The Unknown

I don't think he realized what it would really be like.

No hot meals for 4 days.

A disaster everywhere he turned in the tiny one room apartment.

No place to sit.

No place to eat.

No clean laundry.

Tears.... lots of tears.

Favors. Requests.

Stress.

No time to study for his own exams.

We had only been married two months if that.

He said he wanted to support me in my art.

Now in the chaos is this what he really wanted?

Four months earlier, we sat in a car as friends talking. I ended up pouring out my heart's desire to create art. Not just any art. Art that pulled at your heartstrings, pulled at your memories, your fears, your desires. Art that led you to him who could wipe away all tears, bind up broken hearts and shattered dreams. Art that taught you who he was and how to let him succor you. Art that left you wanting more... of him.

I had felt those strong, incredible promptings and desires at certain points in my life. Three months prior to that quiet evening in the car, I had gotten a very distinct prompting to stop running from it and start acting in faith. I felt without any doubt in my mind I was supposed to stop teaching, and create art. It scared me to death one minute and made me breathless with excitement in the next. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't see how I could support myself while doing it if I had no job, yet I wanted to do it so very badly. I listened to fears and others. In the end I procrastinated. I told myself I would build up to it and quit next year. I gave into the fear and didn't act.

As we sat together in the car that evening. I shared with him these desires, this specific prompting and the struggle it brought with it. Then I shared what I truly felt in my heart.

"I'm afraid I made the wrong decision."

Still to this day I wonder the same.

"Did I make the wrong decision? Did I loose my chance?"

I wonder as he looked around him at the mess, at his wife who was so consumed in finishing up a piece of artwork that she had forgotten him, if this is what he really wanted. The only answer he gave me in the car that night was a listening ear, nods of understanding and a simple statement.

"You know what your answer is don't you? Get married and let your husband support you so you can do art."

What he didn't say out loud at the time was this:

"Let me be that person."

It's been over eight years. Eight years since he saw me spill rubbing alcohol all over the artwork that I had been consumed with for 4 days. Holding his breath knowing that I had just ruined 4 days of work, and that the deadline for the juried exhibit I was trying for was tomorrow. He watched for my reaction thinking how calm I was, only to realize it truly was as bad as he thought when he saw the tears start to roll down my face and the sobs start to come. All he could do was hold me and let me cry.

He had became that person.

He has watched me over and over the last eight years, try to figure out what to do with this burning desire in my heart. He's watched me be creative in other areas, as I hoped that it would satisfy this feeling in my heart, only to have it give temporary relief. He has watched me sit for days with my mind so consumed with reoccuring questions, thoughts and dreams. "Did I make the wrong decision?" "Where would I be now if I had done something differently?" "Should I be doing it now?" "Is it to late to ask the Lord forgiveness and see if I can begin again."

I just want to paint.

He has seen the Lord guiding me and teaching me a long the way. Blessing me. Providing opportunities. Sending people. Increasing my talents. And always calling after me.

A month ago... I heard that call again. Shalae have faith and do what your supposed to do.

I heard it again and again as we stood holding hands in front of 1, 2, 3 very large paintings of the Christ. I felt my heart leap into my throat, and the tears starting to well in my eyes. They were beautiful. They were what I wanted... I someday want to create something like this.

Maybe it isn't too late.

It's been eight years since I spilled the rubbing alcohol. Two more of these competitions have come and gone. I have only been the viewer of them. The ninth one is coming up. I'd have a year instead of 4 days. What would he think if I told him I was going to go for it. How will he respond?

He'll smile.

Because he is that person.

Overcoming the Block

Last night I was getting burned out with another project I’ve been working on for a while, so I took a break to play around with Painter 11.  After realizing I really have to get over this block of doing things digitally (namely painting) and not feeling like a real artist, I had to just play. 

