One of the prompts this week was to use the word “mend”. Rather than use the quote provided this week, I went with a bible verse.

I was thinking about the hard work you do in relationships. Tearing down barriers to communication, and mending hurt feelings, etc.

This is the design I did in Photoshop using mostly graphics from Tracy Ann. The notebook paper leaf is from Tangie Baxter’s Art Journal Caravan steamer trunk. I figured if I ever wanted to journal on this I’d write on that cute notebook leaf. I believe the bird house is from NLD and I filled the heart with some ephemera from Tangie’s trunk. If anyone needs to know about the other items I’ll have to go hunting because my computer crashed before I got to the step of recording the kit names.

And here is the art journal page after the hybrid touches. I used the Copic colored Multiliners, Liquid Pearls for dimension, Spica glitter pens, Copic markers/Prismacolor pencils for shading, and Tim Holtz red distress ink for the edges.

OK, I thought I was over it but I realize now I’m still fuming. This may be the first negative experience I’ll share on my blog. But, it is related to photography. One of the things my husband and I discussed when we started doing Christmas cards is that we wanted to do a family portrait every year. Back when I was employed I splurged a little and took the kids to the “same day” portrait studios (I know a “real” splurge is a professional photographer). But, this year I decided to be economical and go back to basics. WalMart, JCPenny, Sears. So, WalMart it was.

I tried most of a morning to call to make an appointment, no answer. So, per voice mail instructions I finally gave up and went to “Picture Me” to book the appointment. There were not any prices online. Not to worry, this newly budget oriented mom knew she was going to WalMart. And all I wanted was one photo for the Christmas Card.

We get there, super nice gal. I told her what I wanted. She did what her job performance/evaluation required. They “have” to shoot photos of each member of the family with a variety of cheesy backgrounds. I told her, just make sure you take the one I want first or else my little one will not be in the mood. We humored her for the rest of the poses.

Then the wait. She is putting the photos in awful backgrounds and templates. I say, you don’t need to do that, I will do that myself. My 4 year old can see and smell McDonalds and is completely past her limit. She keeps editing. She tells me if she does not create all the layouts/cards she’ll get written up. Meanwhile I try to figure out what package to get. Hmmm, they are all over $140. What happened to the bargains I remember getting at these economical “studios”? To tell you the truth, I don’t remember all the prices because I have tried really hard to put them out of my memory. I think they wanted $150 for the photo CD by itself. It was going to be over $200 to get the CD with the cheapest package.

I wanted to remind them they are WalMart. Well, I just tried to look at the prices online again and now it all seems so much clearer. It is NOT WalMart, they have brought “Picture Me” into their store. I have a friend who went to Sears. It seems they charge the same thing. So, now I know, you might as well go to the “mid-tier” same day studio because there is no such thing as an economic way to go anymore. I truly expected to get out of there spending $75 to $100 at the most for a single pose.

So here are, “the rest of the photos”. I didn’t need them, but they did make a cute layout. And, the upside….you get a signed release to do anything you want with the photos!

These layouts were created with a collaboration kit by Catherine Designs and Bisontine.

Tangie Baxter at ScrapbookGraphics.com is hosting an art journal online “class.” So far there are close to 300 people taking the class. Some people are doing a traditional art journal w/ paints, pens, collage, etc. Others are doing it all digitally. And still others are doing a hybrid approach. My first project was hybrid. I will probably do some of both, especially since I can do digital so much more quickly.

Here is the digital “canvas” I created:

And here is the completed journal page. I colored it with Copic markers and Multiliners. (Having the “lights” set helped tremendously for blending the shading on out.) Then I used Copic Spica glitter pens for highlights. Tim Holtz Walnut distress ink is used around the edges as are his yellow Liquid Pearls on the quote block. And the feet were heat embossed with a shiny metallic blue. A photo would have done it better justice than this scan because there are lots of glittery and shiny accents.

I also chose this 8.5 x 5.5 size because if I do illustrations it will use much less marker ink and take a lot less time. I have an old day planner notebook that I plan to keep them in. I’ll just do hole punches across the top. It was printed on a nice heavy Bristol smooth vellum card stock which holds up really well but actually soaks up too much Copic ink (not ideal for blending.) I’ll need to experiment to find something just as heavy but will work better with the Copic markers.

I got my first Scrap for Hire job via Facebook last month from a close friend who had been seeing me post layouts. I’ve been doing video tributes for my funeral home clients but I’d also like to do some custom “photo artwork” and “family tree projects.” So I was thrilled when Edwin asked if I could do a Christmas gift for his wife Tracy!

