Freebie - Vintage Central Park - Final Parts

Merry Christmas! Here are the last parts of the Vintage Central Park kit. There are two downloads – one with the papers and the other has the rest of the elements. I can’t say enough thank yous for all the wonderful comments you have left about the kit. I am in awe that so many of you took the time to leave comments! You have given me so much encouragement to continue with designing – I just wasn’t sure that it was something I could do with the degree of perfection that I require from myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your overwhelming response!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy and Safe New Year. Now, I’m off to New York to see my granddaughter!!!

Click on the titles to download.

Vintage Central Park - Final Papers



Vintage Central Park - Final Elements

Freebie - Vintage Central Park - Part 4

Hi everyone. Here’s the fourth part of Vintage Central Park and it will be followed by some odds and ends that can be used with the kit. I may not have that available to you until Sunday. I’m trying to get my house clean and also pack for our trip to New York for Christmas! We leave Monday!!! I’m getting excited now. I’m planning to take some photos in Central Park to use with the kit – hope the snow is still there – it’s snowing today!

I’m not going to get the snowflake kit done until after the New Year. But it snows in January and February, so you can still use it then.

Also, here’s a beautiful layout that was done by Bobbie Smith. I was so thrilled that she sent it to me. I’d love to see some others and I’ll show them off here if you email them to me.



Here’s Part 4 – click on the title.


Freebie - Vintage Central Park - Part 4

Stand By Me

I found this link today to an incredible international version of Ben E. King’s song Stand By Me: http://playingforchange.com/ I have always loved this song – the words are powerful and the tune is beautiful and catching. I’ve always thought that it would be a great piece for an Olympic Ice Skating routine. Wonder why no one has ever used it? Follow the link, click Enter, listen to this amazing song (turn your speakers up LOUD) and then read about the producer and his upcoming DVD Playing for Change

I’ll have the final parts of Vintage Central Park for you tomorrow.

Vintage Central Park Freebie - Part 3

Digi scrappers must be some of the nicest people in the world! The wonderful comments you’ve been leaving about my Vintage Central Park kit just amaze me. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave comments – I’m so encouraged to make more kits now! In fact The VCP kit has grown, so there will be more coming to you than I first thought. I also have so many gorgeous snowflakes that I’m thinking about doing a snowflake kit. What do you think?

Well, here’s Part 3 for you. And thanks again for the wonderful comments!

Click on the title to download.

Vintage Central Park - Part 3

Heritage Scrap CT Call

I’m the Creative Team Leader at Heritage Scrap. (Bet you didn’t know that, because I can’t get those crazy little blinkies to work on my blog!) Heritage scrap booking is near and dear to my heart, so I was thrilled when Heritage Scrap opened it’s digital doors. It’s still a very new site. Consequently, our Creative Team has been very small, only 3 of us, and we know there are more of you out there that would be a great asset to us, so why not apply? You get free kits, great friends and a place to show off your work – how can you beat that! Go take a look at the store, see if it’s the kind of place you’d like to hang out and apply if you’re interested.

Tomorrow, I'll have more of the Vintage Central Park kit for you.

Vintage Central Park Freebie - Part 2

Before I go any further with this post, here’s a disclaimer – I LOVE CALIFORNIA and I’m glad I live here. I actually chose to live here, however…

There’s just a lot missing here when it comes to holidays, especially Christmas. I grew up in the South and on the East Coast where there seems to be more Christmas beauty than there is in California. Maybe it’s the weather, but I think there’s more to it.

I love the big cities at Christmas. There’s something so special about Chicago, Philadelphia and New York at Christmas. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend Christmas in each of those cities and it makes the holiday even more special. The street decorations, taxis with Christmas wreaths (they’ll still run over you, but at least they look festive while doing so), the store windows and the energy of it all make Christmas a wonderful time of the year. And if there’s snow, it’s even better.

We are spending the holidays in New York City this year with our youngest daughter and her family. That’s how the Vintage Central Park kit came about. I was thinking about our trip and how much I love NYC at Christmas and how beautiful the park is in the winter with the snow and the lights from the buildings.

