Friday, September 30, 2011

The Blog Train for October is Leaving The Station!

Good day everyone!
It is time again for The Blog Train.... so why not hop aboard and pick up a lot of goodies!  We had an open theme this month but still had the same palette to work with.  Because of the open theme, not all the kits will be theme cohesive but will be color cohesive.  Please please please, leave some love for those you pick up and (as my mother always said) if you don't like it, please just pass it by and don't leave nasty notes.  That gets no one anywhere and all of the Designers have put their heart and soul into their minis for you and then offer them for FREE.... so please be nice.

Here is my part... the colors took me right to fall and the wonderful animals of it.  I might expand on this with a full kit so be on the look out.  I hope you enjoy it along with all the others.

You should have come from Designs by Krista
Your next stop will be Mommyish
If you happened to pick up in the middle or get lost please check out the entire train list here
Please remember that Designers are from every part of the world and may not get their parts up at the same time, please check back if one is missing.



Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Contest wraps up with a little Magic!

Good day everyone!
I hope you all are having a great start to the week.  I am finally feeling a tad bit better.... I hate the season changes as my sinuses go crazy and I usually get a cold. Guess I can't complain too much as I don't get overly sick any other time of the year.

So I talked before about my DH wanting to start a new business doing embroidery, digital scrapbooking, photography and cake design.... well, I have started making strides at making his dream come true.  I got my foot in the door at my son's elementary school and with the creativity of some of the teachers, I have been swamped with embroidery.  I have also volunteered to help with the yearbook which has sparked some interest in the photography and digital scrapbooking.  I love that I am getting this on a roll, but it has definately make me much more busy than I was before.... but I love doing it all (even if I get fustrated and tired) and can see my DH and I making a business out of it.  Thanks to all of you supporting us in this new adventure!

Ok now on to the "Magic"!  This last round in the 2nd chance designer contest was to create a kit around the theme Midnight.  This took me a while to get my head around seeing that at Midnight I am usually (hopefully) asleep; but, I just kept asking myself what do I think of midnight.  I came with Cinderella's time limit of midnight.  Then I didn't want it to be the cutesy animated version so I fell back on my favorite movie "Ever After" starring Drew Barrymore, one of my favorites.... and decided to go with the scene of her in that gorgeous gown and sparkly wings.  I hope you enjoy my version of this long time childrens favorite.... make sure to head on over to pick it up because it will be gone on the "Stroke of Midnight" on October 1st.


Download Expired
Other 2nd Chance Entries
Original Contest Entries

Please make sure to leave some love with any of the designers that you choose to pick up their designs.  Everyone worked very hard and could use some encouragement.  Please plan on picking everything up sooner than later because all rounds will be removed October 1st.

Have a blessed week!


Thursday, September 22, 2011

Template Time Again!

Good day everyone!
It's that time of the month again for a template challenge. I have come up with a simple 5 photo layout that you can add to, take from or just flip around to meet your needs. I would love to see what you come up with, so if you pick up the template, then swing by the gallery and forum for me to see your beautiful creation and leave you some love.  You never know..... you might just get a gift certificate to my shop for participating.




Sunday, September 18, 2011

A Hero's Welcome!

Good day everyone!

Alright so this week went a little smoother than the last except for my computer that I do all my embroidery work on stopped working.  I have a friend working on it right now in hopes that he can get up and working again.  If not, I do have my designing computer but then I have to run up and down the stairs when I want to fix details.  Guess that is better than not having any computer at all... Right?!?!

Anyway, I made it to the 3rd round of the 2nd Chance Challenge and am very proud of what I made this week.  We were given a basic group of colors (browns/greys), given the theme "Evening News" and were told to add a couple colors, use no CU and create 4 papers/10 elements.  Seeing that around here the evening news is filled with homecoming, I decided to do a military homecoming mini (which I will definately put into a full kit).  It is definately not like the other entries seeing its very specific but I really am proud of my work.  I changed the elements many times before I came up with some that I thought worked well together.  I have included 4 papers, 1 word art, 2 layered buttons, 1 banner, 1 child reaching, 1 flag on pole, 1 frame, 1 tag, 1 staple and a grouping confetti.  I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed making it.  I have also created a second word art to go with the kit that I am giving you.... seeing that mommies are in the military too.  Would love to hear what you think and see what you make with it!


