Class Guides to Begin June 1!

I welcome you to join in on the next round of guided classes. Although you can always subscribe and do lessons on your own and even lurk, these class guides are sent by e-mail and I do check off the assignments to encourage you to get through the lessons. For the past few months, these classes have gone very well and I'm excited about them!

Read about the Subscriber Area here.
Read how to subscribe here.
Guided class descriptions here.

Sign up for classes here.

I am slowing these classes down for the summer (upper hemosphere), however. The daily e-mails and lessons were much too fast for some to keep up and due to vacations and outdoor activities, I believe that this will allow one to be absent for a while and yet still catch up upon return.

Although the beginning date is June 1st, you can still sign up for the first week or so as there will be plenty of time for you to catch up with lesson already sent out.

You can use any products in this classes, so there are no excuses!

Here are the classes with available sign-ups:

Course 1 - Every 3 days
Course 2 - #1 -20 - Every 3 days (do a technique challenge layout every time!)
Course 2 - #21-40 - Every 3 days (do a technique challenge layout every time!)
Templates #1-20 Every 3 days
Templates #21-40 Every 3 days


I wanted to share a few of the graphics that Robyn made while doing Course 2! She always goes out of her way to promote the classes for me in the gallery. You can see her gallery here. Rhonda designs and is active at SumScrapper and DigitalDesignDen.

Here are some words from a recent participant that melted my heart! I just had to share!

I’ve been scrapbooking for about 7 years and learned a lot on my own and classes
locally and have been feeling that I was not good enough in digital scrapbooking
to post anything and you have given me confidence in the classes. While I
have watched many of the videos, since I just watch and didn’t do any layouts
with each lesson, I really did not force myself to apply the
lessons.

I’m so grateful for your time and patience to teach us.

Thanks again, I just cannot tell you how grateful I am for your time. As time is a precious commodity and you spend many hours helping us. I am thankful for YOU.

Hummie's World Banner

As many of you know, I've been SO busy the last few months! This post is about a month overdue!

I had paid for advertising at DST, but had NO time to get a banner done in time! I decided it was time to look into paying someone else to make the graphic for me.



Some of the sites wanted SO much money! Now, I understand the time it takes to make one of these banners and certainly am willing to pay for that time, but there is a limit.

I put out several e-mails asking how quickly the banner could be done and, Jessica Pineo from ScrapKitten Designs responded quickly. I provided her with my Heritage kit so that I could make the banner copyright friendly for anyone else wanting to use the banner (you can find it on my graphics grab page). She worked hard for me, staying up late, and got it done when she said she was going to get it done! I gave her a brief overview of what I wanted the banner to say and let her creativity flow.

My experience with Jessica was very satisfactory. Isn't the banner cool?

You can contact Jessica by e-mail here at scrapkittenadmin@gmail.com and see more details in her store. You can provide her with your own kit or purchase one of hers for her to work with. She also offers blinkies, kit previews, and other graphics.

Simple Scrapper Blog is awesome!

Jennifer Wilson (http://starxlr8.com/) invited me to be a judge for Task 4 of the May Work-a-long Project at Simple Scrapper! I felt so honored and, of course, said yes! You can read more about the challenge here, but this is the last challenge due today, so it is too late for you to join in now, but I'm sure she will have more great things to come! However, there is a free template there if you hurry and catch it!

If you have not visited Simple Scrapper Blog or are not subscribed to the RSS, I would highly recommend it! The posts are SO informative!

Promos4DigiScrappers is Back!

Promos4DigiScrappers has been brought to life again! Whooo hooo!

In previous years ( 2005 and 2006) this site was THE site to find out about new kits and challenges and sales around the digi world. It was originally created by Clara Wallace and Andrea Sampson. At that time, a designer or shop owner could purchase a lifetime right to post on the site for only $10. This right also allowed you to be able to post in the P4D Yahoo Group. This kept the Yahoo Group of high quality and there really was no reason to be subscribed to any other advertising group at the time.

Over the years, Clara and Andrea gradually withdrew from the site and everything went downhill.

However, Tanya Galiszewski (Tanya Gal) has taken over P4D and is merging it with the former Just Digital Calls! If you go to http://www.justdigitalcalls.com/ now, it redirects you to P4D. Tanya is also helping to run the June DST Blog Train which should be awesome! Tanya is the former owner of Plain Digital Wrapper and current owner of Scrap Outside the Box.


