Digital Christmas Wishes!

Ya know, I'm not sure that I'll be back before Christmas and I wanted to make sure that I wished everyone of you who happen to visit my little blog a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Those of you that know me well, know that I love to scrapbook! Well, this year I took the plunge and began playing around with digital scrapbooking. Now, there are some of you who probably are saying to yourselves, scrapbooking on a computer?? Not really scrapbooking, but I beg to differ. My idea of scrapbooking is the preserving of memories, all the while creating something out of them. I see no difference, other than the obvious, between scrapbooking and creating with paper or scrapbooking and creating with a computer! I've always loved computers and it seems like a logical course of action for me to take my "art" (if that is what we are calling scrapbooking these days) onto a computer screen and hard drive!

That being said...earlier in November I had the extreme pleasure of having a very talented photographer, Chris Jenkins do a photo session with Mandi and me! This was such a dream come true for me. I have not had any professional portraits of Mandi done since she was about 9 months old, and I've never had the opportunity to take professional pics with her! We spent a few hours one Sunday and the results totally blew me away! I am so filled with joy and love when I see these amazing pictures of my baby girl! Of course, scrapbooker that I am, I wanted to know from Chris if it was alright to use them for my personal use and scrapbook them? Chris told me absolutely!!

I played around tonight and made a little digital Christmas card using one of the pics from that shoot! I honestly can't tell you which one is my favorite, I love them all, but chose this one...it really does capture my Mandi!

so, here you are, my warmest wishes for a very Blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year! I look forward to more journeys in 2008 and the chance to share them with you here in my little corner of the world!

Until next time,
Blessings!

SHEESH!!!!!!!...Edited!

LOL...LOL....

man, am I seriously the only one who thinks Criss is a hottie??!! Wowzers...well, okay you all..fine, be that way (wink).

Got a scrappy project that I photographed this morning...I'll upload and share it later today!


EDITED:

So, I made this the other night for a Secret Santa swap I'm in! I covered a Creative Imaginations Bare Elements giftcard holder with some Sassafrass Lass papers, included some hambly!!, some of the new Creative Imaginations paper lace, grungeboard, thickers, ribbons, primas and made some small flowers out of the same patterned paper! I hope my person likes it!! Figure that after the giftcard is taken out, it can be used to hold a small photo!!

I think, with the exception of a few tags and a couple cards..I am done with my holiday crafts!! Now it's on to baking and wrapping!! Have a good night, I'm off to enjoy some wonderful Thai food and a martini with my girl Carol!!


Until next time,
Blessings!

We interrupt this blog....

with some eye candy!! Yep, nothing scrap related to show today, and it's basically been a quiet week so far, been working on finishing up some projects which feels good, and while doing my usual blog surf, I came across this picture...oh my heck, is he not the most delicious thing you've seen!!!! Apparently Cathy Zielske thinks so to and it's thanks to her blog that I was able to "lift" this lovely little gem of a picture to share here...

I share with you now, some holiday eye candy...enjoy!!! Yep, SERIOUS Criss Angel fan here..watch his show a ton! He does the most amazing illusions and tricks that I think I have ever seen and it doesn't hurt that I find him extensively easy on the eyes..yumm-o!

Okay, that's all I have for tonight....

Until next time,
Blessings!

Tim's Tag!

Okay, have you heard? Tim Holtz has a blog! Not only that, he is doing something so totally fabulous and it's free...a gift from him to us for the holiday! What you ask? Well, if you haven't visited his blog you totally have to and see for yourself...he is doing tags! Yep, a tag a day for the first 12 days of Christmas, complete with a list of supplies used and complete instructions, WITH photos on how to re-create them! Also, in the process, you are learning new techniques on how to use some of the fabulous Tim/Ranger products!!

Those who know me well, know what a fan of Tim's I am! I've had the pleasure of taking several of his classes both at CKU's and local stores and I have to tell you that if you ever have a chance to take a class with Tim, do! You will have such a great time and you will learn a ton! Tim is a fabulous artist and a wonderful teacher!!

Okay, so I decided after seeing his tags, that I wanted to re-create some of them and use them as gift tags this Christmas! Tonight I decided to try my hand at the first tag. Now, I have most of the supplies listed (cause, like I said before..big Tim fan here),but,I didn't have Old Paper Distress Crackle Paint (need to remedy that huh? LOL) so I used my Antique Linen instead....also used some different embellishments on mine but I like how it turned out and I hope the recipient of this tag likes it too!

