Meg's Blog

cool idea...

2011-01-23T21:49:00.000-05:00

http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2010/11/24/guest-post-marie-darby-diy-photo-lampshades/

Look at these really cool lamp shades! I'm gonna have to try this some time...!!!

my two current favorite sites - Go Get Some Inpiration!!!

2011-01-10T11:58:00.001-05:00

http://acottageinthewoods.tumblr.com/
Wonderful images, pulled from other sites, all pretty and unique. I love the antique, French, natural feeling most of the pictures have. Great inspirations! Some images from there...

http://www.design-seeds.com/
Another great site...I keep coming back to this one day after day. I love the images they post, the way they pull colors out of the picture, and how they cleanly display it all. I love the titles on each one, too! Some images...

2 new desktops i made

2011-01-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

i made these two new desktops today and had to share...

for New Year's - using the freebie kit from Katie Pertiet at http://www.designerdigitals.com/ (i changed the colors).

i made the fortune by scanning it and warping it.

this one i used images from the web with a background and elements from Katie Pertiet at http://www.designerdigitals.com/, and frames from Rita at http://www.thecoffeeshopblog.com/.

images are from these, among others: http://www.sweetasacandy.com/, http://acottageinthewoods.tumblr.com/, and http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/.

the hydrangeas are from ME! (see below for FREEBIE)

this one reminds me of my grandmother, who loved to sew, knit, cook, travel, and do many other things. i always think of her with a needle or two (or ten!) stuck on her chest thru her sweater -- so she wouldn't lose them! even many years after not sewing (after her eyesight was too bad), she always kept some "equipment" around her.

Giveaway!

2011-01-06T15:06:00.001-05:00

http://paperheartcamera.blogspot.com/2011/01/giveaway-pamela-topping-actions-and.html
enter to win some great prizes!

FREEBIES! stuff i've made...

2010-12-09T17:57:00.000-05:00

...created after receiving an email from Vera Bradley --they have the greatest email/web designers! oh, to be one of them! :o)

here's a couple of hydrangea flowers from this spring that i scanned & cut out...

and a scrolly sign i created for the gift shop at work...

and some push pins i made (at work) for our magazine cover! (all but 1 have the "original" shadows from the photo i took of the pins...lightened of course so it will blend in with your design)

you should be able to click on each item and save the .png or .jpg file. have fun!!!

Bora Bora Give-away ... 3 things to bring with you on a deserted island!

2010-07-20T13:22:00.000-04:00

http://2bahealthyfit.com/2010/07/20/2160/#comments

oh, how to narrow it down…i would of course want food/drinks (i like the magic fridge idea!), an unending supply of lip gloss with a high SPF–double duty!), and…i would say my camera, but then it would run out of batteries and i wouldn’t be able to download the pictures…maybe my cell phone so i could take pictures and send them to Facebook?…or maybe a warm fuzzy blanket so i could get a good night’s sleep? it’s so hard to choose!

thanks for the chance to win this great prize pack!

Funny Bunny

2010-07-18T20:05:00.003-04:00

or should i say...Funky Bunny?
i had so much fun making her last nite, i had to share her!

i'm feeling the sewing right now...trying to finish up some purses (lining them and putting in zippers, etc.) to sell. i also started watching Work Of Art (the next great artist) on Bravo and i am LOVING it! it's like Project Runway only with art...so good! off to watch more tonight!

~meg

Freebie!

2010-06-13T17:18:00.000-04:00

Here's a couple of background papers I just made. They're 12x12. I took the photo out of my sunroof on my car after it rained, then i played with opacity, hue, saturation, layering, etc. Click on the photo below to see it larger, then right click and choose "save as" to save the image. They're all JPGs. Enjoy!

~meg

Light teal

purple/gray

Teal plaid

Multi plaid

some great digi-scrap sites to visit

2010-03-12T20:08:00.000-05:00

here are some fun sites i thought i would share...

http://www.coolestbrushes.com/ great patterns, brushes, shapes, etc.
http://www.songbirdavenue.com/ every month they offer a big kit for sale. the profits go to an organization that needs the money...for example, this month the funds go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
http://digidelights.blogspot.com/ great freebies and she sells really cute kits too
http://www.deliciousscraps.com/ more great freebies, some are CU
http://www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts/freescrapbookfonts/ really great free fonts
http://www.scrappingwithliz.com/ great freebies, but her downloads are only good for a few days, so be quick!
http://digiscrapaddicts.com/products/index.php?cat=520 awesome freebies from their designers and shoppers! they also list stuff you can get free when you buy something.
http://store.scrapgirls.com/category/21/Freebies a new freebie every day or so! always good to check this site every few days.
i can't say enough about http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/ - Rita Rocks! AWESOME freebies for many different programs and uses. LOVE HER!