The result? Realizing how much I REALLY enjoy this.  It’s much faster for me, and therefore my creative side feels fulfilled. So I started this quick painting up of Mirian and then finished up tonight while listening to the 2nd class for in the Fish Bowl. After playing around with painter, I just can’t help but jump into Photoshop and play with textured paper and backgrounds, etc. Of course I can’t seem to sign my name for the life of me with this tablet, so we resorted to typing the signature and date. Tacky? Oh well, I sort of like it.  It’s sort of like me admitting… this is all digital. No real paint here. And who cares what anyone else thinks. 

Here are two more similar portraits that I did quite a while ago.  Savannah and Mandy.

Latest Fun as well as Work

Supplies: ScrapSimple Tools – Styles: Distressed 4901

, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Artsy – Watercolor 3, ScrapSimple Paper Template: Corrugated 1, ScrapSimple Tools – Styles: Transparency 4901, Dynamic Brush Set: Splattered 4901, Scrap Simple Tools – Shapes: Edgings 4901, ABC Collection, and Fall Watercolors Collection Mini.  

Supplies Used: Merciful Collection, Eggciting Collection Mini, ScrapSimple Tools – Styles: Sandstone 4901 Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools – Styles: News 4901, Dynamic Brush Stroke: Paintstroke 5401, Life’s Canvas Collection Biggie, and Squirt Collection Biggie.   

Supplies Used: Just Be You Collection Biggie, and Just Be Journaling Paper Super Mini.

Parables

One of my favorite things about reading the scriptures are the parables, allegories and imagery that they have. They excite me a lot. They are such a visual story to me and the levels of depth that they can take on.

A few weeks ago I taught a lesson on Matthew 13 - the Parable of the Sower. It was such a fun lesson to teach and ever since then I've had this desire to just play around and see what kind of visual images I could come up with for these parables and allegories I love so much.

So last night to relax I decided I was going to play around for me and work on a series of 4 images for the 4 types of ground the seed or word of God landed on. I was only able to get 2 done before I forced myself to pull away from the computer so I could get some sleep. (Only to be woken up 4 more times in the night by kids.) It was so enjoyable though that I'm dying to finish up the other two.

Supplies Used: Natural Wonders Collection: Autumn Foliage, Clouds, The Innocent Imaginations, The Great Outdoors - Element Pack, Kingdom Collection Biggie, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Artsy - Watercolor1, Morgue File,

Now I'm Ready

This fall I've been invited to be one of the presenters for the ScrapGirls Convention held in Salt Lake City. I'm supposed to teach a class, a unique class, something special, and something I'm good at. Talk about pressure! They at first suggested that I teach something about digital scrapbooking brushes since I have my Mastering Brushes Ebook about how to use brushes in digital scrapbooking. That made me cringe as I have gotten burned out of brushes from writing the books and teaching the class. I begged them to let me do anything else... so they left it up to me. I've been stewing over it for months now, wracking my brain as to what unique thing I have that I can teach that anyone would even care to learn. I've come up empty.

Finally after asking other designers for some ideas we came up with one direction that would be fairly easy. A technique that I'm asked about all the time from members on the boards, but I've been trying to figure out how to do it differently since I've written similar tutorials about the topic. I've been struggling this last week writing the class and it hasn't been happening. Talk about FRUSTRATING! Being a teacher I really believe to have to know and love your materials to really be able to teach it. I was not feeling this at all.


This morning I had an idea. I tried it out. It worked and I'm completely excited about it. Ironically it still has to do with brushes, but I've switched my mentality about it to the brushes that really excite me! So now I'm back to first base... rewriting the class materials... but now I'm on a roll. It's part of my passion which my former art teacher used to tell me, "If you love it and your passionate about it, then it's easy to teach it." Now I'm ready. I'll see you all in October. I hope your ready to get messy!

Supplies used in this layout: Overlayed Collection, Fall Watercolors Collection Mini, Smattering Collection, Dynamic Brushes: Paintstroke 5401, Dynamic Brushes: Splattered 4901.

