Walking Riley

These pictures are from a walk Liz and I took with their new puppy, Riley, when they had just added him to their family. I think he is so cute in these photos.

I made this layout for the DSO scraplift challenge. The idea is to take someone's layout and create your own in a similar fashion. I enjoy this challenge because it pushes me to make layouts in new and different ways.

This month's was really hard to do! It took me all January to figure out how I would scraplift Kerri’s beautiful layout. Click here to see it. This page was like making my own puzzle, but I love the result. What do you think?

Sue

Scraplifted from “In der Weihnachtsbäckerei” by Kerri; Materials: “One Day I’ll Fly Away” (bird re-colored), Digi-designs by Nicole and Dream Big Designs; sun by me; Programs: GIMP, PSE 6; Font: Segoe Script Bold
I submitted this layout to the January DSO Scraplift Challenge.

"There's Daddy!"

“There's Daddy!” Mom said to Nancy and me as she pointed at my dad, one hand poised to catch me in case I toppled off the railing. My parents wanted both of us to smile for the camera, but I think Mom's expression was the best.

Sue

I submitted this layout for the January 2010 DSO Color Challenge, using kits created for the challenge. Papers: Joni Gray (DigiScrap Freebies), Vicki (txbubbles - Bubbles Babbles); Flower and Button: Christina Hutchings (Designs by Hutchie); Programs: GIMP, PSE 6; Font: Minya Nouvelle Bold.

Real Men Wear Aprons

My guys are great! In the middle of the Viking's very intense NFC championship football game (which the Saints won), my guys were willing to pose for these silly pictures. This truly shows “REAL MEN WEAR APRONS”.

Sue

Grungy Metal Kit , Numb Bumm; Natural Series: Rusted Diamond Plate Alpha and Boyz R Tough Alpha, Designs by Sarah Bryan; Font: Monospace Bold; Programs: GIMP, PSE 6
I submitted this layout for the January DSO Quote Challenge.

Snowy Yard Art

What do you have in your front yard? This past Christmas, my boys added to our landscaping in an unusual way. This page is in honor of their grand achievement.

Sue

“Vintage Central Park”, Annie’s Digital Things; “Blog The Impaler” font, Kirk Shelton; stock photo of ice; Programs: GIMP, PSE 6
I submitted this layout to the January DSO Font Challenge.

Journaling:
12/25/09 - With 22 inches of new snow and perfect weather for shaping it, the boys created two masterpieces: a 7-foot tall snowman and an 11-foot tall, 28-foot long brontosaurus.

Going Out with Mommy

This is one of my favorite pictures of Nancy when she was little. She looks so adorable in her coat and bonnet! Don’t you love her big grin? This photo makes me smile.

“Amore”, Di @ Legacy4Life; Page in a Pinch 11 (modified), Red Leaf DigiScrapping; Programs: GIMP, PSE 6; Font: Boopee Bold

To make this page, I used “Amore”, the new kit from Di @ Legacy4Life. Click here or on the preview below to visit her store.

Sue

Sisterly Love

I'm blessed to have two sisters, and the three of us enjoy spending time with each other. Unfortunately, Nancy lives eight hours away from Liz and me, so whenever Nancy drives up our way, we try to get together. This photo is from one of those times. Can you tell we have a lot of fun?

“Amore”, Di @ Legacy4Life; Basic Template 2 by Berna Datema; Programs: GIMP, PSE 6; Font: Tahoma Bold

For this layout I used "Amore", a new kit by Di at Legacy4Life. I love all the shades of pink, rose and green. Currently it's only $3.00 (40% off). There's even an add-on paper pack for $1.00 (33% off). But hurry on over to her store because these discounted prices last just 6 days. Click here or on the preview below to go to her shop.

I'll be back soon with another layout from "Amore". Hope to see you then!

Sue

No Matter the Season ...

Exactly six months apart in 2009, my boys made creations out of the natural elements at hand. I was struck by the similarities between the boys’ great achievements, so I made this layout to compare the two.

