The "new girl" arrived

and she seems to be fitting in and "playing nice" with others!  I won't have a chance to start the transfer of "knowledge" from DT to the "new girl" until Monday at the earliest.  I am booked solid this weekend with craft show on Friday and Saturday, KTECH class on Friday night, and a photo shoot with Mike on Sunday ... down toward Houston to take wildflower photos (his idea, not mine - he has a new camera!)

The internet is up and running on NG but not much else ... didn't buy new software, just plan to load what I can from reinstall disks, and buy as needed!

It's a whole new adventure ... I've never been the first person to open a computer, until today.  Mike set up 2 previous Desktop computers, and 2 notebook computers for me, but I got to drive this one for the first start up today!  Fortunately for me, he did all the "wire stuff" ... I am not very mechanical, more artistic than mechanical.  (For reference, see "Can an artist love an engineer?"

Another bit (or byte) of exciting news ...

I am awaiting the arrival of my new Dell XPS 8300 computer ... it is enroute from FedEx hub in Woodway with delivery expected TODAY!!!  I can't wait!

Excitement is brewing

Thanks to my friend Gail at DSDI, I've joined the AMAZING DIGI SCRAP RACE at Natural Designs in Scrapbooking ... I've partnered with another Paper Shaker from DSDI, Mira from the Netherlands, and we will be scrapping the challenges for the next 6 1/2 weeks over at NDISB ... The blinkie (thanks to Mira) is on the right side bar and will take you to the Forum.  Our challenge layouts will be posted in the Gallery under ADSR 6 (not 5, that's last year's race), but apparently that Gallery isn't open yet!  Check it out! 

Also, today is the last day to register, if you're interested ... http://ndisb.com/?page_id=258

SENIORS STILL CAN Arts & Crafts Show - March 25 & 26

poki is participating in this Arts & Crafts show in Killeen on Friday and Saturday.  Come and see me if you can!

Exciting news

DSDI forum has 2,000 members ... and we will all benefit this weekend! 

Go check out all the great stuff on sale at Digi Scraps Drive In store

It's Spring ... well, almost

Just another day or two to go ... but I think we can safely say that Spring has arrived in Texas!  I just did a layout with a lovely new kit that is available at DSDI forum as the DAILY DOWNLOAD (each piece is left for only 24 hours so you have to hurry over every day) or you can go to the DSDI store, and buy the complete  kit for only $3

One of the perks of being a Paper Shaker at DSDI is the opportunity to work with new product from the great designers over there... Jen C Designs is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  I have to sometimes be really creative with the use of my photo portfolio - I don't do PEOPLE you know!

I do make some exceptions to that though ... I'm working on a Tribute album for my "cousin" Gaila who passed away in Feb 2011 ... Mom looked up the photos in her collection, and I provided them for the slide show presentation at the Memorial, but her "sister" and "dad" don't have a computer, so I promised them an album.  This is my second page!

Digital Credits:  Jen C Designs SPRING SHERBERT; template by Jen C Designs for template challenge at DSDI forum Head {Cl}over Heels celebration, which will finish today!

Photo was taken on Easter Sunday, 1968 - picture back row: poki, Sandy (my sister); front row Brenda Kay (cousin) and Gaila (cousin)



Daphadilly Art's kit MY BIG MOVE

While participating in the Head {Cl} Heels Challenges at DSDI, I did the template challenge (template by Jen C Designs) with Daphadilly Art's MY BIG MOVE kit.  Here is the preview of the kit:

The kit contains 11 paper, 4 patterned papers and 7 solid papers;  It also contains 23 elements suitable for layouts about your home, or a move.

I immediately thought about the photos I had of my house.  I've lived longer in this house now than anywhere else in my life ... been here over 20 years!  (Next closest was my family's first home on Washington Street  - I was there for 14 years!) 

Here is the layout that I did:

Digital Credits:  Daphadilly Art MY BIG MOVE; font - Jester; WordArt- made by me!

