Bad Blogger

I'm a terrible blogger. It's been ages since I added anything new. So here's a layout I started a couple weeks ago and finished today. I used a Becky Higgins sketch and just cardstock and few pieces of a Pink Paislee patterned paper. The photos really don't need anything else.

Old Photographs

I have a few old photographs of my mother, but know nothing about the history connected with them. It breaks my heart that I never thought to ask her questions about her childhood and she never volunteered any information. So, rather than leaving the old photos in the cardboard box, I have decided to make layouts for them so they will be seen. Here's the first one.

She looks about 3 years old in the photo. There are a couple other photos taken about the same time, so there must have been an occasion for a formal photo shoot. I also have a couple snapshots with her with that bow as well. Love that crazy huge bow in her hair. Somehow, it's really a stretch of my imagination to think of her this way.

Photo Grid

A couple weeks ago Cathy Zielski had a tutorial on Ali Edward's blog with instructions on how to create a photo grid in Photoshop Elements. I really wanted to try it out and finally made the time today. I already had the layout idea when I first saw the tutorial. Sara had taken many photos of Greg and Eliana on Father's Day. Several of them were really good and a couple showed how goofy Greg can be. I couldn't wait to get them printed and into a layout. Here is the finished result.

I don't know why the photo edges are blurred. I didn't do that intentionally. In fact, I would rather have them crisp, but don't have any idea how to do that. But I do like how the layout turned out. I used products from this month's Cocoa Daisy kit.

Another photo from Jessica's class

This is a great photo of Sara and Greg, but the color was poor from being taken in bright sun. So I added a bit of sepia, a vintage overlay, and a frame. Now it looks as great as it was supposed to be.

I'm learning so much from this class. My photos may never look the same again. :)

Photoshop Class

I'm taking a free Photoshop class on Jessica Sprague's site. She makes it all seem so easy and I must say I love the things I've learned in the first 4 days.

This photo was taken 5 years ago when I was in Maine for Greg and Sara's wedding and took a road trip afterwards with a friend. This gorgeous 4 masted sailboat was moored at Bar Harbor. The early mist makes it seem so mysterious. I think the clipping mask we used on our photo gives it just the right amount of artistic appearance. I think I may have to print it out and scrap it. cool stuff.

Japanese Visitor

Last month my friend Sanae visited from Japan. I first met her when I visited Japan as a delegate from our Sister City program. She was the interpreter for our visit. She has a wonderful command of the English language and teaches students privately. A year later she visited my hometown as a member of a return Sister City delegation and she and her daughter stayed with me.

This time she stayed with another family so I didn't get to see her very much. She is just a sweet and bubbly as ever and is so curious about my country.

The photo above has had the frame and the word art added as part of a digi class I'm taking from Jessica Sprague. It was so simple to do that I have to wonder why it has taken me so long to get my feet wet in the world of digital scrapbooking. I see some more digi classes in my future.

Smorgasbord

My backyard is a veritable smorgasbord of color and fragrance this morning. The calendar may say spring but the temperature says summer. With the very warm temperatures my roses have exploded in bloom. Walking in my garden is a heady experience with all the intense scents that my roses give off. I am of the belief that if I'm going to have a rose in my garden, it needs to have a fragrance. I have such a limited space for them that I just can't choose one with only color and beauty. I have picked an eclectic bouquet to enjoy in the house.

Many other plants are in bloom as well - oriental poppies, iris, California lilac, calla lillies, clamatis, the Stella Dora daylillies, columbine, and honeysuckle (that one smells heavenly).My marathon weeding weekend has made the walk through the yard much more pleasant. I can see the flowers rather than the weeds now.

I love this time of year. (sigh)