i hope you enjoy some of my fave sites.
~meg

newest stuffs

2010-02-21T21:32:00.002-05:00

Here's my latest digital scrapbook page:

The kit is by Suzanne Walker at http://www.dsp.me/ and it's called Petite Paisley 2. I had to use this kit for some pictures of my beauty girl, Pearl Shaynea!

Here's a crochet pattern I made this weekend for a shamrock pin as St. Paddy's Day is coming up soon! Enjoy!

Round 1

2010-02-11T23:30:00.000-05:00

Here's my layout for Round 1 of the Supreme Team IX Contest on www.godigitalscrapbooking.com ! The kit is called Sew Chic and it's made by Tricia Curtis. This picture of my grandmother was scanned by my cousin Jayne. (I did some fixing on the picture, taking out some lines, dots, water marks, etc., but I also left some in so it still looked old. Plus, I'm not that good at retouching yet!) Isn't she beautiful???
Please comment & tell me what you think of my page!!!

what i've been up to...

2010-02-01T16:59:00.001-05:00

...mucho Zumba! our classes are going well - Wednesday nights at 7pm and Saturdays at 11:30am. i also try to go on Monday and Friday nights to the regular Zumba class so i can shake what my momma gave me! go to http://muevelodancefitness.blogspot.com/ or become a fan on Facebook! don't forget that the first class is FREE! if you don't know what Zumba is, go to http://www.zumba.com/ for more info! once you try it, you won't know why you didn't join us sooner!

i signed up for the next Supreme Team competition at http://www.godigitalscrapbooking.com/ ! the first kit is a grungy-type sewing-inspired theme, and i know a picture of my grammie is calling out to be scrapped with this kit! (she was a seamstress, so this is the perfect kit to use for her.) i haven't done much scrapping lately, but have been knitting/crocheting, making some jewelry, etc.

my friend Laurie is opening up her consignment shop today -- it's a great way to get rid of clothes you don't want anymore and find great stuff for cheap! her site is http://www.lauriejeansconsignments.com/ (it doesn't appear to be working yet, but her phone # is 569-3100 -- email me if you need the hours!) and her shop is in Southwick, MA in the McDonald's plaza. it's an awesome shop and i hope she does really well! i gave her a bunch of jewelry/purses/assorted other crafty things i've made for her to sell, so stop by and buy! it's mostly women's career-wear type of clothing. the shop itself looks awesome! it has a French vintage theme. make sure if you stop by to say hi to her doggie, Ebby! :o)

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! (a little early, i know...) Here are two February/Valentine's desktops i made myself, using assorted products from various websites (including Designer Digitals--the hearts one uses a lot of their products):

check out this awesome website!

2010-01-01T13:49:00.002-05:00

http://cp.c-ij.com/en/contents/1006/

there's great FREE downloads for papers, crafts, templates, and more! check it out!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T15:51:00.000-05:00

Here's my computer desktop for December:

and here are our 3 different Xmas cards (printed 4x6's) that i made this year:

Happy Holidays to everyone!

~Meg

CoffeeShop free stuff!

2009-12-13T15:22:00.000-05:00

Check out the CoffeeShop blog for freebies like cool actions, papers, textures, frames, storyboards, etc. I love Rita!
http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/

Zumba Gold/beginner classes starting Wed & Sat!

2009-12-06T15:23:00.002-05:00

our new little guy!

2009-11-25T16:22:00.002-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43283&id=1213331206&l=e966e74c1f
Bandit, our new puppy! more pix to be posted soon!

Zumba Gold classes coming soon!

2009-11-25T16:18:00.001-05:00

Phil & I'll be starting Zumba Gold classes soon -- check out the Muevelo website for the latest news & schedules! (click the title of this post to go to the Muevelo website...or click this: http://muevelodancefitness.blogspot.com/ )

here's my bio...

