Last Year's Scrapbook is Done!

So, now I can start working on pictures from this year's trip. So lucky to have seen such amazing places in this country.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Photo books are the perfect gift for any occasion.

Bears in Alaska

The scrapbook bug has bitten me again.  I'm having so much fun reliving my cruise and making pretty pictures even prettier.  I've just discovered Sketchabilities and was inspired by their Sketch #76:

Here is my take on it.

The anchor, bear, mountains, and buttons are from MagsGraphics Sail Alaska kit.  The papers and other embellishments are my own design.  

The Diva Challenge, Scrapbook Style

I have been having a blast working on our Alaska cruise pictures and learning all kinds of interesting tips and tricks for working with textures in Photoshop. Birdie told me today that she doesn't understand how I can spend so much time on the computer.  She understands the liking to make pretty things, but she only likes working in the physical world using actual paint and canvas and pens and stamps and such.  I like that too, but I don't limit myself that way :-) The effects I can create with Photoshop provide both instant gratification and hours of variety.  I guess I'm still amazed at what my computer can do since I started out doing graphics in the dark ages when each pixel had to be set one at a time.

So, combining both, here is this week's Diva challenge, scrapbook style, using my original "digital paper and clip."

Tangles used: flux, echoism, and botched versions of sankegg, batllo, and sannibelle.

I am excited to be featured on Write*Click*Scrapbook this week.  If you are a tangler and also a memory keeper, check out my article over there.

If you are visiting my blog for the first time, welcome.  Thanks for stopping by.

Saturday Scrapbook Share - Summer Fun

I have been sorely neglecting my scrapbooks lately. I'm at least 4 vacations behind, not to mention all of those memorable day-to-day moments that I don't want to forget.

I've determined that my "internal motivation" is weak.  What  I need is external motivation.  I  do at least one Zentangle every week just so I can enter the Diva's weekly challenge on Monday.  I paint something every day so that I can have something to show at Paint Party Friday.  I looked for a weekly "linky" or blog hop for scrapbooks, but couldn't find one, so I have decided to start my own.

I made the background using a few of my photos from our day at the water park. If you like it, you may download it for free from my Flickr account. (You don't have to use it to enter.)

If you have a scrapbook layout on your blog, please join Saturday Scrapbook Share.  And, if you have friends who scrapbook, please forward them this address.  I'd love to see what other people come up with!

My Summer Bucket List

I wrote an article in my last newsletter about keeping a summer bucket list to try and ensure that we make time for fun this summer. It tends to slip away far too quickly.

One thing I put on my list that, according to my DH, should NOT be there, is to take a picture of something every day.  Those of you who participate in Project Life and Project 365 will be very familiar with this idea, but it is new to me.

The biggest problem with this is that I already take FAR too many pictures.  Now, I already hear someone saying, "There's no such thing." But, my hard drive begs to differ.  Despite having a 640 Gb disk, it is still over 70% full.  Earlier this year it was at 90%.  I will admit to having had over 20,000 pictures in iPhoto.  It's a wonder that my computer worked at all!

So, I went Pro - Flickr Pro - to be exact.  For only $25 a year, I can get unlimited uploads.  That means all 20,000 of my pictures will be safely stored off-site.  Yes, I am a bit paranoid.  I have a Time Machine backup and most of my pictures are also saved on CDs, but that won't help if a tornado comes through!  Now I have 9,644 pictures on nicely organized and safely stored on Flickr. And only 11,808 more to go...

All of this is great (and no, I don't get paid for saying so), but it does not address a very cool feature I just discovered about my Flickr account: the archives  feature. I know it sounds like a boring computer thing, but check out this screen shot I took of my photos from June 2012.  How cool is this?

My Flickr Pictures for Summer - so far.

It is definitely going to be in my 2012 scrapbook.

If you want to use this, you have to start from Your photostream  and then you can select Archives.  Once you get there, you will have a choice to select the whether you want the pictures you've uploaded for a given month or the pictures taken on a given month. Make sure you select the pictures taken option if you want a cool calendar reminder of what happened that month.

It seems the Flickr will choose the last picture taken on the day to show, but if you want to change that, you can always go and change the time of the picture you want to see on the calendar.  It's a bit clunky, but it works.

Do you know any other cool Flickr features that are especially good for scrapbookers? If so, please share.

Got Pictures? Get This!

I got something exciting in my mailbox yesterday and wanted to share it with you!  It is a link for a 20-page photobook for only $8.00!  They call it free, but shipping is $7.99, so I call it like it is.

Considering I just got back from a vacation, I thought this would be a perfect way to save those memories.  MyMemories software is really easy to use and super fast.  Here is what I did.

It only took a couple of days. Not only that, but I also made an iPod movie so Birdie could share it with her friends and I exported these pages so you could see them.  All with a simple click of the button.

