PLxSU Calendar Challenge - Graduation

I had a little time at the beginning of the week and decided to try another PLxSU challenge using My Digital Studio.  The challenge was to use a calendar on your page.

I dug back into some of my older pictures and found these from when Ashley graduated from medical school at UT-SA in 2003.  It was such a fun day with so many of our friends there.  That evening we had a joint party with several of her friends who graduated also.  They are all still good friends and see each other whenever their busy schedules permit.

MDS Monday .... Final (take #1)

Hi friends!  It saddens me to write this post and show you my latest creation for MDS Monday since this will be our last challenge.  It is still hard for me to believe MDS is being discontinued.  I will continue to use it because it gave me such delight to create with the program and it is so easy to scrapbook my memories digitally.  This week for MDS Monday we are supposed to feature our favorite downloads.  That was a tough one for me!  My mood changes and it will depend on my picture as to what download I might use. Or I will notice a new download and everything will change!  Recently when I was working on my New Zealand scrapbook, I almost had it done when I saw a kit I didn't have.  So, I immediately purchased it and downloaded it into MDS and started my New Zealand book over!  I do tend to like the digital kits and ensembles because a lot of the work has been done with you in terms of coordination of papers, stamps, embellishments, etc.

So for this one, I looked through a lot of my old pictures and found this one of Jayce when he was just a baby.  I had taken my mom to Arizona to meet her first great-grandchild and we were having fun in the pool at our hotel.  A lot of work went into this page!!

My favorite things on this page are:
Overlays, Beautiful Today Kit, Splatter Stamps, Watercolor Wash (In Any Event) and the Flag Punch.

The background paper is white with an Overlay from Hello World (Colored Chalk Dots).  I also used the Torn Edges for the sides to give it a torn look.  I love overlays and tend to use them quite a bit.


Embellishments
    Watercolor Wash\In Any Event - watercolor

Stamps
    OVERLAYS & BACKGROUNDS\Hello World Overlays.embellishments\Hello World - overlay colored chalk dots,
    Splatters\Ink Splatters\Ink Splatter 4, Color = BASIC GRAY
    OVERLAYS & BACKGROUNDS\Torn Edges\Torn Edges - distressed scallop
    Splatters\A Split Second\A Split Second - splatter 1, Color = BASIC GRAY
    Beautiful Today\Beautiful Today - small wash 2, Color ,WATERMARK
    Beautiful Today\Beautiful Today - small wash 1, Color WATERMARK
    Designer Kits\Chevron\Chevron - 5 grunge
    Designer Kits\Chevron\Chevron - 8 grunge
    Splatters\Ink Splatters\Ink Splatter 6, Color = BASIC GRAY
   OVERLAYS & BACKGROUNDS\Torn Edges\Torn Edges - hand torn,
   Beautiful Today\Beautiful Today - polka dot,
    Beautiful Today\Beautiful Today - cloud,
    Beautiful Today\Beautiful Today - heart,
    Beautiful Today\Beautiful Today - wonderful life,
 
Punches
    Basics\1.25 Square Punch
    Basics\Flag Punch,  Filled with: all patterns from Designer Kits\Beautiful Today

I will be sharing another page I made tomorrow.  I couldn't decide but this one is my favorite!

As I said yesterday, Ashley sailed off yesterday for her deployment.  We had thought that she would not be able to keep in touch with us but it seems we were wrong!  Yay!!  I already received an email from her today. She said they were sailing slow yesterday waiting for a helicopter to land on the deck but that they picked up speed during the night.  So far, she is not sea sick!!  The food has been good so far with a nice salad bar and fruit at every meal.  But she was told not to expect the fresh fruit and veggies for long!  She thinks she will have a mailing address so we can send her packages.  She wants pictures for the inside of her locker so I will be printing some out (with my new printer that I got today!)

Enjoy your Friday!

Quilt Tour for MDS Monday 102

This is my other layout for MDS Monday 102.  I was really stumped with this challenge and hope that I did it right! 

