First PSE 6.0 Layout!

Here's my first layout using my new Photoshop Elements 6.0 software! Fun times.

I'm ususally not a big fan of hearts, but this layout is chock full of 'em! Nor do I normally embellish this heavily, but I think it suited the theme and photos. Who doesn't love a little bling?

After this one, I'm going to have to take my friend Becky's advice and keep it simple in order to produce pages in a more timely fashion!

It's just so fun...

Cigar, anyone?

Many of you saw the loot I won from Elizabeth Kartchner-- Creating Keepsake Magazine's Scrapbooker of the Year.

She sent me a super cute cigar box that I decorated and made into an accordian album to house photos of my family on Christmas morning each year.

Thanks for the goodies, Elizabeth... I'm sure having fun playing with them!

Contest Winner!!!

And the winner is...

The Sawyer from Hole in the Ground, WA!!!

Thanks for your address in the BIG CITY. Your winnings will be mailed to you shortly (after I determine a new prize-- the Bath and Body works lotion is a little too girly for you. But your wife would appreciate it!)

You're right, he didn't guess it correctly (or even close really)... but no one else did either. My reason for choosing The Sawyer as The Winner is because 1. his ramblings mentioned a unicorn (the closest animal in relation to the real answer), and 2. he makes me laugh. Laughing is my FAVORITE.

To all... I must say you all had some clever (and understandable) guesses! Thanks for joining in on the fun.

And now, if you're still curious... drum roll please...

Sadie's piece of artwork is:










Of course!!!
Thanks for playing, all.

FOR SALE

Ooops... um, wrong photo. But I imagine we could work a deal if you're interested...



Actually, the FOR SALE is related to a christmas gift I received from my brother, Mark (no, I'm not reselling MY gift-- he offered to reproduce it for interested buyers). He made me a custom shelf for my scrapbooks!




As those of you who have 12"x 12" albums know, most shelves are too shallow to properly house our precious albums. So, my jack-of-all-trades brother would be willing to make one for you too! (Shipping costs may apply if you're out of "the area"). Check it out-- it's great! And a great value. He's charging $60 for a painted version (like mine) or $75 if you want stained wood.

Let me know if you're interested!

Contest-- Guess the Art Piece!

I mentioned in a previous post that I couldn't wait to see what my first grader had created for me at school and wrapped in a brown paper bag.

Christmas morning arrived, and my curiousity was sated... but not immediately. After I opened the cherished package, I was still quite curious about the treasure I held in the palm of my hand. Thankfully, my sweet 7-year old was ready to explain her art.

See the photo of the item? You probably have the same curiosity that I did. What IS it???

So, I'm presenting a little contest. Leave a comment on this post about what you think the object is, and at noon on Wednesday 1/9 I will choose one winner from the comments listed. Someone may be lucky enough to actually guess it, but if not, the winner shall be determined by the comment that most tickles my funny bone.

There is a prize for the winner! It's not groundbreaking, but it's all about the fun of a contest, right? Try it. I'm now curious about what interpretations may come.

It's Show Time!

Here's a little christmas gift I made for my 2 year old niece-- a doorway puppet theatre!

I've seen them in magazines, but thought it would be fun to create my own. I love kids getting the opportunity to play with puppets (or a theatrical stage in general-- when I was a kid my siblings and I created ENDLESS shows for my parents to watch!). So I made a puppet theatre for my kids to use when my oldest (who's posing in the photo here) was 2.

I learned a lesson with my first puppet stage-- it needed to collapse to a compact storage size! So I had fun making this one (complete with said feature) for my sweet niece. I hope she enjoys it, and I hope it inspires you to create something YOU have seen in a catalog.