Pattern Tutorial & a Freebie

Wow! I sure hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  We had our family Christmas on Saturday at my older daughter’s house and it was fun watching all the grownups play Mario Cart on the Wii.  They sure are competitive!  Too bad the grandkids kept demanding to play with their game.

Today, I want to talk about patterns.  As I was visiting the digital stores with all their Christmas sales, I saw lots of papers with designs like Santas, candy canes, bears, etc.  So I want to show you an easy way to make those patterns.  I am using Photoshop CS3, but you should be able to adapt to other programs.

Open a new document 12 x 12 with a white background.  Create a new layer above the white background and make it your active layer.  Set your Grid preferences by going to Edit > Preferences > Grid and make sure the Grid is set to Gridline every 1 inch and Subdivisions: 2.  Go to View > Show > Grid to turn your Grid on. 

Zoom in on your Grid area so you have a good clear place to work.  Using your custom shape tool, create the shape you want.  I am using the heart shape.  Draw the shape out in the center of your 1-inch square.  You will see the darker lines that create the 1-inch and the lighter lines that intersect are at 1/2-inch.  Draw the shape and center it exactly in the middle of the square.  Rasterize the shape (Layer > Rasterize).  Make it any size you want but not too big as you need to add more to the square.  Now duplicate that layer (Ctrl-J) and move it to the top left of the square.  Duplicate again and move to the top right, then again to the two bottom squares as shown on the picture below.

Once you have them all centered, click on all the 5 shape layers and merge them into one (Layers > Merge Layers) or Ctrl-E.  Now click off the eye on the white background layer so the background is transparent.  Go to View > Snap To > Grid then use the Rectangular Marquee Tool and select the 1-inch square.  The selection will snap to the grids.

Now all you have to do is define the pattern (Edit > Define Pattern) and give it a name.  I named mine Hearts.

Now there are two ways to  fill your pattern.  You can close all that out and open a new document, 12 x 12.  Fill your background with your chosen color.  Create a new layer and to to Edit > Fill and chose this newly-created pattern and you have your heart paper.  By putting them on a new layer above your solid color, you can Ctrl-Click on the thumbnail of the hearts and fill them with a different color.

The second way to fill the pattern is if you want the pattern to be a different size.  This time create a new layer above your solid background and click on the “Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer” icon.

The instant you click on pattern, your background will be filled with your pattern.  Click on the little arrow key and  then use the slider back and forth to fill the pattern larger or smaller.

To change the color of the pattern needs to be done a different way this time.  Create a new layer above this and fill with your color of choice for the pattern.  With the color layer active, go to Layer > Create Clipping Mask or Alt+Ctrl+G.  You now have the pattern in a new color.

You can experiment with where and how you place the shapes on the 1-inch square to get different patterns.  Just see what you like.

Now after sitting through this long tutorial, I do have a freebie for you.  I am giving you a pattern file with eight patterns for you.  But try the tutorial and see how easy it is for you to make your own patterns for overlays.

DOWNLOAD

The pattern file has two polka dots, shamrock, hearts, spiral, crown, witch and snowman.  Hope you enjoy them and have a God-filled day.

Christmas Joy Freebie

I think I said on my last post that I was going to make some Christmas cards to match my Christmas tags.  Well, that didn’t happen.  I don’t even have my Christmas cards mailed yet, and I couldn’t get the matching cards to look right, so I gave up. 

Instead I decided to make a little Christmas mini kit.  It has 3 papers and 10 elements.  When my kids were young, I used to love decorating for Christmas.  The day after Thanksgiving my son and husband put the outside lights on and then that evening we would decorate the tree.  My kids always looked forward to that; my husband not so much. 

Here’s the preview for the kit.

 

DOWNLOAD

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas filled with the love and peace of our Lord Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christmas Tags Freebie

It has been over a month since I last posted something.  There has been so much going on in my life.  As some of you may know, I lost my step-father in July and then quite suddenly & unexpectedly, I lost my sister the end of September.  We had already lost my brother last year, and all of a sudden, in the space of two months, my mother was left with only me.  This has necessitated her move to Texas from California, where she has lived for the past 60 years.  It has not been easy on her to lose so much and then leave her home too. 

