Thoughts Along Life's Highway

A little progress

I had high hopes of scrapbooking this past week – or at least getting some scrapbooking in during the past three days.  Alas, life did not go according to plan, and neither did my muse.  It just wasn’t in me.

And then, I thought to myself that even though I didn’t “feel creative” I should just sit down and piddle a little with the pictures and see if I got inspired. After all, it’s been months since I’ve scrapbooked and I’m still working on 2010 pictures, for Pete’s sake. (whoever Pete is…)

So, I did just that.

Sat down, opened up my software to see where I’d left off, and before you know it, I’d managed to do six pages! That, along with, feeding kids, retrieving dogs who are escaping their invisible fence, troubleshooting my mom’s email account, answering the phone, well, you get the picture. 

The days of quiet solitude while I scrap are long gone.  But, the nice thing about digital scrapbooking is that I can do just that – scrap in between life’s little interruptions. It doesn’t mean I have to put all the mess away, or pray no one bumps my page in progress. Nope, I just hit the “save” button, take care of the urgent matter, and move right along.

Love it.

Anyway, here are the pages I’ve done: (most of the digital supplies are from the Daily Digi subscription I have. Best investment for high quality digital supplies, I tell ya.)

     

And as a special treat for you guys - I have uploaded the template for the two pages above to my 4shared account (Creative Memories StoryBook Creator Plus templates) for you to download!

 

 

Friday Scrap Inspiration

I subscribe to, oh, about a million blogs.  I don’t read them all every day, but I love to spend a little bit of time each day to read a few blogs.  I have some standards – my “Daily Fix” that I read every day – and then a whole host of others that I read when I have time.  I have them categorized in Google Reader (do you use this? It is awesome if you’re a regular blog reader) – categories like Cooking & Baking, Scrapbooking, Parenting, etc.

Today, I have been perusing the scrapbooking blogs I subscribe to.  I thought I’d share with you some of the layouts I’ve seen that are inspiring me today – giving me ideas and getting those creative juices flowing.

So, grab your cup of tea (or coffee) and sit back and enjoy: (you can click on the images to link back to source blog post)

I just LOVE this spiral with the hearts. Gotta try this.

and this one? LOVE the magazine-style layout. 

Same gal did this one, too. Love it. Can’t wait to see more of hers in the future.

If you’re a digital scrapbooker, you should check out Songbird Avenue. Each month, they post a kit for $8 and the proceeds benefit a charity.  That’s not why I buy their kits, though. I buy them because they are beautiful. Every single month. I love them.  Here’s June’s kit:

I’m also finding colors inspiring today:

The cool teal blue of the water and the hot pink of the float and goggles.  Must figure out a way to scrap these pool pictures and make those colors “pop” even more.

What is inspiring you today?

New Scrap Space

I spent a lot of time last weekend moving and reorganizing my scrapbooking stuff. I moved it from the sitting area in my master bedroom down to the basement. I decided it was time to make our bedroom a real bedroom, and not a scrap room with a bed!

Here are some pictures of the new scrap space in the basement. I have some decorating to do – I want to get some things on the wall to make it a little more inviting/crafty/creative.  Last weekend I was just focused on getting everything downstairs and set up.

This is the space – two parallel tables nestled in the corner. One is my worktable and the other will be for storage and for laying out larger projects.

My worktable (complete with inspiration – a picture of SuperMan, some chocolate, and artwork by my kids)

The view as you come down the stairs.

I decided to keep my stamp pads close by as well as the tools, idea books, pens and other things I use on a regular basis. The cart tucked beside my chair holds odds and ends. I want to reorganize it and put some other things in there like my stamping tools, etc.

The sort/store/Cricut table. SuperMan made the shelves for my tables out of stair tread boards. I love them and it is great to take advantage of vertical space for storage. Behind the CM paper tote I have a Rubbermaid drawer that houses mini albums and some other projects-in-progress. The 3-drawer Rubbermaid has ribbons, brads, eyelets, and other stuff. Behind the CM photo box are my stamping and embossing tools. Paper and stickers are on the top shelf.

