Challenge 5 and a little extra

Hello Divas and everyone else who might be reading...

Challenge #5 was to take a picture of "Silence". Most of us with children selected photos of our darling children sleeping which is, in our ears, blessed silence after a long day. Not that we don't love hearing their little voices and not that I don't love my name ("Mommy"). I truly do. But at 8, they become magpies. All three of my kids did it. It's like a switch got flipped and they have mouths that don't stop moving and making sounds. C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-L-Y.... So yeah, I took a picture of my little guy sleeping.



But, since everyone else took the same, I decided to take a different picture too. I live in a sweet neighborhood (not all the people here are nice but who's neighborhood is 100% nice and no naughties?). It's so quiet and no crime. At night it's particularly quiet, especially on days like today where it's been nice and warm and gets dark early; not to mention the rain that we've had for three days now. (I know - it's not normal to have a 70 degree day just 24 hours after it was 43 and tomorrow will yet again be 45 so we're having really really abnormal temperatures. Yesterday we had snow flurries during the night and today it was 70... Freaky!) So anyhow, at night, it's so lovely and quiet. It's dark (we don't have street lights) and even the animals aren't barking on a chilly rainy night. So here's my picture of silence. Hope you like!

Challenge #4

Okay Divas... you asked -

We've been doing these photography challenges on a yahoo group of which I'm a member. I love this group of women. They are all so wonderful and kind and diverse. Lately, we've been learning more about our cameras from our Abby (well, one of our Abby's!) who's quite a photographer. We've taken photos of things that represent us, we've taken photos using our Macro (which I have since learned is absolutely invaluable to taking photos of my work). We've done a photo session using different variables (lighting, macro, poor - er, um, rather umwilling that is - subjects. Now we have been instructed to turn the cameras on ourselves...

I SWORE I was not going to take photos sans make up. So yesterday, just before Dalton's Basketball game, I decided to go ahead and snap away. I even had Dalton take some. Oh My Gosh... they were horrible.

So I've learned that I should not wear red lipstick... it's horrible on me. Lesson learned. Also a waste of said photo session.

So, today being the last eligible day in the challenge, and being that it's Sunday and my favorite day of the week, I decided to do the unthinkable and take my photos - au naturale. OH yeah... me in all my freckled, unmade up glory (aside from a bit of residual mascara). My morning red eyes, my bags (under the eyes people) and my swollen face. Why oh why do women have swollen faces in the morning??? It's so unfair that women age so much less gracefully than our male counterparts? It'z just not right.

So anyhow, here ya go... my Sunday morning photos to fullfill my Challenge 4 requirement at Divalicious! I really must love you ladies to have done this! HA HA HA

More cards, more fun

I've been busy the last couple days making cards when I had limited computer access. (My oldest has been on the computer for the last couple days getting some things accomplished so I had to share!)

11 cards later, I've finally gotten enough time to upload the cards I've made!

















Thanks for looking!

Blessings,
Lissa

I've got a lot to learn..

These are my latest attempts at getting portrait style photos of Dalton. These are NOT awesome by any means, but I've been learning some new techniques through a gal on a yahoo group I belong to. She's really good in photography and this is one area in which I need substantial practice.

At any rate, here are three photos I took of Dalton (the only three I got that were decent...)

The first one has a blurred background. The second, I played with backgrounds. The third is untouched. They are also three different moods of my little guy.

I'm going to continue practicing. Dalton is not so willing a subject as he used to be... :( (He's growing up WAY too fast...)

I've been having a great time lately...

I've been making cards right and left and loving it!

These are all going on my etsy. I'm determined to be able to help pay for my habit somehow! *grins*















Thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,
Lissa

I'm frustrated with myself!

I boo boo'd. I bought exactly the same embossing folders from two different sites. I suppose having ordered these at the end of December and them not arriving until now might have something to do with it but hey - I still made a big ole boo boo... I should have had more patience.

So... that being said, I'll sell them to whom ever wants them (first come first served) for exactly the same thing I paid for them. I bought them at BargainPack.com. You can still see them on the site (except for Stylized Flowers because they have sold out of that one). And by the way... did you know you can use these without a Cuttlebug?? Someone was telling us about using these embossing folders on a mousepad and using a rolling pin to get a good "embossing" on it! That's SO cool!

Here ya go...

The first is a two step set - it's the Dove that was just released for Christmas. Includes the embossing folder as well as the die to cut it out.



I paid $8.29(regularly $8.99)

Next are three separate A2 embossing folders.

Stylized Flowers (this is so pretty embossed - I used it on the folder box shown in the previous post below!)



I paid $4.49 (regularly $4.99)

Next is Birds and Swirls. So pretty. Awesome on scrapbook pages too, especially vintage ones or one that have used some of those amazing Basic Grey swirl rub ons...