And in the middle of all this, my son Travis has been preparing to deploy to Iraq for his second tour.  We all were together for a fabulous, wonderful Thanksgiving and then he left the country Friday on his Dad’s birthday.  I hope that everyone in this country takes a few moments during this upcoming holiday season to remember all our troops overseas.

I have had so many ideas rolling around in my head to create, but have just not had the time.  So today, I finally was able to spend some time on my computer.  These are Christmas tags that can be used in your layouts, but can also be printed out and used on presents for those special people in your life.  The download includes eight different tags in png format as well as a png sheet of all tags that can be printed on a 8-1/2 x 11 cardstock for cutting.

After you cut them out, you can use a hole punch to punch a hole for attaching a ribbon or string, or just tape the tags to the present.  Now I want to work on a matching set of Christmas cards.  Hope you all have a God-filled day.

More Styles Freebies

All of my files are posted on MediaFire but sometimes there are problems with downloading.  I don’t quite know what the problem is but sometimes it seems like MediaFire just hangs there and the file never downloads.  I had an email from someone trying to download my Calendar Template and it wouldn’t work.  So I have decided to start offering two download options, one on MediaFire and one on 4shared.  Hopefully that should help if one of them has a problem.  I have added the 4shared link to the Calendar Template for anyone who might have had issues with it.  If there are any previous files that can’t be downloaded, just let me know and I will add them to 4shared also.

Here are my other two styles that I created. One is Leather and the other is Wood.  Remember to follow the tips I mentioned on my earlier post on the styles tutorial.  Due to the size of the files, I have had to break them into 3 files each.  My source file for the styles are large and I prefer to keep them that way so the image can be moved around to give the best possible choices of the style.  If you wish to put them all back into one file, just load each of the styles (make sure that the 3 files are the only styles showing on the style palette) then save as a new file.

Leather Styles 1    Download MediaFire  or  4shared

Leather Styles 2    Download MediaFire  or  4shared

Leather Styles 3    Download MediaFire  or  4shared

Wood Styles 1    Download MediaFire  or  4shared

Wood Styles 2    Download MediaFire  or  4shared

Wood Styles 3    Download MediaFire  or  4shared

Hope you enjoy the new styles and have a God-filled day.

Styles Tutorial & Freebie

I want to talk about styles. There are tons of free styles that you can download off the net, as well as lots of styles you can buy. Just Google Photoshop styles or visit any digital site and you’ll know what I mean. And I have tons and tons of styles, but I always had a problem with most of the styles. Most of them just didn’t seem to make my elements look the way I wanted. And I couldn’t figure out how to make styles from texture photos. It took me awhile to figure it out, and I only stumbled upon it by accident. Some things are just not quite so obvious to me. So I thought I would write a tutorial to help others with styles.

One of the first things you should do is create your Blank Style Set. Photoshop comes with a default set of styles and there is no way to delete all the styles except one by one. The default set of styles includes a white circle with a red line through it.

Put your cursor over the first style after that white box. Hold down your ALT key and you will see the cursor change to scissors. Keep holding the ALT key while you left click your mouse and the style will be deleted. Keep deleting until all styles are deleted and you are left with only the white box with the arrow on it. (By the way, this is also the way to delete shapes from your loaded shapes palette.)

Now click on the little drop-down arrow as shown on the image and this will bring up your Styles choices.

Click on Save Styles and name it “A Master Style Set”.

I use this name because it keeps it on the top of the list of all my styles. Now each time you wish to create a new set of styles, you will not have to delete all the styles in your styles palette. Just Load Styles (from the same Styles Choice Box) and load the Master Style Sheet.

Open any texture photo you might have. One of my favorite sites is CG Textures. Or you can take pictures of various different textures. I am using a metal texture. Open the texture picture, and choose Image > Duplicate. Name your duplicate image and close the original.