I also need to get some storage space. Everything is under my table and it’s not very pretty. I want to get it organized better so I can find things – and so little fingers don’t go wandering through my stuff (the kids’ play area is at the other end of this room)If I have a buddy over to scrap, there is room across from my tables to set up another table for them. I also have a TV and stereo downstairs so I can watch TV or listen to music while I scrap. I am going to keep my eye out for a cheap DVD player to put down there, too so we can watch chick flicks.  

 

Templates for You

I have created a few more templates to be used in StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0.

The pages I created using them are below. They give you a good focal-point picture and still have room for some other photos. I had a lot of pictures and I wanted to fit them all in a few pages. I think this did the trick.

and here are the pages: (click on the image to download the template)

 

Here is a link with instructions on saving your templates and importing them into a StoryBook.

Hope you enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Creative Memories,Creative Memories templates,StoryBook Creator,StoryBook Creator Plus,digital scrapbooking templates

Thursdays are now Template Thursday!

First of all, let me apologize for the “blog lite” I have had the last few weeks. I have had two rounds of strep run through the house (first the little one, now the big one) two rounds of a cold (first the little one, now the big one, see a pattern here?) as well as a ton of work-related projects going on. Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. It’s a bummer, but it’s true.

So, now, on to more fun stuff…

I’m going to start working some regular posts into my blog and the first I am adding will be on Thursdays.  Template Thursday we’ll call it.

My thought is this. I will either share a template with you (to download) or I will share a template idea I’ve seen somewhere else that inspired me – and I’ll share a layout I’ve created with that template.  Hopefully, this will give us all some inspiration and maybe a nudge to get a page or two done each week.

So, here is this week’s template:

It’s got a Valentine’s spin on it, but you could use it for anything.  Remember, you can recolor almost everything in SBC+ so, have fun with it.

Here’s a fall themed sample:

That’s the CM Jewel Collection papers.

Oh, and if you use the template and post it online anywhere, I would really appreciate you linking back to my blog and crediting me for the template. I’d also love to see how you use it!

Here’s the link to download the page file.

Another Template for You

Ok, SBC+ ladies… I have a mid-week goodie for you.

I thought I would share another template I have made.

Here’s the template:

And a page I created with it:

The papers and embellishments are CM’s Vintage Digital Power Palette
(except for the button – can’t remember where I got it from)

You can download the template from here.

I hope you enjoy and I would really like to see some of your pages! Post a link to your blog in my comments section!

A goodie for you

I had a little time this weekend to create a couple of templates. I thought I would share with you.

Here is the template:

The embellishment is from Creative Memoires’ Digital Freebies page. Have you downloaded any of theirs? Some of them are really nice. I especially like the flourishes that you can find there.

And here is the page I created with the template:

The paper and snowflakes are from Jen Allyson’s blog.

If you haven’t checked out her new digital scrapbooking store, you should. Design House Digital, it’s called. There is some beautiful stuff out there. I go browsing and I just want it all!

So, here is the template, if you’d like to download it to play with. (it’s for StoryBook Creator 3.0)

I’d love to see what you do with the page!  Post a picture of your layout!

A Revelation

The other day, I had a revelation.

I am a digital scrapbooker.

Ha! Are you laughing?

I’m serious!

It dawned on me the other day as I was unpacking my recent shipment from Scrapping Simply. (which are beautiful page prints, by the way. Their printing services are awesome.) 

It dawned on me as I was unpacking the forty-six pages I had scrapped (digitally) since September. FORTY-SIX pages! As I counted the pages, I realized that I have never scrapped that many pages traditionally in a four month period of time (except maybe before the kids were born) other than at a retreat.  FORTY-SIX pages!!

I thought, WOW!  So, in addition to being mess-free, apparently, for me, digital is also inspiring me to scrap more.

