The Brave Girls Club.... (and some great news!)

...is this amazing website (well, it's a lit more than a website, but) that my friend Rebecca, originally from Scrapblog, set me one day whilst in the middle of the cancer fight.
I could spend hours explaining you what the Brave Girls Club is, but I will say only that you subscribe (it's free) and they will send you every day some thoughts, thoughts that, in my case, from day one seemed taylor made.
But I wont say much, just go check it yourself...the only thing I can say is that we are gonna save, and save, and save a bit more, but will get to go to the mothers & daughters camp. Oh my...all the way to Idaho! yup. So worth it.

It's 5am in London which just got cold, like in a click of fingers someone decided it was time,not to get those autumnally afternoons, but to dive into winter. I was going to sleep and then realised it wont be easy, I'm like super excited...why?

All the events of the past few weeks are difficult to write down at once, but one of the good things that happened, which in the beginning I thought not to be so good, was one of my favourite designers, Isabel Mendez (Crisdam Designs) asking me to make a page for her CT, then extending to be a permanent CT member and, shortly after that, offering me to help her by being her CT lead...which, as much as I wanted to help, scared me a bit...I mean...would I be able to do something like this? I'm not all that good with techie stuff, I m slow, I get confused at certain times of the day because of my medication....and then my Windows in Parallels crashed...I was more than ready to give up.

But, as it goes, life has something planned and in store for us many times...and this one it came in the form of the marvellous Trista, whom you may know better as Scrappyt. She wouldn't let me. So I couldn't give up. She came in to share the lead after I suggested she was a much better person than me to fill the position, but she wouldn't let me, she said she would do it, but with me.
We have now the final team and the guest until March. We have been sending invites and I'm sure I can hear some of this girls laughter and the good vibes...it wasn't an easy selection, with so many people applying who are more than gifted, pure talent...
but we finally got to the final names :)I was amazingly pleased to see that both Isabel and Trista think in a way very similar to mine, and, let me tell you...this team will ROCK it!

I think (as do lots of others) that Isabel's creations are amazing.
And I think she deserve a place right on top.
I'm glad, happy, excited-insert many other positive adjectivs here- to be be part of this beautiful team of wonderful women.

I promise to go visit blogs soon...
Stay tuned for more news, freebies and sales ...and maybe a thought or two :)

here is my last pages with Isabel's awesome kits...(click in the kit's name to go shopping)
with What a Pear

with Booand Boo's Alphas

with Sew Izzy

with Expecting

News Update! and why I LOVE DSA2 by Serif

Star of a new season today..what are you starting? We are entering autumn here, but if I was *home* (the places where I grew up, as home is now pretty much here in London!) I would be starting spring...well, both beautiful season changes to have your camera ready and get out...so, no worries there.
I know I haven't been very good at keeping up with my blog, and most definitely not good at keeping up with my friends :(
I need a whole refurbishment but, as many of you know, I had some major computer crashes...so now I am trying to get organised and tidy up the *house*, so, expect some new look,new interesting competitions and freebies coming up, stayed tuned.

Before anything I feel I should thank a North American gentleman from the Serif Software forums, because without him nothing would have been possible. As many of you know, I'm not keen on PhotoShop or PhotoShop Elements, though I have PSE in my Mac, I find it great for photo treatment, for re sizing and stuff of the sort, but for my scrapping and designing? Well, that will be Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 by Serif, the very best program there is.

This amazing piece of software comes handy for under £30 (which means just under US$ 50, me thinks) which is slightly cheaper than PSE and...well...far, far easier to use.
DSA2 has a CutOut Studio which is an amazing tool that will allow you to extract just about anything from a photo with such presition is even scary....and a very good photo editing tool with all the filters my PSE6 has.
You struggle with shadows? well.. suffer no more, because DSA2 will give you the most professional looking shadows by just a twick of the mouse.
I could go on and on, but just look at my pages from October 2009 onwards and you will know.
Serif people are so proud and sure of the product they have created that they even give you a simpler, compact trial version for free. Of course full version will give you an assortment of tools you wont have in the compact, but I know the people I have shown this program to are totally amazed and needed no more than 5 minutes in the compact to go running to get the full version....is that good.
There is also a website called Daisy Trail where you can post your creations without needing to resize, but, though the people over there are marvellous and I was welcomed wonderfully, I am loyal to my scrapping home at Gotta Pixel and have, am afraid, little time at the moment for much else than there and my other CT commitments...