More Playing

So I've been having too much fun playing and getting way too many ideas of possible projects in my head... but that's a good thing. I need that right now... here' s one of Savannah.

Experimenting

Ok Mandy... here is your long overdue portrait. But I sort of cheated. I've been playing around with the Painter X demo for the last couple of weeks, and can I tell you how bad I'm dying for this program. To have access to all the art media, without it being strewn about my house by children and no messes to clean up! Combine all my loves of the computer digital world.... and my need to paint and draw again! Perfect combination. I will admit on this one though, that I was playing with the cloning tool, because I just wanted to be able to experiment with brushes, paper overlays and various other effects, but still ended up liking the end result, so I thought I would count it for now, or it might be months before you ever see one. :)

I really need to get Kal's bulletproof attitude, when it comes to using the computer for art, and realize that hey I don't have to do everything the traditional way, starting from scratch and drawing it all myself from the very beginning. (First off I just don't have time for that lately. It would take me months to complete one piece, and my creativity needs to be fed lately a little more often than that.) Who cares if I did use the clone tool on part of this. Who cares how it was made, it still has bits of me, I still pick and chose how I put things together, what I wanted to pull out etc. What is considered cheating it the art world today anyways? I would say that cheating is one way blatantly stealing someone else's art and claiming it as your own. As long as I'm not doing that (although I did use your photo for this Mandy.) then I'm not cheating right!:) So I still have this huge battle in my head... and just need some bulletproof attitude here. (When are you going to do an online class Kal?)

Fun things mother's get to do.

So who says being a mom has to be boring. I had a great day today and had the chance to get creative and learn something new!


Today was Mirian's birthday and she was determined she wanted a princess birthday cake. Savannah had a Cinderella one last year, and she wanted an Ariel one. So we found a picture, and I went and actually bought the real cake decorating supplies since I figure with at least 6 birthdays a year and other celebrations over the next 20 years while my kids are home, I'll get my use out of it. Plus it's fun to be creative in a whole new way.

We had a great day. Decorated cakes, hung up streamers, went shopping, had a party, and wore myself right out.

Supplies Used: Fully Alive Collection Biggie, Assemble Your Own Cake, Fall Watercolor Collection, Art Journal Collection Biggie, Extra Tape Embellishment, ScrapSimple Embellishment Template: Measure Up. Planes, Trains and Automobiles Collection.

Reflections of Christ

Someone sent me an email letting me know about this exhibition "Reflections of Christ" by photographer Mark Mabry at the Mesa Arizona Temple. It's hit me on so many levels today, that I thought I would share the quick slideshow that they have of the the images from the exhibition. I'm hoping later they'll have it made so that it's possible to actually post it straight into blogs. Until then here it is. I love to see artists like this using the gift that they've been given to glorify him. Here is also a link to the website for the exhibit and videos on the creation of the images.

Self Portrait

Playing around with some more techniques from the photography class. These ones are a bit harder for me for some reason. Thought I'd play around with some self portraits and more 4x6 layouts. Mandy do you want to create some more painted backgrounds for me? :) These are just too much fun to play with! (For some reason the colors are all wrong on this blog. They look completely different than what is showing up in photoshop. Which does not make any sense to me. I'm looking at the same monitor... hmmm. imagine brighter and more pink obviously.The photo looks tons better in photoshop. Now why would it do that?)

Accountability

This afternoon Mandy and I had a great chat trying to determine where we wanted to go with YourActual as well as just goals and desires we had to do with our art. I love that girl! She inspires me all the way around! As a person, an artist, a mother and as a Christian. She is just one cool girl. It is amazing to me that I can connect with a person some much, whom I've only met in real life for no more than 8 hours. We live states away from each other and yet my life will never be the same from having met her.