I took these pictures a couple of years ago when I went on the Iredell County Quilt Tour with the Newcomer's group.  It was so cool to see these quilts painted on barns and other buildings.  I used some of the Project Life downloads for this

Check out the other layouts from the MDS Monday Design Crew HERE.

Snow Day with MDS Monday 102 Challenge

This week's MDS Monday's challenge was a tough one for me.  Are you familiar with a daily or weekly scrap page - one that documents a day or week in life?  Well that was what we were supposed to do with our page this week.  Project Life layouts are a great tool to documenting everyday life.

So, I actually did two layouts.  This is the second one I did.  I will be sharing my first one tomorrow.  When we got the big snow on Thursday, I thought - bingo! this would be a great way to document my day. 

I thought the soft colors of Lost Lagoon and Pool Party were perfect for this snow page.

For other ideas, make sure you check out the MDS Monday blog.

Using Photos in Punches with MDS

I am playing around with My Digital Studio today.  I am determined to finish my New Zealand scrapbook in the next few months.  It's only been a year!!  I worked on the scrapbook a lot last spring but have neglected it since.  The problem is I have soooo many photos (plus Ashley's, Courtney's and Taffy's) and I want to include them all.  It's hard for me to select just a few.

In the meantime, I thought I'd do this page for MDS Monday before the deadline.  I actually couldn't decide which one I liked best so I did two pages!  They both are meant to go on the front of a 2015 calendar.  Wish I'd thought to use it on Ashley's calendar this year, but I will remember it for next year!

The challenge this week is to use pictures in punches.

The pictures above were taken last fall when we returned from New York.  We walked around this beautiful fall area at Ft. Belvoir.  Funny what is hidden on Army posts!!  I used the Timeless Junior Numbers Punches for "2015" and a square punch for the background, lowering the opacity to about 50.

This is probably my favorite!  It is similar to the cover for Ashley's calendar except I didn't think about adding pictures to my punches at the time!  This picture is from Lake Tekapo in New Zealand.

There are some great ideas for photos in punches on MDS Monday's blog.  Make sure to check them out here.

MDS Monday Chalkboard Sign

The new Stampin' Up spring / summer catalog 2015 is here and it is bursting with new and exciting products!  I think my credit card will be working over-time in the next few weeks.  Enjoy browsing online by clicking HERE.  If you would like a paper copy, please contact me. The good news is that you can start ordering from my online shop RIGHT AWAY!!  If you are one of my Club members, I will be using new products this month so get your "wish list" started.  I attended a Shoebox Swap last Saturday and came away with 14 cards using new product!!  I can't wait to share them with you.

Since this is Monday, MDS Monday has a new challenge for us My Digital Studio fans.  In the new Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog, there is Chalkboard Paper.  (I am dying to get some and give it a go.)  So the designers at MDS Monday thought it would be fun to show how we can use chalkboards on our digital papers.  There is not a sketch this week; this is an open challenge.  There are a few kits that have chalkboard downloads - Convention 2011 (I think that is the year); Back to School and Hello World.  I ended up finding a chalkboard paper on the internet and downloading it into MDS for my page.  You can also find some great chalkboard fonts to use HERE.

My sample is pretty simple.  When we were at one of the shops at the National Harbor in DC in December, Sonny found a sign with this saying.  He really liked it but it was pretty pricey.  I took a picture and told him I could made in in MDS for him.  (I haven't yet but .... the year is not over!)

I have a whole collection of Subway Art that I take pictures of when I see plaques and signs in stores - just for this purpose.  Don't you just love this one?

I have a new story about my crazy cat - actually 2 stories.  Last Tuesday (the day after Ashley and Bogart went home), I spent most of the day in my craft room cleaning up and making cards.  After a couple of hours, I went looking for Sammie - she is usually in the room with me or in my spare bedroom laying on the bed in front of the window soaking up the sunshine.  I couldn't find her in any of her usual spots.  A few hours later, I looked for her again with no luck.  So I decided to straighten out the blanket that she usually sleeps on top of in the spare room.  When I did, I discovered her completely under the blanket sleeping.  She stayed there all day.  When I showed her to Sonny late in the afternoon when he came home, he asked me if she was alive!  She was just worn out from dealing with Bogart for 4 months!

