March 2012 Blog Train

The Blog Train for March is now over. I will be participating in another one in May....Please be sure to like me on facebook and download a digital freebie over there (changes periodically) You can see many of my digital designs at Natural Designs in Scrapbooking.

It's time for the March 2012 Blog Train - and the theme is SPRING SUN AND EASTER FUN. This color palette is beautiful and was a joy to work with - brought a smile to my face each time I looked at it.

The blog train starts at Trish H Designs (so if you get slightly derailed - head back there for the full list of cars on this train)

My contribution to this fabulous collection of digital goodness is here
(an alternate download site is offered below this preview)

If you are train hopping in order - you arrived from Queen Pamedalah
and your next stop is Cinnamon Scraps

As you visit the designers on this blog train, please be sure to leave a little love when you download their contribution (a nice thank you) It's easy to get excited about free downloads but please remember there are real people like you and me behind each of these blogs that are sharing their personal time and talents to create for you.



(note: we have designers from all over the country - and perhaps even the world - that are part of this blog train. If a contribution is not yet available, please consider going to Blog Train Central and continuing on your journey. You can always head back to that blog for your download a bit later so you don't miss a thing)



If you have a chance - please like me on facebook (link is on the sidebar) I am working on adding facebook fan exclusives to my page and you won't want to miss a single freebie.



Have a great day...by the Shore

Twitterpated!

Have you checked out the collaboration kit for February at Natural Designs in Scrapbooking?

Twitterpated! One online dictionary has the definition of Twitterpated 1)to be completely enamored with someone/something. 2) the flighty exciting feeling you get when you think about/see the object of your affection. 3) romantically excited (i.e.: aroused) 4) the ever increasing acceleration of heartbeat and body temperature as a result of being engulfed amidst the exhilaration and joy of being/having a romantic entity in someone's life.

We think you will be twitterpated (fall in love) with the color palette of this collaboration kit filled with beautiful papers and fun elements for the creative and talented designers at NDISB. This kit retails at $10.79 - but you can get it for free in February simply by putting $8 of NDISB digital products in your cart, adding this collaboration kit and proceeding to checkout and completing your purchase. (no coupon required)

Come back and visit here tomorrow to check out the fabulous March Blog Train - filled with goodies that will make you smile!

Project 366 ~ Week 8

Week Eight of Project 366. I am simply tickled that I am staying on top of this and am getting the layouts completed shortly after the end of each week. Keeping the process simple (using my quick page collection) makes a huge difference. I can focus on adding the pictures and text - and I am done! Easy Peasy!

Hope you are having a great weekend....by the Shore.

Art Journaling & Printing

At jessicasprague.com, LivE provided us with another weekly prompt as we continue our journey in Digital Art Journaling. This weeks prompt was "gratitude". For me, gratitude is giving thanks for all of the blessings in my life.



I have been asked what I do with my Digital Art Journaling pages - as well as my other layouts. I have all of my layouts printed out and I slide them into page protectors in family albums. My girls simply love to sit down and relive great memories. (My husband even enjoys checking out the albums.)

I use Persnickety Prints for printing all of my layouts. On Monday the 20th, I uploaded 59 files for printing. A good variety of sizes - 8.5x11, 8x8, 12,x12 and even an 11x17. On Tuesday, I received an email letting me know that my order had been shipped. Really - less than 24 hours! On Thursday, my order was sitting safely in my mailbox. I am always impressed with the speed of processing and delivery. The few times I have had to contact customer service, I walked away with a smile on my face. And the quality of printing is absolutelt exceptional! I just love Persnickety Prints!


Hope you are enjoying your weekend - give an extra hug or two to the people you love. Count your blessings....by the Shore.

Scrappin' Away!

In the past few days, I have been inspired to work on scrapbooking layouts. Have I mentioned just how much I love to add something to me "to be printed" folder (hee hee)

Thursday evening - I participated in the first of a Speed Scrap Series at jessicasprague.com

This Speed Scrap was straight forward - our prompt was to use nine blocks - adding paper, elements or titles to those blocks. (and adding anything else we wished to complete the page) While most people added 9 squares to their pages - I could not get past the word "blocks". Once I built my first block - everything else fell into place. We had two hours to complete the page with an additional 15 minutes to upload it to the gallery. (I slide in with minutes to spare)


This second layout is from today's PhotoShop Friday Series. The technique reviewed was adding a stroke to the inside of a photo to "frame" it.