Why I Zumba…a Zumba essay by Meg Morrill

I have never been an athlete, or even an “active” person, and I’ve almost always been “the pudgy kid.” That all changed about 3 years ago when I started sporadically going to the gym to work out. I loved having some “alone time” where I didn’t have to think about work or home, I could listen to music and go at my own pace. I’ve always known exercise was good for me, I just couldn’t always motivate myself to get up and move.

When I was younger, I occasionally played a sport (soccer, field hockey), but I was more often a “manager” – meaning I kept score, helped the players by holding their jewelry, etc. – not a very active job in the least! But I was able to hang out with my friends and still be a part of the action. I tried aerobics, Richard Simmons tapes, water aerobics, etc. I found that I love and am pretty good at yoga (I’m still hoping to become a yoga instructor someday!). I’ve also been known to dance with abandon to all sorts of music…maybe that’s what drew me to Zumba.

I knew Zumba was going to be a tough workout for me—having been sedentary most of my life, it was a big deal to go to a one-hour Zumba class. But I did it, and I kept going, and I’m still going. I haven’t given up. And now I don’t want to. I’ve never been able to do this much exercise…and do it well! (Well, not well per se…but not bad, either!) I’m out there being active, socializing, meeting new people, singing and dancing to the music, laughing and kidding, de-stressing, relaxing, not thinking about the things in my life that cause me stress, having “me” time, sweating, and just enjoying myself. There really isn’t another exercise out there as difficult, fun, or great as Zumba. I’m sure you’ll find you too love the dancing, the camaraderie, the music, the fun, the mental-get-away, everything!

I’ve always been a “teacher” personality (my retired-teacher father instilled this in me), and I’m very excited to start teaching Zumba Gold classes with “The Amazing Phil” at Muevelo Dance Fitness in Chicopee, MA!
Thanks to Nakaia, a.k.a. “Zumba Warrior Princess,” and everyone else who’s helped me on my Zumba journey. I’m sooo glad to be here!

I got into Round 2!

2009-09-13T23:48:00.003-04:00

here it is! my 2nd page for the contest. the prize is a 4 month creative team member spot and a lifetime of saying i was one once! this pic is from harvey & leah's jack & jill. dale took the pic, so he's not in it. i keep telling people i will photoshop them into the picture, but i haven't yet! oh well, will have to try that sometime...this kit was really fun, very cheerful and happy. glad i got to work with it and even gladder that i got it for free!

I hope I get through to Round 2!

2009-09-06T23:42:00.003-04:00

I'm participating in a Supreme Team contest (to be a creative team member for a digiscrap website) at http://www.godigitalscrapbooking.com/ ! Here's my first LO - what do you guys think? The kit is “Powder Blue” by Carena Designs (http://www.godigitalscrapbooking.com...oducts_id=4665/).

I'll post my next page if I get to go on to Round 2! Wish me luck! :o)

another freebie!

2009-08-15T14:12:00.004-04:00

here's some buttons i cut out (quickly, might i add) to put on my latest page. i saved them as .png so you can right click & save as to use in your own stuff. let me know if you like them, please!

and here's the page i used them on...Steampunk Darkroom by Lauren Bavin from DSP. the old pix are ones i own that i scanned...the text is what it said on the backs of the pictures. i love old pix, especially babies/kids!

new technique

2009-07-21T12:18:00.004-04:00

here is a cool tutorial i found to make Andy Warhol-inspired images:

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials/or/warhol-pop-art-silkscreen.html

and here is a page i made using a pic of my puppy, Cleo!

i love the bold colors Warhol used. i also love the fact that screenprinting sometimes (most times!) isn't perfect so it leaves a white area in some places and overlaps with another color in others. i used a swirly stamp on her tail because it was all black and i wanted to give it something girly/interesting. i used an unfilled in b/w copy of her under the color ones and offset it a little to create the white parts (to make it look more realistic). enjoy!

my first try at FREEBIES!

2009-07-15T10:18:00.005-04:00

here are a few frames i made to use in our company yearbook. i scanned old pictures (i own all of them) and then took out the picture or covered it up. click on a picture to open it larger, right click on the new larger image, then choose "save as" and save the picture somewhere you won't forget! below them are what type of file they are. have fun creating! email or comment if you have any issues and i can email the files. comments appreciated!

png

jpg

2 new pages

2009-07-12T22:19:00.003-04:00

these are both for a challenge on the designer digitals website (see bar above for link). here is the picture that we were supposed to use for inspiration:

and here are my two VERY different pages:

what do you think???

funny face

2009-06-25T13:32:00.003-04:00

isn't this pic of me so funny? i was 4 months old here. the orange tinge makes it all the more 70's!
i just felt like sharing this funny pic!

