The French...

When I first started digiscrapping a little over four years ago, it was a very small community with a couple mega stores and a couple independants... and just about every community had a place to download freebies! (and the price of a full kit was $3-$4)
Since that time the Mega shops chased off most of the best artists with their contractual demands and private boutiques started springing up all over the web. At this time the availability of freebies or "gifts" became scarce or too difficult to obtain.
Now we have a zillion "e-zines" all with gifts for the subscribers... as well as subscription sites... some of which don't even tell you when there is a new "gift" available (scrapwow).
One of the most unique things I have seen happen is the formation of geographically based groups. We see a lot of this in the US with regard to just about everything from school groups to church groups. First there was the Canadian sites, then the Australian sites and the German sites, then the Brazilian sites.. now I have found a French site!
Don't get me wrong... I think it's great! I just find it odd that nobody tries to create an American site... I say that with tongue in cheek because everyone knows that in the US we would not be allowed to create such a site as it would infringe upon somebodies civil liberties. I just don't understand why it's ok to have the Black actors awards the Latino actors awards the Black music awards the Latino music awards etc etc. when the major awards include ALL groups... heaven forbid someone should try to create the honky music awards LOL...
ah but I regress... the point of this post is to tell you a bout a great French site I found DIGITAL CREA
Not only do they have some very talented designers, they also have some fabulous Freebies! So yesterday I bought one and I accepted one! LOL

This is what I bought...
In The Sea


And this is what I got Free...
My Butterfly


Just to be clear, I didn't HAVE to buy ANYTHING to get the free gift. I just figure I have been doing this long enough that I don't need to go around and collect all the free samples anymore. (many of which aren't worth using anyway.. including my own)But since these are QUALITY gifts I should AT LEAST patronize the shop. BTW both these kits are created by Mimilou Designs

Beauty All Around

Tuesday Evening I picked up my Aunt from Texas at the Sacramento airport and took her to my moms house in Napa where I stayed a couple of days.

At 5:30 Thursday morning I went out to one of my favorite "ME" spots and stayed for about an hour. I then drove over to the river font revitalization project to take a walk. While over there, I decided this would be a good place to play with the aperture and shutter speed settings on my digital SLR...

I was rather please with the results so I thought I would share them... These pictures are just as they came of the camera, no digital retouching or enhancing.... they were resized or the web.

I warn you now, If you don't like still lifes... don't bother looking you'll be bored to tears

Killing Time

Sitting around at my moms. Working with what ever's on my laptop! This is one of those "boys" doing a hand drag... I have never seen this done and can't visualize how he pulls out of this when his body is so close to the ground. When I ask, the answer I got was that he comes out of it [skiing] backwards and that this photo doesnt do the move justice! I've been sitting on this photo for a couple of months trying to decide what to do with it, I think when I get home I might try something different.

Under the Weather?

Yes I know... VERY ODD!

Forgotten

sometimes when I'm not getting the results I was hoping for, I will close the layout and forget about it... then some months later i will stumble on it and wonder what it was  I didn't like LOL.. here are a few I came across today...

 

a covered bridge i took pictures of... i think it could use some word art... maybe a poem

 

Regina... lifted photo from her myspace gallery... If you have seen my gallery, you may remember a hawaiian dancer... that was Regina... and the adorable little flower girll in the red dress... Regina's daughter

And well yes.. little mister charming... (my grandson)  working it already!

 

Time for Beautiful Music

Thanks to Amber for letting me play with her picture... this is version 3 LOL

(acck I see somethings I forgot!)

Amber McDaniel

Meet Amber McDaniel, a beautiful local young lady with a big voice. You can learn more about Amber and her work on her MySpace page, AMBERMUSIC . In the mean time you might like to hear a couple of her songs... just go down one post and turn off the player for John Nathaniel! It's a tough call I know!



6-16-08 I have disabled the link to ambers player, if you would like to hear ambers music, visit www.myspacae.com/ambermusic in the mean i hope you enjoy the music paying on my bPod

Reason to Live

Ah, John Nathaniel does it again! For a limited time he has posted a new song "Reason to Live" Johns songs are so "real life" it's almost scary! You can find John on MySpace and you can download his CD Shades of Gray from CDBaby and iTunes. Watch for his soon to be released EP

6-16-08 i have removed the link to johns player... if you would like to hear johns music visit www.myspace.com/johnnathanielmusic

Illusion

Just playing with some quote brushes I found on my hard drive! I think the cocaine quote is funny... If you really know me you understand why!!!

Buds

Dan (left) and Craig (right) have been friends since Junior High and I thought it would be fun to do a layout for them but the only picture I had of them together had a lady standing between them. Naturally I had to cut her out. LOL that's just me.. she was distracting from the purpose of the layout, Dan and Craig's friendship.