P4D has a forum in which you can also advertise your Designer/CT Calls, New Products, Freebies, Crops, events, etc., as well as a gallery and calendar. Remember that the gallery is searchable to find kits of your needs (similar to how DST Product Gallery and Digital Scrapbook Previews offer).

In addition, there is a brand new Top Sites! I saw another new topsites the other day and thought to myself "why do we need yet another new top site?" However, I have a great feeling about what Tanya is doing to bring new life to the trusted P4d and do plan on joining this topsite!

I don't know how she is doing it, but it appears to me that P4D is all free!

Paint Chip Challenge (& freebie)

Join the challenge in the thread in the forum here!

I have seen many great layouts by traditional paper scrapbookers who utilize paint chips that can be found at any store selling paints for free. What a great accent to a page for free! Traditional scrapbookers can get pretty creative with them. How creative can you get?

Here are some s for you in ways that you can utilize a paint chip.

1. Use it as a tag for a title. Write across the whole paint chip or write one word in each square.
2. Cut into squares and hang from a ribbon or rope as a title
3. Punch a hole in one end, thread ribbons, and cut in the shape of a tag
4. Cut it into pieces and position it into a square mat
5. Cut into corner pieces around a photo
6. Use it for journaling
6. Cut into thin strips and create a border around the entire layout
7. Add a piece of vellum and stickers to it
8. Use two pieces of it next to a white square to make a journal box
9. Punch shapes into it
10. Use them as a mat behind photos
11. Use them to ground your layout, reaching from one edge of the layout to the other
12. Grunge up the edges; ink up the edges; sand the edges
13. Cut into thin strips and use to accent layout
14. Cut into thin strips and use as borders between photos
15. Rip/tear the paint chip
16. Use an overlay with the paint chip

I am including my .png file for you to use, as well as the .psd file so that you can use it as a template to put in your own colors.


Click here to download.

I scrapped! I cannot believe it! Scrapping can be good therapy! Don't I say it all the time? Just by doing this layout, I feel so much better. I'm beginning to get motivated again to bring you good stuff!

I did this layout to choose the winner of the Title Game, as well as to do the paint chip challenge.

I did not cut up the paint chip and really did not get all that creative with it. I did find it stark on my layout, so I made a selection of the chip and used the selection to cut the background paper. I placed the cut paper over the chip and used the soft blending mode to get the chip to match the rest of the grungy layout better. Thereater, I merged the layers and duplicated the strip to move to other areas of the layout.

I used Flergs 6k74 kit for everything else on the page. It is one of the prizes for the Scrap the Guys contest!

Evening Together

I'm trying to get motivated again to post on my blog more often and to get rolling on some good shares. I used to make personal posts like this all the time. What has happened to me? Maybe if I just MAKE myself do a few, I can begin a slow roll that will eventually turn into a faster roll as before. Uh?

So, as many of my readers know, hubby and I have a weekly dinner date on Fridays. He worked overtime today and came home declaring that he had a bad day and wanted to go some place where he could have a beer.

We decided to go to O'Charley's and really enjoyed ourselves. Our waiter was delightful, going the extra bit to make our evening special.

Hubby's beer was kind of fun. Just look at that tall frosty glass!

I was SO intrigued by the Cotton Candy Cosmos on the menu. What in the world?!!! What was THAT! This is what it looked like. Kind of fun, huh?

The idea was to pour the drink mix over the cotton candy. I don't know why I was picturing some kind of weird fluffy drink in my head. I must have forgotten ALL of my science lessons. Take a look at this photo and tell me what will happen to SUGAR when it hits liquid? Yep. You're right. What cotton candy? Where did it go?

Then based on our waiter's suggestion, we got these chips. Um....wow! How tall is THAT! (This restaurant seemed to have a thing for TALL things...just review all the photos above!) How do you eat it? Oh, we delved in anyway and it was scrumptious! We split an entree and relaxed. It was fun to go someplace from our regular routine and try new things.

The Machine is Us/ing Us

I love watching videos like this one. As one who likes to analyze, I find it very thought provoking. I wish I had the ability to think to construct a video like this one. Techy people will enjoy this.

Isn't there a lot of truth to this video? Who (not what) is the internet? What would it be without crazy people like me posting blog posts like this one?

Social Networking

So, since I deleted all of the good stuff from the sidebar of my blog trying to fix that "operation abort" error over the course of a few days, I decided to just keep things clean and simple while resetting up the blog.