After Christmas, I bought her a new collar.  I have had her for almost 3 years and she has had the same collar all those years.  I just thought she could use a new sparkly one.  It has a bell just like the one she had - not much different in the two.  Well, every time I pick up the new collar, the bell rings and she runs away as fast as she can like a scalded rabbit.  I have tried now for a couple of weeks off and on to put the collar on her.  Tonight I finally got it on her but only by capturing her in a room with no exit.  But I can not get the old one off of her.  I tried to hold her and let Sonny get it off, but she hissed at us and tried to bite us.  I don't know why she is having such a fit about this collar.  But, for now she will be wearing both collars although she is trying like heck to get it off by herself!

MDS Monday Double Page

I am so honored to have been asked to be a Guest Designer on the MDS Monday blog design team for the month of December.  This is my first post in that capacity.  Each Monday this month when the new challenge sketch is posted, you will see my design idea for the challenge along with those of the deign team members.  Be sure to click on the link above each week to see the challenge designs and what all the team members have created.  You can join in with your own design if you like.  If you don't have My Digital Studio (MDS) yet, you can download the free trial.  I would love to help you get started!!

 I discovered MDS Monday several months ago, and I think I have only missed one or two weeks following along with the challenge and submitting my MDS layout.  This week's challenge is for a double page spread.  I decided to use pictures from my recent New York trip - specifically, our Culinary Tour that I shared with you here.

Autumn Leaves for MDS Monday Challenge

It's past my bedtime but I wanted to do my page for MDS Monday before the Saturday deadline!  We returned to DC from our New York trip on Tuesday.  I ended up staying an extra couple of days with Ashley.  I was supposed to fly back Wednesday evening but I got a call from US Air around 4 pm while Ashley and I were walking around this beautiful nature walk that is right off post that my plane would be leaving at 9:30 instead of 8 pm!  BUT I was supposed to arrive at the airport at 7 just in case they got everything going and left earlier!  I really didn't want to sit around the airport for 2 1/2 hours!  So after our walk, I contacted US Air and got a flight out on Thursday afternoon which worked out just fine.  I got an extra day to visit with Ashley and got home before the big cold front hit.

The challenge this week was to use a cluster of embellishments, stamps, etc. at the top left and bottom right of the page.  I thought these fall leaves were just perfect for these beautiful fall pictures.

Here is the sketch:  You can check out the entries at MDS Monday.


Here are my supplies:

Background
     Designer Series Paper\Distressed\Soft Suede Distressed

Embellishments
    _Designer Kits\Downtown Grunge - embellishments\Downtown Grunge - frame3
    _Designer Kits\Downtown Grunge - embellishments\Downtown Grunge - frame3
    _Designer Kits\Downtown Grunge - embellishments\Downtown Grunge - frame3
    _Designer Kits\Downtown Grunge - embellishments\Downtown Grunge - frame3
    _Designer Kits\Downtown Grunge - embellishments\Downtown Grunge - frame3

Stamps
    Lovely as a Tree\Lovely As a Tree - oak leaves, Color = MORE MUSTARD 212,161,80
    Lovely as a Tree\Lovely As a Tree - oak leaves, Color = MORE MUSTARD 212,161,80
    Lovely as a Tree\Lovely As a Tree - oak leaves, Color = MORE MUSTARD 212,161,80
    _Designer Kits\Grateful Heart Thanksgiving\Grateful Heart Thanksgiving - autumn leaves, Color = EARLY ESPRESSO    

MDS Monday Challenge - Herringbone Background

I missed the MDS Monday challenge last week since I was out of town so I wanted to try and do this week's challenge.  Well, what a challenge it was!!  We were to create a Herringbone Background . This was a new one for me and it took quite a bit of time to create.  I tried it first with different DSP's in autumn colors but it was just too busy.  Then I tried in-colors - not the look I was going for.  Then I decided to keep it simple (stupid!) and just do black and white patterns - that did the trick!  I got most of the papers from the Night and Day DSP.  To do the herringbone technique, you create a square punch and elongate it making it into a skinny strip.  Then you insert your paper.  There is a step-by-step tutorial by Juanita Golson on mydigitalstudio.net  if you are interested in trying it.  I did a lot of cut and pasting and when I got it the way I wanted, I "grouped" the items and saved them.  Here is what the page looks like with out the embellishments.