Sometimes when I work on things, they just come together like magic. That happened with this kit. I’m so glad you like it and thank you so very, very much for your wonderful comments and encouragement to make more kits. I’ll keep posting more parts of it for the next few days for you.

Clike on the title to download and Enjoy!

Vintage Central Park - Part 2

Christmas Freebie

I’ve made a kit that I’m giving away as a Freebie. I’m not sure that I should be attempting to make kits, but here it is anyway – at least the first part of it. There are a lot more elements to go with it and a few more papers. So be on the look out for them.

Since 4shared has made it difficult to leave comments, any comments must be left here on my blog if you wish to do so. That’s up to you. I do appreciate the wonderful comments you leave, but I know it takes time to do so. So I understand if you don’t.

Take a look at the wonderful new things at Heritage Scrap. There are some great sales going on also. Vickie at Designs by Vickie is closing out her shop and all her kits are on sale for 70% off. You can’t beat that! In case you weren’t aware, the gallery at Heritage Scrap is open to ALL heritage pages, not just the ones using their products. Just create your album and add your heritage pages.

Now click on the preview title to download my attempt at kit design. Hope you can use it.
Enjoy.

Vintage Central Park

Why I've been missing...

November was not a good month for me. It started out fine, but it went downhill quickly. Summer was over, fall was disappearing and winter was just around the corner. That alone is enough to depress me as my poor arthritic back and joints suffer greatly in the winter. Plus, I just really hate the short winter days.

So, that said, we progress to November 14th, a Friday – trash pick up day. We have 3 LARGE trash containers that I haul in from the street to behind the garage every Friday afternoon. I have 2 Labrador Retrievers who have a run and chase game they play with these large containers as I bring them in. Shelby, the youngest and largest of these dogs is 98% blind. However, she doesn’t think it’s a handicap and carries on as if she can see. Yes, she does sometimes run into things, but only if it’s out of it’s regular place.

We had finished putting the containers away and the run and chase game was over – at least I thought it was. The dogs decided to take one final run to the patio. Unfortunately, I was in Shelby’s right-of-way and she hit me at full speed from behind. I hit the sidewalk with equal momentum. OUCH! I knew I was hurt with possible broken bones as I lay there trying to get my wits together. Of course, both dogs, seeing me on the ground, came back to lick me to death since I wasn’t completely done it yet. I managed to get up and to a bench on the patio and took stock of the situation – yes, my right arm was probably broken – it wouldn’t move. The left arm didn’t feel too well either, especially the wrist and my knees hurt. Did I hit my head? I don’t think so, but I actually don’t remember hitting the ground/sidewalk.

I got in the house, called my husband to come home and take me to ER . Three hours later – yes, the radial head in my right elbow is broken clear through, but fortunately didn’t move out of place. Right arm was put in a splint from just under my armpit to my fingertips to keep it from moving. As if I was going to move it!!! Left arm and wrist were badly sprained and wrapped in an ace bandage. I was given good pain pills and sent home. Oh yeah, my knees were just bruised a little and sore.

Now, I have broken the radial head in my LEFT arm twice, yes twice, so I know the routine. It means a week or so with the arm immobile, then begins physical therapy so that the joint doesn’t freeze as it heals. However, that was the left arm both times before and I could still function fairly well. Now it’s the right arm AND the left wrist is sprained! Do you know how many things you can’t do with two injured arms???? Just think about that for a couple of minutes. Think about getting dressed, eating and the bathroom! Life was not good, my friends, not good at all. So, I cried. It didn’t help and I didn’t even feel better afterward, but what else was there left to do?

I tried to use the computer. That didn’t work. Have you ever tried to use the mouse with your left hand? When it’s sprained? I had been sewing, but that certainly was off the to-do list for a while.
Thankfully, we have a lot of books in our house, so I read a lot. I’m not much of a TV watcher.
I’m seeing the orthopedist every week for x-rays to make sure the broken-off bone doesn’t move and doing my arm exercises (which hurt, by the way) and I can finally use the computer again. I didn’t realize what a computer junkie I was until this little escapade. I also wasn’t allowed to drive for 2 weeks until I begged and pleaded to the doctor about it. That was torture. It wasn’t that I needed to go anywhere, it was just the idea that I couldn’t!

