Mask Appeal Challenge & Tutorial

I'm over on the Designer Digitals blog today with a new Mask Appeal Challenge and a freebie.  Use the free mask in the pack and post your pages in the Mask Appeal Gallery at Designer Digitals for the chance to win a $5 gift card to the store.

Here is the page that I created for this challenge.  I LOVE using masks. When I use a mask, I can put a page together in no time.

All products are from Designer Digitals.

I thought I would post a tutorial about my page.  I will say that MY FAVORITE alpha at Designer Digitals comes from the Hey There Kit by Katie Pertiet.  I seriously could use this alpha on every page.  I love the font and the wood texture of it.  I was using it so much that I had to find a way to switch it up a bit and that leads me to this tutorial on changing color.

You can see how the original title looked below.  I think I used the burn tool to make the top portion of the title a little bit darker.  I just wanted to add a little bit more color to bring out the colors in the rest of my page.

1. With the title layer active in the layers palette, I activated the marching ants by hitting Control (PC)/Command (Mac) and Left Clicking.

2. I created a new layer above the title by clicking on the new layer icon at the bottom of the layers palette.

3.  With the marching ants still active, I selected a color and used the paint bucket to fill the new layer above the title.

4.  I changed the blending mode on the layer above the original title to "color".  Immediately the textures of the original title could be seen along with the new color.

I love that it is so simple to alter products in the digital world.  It allows you to maximize your stash of goodies.  I hope you enjoyed this and find time to play along with the Mask Appeal Challenge.  Have a great day!

Creating Keepsakes September/October 2013

Creating Keepsakes Sept/October 2013 issue is hot off the presses.  My dear friend Gretchen McElveen created this AWESOME  page for the cover and I couldn't wait to tear into it.

This issue includes vintage inspiration, halloween, terrific titles and a whole lot more.  I will admit that when my issue comes in the mailbox, I'm paging through it as I walk back to the house.  Now the digital issue gives even more options with expanded content.

I have several pages in this issue.  I created the page below and there is a tutorial in the digital issue as well.

All products are from Designer Digitals.

This issue is now on sale and you can grab it here.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Scrapbooking Through the Tough Times

I started scrapbooking many, many years ago.  I wanted to do something special with my photos.  I wanted to enjoy the opportunity to be creative.  And most importantly I wanted a way to share my story.  There is A LOT involved in our stories....from the little details of our lives to the big occasions from the happy times to the sad times....it is ALL part of our story.  We choose what we want to share every time that we sit down to create or to document something about our lives.  What we share is important.

We all love to capture that perfect photo and tell about the happiest days of our lives.  But what about the other days...the saddest days...the days that you wouldn't ever want to live through again.  Those days are part of our story as well.  They make us who we are and one day will tell others about the qualities that we possessed to get through the rough patches.  Life is not always easy.

In all honesty, we have had a very difficult summer.  We have watched our beloved English Bulldog Wiley's health deteriorate and it has been so difficult.  My close friends and family know how much I have struggled with this.  He was our "first child" and we ADORED him.

As our family has grown, Wiley has loved, protected and played with our children.  He was constantly by their side.

On Monday, we said "good-bye" to our beloved Wiley and it was one of the most difficult things that we have ever gone through.

The last few months have been a painful journey but I am certainly grateful for 11 wonderful years with Wiley.  He was such a special dog.  I find great peace in knowing that God is taking very good care of him now.  I woke up in the middle of the night and created a page for Wiley so that I could get my feelings down on paper.

Wiley is a very special part of my story.  I certainly want to remember all of the happy moments that we have shared but I also want to document the difficult journey we have been on over the last several months.  The difficult times tell us a lot about who we are, what is important in our lives and how we get through it. Scrapbooking is about being real and sharing yourself with your loved ones.

What lies behind us, and what lies within us are tiny matters,

compared to what lies within us.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I want to encourage you to think about the struggles that you have had to overcome and tell that story.  I think there are so many benefits to sharing the difficult stages of our lives.  It gives you the opportunity to voice what you have been through and how you have gotten through it.  It gives you the opportunity to use creativity to help you heal.   It gives you an opportunity to appreciate the amazing gift of life and to savor the incredible journey that we are on.

Give the ones you love an extra hug today.