Creative Complexion

A whole lot of Digital Scrapbook Layouts featuring graphics from PxlCafe!

I have been keeping myself busy working on other excieting design projects. But, I haven't quit digital scrapbooking, I just haven't shared many of my new layouts! So, I thought I would take a moment to show you some of the latest using the awesome products from PXLCAFE.  I included the links to the products including links to several Free digital scrapbook templates! 

Gracies Birthday Wishes

PxlCafe digital Scrapbooking Products used: Circles Page Layout Template Freebie and Birthday Boy Digital Kit.

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My Little Sweetie

 PxlCafe digital Scrapbooking Products used: Sun Burst Page Layout Template Freebie, For Reals - Watercolor Mini Digital Kit, Rainbow Cooties Elements, Whimsy Stitches Elements and For Reals - Faded Story Elements.

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Best of Friends - A Boy and His Dog!  Golden Doodles are simply the best dogs around!

 PxlCafe digital Scrapbooking Products used: ButterCup Kit

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Sunset on the Beach

 PxlCafe digital Scrapbooking Products used:  Above layout created using Filmstrip Alpha Page Layout Template Freebie, Digital Scrapbook Basics Kit - Red and Digital Scrapbook Basics Kit - Black.

 

More to come!!! 

Photos at your fingertips - Professional results using Epson paper

I NEVER seem to be organized enough to gather all of my favorite photos that i want to have printed for crafting, scrapbooking or simply framing.

As much as I love to display photos around my house, I was always one of those people who *insert shame* left the picture that came with the frame, in the frame for months. LOL It wasn't until my family and friends would tease me a little and ask who the people were in the photos that I would actually get my act together and take my photos to the store to get all of my photos printed. I could never do just one at a time and i think that is the reason why I always put it off. I wanted to multitask and get them all printed at once but, I could never get organized enough with my pictures for that to ever happen.

I had a Kodak printer and although it was cheap on ink and paper, I thought I was happy with it until I got the Artisan 800 printer by Epson. This printer changed the way I felt about my photos and printing them off at home. No longer were they dull, they were bright and beautiful. I now believe that the paper is what makes all the difference. It is a little bit more costly than the "cheap stuff" but, it is totally worth the investment.

I have printed many of my digital scrapbook layouts, photos, cards and items for crafting on my Epson and i really am happy with the results. Not only that but, it is super easy to just click and print. I can choose to just pop in my camera card to the printer and print them out right from the card or, I can print after i play in PhotoShop. I get amazing results and I don't feel the guilt of being a slacker anymore.

My favorite paper for printing digital scrapbook layouts is:Epson Ultra Premium Photo Paper (I have used Premium and it works great too but, the ultra premium is more vibrant)

My favorite paper for printing cards and crafting material is: Epson Semigloss Scrapbook Photo Paper (This paper works excellent for printing out clip art and pieces for cards and crafts)

In other thoughts: for printing out multiple scrapbook layouts I am thinking maybe I might try getting a book printing using Shutterfly.  I have never actually had a photobook printed *sigh* again, my lack of organization and my battle to let go of the need for perfectionism and just get er done.

Have you gotten any of your photos/layouts printing in a hard bound book? which service did you use? Were you pleased with it?

Reasons DigiScrappers should use Twitter - Tips

To Twitter or not to Twitter?

Follow ME on Twitter! :)

In my opinion, Twitter is a fabulous way to keep informed or help your small business.

Keep up to date on your friends and favorite designers. Learn some new things as well! I love when someone I am following posts a tutorial or a link to some new free brushes that i wouldn't have found otherwise.

If you have just checked it out and don't really see how you could benefit, keep on reading..... You might be thinking well, I don't really care if my favorite movie star eats a sandwich.... Well, I know, I don't either. I just skim through the tweets and read through the useful information and links that people are sharing.

When i first signed up, I thought that it was kind of silly but, now that i am understanding how it can be used for learning and keeping informed....I am LOVING twitter!

If you just want to follow along to keep informed, that's good too! Its not JUST about sharing little useless tidbits and information about your personal life. Although, You can do that though if you choose.
If you get active on twitter and Do alot of retweeting links that you find enjoyable, you may impress your followers! share valuable information, RT's, articles, tips, links and pictures of your scrapbook layouts use # the hashtag #digiscrap when you are tweeting about digital scrapbooking.

What is...
RT - That is short for ReTweet. when you appreciate some information and wish to share it with your followers as well, you can retweet it.

# - When you see the pound sign, that is twitters way of categorizing your tweets. If you put #digiscrap in your tweet, it will show up when someone searches for #digiscrap

@ - means Reply and it is the prefix for your user name - if you @ someone then it will come up as a direct reply for them.

