It's been too long!

I can't believe how time is flying!  Been terribly busy with work being done on the house over here . . . and the little guy starting baseball.  We had to have our chimney fixed and since the masons were gonna be here already, we had them redo the front of the house as well.  That really wasn't fun with 4 or so hours of them grinding all the old mortar out, but the results are fantastic.  Now we're getting estimates for a new fence and the storm door in the front is really rickety so we've been looking into that as well.  It's been raining the past couple of days now so the fields are too wet for the kids to get any practice in.  They'll probably resume again on Friday.

Hope you all had a Happy Easter!  Ours started with watching The Ten Commandments on Saturday evening . . . one of those classics that I remember watching every Easter as a kid myself.  We went to a wonderful mass Easter morning and then over to my in-laws for dinner.  The day seemed to fly by, but the weather was just perfect!

I was able to finish my SNL kit for April . . . berry blossoms is the theme and overlays are the focus.  Here's a preview of my kit . . .

I was having so much fun with the overlays and the tutorials that I came across that I made some other digital art with some of my own landscape and cityscape photographs.  Here's what I came up with . . .

  

I'm supposed to be designing the redress of the SNL site this month and hope to get that done in the next couple of days.  I still have some more cleaning in the garden to finish as well.

There's daffodils and magnolias and hyacinths starting to bloom throughout the neighborhood right now!  I really need to start getting pictures of all those before they're gone.  Enjoy Spring wherever you may be!  Hope to be back again soon!

~Connie

More Goodies from the Postman

Today, I received my note cards from Lenore over at eat write create.  They are terrific!  I love the texture and embossed accents!  Thank you Lenore!

I also received a lovely note from Clarissa at GlassGrrl Studios telling me how much she loves the bag and has already received compliments on it.  I'm so glad you like it, Clarissa!

It was wonderful meeting both of you through OWOH and I hope to be visiting with you both again soon!

I'm hoping to be able to create more of those DATCs that I started on yesterday.  And . . . since it's the new month already . . . I have my SNL kit to start thinking about too.  Easter is the theme, bows are the focus and the color palette is very pretty . . .

Hope to be back soon!

~Connie

Digital ATCs

I started my day lazily since we went to church yesterday afternoon.  Had some running around to do and ended up at Michaels.  I found these flower fairy decoupage sheets that were really cute.  I decided to scan them into the computer and created some new DATCs with them.

 

 

These are always fun and kind of addicting to do.  There's still some more that I'd like to do and then I'll probably print them up along with a backing for them.  If you'd like me to send you one . . . let me know.  You can access my email by clicking on my complete profile.  Send me your snail mail address and I'll get it out as soon as I can.

We'll . . . I'm off for now!

~Connie

A freebie for you!

I know it has been a while, but yes, I do have a freebie available for download.

Hope you like it!

Please be sure to let me know what you think and forward any jpgs of your LO's to me.  There is a TOU included with the zip file so please be sure to read it.

You can download the kit by clicking here:  Studio64_MyValentineKit.zip

Color Pencil Sketch

Here's my latest on the "body" theme for CED2010. I decided to go with this magazine clip first of all because my hubby said that the girl looked alot like me and my body. I cut it out of a magazine quite a while ago and always intended on doing something with it so when I heard of the theme for this month, I knew this was the picture I would be using. The other reason is that I have back issues and have since I was 22 years old when I had my first bout with a "slipped" disc. Since then, I've had several episodes of sciatica and recently had a displace rib. So my doctor says I need to do exercises to help strengthen my back muscles.

For this sketch, I decided to try colored pencils to get a feel more for the colors . . .

I think it looks pretty good! Next time, I will try my hand with the acrylics on this new linen paper by Strathmore I found at Michaels last week.

On another creative note . . . I have been trying to work on my new SNL kit . . . I have the papers done (which I'm really happy with), but seem to be struggling with the elements right now. I was trying my hand at making pearls again and seem to be running into a problem with some of the effects in PSE 5. Here's what I've done so far . . .

Well, I'm off again for now . . . hope to be back soon with another creation!

WOW! My SNL kit is done!

I can't believe I finished my SNL kit for this month already! I guess it helped that the winning colors were a give away. Anyway, here's a preview that I just had to post . . . I think it came out really cute! The fairy is darling, the magic tree is too and the moon is terrific . . . if I do say so myself.