Here is the page after I added embellishments:

This picture was taken last week at the hockey game in Pittsburgh. Looks real, huh?   I posted the picture a few days ago and had a friend ask me how we were able to get in the box with the players!  Well, sorry to spoil it but this was actually a cardboard cut out.  Just wish we had the pull to sit down there with the players!!

I used a lot of elements from the Game Day Kit and I recolored the burlap ribbon to Crushed Curry. Check out the other pages using this technique here.

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Paper Craft Crew Challenge 105

Here is my MDS card for this week's Paper Craft Crew Challenge.

This was our sketch:



I decided to make a baby card.  I don't know why - no babies in my future but I thought the stars would work good for a baby.  Most of the elements on the card are from the Nursery Essentials kit.

Speaking of babies, my grandson is definitely not a baby any longer.  He turns 8 today.  It is hard for me to believe that he is already that old!!  We've gone from this:



to this in a blink of an eye:

Happy Birthday dear Jayce!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Hard to believe it is already football season!!  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that makes me happy!!  Tonight is the first pre-season game for the Panthers and tomorrow for the Steelers.  Not that pre-season means anything but it was nice to see the Patriots LOSE last night to the Redskins!!  The Panthers will be on tv tonight and the Steelers will be tomorrow night - although at midnight!  Not so sure I'll stay up to watch them.  Guess that will give me something to watch on Sunday.

The sketch challenge for MDS Monday was a template that is pre-loaded on MDS.  You have to have just the right pictures for this one.  I was going to use some of my New Zealand pictures but decided to go with these football pictures instead since it is that time of year.



All the elements for this page came from Game On digital stamp.

This was taken last year at the Panthers-Steelers pre-season game.  We play the Panthers again this year in pre-season on August 28 in Pittsburgh.  But then we play them at the Panther stadium in September for the Monday Night Game.  I've got a possible chance to get tickets to this game.  We'll wait and see!

Oh Snap! MDS Monday Challenge

As you may know about me, I love My Digital Studio and enjoy doing challenges using the program.  I decided to incorporate a few of my Convention photos into a MDS challenge page for MDS Monday.  Hope you like it!  I used a couple of overlays to create the background and several different kits for embellishments and stamps.

(click on image to see it larger)

The first evening of Convention, Marianne and I were lucky enough to discover that the line to have a picture with Shelly Gardner was not too bad.  So, we stood in line and smiled pretty for the camera with Shelly!  The picture with the flower background was another story.  Every time we looked, the line was a mile long for a photographer to snap your picture with the flower background.  So we discovered a time when the photographer was not there so we took our own picture without standing in line!  Every convention that I have gone to I have taken the bus ride out to the Home Office.  This rock is at the entrance and is a perfect photo op!

This is the sketch challenge:

MDS Monday Challenge

I decided to do another MDS sketch challenge using one of my New Zealand layouts.  At this rate, I may get my book put together by Christmas!!  I am hoping to concentrate more on my New Zealand scrapbook after convention and all that craziness is over.

The sketch on MDS Monday was a little challenging to me. Here it is:

 I started out scrapbooking  pictures from our Alabama cruise but didn't like what I came up with.  Plus, my computer froze up and I lost the pae I had been working on anyway!  So I started over and this time pulled up these pictures from New Zealand.  We stopped off in Otorohanga for a quick breakfast on our way to Rotorura so the girls could go Zorbing.  Their pastry case was a dream come true!  So many choices of so many different pastries and breakfast items.  I settled on a donut that was filled was delicious cream.  It was not round like our donuts but looked like an eclair.  It was heaven!