Now, DSA is a program designed to work on PC's (Windows) and I'm on iMac...so I have had my fair share of suffering to get it to work properly, and this is where the Serif Software Forums come in, and with it my saviour, this gentleman who posts there as webmasternapa, and to whom I owe the peace of mind of being able to run DSA to the best of the program's ability.
He has spent time making me a document (idiot proof too, taking into account my little knowledge of technicalities LOL) to re install my Parallels (the program which allows me to have a virtual PC in my Mac) and Windows, and then he also invested a lot of time with me online to make all work to precision... so, thanks so much, Brian, you give me back the trust in humanity :)

But I have to say that the kindness of these people doesn't limit to this one gentleman.
In the 11 months I have been going up and down trying to get the program to work well, I have received so much help from other users at this Serif Forums, I thought they were Serif employees...well, they are not.
These guys are simply people who love the software they use and love to share their knowledge with others and help..which is a rare thing these days....and if you think that, with me, they need to put up with complete technical ignorance...well, they are saints! LOL
There are a few whom i should name because it is because of them I am happily scrapping away, they are a wonderful girl who goes as mjh, and two gentleman Alfred & Peter.
There is someone who needs a very special mention and she is the one you will absolutely LOVE if you buy this program...because she will show you with her videos how to make things you have never thought possible...
her name is Melinda, she is in YouTube as lovemyzombie and once you have DSA2, she will become your most amazing companion and her voice will guide you through her mouse expertingly moving through the DSA tools in her videos.
Remember: you can do just about ANYTHING with this program.

I see I have gone from an update into a review...but without DSA I wouldn't have been able to do what I'm doing now. I had to make some adjustments in the teams I was in and stay with what I know I will be able to manage...
If you know me, you know I am not keen on people who are in gazillion CTs , no matter how great you are...no matter how beautiful your pages are...you will neglect the community side of things.
And to me, if you have no time for the other women who make possible that you would be in the CTs...well...your page become cold and have no more appeal to me.
As much as a great CT page made me go mad with a kit I never thought could be of any use for me and I didn't stop until I bought it (full price!), this other kind of CT member can put me of buying from a designer too.
So, I m just keeping to the very things I am able to deal with without neglecting my community participation.
I am guest for Captivated Visions & Connie Prince, both super designers, favourites of mine, for September, and I'm staying with SweetDigiScraps by Liz and Mye De Leon (another couple of amazingly creative women whom I'm devoted to) and I have now a huge responsibility as Isabel Mendez (Crisdam Designs) asked me to take the lead of her CT.

I know a lot of people out there are thinking I am inexperient to take on this role,but I believe there is nothing in this life that cannot be achieved if you have passion, love, dedication...all things I'm proud to say I have regarding Isabel and her designs.
But yes,in a way or another some of these people maybe rigt, that's why I called my friend Trista (whom you may know better as scrappyt)ha wonderful Texan girl, an artist who scraps from the heart like I do and we are helping Isabel with new look, new team, same marvellous designs that captured my love when I first came to Gotta Pixel and I'm sure you will love too.

We have a CT call at the moment, the deadline for applications is the 24th, so, if you had not seen the call before and would like to apply, you still have three days. The new team will be announced on the 30th :)
I will be refurbishing my blog too, as I had to move my personal blog to Word Press as the site where I blogged (Vox.com) is closing down , still unsure what I will do with that....but my craft work will remain here and I will very soon give it a fresh look and update info :)
So, for the latest news on freebies go to my previous post, and you can visit Isabel's blog, and, of course, the Gotta Pixel Store for goodies!!! Today is Pixel Tuesday at GP, be sure to go get yourself some treats!!!