Mini Golf & a pic

2009-06-07T21:59:00.004-04:00

here's a picture i took in our front yard of a violet. i used the Orton effect action that i got from coffee shop's blog (LOTS of free actions and other fun stuff--check it out at http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/ ) along with the vignette action and rounded corners action from coffee shop. i think i got the small drop shadow action from another site. i love how the flower is in focus and the background is blurry.here's a page i made today using the pictures i took yesterday at mini golf with heather and crystal. the page kit is from Nicole Young (DSP) and the frames are from Designer Digitals. see the links at the top of my blog to visit these sites. Nicole also has a blog at http://nicoleyoungdesigns.blogspot.com/.

i'm hoping to get some AZ pix scrapped and posted soon. i did a few effects on some pictures, and i'll do others as i make pages. will try to post those pictures soon. i had a lot of fun visiting with my mom, dogs, and relatives. we made a quick run to Sedona, and i got some AMAZING pictures from the truck as we were driving!

thanks for looking -- comments appreciated!

a fun desktop calendar!

2009-04-20T19:47:00.006-04:00

here's a desktop calendar i just made--feel free to use it! (click on the picture below--that will open the picture in a different screen. then right click and choose "save picture", choose where you want to save it, then set it as your desktop wallpaper by going to control panel--display or appearances) the pics are from lunch on friday. it was a plopper (i can't remember where i downloaded it from, but if you need to know, send me a comment or email and i'll find out) with the one opening on the right, then i added more pix to it.

here are two more pages i did with the friday lunch pix. we had a fun time and got a little sun, too!

Challenge pages

2009-03-17T19:27:00.003-04:00

all three of these pages were done for challenges at the DSP site (www.digitalscrapbookplace.com). you use a kit or go by the rules for a challenge, post the page, then you get something for free! i LLLLOOOOOVVVVEEEE challenges at DSP--they have the greatest stuff at great prices, the best Freebies, and awesome giveaways when you chat or do a challenge! check them out!

Hoppy Easter from our Animals! i had fun cutting and recoloring the ears and bunnies for this page. the kit is from Elizabeth Weaver at DSP. think i'm gonna send this out as an email "card" to friends right before Easter!

Here's Owen's first scrapbook page! isn't he adorable??? i used an action i got for free (coffeeshopphotography.blogspot.com) on the middle picture, then made the one in the background b/w and lessened the opacity. this kit is from Nicole Young at DSP. i thought Owie needed to be the STAR of this page!

Here's a pic from Saturday of Heather, Lindsey, & me at Shelly's wedding shower. Shelly is the daughter of Gemma, who works with us. it was a fun shower. their wedding theme is the Fleur de Lis because they're getting married in New Orleans--i'm soooo jealous! someday my friend Ruthie and i will get to visit there and walk the streets where Lestat and Louis walked...ahh...

like the new changes???

2009-03-08T22:49:00.004-04:00

so, i updated the blog, thanks to a free template i found online (see the bottom of the page for contact info) and some finagling on my part! let me know what you think!

now, for a couple new pages...

i took most of these pictures from the car when we were driving up to Disney. having never been there before, i was trying to keep my eyes open and see what it looked like/when i could see something recognizable. however, i found myself watching my camera more than the stuff around me! luckily i got some pretty good photos of what i {didn't} see! i did take a picture of the ticket booth so we could see how much it cost to get in...we got in for free thanks to a friend of Scott's! (i forsee a "mastercard"-type journalling section on an upcoming Disney page!)

here's four of my best water pictures from Epcot. we really couldn't have asked for a better day to be there. it was sunny, gorgeous, warm, and the clouds were perfect! too bad it rained later when we went the the Magic Kingdom...
more pictures & pages from our Disney trip (from August 2007) to come!
all items on both pages are from kits by Christine Gundersen (digitalscrapbookplace.com).