I am going to a crop tomorrow night with a friend and I don’t have that much that is waiting to be done.  And, I’m thinking I may just take it easy on my back and take the ole laptop and scrap digitally at the crop. How cool is that?

So, while I have been operating under the idea that I was still a paper scrapbooker who was dabbling in some digital, I think I must change my perception of myself.

I am a digital scrapbooker. (she pauses to let the concept sink in to her brain)

Who knew?

Technorati Tags: scrapbooking,digital scrapbooking,scrapping simply

2010 Scrapbook Resolutions

I have said before, I don’t make new year’s resolutions.

And I don’t intend to this year, either.  I have some general goals, but they are not things that are related to the new year, or that have begun at the start of the new year.  They are ongoing. I prefer longer-range goals and usually set mine at 5 year increments… like where do I want to be in 5 years? Stuff like that.

Anyway.

I read a very interesting blog post today on the Scrapbook Update blog.  May Flaum was posting the things she resolves to use in her scrapbooks in 2010.  That got me to thinking and I decided to document the things I intend to do in 2010 that are scrapbook related.  They are not resolutions, but rather intentions… :-) Semantics, I know, but it makes me happy.

So here goes:

1. Use up my existing stash of papers, stickers, and embellishments. 
   I want to try to whittle my stash down – and at the same time resist as much as I can the nifty new stuff that comes out on the market. Normally, this is a very difficult thing for me to do.  I am a “gotta have it all” kind of gal. But, what I have realized, is that I kinda do have it all.  And, I need to quit purchasing and start using.  Along those lines is my next intention:
2. Remember to use my embossing tools more often – and my glitter – and my stamps – and all those other cool tools I have.
   More stuff I bought that I thought was cool. And I love using it, but I never remember to.  So, I’m going to try to remember to incorporate some more of the fluffy stuff on my pages in the future.
3. Scrapbook every single week.
   Whether it is a digital, hybrid, or traditional page (or, hopefully, more than one page) I am planning to set aside time each week to do a little of what makes me happy. It’s not about “catching up” but more about doing what I love and remembering to focus a little time on my hobby each week.
4. Challenge myself to try new things and learn new techniques.
   If you have looked at our Scrap Weekly in 2010 blog, you know that this one is already in progress.  I am participating in the weekly challenges and will be contributing challenges there several times during the year. I have never really gotten into challenges before but I want to step outside my usual scrapbooking habits and style and learn some new things this year.
   I am also taking Cathy Z’s Design Your Life class on Big Picture Scrapbooking. I am hoping this will help spread my horizons a bit – once I actually get around to starting the class (cough, cough).  I am also hoping to re-start or start anew a 365 project using Becky Higgins’ Project Life kit.  I got mine in the mail today – it is sooo pretty. I can’t wait to use it.  I am thinking it will become my “chronological” album which will allow me to:
5. Scrap more moments and memories and less events.
   I am really going to push myself this year to get away from the traditional yearly albums I have done for the past, oh, fifteen years.  I am going to have a family album, the Project Life album, and then, well, I don’t know. I am re-reading Stacy Julian’s book Photo Freedom.
   I am thinking I may try to tackle her Library of Memories concept. Up till now it has seemed rather daunting. But, with my move away from chronological albums, it seems like something that will really free up my scrapping mojo. There is a class over at Big Picture that is being offered in the spring, but I’ll have to see if I am ready for another class after the Design Your Life one.
6. Try some hybrid pages.
   So far, I have either done digital or traditional, but I haven’t mixed the two. I have to ask myself “why?” and I don’t really know. Other than the fact that the PC is downstairs and the scrap spot is upstairs. Not a good enough reason. So, it is time to start mixing things up a bit.

So there you have it. My 2010 not-so-resolution-y intentions.

What are you going to try to do in 2010?