I'm gonna wait 'til tomorrow to upload . . . just in case I think of something that is missing or that I could have done better. Besides . . . it's a little scary being the first one to post . . . so if someone else beats me to it I guess that's OK.

Be back again soon!

Here we go again

I'm trying to clean up my computer so I can concentrate on creating new kits. I've decided to make available another kit that I made for the designer finder contest. I liked the kit . . . hope you do too!




Here's the download link . . .

August Sunset Kit.zip

Oh well . . . I'm out of the DET Contest

There were some really awesome LO in the gallery. Mine wasn't one of them . . . I guess I can always try next time. I did finish my March SNL kit and have been playing around with it some more. The colors reminded me of Mardi Gras so I've been making some elements along those lines. Hopefully, I'll have a freebie to post here soon.

Meanwhile, I managed to get a copy of Moonlight on DVD! I was completely enthralled when I realized that I never even seen the very first episode! Since I've been catching it on the SciFi channel, my interest in the show has grown once again. I really wish they would continue this series, but I guess it was just because of the writer's strike or something and they needed fill space. Mick St. John is definitely my favorite vamp!!

I'm managing to create more LO too. Even before the DET Contest, I decided that I needed more practice anyway. Here's my latest . . .




Anyway, I'm off to relax and take in some more episodes of Moonlight! Woo! Hoo!

I'm so excited . . .

I made it to Round 2 of the DET Contest! You can see a copy of my LO by clicking on My DSP Gallery link to the right. It was a really fun kit to work with. The deadline for entries is once again Thursday night . . . and we'll have to wait I think until Saturday night (probably really late once again) to find out the results. I'm a bit more nervous this round although I really like the LO I came up with. But, no matter what happens . . . I'll have yet another LO added to my gallery! I've been telling myself that I really should do more LOs anyway and here I am! I definitely see an improvement and a style (I hope) of my own!

Anyway, I also need to finish my SNL kit for this month. The background papers and bow still need some work. And I'm not sure what to do with the gems, but all in all, I think it's looking pretty good! Here's a preview . . .

So, I'm off to do some more creating . . . IF I can concentrate! I think the contest is distracting me much more this time around!

A new blog banner

The new banner is an assemblage of my February kit for SNL at DSP. I wasn't too sure about the colors when I first saw them as orange is not one of my favorite colors. I did manage to use all the colors in the swatch. This was the first kit I made using PSE. There are certain things that I need to find work arounds for . . . (like not having layer masks!) so its alot different than working with CS2. It took me a long time to figure them out and now that I don't have them, I feel lost!!!

The frame (which looks like tarnished gold to me) was made using certain colors in combination with the render clouds filter and by layering with different blending modes. I really like the way it turned out! I think the rose quartz gems could still use a little more texture or veining in them but I was pretty happy with the way they turned out. I'll continue to try and tweak them as I figure out more on making gems, etc.

This is the preview as shown in the gallery at DSP (just in case and for when I change the banner again)

I also added a slideshow of my LO's in the side bar. I've been trying to step it up and create more LO's. Since it's good practice, I make a LO with my own SNL kit but also with the other SNLer's kits. Since I still had not used some of the kits I purchase from the DSP store I've used them as well and even bought another couple of kits from there as well.

Now if I could just figure out what's going on and why I can't add another animated GIF??? Anyway, I'm off for now, hopefully I'll be able to put together another freebie soon as well.

P.S. I also just entered the DET Contest at DSP . . . so now I have to step it up on the LOs!

Once upon a time . . .

This is a LO I did for the monthly Showcase Challenge at DSP for SNL. The elements used are from 15 different SNL'rs and I think I have a total of 18 elements.

Recently, I was able to get a copy of this photo. Mom had it framed and it sat on a side table at the condo along with another photo of Mom (at the age of 3 or 4) with her sisters. I was able to get a copy from my cousin of both photos. The original photo is full length and shows Buki's veil puddling all around in front of them. I cropped the photo for this LO so you could see their faces. The bouquet is huge and truly amazing as well! Rose is still supposed to get back to me on the exact date of their wedding so I'll update the LO when I get that info.

I also obtained a few other older photos and hope to be able to create LO's with those soon. In the mean time, I'm still trying to put together another freebie kit as well. I was just really excited about this LO and how it turned out that I had to post it here too!

A new challenge . . . both personally and professionally!