February pages

2009-03-07T19:20:00.004-05:00

here's a page i did with two pictures of me & lindsey at mingles for my bday celebration. isn't it a pretty page? it's called "all paper plopper" from the dsp.me site.

this page has a few pix from our night on the town for jackie's bday. this was also a plopper (a free one) from dsp. we went to a piano bar in new haven called Keys to the City & had lots of fun!

this is my beauty kitty, pearl shaynea! aren't the swirls just amazing? yet another freebie from DSP!

me & L.J. at Katie's baby shower. this was another plopper freebie! gotta love pretty pages where the work is done for you and they're FREE! pages starring OWIE are coming soon!

i've been scanning lots of stuff the past day or so. some old pictures (mine and purchased antique ones), some assorted ephemera stuffs (tickets, lace, etc.). i'm hoping to create some freebies soon, but i'm not sure how to post them because of problems with 4-shared and other file sharing sites. i'll have to do some research on that! i'm also on Facebook now, so that's occupying too much of my time! look me up... :o)

Newest pages...here ya go, you one or two people that follow my blog!

2009-02-15T23:04:00.006-05:00

the first two are pictures from Nancy's bday party yesterday (Valentine's Day - isn't she a lucky gal?):

Christina Medina made some lovely salad and Lasagna, and many drinks and Jello shots were had by all! fun times on Beveridge Blvd...

here's two pages i did of pix from harvey's 30th surprise bday party last weekend. we wore paper beards because he has a beard. it's an inside joke--what can i say? it was lots of fun in East Buttf**k, MA! again, more drinks...with music by harvey's brother's band and--of course--dale!

it's really time-consuming to post stuff on here, the DSP site for challenges, and-now-Facebook. oh well, life ain't so bad...i've also been making a few of my own elements and fun things. someday i hope to post them for the FREEBIE taking!

3 new pages

2009-01-25T14:30:00.003-05:00

The first two pages are a set i made for a challenge on the DSP site. As the text says, these are pictures of my grandmother (that I scanned from the original photographs). The colors and elements in this kit were perfect for some of my favorite pictures of her! (however, my gram would have liked them better if they were PINK--her favorite color!) Kit by Erica Belton.

The page below has a picture of my grandmother and her mother. I took the time to cut out and fix the background around the picture so the cut edging could be seen (and not a square white border!) The text was what my dad said to me when I asked him about the picture and where it was taken. I also recolored my grandmother's sweater, shoes, and earrings a bluish-teal color.

this is a page i did for another challenge on DSP. i stopped to get gas one morning and this beautiful white moth was sitting on the side of the pump. i finished pumping gas, went and got my camera, and shot these three pictures of it opening its wings. one of those times that makes me really glad i carry a camera with me! kit by Elizabeth Weaver. the font is Albemarle Swash.

(about the slideshow above)

2009-01-22T10:07:00.002-05:00

above is a slideshow created by the amazing Jenna! we went to Bertucci's for my bday and had a great time. then we went to Mingles (a dive bar with Karaoke) and had even more fun! jenna and heather made me an awesome scrapbook with pictures from the last few years and had everyone sign it! of course, it was great to see everyone that we don't get to see every day and have a fun nite out. i have some wonderful friends that i'm very grateful for!

...digiscrap pages of this event to follow...!!!

2009-01-05T17:02:00.002-05:00

here's a page i did for a challenge on the DSP site using the freebie kits. the pix are of Jackie & Luke's wedding last August. my pictures came out pretty dark/blurry/grainy, but i tried to lighten them the best that i could! i used a bunch of other people's stuff too, but i don't have that list in front of me right now, so i can't tell you where the stuff came from...

i got a Wacom Bamboo pen tablet for my bday from the parents! it's so weird and different to use, but i'm very excited to try to cut things out with it...here's a picture! it has a pen and a mouse with the mousepad. it's awesome!

my new desktop!

2009-01-01T20:32:00.002-05:00

here's my first attempt at making myself a desktop--what do you think??? it was lots of fun and i forsee myself making more of these in the future!

p.s. if anyone wants me to scrap (digitally or paper) for them, i'd like to start a side business of doing this. any help/suggestions would be gratefully accepted! of course, i'd give friends and family a HUGE discount!!! not sure how i'm going to approach this venture, but i'll let you all know by posting on my blog!!! thanks~

...and yet, more pages...