Technorati Tags: Scrapbooking,2010 Resolutions,Project 365,Library of Memories,Big Picture Scrapbooking,Project Life,Digital Scrapbooking,Creative Memories

Weekly Scrapbook Challenge #1

Our first challenge is up over on our new blog. Have you checked it out yet?

Dawn’s got a great idea for us -

• Think about your goals or things your looking forward to in 2010.
• Use up that stash you have had saved for a special occasion
• Use a picture of yourself

Are you game?

Here’s the page I created:

Share yours!

I can’t wait to see it!

Technorati Tags: Scrap Weekly in 2010,Digital Scrapbooking,Scrapbooking,Project 365,52 in 10

Our First Weekly Scrapbook Challenge!

Be sure you check out our first challenge post over at the Scrap Weekly blog.  It's our first in a series.

Next week is my turn, this week, the challenge is offered by Dawn.

I can't wait to see what you do with it! (Renay!)

A special treat

Just for you StoryBook Creator Plus users…

Here are some templates you might like to try out! (Merry (late) Christmas!)

Here is a sample of the first one:

And here is the template: (click on the image to download)

You can read the blog post where I talked about the layout above here.  BUT – use the link above (in the photo of the template) to download the .page file template. I posted the other template before I knew the easy way to share templates and if you use the new link you will download a bunch of junk you don’t need.

Here is the second one:

And the template:

 

You can read the blog post where I talked about the layout above here.  Remember, use the link above to download the template here so you only get the .page file and not a bunch of junk you don’t need.

And, a special bonus template for you:

I don’t have a sample layout yet – but you can use your imagination. :-)  Click on the image to download the .page file.

If you have never downloaded templates before, here are some tips on how to bring them into your SBC+ program. You can’t just open the .page file.

1. When you download the template, save it somewhere easy to find. I suggest creating a folder in your My Documents/Creative Memories/ folder called “Templates.”
2. In SBC+, create a blank StoryBook just for storing templates. I have one I so creatively called ”templates.”
3. In the new StoryBook, click on “Import Page” (on the Home ribbon)
4. Find your .page file you saved in your Templates folder. (or whatever you called it)
5. You can now edit the page as you like.

Here is a link to the CM website where they tell you all about importing template pages.

I’m working on some more templates. Hope to have them posted next week sometime!

Sleep, Glorious Sleep

One of my favorite things about the holidays is not having to get up early – well, except for Christmas morning when the kids come bounding into the room at some ungodly hour, bouncing off the walls and onto the bed, insisting that we get up! get up! Santa’s come! get up!

Other than that exception, it is SO NICE to be able to sleep late.  This year, especially, since I have not been feeling that well.  Generally speaking, though, I am part bear and love to hibernate in the winter (heck, I love to sleep year round!).   

There is nothing nicer than nestling down in the warm, soft covers knowing that you don’t have to go anywhere or do anything until you want to.  The days leading up to Christmas are certainly not that way, but those precious days after Christmas are my favorites. Lazing around with only the things you want to being the things you have to do.  Chores can wait, cooking? who is cooking? leftovers, baby.  But the bestest part is the napping and sleeping in.

When the girls were smaller, they didn’t sleep past 6 AM or so.  Actually, until last year, that was the case. However, now they are sleeping (gasp!) until 7:30 or 8:00 (isn’t it sad that I am excited and consider that sleeping “late?”). And the best part is that their dad usually gets up with them (part of why he is my SuperMan) and lets me sleep even later.  (sigh)

I’m not looking forward to getting up at 5AM next week, but I’m sure enjoying my lazy days this week.

Technorati Tags: Journal Your Christmas,Scrapbooking,Digital Scrapbooking,Creative Memories

Coming out of the Haze

There is nothing quite like being sick during the holidays. After all the cooking, cleaning, baking, preparations and anticipation, my body simply decided it was done.  Quit. Finis. Full Stop. 