They have two boys, so it was fun doing a rockin’ boy layout since we have girls. I used I *Heart* Mommy by Shawna Clingerman at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Kiki Halbert revamped her “Snowberry” kit, now “Snowberry Punched Up”. As you can see it is adorable for photos of children playing in the snow!

I played with the blending modes on the sunset play photo so that her beautiful paper would show through. I love how it enhanced my sunset photo!

On Christmas Eve Oklahoma was hit with the first blizzard in 20 years. Since we never get blizzards….did we listen to their warning to not go anywhere that evening? No, it was safe on the way to the Grandparents. We purposefully shortened our stay…but it snowed at least 4 inches in the two hours we were there. Then we drove home in the thick of it. Scariest experience of my life!

Other Credits: The Christmas tree word art is from Bisontine.

My Wordpress blog got a virus last July and I spent two months working with my then hosting provider to resolve the situation. They finally washed their hands of the situation and said I needed to get help from the Wordpress forum. Well that did not go anywhere either. So, my blog sat stagnant for the fourth quarter of 2009 while I mustered the energy to rebuild.

From September through December I was working on a contract basis doing strategic marketing for GoAnyware which left me with very little spare time. They are giving me a break in January and I expect it to pick back up in February. So, I decided January would be the month to rebuild my blog (post by post and picture by picture…ugh) and launch my website. I’ll also go ahead and backdate some posts with work I shared on Facebook during my technical difficulties.

I used a great little application called “Artisteer” to create my Wordpress theme. It was very easy. I’d highly recommend it.

I also decided to try using Joomla for my main site. Call me brave or call me naive. It has been a bit more challenging so if you go to my main domain (please don’t) then you will see a mess right now. I’ll be getting back to that next. I might even get started this afternoon!

I’m thrilled to be able to get back to blogging in 2010….Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our house to yours…these are just mailing today!

The kit is a collaboration between Catherine Designs and Bisontine.

My dad was an only son and he had three girls then finally my brother James. So, since we need to carry on the family name we were all happy that James’ second child was a boy. It was a proud moment. And, I thought my Nikon 1.4mm lens captured the moment quite beautifully!

These layouts were created with Kiki Halbert’s U Build It items at Scrapbook-Elements.com. Make sure and check the U Build It collection out because you get to mix and match your own kit with $1 and $2 items. They are available that way for a limited time.

Other Credits:
The flourish is from Kiki’s Cool Nights Blue Sky. I also used Dawn Inskip-water colors/bear/buttons/tag alpha and frame masks from Christina Renee and Tracy Ann Digital Art.

I just adore fall and spring! Especially with camera in hand and my beautiful girls as models!

This was taken on Thanksgiving out at Neal’s parents log cabin in the woods. I always have plenty of good photo ops out there!

Kiki Halbert’s Le Grunge kit was my starting point. I think Kiki’s Le Grunge is perfect for outdoor fall layouts. It is the paper right behind the frame, but on the left here it it is blended w/ a photo I took of a log w/ peeling bark.

By the time I finished I also used the frame and a jewel from Glimpse of Twilight and papers from Cool Nights Blue Sky. I used some commercial use swirls from Jason Gaylor, a pierced scallop from Mira Designs, and two Atomic Cupcake actions.

A variation on this page is available as a freebie Quick Page on Kiki’s blog!

The ninetieth anniversary of my sorority’s founding happened to also fall on the 20th anniversary of my graduating from college. Scary, I know!

I had a really fun time hanging out with the 7 out of 67 (or so) pledge sisters that showed up!

I really enjoyed working with Kiki Halbert’s Neopolitan Sundae kit for this event. Our colors were “pink and mode”, and mode is a shade of brown I suppose. Who would know that pink and brown would actually be fashionable 20 years later?!

Credits:

Frames-New Life Dreams, Flourishes-Katie Pertiet. All else Kiki Halbert: Neopolitan Sundae, Glitter Dust Edges, and Cherry Ice Alpha

Granny made Danielle’s princess dress as a birthday present. She loved it! Of course the curls, the “Bumpit” hair piece and my Grandmother’s Cameo really made the outfit! Raeleigh wanted to be a pumpkin but they only make those costumes for babies, so I talked her into being a pirate princess, which she also loved. I took some great pictures of them in our yard right before sunset.

I used Kiki Halbert’s Royal Treatment and Glimpse of Twilight for my Halloween pictures. Three of the paper are from Royal Treatment. And a freebie stamp set from http://www.brusheezy.com/brush/205-Creepy-Tree-Brushes . I confess that I used a Katie Pertiet (Designer Digitals) template to start these with, that is where the perforated masks came from.