And life was improving until I broke my dental bridge this past Sunday night and swallowed the tooth that broke off!!!!! Now I have to walk around in the world with a missing FRONT tooth for 2 weeks until the new bridge is made and delivered to my dentist.

As Roseanne Rosannadanna said, “It’s always something!”

My next post today will have a freebie in it!

Freebie - Memories Quick Page

Before I give you your QP, I have a couple of things to show you. This first LO is one I did with the Breast Cancer Awareness Kit from Authentic Artistry – Christina Renee Designs. I was so pleased with the way it turned out that I wanted to share it with you here.




The other thing I want to share is part of a hybrid project that I did last year. I was involved in an exchange of themed pages to create altered books. Each person in the exchange chose a topic for his or her book. This page went to someone whose topic was mermaids. It’s actually a double page created with paper, digital art, fibers, and glitter. I liked this page so much I almost kept it! I’ve done several altered books and really love doing them. So many different art forms can be used in them. Would you like to see more of this kind of thing?




Now, here’s the QP I’ve done. It’s very heritage style this time. I didn’t start out to do a heritage QP, but that’s what developed. If I don’t have a complete picture of what I want to do in my mind when I start, I am sometimes surprised at what I end up with! Maybe I was wishing for Autumn while I was working on this. It’s still in the 80’s here. Anyway, I hope you can use this. Click on the title to download.

Freebie: Memories Quick Page

Use this link - it's faster: Download

Word Art Freebie

I have a word art freebie for you today. It’s a line from Ruby Tuesday by the Rolling Stones. “Go catch your dreams before they slip away.” I think a lot of us have had hopes and dreams that fell along the wayside as we traveled through life. Sometimes we don’t even realize we’ve let them slip away until something reminds us of them. I wrote this line on the wall of my potting shed to help me keep in touch with my dreams. It always makes me smile. (Plus it reminds me of what a great time I had at both of the Stones concerts I’ve been to!!!) I hope you can use the word art somewhere – I’ve been too busy sewing to finish any new quick pages. But I’ll have one in the near future.

Now I’m going to force you to look at this page I created with a quick page freebie I downloaded – it’s my beautiful baby granddaughter. My daughter sends me photos and videos most every day which helps me watch her grow from 3000 miles away! I hate being so far away from her.



Here’s your freebie – click on the title to download.
Enjoy.

Word Art Freebie

New Quick Page Freebie

I’ve been busy sewing winter clothes for my baby granddaughter this week. I haven’t done much sewing in the last couple of years. I think scrap booking took over my workspace. It’s interesting sewing for a child that’s 3,000 miles away. I have her measurements to go by and that helps, but it’s strange not being able to try the items on her! Now my daughter that lives nearby wants me to make her a scrub top with skulls on it. She’s a nurse with an off the wall sense of humor!

Anyway, I have a new Quick Page for you. I’m not sure what style you would call it, but maybe you can find a use for it.

Click on the title to download. Enjoy!

Young Beauty

I Got An Award!

I've received an award fron Becky at http://beckysscrap.blogspot.com/! I've never received an award before, so this is really special. Thank you, Becky!



This award is called the "ProximidadeAward" or the "Friendship Around The World Award". The award is meant to highlight blogs that are pleasing or special in some way and to extend the hand of friendship around the world.

The rules are that once you receive this award, you must pass it on to eight other blogs. So here are the ones I’ve chosen:

http://kubivet.blogspot.com/
http://happy-digiscrapper.blogspot.com/
http://digitalanemona.blogspot.com/
http://dood-elle.blogspot.com/
http://imaginebyfran.blogspot.com/
http://krakatukasmagicbox.blogspot.com/
http://nbk-nicnic.blogspot.com/
http://scrapstewsue.blogspot.com/

Thanks again, Becky. This just made my day!

A Special Encounter

I mentioned in my previous entry that I seem to randomly encounter women recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer that need the support I can give them from my own experience with the disease. Today at the grocery, I had a completely difference kind of “support encounter” that I’d like to share with you.