Photos - bottom left, my house in May 2007, top right, my living room December 2010.

Head {CL}Over Heels has started!

Head {CL}Over Heels has started!  And so have I ... the Pink Ladies over at DSDI have some great challenges for us March 11 - 18.  Go check them out.

Here are the rules for the challenges:

You'll find several challenges over the next week to inspire you to create some great pages while earning something in return.

Everyone is a winner in this event. The Pink Ladies have gotten together to create one HUGE collaboration all form the same color palette. The more challenges you do the bigger your kit gets!

There will be a store coupon awarded to anyone who completes 5 or more challenges.

Grand Prize: Do all 9 challenge and you'll be in a drawing for $10 gift card to Persnickety Prints and you'll get the store coupon!

Rules:

1. Each layout must be uploaded to the Head {Cl}over Heels gallery
2. Each layout must follow the rules of each challenge.

3. Each layout must be new

4. Each layout must be posted in the challenge so it can be tracked.

5. You can use any kit to be eligible for the participation prize.

6. You must use 90% current DSDI product to be eligible for coupon and drawing.

So far, I have completed two of the challenges:

XOXO Challenge - Template Challenge

Template from Jen C Designs (provided in the challenge!)

Other digital credits:  Daphadilly Art MY BIG MOVE; font - Jester; Made by me - wordart

Photos:  Bottom left, my house, May 2007 (before the new paint job) and top right, my living room Christmas 2010.

MORE THAN WORDS

This challenge is to create a LO with a picture so perfect it needs no title to describe it!

Digital Credits:  CW Picket & Co FLEA MARKET FINDS; CW Picket & Co CU SCALLOPED MATS; CW Picket & Co ELEPHANTLY INSPIRED (ribbon, recolored, frame removed)

Photo - Monarch at rest in San Antonio Botanic Garden 9.26.2010

There are a few more challenges already posted:

LUCKY YOU

A recipe challenge

BLUSHING IN LOVE

predominantly pink & white

LOVE TO LEARN

learning a new technique

I LOVE YOU

Create a layout about someone you love

HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT

leaving love in the gallery! 

Head {Cl}over Heels

Join us in a celebration event ...

Go check it out at DSDI

A "Make-Over" Challenge at Ginger Scraps

One of the challenges each month at Ginger Scraps is a "make-over" of an old layout.  I chose a layout I did for the CC at DSO.  I like the colors from the palette, but decided to soften the look of the layout a little ...

Here is my original layout from November 2010

And here is my "makeover" I did today!

 I think I have made some progress since November! 

Melly Scraps THIS IS ME

In my role as PAPER SHAKER at DSDI forum, I pick two PINK LADIES (that's the designers at the DSDI store) to work with each month, plus I also work with the DSDI Collaboration each month.  I am compensated for my effort with the kit I am promoting! 

My first PINK LADY for March is Melly Scraps.  I chose her kit THIS IS ME and was I ever amazed at what I saw when the kit arrived in my IN-BOX!  WOW!

My thoughts went immediately to a scrapbook that has been "living in my head" (nothing on paper) for a long time.  My project is called THIS IS TEXAS and here are the results, completed last night:

I love the bead scatter and the beaded brackets... just had to use them!  The copper tile alpha is just TOO COOL and had to go into the layout also!  I'm particularly fond of BLENDED PHOTOS (since I learned how to do it at the end of January!) so I blended in the photo of the gorgeous copper windmill on Wheat Rd in Belton.  Mike and I have been back several times to photograph this windmill ... it is so TEXAS!!!  The photo and copper tiles will probably end up on the cover of my THIS IS TEXAS book, if it ever come "outside my head" 

If you have any ideas about photos that might help me show the ICONS of TEXAS just let me know .. share  a comment on this post.  I have quite a few ideas, and lots of photos already! 

THIS IS JUST A TEST ...

