Look at me! I'm digi-scrappin!

I told you yesterday about my box of goodies from Stampin Up! My first stamping order in a year. In that box of goodies I told you I got the new My Digital Studio. I got it because I wanted to try my hand at digital scrapbooking. I have tried before and just couldn't get the hang of it. So I decided to see if all the reviews I have heard about how easy this program to use are true. And can I tell you, they are oh so true! I love this product! My Digital Studio rocks! I did a whole 12 page layout in under an hour. Love it!
Most of my pictures are on my computer so I had a hard time trying to edit the images, send them to snapfish to get printed and then when I would received the prints I would find I would spend hours at my craft table just trying to do 1 page. Then I would get discouraged before even finishing that 1 page and would walk away. This has made it so easy for me to scrapbook. I love it!!!
Here are just a few of my favs. I used the already put together for you Christmas kit and just dropped my pictures in, did some journaling, a little tweaking and tada! I did use a little creative liberty on some of the pages. Like on the one with the white background and red blocks. The predone layout showed pictures there, I took out the space for pictures, left the red blocks and had this as journaling page.

Not bad for my first attempt at digiscraping!

A little of this, a little of that

I know I've been quiet lately on this blog. I guess that getting things ready for our adoption home study (the updated one for our new home) wiped me out more than I thought. Not to mention the moving 900 miles thing. Anyhow, I am finally starting to feel normal again, not to mention I just got a box of goodies from SU. My first stamp order for myself in about a year (I ordered cardstock for my brother-in-laws wedding invitations, but that wasn't for me so that doesn't count). So I'm really excited to use all my new goodies. I got several new stamp sets, and the new My Digital Studio, just to name a few. I am going to be working on my Christmas cards soon so stay tuned.

In the meantime I have been blogging like crazy over at our family blog. Partially because blogging on that blog takes no more effort then sitting here, but mostly because of what November is. Did you know, that November is National Adoption Month? Did you know that this weekend, Saturday to be exact, is National Adoption Day? In honor of National Adoption Month I have been blogging each day about adoption. The first week my posts were all about adoption resources that I have found. Last week was all about adoption success stories and families who have been brought together through adoption. This week I am blogging all about other families hoping to adopt and next week I will be spotlighting birth moms. Starting with a profile of my cousin who placed her son 5 yrs ago. So be sure and check that out.

Anyhow, I realized the other day that I never shared the photos I had taken of the family I shot in July. This was the family of 15. So here are just a few of those.

this was the whole clan. This was my first time doing a group larger than 8 so I wasn't thrilled with the large group shots, but I did like some of the smaller ones.

This one is the grandparents in this group.

This one is a candid of two of the grandsons.

One of the families, I dubbed them the blue family since they were all wearing blue.

This is the brown family since they were all wearing brown.

One thing I learned with this shoot is that 10 a.m. is not a good time to shoot. That was the time the family requested though so I went with it. The sun was way to bright though as you can see in some of the pictures.

I also don't remember if I ever shared these. I did a shoot with some friends of mine who are also hoping to adopt. These photos were for their adoption profile. Here are just a couple of my favorites.

WCMD challenge 5

This is the only other challenge I was able to do for world card making day. And it wasn't even a card challenge. This challenge was hosted by Magnolia-licous. They have such cute stamps, I don't own any, but I'll soon be adding some of these to my collection.

In this challenge we had to make a Holiday Ornament. I didn't want to do the traditional glass ball that I do when I do Christmas Ornaments. Instead I started going through my chipboard to find a good base. I found a large circle and decided to go with that. The paper I chose was Vintage Holiday from TAC. I placed my cicle on the paper and traced around it and then cut along the lines. Then I used some creamy caramel ink to give it an aged look. I attached the paper using some modge podge then added some ribbon. My image is from SU and is the set A Very Merry Christmas (retired). I colored it using colored pencils, punched it out using my circle punch and mounted it onto real read with I punched out with the scallop circle punch. Using my white Signo gel pen I placed a dot on each scallop to give it some dimension. I mounted the focal image using dimensionals so that it sits off the ornament just slightly. I used my crop-a-dile to punch the hole through the ornament (since it is thicker because of the chipboard, I knew the crop-a-dile would work beautifully) and then threaded some of the same ribbon I used on the ornament for the top to hang the ornament from a tree. It's not quite what I set out to do, but I was happy with it. :D

WCMD challenge 4

Sorry! I know it's been awhile since I posted a card from World Card Making Day! Sorry!

This challenge was hosted by some of the Splitcoast Ladies. This challenge was a 3 part challenge. The first part was, it had to be a Thank You card, then it had to include the color Chocolate (or a different shade of brown) and it had to follow this sketch. Love the way this card turned out!

