[Inspiration] What I listen to while I'm working...

And, by working, I mean creating digital scrapbooking stuff!

Right now, I am enamored with the German synthpop band Wolfsheim. I am a serious synthpop junkie, and I listen to all different kinds of it [I wish there was more Christian synthpop. Someone fix this for me!]. There seems to be a really nice grouping of synthpop bands (and a good fan following for them) in Germany. And, while I can't understand some of the lyrics, I really enjoy the way the language sounds, so it's all good! lol

I've always been a HUGE fan of electronic music. I remember being a child in the 90's watching those cd-collection infomercials of "the BEST OF the 80's" music, thinking that those synthpop, new wave, and darkwave songs sounded AWESOME! [Of course, my mom really voiced opposition to that kind of music; she hated Devo. But I loved it, secretly.]

My favourite Wolfsheim album was their last: Casting Shadows. It's dark and enchanting, but not depressing. There is an undercurrent of hope and a determination to move forward. I love that about it; it really seems to speak to my life thus far.

I just plug in my headphones, press play, and zone in on my art... the melodies pull me smoothly from one concept and task to another, until time has become nothing and the art, the experience and the expression, is everything.


I highly suggest that, if this sort of music intrigues you, to check it out. My absolute favourite song is "Find You Gone". Find a good pair of headphones and crank it up; soak in and appreciate the depth of the sound. ;)

[Progress] PixelScrapper May 2015 Blog Train: Renewall

I thought I would upload [show off] two of the items I have been working on for the upcoming blog train at PixelScrapper. In the nature of my blog name, I am feeling pretty high on that "saved the freaking day" feeling right about now. LOL. So please, never mind any gloating... humility [followed by embarrassment] will sink in ANY time now! ;)

I am thinking that I will be making at LEAST three more of these babies, but I would like to do more. (I am just nor sure how much time I will have - since the weekend is approaching and so is May... and I really only seem to be successful at completing these in the middle of the night! LOL)

I think I will be making both the black&transparent lines AND the coloured versions available, and I may be making sticker elements of them, too... it all depends on time and how much I decide to obsess over it...

Anyway, I am really looking forward to the upcoming blog train? Are you? :D

PixelScrapper April 2015 Blog Train: Reflections

(The link to the official PixelScrapper blog train post: HERE.)

I don't mean to be a jerk, but I don't have a lot to say on this one... or a lot to offer, I am ashamed to say. This month has been hectic and my computer has been inconvenient to access, so I haven't done anything very creative lately. Cranking something out for this month's train was hard (and even harder to complete and get posted - which is why it is so late, sorry). Though, I have to admit that I am in LOVE with both the palette and theme. :/

So, perhaps I will revisit this one... but, until then, here is my meager offering:

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

Blog Re-Design DONE!

PHEW! I am SO happy that is done (though, I am still miffed that it had to be redone in the first place, but, alas, such is life sometimes). ;)

Don't Mind Our Dust... Again... /sigh

I am not really happy to be re-clothing this blog so soon since I last did it... I would REALLY love to have a consistent design and emblem... something I DON'T have to constantly change... /sigh

I made the mistake of designing the current blog design while previewing Adobe CC, so now that I am back to previous versions, all my base files are incompatible! What a total derp moment! Ugh!

Oh well, I haven't really been happy with the aesthetic of this design for a while anyway... so here we go again! (My apologies for the temporary ugliness - but thankfully, the links and whatnot shouldn't be affected.)

Today's Weather - 3x4 Journal Cards

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

I am SO super excited to share these - you have NO idea! LOL. I got the idea quite a while ago from another PixelScrapper denizen who does pocket scrapbooking, and I have been meaning to make these for quite a while! And now, FINALLY, they are here! :D

Weather is something pretty close to my heart; I almost went to college for meteorology. When I was growing up, people would look at me weird when they asked me what my favourite television channel was because my answer was consistently, "The Weather Channel!" And that was back when they didn't have any "programming" and just showed the weather and nothing but the weather. I just couldn't imagine doing daily/weekly pocket scrapbooking and NOT mentioning the weather! LOL!

So, I am limiting this to PU/S4H and the main reason is because I exclusively just arranged paper and elements and drop shadows all from the PixelScrapper team, and it just doesn't feel right to release it is CU4CU or even CU. You know, I released that Old Brass bling kit back in July as CU4CU and it rested very heavily on the shoulders of PixelScrapper, and I have felt bad about it ever since. They haven't said anything about it - they've been SO good to me and SO very generous; I really want to do them right!