I used Carina Gardner's Daisy Jane Collection and Coquette collection on both of these layouts - as well as this weeks PhotoShop Friday template on the second. All are available at jessicasprague.com.

As we head into this weekend - make sure to take time to recognize all of the blessings around you - especially family and friends. Have a great day...by the Shore.

Scrapbook Inspiration

Here is another layout featuring papers and elements from the "A Rose is A Rose" collection. (the flower, flourish and bow are basic elements from MyMemories software) I am loving color combinations that include brown these days - so warm and inviting.

Fonts used are Chopin Script (a new favorite) and Traveling Typewriter. Photos were taken by Shannon Neill Photography.

A Rose is A Rose Mega collection is available at Natural Designs in Scrapbooking . A Rose is A Rose Paper collection and at My Memories (elements sold in three different mini collections at MyMemories)

We had weather in the 60's yesterday here in Colorado, a mini blizzard this morning that treated many of us to school cancellations - and we have enjoyed lots of sunshine this afternoon. In Colorado, you rarely have to wait long to see a change in the weather.

Wherever you are today...stay safe and warm...by the Shore.

Scrapbook Inspiration

I loved creating this layout as part of a Template Challenge at Natural Designs in Scrapbooking. The template was created by "Scrappily Ever After" and the papers are part of the "A Rose is A Rose Collection" ~ both available at Natural Designs in Scrapbooking.

She will always be Daddy's little girl - and that makes me smile!

Enjoy the rest of the week.....by the Shore

Project 366 Week 7

The year seems to be flying by - hard to believe 7 weeks of the year is behind us - but that means we have 45 glorious weeks ahead of us.

This is my double layout for week 7. Out of respect for my daughter (I love her and I hate drama) I have placed a clip art over Friday's picture - she was home sick and snoozing in the chair. (But I printed the real thing)

How are you coming along with your own Project 366? So far I have (pretty sure) taken a picture every day - but I also know that along the way I will miss a day. What can you do if you miss a day? First and foremost - don't give up! You can snag a picture from a surrounding day. Take a quick picture of your facebook status for that day. Draw a sketch that is representative of the day. Whatever you decide to do - don't fret. This is real life. You will likely miss a day. And that's okay. Just keep going. You (and your family) will be glad you did.

Kids are back in school for a few days. Settling back into my routine...by the Shore.

The Art of Poster Design

If you have followed this blog - you know that I LOVE to learn. I recently began another digital class at jessicasprague.com ~ The Art of Poster Design.

Our first lesson was creating an ABC poster - focusing on typography. I created two mini posters - one for each of my girls. The large focal letter on each represents the initial of their first name - and the color themes are reflective of their bedroom color palettes.




The second lesson was creating a welcome sign - either for a party or a special room. I created this one for the door of my craft studio. My studio is painted in "pepto" pink - so this will look perfect when printed out.

Our third lesson was a fun one where I chose many of my favorite inspirational quotes. I am printing this out at 11x17 and will have it dry mounted and displayed on a wall in my studio.

I am really looking forward to next weeks lessons.

If this is a long 3 day weekend for you - I pray you are enjoying time with your family. I know I am - I am beyond blessed. Have a great Monday...by the Shore.

Digital Art Journaling

Earlier this year I completed a fabulous Digital Art Journaling class. The class took me outside of my comfort zone and introduced me to a new way to express myself artistically. While the class is done, I am excited that we are being provided with a weekly prompt in the general forum at jessicasprague.com.

Here are the layouts I completed during the last few weeks. I continue to include the same three basic elements in each of my layouts (heart, sheet music and bubblewrap) and am currently using the same background papers as a starting point. I may venture out and change this as I continue, but I do like the idea of having continuity in my album.

This prompt was serendipity and I was not quite sure where I was going to go with it. Over that weekend, I vacationed in Chicago. In an effort to get out of the bitter cold in the downtown area, I slipped into the Art Institute. I was literally brought to tears when I discovered paintings from my all time favorite artists -an unexpected and pleasant surprise is an understatement. Wish I lived there - this could sooo be my happy place

This past weeks prompt was meander.....I immediately thought of my girls following in my footsteps and the love of wandering along the shorelines at the beach - aimlessly going nowhere and enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning.