I need to do an online comparison for the same file saved in 4 different ways.  It's just a test of some new techniques I'm trying!

MY ORIGINAL COMPRESSION TECHNIQUE:

COMPRESSION WITH JPEG OPTIMIZER

VERSION 3 - soften brush on font, JPEG OPTIMIZER ON FINISHED LAYOUT



MY Conclusions from this test: 

1.  I like the look of version 2 using new compression tecnique and PSP's JPEG OPTIMIZER to save.

2.  Not sure I like the fuzzy look the font developed using the soften brush in version 3.  It might be the size of the brush that I used.  I will continue to experiment with this tool to clean up "jaggies" on Text.

3.  The more I learn, the more I learn that there is SO MUCH more to learn!  :>) or maybe it really :>( NOT SURE WHICH IS MY TRUE FEELINGS!

After several PM's between me and AmyJo at DSDI (she's the only person I know there that is working in PSP) I reset my anti-alias and rebuilt my text ONE MORE TIME on this layout.  I have promised myself this is the last thing I am doing to this layout ... I hope (fingers crossed) that the issue is a little better than it was!

Here is IR version with ANTI ALIAS>SHARP>3>SOLID

I hope it looks better because I am done... (maybe)






My participation prize

Laura from CW Picket & Co very graciously gave me a RAK the other night as a participation prize for a Speed Scrap she hosted ... a FREE kit, and I picked her new kit BRUSH-A BRUSH-A about going to the dentist ... even though I didn't have pictures at the Dentist's Office.  I had to do a little creative thinking ... but I believe I put the kit to good use.  Here is the preview of the kit:

When I saw the paper with the stars on it, I knew just what I wanted to do ... a PARADE!  Belton is very proud of our 4th of July Parade.  My picture shows the Belton High School Marching 100 (usually it's more than 100 members in the band, but they still call it the Marching 100) on Central Ave in Belton, TX on July 4, 2007. 

I think my layout shows the versatility of the kit ... it's not just for the dentist, and tooth brushing pictures!

While you are over at DSDI be sure to check out all the other kits by Laura/CW Picket & Co, and all the other great designers there too.

Great new collaboration at DSDI

The Pink Ladies (designers) at DSDI have another great collaboration available at the DSDI store:  ADVENTURES OF A SCOUT

All your little scout's adventures are covered in this one kit.  Get all your favoirte outdoor pictures from scouts to camping scrapped with this fun and creative kit.  Kit includes:  29 papers, 66 elements, and 2 alpha sets (2 colors)

Since there is no little scout in my past, present or probably not my future either, I had to be very inventive with my layout.  But I love  the green papers and they complimented my landscape photo of a GREEN TUNNEL near Lake Belton really well (taken 4.26.2010)

The kit premiered on March 2, 2011, and I was the first to post a layout.  I'm sure there will be others soon ... check them out in the DSDI Collab gallery here  There should be other layouts there soon!

Cjoy2day Designs SPRING LOVE

I am so ready for the bright colors of spring and Cjoy2day Designs SPRING LOVE has delivered. 

Here is the preview from the store at DSDI

I really love her "text on a path" *.png files (although I haven't used them yet!  Something to look forward to in the future!)

Here is a layout I completed on Sunday, with a photo that I just dearly love:  The photo is UNEDITED!!! It was so bright on the day we visited Zilker Gardens in May 2009, I did some light exposure compensation on the camera, and I was VERY IMPRESSED with the image of the rose!  I've been waiting for the PERFECT way to show it off:  I think I found it!

Digital Credits:  Cjoy2day Designs SPRING LOVE available at DSDI  store 

MADE BY ME - I used one of my favorite clipping masks that I made to make the scalloped square paper from one of Jaime's papers.  I also recolored and resized her stitches to suit my layout purposes.

I'm loving being on the Creative Team at DSDI - it is a great group of digital artists!  You should come check it out!  DSDI