5x7 Folded Card

With Love Christmas Card

Visit Shutterfly.com for Christmas cards this holiday.

View the entire collection of cards.

Oh Christmas tree...

Part of the Journal Your Christmas class I'm taking includes taking holiday themed photos. I experimented with nighttime photos of our Christmas tree tonight, and got some interesting results.

These photos were all taken after dark with the same camera using different settings.

I like the glow-y look--it's called bokeh in photography speak.

Happy Christmas tree!

December 4: Perfect

Today's instruction was to write about perfection...whether real or imagined. No negative thoughts allowed! That isn't always an easy assignment, but we had a good day and I'm feeling lucky.

I used a quickpage that I downloaded from Little Dreamer Designs, one of my new favorite sources for all things digital. I added the photos and the journaling to personalize it. The font is called Mad Hatter, and is from Lettering Delights.

Happy weekend!

Do you have a holiday manifesto?

I wasn't sure what a holiday manifesto was before I opened up this file. Now I think it's pretty awesome. Get your own manifesto by taking Journal Your Christmas!

Holiday creativity

I am taking a few online classes this month and thought I'd share them with you.

The first is Jessica Sprague's free class, Inspiration Everywhere. I've taken several of Jessica's free (and paid) classes before, and they're always great. I'm not sure I'll complete every project, but I'll surely absorb all the goodness. Today, Nov 30, is the last day to register so hop to it!

The second is a online class I stumbled upon today, called Journal Your Christmas. It's taught by a British woman, Shimelle, and it looks ah-maz-ing. In the class, we will be making a paper and pen or digital or hybrid journal to track all the goings on in our lives and family during the month of December.

I took a digital scrapbooking class last year with Tiffany Tillman, and she's offering it again. For anyone wanting to learn more about Photoshop Elements, or who just wants an easy way to document holiday photos, I'd highly recommend the class.


I'll be back once I get going!

Thanksgiving, redux

Even though it's the Sunday after Thanksgiving, we are eating maple roast turkey, cranberry sausage dressing, mashed potatoes, carrots, homemade gravy (a first for me!), and apple berry rhubarb pie tonight. No, these aren't leftovers, they're our own little celebration.

We celebrated with family on Thursday, so today is just the three of us. I have so much to be thankful for, like having a great husband and daughter, a loving family in Tennessee, a roof over my head, and heat to keep us warm.

It's been a tough year; I lost my job and half my income, had health issues here and there, and I continue to face a three hour daily commute. But with my new work schedule, I have the pleasure of watching my daughter grow up without being so rushed. I know she can sense the change--she's become my buddy.

While I was cooking today, I put the finishing touches on a few scrapbook pages. My favorite printer, Persnickety Prints, is having a 30% off sale tomorrow only and I want to print as many 12x12 layouts as I can.

Enjoy!

Let me design your holiday cards!

I find myself with a little time on my hands these days and I'd love to fill it with crafting. So let me design your holiday cards!

I love the holidays and making cards is something I do every year. Most years I make a traditional card and include a 4x6 photo. Like this...

 

This year I had a photography student come to my house to take some pictures of my family. I used one of the photos to create my own 4x8 card, which I'll have printed at my favorite printer, Persnickety Prints. You can also print them at my second favorite printer, Shutterfly. 

Interested? Contact me for prices and more details. And don't settle for a pre-made card this year!

A digi layout challenge

Hello,
Crystal Wilkerson, who is a favorite digital designer, is sponsoring a digi layout challenge. She is offering a free template here, then you can use any of her digital collections from www.jessicasprague.com to spice it up. Here's mine.

These pictures are from a few years ago--I can't believe how much my little one has changed. She's still as fresh as ever, though!

Have a good weekend!

Two more digi layouts

Here are a few more digi layouts I created for my creative team application.

Supplies:Little Dreamer Designs Vintage Dreams Retro knotted ribbon green, K Pertiet graphic pop clusters 3, Queen of Quirk Songbird Avenue april 10 button, Tiffany Tillman well written word art, Shabby Princess Plentiful button 1 and 2, Shabby Princess Plentiful foliage stamps2, Shabby Princess Plentiful string bow2, J Sprague stitched tag, Crystal Wilkerson Oct 09 sweet elements doodled border 05, J Sprague Home Away from home brown solid paper, Fonts: Courier, Courier New, CK Frankfurt, Photo by Leah

Supplies: Fei stuff heaven sent 07 (cloud), Little Dreamer Design Everyday Hero 01, Crystal Wilkerson Spooky Alpha, Crystal Wilkerson Oh Boy! Labels 12, Fei Stuff heaven sent 06 (cloud outline), Lettering Delights Banner 12_c (butterfly), Lettering Delights Banner 13 (flower), Brush: Dune grass (PSE 8), Fonts: LD Red Hatter’s Hand, Photos by Leah

Creative Team news!

I am applying for a creative team and I created a few new digital layouts to show off my skills. I'll be back later in the week with one more...wish me luck!

 Hounds of Winter materials: Paislee adorned glitterstamp, DHD Christmas blue flake, ShabbyPrincess Plentiful patina lock, Shabby Princess Plentiful ribbon hanger, R Penner expressyourself paperclip4, Shabby Princess Plentiful notepaper, K Pertiet LaCremerieFraise creme, LivE Sketched Framers 06, K Pertiet LaCremerie Fraise 6, Fonts: Courier New, Porcelain, Photo by Leah

Sassy sweet materials: LiveE squiggle borders-cloud, Lettering Delights banner 10_c , Jessica Sprague Staple-double, Crystal Wilkerson Oh Boy! labels 20, Crystal Wilkerson spooky alpha, Crystal Wilkerson sweet paper 03, Cosmo Cricket sunday b paper, Crystal Wilkerson 2ps funky scalloped frame, Little Dreamer Designs vintage dreams retro MCO PPO11, Fonts: Century gothic, Pea Anna Banana, Brush: Jessica Sprague NWRL 4, Photos by Kimberly Kinnecom