LIttle Piece of Heaven

This was a speed scrap...it's one of those challenges that I really, really like...You are given 7 steps to follow (one every ten minutes), and at the end you should have a great layout... The thing that was different about this one was that for your journaling, you had to use the lyrics of a song...I chose this song that I really like by Erin O'Donnell called "Hold onto Jesus"



Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

Sugar & Spice

Oh my gosh...this is SO one of my favorite pics of dd!!! She's just mastered sitting up unaided, and has such a gorgeous smile...I knew I wanted to scrap it all alone. This challenge was to use the rule of thirds...the idea that each "canvas" is divided into thirds vertically and horizontally...envision a tic-tac-doe board. The trick was to place items on those invisible lines...



Isn't she just the cutest?
Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

My Little Cow-Pokes

I'm sorry this image isn't very large, but I wanted to share the two page version of this rather than each page singly...I think it is harder to get a real feel for them.
I love these pictures of the kids, and really wanted just the right papers to scrap with them...when I found this red bandana I knew I had found it...



hmmm...after posting I realized how small that image really is...so here are the pages individually...the left:


and the right:


Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

I'm slacking

I'm sorry to be so slack in my postings here... perhaps you've missed seeing my new pages, then again maybe not? I don't know who reads this stuff...maybe just me...and that's fine, perhaps this is just a place for me to ramble on, and place I can come back to and read it later...
I have been busy scrapping...just not uploading!
So, here are a few of my latest ones:
I think this one was a Tuesday Template Challenge...


hmmm...maybe it wasn't...I know this one was:


this was just a random scrap...I did it for no one but myself...I so wanted to remember this Thanksgiving Dinner with my entire family at home:


I'll close this post for now, and add a bit more later.

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

Grand Theft: Scraplift Challenge

Let me explain the name...the challenge is to look at a particular scrappers gallery, find a lo that you really like, and create your own version of that lo. This challenge was aimed at Ashley, who has some very lovely layouts, and beautiful children, too!

I chose to do one she had done using torn paper...mostly because I had some paper I wanted to use. Then I found some great photos that went perfectly with the papers I chose...



There was one other challenge I participated in, and that was to scrap a family tradition. A great challenge! I had already done the pie lo, so was really bummed to find the challenge after I uploaded the lo! I'm not sure, but I think you have to read the challenge first and then do the lo...it would probably be "cheating" to just upload a lo that fits the challenge...so I did another lo. I don't really like it...it is much too busy for my taste, but I show you it anyway:



Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

Word Art Challenge

Gosh, upon uploading all of these, it seems I use more single photos that I had thought I did!

This is just so much one of my favorite all time pictures! I just love that little bottom up sleep position.

The challenge was to create our own word art, so I went online looking for some famous quotes about children, and found this one which went particularly well with this photo.



Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

Shadows Challenge

Yes, it's me again...tired of me yet?
This particular challenge wasn't hard for me because I am new to digital scrapping, I already new about creating shadows in your lo to create depth, so I incorporate them automatically. I think the challenge was for those folks who haven't done the shadows previously...the shadows make a big difference.

To make it more of a challenge, I tried moving the shadows around to make things look more "lifted up." I use Jasc PaintShop Pro 7, and usually use shadow settings of 12 or 15 which make a shadow to the lower right...then if that doesn't feel just right I'll add another using -8 (negative 8) to make a shadow go to the upper right and give the photo or element a bit more lift. With this challenge, I used a much higher number for the paper doily...38 I think for vertical and 25 for horizontal, to get the paper to look like it was peeling up from the page...it's not exactly what I was hoping for...but it was fun to play with them a bit and stretch myself.



Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

Monochromatic Layout

This was another fun lo challenge...I think I tend to do more monochromatic colors that most peopel...but maybe not. For this one I took a picture of dh and me on our anniversary, and colorized it to match the colors in the lo, layered it with a normal photo and then "erased" our skin in the colorized photo so that it would show up as normal color...it's not as complicated as it sounds! I like the result, the background of the photo blends nicely into the overall color of the lo.



Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

Photo Sketch Challenge

The challenge here was to take a photo and turn it into a sketch...the instructions given weren't for the program I use, so this was a bit difficult for me, and I don't think the photo came out looking exactly like a sketch...but still it's a nice soft picture, and I tried another lo with negative space:



Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

White Space Challenge

This challenge was to create white space or negative space in a lo. I've admired other lo's with this technique, but always thought it was sort of "wasteful" to only put one picture in a lo...especially when there are just so many that need scrapping!