I now have little icons down the sidebar of my blog pointing to most social networking sites that I'm signed up at. Now, please know that some of them I haven't visited in oh, maybe a year! However, now you can find me and link up with me!

I'm really struggling this week. I am finally free of a busy schedule and yet I cannot seem to get moving again. I was all self-psyched to get going and then I had the blog problems which lead to me totally re-doing the blogroll. I was frustrated that things not on my to-do list were getting in my way until I just was no longer psyched. I am one who has to resolve something before I can move on and I just got stuck.

I'm feeling burnt out I think. I so want to provide some good stuff for everyone, but I think I'm going to need your help. I need to be inspired by you so that I can get my drive back up.

Blogroll Code for Digital Scrapbookers

The blogroll has been migrated and there are now new codes!


This blogroll code was first published on July 20, 2007. It was hosted with blogrolling.com at that time and rose to a high count of 758 listings! On May 27, 2009, it was finally moved to be hosted with bloglines. Dead links and blogs without posts over 6 months were removed. The new list begins with 487 blogs. Since bloglines will alert me to feeds that are no longer working, in addition to sorting from newest to oldest posts, I can better keep the list current.

This universal blogroll code can be put in your blog just by copying the below code. (I understand it does not work in the free Wordpress blogs as they do not accept javascript.)

Having it on your own blog would make it easy for you and your readers to quickly find someone else's blog. In addition, the posts are set to sort with the blog most recently to post at the top. What a great way to just waste some time visiting other blogs right from your own blog!

E-mail me if you are a digiscrapper and would like to be added to this blogroll. Please know that keeping up with this blogroll has become quite a task and often it takes me a long time to get to the e-mails. The name you assigned to your blog will automatically be the name on the list. I will attempt to edit some names, but please be aware that you may be listed accordingly. Please do a search of this list (Control F) to see if you are already on the list before requesting to be added. I often get duplicate or triplicate requests for the same blog.

You can edit the code to fit in your sidebar by changing the width and height. IF YOUR SIDEBAR IS NOT WIDE ENOUGH, change the width in the code to a smaller number until you see the scrollbar.

If you would like more of the blog names to be visible, change the height.

If you would like the whole blogroll to be visible as in the below example, delete the height code all together.


GREEN


<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh5.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr3yOo95rWI/AAAAAAAABWI/o9zly86nEDo/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsGreen.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>

YELLOW


<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh4.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr3xRY95rUI/AAAAAAAABVA/XU8A-tv6v6w/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsYellow.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>

RED


<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh4.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr3xRY95rTI/AAAAAAAABU4/QOkpWwo4yuQ/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsRed.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>

PINK


<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh5.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr357o95rXI/AAAAAAAABWs/VX7Mz8SzzVM/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsPink.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>


ORANGE


<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh6.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr3xQ495rRI/AAAAAAAABUo/p9XXLrwrbs4/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsOrange.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>

WHITE


<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh6.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr3xQ495rQI/AAAAAAAABUg/FWQ7YBeBWpk/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsWhite.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>

BLACK


<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh5.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr3xQo95rPI/AAAAAAAABUY/n5sIHdgEJM8/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsBlack.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>

GREY


<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh5.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr3xQo95rOI/AAAAAAAABUQ/4ZU_TiOwOBM/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsGrey.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>

BROWN


<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh4.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr3xQY95rNI/AAAAAAAABUI/r3LPUwfpCEE/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsBrown.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>

PURPLE



<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh4.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr3xQY95rMI/AAAAAAAABUA/cA8kh_NecZw/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsPurple.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>


BLUE



<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html"><img hspace="4" src="http://lh3.google.com/Hummdingertub/Rr3xQI95rLI/AAAAAAAABT4/ASWP_2iSnJ8/s144/Blogroll-ButtonsBlue.jpg" /> </a><ul><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.hummiesworld.com/2007/07/blogroll-code-for-digital-scrapbookers.html">Get this Blogroll Code</a></ul><ul><div style=" width:200px; height:500px; overflow:auto;"><br /><br /><script language="javascript" src="http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?id=Digiscrap&target=blank" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></div></ul>

BLOGGER INSTRUCTIONS
1. Copy the code (highlight and press control C)
2. Go to the "template" tab in your blog settings.
3. Go to the "page elements" sub-tab.
4. Click on "Add a Page Element"
5. In the popup box, choose "HTML/JavaScript"
6. Paste the code (control V)
7. Save Changes
8. If desired, move the element down the sidebar to where you want it within your other items on your blog.
9. If needed change the height and width of the code. (Is the scroll bar showing?)