Go to Filter > Other > Offset

Choose the settings as shown below and click OK.

Go to Edit > Define Pattern and name your pattern. Click OK and close your duplicated texture photo. You do not have to save the duplicate.

Now create a new document (any size you wish). I usually start with a 5 x 5 inch, 300 pixels document. Choose your rectangle tool (bottom arrow) and make sure the shape layers selection is selected (top arrow).

Draw out a rectangle; it doesn’t matter what color you use. Then go to Layer > Rasterize > Shape. You now have an element to create your style with.

See the little FX on your layers palette?

Click on that to bring up your Layer Style and click on Blending Options.

You can now choose all the elements of your new style.

Double Click on Pattern Overlay and you will now see the Pattern Box (top arrow). Click on the little drop down arrow and all your patterns can now be seen. Go to the bottom of the list and the last pattern will be the one you just created. Double click on that but DO NOT click OK yet.

You will see that your pattern has now filled your rectangle. But here comes the most important part.

Underneath the Pattern box is a scale with a slider and a %.

If you slide that slider back and forth, you will see the texture photo change. It increases or decreases the image. Just keep sliding until you get the desired effect you want on your rectangle. If you want a bevel to your style, click on the Bevel and Emboss and change the Depth and Size as you desire. Again DO NOT click OK.

Under your blending options, you can add any other effects you wish: Drop & Inner Shadow, Outer and Inner Glow, Stroke, etc. When you have your desired style on the rectangle, then it is time to save your new style.

Click on New Style and then name your style whatever you wish.

You will see your new style appear in the Styles Palette. You can continue making several different styles in this style set. For example, if you are making metal styles, like I am, then you might want to make several different types of metal styles using different metal texture pictures. Or wood styles, or cardstock styles, etc, etc.

Once you have all the styles finished in this set, then Save Styles like you did earlier when you saved your Master Style Set. You now have your new Style set.

The important thing to remember is that anytime you use a style, whether it is one you made, purchased, or downloaded as a freebie, always bring up the Blending Options and make any changes you wish. After you have applied the style of your choice to your element, you can then double click on the style effects (see the red arrow below) and make any changes to that style you wish to make your element or paper look how you want it to look.  Just as you used the slider to change the image when you created the style, you can also use the slider again on ANY style after you have applied it.

Sometimes a style will look good on a large tag but that same style will not look good on an alpha or some other element. You have to go into the blending options and make adjustments. This is the key that I never understood. I would use the purchased style (or one I had downloaded as a freebie) and it would just not look right. It never occurred to me that I could change the settings of any style because I did not truly understand how to create one.

So I hope that this helps in understanding layer styles and how to use them. And as my freebie, here is my set of metal styles I made for this tutorial. 

 

Hope you enjoy it and may you have a God-filled day.

Calendar Template Freebie

This is a calendar template I have been working on.  I want to do a family calendar this Christmas, so I had to devise a template to do each month.  It is in a psd format and has all the months already set up for the upcoming 2010. The psd is an 11x17 size which you can have one of the online companies like Shutterfly print for you.  Or you can separate it and print the top and bottom as separate 8 1/2 x 11 pieces and spiral-bind it at the center.

I have done an example for January and February to show you how you can utilize the template.  January uses the date area as one mat that you can clip another paper or color to and have one solid area.  Here is my example:

I’ve set six separate weeks up on their own layer that you can hide and use only the monthly background like I did for January.  Or you can use the separate weeks like I did for February below:

I used a background and clipped it to the individual gray squares and left the white ones alone.  This way you can also clip a picture on an individual day like I did of my son for his birthday.  This is what the template looks like.

It is a multi-layered psd file that you can download here on MediaFire or here on 4shared.  If you have any questions or problems, please do not hesitate to let me know by leaving a comment. 

I am working on some styles that I will post this weekend, as well as a tutorial on how to use and create your own styles.  Have a God-filled day.