Here is the CT Call instructions and there is also a post I made HERE @ Gotta Pixel, explaining a bit better who are we looking for. We have already received amazing applications and are very, very excited!!!
See you soon and, HappyTuesday!!!!

Creative Sweeties Blog Train!(and freebies galore!)

Hello hellooo, hope you are starting the weekend happily. First, let me show you what I did with SweetDigiScraps newest release,Miss Merry Sunshine,this will be available in a few hours (time differences) at the Gotta Pixel store. I also used the Happy Stickers by SweetDigiScraps by Danyale

So, here we are....
Maybe you come from another stop, maybe you just stumbled upon this blog, so, let me tell you a bit about us:

We are the Creative Team for one of the most amazing designers of the whole digi scrapping world, Liz Hutchison,who runs SweetDigiScraps by Liz and Gotta Pixel, which is my scrapping home.
Our CT is full of talented girls, starting by our lead who also makes some of the most amazing Word Arts and extras (like clusters, borders, some amazing work) which you will find in Liz's store but as SweetDigiScraps by Danyale.
Then comes the Sweeties.
These women are people I admire and love, extremely talented girls, and we have some marvellous guests at the moment too, so we all have teamed up to give you a little (big!) present with this Blog Train...
If you are coming from another stop, you have seen how amazing these girls are, so grab my bit and carry on, we made them with love for you to enjoy.
If you just arrived here, go to the previous stops as well as the following ones, you wont regret it :)

My bit of the train is a cluster frame I made with Liz' kit Precious.
The LO I made with the kit was (is) very special to me because I made it for my friend Lu in Brazil, who just had her baby girl Valentina (we call her Nina) as a present as I couldn't be there for the arrival.Here is the LO I did with the kit:

The kit is great for all those precious little ones,but it's fun, fresh colors make it not only great for girls of all ages,with beautiful flowers and flourishes to help accent your memories, but also the colors are so wonderfully great for any other themes, as it is not a totally pink kit, can be used for boys too, nature or 365 Project are also some of the themes I have scrapped using it.
Created at 300 dpi and 12 inch print quality (as are all other Liz' and Gotta Pixel Products) it'll help you make some of the most amazing pages...I know it did with me :)
Here is the kit preview, click HERE to go to the store
Precious, SweetDigiScraps by Liz,


Precious Word Art & extras, SweetDigiScraps by Danyale click HERE to go to the store


and finally, here is my freebie for you

you can download it HERE
the link may come up with and advert, which has a link underneath, just click there and it will download from Media Fire :)
Here are the stops for this wonderful Blog Train:
The Sweeties:
Liz: http://www.sweetdigiscraps.blogspot.com/
Team Blog: http://creativesweeties.blogspot.com/
Danyale http://bygonesscrapbooks.blogspot.com/
Lei: http://leidee-q.blogspot.com
Kerri: http://www.kayjaysdays.blogspot.com
Jan: http://intensemagicscraps.blogspot.com/
Sheila: http://www.scrappingmyjourney.blogspot.com
Colie: http://www.coliescorner.blogspot.com
Cynthia: thelatinmrspeel.blogspot.com You Are HERE!!!!!
Mary: http://texaschicstyle.blogspot.com/
Dana: http://www.scrappydoosordonts.blogspot.com
Trista: http://www.busybee-hive.blogspot.com/
Simona: http://lightmistress.blogspot.com/
LaShawn: http://the3cbears.blogspot.com
Carolyn: http://carolynscommotions.blogspot.com
Barb: http://digi-dallies.blogspot.com
Rachel: http://iwishiwasthatcreative.blogspot.com
and, if you make something, we would be delighted to see it over at SDS's gallery at Gotta Pixel...if you are not one of us...what are you waiting for to join us?
see you there!
(and soon back here with some really, really more great news (and freebies!)