My darling daughter lost her first tooth this weekend, and I couldn't resist using those photos for this challenge...here's when you really only need one photo to tell the story...but I still snuck in a couple more:




Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

Low Light Challenge

Again, I've gotten behind uploading my pages!
Well, I did tell you about the challenges over at scrapmatters.com, and how I had participated in my first two after Thanksgiving. Well, I'm not sure I told you about earning points for participating? To my calculations, I've earned over 10 points...how great is it when you earn points for doing something you're going to do anyway!? I decided to "bank" my points, to save up for a free kit. It'll probably take me a few months...I think you can earn on average 24 points a month if you did every challenge...though you can sometimes earn 2 points per challenge, and there is even a chance for a bonus point along the way... but still I'm probably looking at March before I have my 60 points.

So, let me show you what I have been up to. This first lo (short for layout) was a challenge to not use a flash, and take a picture using manual settings on your camera in low light...dh came up with a great idea to roast marshmallows and make s'mores last Friday...well, that is all fine and good except we're in MAINE and it's November! brrrrr Sweet man that he is...he built the "campfire" in the fireplace, and what fun the kiddos had! Here's the lo I made for those pictures:



The challenges are so different and fun! I almost skipped this one, however, and if it weren't for dh's lovely spontaneous fun, I probably would have.

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

I'm a Speed Scrapper!

I did it again...my second challenge!
In my previous post I told you all about how many challenges scrapmatters.com does each month...but I forgot to tell you about their SpeedScrap! I'm not sure how often they do these, but I participated in my first one last night...it was great!

We are given one step of the instructions every 10 minutes during the first hour, then have the second hour to complete the layout and an additonal 15 minutes to get it posted.

Last nights instructions were:
1. Choose any number of photos, but they have to be black and white. Play with the contrast here. Have fun. (It’s Black Friday, remember)
2. Use a black paper somewhere on your LO. You can use as many other papers as you would like.
3. Include ribbon or string because you’ll be wrapping these gifts you bought today soon enough!
4. To remind you of all the money you spent, add some bling.
5. Add a list to your page…could look something like the shopping list you carried around today.
6. Use ONE of the following words on your LO: black, Friday, gift, present, sale, wait, hustle, bustle, money, cha-ching, wish, list
7. Add title, date and journaling if you wish
and this is my page:



This was really a stretch for me...I probably would not have chosen black...and even though I like b/w photos, I haven't done alot with them, but wanted too...so this forced my hand, and I'm pleased with the layout overall...I did go back after the challenge and add in the blue eyes, and tipped the pictures and frames a bit, then posted a second layout...so this one is my second. I wasn't sure if the rules allowed you to post and then re-post, so the layout I submitted for the challenge is a little different than this one...but I like this one better and wanted to share it here! (with all my friends!)

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

my first ever digital scrap challenge entry

Happy Saturday morning to you!
Yesterday I participated in my first ever challenge over at scrapmatters.com.
It was quite fun, and a "challenge". I chose to do the "roadmap to scrap" first, and was given a set of 8 steps to follow...

1. Any number of photos--arranged in a row
2. One solid piece of paper
3. One strip of paper
4. One ribbon, used as many times as you'd like
5. Ten of the same kind of element
6. Journaling
7. Word art as your title
8. Cluster around your title

This is what I came up with:



I was really excited to use these photos...while I was taking them, it was hilarious to watch...and us girls, well we were all behind the camera laughing and trying not to so that we could get a good shot...we did eventually get one.

I think this was a good first challenge, and they have SO MANY! It was hard to choose. A new one five days out of every week, and then four more each month! Wow.
And the best thing? You earn points for participating, when you can "bank" and then use to buy a kit in their store! It will be my first ever purchased kit...can't wait!

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

Happy Turkey Day! (gobble, gobble)

Hope you all had a wonderful turkey dinner, pie and et al. (did I spell that right?)
We did have a nice time, and my oldest son was home, so we took that opportunity to grab the camera and snap, snap, snap! After dinner, I then decided to scrap, scrap, scrap...oh course? what else was I to do?

I'm pleased with the outcome, and really like the black and white in contrast to the colored favorite of the bunch.



I've lots more photos we took today...of just the boys, just the girls, etc. and I can't wait to scrap those as well!

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

scrapbooking & pies

I really liked making this layout...the colors are so warm and homey... the harlequin paper adds a bit of fun without taking away the overall feel of the page. I originally just had the five photos in two rows, but then thought the last picture with each child framed out would give the page the little bit of umph it was lacking. I'm quite pleased with it overall.



HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

josh's senior pics

This is a qp (quick page) that I enlarged to make full size, changed out the word art for the tag, and added another pic and journaling...very quick! But Josh is expected for Thanksgiving tomorrow, and I wanted to have something to show him...it's hard to find a qp that isn't too feminine.




