Keeping With The Times

living, learning, and keeping with the times

‘Get It Scrapped’ Creative Team

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I’m SO excited and a bit overwhelmed to say the least! I’ve been asked to join the “Get It Scrapped” Creative Team! I submitted my application and truly did not expect to hear from them ever again! But heavens, they did get back to me and here I am – it’s been a whirlwind! This is a huge deal to me – I’m in there with some pretty heavy hitters – eek!

Announcing the First Get It Scrapped Creative Team

Please join us in welcoming the members of the first Get It Scrapped Creative Team to our online family.
This group of talented women come from all over the world and use a variety of formats, tools, mediums and approaches for telling their stories on scrapbook pages.  We are thrilled that they’ve agreed to help us expand our free offerings at Get It Scrapped and Easy Scrapbook Pages.

 

 

Lone Loon

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I finally found a moment where I could play . . . just play and not have to be creating something for a challenge . . . whew, that can drain a person’s creativity I tell ya!

So when my daughter gave me a gift certificate for some scrapbooking supplies at Oscraps, of course I went straight to Anna Aspnes – the designer who makes ‘making art’ easy for the masses. I joyfully filled my cart to the brim (insert huge smile)!

Thank you, J.A.B.

Geese, ducks, pelicans, loons, herons . . . oh my!

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The other evening when the rain had turned into just a sprinkle I took a walk down to the lake to see what I could see . . . and of course there was a ton of waterfowl. Geese (of course) doing some kind of water ballet, pelicans filling their pouches (dramatically thinning out the fish in the lake I’m sure), and a lone loon floating in closer to see what this strange creature crouching at the end of the dock was.

I also saw some bufflehead and a heron but I wasn’t able to get a good shot – they were all keeping their distance.

I cannot describe how peaceful it was. I was safe and dry under a small umbrella so I stayed there and soaked it all in . . . it was magical. It was one of those moments when I marvel at where I am living and how lucky I am to be surrounded by nature. I know I would wither if I wasn’t . . .
The Instagram look has been accomplished through the magic of Photoshop.



{Texture Tuesday} Light Edition

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This week’s prompt is ‘light’. I took these photos during a photography class. The sun was setting and I was playing around with a lens from their store. In the short time that we had to ‘play’, these turned out to be my favourites. Happy TT!!

kk_providence at soft light

{Texture Tuesday} Free and Easy Edition

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It’s been a while since I participated in Texture Tuesday but when I went to bed last night I decided to lay there and go over some magazines for inspiration before I went to sleep.

I’ve heard that an idea will come to you in the morning if you try this. And, well, actually, it worked! On two levels. One was this photo. I had set the gerbera daisy on my night stand just to enjoy but I guess it whispered ‘Texture Tuesday’ to my subconscious mind while I slept.

The other was an idea for a tutorial that I need to get working on. I don’t have trouble writing the tutorial – it’s coming up with the the subject – that is the hard part. I’d say that this little exercise worked for me. It’s not easy to create, create, create. It doesn’t happen at the drop of a hat. I have to work at it, every day, all day. And now it looks like all night . . .

Kim Klassen Textures:
kk_grungedup – overlay
kk_grungedup_2  – soft light

Going to a greenhouse can make you crazy

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A few days ago I went to a nearby greenhouse to soak up the sights and sounds of a garden setting. This is one of my favourite things to do in the spring. I still have a month to go before I can put out any flower pots so this sort of bridges the gap.

It all felt quite dreamy . . .

I couldn’t seem to focus . . .

 

 

there were so many pretty flowers and I could hear the soft sounds of water running through the fountains . . . and it was warm, oh so warm . . .

 

did you know orange is the new power colour? of course you did . . .

 

everything from flowers, to paint, to clothing, to purses . . .

say whaaa? yes . . . this beautiful baby was in their shop . . . in the greenhouse . . . I still don’t know what came over me but I couldn’t walk away . . . I had to have it . . .

it gets worse, people . . . my orange power shopping didn’t stop with just a purse . . .

no, I had to have a scarf . . . I have a thing for scarves . . .

