creative Team moving to a new shoppe! The suspense is killing me!!!!lol
I've done mostly Christmas layouts lately and most of them with The Digi Twins great kits. For the holidays they came up with Jack Frost, which is part of Digital Candy's December Designer's Collab and The Overstuffed Stocking which is a giant sized kit full of glitz and glamour and fun!
I uploaded these layouts all out of order, so I've labeled each one with the name of the kit I used to make it. Thank you to The Digi Twins, Bon Scrap-a-tite, Ellie Lash and any and all other designers who have contributed their designs and Thank God for the gift of creativity.

The Overstuffed StockingKris Kringle Blog Train

The Overstuffed Stocking

Jack Frost, from Digital Candy's December Designer's Collab

Christmas Morn

The Overstuffed Stocking

The Overstuffed Stocking

Holiday Sparkle

Jack Frost from Digital Candy's December Designer's Collab with hangers and frame from What's Your Hang-Up

The Overstuffed Stocking