TYPEPAD INSTRUCTIONS
1. Go the TypeLists tab and open it.
2. Create a Typelist using the the Links kind of TypeList. If you haven't done it before see here: Creating a New Typepad List
3. Click on Add Item - Try reading Adding a New Item ; Cut and paste the code.
4. If you have 3 column setup which seems to be what most of us have, then each sidebar is 200 pixels If necessary, change the width so in the line that reads width:190px; height:200px, to 100 so it reads width:100px; height:200px
5. Click on Save and republish you blog. :-)


WORDPRESS INSTRUCTIONS
The PITA free version of Wordpress does not support javascript.
Thanks to Michelle for writing the Wordpress instructions!

Instructions:
1. copy the code from the box
2. log into WP admin
3. click arrow next to appearance
4. click widgets
5. add as a "Text" on the side (puts it at the top of the widgets)
6. click "add" next to text
7. click edit on the new blue "text" bubble to the right.
8. enter code into the large box
9. enter "title" into the small box
10. click done
11. click save changes

THE BLOGROLL!

Techy Stuff Stresses Me

If you've been watching my Twitters, I've been TOTALLY distracted from regular website work for days because of problems on my blog.

I've spent WAY too much time trying to fix it. Nothing is more frustrating than wasting time when you have so much else to do.

In IE8, the blog just gives an "Internet Explorer cannot open the site operation aborted" error message and when you click okay, it shuts down. Firefox and other browsers would load just fine.

I did not change anything, so I was confused.

I deleted a ton of stuff from my blog to no avail.

I finally found and realize it is a Blogger problem. (Read here)
http://knownissues.blogspot.com/

I deleted the "followers" gadget and now it is fixed. One of the few things I didn't think would cause it was the cause!

Let's hope that it continues to be fixed. Now I need to fix my blog back up to par after having removed so many things trying to find the problem. Instead of all the codes, I think I"m just gonna have icons linking to all the placed people can find me.


NEW DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING BLOGROLL COMING
Good news is that because of it, I started migrating the universal blog code! I started out with about 750 blogs on it. I'm testing each one and bringing in only the ones with recent updates. Many are just bad links. It was formerly hosted at blogrolling.com, but they have had their fair share of problems and many digital scrapbookers have removed the blogroll. I am moving it to Bloglines.

You can see the progress in the sidebar of my blog. I have them listed so that the blogs newly posted to are at the top.

I am surprised at how many people do not realize the importance of titling a blog correctly. Once I get all the blogs back in, I'm going to have to edit their titles. There's some pretty funky stuff showing up!

Bloglines will also put a red exclamation mark on those blogs that are no longer working. In this way, I can keep up better with removing blogs that have been shut down and are no longer good links. I could not easily do that with the old blogroll.

So, the digital scrapbooking blogroll code will be changing soon. Now that I've figured out this operation abort error, I can move forward to getting the new code up and finishing the migration of the blogs.

Drop Shadows - Oh, those settings!

I was asked to do a tutorial on the basics of the drop shadow settings.
It turned out to be about 30 minutes long! Wow! I guess there was more to share than I thought I had to share!

The full version is in the Subscriber Area (only $5.50) per month, but I thought the first part would be helpful to all, so here it is below!

Factors to consider when setting the distance and size are:

1) The angle of the light source. For instance, if the angle is straight up above, then the distance would be nearly non-existant.

2) The height of the light source.

3) The height of the object itself.

4) The height that the object is off of the page.

5) The harshness of the light source.

Distressed Edge Frame Video Tutorial

The Scrap the Guys contest is going so well! I have been SO impressed with the layouts! I do hope you have been following the contest and taking time to comment on all the great layouts.

I made this download and the video for this week's challenge. Even if you are not in the challenge, I would love to see what you can do with this download.

Download availalbe here for short time; thereafter you can find it in the Subscriber Area.



This technique is to utilize a distressed edge frame in your layout. Some designers call them overlays and some call them masks. Whatever they call them, they are fun to use as you can utilize them in so many different creative ways.

Just watch the video to see!

#followfriday (a twitter thing)

Here is this week's #followfriday pick!

donna_duncombe

Please read this page.

