Scrappy Kea

I have been asked by a couple of friends via facebook about digital scrapbooking...what it is, how to and some sites etc. I thought I'd put a post here about it and send them here (just click on the purple coloured words and you'll head to the site I'm talking about). Essentially digital scrapbooking is using digital 'elements' to create scrapbook pages all on your computer, they can be saved as jpegs and printed on your home printer or through a photo developer, or you can just save them to a disc & can share them easily via email, flickr or even facebook! OK, design software, I use gimp because it's free! You can download trials of photoshop , photoshop elements and Creative Suite if you think you might like to purchase some slightly more user friendly software...There are other software options, but photoshop seems to be a main one. Edited to add: Quick pages.... basically the page is made for you and you just put your photo into it....check out this...

for me :-) kids have been happily playing with 'paint' on the computer..drawing ballet scenes...so I've had a chance to create. I have had some 3 bugs papers from Scrapbook Outlet to play with and they worked well with many of my summer photos...I have put more layouts in the SBO gallery if you are interested. Playing Games is a fave though because I was able to use some vintage game pieces, lace and a page from a games book as well as some other bits I've had in my stash for a while. I loved this 3 bugs paper because it fitted with the kind of 'retro-ness' of the game 'squatter' which we were playing in the photo. Now ...the 3 bugs paper probably seems too pretty for such a subject...but I chose it because of the 'delicate' nature of my daughters tummy! had fun using some of the MR Campy Cosmo Cricket stuff here too. NZ Dares is back...what did you learn in 2008? would love to see you do a layout on it & upload for the dares!

Miss Katya turned 7 on Thursday...casual day with overnight visit from Granny, Aunty Anna, Hunter & Isla! Had some of the new 3 bugs papers to play with from Scrapbook Outlet ...and a 'seasons' card for the slice which Andrea sent until mine arrives (it's one that people who buy the slice from VIP stores like Scrapbook Outlet get to send away for)...and 250 ish photos from snapfish. Enjoyed using the 3 bugs papers , good colours, nice thick papers and enjoyed the simplicity and minimal space used by the slice for cutting out titles and some die cuts. Loving the use of dimension dots/squares to lift some of the cuts off the page a little. yep, I got in too...remember that this is a lower South Island beach, so not the warmest, but the day was sooo hot it was almost a necessity. Girls enjoyed us getting in...a little too cold for Ethan still!

we had up to 4 different Kereru flying over or settling on the treas around the beach huts, often as it was getting darker so the photo's weren't so good, this one shows some of their gorgeous colouring. was a full moon...the pic here isn't as clear as the high res one...kind of spooky with the leaves shadowing the moon... I think this is a molly hawk chick? need to check that out, but they were scuttling around the track on Moturata island...saw some blue penguins and their chicks while there too, not ok to get too close so don't have great shots of them unfortunately. at Moturata island there were some stunning crabs tucked under the rocks...you can only get to the island at low tide and you have up till an hour after the low tide mark to get back to Taieri Mouth or you have to swim! We went over twice, got some paua the first time and just explored the second.

this scene is usual on most trips, Miss Ali has always had an easily disturbed puku to the point that she feels sick just thinking about car trips as a result we collect air sickness bags...they are fantastic, keep it contained, she uses it, rolls up the top and holds it till we get to the next rubbish bin. mum & dad picked up this deck chair from the Naeseby charity auction... stunning! It seemed to draw the boys...even the 2 & 4 year old ones! Tui. The gardens at the beach house attract quite a few native birds and the Tui & Bell Birds seem to love the flax flowers that are between the two units so we are sitting at the table and hear the flutter of wings, look up and there they are - about 2.5 metres from where we are sitting. I think we are back home now...till school starts...swimming lessons this coming week with the Arrowtown Swimming Club.

a little creating at the beach house...easy with the slice (used basics 1 and animal crackers design cards) and dh would hardly know it was there, except I had a 'few' other supplies there...but alas I forgot my photos to scrap! I'm interested to see what new design cards Making Memories have up their sleeves for release shortly... board games...good family times...maybe not LOL Jase gets a bit competitive and I'm not sure he enjoys us laughing at him... We learned a few new games Cam taught us how to play squatter, Jase & I were given Settlers of Catan for Christmas - love that game & Dad had 'ticket to ride' given for his birthday last year so we worked out how to play that one - it became a fave, even Anna would join in. We also played a Rumi game mum had...I don't think number games are my strong point though...I like ones where you have a strategy to work out. Lenny who lives next door to mum & dad's beach huts brought this treat ove...

I read this on the destitute gourmet ... A Visit from the Christ Child A Visit from the Christ Child by Père Robért for Maria, Ida, Isabel, Maxine, Crozet & Audrey Twas the morning of Christmas, when all through the house All the family was frantic, including my spouse; For each one of them had one thing only in mind, To examine the presents St. Nick left behind. The boxes and wrapping and ribbons and toys Were strewn on the floor, and the volume of noise Increased as our children began a big fight Over who got the video games, who got the bike. I looked at my watch and I said, slightly nervous, "Let's get ready for church, so we won't miss the service." The children protested, "We don't want to pray: We've just got our presents, and we want to play!" It dawned on me then that we had gone astray, In confusing the purpose of this special...