Weekly Scripture Freebie

I have to apologize for the length of my absence for anyone following my weekly scriptures. But on September 22, my sister died very suddenly and unexpectedly. She was only 57 years old, and to some of you that may sound old, but for many of us, that is still young. How do you prepare for the death of a loved one? With a sudden death, you have to deal not only with the grief and loss, but the shock as well. Last January, I lost my brother to pancreatic cancer. We had a year to prepare for that, but no amount of time could really prepare you for the pain of losing someone you love.

It just so happened that today was my first day back to church after losing my sister, and the sermon was on Heaven. Our pastor talked about the certainty life after death and knowing that Heaven exists. When we have faith in Jesus Christ, there is no fear of death. I know for my sister and brother, they are in Heaven. They were both saved and believers of Christ. There is joy knowing that they are in a better place and that they are now without pain. But the grief and pain I now suffer is in the loss of my siblings and my shared heritage. They were my only siblings; I am the last one left. That is a hard thing to come to terms with. I remember when my grandmother lost her last sister and how it devastated her. But she was 84 years old when her sister died and my grandmother had been the youngest of all the children. I am the oldest and never thought to lose both my siblings so young. The sad part is that my mother also lost her husband, my step-father, in July. In less than two years, she lost a husband and two children.

In honor of my brother and sister, I have scrapped a page for each of them. I used kits by Cari Lopez for these pages and made them 8x10 so they could be framed.

My brother Mike Mason. He was only 51 years old and left a wife, three children, three grandchildren plus one more on the way.

My sister Terri Simpson. She was 57 years old and left four children and eight grandchildren.

The following page is one I did for my mother and me.

The scripture for the week is simply done, I hope you enjoy it. Have a God-filled day.

You can download here. Be sure to check back again soon. I am working on a calendar template for 2010.

Autumn Frame Freebie

Today is the Summer Equinox, which comes from the Latin words meaning “equal night”.   It is believed to be a time of balance when “day and night are equal”.  And in the Northern hemisphere, it is the beginning of Autumn.  That means summer is officially over.  Unfortunately, Houston doesn’t seem to understand that.  We still have hot muggy weather and afternoon showers which only  make it more muggy.  But more importantly, it is my granddaughter Cheyenne’s birthday.  She turned eleven today, even though she says she still feels ten.  But then Randy says she feels ten too.  She is so anxious to be big like her sister.

So in honor of Autumn, Cheyenne and this hot muggy weather, I have created this little autumn frame for you.  You can use it for personal use only and can download here.  Enjoy and have a God-filled day.

Hebrews 11:1 Freebie

Someone sent me this story through email today and I thought it was appropriate for today’s scripture.  It also goes along with what I have been saying about kids and what goes through their minds.

Last week, I took my children to a restaurant.  My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, 'God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!'

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, 'That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!'

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, 'Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?'

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, 'I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer.'

'Really?' my son asked.

'Cross my heart,' the man replied.

Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), 'Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.'

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, 'Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already.'

Don’t you just love kids?  They have the faith and the love of the innocent.  And that is what faith is.  You can’t always put it into words but as one of my dear friends says, “I know what I know what I know”.  I don’t have all the answers and I can’t explain everything in the Bible, but God can, and one of these days, He will explain it all to me.

So anyway, here is my Scripture for the week.  Enjoy and have a God-filled day.

You can download here.

Fall is in the Air Blog Train Departs NOW

Well, it is finally time for this train to depart. Our group, Scrap Stuff With PSP and PS, have a new Blog Train, called Fall is in the Air, departing Monday, Sept 14. Now some of us have probably posted a little early and some maybe even a little late as I am not sure where everyone in the group lives in this world. But I am posting mine now so it will be ready in time. Here is the preview for my part.

It has 15 papers and 23 elements, all created full size at 300dpi. You can download here.

Below are the participants on this train. Be sure to check their blogs out to get their share of the train. Enjoy and have a God-filled day.