Something about my passion for photography

I'm shutter happy, always have been.
Maybe because I couldn't walk up to the age of 5 (in case youjust stumble upon this and don't know me, I was born with a double hip dislocation and doctors insisted I wouldn't be able to walk, but my parents were the loving and stubborn kind: I had 9 operations up to the age of 8, and started walking aged 5, never stopped until the British NHS decided to give me a hip replacement in 2003, followed by other 4 operations which failed in fixing what they did in the first) but my passion for all things artsy, being that the visual or the performing arts started very, very early.
BUt we are talking pre-digital times (VERY pre digital!)
And thinking about photography as a career was something one couldn't do, unless money was flowing, which, though we were middle class, in my case was not really an option.
If you think about the money we spent in those days just to develop films...well...
But I got given a camera by one of my dad's brothers, who also gave me my first guitar, and taking photos was as important as breathing...though I lost LOTS of photos through my gipsy life, careless *friends* and my own irresponsibility, I still got the joy of my mum keeping some treasures.
Though my daughter was born before digital cameras were something one would have at hand, we documented her life pretty well, which took me into digi scrapping and where I am now...
I was so, so excited when I saw Liz's new kit...it was like made to measure...so don't be surprised if lots of pages start coming up with this kit...is just one of the most amazing kits I have seen in my years in digi-land.
Someone suggested I could start an *all about me* book with my LOs, and I may do just that.
Have a look at the Gotta Pixel gallery to see what the rest of the Sweeties have created, and have a look at Liz's store there too...she has always fascinated me with her kits (she is probably the one I should thank for me being where I am, as it was through a freebie of hers I arrived in the forums) because the material is so versatile that you can create amazing variety of styles...here is a quick peak at what the Sweeties have made.

you can get this kit HERE, there is also some AWESOME word art by just as awesome Danyale HERE, and a cool alpha HERE.

I'll be back soon!

The Sweetest thing.....

...just happened to me this week.
Look at this:

this I made with the latest release by SweetDigiScraps by Liz, Set Adrift, available to buy now @ Gotta Pixel's store, just click HERE to buy
and then there is these


made with Get Your Eyes Checked, also by SweetDigiScraps by Liz, you can click HERE to get to the store again.

so yes, I have to confess I thought for a bit before answering this CT call, after all, the women already in this team are like the Da Vincis or Michelangelos of the scrap world to me... I was over the moon when I got the mail, which incidentally, I almost deleted, as it started like those *I'm gonna turn you down, sorry* email, kinda: *we have received so many wonderful galleries, we were overwhelmed* thing, so I had to read twice to be sure that the rest of the line was *and are pleased to tel, you yours was on the top ones, so we would like to extend the invite to join the team* .
I'm more than pleased.
So, it's celebrating time at the Taylor Girls household, Sarita won the competition of the local Big Dance event with the Dreams family (her after school dance group) even though they only heard it was a competition 15 minutes before performing, so we are both in celebration mood...

I also have the Alpha in the Victoria & Albert Museum LO to give away if you buy the kit, so, if you do buy it, message me @ Gotta Pixel and I will get it to you in no time :)
Now I promise to give some attention to all of your blogs, especially you Marit!!!!! tomorrow for sure :)
Huggzzzz!

Discovering America

Hey guys..long time no see...
I don't seem to have much time to update my blog unless is to show you my CT work....well, lets say these are not the easiest of times, with my daughter growing into a young lady (14 years old, going on 24!) and despite the friendship and love....well, I was a teenager once (probably a lot more of a headache to my parents than she is to me) so I know I need to take one day at the time...only sometimes one does not have much energy to write things down....thank God for scrapping.