                                                                                                                                                                     For this page I used paper and elements from the Sweet Shoppe download except for the word bubble which is from Seriously Teen.  

Hope you like it!   Check out the rest of the sketches at MDS Monday.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Sun & Sand Paper Craft Challenge

Oh how I wish I was at the beach!  I ache to walk on the sand, bake in the sunshine and just soak in the salt spray!  How did a beach lover marry a "I hate the sand and sun" type of guy???  I don't know but I guess after 40+ years, I should be used to it by now!!  Marianne and her family are on their annual 4th of July camping week at Myrtle Beach.  I'm hoping that the tropical storm that is lurking in the Atlantic Ocean does not cause them too many problems.  I don't think it will.  They will probably have to do indoor activities tomorrow but after that, they should be ok.

Here is my digital card I made for Paper Craft Crew sketch challenge.  Just about everything on this card came from the Anchors Away MDS kit.  I really like to try and use one kit - makes coordination a lot easier!

Check out the rest of the designers' cards HERE.  Also ... you could win some blog candy if you go the the site!! 

In celebration of our 100th Card Sketch we are going to offer some BLOG CANDY!  Pam will be doing a drawing after the Sketch ends and will announce the winner when she announces the Featured Artisans.

The blog candy you'll receive includes:

Blackberry Bliss Stamp Pad

Pistachio Pudding Thick Backer's Twine

Chevron Embossing Folder 

Island Indigo Chevron Ribbon

and.. the Banner Punch!

Also, you'll want to visit the other blogs…  You never know who else might be offering some blog candy!

MDS Monday Challenge

Last week I discovered MDS Monday blog where a sketch and/or other challenges are given for you to follow by incorporating it into a scrapbook page using My Digital Studio.   Well, last week, I submitted this page and found out today when I checked for the newest challenge, that my page had been chosen as one of the featured picks (here) for the week.

Tonight I decided to do another page for this week's challenge.  The sketch this week was to use circles (or other shapes) and layering them.  I thought this was a great challenge for the zorbing pictures of Ashley and Courtney!!  At least this is getting me started on my New Zealand scrapbook!!

MDS Monday Challenge Take 2

I realized after I posted my last picture that I didn't follow all the rules for the challenge!  I was supposed to follow the sketch, add sequins, a frame, ink splats and overlays.  I think I only did the overlays - that's what I get for not reading thoroughly!!  Anyway .... here is my page following all the rules!!

This is another picture from New Zealand.  This one is from Lake Tekapo.  I had gotten up early in the morning to go to the bathroom and caught this picture real quick of the sun coming up over the lake.

MDS Challenge

I've been neglecting My Digital Studio lately!  I really need to get busy with my New Zealand scrapbook before I forget all the details!!  I have sooooo many pictures that I think it is intimidating me.  That is one of my biggest problems with scrapbooking - I want to include ALL the pictures and if I did, the book would be too heavy to sit on my table!!

In the meantime, I decided to do a MDS Monday challenge page using one of the pictures from New Zealand.  This picture was taken at Bruce Bay, which is on the west coast.  We were driving from Fox Glacier to Queenstown and it was a beautiful sunny day.  The drive was just gorgeous and we made many stops along the way.  My favorite was this stop where we walked along the beach a little bit collecting unique rocks and shells.  I couldn't resist getting my feet wet in the surf but, boy was it cold!!  The worst part of the beach was the sand knats!!  I didn't get bit but poor Taffy was sweet nectar to those knats!

Edited to add note:  Just realized that it was also a sketch challenge.  Oops!  Guess I'll have to do another one!!

 I used a couple of kits to create this page - mainly Be Awesome and Beautiful Today.

Ashley with a handful of the rocks we collected.

Rocks on the beach.

How Time Flies!