If you have not attempted art journaling, I encourage you to check it out. There are many great resources on the internet and the inspiration is never ending. Whether you try this digitally or using mixed media from your craft studio - it is a wonderful way to express yourself.

till next time...enjoy your day....by the shore....

Photoshop Friday 2/17/12

This week's Photoshop Friday (PSF) at jessicasprague.com featured the use of 'dingbats' in journaling. I love the template provided and this picture was perfect for the fall theme and elements.

You can purchase Photoshop Fridays individually, however I chose to purchase the entire year so I never miss a lesson, technique or PSF template. I look forward to Friday mornings when a new lesson is posted. And each Friday I proudly add another layout to my "to be printed" folder.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend, staying warm and dry...by the Shore.

Project 366 - Week 6

Another set of layouts for my "to be printed" folder. These quickpages (available at both NDISB and MyMemories) make it super easy to stay current.

It's been a cold weekend for me (in both Chicago and Colorado) - dreaming of being "by the Shore" on a warm summer day...ahhhhhh

PhotoShop Friday ~ 2/10/12

It's Friday - and that means Photoshop Friday at jessicasprague.com. Today's mini lesson was stretching a title across a double layout. It is a great technique and one I do not often use as I tend to be an "in the box" type of person - so having a title and photo cross between two pages is a technique I do not often think of applying to my layouts. It does, however, look great when printed out.


This layout is from pictures taken last Fall at the Colorado Balloon Classic in Colorado Springs. I have many more fabulous photos from this event and will likely create another double layout to complement this one.

Wishing each of you a fabulous weekend...by the Shore.

(and if you are looking for some digi kits - I have many on sale right now at MyMemories)

Just Released - A Rose is A Rose

Just released at Natural Designs in Scrapbooking - A Rose is A Rose Collection

This new collection with a floral theme in lovely spring hues is perfect for so many special occasions (like weddings, Valentines Day and spring dances) as well as those everyday moments we cherish.

All six kits are available individually or for those that "want it all" - the Mega Collection is on sale now!

Our three paper packs are available as part of the mega collection, as part of the paper pack collection or individually.

Head on over to NDISB now and pick your favorite rose!
Have a wonderful day and take time to smell the roses (sorry, could not resist) - by the Shore...

Week 5 ~ Project 366

Another week in 2012 and another week in my "to be printed" folder! Here is week 5 of my own Project 366. It is a great feeling to stay caught up and using my set of double layout quickpages is making it a breeze!

It's never to late to start. These quick pages are available at both NDISB and MyMemories. They are perfect for documenting the year 2012 ~ one day at a time.

Enjoy the rest of your week - by the Shore.

Photoshop Friday February 3

I love Fridays as I know I will have another lesson at jessicasprague.com waiting for me! A fresh new template and a review of a special photoshop technique! Today we converted a photo to black and white ~ and while I have done this many times, the lesson shared a few steps I had not used before that made it just a little bit better. I love using black and white photos as it allows you to choose your favorite papers and not worry about coordinate paper colors with those in the photograph.



I used paper from a 'soon to be released' by the Shore designs collection. And I recolored some of the elements that were on the original template so that they would coordinate with the papers I used.

This is a picture of my daughter with her favorite "lovey". Simba was always with her. She is now almost 18, where have the years gone (and yes, she still loves Simba)

Blustery day here in Colorado! Stay warm and dry - wherever you may be....

(Wishing I were...by the Shore.)

Layout Inspiration

Here is a layout I created for a challenge at Natural Designs in Scrapbooking. This was a font challenge - using the KG Skinny Latte font. I also used two of my "by the Shore Designs" paper collections Just Because Solids and Stripes and Just Because Spots and Dots. The photo mask was from a kit by Nancie Rowe Janitz. I love this font - so fun and playful.

Hope you are enjoying your week and are ready for the weekend! Happy Days!

Beyond Excited

Thursday I will arrive in Salt Lake City to attend a workshop led by Carina Gardner. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us. I LOVE to learn and this is an opportunity I simply could not pass up.

Looking forward to a great time in Utah (where it will likely be white - and it will likely be white here in Colorado too.....is it summer yet?)

Have a great day - stay warm...by the Shore