So, Karen has a new (wonderful!) kit available, and the kit touches one subject I always like making a point at: the American thing....because I am an American too, right?
I maybe from the South, but American nevertheless :)
So, here are the pages I made with it, some more coming up.
The kit is available now @ DigitalDesignDen and @ DigiScrapsDriveIn
There are super saving with the bundle & biggie bundle in both stores.
Be sure to go to her blog, not only to see the rest of the CT work (amazing!!!!!!!!!!) but also to get your freebie :)

I have some other good news, so I maybe posting soon, thanks for popping in and apologies for not having much time to go see your blogs, the ones of you who have teenagers I m sure will understand, but will catch up soon, thanks for your visit!

Letting the Sunshine In

Credits: Connie Prince's A Pocket Full Of Sunshine, stiches under the dotted paper also from Connie Prince's Backyard Adventure,bottom yellow tag from Simply Scraps' Take it Back, all @ Gotta Pixel.
I wanted to write. Like I used to. Nothing much, just making a record of our lives, and I had this project, I was gonna print it all, again, nothing much, just a home printer and cheap paper, but it would be a tangible reminder of what it was, and probably would paint in my daughter's face the same smiles all the stuff my mum has kept painted in mine.
Then things got in the way.
Like my health, for starters.
My energy levels aren't high enough, then I found scrapping and that kinda simplifies the way....
But for the past 3 or 4 weeks I have been really, really wanting to document what is going on...only for one reason or another it gets put aside....

But today something happened that, though it wont respect the chronological line up at least gets me going...

I also want to write about my latest experiences in the (various) scrapbooking communities I am part of, or visit or buy stuff,something that I rather do in a separate post as my feelings are very passionate and don't want to mix things:
Where my feelings regarding our last few weeks as a family with my daughter are something beautiful and uplifting... my feelings towards what the scrapbooking communities are turning into are, to say the least, of disappointment.

OK, so..we have been to the West End theaters.
First we got free tickets to see the newest David Essex's musical, All The Fun in The Fair,through the Mousetrap Foundation, a charity that helps getting children up to 16 years old into theatre, but that also deserves it's own post, promise to write that soon, the Mousetrap team certainly deserves it.

Then we saw Hair @ the Gielgud Theatre, to which we got less than half price tickets as we are lucky (in an ironic sort of way, as I get them through my being registered disabled) to get this kind of deal from most West End theaters.
Now this was a huge thing for both of us.
Hair was the first musical I was on stage,and my daughter grew up listening to the songs in all three languages, Spanish, Portuguese, English, so when I saw that Hair was coming over from Broadway, I started saving money straight away.
On Friday, 30th of April, we saw it from the first row of the dress circle, which was quiet a nice seating as the theatre isn't that big...and that was it. The love affaire started for Sarita with the same passionate strength that hit me on that night of 1971 when my parents (after a LOT of begging from my part, I was only 13) took me to see it.

The whole Broadway cast is absolutely fabulous, words are not enough to describe the Hair experience.
Each and every one of these actors are a hurricane of energy, talent and emotion, and, funnily enough, though there are not many hippies left in this society of ours, the subject of war will always remain the same (unfortunately)
I need to point out to a couple of facts:
One is that we did not (both times we saw it) saw Sasha Allen perform.
I'm not completely sure but I think the girl we saw opening the show with Aquarius & singing the White Boys songs is Phyre Hawkins, and we were extremely pleased to have had the luck of seeing her perform.
We saw Sasha Allen in YouTube, and, despite her being really good, we LOVED this other girl's performance.

Now...onto the reason that brought me back to the theatre every night until I was on stage in the 70s and has awaken in my daughter the same passion...
Hair's George Berger is, undeniable, the most charming character of the whole play, and this time Berger is played by (oh drool, droll and treble drool) Will Swenson.
The man is so talented, gifted, such a singer, dancer & actor that you can't help falling in love with him. The fact that he is the most sensual, sexy, gorgeously looking guy i have seen in the past 15 years helps...
So, before the play was even nearing the interval, my daughter leans and whispers in my ear:
*mum, we NEED to come back: front row*
and I, of course, said yes.
Why?
Because front row gives you the complete Will Swenson experience.
The whole time the cast mingles around with the audience, but Berger/Swenson's opening monologue sees him interacting with the front row people...and this involves very, very close contact....who am I to deny my daughter such pleasure?

