Shy

Created this for the Chatter Box challenge. The white and peach is an old Chatterbox paper. Thought the soft colors of the Bad Girls kits worked well with this paper.

Added crackle paint to the edge of the CB paper.
Love the new products that melody is coming out with on CB.

Blanket Baby

This is my youngest son Damian, and he was a blanket baby. The blanket was blue and he carried it everywhere he went, even in the summer.

The main paper is Making Memories, the alphabet is Heidi swapp with blue ink on them. Added Basic Grey, ribbon and Fancy Pants.

Bundle Of Joy

bundle-of-joy, originally uploaded by jgwm166864.

This Bundle fo Joy is Tillman and he is being taken care of by his sister Casey.

The paper is Webster's paper
the not gives all of the stats of his birth.

the leaf is made from the Crayola foam clay and it is air dry and then colored it with with permament pigment powders.

Here they are- The scruffy pair- Fly Away!

The two babies are in the front of the nest. The are just getting their new feathers, but amazing enough they will be gone in less than a week.

Scrap Muse Monochromatic Color Challenge BLUE

Started a challenge on Scrap Muse for the week . The goal is to create something BLUE.
Here is the challenge-
http://scrapmuse.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10340
MONOCHROMATIC Main Entry: mono·chro·mat·ic Pronunciation: \ˌmä-nə-krō-ˈma-tik\ Function: adjective Etymology: Latin monochromatos, from Greek monochrōmatos, from mon- + chrōmat-, chrōma color Date: 1822 1 a: having or consisting of one color or hue Challenge is to put together a layout, ATC, card, altered item using only the color Blue. Paper, should be predominantly blue, embellishments must be blue, etc. You can use different shades and hues of blue to create the lights, darks and medium tones on your page. Show us how creative you really are. If you are a scrap saver, pull out your Blue scrapbag ! Photos can have any color. This will be a weekly contest and your entries must be posted in the gallery.

Outside My Window

This is a Dove nesting outside my bedroom window. She took over an abandon nest and rebuilt it... look a little small to me, but what do I know. We are waiting on two eggs. Will keep you posted. Lots of new pages in the head, just need time.


Plans are to submitt to Making Memories Masters contest, have to get moving. Talked to Lucy today, and yesterday. Funny how submitting makes you rethink everything you do.

Cocoa Daisy Design Team call

Last Sunday night saw the Cocoa Daisy design team call. It was literally almost midnight, and submissions had to be in by May 25, 2008. Picked some of my work already in my computer and sent it in. The last up load went at 11:58pm, ( they are probably on a different time zone). Any way figured chances were slim with all of the advanced planning I had put in to it.
https://www.cocoadaisy.com
Did not win
But got this email, which is encouraging...


Hi Gayle,
Thank you very much for all the hard work and talent that went into your design team submission. Your work is simply amazing! We were completely awed by the number of stellar applications that we received. The design team and I spent many long hours pouring over the layouts wondering how we were going to be able to narrow down such a gifted field to just 3 submissions! I am sorry to say that your submission was not one of the ones selected for our design team. I hope this in no way discourages you from submitting to future design team calls as your layouts were incredible! In fact, you were a semi-finalist. In recognition of the time, hard work and the courage it takes to enter a design team competition, we'd like to offer you a $15 gift certificate to the Cocoa Daisy store. Please use the following discount code ****on your Also, if you note that you had tried out for the design team in the comments section of your order, we will also include a special gift.
Thank you again!
Kind regards
Tricia & the Cocoa Daisy
As my daughter says "SWEET" free stuff is always fun!

Good News- Tinkering Ink

Opened My email tonight and found out that I was one of the winners. What a great surprise . When I started the project, I only had the Provencial Fare, so went to Scrappy Papers and and picked out one more sheet of Tinkering Inks paper.

My prize is $25 in merchandise from Tinkering ink. Now this is going to be

fun! Check out their new website.

http://tinkeringink.com/blog/2008/may/27/frustrated-and-more-winners/

A Rough day RENEWED

Got up today and it was one of those days. A project I was working on was damaged by water, so it will be an altered work, since I am not ready to give on it. Then the connection for my external hard drive was damaged, and I can not access my photo's with out it! Maxtor the manufacturer is closed until Tuesday.