If you haven't tried My Memories software, now is the time to do it.  They offer a free trial, so all you have to pay is the $7.99.  

Don't forget, if you try it and like it, you can still use my affiliate code iSTMMMS78326 to save $$$ when you purchase the software. 

Friday Freebie #6

($20 Discount code is: STMMMS78326)

Wow! What a busy week. I almost didn't get anything done on my Disney album.  If it wasn't for "Friday Freebie," I probably wouldn't have.  So, even if this feature isn't the most popular one on the blog, at least it is making me accountable for showing progress.

Here is your free kit of the week

I used the My Memories software to do a quick page showing our "cuddly friends" who came with us on the cruise.  Then I did a matching page showing the New Year's Eve gift.

Two more pages done.  And we all know that "done is better than perfect."  Have a great weekend!

Friday Freebie #5

Welcome to week 5.  This means I've gotten 10 pages done on my Disney album.  It's not too late to join the fun.  Let me know how you like this feature and if you want to play along. 


This week's free kit  has beautiful shades of soft green.  At first it reminded me St. Patrick's Day, but then I thought how perfect they would be for Animal Kingdom pictures.  


Remember, all of the files are .png so you can use them in Photoshop or other photo editing software.
However, if you do want to purchase My Memories software, my affiliate code is: STMMMS78326. Using this code will save you $20.00. 

Friday Freebie on Saturday - with Bonus Tips!

I had trouble again with this week's freebie kit.  I like the colors and had no problem finding pictures to use with them.  They just weren't from my Disney album and that is what I really want to work on.  Here is the quick page I chose:

and here are  a few of the pictures I wanted to use:

See what I mean?  Not good.

PHOTOSHOP PHUN:

OK,  Photoshop to the rescue. After experimenting with Photoshop, here's what I came up with:

This, I love.

Want to try it yourself?  Here's how to do it.

1. Open your pictures and quick page, each in its own layer.  Layer 1 is your focal picture (my DD), Layer 2 is your quick page, and Layer 3 is your overlay picture (the beach.)

2.  Hide the overlay for now and center the focal picture in the opening of the quick page.   If you were using my pictures, it would look like the page above (the "not good" one.)

3. Now change the visibility of the overlay picture so you can see it.  Enlarge it until it fills the whole canvas.  At this point, it looks like just the beach picture, but that is easy enough to fix.  The magic is in the blending modes. Change the blend mode to Color and watch what happens.   Here is what I got:

Using only Color overlay

Aren't the colors gorgeous? Try playing with them to see if you like something better for your pictures. 


The only problem is that you can't see the beach picture at all.  This is an easy fix.  Duplicate the beach picture layer and change the blend mode from Color to Multiply.  Also, reduce the Opacity to give it a misty watercolor feel.  For my final step, I masked out the opening of the original template so that my beautiful daughter is shown in realistic colors.

Here is another page I did using the same technique.

BUT, I DON'T HAVE PHOTOSHOP

If you like this, but don't have Photoshop, here is a cool technique you can use to get a similar effect in My Memories Suite.

1.  Create a new blank page.

2.  Click Add Photo and browse to your quick page to open it.  It will be resized to photo size, so you will need to resize it to fill the page.  (Note, I get an error message when I do this, but just click OK and it works.)

3.  From the Photo section, click on Effect and select Sepia.

4.  Now click Add Photo again and browse to your photo.  Open this and resize to fill the page.

5.  Finally, change the Opacity of your photo to  about 50%. You will be able to see the QUICK PAGE behind the photo and the opening in the QUICK PAGE will allow your photo to show through.  Here is the result.

My Memories Version

I hope you enjoyed this and it helped you think of more ways you can use these fabulous designer kits. Please let me know there are steps you don't understand.  

Friday Freebie #3

Don't forget - you don't have to use the super easy My
Memories software to use this kit.  They are just
.png files so you can use your regular photo editing
software.  However, if you do want to purchase
My Memories software, my affiliate code is:
STMMMS78326. Using this code will save you $20.00.

Here is this week's free kit! Isn't it beautiful?  It includes 2 Digital Papers, 6 Page Elements, and 2 Quick Pages. 

I am continuing to plug away at my Disney Cruise photos, so here are the pages I made with this kit.  I will admit that I had a difficult time this week as the none of my 500+ pictures seemed to GO with this kit.  Or maybe I am just tired.  It would have been super easy to use some pictures from this summer, but that won't help get my Disney Album done.  

If you download this kit, please leave me a comment telling me what you plan to use it for.

Friday Freebie #2

Are you excited about "Freebie Fridays" yet?  I am.  Here is a preview of the kit for this week.  

I love how well it coordinates with the one from last week.