2008-12-30T23:48:00.002-05:00

Here's another two...just finished the Kaitlyn one for a challenge on the DSP site and the Scott/Lindsey one was for a challege too...i told scott i'd post this so he could see it! (i'll make you a CD of it, don't worry!--hey, anyone [well, by anyone i mean friends who are in the layouts!] who'd like a CD of these pages, just let me know. usually the images are too big to email, so i can burn you a disc if you want them for screensavers, desktops, to print, to post somewhere, etc.)

got quite a few comments that people liked the red/black/white color scheme--guess what--i like it, too! thought these pix needed a red background bc scott's shirt was red. but then the colorful wallpaper behind them didn't go, so i made the pix b/w and then lessed the opacity so the color shines thru a little...i LOVE the black swirls that, with the added shadows, look like they're velvet or flocked!

isn't miss kaitlyn so cute? all these pix are from 2008...cake and ducky ones from her bday, left one from halloween (she was a "hippie"!) and heart from craft fair in december (eating chocolate chip cookie, got it on her teeth). i used a lot of different kits to make this "blingy" page, so i thought color photos would make it too busy--switched them all to b/w. i actually started making the page & deciding which elements went well together before i chose the pictures--when i saw all the "bling", i decided this page needed to be a kaitlyn page! she's a little princess (she used to say she wanted to be a princess when she grew up--how cute is that?!?), also a spoiled gal, and thought the gold and silver would work well for her. i'm not in love with the alpha i used, but it was gold & silver, so it had to go in!

don't forget: comments/suggestions gladly accepted!!!

more pages!

2008-12-28T17:52:00.003-05:00

ok, so i'm on vacation until jan 5th (day after my bday!) so i've been trying to do some layouts in order to get freebies on the DSP site. i'll post a couple here and a couple in a day or two...all 3 of these layouts are for the Erica Belton Designer Challenge for December. She made most of the things that i used in the LOs.

(don't know if you'll be able to follow this or not, but let's give it a try! here's the link to my album on the DSP site: http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/album.php?albumid=96. if you can't get there by clicking this, search for "pearlshaynea" under members or albums or something.)

the page above and the one below are ones i did to go together...Cleo is above and Joey is below. aren't they so cute? poor joey doesn't really know what's going on anymore, except when we have food out! Cleo was sick the last couple of days, but after a very big vet bill she's been given an all okay! so, no more human food for her... :o(

journalling on the joey page: "Joey gets ready for a walk outside in his new red jacket." and "It's a Christmas puppy! Joey helps me open pressies." (he's wearing a bow on his head--like how i got the red to come through?!? ERASER TOOL!)

these two pix are some of my favorite from this xmas. jackie took these for me when she saw i had L.J. near the piano. even though he doesn't say very many words yet, he sure does get his point across! just love his crinkly nose in the 2nd pic! isn't this kit (Windermere) just beautiful? i love the brown and blueish teals together. i tinted the pix teal as well so they would go more with the kit. i hate when you have colorful pictures and then add 50,000 other colored things to a layout--go with a theme and keep it simple, people!

like i said, more layouts to follow...enjoy! comment, please!

2 more pages

2008-12-17T08:09:00.003-05:00

i did both of these layouts for challenges on the DSP site. i think the pearly page is a little dark, and the beach one is a little simple, but they're okay.

isn't she beauty, my girl??? this kit is Somethin' Somethin' from DSP.

just want you to know that as i type this, pearly is bumping my hands with her head to try to get me to pet her. she INSISTS on sitting on my lap while i'm on the computer. if i push her off, she comes back a few minutes later. she thinks it's me & her time when i'm sitting here...oh well, it's good glue (bonding!) time for us!

these pix are from the beach in Rockport when we went to Jayne & Aaron's wedding in June. i showed this to one of my work friends last night, and she said about the font, "Scriptina--I love that font" and i laughed...it is the Scriptina font for the title! this is the Peppermint Cream kit from DSP.

new layout...

2008-12-10T22:47:00.003-05:00

so, i just did this layout of a nyc pano i took from the Top of the Rock (30 Rock, to be exact). it's to post on DSP's site for a chance to win a free kit (if you do a layout with 4 of the month's freebies, you get a chance to win. i figured, hey, it's free--why not do it and get some LO's done?!?)

i know i've been bad with posting, but i have been working on xmas pressies, so i can't show you those! also, work has been CRAZY and i can't wait for 2 weeks off at xmas! have no clue what i'm doing for my bday yet, but suppose i'm going out the the Mo's & Ho's for some adult beverages (i will be 30...so i think i deserve a night out!) will be posting some layouts with our company xmas party (it was friday nite) soon, too--beware!!! *craziness ensued...*

a ME! layout

2008-11-13T22:45:00.002-05:00

it's me! i felt the need to do a layout tonite, so i did...i picked this page kit from DSP (made by nicole young--i think it's called fairy dreams or land of dreams), with a couple of things pulled from the freebie having to do with Wishing Wells (also see the wishing wells site for inspiration!).