During our conversation we came to the conclusion, that the purpose of why we did your actual was fulfilled. That purpose was mainly to make us accountable to someone else (namely each other) for doing some art once a week. We've felt like it has done that, but that right now in our lives it is just another thing to do. We feel the Lord pulling us in another direction right now, and so we've decided to stop continuing Your Actual. You can read our last post here.

Instead we are excited about what this frees us to do. (There's your word Mandy!) One being some personal art goals that we both have. We want to share those journeys with you here on our blogs. We are still accountable to each other but we are headed in a different direction which I'm very excited about. We talked about some goals that we both have, and directions we feel the Lord is taking us. I came up with a couple that I know I need to do and thought I could focus on more this next little while. Plus if I actually write them down here then I'm also accountable to all of you blog readers too. Right?!

1. Take more photos. I need to take more photos, one reason is for references when I do my art. Another purpose is to actually be a part in my art. I need to expand what I have available to me, and I would really like to develop this skill more for some future goals that I have. Also to not be afraid to ask people if I can take their pictures and to actually get some model releases, so that I can actually use them in my own artwork.

2. Draw people. I know I need to draw people. I'm drawn to people. And to be honest it SCARES ME TO DEATH! It's one of those things that I want to do more than anything, and yet it something that I have this huge fear of failing in and so I totally avoid it. I see all these incredible artists out there that are amazing at drawing people, and I feel so insecure about my ability to draw them. But that SHOULD NOT MATTER! I will not get any better by never doing it. I need to do it. So my goal is to start drawing people. Start drawing the parts of people, really learn how to draw them realistically, and portray it accurately. But most of all to be able to portray the emotions and feelings of people. (I'm a long way from that.) But I can start by learning to draw the eye better, then then nose, then the lips, then the face as a whole and move on from there. So there are my two goals. My tow things that I want to work on here in the next little bit. I hope to show you my progress as I go as well. To be accountable to you.

So keep asking me where the photos and drawings are.

All Part of a Plan

You know, sometimes I just don't feel like scrapping my latest photo of the kids, or some memory in my life or past event. Sometimes I feel like putting down what I'm feeling at this exact moment. I started out trying to find a photo I could use to show some new paper templates that will be up here at the end of the week. It was not happening. I was not in the mood. I had too many things going on in my mind. To many emotions, thoughts and feelings.

A friend of mine is having a hard time right now and I just don't have words for her. I don't know what I can do to help. I can't really. The only thing I have been able to think of all night is that there is a Plan. We are all a part of it. It's the Lord plan for his children. It's encompasses all of humanity, and yet it is so personal that it is specific to me and you. Everything we will ever experience or have experienced is part of that plan. He knows what it is, and he is in charge of it.

That does not always make it easier, that does not always make it go away, or be better. But it gives us a purpose for right now. There is a time to weep, a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;... a time to every purpose under heaven. Whatever 'time' we are in right now, the weeping or the laughing - we need to live it. Experience it, grow from it, learn from it, and have faith that he knows what is next. Have hope and faith that he will soon give us the time to dance.

That's where my layout came tonight. My thoughts... I had to get them out someway and this is how it happened. It felt wonderful to create a part of what I felt tonight. It made me realize how much I have to be grateful for and that I need to show real gratitude for it. Despite how difficult it may be for us, someone else out there is always experiencing something harder. I never know when my season will change, so I need to make sure I'm enjoying this season of my life right now.

Does it Really Matter?

I have a pet peeve. It's a really big pet peeve. It's when people disregard you as an artist if they find out that do things on the computer. To them you are only an artist, if you draw or paint it by hand. Any use of the computer somehow no longer makes you an artist. For some reason you don't have to have any talent to be able to use the computer to create things.

I often wish I could take them straight to the computer, set them down in front of it. Open up a blank canvas in Adobe and say go for it. Create it. If it requires no skills or talents to be able to be creative on the computer, then you should have no problem sitting down and creating exactly what I've done here. I've never had the guts to do this, I just fume inside instead. I'm sure I would probably hear a whole bunch of explanations of what they "really" meant. Honestly though, deep down they don't believe it. They somehow think the computer does it for you and that it makes it look better.

