The 2011 Calendar

I think I am ahead of schedule, having created the 8x10 layouts for our yearly wall calendar. Like last year, I'll create the calendar on Shutterfly.



I thought I was all done, but I didn't realize that I can add little pictures to specific dates on the calendar grid - you know, like a picture of Rascal on her birthday, or a picture of Scott and I on our anniversary. So, it's back to the photo archives to search for more pictures to upload to Shutterfly. It will only delay things by one day (those who receive these calendars every year can rest assured they will receive one by the middle of January).

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181/365 - The London Book

A nice surprise today - the Blurb book I ordered last week arrived today. I wasn't expecting it until next week, so we're enjoying it this weekend.



More pictures and commentary on my Photography Blog, shirley behind the lens. The book preview is also viewable at Blurb

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174/365 - Blurb Book

I finally started and completed my first Blurb Photo book. I signed up on Blurb several months ago after seeing some of their gorgeous books on the various blogs I peruse. I signed up and downloaded the software. And did nothing.

I think that was a month or two ago.

This past week, I received an email with a 15% discount code. I guess I'm a sucker for a sale, because I finally opened up the software and started creating a book featuring the pictures I took during last month's trip to London. I knew I had to act fast, because the discount code is only valid for a week.

Fortunately, the Blurb BookSmart software is really easy to use, with lots of useful layout templates. You can even modify the standard templates and save them as your own. I created a 40 page, 11"x13" book in about six hours. I uploaded it and ordered.



This may be the solution to getting my daily pictures out of electronic format. I've lost my desire to scrapbook and don't want to get heavy into the Digital Scrapbooking thing (although this may be considered similar). I haven't printed out pictures since last August and well, I've taken several hundred (maybe even a thousand) since then. Blurb has an option to "slurp" my blog entries into a book, so I may check that out next.

This badge will preview the first 15 pages of the book. I'll report back once I receive it!

London Visit M...

By

Book Preview

Oh, and for those who may be inclined to try Blurb out, the 15% Promo code is FIFTEENOFF, valid until June 30 at 11:59pm, Pacific Time.

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73/365 - Flipping Through My Past

Last night, Brian discovered Scott's High school yearbook. Flipping through its pages, he and Erica laughed at the fashions and the hairstyles. They wanted to see my yearbook, so this afternoon I pulled mine out for Brian to see.


When I watch my kids turning the pages of my old photos, I am reminded why I am taking pictures every day. Because in 25 years, I want my kids' kids to enjoy these captures, and for my kids to "remember when they were growing up among the cornfields".

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February's 12 on 12 - Redux

The reason for my tardy 12 on 12 post - I also created a Digi page for it.
I was inspired by my friend, Lee, who overcame her apprehension towards PSE in January with a beautiful Digital version of her 12 pictures.

Here's my Digital version of yesterday's 12 on 12, a double page spread, based on a freebie template I found on Dreams Inspired.



I'm not 100% sure I'll create a digi page for each 12 on 12 - the process is still fairly time consuming. We'll have to see.....

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Calendar Project

I finished up the calendar pages for our 2010 family calendar. I used pictures from 2009 and various free digital elements downloaded off the web.

The slide show is embedded here:


This year, I ordered the calendars from Shutterfly. In the past I have used Kodak Gallery, but Shutterfly has great calendar deals right now, along with free shipping on orders greater than $40. I ordered 4 calendars and a set of custom note cards for $55. You really can't beat that!

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01.05.10 - Calendar Layouts

I've been busy creating digi-layouts for our annual custom calendar. I am about 75% complete and need to finish the remaining months tomorrow in order to get the calendar created before the first month of 2010 is over!

I've done this project for 3 or 4 years now, and several people have come to expect one each year. [This includes me - I hang one up in my office - Scott has one, too].

Here is January's calendar page:


Will share the rest when I get them finished!

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256/365 - Men Can Scrap, Too

Scott works on a scrapbook that showcases our Colorado trip.