but the picture i wanted to use of me wasn't right, so i made it sepia and then cut it out/airbrushed the edges so it would be soft. i was trying to make my shirt lighter, but it made it kindof translucent, so that's why you see the blueish background through my shirt! (the wand is covering up my purse strap!!!) i'm reading the new laurell k. hamilton book (swallowing darkness) right now, which is all about fairies and otherworldly folk, so i thought i'd make myself part of that. i'm really loving this page right now, but it could just be that i'm tired...

oh well, off to bed now~

an NYC page

2008-11-12T23:21:00.003-05:00

isn't this a fun layout? it's a plopper i think i got for free from designerdigitals.com. it was so colorful, i had to make my pix black & white. this is just one of many NYC layouts to come!

another halloweenie page...and Barack!

2008-11-04T20:35:00.003-05:00

here's another page from our Halloween pix. i'm not sure what i am...i called myself a "goth/punk fairy/angel"...had more eye makeup on than i've ever had! gotta love my wings--you can see them better in the 2nd pic. danielle did my hair--crazy! lindsey was a sexy vampire and heather & danielle were (semi-slutty) flappers. we had a lot of fun getting all dressed up and going out. it's fun to see what other people dress up as, too!

Look who was at the party we went to! i met Barack! no, not really...but he WAS supporting gay rights by wearing a "vote with PRIDE" t-shirt and at some points a rainbow clown wig. glad i was able to get a pic with our future president!!!

***TAKE THIS, REPUBLICANS!***

That means you, Jason!

2 more freshly-made layouts!

2008-11-01T22:03:00.004-04:00

okay, so here are two VERY different layouts...the first one is from last night's Halloween outing with friends. we went to a party hosted by my favoritest DJ...DJ Shpank! (see link to his site on left!) there were some crazy costumes there!!! us girls had a fun time getting ready at heather's. i have to get going on more layouts using last night's crazy pictures...

so, this layout is a picture i took of scott & lindsey. first i took a regular "smile at the camera" picture of them, then realized since she was a vampire (a sexy one, at that!) and he was a monk (although not celebate!), that they should act like he was stabbing her with his (handmade by Scott) cross. don't you just love the "splat" effect of the picture? i thought it went well with the theme of blood! (splat thingy from Lauren Bavin at DSP) i changed a few of the pix from last nite to black & white because i felt the need to make the layouts feel old-fashioned and Hollywood-like. i don't know if you can tell from the picture, but these two "idjiots" are so funny when they hang out together: they crack not only each other--but everyone around them--up!

this layout was one i started when i first got PSE a few months ago, but couldn't finish it because i couldn't figure out how to get rid of the darned gray boxes! so, i finished this page today. these are two of my pictures from my cousin's wedding in Rockport, MA in June. i would have liked to put some stuff under the pictures, but i couldn't because i had inadvertantly saved the page as flattened image (i was trying all sorts of stuff to get rid of the gray boxes--urgh!). i really like the purples and blues in this page--blues for the water and purples for jayne's dress (and i know she likes purple!). the ocean & nature was a lovely setting for jayne & aaron's wedding!

"Jump"

2008-11-01T18:12:00.003-04:00

here's another Maine page...this one is pics of the guys swimming & jumping off the railroad bridge. it was fun to go on the boat and see the lake and foliage. maybe i'll scrap that page next...on this page, i tried my hand at erasing part of something so it looks like it goes behind something else--the two metal rings that hold the sign to the ribbon on the bottom left. it was easier to do than i thought! can i just say how much i love drop shadows and how much they add to a layout? i don't know how i lived without them before! don't you just love the little date card thing on the top right? i got that for attending a chat on the dsp website (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/) --Thanks, Erica! if you're into scrapbooking and haven't looked at their freebies yet, what are you waiting for? for crying out loud, they're FREE!

Here's my South Park Avatar!

2008-10-27T19:42:00.003-04:00

i'm so cute as a south park character!

should i be this for halloween???

another maine page

2008-10-25T20:27:00.001-04:00

here's a page with only 2 pix...trying some different things here...more to post soon!

Road trip!

