Easter Thoughts

With Easter fast approaching this year, and the older two away from home, I have been spending more time looking to holidays past, and watching them grow up.  We have a few traditions at our house. 1. The scavenger hunt (this started when Ashley and Jason were babies).  They get an egg, and that leads to another egg, and another, until they find their basket.  We have modified this over the years.  As they stayred with simple photo's like a "chair" or a "couch" to get their next clue.  We now have scrambled blank spaces with 1 letter or a hint to find the location and color of their egg).  It takes a little time to prep in the am, but all is fun, and they actually were angry the one year I overslept. Another tradition is heading to my mom's for her egg hunt.  They fill hundreds of eggs with change, bills, and gift's.  The kids head out youngest first to the yard to gather them until they are all picked up. They have fun (but way too competitive).

The kit is from Suzy Q Scraps - Taste of Easter - with the Journal card from taste of Spring.  You can grab the bundle here 3 kits included for all of your Springy layouts!   

The Painted Nest Challenge for March

Suprise! i completed another Painted Nest Challenge over at Scrapbook Graphics.  The Art Journal/Mixed Media format allows me to scrap freely, no templates, no rules, no kit restraints - anything goes (minus the few items you need for the challenge, color scheme, and 3 freebies you need to include).  It is so inspiring at the end of the month to browse thru the gallery and see everyones interpretation of the elements.  This month the butterfly (just one  hee hee), the heart (which looks like the paint splat on my layout) and the blue ticket I have tucked in the layers are the key elements.
 I was super inspired by the saying from Elinor Roosevelt, that I may have to use that one again somewhere soon!
(PS I got a GSO on this layout, and anytime I get a comment from Rachel at Captivated Visions (love her kits) it is always a humble but pleasant suprise!).

anywho - here is the LO. (and a quick tip  when you have multiple items like the butterfly spray - mix up those shadows.  don't make them all the same - or all going the same direction... )

Sieze the day

Suzy has the cute little mini kit hitting the stores this weekend - Live for Today.  How can you resist this?  Awesome colors!  Great journal cards! I just makes me so happy to just look at.   The page is from a pic I caught of Sam when we started her orthopedic journey - she started this with such a positive attitude!

catch the complete kit here....

Can you see the Lightbulb?

true story: I have been listening to The DigiShow (The Daily Digi podcasts) for years, since they were part of the Paperclipping Roundtable, yeah... way back then! I was listening when Steph announced that her lightbulb went off and she switched to manual (after a class in Vegas with katrina Kennedy).  I believe Katie had the same experience after taking Katrina's Capture Your Life Through The Lens class.  (Sorry Peppermint, I cant recall when you switched to manual :().

I have the camera I bought 3 years ago to make me a better photographer. I would have a few good shots, but I wasn't satisfied yet. Maybe I need a cannon or Nikon vs. my Sony?  What is wrong?  Then Katrina announced she was retiring the Capture Your Life Through The Lens class  NOOOOOO!  I need that class! What is she thinking??

I think enough of the public griped (so I am not alone - whew!)  The class has started and yes I a enrolled and learning a lot, but it was actually Kelly Buss' hour of the Capture Your 365 Birthday party (yesterday) that did it.  Somewhere in the 7pm EST hour (8 hours into the 12 hour class/educational/fun/learning marathon) I got it!  I switched to manual, played with the buttons - and I GOT IT!!  It's a great feeling of confidence to learn something new. (I hope my kids can forgive me for missing their cheer competition and my son's hockey game so that I could stay home and learn).

Just FYI - Katrina's class Capture Your Life Through The Lens has just started we are only in the 2nd week and I think people are still enrolling - If you have ever guessed or wondered what you need to know to flip that dial to M - come check out the class - Hurry - I think there is a webinar coming up in the next week - you will not want to miss your lightbulb moment! (tell her dawn sent ya)

#38 (Suzy Q Scraps new Simple Story templates #13)

I love Suzy's templates.  In fact I plan on using all of them for my next vacation book.  There are so many options and I love the clean grid design.  But you dont need to always stay in the lines.

I combined the watercolor effect I learned from The Lily-pad's MOC, into Suzy's newest template to create a great (simple story) page about my son.

(I used Suzy's kit Make lemonade for the elements and stitching.)