Here are my pages I made with this kit.  They are done using the quick pages from the kit along with stitching and rickrack that come with My Memories software.  The "Welcome to Paradise" tag is from the  Escape Tags  available for .99 (or free if you use my affiliate code: STMMMS78326 when you purchase the software.) As always, no purchase necessary to use the kit of the week.

So, have you taken up the challenge to do a quick page or two with me?  If so, leave me a comment or drop me a note and I will send you a link to a third free designer kit that coordinates with the first two!  Hurry.  This is only available through Sunday!

Freebie Friday

Welcome to a new feature of my blog: Freebie Friday.  Every Friday, I will give you a link to some beautifully designed digital scrapbook elements courtesy of My Memories software.   This week's kit includes:

• 2 Digital Papers
• 5 Page Elements
• 2 Quick Pages

Three years ago, my whole family went on a Disney Cruise for New Year's and I still need to work on that.  So, my goal is to use these designer kits to quickly make a few pages to share with you each week.  Here is your first installment.

The Castaway Cay and Braids pages were done using the Quick Pages.  And they really are quick.  Here's how to use them in the My Memories software.

1. Add a blank page and open the picture(s) you want to use.
2. Add the quick page (QP) as an EMBELLISHMENT.  Browse to where you downloaded your kit and open the QP.
3. Then just position your picture(s) to fit the opening(s)
4.  Add a title and some journaling and you're done.  

On the sailboat page I also used embellishments from the FREE Sea Memories designer pack.  

The great news is that you don't HAVE to use My Memories to use this kit as all of the files are .png so you can use them in Photoshop or other photo editing software.

However, if you do want to purchase My Memories software, my affiliate code is: STMMMS78326. Using my code will save you $20.00.

So, does anyone want to join me in my goal of doing a few quick pages a week?  It should be painless and I'm estimating I'll have this album done by Memorial day.  

Scrappin' with My Memories

I really like digital scrapbooking with My Memories software.  They have a fun community as well.  Every Sunday evening is their "Speed Scrap" challenge. (Like them on facebook)  Here is my belated challenge entry, with pictures from the big cats at the Secret Garden, Mirage, Las Vegas. Birdie and I like looking at the big cats, but we LOVE the dolphins.  Stay tuned.  They should be next to be scrapped.

I used embellishments from the Zoofari pack, a mat from the Beach House pack, and the leopard print is from the Princess Diva kit.  I also used a free Vine Overlay.  All of the other embellishments: stitching, staples, word art, brads, ribbon, patterned paper, come with the software.

It's not too late to enter for your chance to try it for free (a $40 value.)  Check out the rules here

Giveaway!

I'm so excited to be able to give away a free copy of My Memories software to one of my lucky readers. MyMemories is digital scrapbook software, but it is so much more.  You can make greeting cards, invitations, even MOVIES!  It is also very easy to use and it is fun.  So, if you take digital pictures, and, really, who doesn't, then you will want to use this software.

It's easy to win.  First, head on over to MyMemories.com and take a look around.  Check out the Digital Scrapbook Kits - there are 864 of them!  Aren't they fabulous?  Did you notice the free kits?  There are 90 of them!  The coolest thing though is that you do not have to buy their kits to use their software. If you are like me and have been collecting beautiful digital papers and embellishments, you can still use them with their software.  Even so, their kits are so beautiful and make the project go so quickly, that I couldn't resist buying a few or six.

Here is all you have to do to be entered to win this software:

1) Become a follower of this blog if you aren't already.
2) Write a comment telling me which of the kits you would most likely use.

That's it.  Random.com will choose a winner on November 14.  That is my birthday, but the gift will be for you!  Good luck!

Cris

Friends at the Beach

I know it's been pretty quiet around here lately.  I've been playing with a new toy.  Here is a sneak peek!

(And I have no idea why my blog is orange and brown.  Must be for October.  Happy fall y'all.)

The Scrapbook is Done!

I have a very bad habit of starting things and not finishing them.  I could fill a room with all of the real projects that I have started.  Not to mention the scrapbook from our Disney Vacation in 2009, our beach vacation in 2010, and our California vacation in 2011.  This trip was too special to just have the pictures sit on the computer.  So, this time I decided I had to make time and make this project a priority.  This is why it's been so quiet here for the last few weeks.  It's also why you can write your name in the dirt in my house and why my poor DH has to come searching for his underwear.  (At least it was washed!)

So, here are some of my favorite pages.

Birdie made these tangle tiles for each city.
(She will be excited when she sees them
in the scrapbook.)

These are just some of my favorites.  There are 96 in total.  If you want to see more, then you can see the book at: Bookemon.  It might look like you have to buy it, but you don't. Just click the Read button and you can see them all. Enjoy your virtual tour of the Black Sea.