live laugh LOVE scrapbook

Toward the end of last year I had received an email telling me that I had been selected and given one of the Spotlight features in Stampington & Company's Somerset Digital Studio Spring 2012 that released March 1, 2012. Really surprised me because this was the first time that I had ever submitted to SDS (I typically don't submit for publication).

And I realize that it released a little more than five months ago but, at the time of its release my family had just suffered a tremendous tradgedy a few days before and well, this completely fell off the radar and wasn't given a second thought. In fact, everything outside of that tragedy fell off the radar and wasn't given a second thought. At all. Not even a little bit.

And now that some time has passed and I've begun scrapbooking aaAaaand blogging again, I figured I go ahead and share now.

I ended up having four layouts spotlighted, two of which are already loaded here on my blog . . . "concrete angel" . . . and "hope." I will share the other two, "beauty" and "enamored," sometime later, though I'm not sure when (I'm going to make a few tweaks first).

If you aren't familiar with Stampington & Company you can find them . . . HERE with a full index of publications . . . HERE. Somerset Digital Studio you can find . . . HERE. And if you are wondering, March 2012 is still available (as are previous issues). It's really a phenomenal publication and I feel so honored to have not only been selected as a Spotlight artist but, to have been included with such a wonderful group of very talented artists!

     Blessings and hugs!
            

Just a quick post to share another layout where I used the same technique that I used on my layout [believe] in the previous post.


Dark Spectrum

Default Red/Green

Color Harmonies 1

I so LOVE this photo of my daughter, Brookelynn and thought that this particular technique would be absolutely PERFECT for it! And just like the layout before, I ended up creating it in a few different gradients.

Also, I've had a good lot of you contact me asking about this technique and I had said that I would write a tutorial and share it here on my blog. And I do intend to do just that. It's just going to take me a bit longer to get it up so please be patient with me. I promise your patience will pay off. Until next time . . .

     Blessings and hugs! 
          

A detailed list of the digital supplies used to create [dream] can be found . . . HERE. 

Hello, everyone! Just wanted to share a layout that was inspired by one of my GSO choices this week, "for Anne and Irene" by Adryane (Finger Pointing - July 23). You can view the GSO post . . . HERE.

ReeEeallyy LOVE this technique. And because I couldn't decide which palette I liked best I ended up creating it in SIX different gradients. 


Steel Blue Diamond
Really LOVE the look of her eyes here!



Steel Blue



Simple Orange



Sunrise



Shiny Sphere Reflected



Copper

Each one is created in a 12 x 12 format and I am planning on having them printed on canvas. Or at least one of them on canvas (I'm leaning toward Steel Blue Diamond) and the others printed on matte paper. I just have to do a little research first to figure out what my best option for the canvas is.

Now, I'm off to work a photo of my daughter using this same technique. Thinking this just might become an addiction for me. ;D

     Hugs and blessings!
          

A detailed list of the digital supplies used to create [believe] can be found . . . HERE.

Back in December 2011 I had put together a blog post for Anna Aspnes . . . ArtsyTraditional | Layout Deconstructed . . . showing, step by step, how a scrapbooker with traditional roots spins on her ArtPlay Palettes. If you'd like, you can view the original post on her blog here (wording is just a little bit different) . . . ArtsyTraditional | Layout Deconstructed. 

I typically work all my digital layouts in a 12 x 12 format with a white canvas (or background) and after I had selected the base (digital paper) for this particular layout, pulled it in onto my canvas . . .

And though I would typically pull my photo(s) onto my base now and work/embellish around it/them, for the sake of detail, will go layer by layer from the bottom of my layout up so that you can actually see how each layer looks, one on top of the other.

Once I had brought my base in, I added one of the transfers in the ArtPlay Palette just to make the fleur de lis a little more prominent (just because it's so darn GORGEOUS!) . . . 

If you'll notice, I lined the transfer up with the digital paper exactly so that they blended seamlessly together.

Next, I added a Love WordTransfer (I so LOVE the look of text as an embellishment!) . . .

I reduced the opacity of the WordTransfer to 42% and then added some dot splatter . . .

. . . and a couple of Anna's LoopDaLoops . . .

And truly, I've come to the conclusion that I am in serious need of a Twelve Step Program for Anna's LoopDaLoops! SooOOoo stinking addicted to those!

Next, I added a GoldPaint overlay . . .

The opacity of the GoldPaint overlay was reduced to 26% to give it a more subtle look.

Now comes my photo mask which I re-colored using the paint bucket tool (the masks typically come in black so I changed the color so that it would blend with the color and tone of my layout better . . . the color of the mask was sampled from the digital paper) . . .

I duplicated the mask so that it became a little more prominent . . .

Again, the mask was re-colored using the paint bucket tool so that it would blend better with the color and tone of my layout.

Then I brought my photo in . . . 

It's important to note that after I had converted my photo to black and white (this is my grandson by the way . . . he is such a cutie! if I can say so myself!) I added a filter that was made by sampling the digital paper and then blending it into my photo.

Next, a frame was added . . .

The frame was altered by clipping a Solids Paperie to it.

And finally, my title . . .

Aannnndd, to complete the layout . . . I added a few coordinating embellishments . . .

And that's it. Layout complete.

You can view a detailed list of the supplies used with links to the products in Anna's ArtStore at OScraps . . . HERE!

     Blessings and hugs!
          

I had a digital challenge go live on the Two Peas website today and thought I'd share it here. You can read the specifics of the challenge here . . . Create a photo-less layout: a challenge. I hope you play along!

"EV