Just finished my Christmas card for 2006. Yes, it is a little late in the game but I have a fantastic printer who has a quick turnaround time, so I have no worries!

I modeled it after a card in the PaperCrafts Dec06/Jan07 magazine (page 45) by Valerie Pingree. {Yes, Brian, if you see this I suppose that is cheating in our design contest, but hey .... you have the better software and design skills ... so I had to do something!}

Anyway, Merry CHRISTmas to all from the Broxtons~

Ciao~

Christy

Recent Layouts

Three Years:
I wanted to share some of my recent layouts. I've completed a few for challenges at various online scrapbooking sites and thought I would post them over here too.

The first one is called "Three Years" and was completed for a Scraplifting challenge at www.scrapmommies.com

I really liked this closeup of Stephanie and the detail on the full size picture is amazing.

Items Used:
Fonts: Dear Joe
Atomic Cupcake Chipboard action
Papers: Rug Paperpack by Landon & Holly Smith
Brads: Inspire Mini kit from Misty Cato
This is a scraplift of a design by Traci Reed


Concentration:
The second layout is called "Concentration" and was created for another challenge at ScrapMommies. This one shows Stephanie working on a craft for her Grandmother and she is concentrating SO hard. She evens sticks her tongue out like I do when I concentrate on something.
Supplies used:
Fonts: Crazy Pooch and Adorable
Paper and Elements: AmsDigiScraps - Your Love is Better than Chocolate






Garden Girl:
Last new layout (for now), is this one entitled "Garden Girl". These photos are from last year when Steph helped her daddy plant his yearly garden. She had dirt EVERYWHERE and would literally throw the plants into the ground when James handed them to her.

This was created for a challenge at www.scrapartist.com They asked us to scrap less-than-perfect photos and these are the ones I chose because of the overexposure on the smaller ones. I just loved these photos and am glad that I had an excuse to scrap less than fabulous photos.

Supplies used:
Fonts: 2Peas Billboard and CK Print
Paper: Tracy Collins - America (brown) and Jessica Bolton - Signature Sampler (blue)
Brackets and Stitching: Jessica Bolton - Signature Sampler
Brush: Spring Doodle Collection by Megan Leeson

Bondiggity Birthday Present!!!!!

I just HAD to share with everyone the birthday present my mom just sent me. Isn't this the coolest purse you've seen?!!?? I know all you DAWG fans would agree anyway! :)

Her neighbor made it for me -- hee hee!! All I can say is "Linda, you ROCK!!" You should so sell these on Ebay. You'd make a killing. And Mom, you ROCK for thinking of it and for loving me like you do. Thanks a ton ~~~ I will use it everyday!

Anyway, my birthday will be here soon and I do believe this is the coolest present I can remember in years!

I am so jazzed about this. See how easy I am to please!

Anyway, I'm sure she'll take orders for anyone interested.
Go DAWGS!!!!

Battle Flag

Here is a two-sided layout I recently completed showing the USS Russell (the ship on which my uncle currently serves in the US Navy) and the carrier group that participated in Operation Valiant Shield.

Patriotism is one thing that will always be a part of me. My father retired after many years of service as an officer in the USAF and my uncle will soon retire from the Navy. I grew up a "military brat" and I'm excessively proud of my heritage as such and make no apologies for that!

I learned early about our US Flag and how one should care for and esteem it. "Old Glory" will always be a beautiful sight to me.

The USS Russell is shown flying a "battle flag." For those of you unfamilar with that term, it is fairly self-explanatory. This is simply an American Flag that is flown from the ship during battle and/or exercises and various other times of importance. It is an exceptionally large flag and the sight of it leaves no question as to whom the ship belongs.

My thanks go out to each and every person who has served our country - in any branch of military service - whether currently or in the past. Your service has made and continues to make it possible for us to possess the liberties we enjoy as a nation. May no resident of this country ever forget your devotion and selflessness!!

Duty ~ Honor ~ Country
Happy Fourth!!!

Supplies used for both:
Left side:
Fonts: A Yummy Apology & ITC Machine
Papers: America by Tracy Collins
Ribbon: Let Freedom Ring by Tracy Blankenship
Stars: God Bless America by Jan Bolton
Flag Patch: All American by Kim Jensen
Right Side:
Fonts: Century Gothic & ITC Machine
Papers: America by Tracy Collins
Stars: God Bless America by Jan Bolton

Posted for first challenge

My style is still SO simple but I really do like the all digital scrappin' I've been doing. I've only completed five layouts to date, but I thought I would try my hand at a challenge over at RAKScraps today. So, I posted this layout using the Carefree Add-On kit by SaraAmarie. The layout doesn't look "finished" to me but I guess it will do.

I'm still not entirely sure of myself with design and/or PSE so it might take some time to really get the hang of a "complete" design.

Kit Used:
Carefree - SaraAmarie
Font: MA Flirty

Summer Lovin'

Ok -- so I've started getting into the "community" spirit and have begun posting at RakScraps.com I totally love their freebie Mega Kits and think they have some way-cool designers. I've posted all three of my digital layouts (woo hoo- such a ton of layouts) and added this new 8"x8" one that I made today.