Does it really matter how you choose to create your art? Does it really matter if you prefer pen or paint, over clay or metal. Does it really matter if you use the computer, or if you do it by hand. No it doesn't. Because it's not the medium that's the artist or the creator. It's the person. They are the one with the idea, the image, the artwork and the skills to know how to go about creating it. Can I draw? Sure I can draw. Can I paint? You bet. So why use the computer then. Because to me, it opens up even more possible creative outlets that are virtually impossible to do with only a paper and pen. It lets me do things, and work in the way that is truly my artistic style. Plus I like to work fast. It makes it possible for me to be an artist and a mother at the same time right now. If I couldn't use the computer, I probably wouldn't be doing much art at all.

So lately I've been working on a collection that is so me. It's the fine artist in me. I am not approaching it in anyway related to scrapbooking. In fact some of the papers are not scrapbooking type papers. They can be hard to use, but they can be used in amazing, incredible ways when you don't think of them in scrapbooking terms. I have had so much fun playing with them, and just being artistic and creative. My husband first said to me when he saw them, "Wow those are really cool. I really like them." Then he later asked, "aren't they going to be hard to scrapbook on since they are so busy? There is so much going on in them." I thought about it, and started to panic. Thinking oh no what if you can't scrap with them and then I decided I didn't care. I was going to scrap with them the way I scrap and we'll see how they come out. When I showed him the finished layouts he said. "Wow! They look so good. Way to go, you sold them."
And really. I don't care if any of them sell. They may be difficult for some to scrap with, but I didn't create this collection for them. I created it for me. For myself as an artist. To express the way I create and do things, and to spite all those people that say you can't do it on the computer.

Your Actual

I am so excited to share my new exciting project! YourActual.com. About a month ago my friend Mandy posted this thread on her blog. She talked about her needing to make art based on her every day life. Her actual. Not what she would like her life to be like, or just pretty art. Art that deals with life, life topics, things she was experiencing and going through.

Her thread really hit home with me - a lot. So we started emailing back and forth and getting excited about the fact that there was someone else out there that was as passionate about doing art out there as we were. And passionate about the same direction we would like to head with it.

I've enjoyed doing my scrapbooking, and it's been fun. But lately it just hasn't been cutting it for me. I'm tired of just doing pages to promote products, and feeling like they always look and feel the same. I know we've been blessed with this gift from God for a greater purpose, and I needed to do something besides just scrapbook with this gift.

So she called me up one night after getting excited about one of my emails and we decided to work on a project together. Doing art based on our actual lives. What we live, experience and feel on a daily basis instead of trying to create something not quite so true.

So every Monday we pick a topic. A life topic and create some art based on what is really going on in our lives. The mediums may vary, the style may vary - but we are making each other accountable to do something with this art that we are so passionate about.

After talking we also thought it would be really neat to involve other people. To see the "actuals" of other people and see other mediums for expressing it, and so we want to invite you to join us. You can got to www.youractual.com and see this weeks topic which is Family. We invite you to create something about what family means to you right now. Be real. What is it really. Share it anyway you'd like - a drawing, a scrapbook page, through poems or writing, a photo, video or music. It doesn't matter the medium. Just share with us.

To participate just click on the comments button and leave us a link to your work. I know there are whole bunch of you that are creative. Come join us!

There is also a blinkie that you can download the code for and post to your blogs, websites or emails. We'd love to have you help promote the site!

What do you want to learn?

Ok, I'm in the middle of writing up some lessons and tutorials and would like to know what you want to see. So there is now a poll on the right side bar where you can select your top 2 choices. Please only vote once. But let me know what your interested in. If you vote - your more likely to see what you really want to know.