One of my best friends in life, a friendship that dates from those 70s was coming to spend a week in London with us after lecturing in a couple of conferences in Europe,so we thought we wait and take her too...so on tuesday the 18th of May we had another mind blowing evening on the AA row @ The Gielgud...this time very special to Sarita.
She got hugged (proper squeeze hug, as she describes it) kissed and then hugged a bit more.
Marta got to hold Will's trousers (which he takes of right from the start LOL) and we all enjoyed the talents of the whole cast apart from the beautiful view.

Credits:again, Connie Prince's Backyard Adventure plus elements from the INSD blog train, meaning there is something from: Scatcy Carlson,SpinkyDinkyScraps,CreationsbyRachael,Lorie M,CaptivatedVisions,Litabells,Kristmess and LindsayJane. All these wonderful designers can be found @ Gotta Pixel

I find it difficult to stop talking about this, could stay here all night telling you about each and every one of these actors, all wonderful, but as time presses I ll mention, of course, Gavin Creel, more than fabulous as Claude, Kacie Sheik as Jeannie (the pregnant girl who sings Air), Caissie Levy as a gorgeous Sheila with a voice to remember,Luther Creek (I think he is the only Brit at the moment)in a most wonderful Woof,Allison Case in the sweetest, most beautiful interpretation of Crissy,Darius NIchols amazing Hud,Andrew Kober 's voice on Margaret Mead and Claude's father,Kaitlin KIyan in the black boys trio but also taking over with her paradisiac vice on the Hare Krishna chorus (to the point that I didn't rest until I found where that voice was coming from the first time we saw them), but all of them are fantastic.

After the last song and curtain call, the audience is invited up on stage which turns into the most marvelous party ever...I was taken by emotion on seeing and feeling how the producers have kept the feeling of the original Hair that marked my teens and stayed with me with passion.
After that I did something I have never, ever done as audience: we went to wait for them at the stage door, as sarita wanted them to sign the program.
On this I also have to comment how great they all were (or most of them) ...lots of photos of that too :)

Of course I had to start scrapping the photos...and this gave me another huge emotion...
Not only were the pages I made featured in the Galleries Stand Outs @ Gotta Pixel,but this morning when I opened the Gotta Pixel newsletter I had the (beautiful!!!) surprise to see my Will Swenson's page chosen as Layout of the Day....
Thanks so much to Stacy & all the Gotta Pixel team.
People who know me know I don't scrap for others, I m just making a record of our lives, but having people as talented as the women who are part of the Gotta Pixel site choosing something I made...well, is a nice feeling, one that I wanted to share with you all, as Gotta Pixel has become a bit of a home for me, some of the designers I love the most at the moment have stores there....but that's another story.
If you would like to go leave some love, the LOs are here:
Hair 1
Hair 2
Hair 3
you can also have a look at the store, most of the designers are amazing,and they have regular sales, every tuesday is U$1 (which to us is like 75 pence...an amazing price for what you get!) and the Gotta Grab it that is amazing because is all designers creating from a palette...meaning one can buy kits for a dollar each, then scrap with all, and the combination is perfect)
The forums are also a nice place, full of gorgeous people but need a bit of an injection if movement (or maybe is because I don't do the challenge thing?) so it would be nice to see you around...

So, if you are still there (i know I talk a lot!) will upload some photos for your delight :)
Promise to come write again asap...there is a LOT i would like to talk about! :)
Thanks for popping in and, Michelle, if you are reading, I left you my email address after that comment you left me here, or leave me your email here so I can give you the password for the mini kit :)
Huggzz to all!

Credits: Captivated Visions' These Days, alpha from Between the Headlines (also from Captivated Visions),string with the bow again from Connie Prince's A pocket Full Of Sunshine.

Thank You for the Love (a freebie in appreciation)

Hi guys, girls....