1. Robin: http://digiscrapsdezines.blogspot.com
2. Tyger: http://tygerstidbits.blogspot.com
3. Kelly: http://kellyskreation.blogspot.com/
4. Miguy: http://miguydesign.blogspot.com/
5. Sassy: http://sassysimagination.blogspot.com/
6. Lena: http://a-design-lena.blogspot.com
7. Kaz: http://scrapbookingautism.blogspot.com/
8. Tara: http://tcssweets.blogspot.com
9. Xelaxel: http://xelaxscrapfree.blogspot.com/
10. Lalla: http://littlecornerofscrapbooking.blogspot.com/
11. Spencer: http://humbuggraphicsgalore.blogspot.com/
12. Catmom: http://the-cats-meow-too.blogspot.com/
13. Jenny: http://jennysdesignz.blogspot.com/
14. Teri: http://terisscrappinplaytime.blogspot.com/
15. Diz: http://Dizzinz.blogspot.com
16. Tron: http://princess-dakita.blogspot.com/
17. Micki: <<YOU ARE HERE>>
18. Myst Designs: http://oceanmystdesigns.blogspot.com/
19. Scrapersville: http://scrappersville.blogspot.com/

Best reason to scrap

Bill Cosby used to have a TV show called “Kids Say the Darndest Things” that I always thought was hilarious.  Sometimes you have to wonder what goes through kids’ minds when they say or do things.  And every once in awhile they come up with a doozy.  Now my granddaughter Randy watches TV in her parent’s bedroom until she falls asleep (which is usually not too long after she lays down).  This is to allow her and Cheyenne to actually go to sleep since they share a bedroom.  Well anyway, this is what we found when it was time to move her.

Now what exactly was going through her mind as she put the laundry basket on the bed, crawled into it and covered herself up to watch TV.  And can it even be comfortable?  At least I have the pictures to show her tomorrow and this is the best reason to scrap so she will always be able to look back and say “I did WHAT?”

Have a God-filled day.

Pre-Blog Train Freebie

I was going to wait until later in the week to post my next pre-blog freebie, but I have the blues now and thought this would help.  My son is leaving tomorrow to go to Ft. Hood, then on to Ft. Bliss before deploying in mid-December.  We thought he was going to have a week home between Ft. Hood & Bliss, but he just found out today that won’t happen.  There is a slight possibility he may get a Thanksgiving pass to come home, but we won’t know til later.  This will be his second trip to Iraq.  His oldest daughter started high school this year and I think it is harder on teenagers because they have a better understanding of what it means.  I remember when my Dad went to Vietnam when I was a senior in high school and he missed my high school graduation.  That was hard on both of us.

So here is my pre-blog freebie.  It matches the color scheme and can be used along with my part of the blog train.  Don’t forget to check back on Monday, Sep 14th to catch a ride on the train.  Download here and have a God-filled day.

Weekly Scripture – Psalm 46:10 Freebie

This may come as a surprise to those that know me, but I am a fixer. (I can hear all my kids going DUH!).  I have this perpetual need to “fix” everybody’s problems.  Now that can be good when they come to me for my opinion and assistance, but not so good when they don’t want that assistance.  My sister says I just like to be in control.  That probably goes back to when we were kids and I, being the oldest, was always being admonished by my father with sayings like - “You’re the oldest, why’d you let them do this?” or “You’re the oldest, take care of your sister and brother.”  So naturally, I grew up thinking I had to fix everything and everybody.  I was in control.

Well, then along came God into my life, and He says He is in control.  WHAT? I am supposed to sit back and let God be in charge?  In His timing?  Me, the most impatient person in the world?  Hello, do you know me?

So, the monumental struggle in my life began.  God, in his infinite wisdom and love, just patiently waits for me to flop around on my own as I foolishly try to “be in control” of my life.  HA!  I have learned that it goes so much easier when I let Him be in charge.  Uses up a whole lot less energy too if I don’t worry and just let Him handle it all.  So this brings me to the Scripture for the week, Psalm 46:10.  “Be still, and know that I am God.”  Simple words, but such a powerful statement.  We live in a broken world, but God is still in charge.