 

but these shoes sent me over the top . . . whenever am I going to have a chance to get shoes with an orange strip? to go with my orange purse? and my orange scarf?

No wait! one more thing . . .

I’m thinking maybe this could be my Mother’s Day present. But, I’m not my mother. . . (I just look like my mother).

Oh why do greenhouses have to carry merchandise like this? If I had wanted a purse I would have gone to the purse store. A purse was NOT on my radar. Especially an orange one. I’m in a quandary over what to wear with this pretty ensemble. I’m thinking a great pair of jeans and a khaki top.

The gardening can wait.

I just wanna play . . . ya know?

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We just got back from 15 days in Arizona, 15 beautiful, sunny, hot, relaxing, fun-filled days. Long lazy mornings having coffee, watching the sun rise up over the Four Peaks. Early afternoons spent exploring the desert and all it has to offer. Late afternoons spent lounging around the pool getting to know our neighbors and evenings spent quietly reading together after dinner.

we slipped into a routine . . .

a routine quite similar to what we do at home  . . .

but it’s not the same

there really were less distractions

like no internet

this little red beauty is called a fairy duster – how sweet is that?

am I rambling?

that’s OK isn’t it? you don’t mind do you?

We’re home now. It snowed this morning. I have a stack of laundry that would rival any household with 5 kids and I can’t remember the last time I washed the kitchen floor in this, our second home. But all I can think about is that I want to get to our place at the lake and clean up my garden. I’m sure my perennials are peeking through all the debris and are wondering where in the heck I am.

Well, only four more sleeps and I’ll be there. I’ve missed you, lake . . .

 

* I created the effects on these photos in Photoshop because I don’t have an iPhone and I just wanna play . . .

Happy {i}NSD!!

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Today is {inter}National Scrapbooking Day. At Digital Scrapper we are having a week-long celebration with challenges, freebies, and prizes! Yes! Great prizes! We are giving away 7 copies of Photoshop Elements 10!! All you have to do is enter one or all of our challenges (more entries, more chances to win) to be eligible. Winners are drawn by a random number generator so it’s not a competition as far as creating the best layout is concerned.

Today, our Forum Director, Darcy Baldwin has provided 2 free templates – you choose one, or both, and create a layout. One entry – one chance. Two entries – two chances! Hope to see you there!

This is my layout from Darcy’s Template ‘B’

Free Font!!

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New blog post over at Digital Scrapper! Darcy Baldwin is our new Forum Director and to celebrate, she is giving away a free, handwritten font! Free – totally free! Head on over to our Blog to check it out! It’s at the bottom of the page.

The light at the end of the tunnel

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Our latest huge snowfall has come and gone. We had about 25cm (7+in) of some of the heaviest, wettest snow possible. As I walked around the yard, it stuck to my boots and as I grew taller and taller I had to reset my tripod accordingly ;) (true story).

It was 2:00 when the sun started to peek out and the light was absolutely dazzling – blinding. Since it’s very hard to get good shots of snow in that light, I turned my attention to our bird feeder. It was teeming with all kinds of little birds. Chick-a-dees, redpolls, dark-eyed juncos and downy woodpeckers.

Chick-a-dees have to be one of my favourite birds – how cute are these puffballs? I love that the sun is shining from behind and how it shows off their soft, downy feathers.

chickadee-3

chickadee

chickadee

I must have stood there for half an hour, watching them flit around and listening to them singing. I could hear crows and geese in the distance. Water was running from the eaves troughs and the sun felt so warm on my shoulders.

We’re a hardy bunch here in Alberta. We had just received one of the biggest snowfalls but with the sun shining so warmly down on me, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know spring is not coming . . . it’s here.

Beyond Layers – back on track . . .

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Today I dared to take a peek at my Kim Klassen inbox . . . it has been filling up and I have been ignoring it! Blasphemous! Just because life happens to get busy it does not mean that I should be putting this class on the back burner!

I hardly knew where to start (18 unopened e-mails) but I remembered the advice that Kim gave to us at the beginning of the class which was, if we get behind, we are to simply pick up at the most recent point. Whew! that was good advice, Kim! It got me going!