Download Expired
You can pick up the other 2nd Chance Entries here
and you can pick up the Original Contest Entries here



Monday, September 12, 2011

Summer Afternoon

Hi all!
This week has been another crazy week with playing with medications, emergency room trips and extra business with the embroidery.  Things have been great today though, and I am so pleased for that. Yesterday, I had to take my oldest to the ER after he cut his hand between the thumb and finger with a box cutter.  He was trying to make a poke ball out of a tennis ball.... when he was trying to cut the tennis ball open he got himself.  He came screaming through the house apologizing for cutting himself.  We got it under water (and I saw how bad it was) and then he asked me if I would have to have his hand cut off now.  Trying not to laugh at him, I told him no but we were going to the hospital for stitches.  Being petrified of needles, we talked about when I had stitches and that sometimes they have a topical numbing gel.  When we got to see the doc, he asked for the topical and was given it but was told because of how deep it was, he would also need the needle.  He was ok with that and we proceeded.  He ended up with 4 stitches inside and 8 on the outside.  He did no damage to muscles or anything else.... doc said he was lucky.  Just hate doing those things by myself, but then again the DH is afraid of needles too so I would have done it by myself anyway... hehehe.  Love you sweetie!

Ok so I did not make it to Round 2 of the Next Designer Contest due to an issue with an element but they are allowing me to proceed in the Second Chance Contest.  This week we have the same challenge as the original contestants.... we had to use their preview, make 6 papers, 1 cluster and minimum of 20 elements.  We had to use the theme and title of Summer Afternoon and make sure that our title was very prominent in our preview.  My interpretation of this was a family kit so I hope you like it..... leave some love here or in the gallery.


Download Expired
You can find the original contest entries for Round 2 here
And the 2nd Chance contest entries here



Sunday, September 4, 2011

Week 1 of the Next Designer Contest


Good day everyone!

Hope you all are enjoying your Labor Day Weekend, if you celebrate, and soaking of the end of summer. We have finally gotten some rain and relief from the heat. Yesterday we hit a staggering 105 degrees, but luckily we are only in the 80's.

I have found some time to get my entry finished for the Next Designer Contest over at The Studio. We were challenged to make a mini kit with 3 patterned papers, 2 plain papers and 12 elements. We were also given a grouping of pastel colors and a theme of daybreak.... seeing my mornings are filled with running, screaming, fighting and crying, this was a hard theme but I just used my imagination and let the colors inspire me. Make sure to leave some love if you choose to pick it up.... and don't forget to pick up all the other freebie minis as well.

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The other Designers Entries
Have a blessed day!  Please keep all the hurricane victims in your prayers.


Friday, September 2, 2011

Final Week of Designer Apprentice

Goodday everyone!
Hope you all had a good week.... this week was terribly crazy and today was not an acception.  I ran from one appointment to another and from one side of town to another from 7:45am until 3:30pm.  I have definately put my mileage in but finally got majority of things out of the way.  Now all I have left is to fit a visit to the car dealership to get an oil change, fix my gas cover and the dvd (the children decided to put 2 dvds in the player that only accepts 1 at a time - do have to say it has been nice listening to the radio instead of I want that movie, no I want that movie all the time).

Ok so I had very limited time but did come up with an entry that I am very proud of and love.  I did have to redo the preview what feels like a hundred times before I really liked it, and I am still not sure of it.  We were asked to do 10 elements (6 had to be layered, 4 had to be basic and we could only use 5 CU) to match either our week 2 papers or week 4.  I choose to make elements for last weeks challenge as I love the colors and theme.... plus I got much better response from commentors and judges.  I hope you enjoy my interpretation of "Many Thanks"

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Don't forget that you can still pick up the papers that coordinate with these elements for a short time, so don't delay, go get them while they are free.  Also, there are ALOT of outstanding designers in the challenge that you must go pick up as well.


Now don't worry that you are not going to get any more goodies because The Studio's Next Designer Contest has just started and I have entered it as well.  My first entry is due this Monday, so make sure to check out mine and all the other Designers entries.  If you are up for the challenge, there is a Layout Artist CT Competition as well that you can enter.  Find out more below....
Next Designer Forum and Gallery


Layout Artist Forum and Gallery



Thursday, September 1, 2011

DSF Fathers Day Blog Train

Good day everyone!

I want to start with an apology. I was supposed to have this scheduled, in fact, I thought I had but time got away from me and I totally forgot. This last 2 weeks has been crazy with in-laws visiting, school appointments, doctor appointments and helping a friend as her DH got shot in Afghanistan. He is alright but will have to have surgery and is in a hosptial several hours away.

I hope you enjoy this blog hop and I will be back in the next day or so with my last entry into the Designer Apprentice. I really like how its coming out but it has been a struggle with the limited time and restrictions.

Anyway.... here is my part of Father's Day!


You should have come from Fun With Digi-Scrap
Next you should visit Jumpstart Designs
If you happen to get lost, swing by the Digiscrap Forum for the full list.