But just got this email from a friend and you have to see this wonderful photo, that her friend too. A wonderful abstract flower photo.
http://heyjules.wordpress.com/2008/05/24/two-weeks-in-a-row/#comment-1012

Submission for the Tinkering Ink contest

Decided to play.

Tinkering ink a very graphic paper company, with bold colors and designs held a vintage contest.

Right up my alley, so this is my submission. You had to use their paper and something old vintage, not a reproduction or photo copy.

Hello from Florida,
Just saw your contest and this is just the sort of thing that I like to do. Incorporating the old with the new, and I love your paper as a bold contrast to the softness of old photos .
I live in small town so a not lot of choice for your product. I had some of you Provencal Fare and while it is beautiful on it's own, wanted a little more personality to the Nursery Rhyme page, So I cut out some of the Al Fresco, to add a little color to the page. I love the playful whimsy that the flowers give this layout.
As a child I lived in a small town and not a lot to do besides read. My parents bought a set of Childcaft Books for us to read. They have great memories, this is a page from (not the original set) a book that I bought at a thrift store., They were originally published in 1947 this book is from 1961, if that is not old enough or vintage enough for you some of the buttons are from my mom's collection and my grandmother button stash. Hope you love it. Challenge, recording old memories, of child hood. Did I say old!!!
Any way would love to have product from your store, just sorry that I did not see your design team challenge, that you held. If you ever need a guest designer, think of me! Thanks for the challenge, Gayle

scrapmuse-paper-flowers

scrapmuse-paper-flowers, originally uploaded by jgwm166864.

Close up of the paper flowers

May Scrap Muse Altered project- Lu Lu scrapping buddy

scrap-muse-may-lulu, originally uploaded by jgwm166864.

This is created using elements from the monthly kit. Cut up the chipboard elements and inked the edges with a gold leaf pen. Flowers are paper torn in progressively smaller circles, that have been wet and scrunched up. I then glued them together and inked the edges. Lu Lu was my daughers cat, but she adoped me. Where ever I went she stayed with me. She was a fully grown cat but very tiny. This is her perched on top of my computer screen. Every so often she would reach over and try to swat the curson on the screen. When I scrapped she would climb up and sit on the corner of my desk. When my husband would come in to the scrapbook room, he would pull my clips of ribbon down and roll he rall up in it. She loved the yarn and ribbon, they are not from the kit, just junk on the desk from previous projects that I threw in the bottom of the basket. ( I am sure we all have scraps of junk). This is actually a 4x6 little suitcase that I picked up. The photo is on the inside top of the case and the scraps are in te bottom half of the case. She was my Muse, she sadly is no longer with me. TFL

Scrap Muse May kit-Notes To Casey

scrapmuse-notes-to-casey, originally uploaded by jgwm166864.

This also from the monthly kit. Edged the bottom paper with red to give it a more modern edge. Created a pocket to hold journaling cards. Roughly cut out a flower, ( actually folded it in to quarters and then cut around the edge to create the shape). The center is one of the chipboard kit pieces inked with red. The edges of the flower are rolled up just a little to give the page dimension. Tried to only add things that most every scrapper has in their collection. Added from my stash ( ink, stickles, thread, button, the rest is from the kit. TFL

Scrap Muse May Guest Designer Challenge

scrapmuse-prom, originally uploaded by jgwm166864.

Another layout using the May Scrap Muse kit, incorporating products from 3 different paper companies. I circle cut the Basic Grey paper and used a gold leaf pen of the edge, then stitched around the circle. The fleece pieces were the perfet color for this layout, so I actually roughly cut flowers and used them on this page. I accented other areas on this page with a gold leaf pen.

Scrap-Muse-May- Guest Designer Submission-Gone-2-soon

Scrap-Muse-May-Gone-2-soon, originally uploaded by jgwm166864.

This paper was just perfect for this photo this is of Golden Finches, that fed right out side my office window. The are only here for a short time.

scrapmuse-prom- Sneak peak

scrapmuse-prom- Sneak peak, originally uploaded by jgwm166864.

This corner is from the second page. I love the Basic Grey paper added to this kit. The circle I cut and edged with gold almost looks like a plate.