You can also add your twitter address there for others to find you and also so that I may choose you for a future week.This is a collaborative effort each week to get one digital scrapbooker noticed on Twitter.

Flower Garden Video

As I wrote previously, one of the reasons that I am unable to get new content out right now is that I am preparing for graduation on Sunday. The house is so small that everyone will generally be in the garden area outside. Therefore, I have to get the garden weeded, plants dug up and moved, bulb foilage cut, planted, and mulched before Sunday.

Everyone continues to ask me about my garden, so I did a quick video for you. I hope you enjoy it.

13 years and a piece of paper - AGAIN!

Here sits my son this morning, as he does every school morning, waiting for his brother to finish getting ready for school, watching TV and relishing the warmth from the heater.

This is a special morning, though. Today is his last day of high school! By the end of the school day, he will have attended school never having missed a day of school since he started Kindergarten!

Not only that, but he has followed in his brother's footsteps who also achieved the same thing.

His brother, after he received his award, stated: "13 years and a piece of paper." Those are words we will always remember. It took him 13 years to achieve and all he got was a piece of paper.

My son is to receive his "piece of paper" tonight at a recognition ceremony.

I tried to get him to smile for the camera, but he stated "no one smiles at 7:30 in the morning."

I am thanking God for health in our family. It is only God's good that has allowed our family to have not only one, but two to have achieved the same goal.

I could have achieved the goal had I known it was something special, having only missed 3 days in 13 years. I wasn't "really" sick when I missed -- just sick enough to see what it was like to stay home.

People ask how we did it. I attribute it partly to fortified cereal and milk (about $30 a week worth), partly to good genes, partly to doctors, dentists and orthodontists that put up with our pleas for after school appointments, and wholly to God.

Use your Favorite Quote Challenge

Candy has put up a new challenge to use your favorite quote in a layout. Everyone who participates wins this free awesome template she made!

Check out the challenge in this thread.

Busy Busy Busy!

My blog and other online things are seriously lacking more than they ever have before!

Life is so crazy busy right now. I read time and again how people think that I can do so much of everything. Wow. Seriously not! I fail a lot, but people just don't notice it I guess.

I'm desperately trying to get ready for a graduation and party, as well as a week with a guest (whom I'm anxious to meet) in our house. The biggest thing is that our home is SO small that there is no way to fit 40 or so guests in it, so we pray that the weather will be beautiful and everyone can enjoy our gardens. Which means that I have to get the flower gardens ready two weeks earlier than I usually do!

I've been working at least 2 hours a day on them. I've loaded up at least one trash bag a night from stuff I've gotten out of the beds, whether dieing foliage from bulbs or weeds. Then I've planted and mulched. My back has found muscles I did not remember I had while carrying huge bags of mulch and full cans of waste.

I'm still not done. The weather doesn't cooperate. Now I'm into the home stretch and its time I move to the indoors and begin cleaning one room a night after work, preparing food menus, and all those other little party details. I haven't even gotten the gift yet!

However, on top of all that, I've got a meeting to reveal secret pals with a church group. We have adopted a young lady or two at one of the local churches who was confirmed this year (mine are not even at my church)and have been sending them cards for a few months. We are having a get-together on Tuesday to meet our secret pals.

Thursday evening is the recognition ceremony for honors (by invitation only) at the school which we will be attending. That is two evenings I won't get anything done! I'm fearing I won't make it.

We had the baccalaureate this evening and it was just a wonderful worship service bringing together people of all faiths to pray together for the graduates.

One night last week while I was elbow deep in dirt in the garden, my son comes out to announce he is headed to a band concert! What! I declared that it would be the LAST time he told me about a band concert at the last minute! Well, it's true. He's a senior and isn't going to have any more band concerts.

Faithful mom-me dropped everything in the garden, ran in to wash my hands, and rushed to the concert high-clad dressed in shorts and a stinky, sweaty old scout t-shirt, reassuring myself that God would give me the time I needed to get done the things I needed to get done.

Here's proof.




So, I've managed to get out the e-mail guides for the classes online each morning before I go to work and to keep up with the Scrap the Guys contest, but that's it.

Yes, I do fail. I cannot do it all. When real life intervenes, something has to give.

I was 4 weeks behind on uploading the sermon videos from church that some depend on. I spent what little time on my Mother's Day afternoon getting 2 of them up, between church and the baccalaureate, so now I"m only 2 weeks behind. I managed to squeeze in about 45 minutes of garden time. I hate Mother's Day. Just like any other day.

