me vs. the machine

This page was for a challenge to scrap about "an inanimate object". I placed the first couple of journaling strips on the top right of the photo, and then carried the rest of it down to the bottom. I varied the font size and color on a few "key" words for emphasis and dramatic effect. I'm really pleased with how the page turned out! The journaling was so fun to write - and very cathartic, to talk a little bit of "smack" to the machine! LOL!

Journaling:
Do you think that you will defeat me? Do you think that you will win this battle?
I’m here to tell you, not this time.
I know you have won before, but this time is different. This time, I’m determined.
This time, I’m unwavering in my resolve.
This time… I spent $800 to have you right here in my house, taunting me. Confronting me. Daring me.
So if you think this will be like the other times, that I’ll eventually give up and walk away, frustrated and feeling like a miserable failure, think again.
This time, victory will be mine, not yours.
Game on.

the music that sings to my soul

This turned out to be a pretty deep topic for me.... not stuff that I usually scrap about, but I love the way the page ended up. It's about how much meaning the contemporary Christian music that I listen to has for me. I used some hybrid techniques to put the lyrics to a current fave song on the larger photo, which I thought was just a beautiful "backdrop" for the beautiful song.

Journaling:
I have always found that certain songs really speak to me. As an adult, my musical tastes have shifted mostly away from mainstream music and into the genre of contemporary Christian artists. When I listen to this music, the songs I love don’t just get my foot tapping or make me want to sing along. They speak to me with a message that is so powerful, so awe-inspiring, that it can lift me up when I’m down, bring me comfort out of grief, and remind me of what is really important.

At different times, different songs have found their way to the top of my “favorites” list. When Mom died, songs like “Holding Me” by Pam Thum, and “Sometimes He Calms the Storm” by Scott Krippayne brought me immeasurable comfort and reminders of God’s presence through excruciatingly difficult times. When I’m feeling down on myself or like I just don’t measure up, a song like “Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns can help turn around my attitude and remind me that God has faith in me, even when I don’t have faith in myself.

At the moment, my current favorites are songs that simply celebrate God’s goodness, His grace and mercy and remarkable love. Songs like “Indescribable” by Chris Tomlin, about how God’s grace and love is so great, there really aren’t even words to describe it; or “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me, about the unimaginable glory of one day being in God’s presence.

Or, my current favorite song: “Who am I” by Casting Crowns. The powerful message of this song – that God knows me and sees what’s in my heart and loves me despite my shortcomings and failings – is so uplifting and beautiful that I can listen to it over and over and still feel the power of the words, every time.This is the music that doesn’t just fill my head and my heart and my voice. THIS is the music that sings to my soul.

Lyrics printed on the photo:
Who am I by Casting Crowns

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

I've been playing with PSE!

I'm hooked. I love learning about all of the cool stuff I can do with Photoshop! Well, lately I've been learning about using and creating brushes. Since I don't do pure digi but I do enjoy incorporating hybrid elements into my pages, I'm having fun with brushes that I can use in a hybrid context - either directly on my photo, or by printing and then using on my page.

I've been tinkering around with some date stamp style elements, and came up with my very first original brush set! I would love to share it and get feedback, since I'm sure I'll be doing more of this in the future, so feel free to download and use these as you wish. All I ask is a mention of credit for the brush set and, if possible, a link back to this blog. I also would love to see how you use the brushes, so please comment and link to your page!

Here is the original set, one for each month. I know, I should do another set for 2007. But there is a "blank" brush, so you can always use that to fill in whatever date you need! My thought was that the stamp could be used as-is, or that the blank part could be used to add the day either digitally or by hand, or a short caption.

You can download the .abr file here, at least, if I set up my file hosting correctly then you can! LOL!

And here is a second, grunged up version:

The .abr file for these is here.

Have fun!

oh my goodness, I can't believe it!

I updated my gallery at 2 Peas earlier today. I noticed one of the newly-uploaded pages was getting quite a few comments and LOTS of views, which was very pleasing! Now I know why... it was selected as the Featured Layout of the Day!!!