2008-10-19T17:57:00.003-04:00

just did this layout (while on the phone with my mom) of lindsey, heather, & me. we all rode up to maine together--road trip! rosa took these pix of us outside after we ate at AHOP (Augusta House of Pancakes)! i know that they're probably going to be mad i posted these pictures (because they'll say they don't look good, even when they do, because they always say it), but i like how casual and spontaneous these pix are. (p.s. the one with the date i stole off rosa's myspace! thanks, rosa :op ) i'm really enjoying playing around with digital scrapbooking.
remember: comments are appreciated!!!

Rosa + Me = Friends

2008-10-18T21:08:00.004-04:00

Me & Rosa page! It was so nice to visit for a too-short time with her. I hadn't seen her in about 15 years--I was probably 14 when I saw her last! Rosa & I went to school together when I lived in Maine (grades 3-7) for 5 years. It was fun visiting Maine again and seeing Crystal & Toebee too. (Heather, Lindsey, & I went to Maine again this year for C&T's Second Wedding...will post a layout from that soon!) It's funny how that saying "everything changes yet everything stays the same" is really true! We even found out we own the same camera--hers is purple and mine is pink...and hers works better than mine...

bridal shower girls

2008-10-18T12:46:00.003-04:00

here's a quick layout i did of lauren, theresa, and another little girl from a picture at jackie's wedding shower. i'm learning more each time i do a layout!

YIPPEE!!!

2008-10-13T22:25:00.003-04:00

we FINALLY got it to work--thanks mikey!
so i guess the problem was that i was trying to put .png files into a .psd file...not sure why, but when i work in a .png saved file (blank background), i can open the elements i want to use, then drag them onto the blank .png background. SO, i can use all the cool stuff i have now! HIP HIP HORRAY FOR MIKEY!!!

this is a page i just did using the techniques that mikey figured out for me tonite. it's pictures of jackie & LJ, a naked LJ, and theresa & LJ at our company summer picnic. i'm very proud of myself! the only thing i'd really like to change (okay, 2 things...) are the "discover" text to be brown or another color, and to move the "at the beach" so it's not in the crack of the paper heart. oh well, it can't be perfect every time! i'd also like to be able to move the pictures around in the "frame" when i apply it to a picture (like move the picture so only the part i want is in the frame...). if anyone knows how to do these things in PSE 6, i'd love to hear about it!

a couple more layouts...

2008-10-10T20:48:00.006-04:00

here's a couple more layouts i've done.
the first one is a picture i took of my friend jenna and her dog nena when we went camping in june. it was my second time playing with stamps. i know i went a little overboard, but it was fun! first i changed the coloring of the picture so it would be more surreal. then i changed the stamp colors by using the eyedropper tool--fun! of course, i spelled nena's name wrong--oh well!

this one was a picture i took of sue & my dad on the beach at Rockport. i used an overlay in PSE that puts the darkened edges on the picture. then i chose one of the borders (an old photo grungy white border) and plopped it on the beach page (it's an already made background with the shells). yeah, i didn't do too much to make this one...but it was still fun to do!

Wordle!

2008-09-24T10:07:00.000-04:00

try it out!

help me if you can...

2008-09-21T17:54:00.002-04:00

i'm having trouble getting the gray box to go away from my .png files. i'm using PSE6. for some reason, these files do have the clear background, but when i try to pull them onto another item (picture, background paper, etc.), it has a gray background box around it. i'm getting VERY frustrated. had to have a friend use his PS (full version) to get rid of the boxes for the Indigo Night layout. can anyone help me? i can't figure out what i'm doing wrong. i think i've tried clicking every button and choosing every option available to me. i've tried the "group with previous" thing (saw that suggestion in the magazine Digital Scrapbooking 2) but that doesn't seem to do anything. HELP!

Indigo Night layout

2008-09-21T17:49:00.002-04:00

I did this layout using the Indigo Night kit from http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/ . It's a picture of my dad and Sue after my cousin Jayne's wedding. I like how the sepia picture goes with the old-fashioned antique look of the kit. Let me know what you think!

my first scrapbook page in Photoshop Elements

2008-07-13T22:03:00.003-04:00

Here's my first scrapbook page that I made using Photoshop Elements. I had fun trying to use stamps and make my own. More to post soon!

share with me!

2007-02-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

Hello all,
I thought I'd start this blog to get my creative juices going! it will also be a great way to communicate with other artists. yipee!