12/25/09 - The new snow (22 inches total) was perfect for making a snowman 7 feet tall. But that wasn't big enough, so Harry and the boys made a brontosaurus: 11 feet tall, 28 feet long from front legs to tail tip. They carefully shaped the head, carved out the legs, and molded the tail. People who saw it were amazed. We would see cars drive slowly by as the boys were working on it. Some would stop to ask what it was. One lady even walked up to take a picture!

6/25/09 - When at the beach you make a castle out of sand, right? The boys decided they needed to do more. They made a 2.5 foot tall pile of large rocks pulled out of frigid Lake Superior so they could build a bigger castle. You need a sound foundation for any large structure, even one made of sand. They added sticks for cannons, birch bark for a flag and little rocks for crenelations (the up-and-down part on top of castle towers). You can't see very well from the pictures how big it really was, but they were proud of it.

In each of these sets of pictures, I noticed how HAPPY the boys were lifting heavy objects. That's not my thing at all! They had lots of fun --- and I had fun taking pictures of them!

Sue



Materials: “Winter Flower” and “Summer Flowers” papers (re-colored); Joni Gray’s Digiscrap Freebies; “Feels Like Home” alpha, Designs by Sarah Bennett; stitching by Gunhild; my sun and snowflake
Programs: GIMP, PSE 6
Fonts: Huxtable, Arial Bold, Minya Nouvelle Bold, Curlz MT, Reservoir Grunge, Mufferaw, Jokerman, Kristen ITC Semi-Expanded, Eterna Bold, Comic Sans MS Bold, Rockwell Bold
I submitted this layout for the DSO January 2010 Altered Photo Challenge.

Grandparents and Japanese Castles

What do grandparents and Japanese castles have in common? No, my grandparents never visited a Japanese castle. Give up? These are topics I used to make pages for "Elegant Whisper", a lovely new kit from Di at Legacy 4 Life. Here's a preview:

Isn't this beautiful? Just click on the image to be whisked away to Di's store, or click here.

I thought this kit would look wonderful with vintage photos, so I used the wedding photo of my mom's parents for my first layout. I really like the way it turned out. I think journaling helps preserve memories, so I added some details about my grandparents lives.

Credits:
“Elegant Whisper”, Di at Legacy 4 Life; Template 136, Scrapping with Liz; Font: Byington Bold; made with GIMP and PSE 6

My boys thought the arrangement of papers and elements for my second page looked very Japanese, so I made a layout about our visits to Japanese castles. When we lived in Japan (1993-2005), we were able see a number of castles. We don't have anything comparable in Minnesota!

Credits:
“Elegant Whisper”, Di at Legacy 4 Life; stock photo of Matsumoto Castle (Wikipedia); Byington font; made with GIMP and PSE 6

Thanks, Di, for letting me play with your beautiful kit!

Sue


P.S. For those who have trouble reading the journaling, here it is:

My Grandparents:
My mom's parents were married in 1932, during the Great Depression. They had to work hard all their lives.

In the early years of their marriage, my grandpa was away from home for weeks at a time during the summer doing heavy construction work. In the winter when there was no newly fallen snow to plow, he worked on a crew of 8-10 men that cut thick blocks of ice from the nearby lake to be shipped out by rail. Fall and spring found him working as a contractor for farmers, townships and counties. No matter the season, he was always busy.

My grandma was busy, too. At the beginning of their marriage, she “candled” eggs down at the creamery, holding them over a bright light to see if they were good or not. Later on she worked as a cook at a number of different places, including the pavilion by the lake, her own lunch counter in the bowling alley, and the nursing home on the edge of town. She also kept the books for Grandpa’s contract work.

Though my grandparents worked hard, they never had much money. Even so, over the forty years they were married, they had a good life.


A Place for Boys:
When my sons were younger, they loved to pretend to be warriors fighting imaginary battles. So naturally, when we visited castles in Japan, the boys were fascinated by the weapons, armor, and battle dioramas on display.