Life's An Adventure

Another layout that is a bit different for me, but I think I like it! Jessica came home from preschool on Thursday with a paper mache volcano, made as a culminating project for their dinosaur unit. Attached to the paper plate were instructions on how to create the "lava" to come out of the volcano. She was so excited and could hardly wait to try it. The picture of her face is her immediate reaction to what she saw when she poured the vinegar into the volcano. I'm so glad I captured it. We then had to let it dry a bit and try it again with a different color. We did it again (with another color) when Daddy came home from work so he and Amy could see what happened. I would say it was a hit. :o)

Oh and she is wearing pjs because it was pajama day at school, too.

Paper and Elements: Kay Miller Designs Lovin' Life kit
Fonts: Learning Curve and Pea Jane (journaling)

Thanks for looking!

Crazy Hair Day!

I'm back! I got a layout done today while the girls were playing...how cool is that!?!

Before I talk about that, I wanted to let you know that I've updated my blog list a bit. I've added Nichole Heady's blog {capture the moment}. She's the mastermind behind Papertrey Ink. I also wanted to mention Lisa's Creative Corner. I just started reading this one, probably based on something Kathi said, and I've not been disappointed. I don't think you will be either. :o) I deleted a few because they hadn't been updated for a while, or I wasn't sure the content was something I felt like promoting. Also, when I went to add the new blogs, I couldn't GET to the list to update it unless I removed some links. Go figure.

I also want to take a moment to thank you for all the kind comments you leave for me. I may not always directly respond, but I do read all of them! One of the questions I got from my butterfly post was if I took that picture and I surely did! I almost missed the butterfly when I was scrolling through my pictures because of the leaves, which is partly why I was so pleased with how the final layout came out.

My confidence level hiccup came about because I started to compare my layouts to some of the truly artistic layouts I'd been seeing on the Jessica Sprague gallery. I like to shop online for new digi stuff as much as anyone, and I'm always checking credits to see what's new. Well, a couple of layouts in particular used products I had seen and passed up because I didn't "see" the potential in them. Then I see a layout using the same products and I started questioning my ability to "see" what I could do with things I was passing up. Some of these layouts are truly artistic in my mind and I don't see myself as a real artsy scrapper. I strayed from the reason I do this...the love for creating layouts for my family. My style isn't that of some of the really art-like or ecclectic layouts, but I sure wish sometimes I could get the same vision that these ladies seem to get when they look at their stash of goodies. From time to time I hope to stretch myself in the techniques I use, so that I can feel a bit more "artsy" in my layouts, but in the meantime, I am happy that I am creating MORE layouts now than I ever have before. That's an accomplishment I can truly be proud of.

Okay, enough jabber...here's the layout I created today, from photos I took this morning! (gotta love digi for that alone, I think!) Amy's school is in the middle of spirit week and she has been almost beside herself with excitement. She has talked about it almost non stop last week. The highlight so far (after crazy hat day and pajama day) was today's crazy hair day. She was up extra early, to be sure I would have enough time to get all those ponytails in. Look at that grin. She loved it! I loved that she was so excited! And those who know Miss Amy...do you remember, not so long ago, when she absolutely REFUSED to let me put her hair up in a single ponytail? Now I have to ask daily, one or two, braid or no braid? (okay that was more jabber, sorry) Here you go!

(click on photo to enlarge)

Credits: Kay Miller Designs template
Mary Fran's new Goin' Bananas page kit (and extras that go along with it) from Nitwitcollections
Font: Pea Nancy

I'm done for the night...thanks again for visiting. I hope you find time to create something special for yourself.

New Blog Banner and Link List

I found some time to create a new blog banner. I was in the mood for something spring and Easter like! Subscribers check it out if you want.

And I FINALLY worked on adding my list of links to blogs of my Spraground Friends. There are probably some that I have missed, and if so, I'm sorry, but these are the ones I frequent the most (or the authors post regularly). I didn't even realize how many I visited until I pulled them off Google Reader! Yikes! But it's all good. These ladies sure do inspire me and I thank them for that!