This isn't Scott's first foray into scrapbooking - he created a similar album after our Disney trip in 2005, and when we got back from Colorado, he got the Disney album off the shelf and declared he wanted to make another one.

We settled on a 9x9" album from Close to My Heart and the Sarsaparilla collection of paper and stickers - perfect for a rustic, horse-filled photo album. The pictures arrived today and Scott got straight to work. Note the low-tech scrap space. I think he completed 8 pages in less than an hour. I think I need to take his lead, as I haven't scrapped in 6 months or so. This may get me going again - I really need a scrapping kick in the butt.

What scrapping project are you working on now? What's your current favorite technique? Any advice in getting my scrapping mojo back?

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Feeling Scrappy Blog Party

The gals over at Feeling Scrappy are celebrating their 2nd year birthday with a week-long Blog Party! They have daily and weekly giveaways, so head over there to check it out and play along.

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First Project of the Year - Complete!

After spending several hours on the computer in PSE, I am happy to declare Project 2009 Calendar complete. These are 8x10 photo composites / digital scrapbook pages I will upload to Kodak Gallery to create 2009 wall calendars. I have 4 copies printed out - one for me, one for Scott, one for my mother and the last one for Scott's mother.

This pretty much completes my Digital scrapbooking requirement for the year! I did find several great Digi-Scrap free stuff at the following links:
IkeaGoddess
Digi-Free
The Digital Scrapbook Place

Here are a couple of the pages I created - not too terribly complicated, but they get the job done and are nicer than the templates available at Kodak Gallery.

August:

May:


The calendars are 35% off through January 8 - so I need to start uploading!

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Layout - Coast of Scotland

Another Layout from the Sketchapalooza class.

I am really loving those Heidi Swapp Ghost letters that Lee introduced me to (I need to buy more, now!). I haven't journaled yet.... the scenery on the West coast of Scotland was so breathtakingly beautiful, I haven't had time to decide what to write.

This sketch was designed by Jayne, although I took some liberties with it, as usual.

I develop my pictures through mpix.com, and they offer 'odd' size prints. The large photo is an 8x12 enlargement, in a metallic finish.

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Layout - Hike from Ganavan to Dunstaffnage

A couple of weeks ago I posted a Layout for a Feeling Scrappy Challenge. I was lucky enough to be the winner that week and my prize was free tuition in their Sketchapalooza Class.

The class has been excellent - we have been at it a week with 5 sketches presented so far, and the talented ladies have been cranking out the layouts built around those sketches.

I, of course, am WAY behind, having finished two out of the five sketches....I know I am typically slow at creating my layouts, but I am hoping to catch up a bit as the class progresses this month.

With this class, I started to scrap the pictures from last year's adventure in Scotland. I have so many pictures from that trip and I had been putting off this task. Nothing like a structured class to get me going.

My HIKE Layout, based on Sketch 1, designed by Stacey Lokovic
LHS


RHS:


The DPS:

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Niagara Falls Layout

I don't post layouts that often (in fact, this is a first), but Feeling Scrappy laid out a Challenge last Friday, so here is my layout from that challenge:






I think the bottom Left still needs "something". Like those cool Ghost letters, spelling out "FALLS" in big letters. I like the ones Lee used in her Engarde Layout. I may need to do some on-line shopping soon....

Edited to add the technical details:
Paper: CM Vintage Monochromatic Pack (blue), MME Bohemia Backyard (brown), CTMH Playful Flourishes stamps, White Daisy Pigment ink, CTMH Legendary Moments, Atomic Caps Alphabet.

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Feeling Scrappy? Check out their New Site!

Fellow Scrapper and Blogger, Jayne runs a wonderful Scrapbook education, inspiration and challenge site, Feeling Scrappy. They have revamped their site and I am looking forward to participating in some of the upcoming Challenges. Just what I need to keep motivated.

Here is the link to the new Feeling Scrappy Website. So check it out!

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