A lot accomplished

Last night I changed the layout here to a more autumn feel and in the process the comment option came back.

Overnight I downloaded some filters for Virtual Photographer.

Today I created 3 background papers for a Ghosts & Goblins PTP on DSP. My first attempt at joining one. Background papers are the one thing I feel competant at creating. Elements not so much & ribbons not at all.

If Brad was able to dl the free papers from DSD I want to dot eh scraplift challenge tehre tomorow.

No more computer stuff after 8pm for me for awhile. I am fiarly sure that even just working on layouts is keeping me from sleeping well. I need to spend that time doing mindful meditation stuff like crochet or cross stitch and doing yoga. I know when I do those things I sleep so much better. That really cuts into my digi scrapping time though.

Lots of stuff downloaded

I was able to get the mega kits from DSD & DSP downloaded plus about a dozen more free kits I have been wanting, and 2 unabridged Brother Cadfael mysteries from audible.com. I'd still be dowloading that stuff if I had done it from home.

Somewhere along the way of my editing this layout I seem to have lost the ability to let people add comments. I have them turned on & set so anyone can make them but nothing comes up on the page when I look at it, even when I am logged out of blogger. I can only guess I deleted something onteh template I used for this template. This is the same as my Spirital Journal blog & I'm not looking for comments there. I'm not sure how to get them back so I may need to redo this layout.

Not sure when I will find the time to do that though....

new sites

I decided to join a few more scrapbook forums, to give me opportunities for more challenges & contests. I've joined www.scrapbook-bytes.com, www.sotbox.com & www.digiscrapdivas.com. There are a bunch more out there but these are the ones I hear the most about on the elist I am on.

I'm going to see about going into the office tomorrow & using Brad's T-1 connection to do some downloading. I have 2 audiobooks plus some kits I've purchased. I can just email links to him& he'll do it when he finds time during the day but I'd sorta like a few hours to myself to just surf at speed & really look around without all the tedious dial up crap.

Supposedly we are just 2 steps away from broadband but I've ranted about that elsewhere. It's best if I function on the belief that I will never see a conenction speed faster than 26.4. I get less tense that way.

DET contest LO

This is the LO I did for the DET contest at www.digitalscrapbookplace.com.  It is what I came up with after my scanner died & I felt like I had to produce something to justify the free kits.  I like it.  I was in a purple mood & this toned out nicely to purple.  The kit is tan - A Story to Tell. I got the idea when this pic came up on my screensaver.  I realized after I uploaded it that it really doesn't fit with the contest though.  DET members are supposed to scrap 5 kits at least a month & put the LOs on 3 other sites to display the kit to potential customers.  This LO does not do that.  First it iosn'teven the same color as the kit & second it uses one element & one background.  Hardly showcases the kit well.  My other idea wouldhave.  3 b&w pics of people we know are family members but are not sure who they are.  I was going to do them up as a cautionary tale on labeling you pictures.  Oh well, maybe next time.

bummer

My scanner is dead. I had a good idea of the DET competition layout but I need to scan some old pics for it. The scanner was a floor model we got for about $20 5 years ago & it hasnt seen much use so unless I can find a good deal like that again I don't think we'll be getting a new one any time in the near future.

I knew I didn't have a chance really of getting into the DET this time around so I'm not heartbroken to lose the opportunity. I just feel sort of bad because I got 2 free kits to use in the contest and since i am not going to be able to use them...unless I come up with another idea soon.. then I feel like I got them under false pretenses

Zodiac LOs

I made these with Lauren Bevin's zodiac kit.  The words "air", "fixed" & "cardinal" are by me.  The astological information on each LO comes from the children's reading on www.astro.com.

Ren Fest 2001 LOs

I've been wanting to scrap my 2001 visit to the Maryland Ren Faire for awhile now. I didn't think it would run to 5 pages but it did. I used Lauren Bevin's Live Life kit from digitalscrapbookplace.com.

Scrapping Stuff

I didn't make it to Round 2 of the NKOTB. I looked at most of the 15 who did, at my speed 'most' is the best I can hope for. The one thing they all had in common, that mine lacked, was journaling. I've been thinking i need to do more journaling on my LOs but I'm not good at it. I'm good at journaling in general, but not in relation to scrapbooking. I either have way too much to say, or not enough to say. I can't seem to find a good balance. I'm working on it with my 2001 Ren LO, though with it I have a problem of not knowing how to say it.

I bought a memory stick yesterday for all my SB stuff. I figured a gig would be fine. Nope! I have 1.05g of just kits. I have half a gig of LOs in various sizes & formats (each LO gets saved as PSP, .jpg & a 600x740 .jpg for uploading). Plus nearly a half a gig in embellishments etc. I need an external HD. too wierd

The Ancestors

I did this with Lauren Bavin's Fold Out kit & extras

Treasure v1.3

This is the final version of my LO for the NKOTB contest

Just for this Day

This is one of my favorite works. It always makes me cry when I read it. Ihave seen a shorter version of it attributed to Sally Meyer as a work about autism but I am not sure where this longer version came from.

crochet woes

I have unravalled the scarf 3 times so far. First I realized about 8 rows into it that I added a stitch on the second row, so I unravalled to that, fixed it & got about 8 more rows in when I realized that I had also added a stitch on the begining row & that is where the funky bow in the bottom came from - not changing tension like I thought. So I unravel all 10 rows, readjust & crochet about 20 rows. Last night I looked at it & realized it was too wide for what I wanted. So i unravelled the WHOLE THING.

I started over with the base chain & the first row (sc) done in just the purple yarn & then added the fur to the second row (dc) and will do both together in dc until the end, when I will finish with one row of just purple in sc.

I like the grey fur wiht the purple now that I have gotten used to it.

Brother LO

These are 2 layouts I did with Lauren Bevin's Brothers & Sons kit.  It was part of an extras chat, where if you posted a loyout using the kit, you got some free extras.  Itw as great incentive to try using kits rather than making everything myself

bought yarn

WM was having a sale on Fun Fur. So I bought a few skeins & a skein of Plush red heart. I am going to make a scarf. Simple. Just 25 dc across until it reaches 72 inches. The plush is purple & the fur is black/grey. it seems to really overwhelm the purple. I may have to switch to purple fur....

I need to crochet more in teh evenings. Or do XS. I have been on teh computer scrapbooking mostly & it is not helping me sleep at night. Crochet & XS as a form of mindful meditation for me & that relaxes me. Scrapbooking energizes me.

Pagan Prayer LOs

These are 3 layouts I did with a pagan theme. They are my favorite prayers/invocations.

A Day at the River LO

We spent Saturday at the river.

Derek's kilt made

That went faster but I'm still not too sure I've got the elastic right.

I ironed the pleats down in place. the thick hem keeps them from looking too pleaty & I hope the ironing will help.

I'll put them in onsies under them. I made them some belts out of leather strapping.

Drake's kilt made

Pleating it to the right size was a bit of work & then I had to readjust the tension in the elastic but it turned out good. A bit long but oh well.

I need to come up with a kilt pin to hold the fabric in place over his shoulder

bought fabric

Bought plaid fabric for the boys kilts. Nice tan/burgandy pattern & only $2 a yard. I'm going to put a good 3-4 inch hem all around the fabric before I make the kilts so there is room to grow. I got 2 yards each. Both boys have 20 inch waists but Drake is 5 inches taller.

I hope I can get the front elastic waistband idea to work

Baby Boys LO

My sons' first pictures