Girls on Film

I had so much fun creating this scrapbook page. It was for the "Scrap Around the World" challenge at Scrap Attack. We were to place our photos on a slant like the leaning tower of Pisa resembling a film strip of photos. Also use a cluster of circles - round in shape like grapes. Well, my cluster of circles are not quite like grapes, but I loved the opportunity to make some paper flowers. After I made some paper with glossy card stock and alcohol inks I punched or cut some circles for placing around the page. So, 2 techniques I learned from the same fun website!
For the black card stock under the photos I used my Stampin' Up double rectangle punch 60 times to create the strip effect - way too much time there but I love the results. When I was done except for the title I sat the page out for my family to admire (of course) and to help me come up with a title. I don't usually wait until the page is done before coming up with a title. {Hum, that may be a good question to ask the audience in a later post - How do you come up with your titles?}
I can thank my Dear Daughter for this title - which is a Duran Duran song.
Now, my next challenge is to create a page or two greeting cards with quilling - something totally new to me.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with cabbage for dinner

When I was growing up I preferred raw vegetables over cooked so my grandmother left a wedge or two for me when she made a dish of cabbage. Last year I went to an authentic Irish dinner at the church I worked for that served delicious potatoes, unlike anything I had previously eaten in my life. This year I will make my family that dish called colcannon potatoes. I got this recipe from “Taste of Home Holiday”. Dear son will be cooking up a traditional corned beef with cabbage as well. Dear daughter has some special request too, so we will be trying more new recipes.
Speaking of her, she had her first shipment of Avon come in and it’s like Christmas! I’m so excited about her business taking off here and her website is doing well too.
My scrapbook layout was picked at the Scrap Attack Scrapbook site so I am Star for the Day today! I used one of the photos I scanned and cleaned up. The tulle seems to have been the key element. Over the weekend trip to JoAnn’s Fabric to pick up a sheet of foam padding for the breakfast nook seat I spotted this soft shade of tulle the lady ahead of me was having cut. On a whim, thinking it might look great on a scrapbook page, I picked up a yard for me. Glad I did. The tulle worked perfectly for the challenge to use one of the “old words” from the Irish and to add a shamrock to the page. Although the sparkly shamrock really doesn’t show well in the photograph, it is a nice little touch to the page. I used a heart stamp, applied it three times with Stampin’ Up craft celery ink, coated with Heat & Stick, then sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds.
Will you be having any special foods Wednesday? I’d love to hear about your recipes and any special activities. Remember, the folks in Ireland don’t really drink green beer - the pubs are usually closed because it is a religious holiday to celebrate the spread of Christianity by St. Patrick. But, here in America anything goes!
May the luck of the Irish be with you as you enjoy St. Patty’s Day.

Caribbean Sunset

My scrapbook page for today is for the Sketch #94. The photo was taken from the ship when we were in the Caribbean returning home from Nassau.

Scanning Old Photographs

Going through some boxes that had yet to be unpacked after the great move south, I decided it was time to revisit some old photo albums before placing them on a shelf. A trip down memory lane, but it was more of an urgency to take care to prevent total destruction, is always fun.
Having offered to scan photos for a friend so she would have her copies on a CD rather than just a paper copy, I knew it was time I did the same for photos that I value. What about those old albums or boxes we kept? How safe are they from the elements should something uninviting happen to our collection? Today our memories are a lot safer thanks to digital photography. I personally have some photos uploaded to external sites because I order prints that way. It was a goal of mine last summer to upload the camera to my laptop, then upload to the online photo printing service at the end of each day or two. I didn't order the prints yet, but I figured if I lost the camera or the laptop I still had those great, irreplaceable shots.
Yesterday I spend hours scanning photos into Photoshop Elements. At first I took the time to enhance the photo, then when I realized the huge pile, I decided I better get the scanning done first and come back for the task of fixing them up.

Now here is a really old photo - can you guess who?

Another St. Patrick's Day card

Here is another fun card I made last night. I wanted to use some glitter and so I got out the Heat and Stick jar of powder from Stampin' Up. I used VersaMark with a heart stamp to create the shamrock look then added the delicate green glitter. Now my stamp table will have an occasional sparkle surprise as it is impossible to recapture them all.
I used a marker on the shamrock part of the main stamp and repeatedly stamped a border. Since the "Go Green" sentiment reminds me of the theme of recycling, I thought it cute to add the pop top.


Next card is a photo card I made with an inspiring quote I found from Mother Teresa.
"Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness". I used a photo I had taken of candles and worked it u p in Adobe PhotoShop Elements. I cut the photo down a bit and matted it to white cardstock. Because it is on glossy photo paper it was hard to photograph without glare.