I admit I didn't do the best job... Because of their height difference I couldn't just slide them together and stitch the photo... I had to rebuild Dans entire side next to Craig (the lady was standing in front of Dan covering his entire shoulder upper arm as well as the edge and top of his ear.)

When I got that done I decided I didn't like the background... it was just white (snow)so I went through some other photos I had from events they were at together and found this one with trees in it. When I extracted the picture of the guys and lay-ed it on the new background, there was a skier doing a jump over Craig's head. No matter how much I tried I just didn't seem to be able to cover him up, So you got it... cloned him out! LOL THEN I noticed the new background was bright and sunny but the boys had snow flakes on them, so I cloned them out too!.

Once I got this made up picture of Dan and Craig it was time to lay it out... I love Doris Castle's Lost Mojo kit, not just because it was inspired MOI but because it's FUN! Can you believe even though I have three ever so slightly different versions here, I'm not really sure I like any of them? LOL!!! maybe I should go back to the original photo.... uh then..... maybe NOT! If you look at the picture long enough you will notice Dans chest is too broad and he has no upper arm, but other than that, maybe it's not so bad! LOL

STAY...

John Nathaniel just posted this "naked" song (his words) on his myspace page.
I think it's beautiful... you might want to scroll down to my bPod and pause it so you can hear John. He says it will only be up for 48 hours... hope you get to hear it. Oh, John also posted the lyrics... i'm not sure why I'm hearing like john's singing rounds... john jacob jinglemeyersmith.... that's my name too...or sorry, I hope it plays correctly for you!


What should I do?
What should I say?
All that I know is that I want you here
The oceans won't flow
When you're not around
The silence won't fade
till I hear your voice

For all the moments that I needed you
For all the pain that you put me through
and for all those reasons you were part of me
I wish you could find a reason to stay

I wish you could feel
I wish you could see
God I wish you'd stay
for just one more day
The bridges will burn
The Angels won't sing
but the broken will see
what it's like to feel

For all the moments that I needed you
For all the pain that you put me through
and for all those reasons you were part of me
I wish you could find a reason to stay

Where are you now?
I just wanna believe
I've got nowhere to go ohhhh
I'm standing on the edge
I've got to nowhere to run
and no reason to stay


EXPIRED

Emotion

Way back sometime last year it seemed everything I scrapped came out DARK and foreboding... I remember trying to do a layout with a beautiful Pink kit that Doris had made and it came out DARK... Then I started another layout and titled it "HAPPY" no matter how hard I tried to lighted it up, it just seemed "SAD" so I put it aside. Well, I came across it last week and played with it a bit... this is what I came up with




BTW new music on the play list... all by Morgan Clamp from his "I NEED YOU/YOU NEED ME" CD. Check out his music at MySpace or iTunes

The Fairy Prince

and his Fairy Mother... not finished but I wanted to share

Facebook Friends

I met this couple from Norway on Facebook when I was playing the game "owned" They are very cute and very fun loving people. I thought they look so in love in this picture I just had to scrap it!



credits:
"dancing Butterflies" by Sylvia Laupitz (Fotosusu) available at Funkyplayground
fonts - ck chemistry, passions conflict, times new roman

Finishing Up

some unfinished layouts on my computer.. This photo was from Rylie's 4th birthday.



I love the rich colors Lori Wiley uses in her work!
In this layout I used elements and paper from
her "Moonlit" kit at Diamante Designs
as well as foliage brushes from Ashalee Wall's
"Swirlies" Brushes at ashaleeandsweet
fonts - Nasty, Passions Confllict, Times New Roman

New From Studio Doris!

One day last month I took an impromptu trip to
DD house for a quick visit... just a couple of hours,
while looking at the pictures I took that day, I
realized why it is that I get so exhausted when I'm
with my grandson. These are just the things I took
pictures of.. he did lots more! I got pictures of him
painting, running through the sprinkler, taking
pictures with mommy's camera, bouncing in his
bounce house and resting... I know he also played
with the dog, played with the cats, ate,
played catch, Frisbee and batted with daddy...

Whew, I get tied just thinking bout it!

I used items From the collab project Chelsea's Garden
by Doris Castle and Diane Rigdon available at SBG
http://tinyurl.com/64fxov
http://tinyurl.com/6hnmvd
http://tinyurl.com/5dkj4j
http://tinyurl.com/5jc7s9
http://tinyurl.com/68fmsy
http://tinyurl.com/6x9q7x
http://tinyurl.com/5cvmwa

I also used swirl brushes by Aneta Branch (aka Sweet Made)
available at Ashalee and Sweet
curl template by Marcie Reckinger at funky playground
curl action by Tracy Murphy also at Funky Playground

Fonts: Passions Conflict, Times New Roman



Since his first finger painting, I have been
amazed at Rylie's painting skills, not because
of the realism, but because of his sense of
completion, He has a very minimalist style
to his work. This day he added just a touch
of glitter glue!