So my freebie for today is this scripture with a cross.  I am also giving you the cross by itself.  Enjoy and have a God-filled day.

You can download here.

Blog Train Coming & A Freebie Now

I am so jazzed, twice!  I started this blog to sorta keep in touch with my family and show them my layouts as I did them.  Then as I tried my hand at designing a few things, I gave some freebies away, not really expecting any one to see my little obscure blog.  And lo and behold, today I was found by DigiFree.  How exciting is that?  For those who don’t know (like my family), DigiFree is a Digital Scrapbooking Freebie Search Engine and you can find them here.  There are tons of blogs listed that give away scrapping freebies.  AND I AM ONE OF THEM!!  (Just let me enjoy my 10 seconds of fame).

The second reason I am so jazzed is that I signed up for my very first blog train.  I lurk at several different forums trying to learn as much as I can, and one of them is the Scrap Stuff with PSP and PS Google Group.  They were starting a new blog train and I decided to take the plunge.  It departs the 14th of September and here is the color palette.

That is still 12 days away, but I wanted to get the word out early.  You can get the full scoop here.  And here is a little freebie to get you started.

The download gives you the frame and the Fall Welcome clip art separately so it is more versatile.  You can grab it here.  Check back again for another freebie before the blog train departs and have a God-filled day.

Back to School Freebie

Well, today was the first day of school for the kids.  Randy was so excited that she was going to be in first grade because that means she is a BIG girl and not a baby anymore.  Last night I threatened them, I mean cautioned them, not to wake me up in the morning when they get up.  They get up an hour before I have to get up and usually make enough noise to wake the dead.  Well first off, Ryan’s alarm woke me up, twice.  The kids did pretty good until Randy ran down the hallway yelling to her mother that Cheyenne was trying to kick her.  Then Brandi was yelling because Sam had gotten out when Randy went out the door.  Now Sam can’t stand it when the kids go to school and he usually sits on the end of his lead barking until he can’t see the kids anymore.  Bear in mind we have no fence in the back yard and that is connected to the open field that leads to the school, so you can watch the kids until they walk into the front door.  Well, this morning he got out and proceeded to run all over the field barking excitedly as he “accompanied” Randy to school.  Brandi chased that stupid dog for almost an hour until one of the school office workers took pity on her and helped her trap him between two cars.  So much for Sam’s first day at school.

So then after the kids went to school, Bob took Brandi and Ryan shopping for a new couch.  Here is what happens when two dogs decide to attack a couch.

That poor couch is so old and has been falling apart for so long that I guess the dogs decided to “help” get rid of it.  A new couch was bought and now we have wall-to-wall furniture.  I cannot understand what would possess them to think we had enough room for such a big couch.  It is definitely pretty though.

So in honor of the first day back to school, here is the freebie for today.  It is a Back To School frame and tag, using Clipart by Tina.  Hope you enjoy it and have a God-filled day.

Download here.

Scripture for the week

Here it is Sunday again.  The weekend always seems to go by pretty fast.  But boy, did the summer really fly.  Friday Brandi and I had to go to the school to sign the residency form out for the kids since they all live with me.  And Tuesday they start school.  Cheyenne is pretty excited about going to middle school as she will be in the 5th grade.  When I was a kid, we had elementary for grades K-5th and then junior high for 6th, 7th and 8th.  But now I guess there are just too many kids because they have middle school for 5th and 6th then junior high for 7th & 8th.  Randy on the other hand will be in first grade and, according to her, means she is now a BIG girl.  She is no longer a baby like she was when she was only five.  Bob took them to see G-Force at the movies today and they really had a ball.

I am trying to post more often and put up more freebies, so today I am starting something new.  Each Sunday I will offer a Scripture WordArt, along with something to go with it, like a frame or paper.  This first one is with a frame from Granny Art.  It is from Deuteronomy and is the greatest commandment.  Sometimes we have a tendency to get so involved in day-to-day living that we forget our real purpose on earth.