It was my turn to set the dare at No. 8 Wired . My dare is to put some warm fuzzy stuff into your page...i.e. felt, velvet, flocking.....Give it a go and remember to post a comment to say you have done it and where you have put it for people to see :-) RK & P are sponsoring it with a $20 voucher and a pack of 3 fat quarters which were being saved for kits in the new year (the winner will be very spoilt!). I did this using a paper bag, peg, some buttons and the blue spotty fabric from RK & P . my fuzz is some felt lettering and some felt circles. & a digi one using felt circles and a felt bracket thingy - all the elements are from We Are Story Tellers except the journaling page which is by Jessica Sprague. so give the dare a go and maybe you can enjoy the goodies from RK & P. Now back to playing with my slice... want some more memory cards for it now...luckily I'll get one with the rebate send in since SBO is a VIP seller and they can pass this bonus onto their...

handmade :-) check ScrappyKea Handmade for some more pics.

The dare is to create a layout about nature (no people photos) & it must include a haiku poem. Last week of the Eidou challenges & I uploaded my response to the final challenge this afternoon which you can find in the Cropstar Week 5 gallery . There are some cool layouts and cards there...so take the time to vote for your fave this weekend...the winner gets a cool graphics tablet! Have enjoyed learning about digital scrapbook stuff and giving something I was rather scared of a go! We have been given quite a few free digi kits as part of the challenges too -Thank You!

Put this together using some yummy fun kits from We Are Story Tellers - used both emerritt 'truly madly deeply' and Holly Designs 'retroquirk' kits. She's definitely the book lover of the three...but has had a day at home today with a tummy bug :-(...now watching the princess bride and nothing further has come up since mid morning...hopefully back to school tomorrow.

Just saw this on the SBO forum & you know how I like to enable: Hello, Next weekend we are bringing too our online customers the BIGGEST online sale ever!! Starting Friday 28th November and running through too midnight Sunday November 30th we will offer you between 30% - 60% (maybe more) off selected stock. A new category will be set up in the online shop for the sale, there will be items never seen before in the SBO store. Heaps of stamps, storage systems, paper packs and more. Due to the discount being offered freight per order will be $5 regardless of whether the min of $50 is reached or not and orders will ship within 10 days of the order being received (sorry but due to the demand we expect to receive we cannot guarantee a 24 hour turn around.) Spread the word now ... we hope to see you there. Andrea

The ballet photos were perfect for the week two challenge and the lovely papers and elements provided for the competition participants. Created this layout using the white elements and papers by SG Artworx from Eidou as part of a Week 2 Challenge...also used a clipping mask from Rowena F, button by digifingers in bed of roses kit, white frame by Emily Powers (WST) first hour english kit & creamy lace by Audrey Neal (WST) in history kit. Was a steep learning curve working out how to create .png from .jpg files (making the elements transparent rather than with a white border) and to use the clipping masks in gimp but really like the result despite wanting to give up more than once! Have just uploaded my layout for this weeks challenge which was to use a Vintage Wedding Kit by Digifingers...and nothing else from any other kits...very interesting...I decided from the outset that my layout wouldn't really be a vintage wedding one though so used the kit to create something NOT vint...

ok, so I visited Penny's blog and once again she had something interesting...all about blog analysis! I had a play and here's some results (& the links so you can test yourself too): Readability TV Reviews GenderAnalyzer gender neutral (a slight preference for female). typalizer ESTP - The Doers The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities. The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

  My layout for the first round at Eidou - can finally share here as the winner for the week was announced...have been on a steep learning curve for the week 2 challenge and have just uploaded that into the gallery, getting heaps out of this comp in the way of learning new stuff with gimp and digital stuff.

another addiction? less messy than paper, not so sure on how time consuming it is in comparison though... The first one uses some of a free kit at Eidou by Wendymadeit . I love that the papers aren't all about Santa! Main part of this layout is from the Eidou freebie - Wendymade it -Christmas Carol I also used: Emily Powers 1st hour english and Audrey Neal 'WST History. Staple from Audrey Neal's 'apple' and a little TBrady home economics paper. This is one I created with the Week 1 sketch challenge at Eidou...I created another which I've entered in the cropstar competition...& I can't share it here yet...but you can check it out in the Eidou gallery .... only people registered in the forum can vote for their faves...and there are some totally gorgeous digital and hybrid layouts in there so make your vote count...in more ways than one this Saturday! Digital FingersSplash mini kit white washed paper & doodling journaling block (Eidou) Marie Stone M...

        Our ballet star :-) The younger ones looked very cute... Ethan gave it his all...even if he did the ballet moves extra fast in comparison to the older girls...the tounge was out in concentration many times both at practices and in the show. cute. He's a bit tired now...to be expected as he had dress rehearsals on Monday, matinee performance on Tuesday and evening performances on Tuesday and Wednesday. He was in bed & asleep by 7 tonight!

  wonder what the DT have in store for us all? Looks good! so full on at the moment... even Labour Monday was busy...spent it at school with Ethan at a dress rehersal - from 10:30am through till 3:30pm. Looking forward to seeing his performance tonight though.

Check out the forum at Sketchbook for a challenge I've set... really simple... but go there for the info :-) below is the layout and 2 cards I created for this challenge...there's a RAK from Scrappin Patch up for grabs...       Yay for long weekends... got me some housework to do! Lara