Thank goodness I have a very understanding, loving, and compassionate family.  SuperMan did most of the cooking (including our delicious Christmas Day dinner) and general taking care of things.  The girls were so well behaved (for the most part) and just played with their new toys and patted me on the arm as they went by.  Me? I spent most of Friday and Saturday either on the sofa or in my recliner in a snot-induced haze. Gross imagery, I know, but true.

I am finally starting to feel a little more like myself, although I think a trip to the doctor is still not out of the running. 

However, yesterday, SuperMan took the girls for an afternoon outing with friends. They went to see the new Alvin & the Chipmunks movie - The Squeaquel (I love that play on words!).  They had a great time and then MB went to spend the night at a friend’s house. They were supposed to be staying here, but we decided there were too many germs in our house so they moved the party.

While they were gone, I thought I would do a little reading or scrapbooking. Turned out, I got to do both.  I am reading Dan Brown’s new book: The Lost Symbol.  It is very engaging and from about page 50, I was hooked.  I have been carrying the book around under my arm everywhere I go in the house this weekend (from the couch to the recliner… from the recliner to the couch :-)  and reading every second I can.  Basically, it’s similar to the other Dan Brown books although this time it’s not focused on the Catholic Church – it’s about the Masons.  Pretty interesting.

Anyway, I also sat down to do some digital scrapbooking (my scrap table is covered in Christmas paper right now and I didn’t feel up to cleaning it off) only to find out that the new “patch” of the StoryBook Creator software I’d installed had completely erased all the links to my content.  Argh! So, I spent close to two hours re-linking all the files.  While this probably was a good thing in the long run (it cleaned up my mis-mashed linking I had before) it was SO not how I wanted to spend my afternoon of silence and solitude! 

Once I finished that chore, I was determined to get some scrapbooking done.  I managed to finish the album I’m making for my brother (shh, it’s a secret!) and did a little work on the one for my mom.  Then, I started on some pages on my family album.  Here are a few I did:

This will be the cover page of our 2009 album.  Do you get the reference?
I love the simplicity of the design –
and the fact that I managed to fit 12 pictures from the year on one page!

 

I think this one speaks for itself concerning the topic.
All of the elements are freebies (including the paper) that I found online in October.

Here are larger pictures of the pages:

 

I have been wanting to do something special with MB’s field day pictures. I think this turned out pretty well.
I used one of the free CM templates (Great Escapes) and doctored it a bit to make it less ‘travel’ oriented and more sports oriented.

Here are larger pictures of the pages:

I don’t know if I will have time today to do more scrapbooking, but I am hoping to. Next on my list of things I want to scrap are Ang’s graduation pictures, our trip to the pumpkin patch, and the Girl Scout hike the girls took in November.  I am really enjoying not constraining myself to crop chronologically… although I am a wee bit concerned I may miss a few pictures here and there. But heck, when you take close to 200 a month some months, you are bound to miss one or two, right?

What have you been up to?

Technorati Tags: Scrapbooking,Creative Memories,StoryBook Creator,Digital Scrapbooking,Journal Your Christmas

Digital Scrapbooking Goodies for the Holidays

Merry Christmas to all of you! This may be my last post this week - I have company on the way (arriving any minute) and then a week full of festivities planned. I am sure you are not going to have any more time to sit still and surf the web than I am, so we will just plan to see each other again after the 25th, okay?

Before I leave you, here are some links to some of the digital goodness I have stumbled across this holiday season. Even if you are not a digital scrapbooker, you can download and print these out to use in your traditional scrapbooking.

Enjoy!

• Digital Doodles from Scrappy Fairy (I love these)
• Be Merry mini kit from Digital Freebies
• This beautiful Winter Wonderland from Jenallyson.  She is opening a new shop Design House Digital and has a freebie on that webite, too, if you sign up for her mailing list.
• Kolette Hall always has beautiful downloads. There are several on her site that are holiday-themed. I printed a few out last week and added them to my last-minute decorating. I just printed them at 5x7 and stuck them in some black frames. Very classy, very nice.
• Here is a beautiful 2010 Calendar you can print out and gussy up to give as a last minute gift (or keep for yourself!)
• The Shabby Princess has some gorgeous downloads. She has a shop, too, with a sale going on right now. I love her designs.