You can download here.  Have a God-filled day.

Dogs can be smarter than people

I have to tell you about our dog Sam. He is a one-year old yellow Lab who is the friendliest dog you can find. He loves chewing on things and over the course of the nine months we have had him, he has chewed up a lot of stuff. He loves my granddaughter Randy and sleeps next to her whenever possible. The other morning when I left for work, Randy was sleeping in the recliner chair, side to side, and Sam was sleeping on top of her. All I saw was her head and feet sticking out from under Sam. Most of his body was scrunched in between Randy and the back of the chair, but a lot of it spilled over onto Randy.

Sam has a habit of letting my son-in-law Ryan know when he wants something. He will go up to Ryan and bark at him. The other night, Ryan was sitting in the recliner when Sam came up and starting barking at him. Ryan, figuring that Sam needed to go outside, got up and started walking towards the back door to let him out. As soon as Ryan was clear of the chair, Sam jumped up into it and settled down for his nap. Sam wanted the chair and Ryan was in his way. And it worked too, because Ryan just moved over to the rocking chair and continued to watch TV. No wonder Sam is king of the household.

The kids start back to school next week. During the summer time they stay up quite late and usually make enough noise to keep me up. They go to bed much earlier during school, but they make way too much noise in the mornings before I have to get up. There are lots of Back To School kits available (check out the Back To School Blog here for an enormous free collab kit by over 100 designers.) So I made this cute little sunflower pot for you.

(Link has been fixed. Sorry about that)

You can download it here. Have a God-filled day!

Windows Live

I have just discovered Windows Live, which has all kinds of components, including Windows Messenger, Mail, Photo and Writer.  I could care less about the Messenger or Mail, but I am definitely interested in Writer and maybe Photo.

Windows Writer is supposedly a WYSIWYG editor for writing to your blogs.  So I am writing this post in Windows Live.  I had all kinds of problems getting the settings done correctly, but once I got it right, it was a breeze.

We were watching TV yesterday and Ryan decided he wanted some of his beef jerky as a snack.  He was sitting in the recliner, but had to move to the desk because he had an audience.  These pictures will show you what I mean.

 

 

In case you can’t tell, that is Squeekers the Cat and the two dogs, Dixie and Sam, that are determined to have a share of Ryan’s snack.  Squeekers had the advantage because he could almost get his face into the bag, but Sam and Dixie had to wait their turn.  It is tough eating anything around our house. 

You might also notice the couch behind Ryan.  The dogs have made this couch their own.  And when Ryan accidently tore a small piece off the edge of it, the dogs completed the act by tearing it to shreds one day when we were gone.  Sometimes when we leave them alone, they retaliate by tearing things up.  It is usually just paper or plastic hangers we give them, but sometimes it is more destructive, like the couch, shoes, or the latest victim: the remote control for my big TV.

And they say dogs are FUN.

My Biggest Challenge

I am really getting into doing color challenges. This month it is one at Hummie's World. Because I am just now starting to design, the color challenges present a great way to get inspiration. And that is my biggest challenge. I have always said that I have the talent to do, but I just don't have the talent to create. In order to create, you have to have a really great imagination, of which I have none. When I used to paint ceramics, I could not "see in color". That white piece of bisque I was getting ready to paint was just that....a white piece of bisque. My daughter Brandi can look at it and "see" it in color, so she knew what she was going to paint. I knew how to paint it but I just didn't know what colors to use.

Now I am faced with the same thing in learning to design for digiscrapping. God gave me the desire to create all kinds of things, but in his infinite humor, He left out the ability to create. That I have to struggle with. So color challenges are one way to help give me that push I need. So over at Hummie's World, I decided to participate in her August color challenge. And this is what I came up with.















This kit is for personal use only and is created at 300 ppi. There are 6 papers, 4 frames, 3 ribbon wraps and one flower corner for the frames. You can download here.