Scrap-Muse-May-Gone-2-soon snapshot

Scrap-Muse-May-Gone-2-soon snapshot, originally uploaded by jgwm166864.

This is a snap shot of one of the pages that I created from the Scrap Muse kit. The Kit was called Antique Gardenhttp://scrapmuse.com/muses/2008/200805Mega.html

Sneak Peaks... Scrap Muse

I was one of the Guest Designers for ScrapMuse this month and we are posting peaks at the the Kit pages. I completed 3 pages and 1 altered item, that will be displayed on the site with the other designers.

Scrap Muse has a very creative group of designers that put together some awesome projects. Traci the new owner has alot of new plans in the works for the company, and some of it's future kits, this has got to be a very exciting time for her. http://scrapmuse.com/

Exciting News!!!

Yesterday I received an email from Jami Peterson, Editor in Chief of Scrapbooking Magazine. Her comment was "OMG!! I'm blown away, these are amazing!! Are you a designer for a manufacturer? " We communicate via a couple of other emails and then she asked to call me. She asked if I would write a article for her magazine.
http://scrapbooking.com/
I am very flattered by her comments and her request and totally appreciate her calling and talking with me. So for the July issue I will be putting together an article on layering on a scrapbook page. We discussed some option that she liked for the August magazine, and I will be doing a technique article for that month.

I will post soem of my other work that is not on this site and see what you think.

Any suggestions???

Time Out/ Color Story #4

This photo was taken when a friend asked me to photograph their family. Their son was .... well... a typical little boy. When he would not cooperate, the had him sit on the side rail of the old truck. I took this phot and several others with a telephoto lens while he sat there. Of all the photos, this is one of my favorites. Challenge was to use these colors and incorporate the design in your lay out.

This is a fun challenge weekly, giving you a design as well as a color selection and theme. Check it out!!!

http://www.colorstorychallenge.com/

Baby Girl Pencil Line Sketch #83

This page was created using the Pencil Line Sketch#83 a weekly challenge.Bailey is my sister's youngest daughter, and these are notes about her. TFL

Another garden job

I put in gardens for customers and I ordered about 400 plants for a customer this week. I make sure they know when they ask me to create gardens that I do not maintain them, only create them. This week I worked on a second planting for one customer.

Yesterday and today my daughter was her to help me with some gardens for this lady. She needs money to start Graduate school next week, so I told her to come help me with the planting. She let me know that she definitely did not get the gardening gene, she hated the entire process. I just wanted to make sure that she knows how hard I work for my money. She could not wait to get home to take a shower, and I have to say that is my favorite part of the as well. I have greenhouses, but they are at my house and I can shower when ever and as often as I like. I will post photos once all of the flowers are blooming.

Big Sister/ Scrap Lift challenge Scrap Muse

This is my Scrap lift challenge from the Scrap Muse site. http://www.scrapmuse.com/





















I scrap lifted the poster above me Yazziegirl.http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4742149871871817489

Michaela is the Big Sister, and Bailey headed for her lap when I started taking her photo. What a difference a few years make..... now she is the ultimate poser for America's Top Model. Just love this seeing this moment. Thanks for looking.

Photos from a different view point

I am trying to challenge my self to take photos in a different way, be more aware of my surroundings.. Saw Natka's Scrap Muse Photo challenge http://scrapmuse.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8508 challenge from last year, and loved her ideas, this was one photo per day.
As a scrapbook, most of the time we crop out all of the elements in the back ground. IE( cars, cereal boxes, TVs, just general junk). When I look at old photos of my self and my family, I love looking at the old cars, toys I had, schools, churches,my bedroom, etc.) Am I the only one??? So what photos are you leaving out of your scrapbooks? This could even be a summer time project for you and your children. So once a week or (month) take photos of the places you go, the people you meet, what you eat for breakfast, information about your city, state, festivals you have, fashion styles, games they play. So give me your feed back, thoughts and suggestions.

When my son's were little, they each had a journal and I tried to write something in it that they dictated to me. I then added photos to show the ages they were when they were giving me these wonderful bits of knowledge. They actually have drawing in some of the books, and wrote little notes. Blogging has replaced journals for us.