Oh, and if you are a Creative Memories digital user, you can still use these. Just import them into your program as your own digital content.

Ok, hope that gets you started.

I have to go make final preparations...

Merry Christmas to all, and to all Good Night! :-)

Christmas Traditions, New and Old

I have decided that the only way I am going to finish this Journal Your Christmas album is to do it digitally. I can't seem to find the time to journal, scheme the page design and then actually sit down and do it. Especially since the kids will be home from school after today - once they are home "real" scrapbooking ends for me. Too many little fingers in the stash!

I am working on documenting our Christmas Traditions.  I think I am going to end up with four (!) pages about this because we have a few new ones to capture as well as a few old ones I want to record. This book is going to be HUGE when I finish, but with the digital pages, at least it won't be bulky or heavy.

Here is my Traditions (new) page. I'll add the "old" one later when I get it done. I am waiting to take a photo on Christmas Eve for that page.

Pages are done with Creative Memories' StoryBook Creator Plus and their Frost kit.

MB has been asking for an Elf on the Shelf this year. I think a lot of the kids in her class must have them and she has been hearing stories about the antics of the elves.

So, one Saturday while I was out with Ang, we got one. MB was so very excited and read the story to Ang right away. Now, our Elf, Jingle, makes a nightly journey to Santa's to report on the girls' behavior. Then he picks a spot to perch for the day and keep an eye on things. You never know where Jingle will turn up. The lights, the wreath,  the bookcase. He is a crafty elf.

Let there be light(s)

Every year, we tweak our outdoor decorations just a little. This year, we did something totally different. Colored lights (for the girls) on the shrubs and SuperMan added lights to the Tulip Tree. I love it. It looks like an outdoor Christmas tree.

We also have little bitty trees on the front porch. I have seen that for years and loved it so I splurged last Christmas and added them to the decor. I think next year I will add some decorations to them (when the puppy isn't such a puppy and hopefully won't eat them all!)

Pages are done with Creative Memories' StoryBook Creator Plus and their Frost kit.

SuperMan also got all of my garlands and wreath lights working this year so we have a lot of lights in the house, too. It makes things very festive and I am keeping them on pretty much all the time. I like the glow!

The stockings on the mantle are from one of my trips to the UK with work (years ago) and every time I pull them out I remember shopping in Harrod's with Mom and getting them.

I hope your holidays are filled with light, love and good memories, too!

I think I'm getting this down (somewhat)

I have been working more in Photoshop Elements this weekend. Not much, just a little, but I have completed a few more calendar pages.

I haven't yet tried it in Creative Memories' StoryBook Creator software. Just Photoshop.  In PSE it is a breeze to edit.

Here are some samples:

Note: the calendar template is from ScrapGirls if you are interested in making your own. There is a separate file for each month. All I did was drop in my photos and papers.

 

Also, If you haven't viewed these tutorials by Cathy Zielske (and you are learning about Photoshop like me) I would strongly suggest you take a few minutes to watch them. They are very well done.

She has one on using templates and one for creating rounded corners (or just one or two rounded corners) which I think is a really cool effect.

I'm ready, I think, to start doing more things in PSE. I have signed up for Jessica Sprague's beginner's PSE class.  That's my next project. :-) ('cause I don't have anything else going on right now! ha!)

Season's Greetings?

It's that time of year again, folks... time to get out your mass-assembly-line technology, your address book and a million stamps.  Yes, it's Christmas card time.

Before kids, I used to have all my cards addressed and ready to go on the Friday after Thanksgiving. (that was before Black Friday was called Black Friday).  They had a cutesy little "newsletter" inside telling about all the things we'd done that year and wishing everyone peace, love and happiness.