I'm off to make my own pies with the bibbets...gotta grab the camera!

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

for megs & lyss

This one is for megs & lyss...best friends forever - right girls?



Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

yubbies

Good Morning,
We're gearing up for Thanksgiving here, but I thought I'd post these pages I've been working on. The first two are of my little ones with their "yubbie"'s yubbie is a word that my oldest son coined nearly 18 years ago...he couldn't say lovey, it came out yubbie...and it's been yubbie for every child since then!

I found some flannel that I really, really liked of little 19th century children playing, and wanted to make something with it...so I made a yubbie for dd when she was about 3 months old. I actually made two, so one could be washed and she'd still have one...it was a nice theory, but in reality, she favored one over the other. My journaling says she now calls him e-e. She just came up with that "e-e yubbie" one day, and no one knows why!



Then when ds came along, I didn't have the energy to make another, instead we had a package of four flannel nappies (cloth diapers) and he used those. Two have disappeared, but we still have the other two...and again one is favored over the other...it's not nearly as ragged at dd's, but I'm sure in another couple years it will be!



Lastly, as I search through my ga-zillion photos on my harddrive, I come across pictures I'd forgotten...that's the way it was with these gorgeous pics of dd18...so I had to scrap them...I think the colors and flowers are so pretty...but not at pretty as her...she is beautiful, inside & out!



We have friends coming this morning to bake pies, so I won't have as much time to scrap...but maybe I'll scrap our friends later tonight! If I'm not back before Thursday, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

a girl and her box

I started this one last night, and had to go to bed and finish after church today. I love her faces in the boxes, but they aren't the best in quality photos...just a great memory! So worth scrapping I'd say.

The kiddos love coming to see what I've done, and "remembering" all they had done. I'm determined to do more journaling, and dh is helping me to remember some different things...we both assumed this was a fridge box, but then as we thought about it, we realized it had to be the stove box....not that it really matters what box it was, just that it was fun to play in!

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

comin' right at ya!

Good Evening!
I had to do this one twice as my puter froze, and I had to restart...but it was SO worth it. I love this pic of ds, and this layout makes it looks as if he is crawling right off the page! Again, I enhanced the eyes because I think doing that really helps bring out the color that most photos sort of subdue...and my kiddos have gorgeous eyes! I'm allowed to say that, aren't I? Well, of course I am...after all, it's my blog...and they're my kiddos! lol



Since I've done two today of ds...I'll probably have to scrap someone else now. In between this scrap, the kiddos and computer trouble, I actually got some knitting done, too! The fisherman knit I'm making for dd still needs the whole left side, but I'm nearly done with the right, and that will complete the pieces...yipee! I'll have finished two this fall - wow - I might have time for mittens before Christmas.

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

another attempt at single photo layout

Good Morning,
While husband was out hunting this morning, I worked again at a single photo layout.
I still like last night's belly shot layout better...but this is nice too. I used a template for this one, and as you can tell I really like the old photo affect...I used it here on the heart:



Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

I've been busy scrapping (and forgetting to upload here)

Hi Friends,

I didn't realize I had gotten behind uploading here...but I guess so!
I've done a few more pages, this one is of photos taken about a year and a half ago...but the pictures are so cute I couldn't resist scrapping them. Plus I wanted to try the "curved" paper trick (it's not as easy as I thought it would be.)



I also did this one...it's of my oldest child...she's grown now, but we had taken her to "Glamour Shots" for her 8th grade graduation photos, and this was one of my favorites. I thought she should have a page, too. I've been concentrating on the youngest of the bunch, but figured it was time to branch out a little. This is a QP (quick page) so all I had to do was add her photo, and a few embellishments:



I learned that "extraction" means to extract the subject from the background of a photo...basically a "cut-out". I've been wanting to do a layout with just one photo, and also learned how to enhance eyes in a picture...I thought this photo of ds was SO cute, and couldn't resist enhancing his eyes, and of course that developed into a layout...



I really wasn't satisfied with that single photo layout, so thought I'd try again. I browsed a bunch of layouts at the Scrap Matters Gallery and then was inspired to do one with dd's sonogram photos and my belly shot...I really like it! What do you think?



Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

Future Scrappers of America

Oh boy am I loving this digital stuff! I still can't believe how fast a page can go together...well, some of them anyway.
I worked on this one for a couple hours or so but I had to make the frame from another that was actually an 8-frame...so I guess that doesn't really count does it? Then add in time for making the scrappers word art...though that really didn't take too long.
Anyhow...here it is:



Credits: Sara's SweetRubbish dots and Shabby Princess Promise paper. Alpha's (for the scrappers word art) from SSA NovDAK.