I am finally getting a clue about how PSE works -- which is cool, because I was starting to get frustrated.

I've also re-textured the "Patriotic Cousins" layout and will post it in a subsequent blog entry.

Enjoy your 4th everyone! I'm off to spend some time with my girl!!

Here are the credits for this page:
All elements and papers are from Lucky Star by Gina Cabrera
Stitching is from Urban Kiwi by Shabby Princess
Font is MA Flirty

Ciao~

Work in Progress

Been working on my second all digital layout. I must say that I am enjoying the fact that I can "play with" and fine tune everything to my heart's content and I think I've found an acceptable printing source for now -- Scrapbook to Share. Visit them at (www.sbtoshare.com)

This layout is of my daughter and her two cousins during a "photo shoot" at a local park. We were working on getting good shots for a gift for their grandparents and I think we found a few really good ones in the bunch.

I can't wait to learn how to use all the techniques and tools in PSE to my advantage. I've been working with programs like PSE for years and know them well but like the offerings that PSE has and how many designers make brushes and tutorials for PSE.

My goal is to get to the place where I can have in my head what I want to do with the layout and the knowledge on how to make the program do what I need it to do in order to accomplish what I see. Hopefully soon ~

Almost forgot:
The font is Eight Track
The background for the text and the USA heart and star come from Tracy Blankenship with the Let Freedom Ring portion of the June Mega Kit at RAKscraps.
The stitches are from Atomic Cupcake.
Last but not least Katie Pertiet made the Painted Background brush behind the main photo.

Happy Flowers

OK - they make me happy - VERY happy. Each time I close my programs they greet me ... I just added a new background to my computer and I smile each time I see it.

They are these lovely, bright flowers from CrossCards and I adore them. Take a look for yourself and download a bunch to brighten your desktop.

http://www.crosscards.com/wallpaper.aspx

Enjoy ~

The Whirlwind

Well, it has subsided. The whirlwind of a week is now entering the calm of the weekend - only to regain strength in the coming days, I'm sure.

I enjoyed a CTMH party with some friends of mine last night and we had a blast scrapbooking and hanging out.

I'll be sure to post some of the new layouts I've been working on, along with some of my favorite new sites that I have run across in my quest to learn new techniques.

I'm not sure I'm ready to give up on paper scrapbooking entirely -- I'll still make gifts and altered items for myself and friends.

I am going to send my first layout to one of those places where they will print it and let you see the quality. Once I see that, it will tell the tale of whether I will go all digital or not. I'll update once I have the prints in hand.

Ciao ~

Wednesday musings

Sitting here making my grocery list, I remember that I have too much to do in the next 72 hours to even think about scrapping. Yet, the allure of my computer beckons me to "try out" a few techniques or to visit a few sites.

I'm looking for a good tutorial on digital paper tearing and want to work on adding texture to color for that "bazzill" look.

Anyway, I've got tons to do and not enough time for it all.
So, I'm off ~

Second Half

So, here's the right-hand side of the aforementioned first digital layout. I worked on it some last night and got it to the place where I thought it was passable. But isn't that the great thing about digital!?!?!? If I hate it in three weeks, I can take it all apart and start from scratch.

To me, that is the single most liberating aspect of digital scrapbooking - and I've only been digital for less than a week. I can't imagine how I'll feel after I become a little more proficient!!

I'm looking into printing options now and I have a friend that owns a printing company. I'm going to see what he can crank them out for and I'll see about how that stacks up with the other sites for printing 12x12 layouts.

I'm actually even considering a new business venture for all the techie scrapbookers out there. Who knows? Maybe it will work out and be cool enough to stand the test of time. We'll see ~

Digital Kit Used:
same as above

Launching out ...

OK ... so, I'm FINALLY getting a clue! I've been fighting it for awhile now and decided to give in - only to find I am three hours into the process and addicted already. What, you ask, am I talking about??

Digital Scrapbooking, that's what!

I've been a traditional scrapper on and off for about 10 years now and it never really "clicked" for me. I'm too much of a "perfectionist" for that. (I put that in quotes because I use it loosely -- I am only a perfectionist to a point -- ie. things I call my own, computer stuff, etc.)

Anyway, I downloaded some free kits -- many thanks to all the great new sites I am discovering. Who knew there was this clandestine world lurking under the surface of the more "traditional" scrapbook genre?!?! Certainly not me! I mean, I've heard rumors about it and had even scratched the surface with a few downloaded "printables" -- but this ... this was a full-fledged, well-developed digital scrapbooking world - a new frontier, as it were.

I made my first layout in PSE today and it is quite rudimentary to say the least but I think I'm gonna dig this way more than my half-hearted attempts at paper scrapbooking. After all, I think I am more digital by nature ~

Here's my first layout ever -- digitally anyway!


Kits used:
Spring Fever by Kim Crothers