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TONS of people are going to add you that don't care about YOU or digital scrapbooking... They are not really looking to read your feeds, they are just trying to spam you into following them or clicking on their links. The choice of what to do is yours, You can choose to block them or just not follow them. Chances are, they are not actually reading your tweets themselves.

Twitter.com can be slow at times, i prefer to use TweetDeck. It is a downloadable application that helps you filter your tweets and do searches for # relevant information. I have 2 constantly updating searches on my tweetdeck, 1 for #digiscrap and one for #scrapbook It is helpful. TweetDeck also gives you the option to RT (Retweet) Others threads. IMO i didnt get the value of twitter until i downloaded Tweetdeck.

-If you are twittering for personal, you can choose any name you want but, if you are twittering for business.... is best to use your real name or business name as your user name so that people can remember you, search for you and know who you are if they are part of the digital Scrap booking community.

If you have some useful Tweeting Tips/links or Twitter applications that you use, please share them here! Lets help grow digital-scrapbooking awareness!

Other helpful Resource Links
Top 20 twitter applications
Twitter Downloads
Twitter Feed - For automatically adding your blog posts to your twitter feed
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Photoshop - Create Art Brushes 1 - Paint Effect

Tonight I sat down and played a bit in photoshop :) It was fun and the end result was some great painterly effect brushes! Offered in .ABR format only. I hope that you enjoy them!!!

**Download Here

*** I am allowing any kind of use of these brushes with the exception of blatant redistribution. Please also note, these were created in CS2 - I think they will work on older versions of photoshop but, because they are effect brushes and not stand alone images, I cannot offer the PNG versions for you to make your own if you use another version that is not compatible. You wouldn't get the same results as these brushes have effects applied. So, if you are unsure if they will work in your version of Photoshop, give it a go anyway to see if they will work.

Creative memories - Digital Scrapbook Layout

Yes, I actually made a scrapbook layout!  First one in awhile.   I got so inspired with this new Wishes and Dreams Digital kit  from Creative Memories that I did a little digi scrappin with it :) 

A portion of proceeds from the wishes and dream series (Paper Albums, 12x12 Album and the digital kit will be donated to the Make a Wish Foundation! :)  Its a good thing!

My Kiddo is a strong swimmer, he swims like a little fish and rarely turns down an opportunity to get in the water.

 

Free Digital Scrapbooking Kit - Counting Sheep

A new digital scrapbook kit - Free for a limited time! :)

I have been doing a little creating, its been awhile.. I have been busy doing other work but, in between waiting for photoshop to chug along, i like to doodle.  I ended up with these cute little sheep doodles and i couldn't just put them away for a later time, i had to play with them right away so,  I got them all painted up and was totally inspired to do this kit.  I can't believe how easy they come together when i am feeling inspired.

I wish it always worked that way because when i am not inspired, I end up with half finished kits....  I have WAY too many of those sitting on my harddrive! LOL  Maybe i will eventually get something done with them.

If you create a layout with this kit, link me up! I would love to see it!! :)

 

No Monsters Allowed - Free printable poster

Fear of monsters.......It seems like every little kid goes through it at one point in childhood. 

Yesterday I got on a little creative spurt and I wanted to try something a bit different so, I  got busy in Photoshop and made this  8x11.5 poster to print out for Laine's bedroom.

Here it is for you to download an print out.  I printed it on thick cardstock,  it needs to be printed on something other than just regular white paper.  

*please do not share this poster, sell it or claim it as your own * If you post about it on your blog (which I would LOVE) Please do not link directly to the zip file, link to my blog.  Thanks!

*Click on the poster to download*

Digital Scrapbooking is FUN!

Goodness...  Today I had a really awful day, I will admit that it still isn't much better this evening.  Really its about nothing particular...  just a bunch of smallish things that have been accumulating in my head.   Now have this really icky, "being too hard on myself" feeling.

So, i decided to just put aside my issues for a couple hours and get some scrapping done! Great stress therapy, doesn't work quite as well as shopping but, its cheaper! LOL  

The last layouts I created took me a long time and I shamefully admit, I have only made a total of 6 Scrapbook Layouts this whole year :( But, tonight it came easy, i just let everything go and had a little fun,   These came together SO quick! (under 2 hours for both!!) 

I used only Items from my new Grab Bag!  Even the wordart :) So, Here they are!  

Stay Tuned to my blog for some awesome printable Christmas craft/hyrbid ideas that i have up my sleeve ;) I should be posting those next week. Oh and if you have done or seen a fabulous christmas craft... Please share! I would love to see and get some more ideas! :)

Spontaneous Delight! - Free

That is exactly what this kit was when I created it! My very favorite colors too!  Love it!

