Catch-Up

I haven't been to a crop in almost 3 weeks; it's making me antsy. I took Sunday to work in my studio (haha, I love calling it that, it's just an office area crammed with junk!) but had to let gesso dry on a project before I could do any more work on it :(

I ended up assisting at the co-op yesterday (bound to happen when you're one of two subs on the list) so I didn't get back to my project; today I HAVE to train at the gym a bit after taking last week off (Ben had the sniffles). RACE DAY IS SATURDAY (!!) and while I had to move down to the one-mile fun run, it is now my 3rd mile "race" of the year, so technically (ahem) I have finished 3-one mile races this year, nearly a 5K...anyone? Bueller? Thats what I thought ;)

At times like this, digital scrapbooking comes in handy, although I think E is getting sick of coming home in the evening and seeing me on my laptop every. dang. night.

This one just granted me a prize (not sure what, yet, but Four Hens Photography was the sponsor...) as a "random" winner (always the bridesmaid...LOL) for Digi Dares challenge #205. We were not to use straight lines...quite a challenge. I used a kit from Digital-Crea by Ninie Designs, her part of a collab called Moment of Happiness. Other bits used are masks and edges from Katie Pertiet over at Designer Digitals.

This is a prime example of in-the-moment scrapbooking. I had promised the kids we would make caramel apples, bought the caramels, then LOST them (I'm thinking they fell out of my cart...and I never bought them to begin with...) One month later, another bag of caramels, and boom! a fun afternoon the week of Thanksgiving, when Tess had half days Mon-Wed. I sat right down that evening and scrapped my photos with the iDSD blog train kit from DigiScrapAddicts (once again, too late to enter their International Digital Scrap Day contest, so I've received NO LOVE over there...sniff...feel free!)

It has been near impossible to find a warm and welcoming scrap site since Scrap In Style closed its (digital) doors. Even a subscription to the Digital Scrapbook Artisian Guild (with its inspiring and informative online magazine) did me no good, as hardly anyone posts there. This last layout was a color challenge in their November magazine, using a gorgeous "red" kit from Ruby Rhynne, who retired earlier this year. This is one of my favorite layouts this year, mostly due to the fantastic photo of my bud:

...which was altered with an action from Four Hens...hmm...what goes around!

I need to get back in the swap swing of things...left poor Angie & her wonderful crew hanging with their latest Typography ATC challenge...sorry, m'dears...and I haven't art journaled with Year in the Life since their Ning site closed down (not that that is my excuse, but...definitely made it harder to comment & keep track). Right now I've started a (free) class at Jessica Sprague and the first project is an art journal cover...that should be a big honking clue right there...but again, not a warm and fuzzy group over there either, although Jessica herself rocks.

Until next time...thanks, as always, for your comments. I look forward to them!

Happy fall, y'all

Ben's preschool has been a real treat for both of us. I had him go to a cooperative preschool this year, more for me than him (although it is an excellent school). As Ways & Means chair, I've already survived our pizza kit sale, now I have to line up grocery store gift cards & coffee sales for a local roaster. In the meantime, I've enjoyed two field trips with his class, one to the Leslie Science Center and this latest one, to a local orchard/berry farm/pumpkin patch.

I forgot to journal about the fourth picture in the top row; our farmer friend is showing us the wax tray from an (empty, phew!) beehive. If you know how terrified I am of bees and wasps, you will understand why this is a special picture! Perhaps I should do my own LO about that.

Best of all, just about everything for this layout was a freebie. Well, the main products were: a free October template from Simple Scrapper and a free kit from Tammy, a lucky participant in Jessica Sprague's Art of Design class. Not only is the class $$$, the software needed for it (Photoshop Creative Suite) is also $$$. Kudos to those learning design; I'm jealous, can you tell? I have a bunch of kit ideas in my head, now to learn how to design them with just (so far) Photoshop Elements 7.

To that end, I'm going to try to participate in Wilma's blogtrain this month...not really sure how that works, but I'm going to at least try to create some papers and possibly some elements from brushes I've downloaded. Patty Knox's digital art journaling class at Get It Scrapped was helpful in learning how to create papers and elements in PSE7. I need to review my notes on that!

I'm thinking of asking for Illustrator for Christmas. Maybe I need to move up to Photoshop CS instead?

I should have the blogtrain info up after the 15th. In the meantime, I need to update more often! ;)