I'm An Art Teacher

I really am. That's what I went to college for. I taught it for a couple of years, before I was married, to all grades: K-12. So I decided that even though I don't teach it in a classroom as an official job, it doesn't mean I still can't teach it. There are people out there wanting to try it, but just don't know how to begin. Plus everything I've learned was because someone else was willing to share what they knew. I want to give back the same way.

So here's your chance to revert back to art class again. I'm going to start posting basic art techniques and lessons on various aspects of art media. No one is going to watch you. You can do it just for fun. You can use it as a chance to experiment and be creative. If you are already a full blown artist, begin doing the basics again and I promise you'll see new ways of doing things. You'll get ideas for other projects, and by practicing your skills you will just get better.

Most of the lessons are going to be very basic and very simple. They will vary from actual techniques for watercolors, collage, paints, printmaking, etc. to Design principles & elements, computer generated art, and kid activities that you can do together. I hope to post an average of about two lessons a week.
This is also giving me an opportunity to do more art with my kids. Some people wonder how I have time to be a mom and still do art too. It's easy, you combine the two. You do art activities with your kids. I can do it while they are doing it - and usually by teaching, helping and seeing what they come up with will spark my own creative ideas.

So this first one is a very simple kid activity. It'll give the feel of how these lessons are going to be laid out. Eventually when I have a few of them built up, I'll have links on the side for you to find the specific lessons you are looking for.

So go have some fun!

Art

Experiment: That's what I've been doing lately and it has been so enjoyable. I have wanted to find a way to incorporate the real mediums of watercolors, pastels, pencils and others into my computer world as well. The other day during my dishwashing enlightenment I came up with a few ideas and have been working on them. So far I'm excited about the possibilities. I've create a few new products as well to incorporate them. Since I can't show you the products yet, I thought I'd give you a glimpse here of some of the results.

I've been mainly playing with the watercolor look. Its one of my favorite mediums and it's been refreshing to think of ways to create the same look, and combine the computer. Hopefully here in the next day or so I can show you the full views of these to pieces instead of just snippetts.

Right Time. Right Moment. I love it when things like this happen. I was having a really good conversation with my friend Mandy, after a recent blog post that she made. For days it gave me things to think about, and as we talked back and forth... it lead to even more exciting things that I can't wait to share with you guys. A new adventure that we are starting on in hopes of doing more art in our lives. Especially the kinds we want to do that is not related to scrapbooking. It's amazing how paths you've headed down, lead you to certain people, that start new paths to head down. Right now it feels as though our paths were led to each other for a purpose.

I can't tell you all the details, but I had to share some snippetts of some artwork I did related to it. I was just too excited to not post some of the things I've been working on. Some of you wanted to see more art so now your going to start getting it!
Today: The never ending laundry pile is calling my name. I also need to get some invitations out for a get together I'm doing. I've got new products to hook up in the store and a tutorial that needs to be finished up and sent on it's way for the ScrapGirls newsletter. Some time to play with the kids -maybe go to the park, and my WW meeting tonight.

The most exciting part. A mini-van! we are finishing up the paperwork today, and hopefully by today or tomorrow we'll be driving it off the lot. The three kids squished in the back of the red sunfire has worked for a while, but our last roadtrip about did us in for space. The kids are feeling crammed. (Who wouldn't be with luggage, pillows, blankets, and everything else stuffed in every available inch of space around them.) Plus when Mirian is having a rough day in the car she feels that it's her duty to hit, annoy and bother Isaac, who screams bloody murder in protest.

We can't wait to have more space. More room. Air conditioning that actually works and moves through the car. Lucky for us, we found one we could afford, and isn't too old. It meets our needs, and we can get paid off here in the next 6 months. I prefer the debt free feel. So here's to officially owning a "family" car. (I still remember to this day my art professor driving a mini van with all of us students in it on a school trip. He said, "Before you know it you are going to be sitting in these two seats up front with your spouse next to you, and the whole back filled with kids, and you'll be amazed at how fast it all went.) Well it's officially happened, I have a family big enough that we need a van. How did that happen?