I have discovered something today.  Three weeks sure can fly by!!  I can't believe I have been here in San Antonio three weeks ... seems like just a couple of days ago that I was packing my suitcase (and hoping it didn't exceed 50 lbs!).  Now I am packing my suitcase to return home.  No worries over it being too heavy this time - I am not taking 2 cases of Cheerwine in my suitcase like I was coming here.  I've got most of my clothes in and it's only at 30 pounds so I'm good to go.  I wish I could stay just a few more days to make sure Ashley keeps getting stronger but I'm sure she will be ok.  Yesterday we went to the movies and saw "42."  She came back home and hit the couch until dinner time when we went to a Mexican restaurant that is close to her for my final Mexican "fix."  Just those little trips wears her out,  Luckily she has 3 weeks off of work so she will have plenty of time to rest and get stronger.  She tapered herself off the Percodan today but she still has it if she needs it.  It just makes her sleep all the time which is not a bad thing.  We've enjoyed making a couple of meals that Sonny would not even touch.  Tonight we had Quinoa which I had never had before.  I had clipped out a recipe from the Charlotte Observer for stuffed peppers with the quinoa, dried apricots and cherries, pistachio nuts, celery, cilantro, cinnamon, and ginger.  A very different combination of items but it was really good (and good for you!)  Last week we made a Greek Tabouli Salad that I had tasted a few months ago.  The recipe is on the box of tabouli.  It was yummy and I actually ate it for a couple of meals.  Again, nothing I will make at home since only one of us would eat it!

I made a card tonight using MDS for the Late Night Stamper's color challenge to use Old Olive, Summer Starfruit and Raspberry Ripple.  What do you think?

This would be very easy to reproduce using real paper and stamps. 

Here are the elements I used with MDS:

Background - Old Olive 
Embellishments
    Satin Ribbon\Satin Ribbon - Old Olive
    Satin Ribbon\Satin Ribbon - Old Olive bow

Stamps
    Berry Christmas\Christmas Jingle - stamps\All Scallops\All Scallops - scallop 4, Color = VERY VANILLA
    _Designer Kits\Topsy Turvy Celebration - candle, Color = RASPBERRY RIPPLE 
    _Designer Kits\Topsy Turvy Celebration - candle, Color = RASPBERRY RIPPLE
    _Designer Kits\Topsy Turvy Celebration - candle, Color = SUMMER STARFRUIT
    Perfectly Penned - happy birthday, Color = OLD OLIVE
Punches
    Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Fill Color = VERY VANILLA
    Basics\1.25 Circle Punch, Fill Color = SUMMER STARFRUIT
    Basics\1.25 Circle Punch, Fill Color = RASPBERRY RIPPLE
    Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Fill Color = OLD OLIVE
    Basics\1.25 Square Punch, Fill Color = VERY VANILLA

Girls Gone Wild Trip

I did a MDS challenge for Heather and Kim's Simply My Digital Challenge on Facebook.  Each week they post a new challenge.  This is my first time to participate.  The challenge was to use a pie graph in our layout and to follow this sketch:




I had fun creating the pie graph with MDS.  First I used a Circle Punch and enlarged it.  Next I used a Square Punch and just stretched it down to make a long line.  I dissected the circle with the "line."  Then I took a Triangle Punch and stretched it so it fit in each slice of pie.  I filled the punch with my photos.  When I finished filling all the triangles, I deleted the original circle and lines.

I used pictures that I took last week of Ashley, Mom, Angela, Marianne and I having fun in San Antonio. Note the title - Girls Gone Wild!!   Hope you like it!

MDS Challenge 2 - Multiple Photo Box

I can't believe I forgot to post this - I wrote it but just now found it in my Drafts so guess I didn't share.

Our MDS challenge last week was to use one photo with multiple photo boxes.

Here is mine:

What you need to do for this effect is:

•Create the number of photo boxes you want (create one and copy and paste)
•Group the photo boxes
•Apply drop shadow and mat
•Drag and drop photo into the boxes - they should all turn blue.

Here is a video by Heather Summers - http://www.youtube.com/watch