Red Shirt Friday

WhIf the Red shirt thing is new to you, read below...Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two together.After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home.'No' he responded.'Heading out' I asked?'No. I'm escorting a soldier home.''Going to pick him up?''No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq, I'm taking him home to his family.'The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conv ersations in so few days.I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, 'Thank you. Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.'Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom:'Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign.'Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American.So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women for what you do so we can live the way we do .Red Fridays.Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the 'silent majority.' We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, Country and Home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -- and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something red.By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a home coming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once 'silent' majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can we do to make things better for you?' is 'We need your support and your prayers.' Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear something red every Friday.

My father was in the Korean War, My father in law was in 3 wars, retired from the military.

Grow UP/ Pencil Line Sketch #82

This is my take on Sketch #82, I submitted this for their weekly contest.

My sisters daughter is on the left and 2 of my brother 6 are on the right. My parents own alot of property and we always go exploring, and I (as usual)am looking for great photo opportunities. The kids are such willing models as you probably can tell. My own children always hated me taking their photos. Right after I took the bottom photo of the 3, Walker fell in the big tire and hurt him self. I picked him up and carried him over to the barrel to check him out. Look closely at Walker's you can see that he has been drawing on his legs with an ink pen. His older sister told him to draw tattoo's on himself.

Scrap Muse Guest Designer

Scrap Muse is a monthly scrapbook kit club and I have been asked to be a guest designer for May.http://www.scrapmuse.com/
This is a wonderful kit and I am excited to be working with all of the designers at Scrap Muse. The papers and embellishments are beautiful and I am already thinking of projects to work on with this kit. Check out their site, they also have a challenge for pages designed with Pencil Line Sketches that put on their blog. This has been a great way for me to break out of my routines, and you have an entire month to complete the page. GREAT prizes!!!http://www.scrapmuse.com/blog/2008/04/22/scrapmuse-pencil-lines-sketch-april/
Here is my submission for the month of April- The 4 little photos on the bottom were a challenge for me, challenge was 1- 7x5 photo and 4 smaller ones below. This was a fun page, a little too busy, but hey ir's a little girl page. Put together pages today, I think you will beshocked to see how simple they are. I will take photos tomorrow.

Seven Sisters Roses

Took cutting of my moms Old Fashioned Running Roses " Seven Sisters" last year and I have a field full of Roses in bloom this year, all sizes. They are just beautiful, they are vining roses in various shades of pink to purple pink.

Looked up Seven Sister and it says they are commonly found on old homesteads, that would be the case here

Seven Sisters' is a legendary and famous rose in the Old South, whose flowers of include a range of colors from carmine pink through mauve in a single cluster.

http://www.oldheirloomroses.com/Seven_sisters.htm

http://www.ph-rose-gardens.com/00106.htm

http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/rose-106.html

Priceless/ Pencil Line Sketch Challenge

This was ahard composition for me. The larger photo was from me working on Adobe Color burn for this photo and I did not use it for the layout I planned. (Actually used the phot but without color burn). Decided on the photo and color choice before I figured out the page. Worked off the Scrap Muse Pencil line challenge, bu the small photos were the hang up. It was 2 am and wanted to used what I had on hand. Unfortunately, can't start printing at that time, printer is in the bedroom. Most of the time I may work l ate in to the night and get up and have the inspiration for the one final touch, or decide it is done. Probably by most peoples standards is done well before I get through. Can we say over work...

Had an art teacher in high school that used to tell us not to over work our projects, I obviously did not take his advice or did I???. Think I will have to google him and see if I can find him. Harold Wilder. Lots of randoms scraps here. TFL

Grow Up/ OLW challenge "GROW"/ Pencil Line sketches #82

This is for the ONe Little Word GROW

challenge.http://onelittleword.typepad.com/olw/2008/04/word-up-25-grow.html

I used the pencil Line sketches #82 for this entire layout. Great challenge to work out of your comfort zone with placement and photo sizes. I really like how it came out.

This photo is at my parents farm. Walker fell in to the tire right after we took this photo. I picked him up and set him on the barrel to look at his knee. Look at all of the writing on his leg that he did using an ink pen. LOL

Journaling:

As you grow up I hope the friendship you have now will last a lifetime. Cousins first... friends for ever. TFL