I am lucky, I think.
Most of the people I am surrounded by at the moment are the most talented, inspirational, loving people in the world.
And this *in the world* isn't a mere grammatical construction, nope, is totally, tangibly literal.
Some in the US of A (I'm reluctant to call it America, sorry guys, but *we* are Americans too, the vast America has the North, South (were *we* belong) and Central, though most of that Central are moving slowly upwards,there are millions of them still there, right? LOL).
Some of them in the land of Oz (read Australia) and these are increasingly getting a deep imprint in my heart, and some in Europe, with my most favorite at the mo being in the Netherlands (that IS Europe, right? LOL I'm getting old and my cultural memory is being smashed by the political changes!)
In blogging scenes, I have to mention these women because they are worth reading, watching and listening:

Peggy, whom I had the pleasure,honor and delight of meeting in person and who, regardless of the distance, always finds a way to make herself present and supportive with a beautiful wake up call on my phone. She also has the MOST AMAZING music playing in her blog....

Annemarie and here I'm at loss for words...if I ever have found a synonimous for bravery, strength, capacity, talent and multitasking...well that's Annemarie. She also has some amazing music playing, and I'm hoping to be able to go meet these two girls in Norway in a near future (I'm working on it girls!)

The Netherlands girl is Marit (though her blog presents her name in lower case, I think she deserves upper cases, in shinning lights too). This girl I found through Annemarie, who sent me a link to her blog and I got hooked ever since. I m even gonna get my daughter to do one of Marit's courses in summer... yes, she is a master and finds the strength and wonders of passing her knowledge on, with very accessible prices, ones that even I can contemplate in spending!)

there is another USA girl whom I discovered lately and my heart was full of joy, not only because she is so generous with her (amazing!!!!) talent as to sharing her kits for free, but also because her blog is what it says on the tin: Every Day Mom's Ideas.... and her ideas are not only doable, but in budget and brilliant...plus her way of communicating is one I love....and her kits are original, something I have been getting more and more disappointed with in the more popular, profit gaining designers (but that would a whole new post, right?)

There are a lot more I could be naming, linking and...well, there is only a certain amount of time and I need to get on with life, but I have to mention the Brazilian girls or I wouldn't be making justice...I have made a post for them and that was what inspired this post...
Through a new, net acquired friend by one of those impulses that makes you click on someone just because you liked the comment they left in someone else's blog, I came across this wonderful woman, who also has this other recipe blog. Yes, I know, both her blogs are in Portuguese, but her Layouts are universal so, if you like them, go leave her some love, she speaks English :)

She introduced me to her scrapping communities which have in turn brought the most beautiful love into my life. But again, this would all be in Portuguese and they have an entire blog of mine for them, so, lets get to the last point....

I have no intention of becoming a designer at the moment. If I had any at some point, starting to do CT work for some of them plus my incursions on paying for kits (even if only in the 1 dollar/Euro sales) and looking into their rules and...well, lets say I'm a bit disappointed and don't think it's worth my stress.
In looking into their rules, combined with the amazing, wonderful program I use (I'm scared of scrapping with PSE, have I said that before? LOL), the Digital Scrapbook Artist by Serif (which deserves a whole review, I know) I started finding my way to create my own stuff for my own books.
Not much, nothing totally fancy, but I finally put together a mini kit.

After all the support I received from some of the girls of a freebie group I belong to through my breast cancer adventure, I gave the mini kit away to them, post it in the group.
Then when I went to check the amount of downloads and compared to the amount of *thank Yous* I got....well...this wasn't a case in which they would have to (like here, I m afraid) do a word recognition or register or anything costly of their time....it involved only clicking *reply* and typing *thanks*.
So I passworded the thing.

Maybe not worth the bother to some.
Well up to *some*.
If you are not the *some* kind, and just happened to stumble across this blog and like what you see in the preview, just leave a comment, tell me you want this, I'll pass on the password :)
If you are a Facebook buddie, I'll be posting the password there.
If you are a friend of mine but are not in Facebook, email me, I ll get the password out to you.

