Explore ~ a two page layout

It's been almost a month since I've scrapbooked.  We've been busy renovating our upstairs bathroom and getting ready for spring; I think it's finally here :)

So this is a layout I put together yesterday. I sprayed blue chalk mist over a diecut I had of the days of the week.  And I splattered some green smooch spritz across the page just for fun. Actually my sprayer was clogged and i got annoyed with it and when I twisted off the top to unclog it I was standing over top of my paper instead of doing the smart thing and going to the sink to twist it off there. Oh, well.  The splatters landed in just the right spots so I worked with it.

I couldn't find an alpha I like for the title so I used a mixture of old stickers I had lying around.  Remember the old Chatterbox sticker letters?  The 'o' is a piece of chipboard from a 'boy' themed sheet. (I used quite a few stars from that same sheet to embellish this page). The chipboard 'p' and 'e' were pink and purple.  I tore off the top layer to get the rough chipboard underneath.

I added some left over strips of punched patterned paper (Karen Foster) and a few stars to draw attention to my journaling.  You can just see the 'Mon, Tues, Wed...' that I misted over underneath it all.

I used my 'Swiss Cheese' border punch along the edges of my crab photo. The blue mulberry paper peaks out of some of the holes and from under the border punched paper strips.  I love tearing this paper. It reminds me of the waves foaming as they hit the beach.  And I think the decorative border punch I used on the peach paper looks like seashells.



Mother's Day Minibook

This project is designed with Mother's Day in mind. It would also be great for a baby or little girl. This class takes place on April 29th at 7 pm. It is $40.00 for members and $45.00 for non members. This book is created using We R Memory Keepers Tres Elegant. Everything you need to complete this book is included in the paper pack however the ribbon and Cherry Blossoms are extra. You can choose from the wide variety of ribbon at Unforgettable Memories to finish off your book.

April Kit Class Featuring Bo Bunny Ad Lib

Well, I have been crafting away all weekend long to get my upcoming classes done for you to see. Here is a sneak peek of all the layouts you can complete by signing up for this class or purchase the kit to complete at home. This class is on April 21st at 7pm. It is $36.00 for non members and $31.00 for members. We will be using Bo Bunny Ad Lib paper. It is fun and bright. You have lots of creative freedom in this one, so sign up soon!

Photo Friday -Gear talk

I bet you thought I was going to forget about Photo Friday...well I confess, it was a close call. In the absence of a question to answer this week, I thought I would tell you about the new camera strap I got at the store a little while ago. It's called a Black Rapid RS-7. You can check out the website here:
http://www.blackrapid.com/

The great thing about the RS-7 is that it's styled for a woman's build and fits so nicely across your body. The camera hangs down on your hip and it's out of the way and there is no strain on your neck. You can just pull it up to snap your photo. I just love mine, and I know if you're in the store, Lynette would be happy to show off hers too and how awesome they fit :) They are a bit more expensive than your average strap but I think it's definitely worth the cost.
Have a great weekend - looks like we can more practice shooting in the snow...! And fire those questions in about anything photography-related and I would love to answer them for you.

April Challenge

This month's challenge is to create a project using anything from Basic Grey. Check out Unforgettable Memories Foto Source and grab something from the Challenge display. Let's get paper crafting today! Submit photos to our Facebook page and have your name entered to win a collection of We R Memory Keepers goodies. This challenge ends at the end of April.

Monthly Challenge

Congratulations to Angela Gatt for winning this month's challenge. Stop by the store and pick up your prize pack. Stay tuned to find out what April's Challenge will be!

Sparkly eyes on Photo Friday

hello all. I'd like to talk about sparkly eyes today... and how to make the subjects in your photos appear to have them. No photoshop involved, just positioning again. Photography is all about light, and once you decide that you really want to know your camera and more about photography, you will find yourself noticing light and appreciating it in a whole new way.
Where was I? Oh yes - I want to tell you about 'catchlights', which refers to capturing light in the eyes of your subject so that they appear to sparkle. The simply way to do this is to position your subject near an ample source of light, but not putting them directly in it. Indoors, this would be a near a window, but out of the direct sun, and outdoors, this would be called 'open shade'. You need to see an example -
here is another boy-o of mine, hanging out in the living room, not near a window:



a nice photo, but his eyes are a dark chocolate brown, and here they appear black.
Now, I positioned him in the light of a large partially shaded south window:



(sorry for the expression - he's not enjoying being 'positioned by the window').
Here he is after being offered a bribe:



If you click on these photos, you can see them in a larger window, and then you can even see my reflected silhouette in the iris of his eye. The light reflected from the window make his eyes look sparkly and give them lots of depth.



Because it's snow/slush/mess outside, I am not going out there to get some examples today...but they will come. Happy Friday, and enjoy what is left of spring break!