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

CT Winners Announced!

And I wasn't one of them...

BUT, I congratulate all who did make the team and want to express how proud I am of all of us who even entered this call.  It took a lot of courage for many of us, to step out of our comfort zones and put our heart & soul out in public for all to see and judge.  In my estimation, we are all winners for that very reason! 

I learned a few things as a result of this experience -- first of all, my not making the CT in no way negates the Lord's gift of creativity He has placed in me. I still have talent; I am still creative and my work still blesses others and brings glory to His Name.  Second, we have an AMAZING lot of talented members at the Jessica Sprague site -- I was blown away by the beauty of design, color and journaling in the LOs that were submitted.  And the photos -- don't get me started :)

Finally, I discovered that I really do enjoy keeping up this creative blog and hope that I will continue to be as diligent, now that it is not a "requirement" I need to meet.  Even if no one reads my blog - and I know there are at least three of you who do! - just being able to share my joy when I create a LO brings me even more joy :)  Silly, huh?!

Anyway - I want to share the lovely post that accompanied the winner list at the JS site - along with the names of the winners -- CONGRATULATIONS, everyone -- Ya done good!

~ klb
***************************************************************************************************************************************
Written by Kristen Creech



Monday, 19 April 2010 18:40


I am so excited to announce the winners of our Creative Team Search! I'm sure each of you that has perused the jaw-dropping entries in the gallery know choosing would be no small feat. I must confess, I'm rocking a huge migraine right now. I am not simply trying to be kind (you know, the way you tell a mother her baby is beautiful, but on the inside you are thinking, "not so much"). These layouts and projects are amazing. I'm getting a little choked up here, but I was just moved by all the talent we have here in our community.

Now you can feel free to skip ahead to see who the winners are, but I feel I need to share a story. It's a very personal one and it's not one I speak of very often. So be gentle with me here. I love to sing. Always have. But I've always been too shy to sing in public. When I was in high school, I wanted nothing more than to join the school's group of singers. (Imagine Glee and you'll just about have it). It took every ounce of gumption and courage I had to muster, to get on that stage before the judges and perform. I couldn't sleep the night before the results were posted. My heart was in my chest as I walked up to see the list of the singers who made it. And my sweet little name, I'm sad to say was not on the list. I was heartbroken. My mom had to come and get me at school (and I had to get a Frosty to drown my sorrows in). And I have not sung since (the shower and car excepted). What's my point? Why should I have stopped singing just because I didn't make the team? I loved it. What I didn't understand then was, just because I didn't make it, didn't mean I didn't have talent. There was a set number of slots available and they were looking for specific types of singers for the type of songs they performed. And in all honesty, as hard as that experience was, I would have regretted not auditioning.

With that in mind, I want each of you who submitted an entry to understand, we literally could have chosen over 50 team members. Your work is that good. But we too have limited slots available, and we looked for members whose style would best highlight and showcase the work and style of our designers. So please know, just cause you're not singing in our choir, doesn't mean you don't have mad talent. Cause let me tell you sisters, you do.



Now, may I have a drum roll... Please join me in congratulating our newest JS Creative Team Members:

•2girlsandapoodle
•artmidget
•erins
•Leenorific
•gilmoregirl
•kellymobley
•jsamuels
•linny6
•cammie1971
•JackieT
•shmoop
•completelyrandom
•jennmccabe
•champsarahjoy
•Cayla73
•boopsnro
•Heather Prins
•THESCRAPGIRL
•cholita41
•elseepe
•bren_55
•echeney


Woo Hoo! Thank you to each of you for having the courage to submit. And to anyone that had their heart broken, let's go get a Frosty. My treat.

The suspense is KILLING us...

...And has turned many of us into stalkers!

I'm talking about those of us "Sprague-mates" who entered the Creative Team call :)  Actually, I think even some who didn't enter are stalking the jessicasprague.com site today as well!  Jes had told us that the list of "chosen ones" would be posted today - Monday, April 19th - but as yet (8:52 am Alaska time), there has been no notice.

Actually, it's not surprising, really - I mean, with soooo many creative LOs and talented entrants, I know choosing just 20 out of the 100+ who entered has got to be difficult.  But still... it's really difficult to WAIT, too!

And even though I do hope to be one of those blessed to be chosen, I will still be excited and happy for those who DO become CT members even if I am not one of them.  Truly!

Thanks for hanging in there with me -- I'll be back later to let you know who made it :)

~ klb

CT Update & 2 New LOs

Well, the CT call @ JessicaSprague closed the night of the 15th.  There are 583 entries for the judges to view and they will go public with the list of 20 winners on Monday the 19th!  I would guesstimate there are close to 200 members who entered this call -- Can you just imagine how difficult this will be for the judges?!  Certainly glad I'm not one of them :)  There were some absolutely stunning and creative responses in the gallery and I think every one who entered deserves a special recognition of some sort... Personally, I'm rooting for ALL of us!

Here are two new LOs I created in the past couple of days -- enjoy :)

"...Long in Love"

This LO was created as a token of appreciation for my sister-in-law Linda's kind and generous spirit.

Credits -

Background: my own design using brushes on a gray workspace; adjusted opacity and used blending modes

Word art: also my own; quote found @ quotegarden.com

Photo technique: by "Anita" and found at kimikreations.blogspot.com

Photo mask: my own design, using brushes by Anna Aspnes

Brushes: Anna Aspnes - Hipster Plumes & Edgers 3 - designerdigitals.com; Designfruit.com - Sampled Brush 37

Hearts: Kitty Designs - Freshlicious EP2 - oscraps.com

Fonts: MA Sexy, Tempus Sans ITC, Desyrel, Fiolex Girls, You Are Loved, Century Gothic, CK_Ali's_Hand_Official

Photo of Linda and her granddaughter Trina, taken by me in June 2008
 

"7 Ways"

This one is for the current weekely challenge @ jessicasprague.com.  The name of the challenge is "You ROCK!" and has to be about ourselves; we are to share at least five ways we each rock our individual corner of the world.  This was not easy for me to do, as I really don't see myself as having much to offer. Photography and digital creativity were the first and only things that came to mind. The other things listed here came from the prompting of the Holy Spirit...

Credits -

Fonts: Parma-Petit Normal (journaling); MailartRubberstamp; Retro Rockstar (ROCK)

Brush: Anna Aspnes, Designer Digitals - Hipster Plumes Corners & Edgers 2

Stick Pin: Pattie Knox, Designer Digitals - Pin Its

~ klb