Where Do You Get Your Inspiriation?

Lately my mind has just been going crazy thanks to some other incredible artists out there that I have ran across lately. I've seen techniques that I'm just too excited to try. After a long time, many years actually, I've been dying to get down to the actual hands on mediums - paints, pencils, watercolors and paper again.

I have also been thinking a lot about the fine art direction I would like to start going again, that is not specifically scrapbook design related. I have put it on the back burner for a while, but I'm feeling the need to do more of it again. How do I combine all that I've learned? What is my style or how do I develop a style? How can I combine the opportunity I have to make money on scrapbook designs and things, as well as start doing some of my own hands on - get messy type of art? These are the questions running through my mind all the time.

Well it came while I was washing dishes. It always seems to come while I'm washing dishes. Ideas, tons of ideas, ways that I can incorporate the two, how to enjoy both worlds and combine efforts so I'm not even more scattered than I already am.

I think it's funny that I get these ideas and inspiration while washing dishes. Ironically about 5 months ago, I had my husband get rid of the dish washer. Our kitchen is really small, and it was taking up most of the room in there because it was a portable one. If all the dirty dishes didn't fit in the dishwasher at the time, I would rationalize that there was a whole other load that could be done later... well that rarely happened, and I had dirty dishes in my sink more often then not. So I had him get rid of it, and started doing them by hand again. (Even though I said I would never do this in a million years, especially with 3 kids.) Well now all the dishes have to get done, and now there is something about my hands in that hot soapy water that lets the ideas, thoughts and inspiration start to seep out. I need to learn to just keep a sketchbook or journal next to the sink. It would probably end up pretty waterlogged.

Yet I think there is something about mundane tasks that lets your brain take a break. They let you slow down and relax because you have to and that lets the creativity happen again. So are you short for some ideas? Have you been procrastinating doing some monotonous cleaning because it is just not as fun? Go do it, you might find the same thing I do when my hands are in hot soapy water.

Photo by: Lauren Lank

Just Waiting

Well I did it, I was actually able to finish up 5 layouts (ok 7, because I had to narrow it down.) for the 2008 Memory Makers Master Contest. I actually had a great time putting the layouts together, for once I just had fun scrapbooking, and did it without the purpose of marketing a new product. So whether or not I actually make it, I'm at least excited to show off the finished layouts once the winners are announced. I laugh though, because even if I did win, what in the world is a digital scrapper going to do with all that paper scrapbooking supplies? I guess my kids would have a time and a half with it!:) I thought I would share one layout that didn't get sent in. I wasn't sure that the journaling in the background would be a good choice as one of the criteria to be judged was journaling. It also didn't have a real strong title. I still like how it turned out though, and am going hang it on my wall, so I can look at that good looking guy all of the time!:)

Having Some Fun

This morning the girls and I had fun drawing some cartoons. They would tell me whether they wanted a boy or girl, earrings, lips, curly hair, straight hair etc. Then they wanted me to draw grandpa. I have to admit that I'm not the greatest at doing exact look a likes, especially from memory. But we gave it try anyway. We were laughing pretty good when we were done and they thought it looked like grandpa! I don't think it looks too bad. So then I had to play around and try cleaning it up on the computer. Did some paper piecing for color, and some styles for texture and turned it into our lovable grandpa sticker you see here.

Sometimes it feels good to just break out of the norm and have some fun. For those of you that don't know Grandpa Tippetts. Here's a photo. The only noticeable feature I forgot from memory was the cleft in the chin. Next time I'll know. (He looks gruff - especially in all his picture, but the sticker shows what he's really like.) I know he'd never read this blog so I'm safe in saying that too! :)


I used Go Boldly, Urban Gazette, and SS Tools: Style - Paper Texture 4901 on the sticker.