I totally loved this video tutorial and played around making frames for quite a while – so many secrets revealed! After going over the lesson I suddenly felt inspired to take photos of some of the pussy willows that I have around so I could practice. I feel as if I might be getting back on track . . .

 

I’m a self-confessed digi scrapping addict . . .

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At Digital Scrapper, our kit this month is by Anna Aspnes. She’s a mega talent in the digi scrapping world. Anna makes ‘making art’ attainable for the masses.

Yesterday I was busy sewing some curtains but right in the middle of it all, I noticed the squirrels running around outside and chattering up a storm. My mind went to a photo I took last fall and almost like a zombie I walked to the computer and started creating . . . this is what I ended up with.

I am a self-confessed digi scrapper addict. I’ve been doing it for four years and the impulse is not waning . . . in fact it’s becoming stronger. I scour the galleries for inspiration and let me tell you there are some people out there that are absolutely brilliant.

One-of-Nature's-Masterpieces

When I started my blog I made the decision to not make it about scrapbooking. I don’t regret my decision since variety is the spice of life, right? And my blog forces me to concentrate on other aspects of my life.

I’ve been contemplating starting another blog just for scrapbooking, just to share my ‘stuff’, things I’ve learned, and to connect with other addicts. Oh, where oh where does it end? But I can’t get it out of my mind and if there is one thing I’ve learned in life, it is to listen to that voice in your head – you just never know where it will lead you!

Right now, I know it led me away from finishing up my curtains . . .

Photoshop CS5, PSE Template Tutorial

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My Digi Scrap Tutorial this week at Digital Scrapper is how to create a template for a paint chip-inspired layout. Make sure to save the template so you can use it over and over – as many of you know, this can be addictive!

For more information on how to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter head on over to Digital Scrapper.

Grenada – Island of Spice

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We visited this beautiful island in January of 2010 and I took this photo from the cruise ship as we were leaving. Grenada is known for its spices: nutmeg, mace, cloves, bay leaves, cotton, cinnamon. We toured a spice farm and went to Annandale Falls. It was quite the experience riding a bus on narrow, winding, (I’d say treacherous) roads. Everyone, everywhere you went, was looking for a tip. It could have been overwhelming but we just accepted that this is Grenada. It is a very poor country and the last hurricane, Ivan, destroyed almost 90% of their spice farms. So many people were in dire straights – we didn’t begrudge them their tips.

I chose this photo as the subject of a tutorial I took at Digital Scrapper.

Credits:
Photo… Sketch… Painting.
February 2012 Digital Scrapper Premier—©2012 Digital Scrapper. Lesson by Jan Walker.
Photo Mask – February 2012 Digital Scrapper Premier kit ‘Count the Ways’ by Joanne Brisebois.
Font: All Over Again

Sunshine Dreams

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My Storyboard for the ‘Beyond Layers’ class. Kim graciously gave us a template and suggested we document our lives at the moment. Well, lately my life consists of a lot of baking! Weird – I know. Isn’t January supposed to be the month of dieting? But I’ve been trying to bring brightness into my world and, well, you can’t get any brighter than these Meyer lemons! So, I had to do something with them and baking a yummy lemon loaf was in order. Even the egg yolks are bright and sunny. Oatmeal muffins are good for you,right? and tulips – well, no explanation needed there.

 

Six Word Memoir

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Kim Klassen’s assignment this week was to write a six word memoir a la ‘Smith Mag‘. How fun and enlightening to write a six-word sentence to describe yourself. You might want to check it out. I’ve heard it may be a bit addictive. Hmmmm, I have another six word memoir I may post later . . .

Texture used today was ‘not too shabby’ on soft light. It softened this photo slightly and surprisingly cleared up the banding that was in the sky. I took this shot two summers ago when there were a lot of forest fires burning in the area. It was about 5:00 pm and the sun was a bright orange dot. For some reason this scene gives me an organized, peaceful feeling – much like a list does!

All my life I have made lists. Even lists of what I need to clean. If I don’t write something down it isn’t going to get done. So I have lists everywhere – if I can’t put my hands on one list I start another one. I’m not sure, are three lists better than one?