You may be aware that Yoplait Yogurt puts pink lids on their containers in the fall. If you save these lids and mail them back to Yoplait, they will donate ten cents for every lid to the Susan B. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation. I eat Yoplait yogurt normally, so purchasing the product isn’t unusual for me. At the grocery checkout stand, the clerk asked me if I was saving the yogurt lids and I answered, “Yes, I’m a Breast Cancer survivor and it’s an important cause to me.” She went on to say that she was also collecting them from customers and mailing them in. I paid for my groceries and the young man bagging them asked if he could help me out with them. I usually decline, but for some reason I accepted.

On the way out of the store he asked me how long it had been since I had cancer and I told him seven years. He then told me that his mother had recently been diagnosed, but she had kept it a secret. His sister found out by seeing some cancer literature in the mail and confronted their mom. He asked if he could ask me some questions and of course I said yes. We talked for a few minutes and I was fine until he said, “My Mom has to get well. We need her.” That’s when the tears came to my eyes. His, too.

I gave him a hug and my phone number. I told him to have his mother or sister call me if they wanted to. And for him to call if he had more questions. I gave him the best reassurance I could that with good doctors, treatment and support his mom would be ok. I told him that it was very important for the family to make sure she wasn’t alone in her fight. She was trying to protect them when she was the one that needed special care. He agreed and said they were trying to do that.

I think this encounter has touched me more than any other. For a young man, probably no more than 19, to have the courage to talk to me, has so impressed me. I will make a point of checking in with him to see how his mom is doing. It’s the very least I can do.

I’d also like to thank all of you that have left such wonderful comments here and on 4shared. They are amazing and if I was able to soften the pain of this disease even a tiny bit, I have been blessed.

Thank you.

Freebie - Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I have first hand experience with breast cancer so I am always aware of it, what it can do and how it affects so many areas of my life. I will always remember the fear in the eyes of my husband and daughters when we found out just how serious my cancer was. It was Stage 3. With the help of an excellent doctor, the newest treatments, the love and support of my family and close friend, and my own determination to live, I made it through an awful year. I now have seven cancer free years behind me. However, I live with the knowledge that I am at extremely high risk of it coming back. It’s not something I can put out of my mind – everyday when I shower, I see the scars on my body and am reminded of it. Because I am at such high risk, I am tested every 3 months. If something does show up, we’ll be right on top of it and can start treatment immediately. I have to admit that I get nervous before every one of those tests!

Call it fate, whatever you’d like, but I am constantly running into women who have just been diagnosed with breast cancer and are still in the awful state of shock that comes with that piece of news. I’m able to tell them that it is possible to live through it and come out on the other side a stronger woman. Sometimes, I just hold them while they cry. You have to cry. That’s part of the healing. I’ve had a couple of women tell me I was their angel when they most needed one. I am certainly no angel, just one of too many that has had to suffer from this horrible disease.

We must find a cure, or better yet, a way to prevent breast cancer. I don’t want my daughters and granddaughter to live in fear of getting breast cancer. I don’t want ANY woman to live with that fear. Do your part – take care of yourself with monthly self-exams and annual mammograms. If you can afford to, donate to breast cancer research.

I’ve made a quick page that can be used to honor a breast cancer survivor or someone you’ve lost because of breast cancer. I used a kit, French Flirt, designed by Irene Alexeeva to make this QP. She has very graciously given me permission to offer it as a Freebie, which is something she has never done before. Please visit her blog at http://www.irenealexeeva.blogspot.com. Take a look at her beautiful work and please leave her a special thank you.

And thank you for reading all the way through this rambling.

French Flirt by Irene Alexeeva




Freebie - Find A cure

Fall QP Freebie

Yes, I know I’m a day late with the Freebie. Tuesday was one of those days that everything that could go wrong did and I’m very glad it’s in the past.

Since it’s Autumn in most of the Northern half of the world, I’ve done a Fall Quick Page. It was definitely not autumn here today – it was 91 degrees! Autumn doesn’t really arrive in Central California until the end of October. It comes in the form of rain and the most treacherous fog you could ever imagine. Oh wait, that’s Winter. Autumn is usually just a few days between Late Summer and Winter.

So, here’s your QP. I hope you like it. The background paper is one of the first I ever downloaded and still one of my favorites. Click on the preview title to download.