As I'm posting in the TOUs, I don't mind if designers want to bundle my whole kit (TOUs, previews, and all) with their commercial use products, just as long as it is explicit that there is NO money being exchanged for THIS kit and that it is merely a nice bonus. I am OK with that. Referencing me would be nice, too, but as long as my previews and TOU are included, I have no problem with that - it means that the people who put in the really hard work get the credit - 'cause let's face it, everything I make points back to two things: PixelScrapper and Jesus - because they have given me the means and freedom to be creative! ;)

So, with all that said,  as always, thanks for visiting and please enjoy! ;)

PixelScrapper January 2015 Blog Train: Winter Arabesque

(The link to the official PixelScrapper blog train post: HERE.)

I am really excited for this blog train. The colours are gorgeous and the theme is fun. Surprisingly enough, I don't have a lot to chit chat about this one, though I am super excited about it and what everyone else is sharing... so I'll just get straight to the giving of the goodies. ('cause I am pretty sure you're here more for the goodies than what I am blabbering on about... lol... not that y'all don't humor me very nicely, which I appreciate.) ;)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

And, as always, thanks for visiting and please enjoy! ;)
Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

PixelScrapper December 2014 Blog Train: The Nutcracker

(The link to the official PixelScrapper blog train post: HERE.)

Once again, I was NOT feeling the colours - the red + green of the holiday season is just... YUCK, in my humble opinion. And I am not a real big fan of nutcrackers; they're freakin' creepy. BUT, I LOVE ballet! 

I took ballet class and performed in holiday shows and a yearly company-wide show until I was a teenager. I quit the year before I would join a show/competition troupe and graduate to toe shoes. (I did graduate to my high heel tap shoes - God, I loved those shoes!) I loved to dance, but I was becoming quickly aware that my body type was not desirable in a dancer... my mom used to heckle me about it. But, anyway - that's the past and not the can of worms to open now. (lol, baggage.) What I was getting at is that I will always have a love and affinity for dance.

My great aunt once took me to see the Nutcracker performed by the Kansas City Ballet, and it was one of those life-altering, I-will-remember-this-forever, this-has-shaped-the-way-I-see-the-world events (my great aunt gave me a lot of those kind of events). And the part I remember liking the most was the Flight of the Sugarplum Fairies. So, I really tried to channel some of that into my portion of the blog train.

I was thinking about gentle snow falling, the patterns on the ballerinas' costumes, the fluff of their skirts and sleeves, and the twinkle of pixie dust. <3

So, without further ado, my contribution to this month's blog train:

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

And, as always, thanks for visiting and please enjoy! ;)
Have a happy holiday and be safe! <3

When Christmas Barfed

While I was working on my contribution for the December PixelScrapper blog train, I made what was, IMHO, a really ugly paper in Christmas colours. Then I decided to make some more of them! Because, Christmas time is famous for really ugly sweaters and some other colour/pattern combos that make an onlooker wonder what the heck the designer was thinking!

So, without further ado, this is what I think it would look like if Christmas barfed all over someone's house!

(And, just to make things clear, I mean the title of this kit very humorously. I am a Christian, and I certainly mean no disrespect of this holiday. I more or less mean to poke fun at the consumerism of this holiday, which I think anyone can appreciate. So, I hope I have not offended anyone.)

Available to download through Google Drive: HERE.

PixelScrapper November 2014 Blog Train: Our House

(The link to the official PixelScrapper blog train post: HERE.)

I have to admit that I was really not feeling the colours for this blog train. I tried and I tried, and it was just not working for me... /sigh.
So, I decided to go with some word art - that a way I can contribute something and not mess with the colours that are just... so not my thing right now. lol.

So, these word art stamps are sized in 4x6 and 3x4 variations, intended for ProjectLife and other pocket scrapbooking, though I think they're versatile enough that a creative scrapbooker can make them work wherever. ;)

And, also with these, I am making a special request that if you use these CU4CU that you NOT distribute just the stamps - please either do something creative with them (beyond simply recolouring or distressing them) or just distribute my whole file with your stuff (as a special "gift" would be fine by me - because I would rather ya' not be selling my unaltered work as your own). Does that make sense? I hope I am not making this too complicated (I don't think I am).

(Download from Google Drive HERE.)

