My Love, My Friend

This is my honey hubby, Harry. He is godly, kind, considerate, thoughtful, encouraging, forgiving, … I could go on and on. I love and respect him very much; he truly is my love and my friend. I’m so thankful he is my husband.

I like to take pictures, and Harry not only puts up with this, but he actually poses for me! I really appreciate having Harry as a willing model. He’s so cute (I’m biased, I admit) and readily available. These photos were all taken on recent walks. The photo with the jagged border was shot through the log you see in the other corner – a natural photo mask. Isn’t that fun?

Sue

Credits:
Materials: “Clearly Cut Template”, Moon Designs; “Boys’ Club”, Sweet Blossom Designs (papers, some re-colored); word art by Elegant Word Art by Bethany; CU Heart Brush Freebie by Delicious Scraps
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6
Font: Rockwell

Happy Birthday Boy

I just love the photo of my dad wearing a bow atop his head and grinning as he checks out his present, so I featured it on this second page of Dad's birthday layout.

Sue

Credits:
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6
Materials: Template 25, No Reimer Reason; “Bohemia”, Sweet Blossom Designs; Sparkle Up CU Freebie, Banner Woman Designs; word art, lm (I have no more information on the designer; if anyone recognizes this word art, please write the information in a comment so I can update this.)

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Aren’t these photos from my Dad’s 76th birthday party fun? I love the big grin on Dad’s face as he opened his gift. I have a very special dad, and he deserves presents that make him smile like this.

Sue

Credits:
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6
Scraplifted from “Shoot For the Moon”, Melanie Chynoweth
Materials: “Bohemia”, Sweet Blossom Designs; Sparkle Up CU Freebie, Bannerwoman
Font: Minya Nouvelle Bold Italic
I submitted this layout for the DSO March Scraplift Challenge.

Sky Aflame

Credits:
Programs: GIMP
Template: Template 14, In the Making Design
Other Materials: made by me
Font: Papyrus
I submitted this page to the DSO March Color Challenge.

Guardian Angels Needed

When I saw a piece of word art about guardian angels, I knew I wanted to make a layout with photos showing the boys doing crazy things like David acting maniacal with his saws, John landing on his head while playing ultimate Frisbee, and Steven posing with two samurai swords. Doesn’t it look like their guardian angels need to put in overtime?

Sue

P.S. You may always click on the layout to make it bigger.

Credits:
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6 with actions from Atomic Cupcake
Template: “Simply Life” template 014, Gina Maria
Materials: “Guardian Angel” word art, Elegant Word Art by Bethany; papers from "Boys' World", Sweet Blossom Designs; part of sparkle from Delicious Scraps
Font: Minya Nouvelle Italic

City Night Lights

Isn’t this a wonderful photo? One of the boys’ friends, Brittany Dengerud, is a professional photographer, and she took this picture of my son Steven last summer during one of their rambles around the city. I tried to keep the layout very simple to allow the fabulous photo to be the main focus. What do you think?

I really enjoy reading your comments. Thank you very much for your encouragement! You brighten my day! :D

Sue

Credits:
Photographer: Brittany Dengerud
Creative Consultant: my sister Nancy
Materials: “Behind the Reeds” collaboration: rain overlay by Symphonie Designs, background paper by Le Scrap de Gwenn; “Happiness” alpha, Sweet Blossom Designs
Program: GIMP
Font: Ariel Bold Italic

Mom's Garden

My mom has many talents. This particular page is about her gardening, but I could have written about one of her many other gifts as well: music, crafts, cooking, and art, to name a few.

But what is even more important is Mom’s heart. She is a very godly woman, and shares all her talents with others. I am blessed to have such a special woman as my mom.

Sue

Credits:
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6
Template: "Photobooth 01”, DSO March 2009 Template Challenge template, Bunny Cates
Materials: "Snowdrops", Joni Gray; "Julia Vintage Alpha" (re-colored), Mandy Made
Font: Myriad Web Pro Italic
I submitted this page for the DSO template challenge.

Family Photo Fun

Family pictures are usually no laughing matter. The tension of dressing up, getting into position, holding still and smiling can bring on a lot of stress. But all my guys are smiling or laughing in this candid picture from our family photo shoot in 2004.

This levity is amazing since this was the second portrait sitting that day. Earlier my extended family had gathered to take a family picture to honor my parents’ golden anniversary.

I guess this shows you CAN have fun and smile at the same time!

Sue

Credits:
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6; cast pewter action from Atomic Cupcake
Photographer: my niece, Marie
Inspiration: Kathy Ladle, DDBN Forum Speed Scrap #9
Materials: “Boys’ Club”, Sweet Blossom Designs; “Hearts & Flowers”, Sweet Blossom Designs (string)
Fonts: Arial Bold, Rockwell Bold

Almost a Century

My great grandma could have told you a lot can happen in 95 years. During her lifetime, 1875 – 1970, people invented or developed the following: telephone (1876), phonograph (1877), first practical light bulb (Edison, 1879), Coca-Cola (1886), air conditioning (1902), modern radio technology (1891), television technology (1897), paper clips (1899), airplane (1903), modern-day zipper (1913), penicillin (1928), cellophane tape (1930), saran wrap (1933), ball point pen (1938), and many other things.