I used a close up of his art as the back with
a paper from the kit layer blended over it
to add a bit of color and texture

I used items from the collab project
Chelsea's Garden by Doris Castle and Diane Rigdon
available at SBG

http://tinyurl.com/64fxov
http://tinyurl.com/6hnmvd
http://tinyurl.com/5dkj4j
http://tinyurl.com/5jc7s9
http://tinyurl.com/68fmsy
http://tinyurl.com/6x9q7x
http://tinyurl.com/5cvmwa

font - passions conflict

Tune Crazy

I really should make a better effort to buy music when life is going gang busters... I have a tendency to only buy music when I'm sad or melancholy... and yesterday was no exception... I bought 47 downloads from iTunes converted them to mp3 so I can share them here on my blog and renamed those mp3's so they would show properly on my little bPod over there in the right column. Then I uploaded them to my server and updated my iPod... yes.. it DID take up MOST of the day! I've found a couple a really good indy bands/artists over at myspace... yes I have updated my play list... 4 songs (I think) dedicated to my old DJ friend(s) So this is what I got...

I Love How You Love Me - Camera Obscura
I Can't Stay Mad At You - Camera Obscura
Keep It Clean - Camera Obscura
If You Remember Me - Chris Thompson
I Wish I Wasn't-Heather Headley
Crazy for You-Griffin House
I'm Yours -Jason Mraz
Shades of Gray - John Nathaniel
No One's Breathing -John Nathaniel
The Best of It-John Nathaniel
What I'm Looking For -John Nathaniel
Ever -John Nathaniel
Tribute to the Obscene -John Nathaniel
Down to You- John Nathaniel
Around and Round -Jonathan Clay
After All -Jonathan Clay
A Little Time- Jonathan Clay
Get You Out- Jonathan Clay
Back to Good -Jonathan Clay
She -Jonathan Clay
Everything- Jonathan Clay
More Than a Picture -Jonathan Clay
Cant Be That Crazy- Jonathan Clay
New Design -Jonathan Clay
December -Jonathan Clay
Sky (feat. Ingrid Michaelson) -Joshua Radin
Lovely Tonight -Joshua Radin
The Fear You Won't Fall -Joshua Radin
You Got Growin Up To Do (Demo Version)- Joshua Radin
Too Late for Goodbyes -Julian Lennon
Once In a While -k.d. lang
Bleeding Love- Leona Lewis
Like a Dream (Hello Album Version)- After Edmund
I'm Still In Love With You- New Edition
Misery- P!nk Duet with Steven Tyler
Oh Darling Supertramp
Suffer In Silence -Susan Ashton
Life Got in the Way -Sister Hazel
Where Do You Go- Sister Hazel
Come Around -Sister Hazel
Another Me- Sister Hazel
All About the Love -Sister Hazel
Keep on Smilin'- Wet Willie
If I'd Been the One- .38 Special
Caught Up In You -.38 Special
Innocence- Sarah Buxton
Think of What You've Done- Sarah Borges

Bridge Over Calm Waters

Yesterday I decided I needed to go on a photo outing. I knew exactly where I wanted to go. On the river less than 40 miles from here (up the mountain)there is a state park with a 150 year old wood covered bridge and in the 15 years I have been here,I have never seen it! So Off I went... here are some of the photos!

I dunno the pictures are nice and clear on my computer.. but the slide looks fuzzy to me...

Hello Kitty

I came across a template challenge being hosted by Kim Carothers at BHG for the scrap-a-faire. While reading about it on Kim's blog, I saw this photo of her daughter Kasy and thought it was too adorable NOT to scrap!



I used the Ashalee and Sweet Collab kit Karma from their shop Ashalee and Sweet. The kit is made with bright vibrant colors and I really wanted to show them off; but, alas, I succumbed to the urge to desat. On the doodle (from the kit) and the frame (from the template) I used Sweets party glitter style I then beveled added texture and drop shadow to give them the look of glitter glue. Font: HELTERSKEL TER I would LOVE it if you could stop buy the BHG Scrapbooks ETC. Scrap-a-faire designer challenge gallery to recommend and rate my layout. (and leave me love?) thanks!

Belle Jeune Femme

Ok... I have spent enough time licking my wounds from the last scrapper standing competition... I have wonderful news! Studio Doris has returned to SBG! So stop on over and take a look at Doris' newest kit Eerie Garden. I used it to scrap this beautiful photo of my niece




credits:

Doris Castle's new kit Eerie Garden
available at SBG. http://tinyurl.com/6hdcd3

also, Bow by Vera Lim from the April DST
gold member kit Free Love

Elements from Lori Wiley's Blue Magic Element
set available at Lori Wiley Designs http://tinyurl.com/5ra35e

and Lori Wiley's collab kit with Melgen Designs,
Mountain Valley also at Lori Wiley Design's http://tinyurl.com/67j3l8

font: CKBoutique