And, as always, thanks for visiting and please enjoy! ;)

PixelScrapper October 2014 Blog Train: Autumn Art

(Here's the link to the official PixelScrapper Blog Train post: HERE.)

I almost missed this one! In fact,it was Oct 1st when I saw the train go live, and I decided on the spot that I wanted to participate. So... that's why these are late! And, of course, I got totally carried away... which, I hope, is totally yo your benefit! LOL.

Apparently, these colours were really speaking to me about stripes - dotted stripes, straight stripes, ziz-zag stripes, etc! :D
Quite a few of the packs ended up dark (and LARGE - so beware the file sizes, sorry), but I was really thinking of backgrounds that spots and splatters might look good on, like drop cloths. In the end, my kits kind of remind me of the gypsy-style caravan tapestries and clothing I'd see at my local Renaissance Festival - which is rather fitting since it starts up in Sept and runs through Oct. ;) I was going to go with the leafy theme that everyone else seemed to be going with, but I just wasn't feeling it. /shrugs

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy! ;)

Re-Design: DONE!

Woot Woot!

The re-clothing of the blog is officially done! Yay!!

Everything should be good to go. Links should not have been affected, but, as always, let me know if something wonky is going on. ;)

Please Forgive Our Dust

I am re-clothing this blog with some pretty new graphics, so there's gonna be quite a bit of dust, and probably some really ugly clashing colours.

Okay. Maybe not so much dust, but TONS of ugly clashing colours.

Please don't mind the mess. No links will be harmed in the making of this blog re-colour (I hope). And all the colours should be back to pretty in a few days (hopefully).

Thanks for understanding!! :D

PixelScrapper July 2014 Blog Train: Old Brass

(Here's the link to the official PixelScrapper Blog Train post: HERE.)

I am really excited to be able to participate in another blog train! I am thanking God for every day that I am able to enjoy my computer and create more art to share with the world!

There wasn't a prescribed theme for this month, so I kind of floundered for inspiration at first. A few scrappers were doing a "4th of July" theme, but I just wasn't feeling it... until I thought about brass!

I LOVE brass. It's mainly a turn-of-the-(20th)century steampunk obsession, but I also think of brass when I think of the military. The buttons and insignia on soldiers isn't made out of brass any more, but most of it is still made to LOOK like brass. And any high-ranking officers are often called "The Brass". But brass isn't reserved just for the military; it also has adorned all kinds of other uniforms from police officers to Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

When I think about celebrating Independence Day, I think of the brass. BUT, I know that digital scrapbooking is an international community and, while I LOVE my country, I didn't want to make it patriotic and exclude any international friends. So I decided to just stick with celebrating the brass. The beautiful, beautiful brass. ;)

I am especially happy that the colours this month included the grays and blacks and I wanted to use them a bit, too... because sometimes celebrating the brass, and all that it is used to represent, calls for more somber colours.

So, without further blabbing, here we go:

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Download from Google Drive HERE.

Download Part One: Buttons from Google Drive HERE.  

Download Part Two: Flowers from Google Drive HERE. 

Download Part Three: Gems from Google Drive HERE. 

Download Part Four: Other from Google Drive HERE.  

On these elements, your computer will probably tell you that they are not 300 dpi, but it is lying. They ARE 300 dpi - they were saved through Photoshop's "Save for Web" feature and that feature strips metadata, including the dpi tag. And then your computer just makes up whatever it wants. I am too lazy to go back and resave them so they have the 300 dpi tag, but they ARE 300 dpi.
And, the elements aren't 12x12, but I am too lazy to go back and change the preview right now. So, yeah. I apologize. 

Also, there's a shadow on the elements in the preview, but that's just for the preview. The elements in the packs are shadow-free. ;)

Enjoy! ;) 

EDIT:
I apologize for any difficulty or confusion the .RAR file format may have caused.

If you're interested in obtaining a program that opens .RARs, here are a few options: The program I use is WinRAR (available here as a trial). Other programs that open .RAR files include: 7zip (free here) - I use this one as well, RAR File Open Knife (free here), and Open the File has some other options, too (check it out here).