Great Grandma had a big extended family. At the time she died, she had 23 grandchildren, 61 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren. Four generations are represented in the photo below: Great Grandma, Grandma, Mom, and us three girls.

Hurray for all parents, grandparents, and great grandparents! Without them we wouldn’t be around!

Sue

Credits:
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6, Atomic Cupcake actions
Layout scraplifted from Template 13 by MOriginals
Materials: “Love Birds”, Joni Gray (stitching); “Sweet Love of Mine”, Luisa Potter (rose and green papers); “Soft Fushia”, LouCee Creations (pale green paper for frame); “Rose Fest”, Crops2Dawn (rose); Gunhild (re-colored ivy)
Fonts: Arial Bold, Myriad Web Pro Bold

Little Treasure

Bright-eyed Nancy stared intently at Dad, and Mom looked very proud of her baby daughter. These pictures give a glimpse of my parents’ first “little treasure”.

Sue


Credits:
Programs: GIMP and PSE 6
Materials: “Finishing Touch” quick page, Livia Y Designs; ribbon, Gunhild; silver heart, Delicious Scraps; Metallic Alpha (re-colored), Gwenipooh
Fonts: Monotype Corsiva Italic, Rockwell Bold
I submitted this layout for the “Finishing Touch” challenge at DSO.

Sweet Baby Girl

No, this is not a boy! My mom knit the little cap in blue, so that was what I wore. Wasn’t I adorable?

Sue

Credits:
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6
Quick Page: “Artemia”, After Five Designs
Other Materials: Delicious Scraps (glass & gold heart charm; chain); “Baby Boy”, A Work In Progress (“sweet” alpha); “Alpha Beads”, Ziggle Designs (baby girl alpha); “Devils and Angels Word Art”, Sweet Blossom Designs (angel word art)
Fonts: Fiolex Girls, Arial Italic

Double Frosted

On February 24, 2007, everything around here was buried in fourteen inches of snow. Just six days later, fourteen MORE inches of snow was dumped on all the surrounding area! Look below to see how the poor little bushes and trees were "frosted" in snow.

This is the layout that was published in the January-February issue of the digital scrapbooking e-zine “Scrap N’ Art”. I’m especially proud of this page because I created the background and all the elements from free photos I found online. For example, I made the frame and title from a photo of ice cubes. This layout was really fun to make, and having it published was just “more frosting on the cake”!

Sue

Credits:
Program: GIMP
Photos of trees and bushes taken by my dad
Photos used to create background and elements taken by Lars Sundström, Niels Timmer, Håvard Kristoffersen, user scol22 (Sophie), and user nancynator (name not listed), posted on stock.xchng

Calling All Chocolate Lovers!

Do you love chocolate? Then you will love this cake! The note on this recipe says it is from Hershey, Pennsylvania, home of Hershey's chocolate. It's thick, moist, and rich, with half a cup of cocoa in both the cake and the frosting. Yummy!

When we lived in Japan, I used this cake recipe a lot because I could find the ingredients. It only calls for cocoa, which I could afford to buy there, not baking chocolate, which was horribly expensive if you were ever able to find it. I never had buttermilk on hand, so I just made sour milk by adding vinegar to it. I've given the substitution in the recipe.

The one-bowl frosting is wonderful, too. It calls for butter and lots of cocoa, so it tastes rich and chocolaty. Since it doesn't need to be cooked, it's easy to make. I keep this recipe on hand whenever I want a fast, delicious chocolate frosting.

I've listed both recipes below the layout so you can more easily copy them. Enjoy!

Sue

Credits:
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6
Materials: "Sophisticated Grunge", Amber Labau, Stolen Moments; Chocolate Alpha, le p'tit monde de marie
Fonts: Segoe Bold Italic, Arial Bold
I submitted this layout to the DSO recipe challenge and the Digital Candy "Whet Your Palette" challenge.

SPECIAL CHOCOLATE CAKE – from “Chocolatetown” – Hershey, PA

CAKE:
Stir together until smooth, then set aside:
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water

Cream together until light and fluffy:
2/3 cup shortening
1 & 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add 2 eggs and beat well.

Combine:
2 & 1/4 cup flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Measure 1 & 1/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk (May substitute mixture of 4 teaspoons vinegar plus milk to equal 1 & 1/3 cup)

Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture. Blend in cocoa mixture.

Pour cake batter into 2 greased and floured 9" layer pans (or 9" x 12" pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Frost.

ONE-BOWL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup sifted cocoa powder
2 & 2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter in a small bowl. Add cocoa & sugar alternately with milk. Beat to spreading consistency. Blend in vanilla.

The Sleeping Giant

Isn’t this a great view? My sisters and I were having fun at the overlook for Sleeping Giant Island by Thunder Bay, Ontario. This is one of the photos from our family trip to northern Minnesota and southern Ontario in 1972. See Nancy’s purple bell-bottoms? She looks especially “groovy”!

Cool Sue

Credits:
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6
Materials: “Funky Flowers”, Joni Gray Designs
Fonts: Microsoft YaHei Bold; Kristen ITC Semi-Expanded
I submitted this layout for the February DSO Color Challenge.