If you haven't yet heard, It is available for download FREE at ShabbyPrincess.com

I actually scrapped a couple layouts with it too!!!!  YAY ME!!! LOL 

   

 

Credits:  Spontaneous Delight,  Tab Alpha by Michelle Coleman

Happy fall! Apples, Apples, APPLES!!

We went and did a little apple picking last weekend, it was fun!  Apples were yummy, We picked 2 big bags and now I need to get crack-a-lackin  on making some apple pies. Earlier in the week  I thought I would use up a bunch making 2 apple cakes BUT, the apples were so large that I actually only ended up using 3 of them to make 4 cups of chopped apples.    So, so much for that! LOL  

Tonight I decided that I was just going to do a layout using the pictures and try not to be a perfectionist, I have been having such a hard time scraping lately, I start the layouts and then they just sit, unfinished because I end up not liking them.   But,  I actually did a layout using the pictures I took that day and I actually finished it!!    :)     

Boom Chicka Wah Wah

In a previous post i meantioned that FishScraps.com is back online but, If you havent been to check it out, You should!  I am so proud of it!  hehe  it is better than ever with a whole new look! I am so excited about being open again, I really missed my shop!

Boom Chicka Wah Wah!

*Prior customers will have to sign up again as it is a brand new store. I am starting completely fresh! It feels great!

Be My Friend?

I was just playing around with my lists at Kaboodle the other day,  How i love that place, it really helps me keep ontop of things ..especially around this time of year when the kids are about to have their birthdays.    I see something earlier in the year while online shopping and I just add it to my list, that way, its all in one place and it is all visual!  Just love that!  I use Firefox  as my browser and I just love that i could install the buttons on my actual browser so when i see something i might want to put into a list....  I just click on the buttons and add it to a list!

So, If you are a Kaboodler too (hehe)  I would love if you added me as your friend! ;)

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Whew, I am just so tiered today, my brain is on overload... So many things that I am trying to do,  I have been staying up pretty late to accomplish all of it! 

Scott and I both have always been late night kind of  people.   It always seems that we look at the clock at night and think, oh shoot...  Its already 1:00 am!  LOL  that doesn't work so well when Scott has to be up at 5:30! ouch, that is only 4.5 hours of sleep!  I get to sleep in much later than he does.. I am at least getting my 7 hours.   But, it seems that lately their have been many more of THOSE kind of nights instead of  going to bed at a decent hour or a bit early nights!

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Today we took laine to the dr to have his check-up.  He will be going in on Friday for "surgery"  call it surgery because he will be going under a local anesthetic :(  Poor kid, He will be getting his teeth cleaned and one of the baby teeth will get a silver cap.  Right now it has a really large cavity.  My baby is a gagger :(   We even had him hooked up to laughing gas, had the freezing in his tooth and everything..  then he started gagging and he gagged so hard when the pediatric dentist was trying to fix his tooth that he actually popped blood vessels in his face and neck.  Poor kid, he did all the hard part and then we had to stop before it was fixed up :(    Thank goodness we have some good dental insurance!!!!  I could have just left the tooth but they said it would take so long for us to actually get into have something done.. i just dreaded the thought of the tooth starting to ache, i didnt want him to go through that pain of a toothache!  Toothaches are the worst!

Glittery & Swirly - Free for you!

Hello Lovelies!

I have a little giftie for you.  I hope that you ENJOY!

In this download you will find TONS of glittery swirls to adorn your scrapbook layouts! 

Thanks for visiting my blog! My new design is coming along, slowly but surely.   I am definitely not good with this technical stuff, takes me a long time to figure out what the heck I am doing!

On to the good stuff...   (Click on the image to download them!)                                            

BnB contest entries

Well i must admit,  i am thrilled that i took the time to enter this BnB contest at Digital Scrapbook Magazine!!  although i didnt win, I totally challenged myself and got 9 great layouts finished for my kiddos albums!  and it did make me realize once again that i need to improve my writing skills... BIG TIME.  It is going to be a resolution for 2006!   All elements used on these layouts are my own from various kits :)

A big congrats to all of the winners, they are all so very deserving of this honor! i  cant wait to see their winning layouts in an upcoming issue of the mag!!!

I also just wanted to meantion...  Although i originally had hopes of entering the 2006 CK HOF contest, i was just so overwhelmed by  just the thought of it. i didnt even know where to begin really, i dont think that i am ready.  I will be sitting out again this year :)  best of luck to ALL of you who enter! 

SO, Here were my entries for the digital scrapbooking magazine contest. Not posting these drove me crazy! LOL :)