It's my layout, the power of love, from Scrapdango's April Spice kit!

Look, I'm such a goober that I saved a screen shot of it - LOL!

What a thrill and an honor! It's also listed in the "Top 10 by votes" list!

when boys play

We had a great time yesterday at Allyscraps, with our NSD+7 crop (since some of the DT had conflicts on National Scrapbooking Day, we held our own celebration!). If you missed it, don't worry - you can still get in on the fun! Check out the NSD+7 board for all of the challenges, because you have until this Wednesday night at midnight to get pages in and be eligible for the prizes!

For my challenge, I came up with the idea of a 3-in-1 challenge. You can read the details here, but in a nutshell, I've offered three separate challenges and you can incorporate 1, 2 or all 3 into a single page. (You can find the sketch for this page in the challenge thread!) This is my sample page, featuring Basic Grey Archaic - I love the rich masculine colors!

Journaling:

Simple pleasures - Ryan & Jacob explored the trail at White Oak Park on the Cub Scout Nature walk.

building pride

I usually go for more muted and masculine color schemes than this We R Memory Keepers Frenzy line, but oh my goodness, this paper was just too beautiful to pass up! And so FUN! It turned out that the colors were PERFECT for these pics of Tyler building his K'Nex masterpiece on our visit to the Carnegie Science Center.

I used the red block on the back side of Euphoria and hand-cut around the swirl to made the decorative edge on the journaling block. Then I cut the circle from the back of glee - a great, multi-purpose lined grid design!

By the way, my sketch for this page is the May 9th Sketch Challenge at Allyscraps! Visit the forum to find out how to enter you page for a chance at the May $10 gift certificate prize!

Journaling:

The Science Center exhibit had huge bins of K'nex building pieces. While Ryan, Daddy & Uncle Ken worked on an elaborate race car, you were happy to do your own thing: a carefully constructed "tower of tires"! You happily placed it on the shelf where models built by other visitors that day were displayed... beaming with pride!

behind the wheel

I just love the Crate Paper Static line in the Scrapdango May kit! What a great color combo! This kit also has some awesome Maya Road chipboard: the new Noah alpha, and several pieces of road sign/arrows themed chipboard!

Big thanks to my digi-scrapper friend Christie who gave me some tips on color tinting and using brushes. I'm having a great time learning how to use PSE! I changed the photo to b&w, and then used some photoshop brushes to grunge it up. I put a color tint on the little "photo strip".

I did a sketch for this page for the crop we had in April at Scrapdango - you can find it in the sketch gallery there!

Journaling:
Ryan and Tyler at IdlewildAfter riding shotgun for the past couple of years, Tyler finally gets to take the wheel on the old-style cars ride!

what goes up must come down

This was a fun one... that paper was just begging me to cut around the design, you know! LOL! I covered the chipboard letters and arrows from the kit with the blue paper, to tie them together. My sketch for this page is available in the Scrapdango gallery.

Journaling:

What is it about kids and slides? They just don't seem to see them as a one-way device!

project: habitat 2008

I was a little bit afraid to add the penwork on the swirly paper, but I'm so glad I did! I love the effect. The file folder and semi-circle are both from the Maya Road chipboard that came in the May kit.

Journaling:
We had such a good time putting together your 1st Grade Habitat Project! You decided on the “undersea” theme, and then searched through your vast collection of sea creatures for a few props. I helped you come up with a few design ideas and donated some of my scrapping supplies, but you put most of it together yourself. You were so proud of the finished product… and so was I! It looked great with all of your classmates’ projects for everyone to see at the Open House. We make a great team, don’t you think?

backseat drivers

More Static from the Scrapdango May kit! I thought the "no" chipboard circle was a great shape for a little caption! I used a sepia effect on the two smaller photos.

Journaling:

Tyler, that motorcycle is twice as big as you are! But don't worry - Daddy and Ryan were there to give you plenty of "help"!

The arcade at Seven SpringsThanksgiving 2007