Playing Catch Up!

Oopsie -- I've gotten a little behind on posting recent layouts... In this entry, I'm sharing the second LO for the {i}NSD weekend challenges, along with two new LOs for the 2nd Annual "7 Days in May" at the Spraground, a week-long event that focuses on a new LO challenge each day.  I played along last year and some of the pages I made for that event are among my favorites :)

So first, here is my entry for the {in}NSD weekend -- this challenge was to do a page based on what the word, "Space" means to us.  Some folks made it about their personal scrapbooking spaces; a couple of pages were about children with the "space" of a missing tooth and others were about the "wide open spaces" of lakes, fields and prairies.  I chose to take a more cosmic, spiritual view...

Features a photo I took of Venus and Mars (and a billion stars!) last year.

Credits --
Font: Tekton Pro
Clipping Mask: my own design, using brushes by Anna Aspnes, Designer Digitals


Now - here is the little poster/announcement for the 7 Days in May event:

And here are my layouts from days 1 & 2 --

Challenge 1 was to use a large letter that was not part of the title or journaling; we also had to use only one photo and had to have stripes somewhere on the page.  Took this photo of myself holding the communion elements las Sunday at church - didn't have a specific plan in mind for it, but knew it would be useful for SOMEthing!

Credits --

Red paper: my own design
Striped paper: Jen Wilson Designs (Black Elegance & Annie's Laundry Line); I layered one on the other and reduced opacity
Stitching: Katie Pertiet, Designer Digitals (White Stitching)
Fonts: Rage ("C"); Century Gothic (Scripture verse); CK_Ali's_Hand_Official (caption and date)

Challenge 2 was to use this set of a digital frame and label, designed by the ever-inspiring LivE, part of the "leadership team" at the Spraground -

Shot this colorful little guy at a bakery on the Big Island in Feb 2010.

Credits --
Paper: my own design
Flowers: JSprague, FiestaMiniKit
Frame and lable: LivE, for this challenge
Staple: Crystal Wilkerson, A Kit for Kate
Fonts: Bird Cherry (caption); CK Ali's Hand Official (place, date)

Okay - that's all for now!  Blessings, everybody :)

~ klb

{i}NSD Challenge No. 1 - Today

{inter}National Scrapbook Day is officially on Saturday, May 1st but the festivities are starting a little early over at the Spraground! It began tonight (Apr 29) with a LO challenge by LiveE - creative brilliance extraordinaire :)  The challenge was based on a quote Liv has on the wall of her studio/guest room; it reads, "Every day holds the possibility of a miracle."

Here is an excerpt from Liv's post and the challenge requirements:

Our theme for our challenge today is... TODAY's miracles.

Here are our requirements (all must be satisfied):

1. take your camera and take a fresh new photo (one or as many as you want) within the next 24 hours. i truly believe that the extraordinary lies within every ordinary thing, if one only seeks well. so as you go through the next 24 hours, pay special attention to the little miracles that lie hidden in the ordinary everyday things, and record them with your camera.

2. create a layout using the photos you took.

3. your title should contain the words "today" and "miracle/s" (you can create any title, as long as those two words are in there). you may opt to journal a little or to journal a lot.

4. [b]pay attention, my dears, this is essential: set your timer to 1 hour before you sit down to create your layout.[b] work... nay, play... with gusto for the next 60 minutes. you need to complete your layout within 1 hour. only. don't worry, this doesn't include the time you spent taking photos or choosing what kit or items to work with on your layout. so make sure you've got your photo/s ready and your kit / papers / elements at hand before you turn the dial on the timer. (trust me, you'll LOVE it when you discover that you can actually scrap within an hour! i mean, think of the possibilities! lol )

So... I managed to fulfill all of the requirements except the 60-minute time frame part.  I was already partway through the assembly of my LO when I remembered I was supposed to set the timer -- but it probably wouldn't have made a difference, as I kept hopping up and down to do other things - laundry, putting clean sheets on the beds, taking the dog out, etc. 


Oh well.  Here's my LO --

I chose to use the theme of the challenge - "Today, Miracle" to show rebirth, which is represented in the budding and blooming of flowers and greenery throughout spring. I also chose to focus on spiritual "rebirth" through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.


Credits --

Purple & green papers: my own designs
Button Tag: Linda Roos, In the Making Design
Clipping Masks: Anna Aspnes, Designer Digitals, FotoBlendz 7
Fonts: Beyond Wonderland (Miracle); Garamond (text)
Photo: taken by me (4/29/10) & used a sketch technique by Anita (kimikreations.blogspot.com)

~ klb

Wheeee! Come Play!

We're gonna have us a FUN weekend!  Y'all come now - ya heah!!

~ klb

New Class @ the Spraground!

"This Old Photo: Restoring Vintage Snapshots" is the newest class at jessicasprague.com and it began today (Monday, Apr 26). Because I live in Alaska, I get the lessons the night before those in the midwest and east coast do (and before those in other countries like the UK and Australia). Just one of the many perks of living where I do :)

So, Monday's lesson was about how to scan our vintage photos at the best possible size so the edits we make will go smoothly and look great. Tuesday's lesson is called "Global Restoration" and is about making some general edits that will apply to nearly every photo - straightening the scanned image if necessary and tweaking/adjusting the color, contrast and levels of lightness/darkness of the photo.

This is the result of using the global restoration technique on a scanned photo of my maternal grandmother. Really made a big difference, don't you think?!  This original photo was taken in the Phillipines sometime in 1947 or 48 when my grandmother was about 29 years old.

I can tell this is going to be a GREAT CLASS and look forward to all the neat tips and tricks we'll be learning in the next couple of weeks :)

~ klb

Homemade Paper (Digi-style)

So, my sis-in-law and I are planning to open our own digi-related website, with things to offer digi-scrappers.  I'm trying to come up with some ideas people might be interested in and designed this background paper over the weekend.  This sample is one of 7 pages in a set - all identical to this one, but in different colors.  I also made a set of the same papers, but without the text - just a grungey look.

What do you think?

~ klb

Newest Layout...

This is the LO I made in response to my own challenge -- to make a page using the free mini-kit Jessica Sprague gave those of us who participated in her digital survey yesterday.

Photo is of my friend and sister-in-Christ, Kathy Neal, her son, Jason and me and my two oldest sons, Chris and Jamie.  Taken in May 1984, when Kathy and her family moved from Alaska to Washington state. The journaling is about how Kathy introduced me to Jesus Christ and how, because of her friendship, I asked Him into my heart 26 years ago (Apr 19, 1984).

Credits --
Papers & Embellishments: Jessica Sprague, InAWord kit
Border Die Cut: Katie Pertiet, Designer Digitals - Medium Wave
Brush: Designfruit.com, Sampled Brush 80
Overlay: Anna Aspnes, Designer Digitals - FotoBlendz No 7
Fonts: Century Gothic, Beyond Wonderland (Divine), Gaggers (Friendship)
Photographer: unknown

~ klb

Took a survey sent by Jessica Sprague

All about digi-scrapbooking.  At the end of the survey, she blessed us with this sweet digital kit!  Now that the CT call is over for this year, and with the emotional tension of the past several hours (waiting for the winners list to be posted), I'm going to put my creative energy to work and make something cute with this new kit :)

Will be back later to share what I've made!

~ klb