Here I am. Stressed and resting on the graces of God.

Scrap the Guys Contest

Week 1 was a very interesting week in the Scrap the Guys Contest!

I do hope that you have been following along in the threads.

This morning, 2 contestants have been booted from the contest and we do hope that they come forth and reveal their fake ID.

25 contestants are moving on and the second challenge is up!

There are SO many awesome prizes donated by awesome designers that I am excited to see who of these 25 will evenutally win it all!

School Photo Template

I made this template years ago when my first son graduated high school.
Yesterday, I scanned in all of the photos of my son who is graduating in a few weeks and made another layout with the same template. I have never shared this template before!

You can see my layout in the gallery here.

The template is here on my blog for a limited time, but in the Subscriber Area permanently.



As I look at both layouts of my sons, I realized that both of them have no front teeth in their second grade photos and apparently the "awkward" years at in the 8th and 9th grades! It's too funny! They start out cute, transition into physical disrepair, and then into oblivion, until they finally arrive right back and cute again!

Twitter Round up - First Half of April

To see them as they happen, follow me on Twitter.

This is for the the first half of April! I shall persevere to catch up!

Today's Twitter Roundup (Happy-Happy-Clicking!)

RT @HeatherM74: #Digiscrap Andy blogged the trials of figuring out CSS. She cracks me up! http://thecreativejunkie.com/

Interesting site: http://www.myhip.com/best_app.html I dare you!

Microsoft on Conficker: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/962007

RT @kyliemdesigns: Easy Fix Solutions for All your Problem Photos! http://bit.ly/Rj4t

Really being copied on twitter and I cannot find original tweet; 14 Most Impressive Photoshop Typography Effects http://tinyurl.com/dkxd3g

I love my computer because my friends are on it: http://bit.ly/116eOJ

Dropping prices: Images for fun graphics lovers: http://bit.ly/yNzjW

What I need to do: http://bit.ly/yC44v

#digiscrap Cute idea for block card baby announcement: http://bit.ly/NfUoK

I think I want to do this in my living room; need a change of view: http://bit.ly/CsKz1

Or maybe I should do this so that I can change up my room decorations all the time: http://bit.ly/SmdE0 #digiscrap

The ScrapArtist Muse is back http://www.scrapartist.com/muse/Muse-0409.pdf

RT @ScrappinCop: latest blog Freebie, baby doodles: http://thescrappincop.blogspot.com/2009/04/cu-baby-doodles.html

It doesn't help if they download and distribute or redo as their own. RT @bunnycates Good resource here Hummie http://bit.ly/q46Pk

The Windows Anti-Virus 2009 virus sounds much like the 4shared virus that hit the #digiscrap world. http://bit.ly/HXaJ2 it is in ads.

Watching TwitterVision http://twittervision.com/ I'm not sure why.

http://www.gawkk.com/ Gawkk is Twitter for videos whereas Blip.fm http://blip.fm/ is Twitter for music.

RT @mslmichelle: love this gumdrop wreath! http://bit.ly/17JB4W

RT @ScrapbookCoach: Organizing your photos video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BrYzNw6MNA

#digiscrap Resource of the Day: http://www.visuwords.com/ Find the right words for journaling and titles!

#digiscrap RT @smashingmag: [SM] 8 Simple Ways to Improve Typography In Your Designs: http://tinyurl.com/dh8bbl

RT @webchyck: PSP tutorial on creating reflections by Miss Behaving http://tinyurl.com/chk9ep

For those who LOVE images! http://ffffound.com/ now why they choose (4) f's for the url?

Wow! This is provoking. Really look at what it says: http://bit.ly/LSTnt

I message to those we love: http://bit.ly/vThF4 I want to use this idea in a scrap page.

I LOVE this new word! I am going to use this with my next lecture to the boys! Don't you agree? http://faveup.com/design/9387

Hmm..I think this would make a fun gift for hubby for his bday; along with beer or something http://bit.ly/zIoV4

RT @alibony: is creating more video tuts for Photoshop Elements: http://tinyurl.com/d5cuh4

Is this your family? ....rotfl http://bit.ly/T033i

RT @elizabethlmccoy: Good Morning All did you see the news at http://blog.dsp.me !!! New Scrapbook Software #fb #digiscrap #scrap

A new Where's Matt video: the people happy with him is contagious: http://bit.ly/4augU

RT @mashable: 15 Fascinating Ways to Track Twitter Trends (PLEASE RT!) - http://bit.ly/54PIn

Madanna did a moving video--the account--watch all videos http://www.youtube.com/user/iambecauseweare

I did not know that; are they closing? RT @shanknits: Sad that pclayers.com won't be coming out with any more #digiscrap kits.