Here's Tims' version: and here is my take on it:

This was soooo fun to make!! Also, since I didn't have any vintage sheet music handy in my stash, I utilized the world wide web and found some Christmas sheet music that I could print out. I then inked my torn piece of music with Vintage Photo ink, crumpled the paper, then inked again to give it a vintage feel! I think it worked well!!

Can't wait to make some more..I've got 9 tags to choose from and 3 more tags will be coming!

Hurry, run, don't stop, go directly to Tim's blog and enjoy these for yourself!!

Until next time,
Blessings!

Winter Dance 2007

Wow, can it be true...another Winter Dance has come and gone? Wasn't it just yesterday that I was all choked up inside watching as my baby girl put on her first "grown-up" dress and headed off to her big Winter Dance at school? Is it really another year now and a new dress, still, I choke up when I look at her..what a beauty she is growing into! So, yeah, Mandi is now in 8th grade and went tonight to her Winter Dance. Of course we had to get a new dress, a girl can't be seen wearing the same dress to the same function, even if it is a new year..come on! So, we did the hair (I'm so not a hairdresser so it's pretty basic) and we dressed up in our new outfit and then, of course, here mom comes with the camera! Gosh dangit all...if I make one resolution this new year (I'm not a fan of resolutions but I am of life changes), it is to learn to take a decent picture!! I totally SUCK!! Yep, I said SUCK at picture taking...notice the lovely shadow behind my girl...look at the blank wall she is standing by...notice the lack of any decent lighting..not totally my fault but the builders as we have no good light in this house..but, it is my fault that I can't compensate for that!! I look through the lens and I just don't see things..ARGH!!!!!!!!! note to self..I will learn my camera...I will learn to take good pictures..this I resolve, even if it kills me!! LOL

So, even if it's not the best picture, and even if Miss Mandi isn't the most willing subject (who can blame her after making her do this year after year LOL)...here she is, my not so baby girl, all gussied up for her dance... I know I sound like a total mom, and I know I sound totally biased, and I know that it's basically the same dang pose as last year too but she really did look beautiful...much more so than my sucky skills allow you to see...

There ya have it....another Friday night, another moment in time, another bit of a young girl turning into a young lady before my eyes...the Winter Dance ala 2007!

Until next time,
Blessings!

Creative Cafe Day!!

YaHOOO!! Yesterday was a total, freakin, blast!! I got to spend the entire day with my friends and Danelle Johnson of Creative Imaginations. A few months back I got word that our local scrap store was going to be hostessing a day of creating with Danelle and I was sooo on that! Carol and I signed up immediately and have been waiting most patiently (well as patiently as girls can) ever since.

We had so much fun, and Danelle is so awesome! She really gave us alot of food for thought on how, why and where we take, keep, and print our photos. We did three really cool projects, a photo box which, while I haven't finished, is going to be where I keep all of Mandi's school pics, a centerpiece which I did finish, which is sooo adorable and now sits on my computer deck, and the last one was a photo/journal that we will keep for 2008. I didn't work on mine there, I want to add some extras to it and, well, truth be told, after a glass and a half of wine, I wasn't going to wreck something up by having a fuzzy head! Yep, the store gave us a real happy hour complete with wine and cheese, and sweets and treats! It was fab!! I hung out with some of my friends, Kathy, Bunnie and Jenn who I hadn't seen in awhile, saw some old friends from past CKU's and CE..hi Jeanne, Kathleen, Jeannie and Michelle, and got to hang out with two of my dt gals from RWS, Tracey and Amy! Let me ask you this, do
dirty minds go to work at all scrappy events or just the ones that I seem to attend? LOL!!

Anyways, it was a great way to start December, even with the horrendous winter storm that left my car encased in ice! (yeah, that was fun...NOT), and I can't wait for another event where we will all meet up and laugh like that again!

Here are a few pics from the day...one of Danelle and me, one of Kathy and Jenn, Kathy and Amy being a goofball, and of course, my favorite "ho" my bff Carol!! Yep, I stamped "ho" on her cheek...isn't everyone as immature as us? LOL



There ya have it, my fantabulous day of play! I sure hope I have the chance to take some more classes with Danelle again in my future! Thank you girlfriends, for giving me so many laughs that my stomach ached, I love ya all!!

Until next time,
Blessings!