First I stamped my roses and leaves using the A Rose Is A Rose stamp set and the ink colors I used were Regal Rose, Pretty In Pink, Mellow Moss and Chocolate Chip (I stamped the chocolate chip off once before stamping on the peice) Afterwards, to give it an aged look I used the DTP technique on the peice. Then I mounted it onto Mellow Moss CS and stitched along the edges. I mounted that whole peice to my Chocolate Chip card base and added some flowers for fun. The saying at the bottom is a white rub-on.

I still have my ornament to show you so look for that soon. I will be starting on my Christmas Cards shortly so I'll have those for you soon too.

Cookie!!!!

O.k. so I'm not so great lately at updating my blogs. Sorry! In my defense I have been busy getting the house ready for our updated home study for our adoption. Incidentally it's scheduled for next Tuesday. We may end up having to do it next Friday instead though, we'll see. Our new caseworker wants to meet my daughter and she will be in school during our appt. time. So I asked the caseworker if we could move the appt. to later in the day after DD gets out of school, or if we could move it to Friday since Friday is an early release day (our case worker only does home studies on Tuesday's and Friday's). So we'll see. But it's moving along again. YAY!!

Anyhow, I know I owe you a card, I will post one soon. Right now I'm too tired to post one, but I figured I would post something crafty, so here is a cake I made for my brother-in-laws birthday a couple of weeks ago. He turned 36 and when he was asked what kind of a cake he wanted he said a Cookie Monster cake. Apparently Cookie was his favorite character growing up. I don't have a Cookie Monster cake pan, so I made up my own cake. I think it turned out pretty darn cute. What do you think?


More cards and stuff to come, I promise.

WCMD challenge 3

It's 2a.m. and I'm still awake. Why? Because hubby is switching his schedule at work and he is trying to get used to needing to be up at night for work. So I figured I stay up for a little bit with him. Aren't I sweet? ;-)

I figure since I am up, (and he is in his office feeding his fish and probably updating Facebook), I figured I would post another card from World Card Making Day.

This one was for the Stamping Bella challenge. Now I do happen to own a few bellas (as the stamps are called), and I love them! Bella's are so cute and are a must for any stamper. Just sayin'. Anyhow, this challenge was to do a card showing what you and your friends like to do, the twist to that was we had to make the card with an 80's theme.

Now when I think 80's, I think tie dye. My husband was confused by this when I told him that. To him, tie dye is 60's. He's right, but see, I remember growing up making tie dye shirts at summer day camps, and friends birthday parties. So to me, 80's is tie dye. So, for this card I did an 80's tie dye, bella card. My friends and I love to just hang out, goof around, and chat. So here's my card:


The tie dye was done with the shaving cream technique. I used 4 different colored reinkers for the background. (Real red, yo yo yellow, tempting turqouise, and green galore). I love how the background turned out, totally remeniscent of the tie dye t-shirts I used to make with my friends when I was younger. :D I mounted the bg onto a real red card base then I colored the bella (PMSabella) with copics and mounted her onto Taken With Teal (I'm trying to make myself like this color, can you tell?). I added some ribbon and mounted this onto the card. After putting the card together I decided it needed something so I punched 2 flowers out of some extra tie dyed cardstock and put them together with a brad to finish it off. Seriously love this card. Call me crazy, but I do. :D

I do have a couple more from WCMD that I still need to post, including a christmas ornament, but I can't keep my eyes open so those will have to wait. The pillow is calling my name. :D

WCMD challenge 2

I know, I know, I'm falling down on the job! Sorry! I'm fighting off a cold, and I'm afraid the cold is winning. *sigh*

Anyhow, here is another card I did for WCMD. This one was for the Crafty Secrets Challenge. Again, I don't own any of their products yet. We've been saving for the move and for our adoption, so I haven't actually bought anything in a year, well, until I made over my craft area that is. That about covers my spending for the next year. LOL

Anyhow, back to the card. This challenge was to make a poppin' card. We had to pop the card with dimension somehow. I chose to do this in 2 ways.

First I stamped my solid butterfly in Yo Yo Yellow, then I stamped the same solid butterfly in Yo Yo Yellow again on another peice of cardstock. I then stamped the flowered butterfly overlay in Real Red on top of the second peice of Yo Yo Yellow. Then I cut around this two layered butterfly and then bent the edges. After that I attached it to the first butterfly, this was to give the butterfly's wings some dimension. Then I stamped the saying and mounted the peice on real red cardstock. I added more dimension but raising this whole peice using dimensionals and mounting it on my Taken With Teal Card base. I decided to add a peice of ribbon and luckily was able to slide it under the already mounted raised peice and attach it from there. I know, it's simple, but that's what I prefer. :D