Software giveaway!

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**This giveaway is now closed**

“My Memories” software giveaway!

I was recently contacted by Liz at “My Memories”. She wondered if I would be willing to review their software and then host a giveaway on my blog. I immediately went over to their site “My Memories” to have a look and was impressed. Their site is beautiful and easy to navigate. “My Memories” offers gorgeous products by awesome designers, and I discovered a thriving members’ community as well.

I was quite eager to try out the “My Memories” software and was not disappointed! I have a lot of experience in digital scrapbooking but I still want things to be easy, make sense and produce an end result that I love.

 

To quote My Memories:

“My Memories Suite version 2 software is a complete digital scrapbooking solution that provides a powerful set of creative tools and multiple sharing options that no other software can offer. Its intuitive workspace and enhanced time-saving features are perfect for a beginner to build an entire album in minutes, or to empower the design pro to build a scrapbook album masterpiece.”

 

 

Now for the fun part! “My Memories” is giving away one copy of their software to one lucky person!

To enter this giveaway:

  1. Leave a comment in this post.
  2. For a BONUS entry go to “My Memories” check out their digital scrapbooking kits, choose a kit you like and come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which one you chose.
  3. For a second BONUS entry “like” “My Memories” on facebook, and/or follow them on their blog and come back here and leave a comment letting me know that you did.
  4. Please, please, leave an e-mail address where you may be contacted (don’t be a no-reply blogger). I need to contact you if you are the winner. If no one claims the prize I will have to re-draw for a new winner in 48 hours.

That’s it! That’s all!

And for those who don’t win, here’s the good news:

“My Memories” is offering everyone a $10.00 discount on their software! and an additional $10.00 to use in the “My Memories” store – a $20.00 value!

You simply need to use this special “Share the Memories” code when you purchase the software: STMMMS28807

Good luck to all!

This contest ends November 18.

Winner chosen using Random.org

 

I just added my photos to this (free) template using My Memories Suite 2
Template by designer Lindsay Jane

 

Texture Tuesday – The Number Two eDition

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“I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty.”
Imelda Marcos

I photographed these shoes at this garage sale early in the spring. For some reason I was really drawn to them. Who wore them? Where did they wear them? I liked the way they were just sitting there among the books and old tins – just like they were in an attic.

For Texture Tuesday where the theme today is ‘Two”
I used one layer of “not too shabby” on saturation, two layers of “scratched magic’ on screen, and two layers of ‘sweettart’ on soft light. All by Kim Klassen

A waxwing is a waxwing is a waxwing?

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These beautiful birds have been visiting our yard for the past several days. At first you hear their beautiful twittering song and if you look up high you will see them sitting in the tops of the trees. Suddenly, they will swoop down together and start eating the berries which had attracted them from afar. I’m not going to say they are Cedar Waxwings or Bohemian Waxwings because for the life of me I cannot tell the difference. Perhaps some of my bird-loving friends will be able to help me out.

So, my friends, what say you?
. . . do these feathers make me look fat?
. . . down the hatch . . .
. . . say, do you get the feeling we are being watched?

Word Clouds

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Have you ever tried Wordle?

You may have heard of Wordle but if you haven’t, it’s a neat little program that will take any words you like and turn them into a collage of sorts. It’s simple, fast as lighting and fun! Head on over to Wordle.net to have a look.

I created this layout for a Wordle challenge at Digital Scrapper a few weeks ago and used the labels on my blog sidebar – what fun!

Digital elements from ‘Off We Go’ by Susan Bartolini

Favourite things – a scrapbook challenge

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I participated in a scrapbook challenge to create a page of your top ten favourite things. I kinda broke the rules and listed some things more than once but oh well, I figured what’s there to lose . . . am I trying to win something or trying to express myself? Well,  I went with the latter.

The photo was taken by me – for another challenge to create a self-portrait.