Fall QP Freebie




Credits: Bkg Paper - Alexa, Your Adventure; Frames - Vintage Portrait Cards 2 by Designing on the Edge; Flowers - Designer Resources from Digital Freebies, Weeds & Wildflowers, Jankabl and Christina Renee

A Little Rant

I’m seeing something happening in digital scrapbooking that really, really bothers me – horrible, incorrect spelling on beautiful pages! I recently downloaded a set of lovely clustered borders with some word art in the borders. The word “remember” was spelled “rember.” These borders were made by someone here in the United States, someone who should be able to spell the English language. Tonight I came across a page about a demolition derby that had the word “wreck” spelled “reck.”

Wonderful pages are being ruined by using the wrong form of their, there and they’re. The same is true of your and you’re. I am not a teacher! I am just an ordinary person and this spelling issue has become a pet peeve. For heaven’s sake people – if you can use a computer, you must know what Spell Check is!!!!!

So, please take the time to check your spelling before saving those pages you’ve spent so much time on. And thank you for letting me rant about this.

Your freebie should be here for you tomorrow – that’s Tuesday afternoon. If you need to know anything about me at all, you should know I don’t do mornings!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Digital scrappers must be some of the nicest people on earth. I have just been amazed at the number of downloads of my quick pages (over 1000) and the comments left are so wonderful I’ve been reading them over and over. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. I’ll have more goodies for you next week, so check back after Monday.

This past week has been hectic with so much going on, some good, some sad and a high school reunion coming up Saturday night. I am NOT going to tell you how many years ago I graduated from high school! Let’s just say, it was a long time ago. My DH won’t go to his own reunion, so why would he go to mine? That being the case, I’m going with my unmarried boyfriend from high school. That’s not as wild and crazy as it sounds. Former BF is gay, but we’ve been friends forever and we’ll have a good time.

I managed to break my gallery at Heritage Scrap and can't upload any layouts! Only I could do something like that. I hope it will be fixed tomorrow because I have some new layouts to post. There are two great new kits by Cari Lopez that I used. They are templates for making heritage scrapbooks on your layouts. That’s not a very good description, so here are the previews. Click on the titles for a direct link to the shop for more info on them.

Thanks again to all you wonderful scrappers that left such nice comments on 4shared and here. You put a lot of sunshine in my life! Have a great week-end.

Tabbed Templates II

Tabbed Templates

Quick Page # 2

Wow! What a wonderful response I've received for my Fields of Lavendar QP. All the very, very nice comments just made my day! I was so excited I made another Freebie for you. This one has more background, but it will co-ordinate with the first one. I hope you like it as well. Click on the title to download. Wishing everyone a great day.

Link Removed

Quick Page Freebie - My First One!

This is my first venture into the world of giving out digital freebies and I think I’ve finally gotten everything set up to do it correctly. I’m sure someone will let me know if I haven’t.

My first QP is made from a beautiful kit by Teri Hanson DigiZines – Champs de Lavanda or Fields of Lavender. I am a big fan of her work and have a LOT of her kits. When I figure out how to put blinkies on this blog, she’ll have one here. The kit is full of lovely papers and elements in lavender, green and beige. It’s very versatile and can be used for photos from any era. You can purchase the kit at Heritage Scrap, a wonderful new shop with great kits for vintage scraping. You can go directly to the kit in the shop by clicking on the preview title.

Champs de Lavenda

You can go directly to the Quick Page Download by clicking on the title. If you like the QP, please leave a comment. Nice comments will be appreciated. Nasty ones will make me cry. So just don’t bother to leave those. Enjoy!

Link Removed

Old Building in Brooklyn

A New Day, A New Blog

Welcome to my newest blog and one I may actually keep current!

I have just been honored by being named part of the Creative Team for Heritage Scrap. What does this mean, you non-scrapers may ask. Well, it means that I will be making digital layouts using their kits and posting them to different digital galleries on the internet. Most importantly, to me, it means that my digital work has been recognized and deemed worthy of showcasing. This is really special to me because I’m self-taught in this digital art world.

This blog has been created as a place to show off all the other digital layouts I do as well as the work for Heritage Scrap. These may be anything –fantasy with fairies, my grandchildren, my dogs, the ocean – just whatever comes up. I hope you enjoy looking at them and comments are welcome.