Now?

I'm lucky if I get them addressed and mailed before the 20th!

This year, I decided to create a photo card.  I did a nifty 4x6 sized card and ordered prints.  I really like how it turned out.

 

Then came the dilemma.  What do I mail them in?

My husband chuckled at me as I anguished for weeks about how I was going to mail them. They were too big for a regular small envelope.  Too tall for a business one. Didn't really fit in a card-sized envelope.  Sigh. That is what I get for going my own way.

So, yesterday we were in Hobby Lobby (dangerous place to go) and I saw they had all of their Christmas cards on sale for 50% off.  Hello!

I picked out a really adorable card:

and will just put the pictures inside! Problem solved.

I love how this has the handmade look, but that I didn't have to hand-make it.  I made Christmas cards one year (maybe two) when Ang was a baby.  That was enough for me.  The whole thing was just not a fun experience for me.  First, I agonized on what to create.  Then, I had to figure out what materials I would need and then how much it would cost.  Those adorably detailed cards can get pretty pricey when you are doing 20-30 of them.  (and most of my recipients are not crafty people and do not appreciate the effort, time and creativity it takes to make them)

So, after trying that out, I gave myself permission to go back to store-bought cards.  Why make life difficult?

Last year, I did a photo card as well, but I used one of those templates online where you get the envelopes with the cards - and didn't have the dilemma I have had this year.

Now, this year's set up doesn't equate to the uber-low-cost plan I originally had, but oh well.  At least I have cards, and a plan.  Heck, most are even addressed at this point!

Now, if I can just talk SuperMan into going to the post office for the stamps...

I think I'm in love...

I have been very, very resistant to Photoshop for years... It just seemed too complex, too "big" and too hard to learn.  I have been quite happy with traditional scrapbooking, thankyouverymuch! 

Then, this summer, I got the new version of Creative Memories' StoryBook Creator Plus software.  I loved it. (I still do.)  I loved all the things I could do with it.  I got hooked on digital scrapbooking and started scouring the internet looking for ideas, downloads, templates, papers, embellishments; you name it, I was looking at/for it. 

I started taking some online classes at Big Picture Scrapbooking.  Over there, everyone (and I mean everyone) uses Photoshop Elements. (at a minimum, it seems!) Classes come with downloadable templates, files to make your life easier, etc. <grrr... I don't use Photoshop!>

So, there I was re-creating the templates, re-doing all the work that had been done for me to save me time to do what I really love, which is scrapbooking!

What's a girl to do?

Well, you know how the old saying goes... If you can't beat 'em...

So, I decided to download an evaluation copy of Photoshop Elements from Adobe's website.  It has a 30 day trial period and I thought it wouldn't hurt to give it a whirl.  However, the last time I downloaded a copy, I think I only opened it once.  Not a very effective way to evaluate a tool, I guess.  So, this time I was determined to really prove to myself once and for all that Photoshop was not for me.

Let me restate that... I was going to prove that I did not need Photoshop.

Boy, was I wrong!

You know all those beautiful pictures you see on the web?  Photoshop-enhanced. (I guarantee you)  All those beautiful scrapbook layouts? Ditto.

I have taken a few free tutorials online - there's one on Jessica Sprague's website, another three over on Nan Scott's website. 

And then, tonight, I started playing.  and playing. and playing. (thank goodness the kids went to bed early!)

Oh.my.goodness.

Once you get the hang of the basics, it is soooo cool! 

Now I am dying to take some more classes and learn some more techniques. (Do you have any to share? If so, point me in the right direction, please!!)

Here's my first "real" page created in PSE...

 

The template came from Scrap Girls, and the papers and embellishments were from Michelle Coleman (it was a freebie download)

I have to say it... I think I'm hooked.  I think I'm in love...

It was so much easier to just open the template, drop in the paper, pictures and embellishments! Wowee!

I'll share more of the calendar pages as I get them created... I'm sure there are going to be more!