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

An Autumn Reflection

I did this page this afternoon as I was inspired by a designer template over at Scrap Matters.
I decided to do this for my oldest "baby" - I think she'll be pleased...



Credits: I used papers from HB and Shabby Princess and worn-out overlay from Happy Scrap Girl. The overlay was a freebie...It's awesome! And dd18 loved this page!

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

My baby boy turns 2

Good Afternoon,
I did these pages a week or so ago, but have neglected to get them posted. I mentioned them several posts ago...but then time slipped away.
They were made after I discovered photos of ds4's 2nd birthday which I thought had been lost...they were actually in a folder of photos from my grandmother's funeral; a folder, which understandably so, I was very hesitant to look through.
I made the pages using MUNderwood's Family Fun & Shuggapie papers. I used the Shuggapie dots to make the "b" cut-out. It doesn't look exactly like a paperboard circle which was my attempt, but I am fairly satisfied with the results...any ideas how I could make it more realistic?
I'm playing around a bit with different ideas, suggestions and tips from several sites, and having alot of fun learning!





Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

PS I think next I'll work on a page for my own wedding!

A Spot of Tea

Good Evening!
This "plopper" (or QP for quick page) was a ready-made freebie. I am not sure where I got the plopper, but the kit can be purchased here: Digital Scrapbook Place.
I thought it was the cutest thing! And seeing as how I have a girly-girl, and we like tea parties, I knew I would use it...here it is:



It was quite easy to do really I just plopped in the photos and added some text. I realize now I can go back and add in another element or word art in that empty space at the top center...hmmm, will have to find just the right thing to go there!

I'm having fun creating and sharing...I hope you are having fun with me!

Blessings,
*Ü*
Karen

Button *Ü* Babies

Hi Friends!
Normally, I blog at 7kids4me...but I decided since I'm really enjoying digital scrapping that I needed a blog just for that purpose...so this is it!
This is just a quick post, as I want to change my template and fix up my space...but here a some scrap pages I did today:


This is my beautiful granddaughter...the little picture is the two of us!


This is her big sister and my husband...fishing last summer.

And this one was fun to do...it's of my youngest daughter and oldest granddaughter. The pictures were taken several years back, to commemorate their first time using real paint and brushes:

Today I learned how to take a color photo and make it a black and white with just a single item colored...that was fun, and hence the reason for this particular layout.

The other two layouts were made by taking an image and making it a transparent background...that was fun to learn as well.

I'll post more as I get better set up here!
Blessings!
*Ü*
Karen

More Scrapping

I was digging through some folders in my "My Pictures" folder and found some pictures that inadvertently got placed in the wrong spot. I found pictures of dd's 4th birthday!
Well, you know what happened next don't you? Of course, I scrapped them!
I found these lovely papers free from ShabbyPrincess called Shabby Momma, and I really like them...so I pulled in some other elements...and this is what I came up with:



I was thinking, if I keep on doing this digital scrapping and sharing my creations then I might have to just put up a different blog for that...so I don't confuse my friends who are reading this for the homeschooling...but then again, those that are are probably reading more because you're my friend, so you know me and my little quirks and would probably be okay with mixing it up a bit? ~ ta-da...I did it, and moved this post over to my new blog about scrapping!

*Ü* Blessings,

Happy Veteran's Day! (& more scrapping)

Hi Friends!
I was playing around with PSP again last night, and made another scrapbook page. I love it! I cannot believe how much fun it is, how easy using layers is and how many people give freely scrap supplies so someone like me can just have fun! Thank you to all the creative people out there who give so freely! (((hugs)))
I decided to do one on my high school senior this year...(sniff, sniff...my baby is all grown up! - well, my first baby...she was my baby for thirteen years!)
Here is the result of my playing around last night:



*Ü* Blessings,

Digital Scrapbooking

Today I spent some time learning how to make layers in Paint Shop Pro. Though I have used this program for years, I had yet to learn this feature...so today I had fun while the little ones napped (yep, even dd5 naps on Sunday!)
I've been making the smileboxes for a while, and though I do love that program for its ease and simplicity, I did so want to learn digital scrapbooking from, well, scrap. LOL
Here is my very first page:



Please tell me what you think...I'd love some creative criticism here...what could I do to make this page better?

Here are some awesome places I found for collecting FREE digital scrapping stuff:
ShabbyPrincess
ScrabookFlair
Scrapbook-Bytes
Digital Scrapbook Place

I hope you all had a wonderful Sunday!

*Ü* Blessings,