I paid $4.49 (regularly $4.99)

Lastly is Floral Fantasy. I had to get this one after seeing an awesome YouTube video about how to create a fabulous look by brayering ink inside the folder before you emboss the image. This is GORGEOUS done like that. PLEASE click on the link and watch the video. (The gal talking has a fabulous accent and I loved not only the directions-they're great-but just listening to her sweet accent too.) Check it out HERE <-----.



Again, I paid $4.49 (regularly priced at $4.99)

All prices include postage. I was the idiot, not you. So that's good for a grin, eh?

Just post a comment to me with your email so I can get back to you!

An Altered Tin for my Cuttlebug

I had fun again today. I got some great Cuttlebug folders at the recent Cuttlebug/Cricut sale at Oh My Crafts! I also got one at Michael's this past weekend when I was in Richmond. (I get to go to Michael's about twice a year. Imagine my glee when the paper was on sale 7/$1... oh yeah... stocked up.)

In order to have some place to keep my embossing folders and dies, I decided to alter a little lunch tin. I even made dividers to go inside to separate things. (Didn't take a picture of them, though I should...)

Loving the Cricut again. I cut out "cuttlebug" and "folders" to go on top to label my box. Used a Cuttlebug embossing folder to emboss some flowers that I cut out and also glued to the box. Yeah, had fun...

Who knew!

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Sharing Blog Love...

I was directed to another scrapper's site the other day. We paper crafters are a wonderful bunch. It is common for all of us to be supportive and appreciative of all other paper crafters. We encourage each other, we give each other kudos, we give our input when asked (not unsolicited - please that's just rude) and we pat each other on the back when we see it's needed. We are basically very uplifting to each other.

We pass along each other's blogs and share for many reasons. One, we LOVE looking at other's work. It's so dang inspiring to see the amazing and beautiful work others do. And two, we could (and sometimes do) spend hours looking at other crafters blogs just to drool over their crafting spaces, see their amazing work and get inspired to go into our own rooms and create.

Another thing crafters are is supportive financially when we can be of each others creativity. We support each others stores, ebay auctions and etsy endeavors. We buy from each other on our yahoo groups and trade with each other in swaps. It's always been difficult to know what to charge people for finished work and we all seem to hem and haw over what we consider a fair price. I was sent a blog link the other day regarding a gal named Carla who is also known as "The Avid Scrapper". Her blog is located here: The Avid Scrapper. She does amazing work and creates phenomenal pages, paper piecings and albums. I'm in awe of her talent. When exploring her blog even more, I found, in her sidebar, one of the most well stated essays on why we are entitled to the prices we assign to our pieces when we do choose to sell them.

I was stunned when I read it. It was so on point and exactly what my husband and a friend and I had been discussing just days before reading her blog ~ literally almost verbatim. I think it's definitely worth reading and remembering. Now, that's not to say I agree with the single two page spread that garners a whopping $250 plus, BUT, it's not my money... Someone wants to throw - er pay - that much money for a page that's their deal and good for the person who created that masterpiece! I do however believe that people deserve to be paid for their work fairly. Check it out. Go to the blog "The Avid Scrapper" and read her sidebar. I think you'll all agree!

(While you're there, be inspired! She does amazing work!)

Blessings,
Lissa

I did it!

I opened my own Etsy store. I'm so excited. I had some help with the pricing (I"m SO bad at that stuff) and I had tons of encouragement, so I just did it!

If you visit, let me know what you think!


Scrapping with The Untamed Scrapper

Another mini album...

This is so not what I typically create but I sure had an absolute blast making it! Since I have boys, making anything with pink is a treat.

Again, it's 10 pages. This one is round although each page tends to have something that hangs off the page.

The patterned paper is all Miss Elizabeth's. (Can you believe it! That paper is so dang cute!) The cardstock is double sided cardstock by Keepsake Essentials and matched the papers so perfectly it was as though they were made to be used together.

There are so many different embellishments! Ribbon is by Offray and Target, Dragonfly embellishment package is by Keepsake Essentials, blue flower border is Paper Frills by Doodlebug. Also used are Paper Flowers are by Prima, Dew Drops from The Robin's Nest, Chipboard Embellishments and small frames by Heidi Grace (I think, I've had them awhile), Mini Brads and rub ons are by Making Memories, Glitter (unknown), Daisy trio stamp and Daisy Box stamp by Michael's, flower stamp by Autumn Leaves, Beaded Trim was from a swap I was in ages ago. The large flowers used on some pages are Wallies I've had for years and just KNEW I'd find a use for them one day! The pen detailing that is on each page was done with a black Zig Writer. Some chalk (Craf-T) was even used!

You'll see some fun cuts made on my Cricut. Oh goodness I truly love the Cricut! I

I hope you enjoy looking at this fun little book as much as I enjoyed making it!