All digital elements by Amanda Taylor
Font: DJB Gimme Space by Darcy Baldwin

I’m joining in with the fun at the Creative Exchange over at Lisa Gordon Photography

Texture Tuesday – The Gratitude e-Dition

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Our farmers had a good year this year. The crops were beautiful and our September was warm and dry. So now, the grain is safely in, the straw has been baled and all there is left to do is . . . wait . . . wait and be thankful for the abundant harvest.

Joining in at Kim Klassen Cafe where the theme today is ‘Thankful’

oops, unfortunately I lost my recipe – I flattened the file and moved things around and forgot to capture it . . . it happens.

Zucchini Zucchini Zucchini

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This time of year we have zucchini by the truckloads – u-picks are full of them, people are always trying to get rid of them and I remember one year standing on our deck and throwing them towards the garden and the compost heap. I make loaves, relish, pickles, stir-fries and this delicious savoury slice. I can’t remember where I got the recipe or what it was called, but because it uses Bisquick, I think perhaps I may have found it on the package, but it was so long ago. Some people in my family love it and others, well maybe not so much. I, myself could eat the whole thing and have over the course of a few days if I happen to be on my own. Sometimes I throw in an extra half cup of shredded mozzarella which makes it that much richer and delicious. If you can find fresh oregano to use, it’s a real plus. Try it. You might like it.

Oh, and yes, that’s a dot of butter melting on top of it – yummmm!

ArtPlay brushes by Anna Aspnes
Font: Darcy Baldwin

Oh, what luck!

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f5.6, 1/80s, ISO100, focal length 105mm

 

 

I was outside in the rain crouched down on the ground, my camera on a tripod at the shortest height, holding an umbrella, and trying to get a shot of water droplets on leaves. I was using my telephoto so I could zoom in and get something akin to a macro. Well, wouldn’t you know it – this beautiful American Goldfinch landed on a feeder exactly 1.8 meters from me! I couldn’t think about it so I just quickly turned my camera and tried my best! Of course my camera was not wanting to focus – darn! But I moved back a bit, pulled back the lens and just took as many shots as I could. I ended getting these wonderful photos!  I couldn’t believe my luck!

Is it real?

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Well, yes it is real but is it natural? I don’t know . . . We came across this pleasant little surprise when we actually had come to see the Nakalele Blowhole in Maui (photos to follow).

A bit surreal . . .
It’s positively glowing . . .
There was no one nearby to take a photo of both of us together.

The drive from Kapalua, around Nakalele Point and on to Wailuku is extraordinary. Nakalele Blowhole is the result of the ocean wearing away the shore below the lava shelf. With each wave, water is forced through a hole in the lava shelf resulting in the “eruption” of water similar to a geyser. The “blowing” of the water varies dramatically depending on tide levels and wave action. High tide and strong surf result in the best effects. The blowhole can be seen from the road when the wave action is right or you can hike down to the area – just don’t get too close!

Useful Information:

  • The blowhole, point and light beacon can easily be seen from the trailhead without taking the hike.
  • Use extreme caution when walking these trails as they are rocky and descend steeply toward the ocean. Wear sturdy shoes, a hat and use sunscreen. Always bring drinking water, do not hike alone, and tell others about your hiking itenerary.
  • Be extremely careful around the blowhole as the waves and resulting eruptions are unpredictable and are deadly dangerous.
  • Never sit on, touch or get close to the blowhole or erupting water.
  • Monitor the ocean conditions continuously as rough waves may endanger you as the trail nears the water.
Duly noted . . .
It was like a ‘moonscape’
I took a tumble on this lava – it was razor-sharp and shredded my hand quite a bit – aarghhh
What could grow here?
Our first glimpse
People! there’s a hole there that leads directly into the ocean!!

All I can say is that it was an incredible experience and we came away awed and soaking wet!

Spring is bursting out!

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I just can’t seem to get enough of pussy willows! These have burst open and I love the airy, spidery look they have to them. ahhh spring . . . I picked them because I wanted to create an e-card for an instructor and friend at Digital Scrapper and this is what I came up with. I used Kim Klassen’s textures; serendipity, silence, and sweet treat, and I’m sharing this with Texture Tuesdays at Kim Klassen Cafe.