May get a layout done sometime today, but then again, maybe not....we'll see how it goes.

Til then, take some time to check out some of the awesome work these ladies create-that should keep you busy for awhile. :o)

Beautiful Butterfly-Challenge Layout

There's been a new challenge posted over at the "Spraground." This one is a text effect, where you hide part of the text behind something. It's not a difficult technique, but a cool looking one, don't you think? This layout is definitely a bit out of my box, but I am trying to stretch myself a little bit after a recent hiccup in my confidence level. Don't get me wrong, I am proud of all the layouts I've created and I have learned SO much, but sometimes I look at some fabulously artistic layouts and think...man I have so much farther to go to be able to create such works of art. But my friends at Jessica's forums have helped me to get back on track. Thanks, friends!
A bit more background on the supplies used. One of the Spraground's most beloved members, LivE has applied for an Apprentice position at Little Dreamer Designs. She had to create a kit (among other things, I'm sure) and submit it. She's passed the first round and the kit she created is available for downloaded at LDD. In an effort to show my support I've used HER kit and also posted it at LDD in the hopes of helping her move past the next round. Good luck, LivE!!!

Credits: Adventure kit created by Liv Esteban, can be found in the Apprentice area of Little Dreamer Designs
Blended Rectangle created by Michelle Swadling at Gotta Pixel
Font is VTPortable Remington

Thanks for visiting!

Homemade Happiness

From a gorgeous and record-breaking day of 74 yesterday, we woke up to a cold, windy and snowy day that never got above freezing, I don't think! We've got a couple of inches on the ground right now, but I think the majority of the snow has stopped. Pretty wild, huh? But they say March IS our snowiest month!

Well, it was a good day to stay indoors, anyway, and here's a layout I completed. I guess since it still feels like winter, I felt like scrapping a wintery subject. :o)
Hope you like!
Credits:
Template, paper and elements from Kay Miller Designs. Template is from Collection 11, paper, and candies from Gingerland, with some gingerfolk from Kay's Clay Bits collection add on that goes along with the page kit. She actually makes the polymer clay pieces, photographs them and then extracts them to make her collection. I think she is uber talented!

Font: Fling

Thanks for visiting!

Magical PB&J layout

Remember the headache I mentioned I had earlier in the week? Well, I received a comment wondering if I took pictures. Ummmm I honestly thought about taking pictures, but my head and my tummy didn't agree with that idea. I was kind of bummed after the fact. Yesterday when we got home, Amy offered to make me a pb&j, so I decided to take pictures and use them to illustrate the magical pb&j from earlier. Hope you don't mind the bit of fudging, but in the end I was able to share how it helped me. She did make the original sandwich at the same table and even used the same plate...so it's not all that far off, right?

Enjoy!
Credits:
Template by Vintage Charm from Blueprints Set 7

available at Two Little Pixels.

Paper from Serene kit by Ksharonk designs Pickleberry Pop

Sequins overlay-Freebie from Ksharonkdesigns' blog. I actually emailed her as to where I could purchase it because it was expired and she generously shared it with me.

Love element-Valentine Freebie from Ksharonk designs on her blog.

Swirl-from Sweet Swirls kit by Rene Bross at Digital Scrapbook Place

Fonts: Ali's Writing and Times New Roman.

Whew, I think that's it!

Happy Leap Day Layout

Well, I suppose I should have done and posted this yesterday, but oh well! Here's what I came up with for the photos I took of Amy and her leaping.

I picked up Misty Cato's Tangy Treats page kit at Scrapbook Elements because the colors are so me! (right, Felicia, Becky, Heather) And the colors in Amy's outfit fit perfectly! And really, it gave me a great excuse (not that I need one) to unzip the kit and use it! LOL No template for this one. It's ALL mine...and that's probably why I've been tweaking it for a couple of hours! (and why it may not look quite design worthy) But in the end I'm happy with it and wanted to share. Font is CK-Ali Writing, which I just downloaded from my CK newsletter. If you don't subscribe, click here to get the font.
That's it for now...who knows though...I may come back later with something else to share. :o)