If you have the ability to open .RARs, then feel free to use the links above. Otherwise, I am posting some .ZIP files below:

Paper Pack 01
Paper Pack 02
Paper Pack 03
Paper Pack 04
Buttons
Flowers
Gems
Other 

Seeing as the two filetypes don't seem to produce a measurable difference in file size, and that .RAR causes confusion, I will provide my stuff in .ZIP files from this point forward. Sorry for the confusion. ;)

At The Beach - PixelScrapper Aug 2013 Blog Train

Nine months ago, a tragic experience in my life cause me to lose all of my electronic devices, including but not limited to the laptop where I created all of my art. I did not have many things backed up, so I lost a lot, including my promised participation pieces for PixelScrapper's August 2013 blog train. All I had remaining were the resources I had downloaded from PS (thank God!) and the previews I had uploaded to the forums.

It would be an understatement to say that I am excited today. This week has been the first opportunity in nine months that I have had to access a computer able to recreate that work. So, I've been working my tushie off these last two days, and have been delighting in every minute of it!

I have prayed incessantly for the opportunity to make digital art again. God has answered my prayers and I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that He continues to bless me beyond what I could ever comprehend! As Luke 6:38 (NIV) says, "a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap," indeed!

So, to be true to my promise, here is the recreation of my contribution to the blog train "At the Beach"... with interest. ;)

I hope that these papers will be a blessing in their own way. Enjoy!

Click HERE to download from Google Drive!

Click HERE to download from Google Drive!

Click HERE to download from Google Drive!

(Bonus Papers 1 actually contains more papers than what is shown - 13 papers, to be exact.) Click HERE to download from Google Drive!

Click HERE to download from Google Drive!

2014-07-25 EDIT: Files now hosted at Google Drive (instead of 4Shared) and are now in .ZIP format (instead of .RAR). Both changes made to provide easier accessibility. Thanks for the feedback!! ;)

The Crystal Coast Paper Kit

When I posted the last paper kit on PixelScrapper, I said I was working on papers for the upcoming blog train there and got really carried away and inspired and ran down a few rabbit holes, and voila! - I ended up making about 60 papers, including the previous kit and this paper kit! (haha, all the rest of them are going to have to wait until Aug 1st when the blog train goes live!)

PixelScrapper's August Pallette

While I was working with the colours for the blog train, themed "At the Beach", I noticed that they reminded me of the colours my family painted the rooms of the house we lived in when I was a child. We used to have stark white walls in every room until the first time we vacationed at the beach in North Carolina. When we came home, we painted the kitchen yellow like the sun, the living room beige like the sand, the bathrooms pink like sea shells, my bedroom blue-green like the ocean, and my parents' room lavender like the dune flowers (my sister painted her room bright pink because that was what she wanted); we loved the colours that we had experienced in NC so much that we wanted to take them home with us!

Now my husband, daughter, and I are stationed in North Carolina along the Crystal Coast. We visit the beach about every other weekend and the smell of the ocean reminds me of some of the better moments in my childhood. For this kit, I added green for the dune grasses and orange for the caution flags that they put up on days with not-so-ideal weather, which just so happens to be some of our favourite beach days!

So, without further ado, please click HERE to download them from Google Drive!

And thanks for downloading them! I hope that you're able to make some really beautiful things with them - and you can post a link here or message me on PixelScrapper if you want to share what you've done! I would love to see it! :D



2014-07-25 EDIT: Files now hosted at Google Drive (instead of 4Shared) and are now in .ZIP format (instead of .RAR). Both changes made to provide easier accessibility. Thanks for the feedback!! ;)

Distorted Pearls Paper Kit

Ooh, I am SO super excited about this one! I decided to contribute to the PixelScrapper Blog Train that will be happening in August, and in the process of making my stuff for the train, these papers emerged:

I really love them. They're shiny and kinda quirky, and I think they'd be GREAT for making alphas, brads, or buttons with! :D

So, without further ado, please click HERE to download them from Google Drive!




2014-07-25 EDIT: Files now hosted at Google Drive (instead of 4Shared) and are now in .ZIP format (instead of .RAR). Both changes made to provide easier accessibility. Thanks for the feedback!! ;)

The Dark Night alpha

So... here is my very first foray into digital scrapbooking.
I present, The Dark Night alpha:

Just click HERE to download it from 4Shared. :)

The First Post...

Welcome!

I hate to be a pain, but... this is kinda a place-holder for this blog. Maybe consider it an Error 404 page, if you catch my drift. Basically, if you've arrived here by clicking on one of my banner links above (Tutorials, Whole Kits, Papers, etc) then it means that I haven't created and/or posted one of those types of items yet. I just don't want to lose my labels for those links.

Please, don't run off; hang around for a bit... or at the very least, come back soon. There's gonna be more. I promise!! :D