Well . . . I managed to place sixth in the contest at DSP. Now . . . I've taken the plunge and entered the Designer Finder Contest. Round One will be over at midnight on Friday. This is my entry . . .





















I actually like it quite a bit. Very girly, girly! Not something I would even considering buying myself since I have 2 boys. I especially like the way the flower and the laced element turned out. The pearls have been sitting in a folder on my computer for a while now so at least they've found a home for now! The papers are really great too! I just love the whole kit! I'm very proud of myself actually . . . and I think I deserve it . . . well at least for my first time shot.


I was really nervous about posting it, and a little apprehensive yesterday right after post it, but the responses have been great so far. Anyway, there's probably about 50 people who entered the contest . . . maybe more. I think the competition will be tough. There are some really great kits in the gallery so far! Most of the contestants have been with DSP for quite a while. As long as I'm learning more and furthering my skills with PS CS2, it will be worth a try!


And now I get to wonder what the next assignment will be. Gosh . . . this is starting to get me nervous all over again!

October's almost over!

Geez, I can't believe October is almost gone! I've been so busy helping Sam adjust to school and I also joined the NKOTB (that's New Kid On The Block) challenge at DSP. I've also been trying to sell some stuff on eBay. Busy, busy, busy . . . and, of course, been playing around in PS as well. I've been trying out patterns to make background papers for digi scrapping and even trying my hand at making blinkies. All very fun to do!

I wonder how long this addiction to digi-scrapping is really gonna last. Yesterday, I was thinking that maybe I was lost before I discovered digi-scrapping. I mean . . . really . . . most of my "hobbies" don't last that long. I do have my favorites, of course, but this is one that really seems to be sticking with me and it's like if I don't try something out in PS at least every day, I feel out of sorts. I've certainly been learning alot and have accumulated quite a bit of tutorials off the internet of things I want to try and things I think I might use one day. (That's in addition to all the magazines and books I already have!)


Anyway, let's see . . . here's a taste of something I recently created . . .

This is the layout I submitted for judging in the challenge at DSP previously mentioned. I really like this one the best of the three layouts that I did for the challenge. My hubby thought this was the best one too.

A whole week has passed me by . . .

Can't believe it's been a whole week since I last checked in here. With the kids beginning school again, the time just flies by. Trying to sell some stuff on eBay . . . so that's kind of keeping me busy as well. Think I hit a little rut in PS, but that's the way it goes. I just haven't really liked anything new that I've come up with. I'm sure something will spark soon enough.


In the mean time . . . here's another one of those mini pages I made for my iPod.

Aren't they just too COOL!

Mini Albums . . . they're addicting!

I've spent most of yesterday and today creating these mini pages for my nano. I think I've created about 25 or so thus far. I did an album for family, one for my garden and one for our recent trip to the zoo.

Here's a few of the pages I especially like . . .

Don't know how many more I've got in me but all I know is that I've got to create more! So off I go again to play in PS!

Keeping busy . . .

Seems I've missed a couple of days here. We went to Brookfield Zoo to see the new baby giraffe and I've been busy getting school supplies together. Been also playing around with PS making mini pages for the Nano. These are really fun to create . . . quick, easy, small and FUN!

Here are 2 so far that I like . . .

Even though the pic of Ian is pretty old, I like the way this "mini page" turned out! Like I mentioned . . . they're so quick and easy to make . . . it's addicting. I'm definitely making more of these today! Now I'll always have pics of them with me and I won't have to worry about ruining any original photographs. They're much nicer to look at than just a plain ol' photograph too!

By the way, I got this idea from Digital Scrapbooking magazine . . . in the June/July 2008 issue. This is a great magazine with some really cool ideas for digi scrapping!

Here's a photo of that baby giraffe too . . . it was taken by my little guy, Sam . . . I think he did a great job! The baby doesn't have a name yet so we'll have to wait and see.

Well, I'm off again to go play in PS!

How 'bout the header ^ !

I really like the way it turned out! It didn't take very long either. This is just a small sample of some of the digitial art I've been creating lately. I'll be posting additional pictures and samples in the near future.


I've dabbled from time to time with Photoshop and have learned a few things over the past year or so. Recently, I got the digital scrapbook bug (Lot's of fun!) and came across this at the bookstore . . .



















I still have lots to learn about the ins and outs of it all, but I'm definitely having a lot of fun learning!