#scrap ideas http://www.cardoftheweek.com/2009/04/scrapbook-satur.html

#digiscrap I like this simple layout: http://bit.ly/R7cSG

#digiscrap Love how the paint spatters are used in this layout: http://bit.ly/zfvq

#digiscrap I find this layout intriguing: http://bit.ly/1846Rm

#digiscrap A total WOW layout! http://bit.ly/3N4yOe

#digiscrap Love this bright against black layouts: http://bit.ly/LDu3

RT @ktscrapbooklady: My favorite easy journaling trick - talk to your subject http://tiny.cc/hULFT #digiscrap

#digiscrap A new designer blog list: http://www.digi-scrap.net/designer/

Wondering what ScrapHD is going to be like: http://scraphd.com/ #digiscrap

RT @clikchic: #digiscrap Ever tried cross processing in #photoshop ? Check out this tutorial. http://tinyurl.com/ctqg7f

Wouldn't this simple display be great for heritage photos or #digiscrap pages; I can see it on a table http://bit.ly/Xb759

#digiscrap Isn't this just too precious? I wish Ronnie would start designing again. I want that frame! http://bit.ly/kLvJ

Reading about this photography site recommended at DST: http://www.clickinmoms.com/

RT @PSDTUTS: Texture Thursday: Paint - http://tinyurl.com/d8qy8u

Can I get another big AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWww for this #digiscrap layout? http://bit.ly/wBTTH

RT @wthashtag: @HummieIsMe Check out this page for details on the #fb hashtag. http://wthash.com/Fb Used to post select Twitter to Facebook.

#digiscrap I am a scrapper, here me roar! ...a poem http://bit.ly/9zrT

RT @photoshoptips: Create a Realistic Torn Paper Effect in Photoshop - http://is.gd/lOjE

When you Look Into the Mirror - Awesome #digiscrap poem by Thena! http://bit.ly/1RW6wx

#digiscrap Jessica Sprague will be putting her older videos on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/JessicaSprague

How to organize your #digiscrap scrapbooks: http://bit.ly/SwT4 by Jennifer

I just learned that DSLR = Digital, Single, Lens, Reflex #photography http://bit.ly/17cWOb

Great list of digital scrapbooking magazines for #digiscrap! http://bit.ly/3iox8r

Proof that people should not be judged by their cover: http://bit.ly/3C52N1 Even Simon is surprised.

RT @BookofMe: Journal/Scrap a page about a fear you would like to conquer. Here #digiscrap wordart to help: http://snipurl.com/frxfl

RT @sbg_maya: Jen Caputo's weight loss journal template in action! http://tinyurl.com/dcppxa

A special note to those donating prizes

I just wanted to take a moment to come here to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.

Many of my readers, especially those who read my Bible Bits, know my low self-esteem problems.

However, the TOTALLY AMAZING designers that are coming forward to give prizes for the Scrap the Guys contest have touched me ..truly touched me.

Thank you so much.

Here are previews of just SOME of the things being donated as prizes. There are some still getting their previews together.

With prizes like this, this contest should be huge! Come on participants! Where are you!???

THE FIRST CHALLENGE IS UP! - You have until midnight Wednesday night to get a layout done and in the gallery in order to enter this contest. See the threads for special instructions to create your fun special ID!


From Albums to Remember Designs at FaithSisters



Scrapbook Graphics - Studio Girls Collective
Impressions of Honor
and Impressions of Fatherhood ($15 value EACH!)





Angle Faye's Designs - Man Oh Man kit



Randi Oh Designs - Harmony



Betsy Tuma - Preset Viewer ($37 value - must have program!)



Christine Smith - Gone Fishing Kit



Fhung (Ztampf) - RoboKit ($17.55 collection!)










Chantilly Lace (Rita) - Words of Love



Katie Mann of Digitals - James Henry



Flergs -




Kathryn's Digital Designs (Kathryn Estry) - Sunset Strip



Sarah B Designs - Snuggle Up Page Kit and 2 Embossed Leather Alphabets








Cindy Ritter - Whisper of Spring

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