Here are the previews:




now, this lower case was my very first try, I have no idea how designers make their alphas, but as I haven't connected my tablet to the Mac yet, I draw these with the mouse...so...well LOL


So, if you like what you see, and you have the password, this is where you get it:

Click here to download the ALPHA

Click here to download the PAPERS

Click here to download the FRAMES

And now I have *talked* enough, I'm gonna go back to our intensive movie watching program with my child (who isn't much of a child no more, but hey, she still enjoys her time with mum, gotta take advantage of that!)
I recommend LOVE FILM to anyone in the UK (if you are a friend of mine in *real life* I have 2 cards that will give you two months for free) we pay £9.50 per month, no late fees, they are quick in getting films back to you (2 days maximum) which means if we want, we watch more than 4 films a month, and there are a lot of films one can watch online as part of the subscription....great deal :)
(gonna get them to pay me for the advert LOL)
Ok, enjoy, I'm gonna go enjoy my saturday!
:)

Waiting for Spring...

..literally, as the weather isn't collaborating here in London.
That is also the title of SnickerDoodleDesignsByKaren's last kit, a gorgeous one, and there is a freebie QP in her blog, if you would like to have it, just click in her link, visit her blog.
Here are a couple of pages I made with it...





I have followed Karen to the DigiScrapsDrive store & forums, a great place to be if you like freebies, challenges, talent and great company,so, maybe I'll see you there?

You can find Waiting for Spring HERE and the word art HERE , or you can save some money by getting the BUNDLE

There is a SnickerDoodleDesignsByKaren's gallery @ the DigiScrapsDriveIn, so, if you are looking for more inspiration, there are some ladies there that can provide some really good one (inspiration!)

See you there!

The Identity Exhibition

Hey again...
I have been trying to get to normal (or as normal as I can ever be..LOL) so I wanted to share with you the two outings we had in the middle of all that chaos that were the past 4 weeks.
Thing is, you see, I really thought in the middle of this that I had some not so much advanced stage of breast cancer, so I really wasn't looking when I scrapped these, I didn't think I would be making publish posts, so it will be a bit difficult to credit people, but will try as I go...

To get to the outing: this was the Identity exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, free to all, amazing 8 rooms with everything to do with our identity, like DNA invention, twins,and a few rooms dedicated to sexuality as it is Gay,Lesbian,Bisexual & Transgender History month here in the UK.
We took Nadia, one of Sarita's best friends, as she wants to be a doctor.
I called in advance (they were AMAZING!) and booked a parking space and a wheelchair.

This LO was made with a template I got from a freebie of Sweet Digiscraps by Liz (one of GottaPixel's owners, I learned when trying to know where I got it to link here...) only I changed everything around ...I'm a disaster scrapping with PSE, so I just took the PNGs into my DSA and resulted in this:





The girls needed the toilettes, so I waited in the corredor and took some photos until they came excited wanting to show me this (according to them) amazing hand drying device...
(these two LOs, I m sure came from Bella Gipsy @ Gotta Pixel)





It's a shame, but understandable, we couldn't take photos in the exhibition rooms, but we (of course!) ended up in the shop.
These are some captures from our stroll in this marvelous place.
This LO I know for sure was done with (again) Bella Gipsy's Lucky Star & Lucky Charm kits, from her store at GottaPixel.
The Dymo Alphas are from Gunhill Storeide (love her! see bellow)



this next LO is from a wonderful freebie called Sweetness of Blue I got from K Designs, through the wonderful Digital Scrapbook Freebies Yahoo Group (should post about that too, really!)



Next is Cardamome (one of my favorite) Pretty Little Things kit,from her store at Digital Crea France.



next, the paper is from a long time ago freebie called Denim Daisies, from MMD, the alpha from Pouyou's You've Got Mail @ Digital Crea.



this is Sarita reaching out in the shelves in the shop, I thought I make something different (though I'm not the best on fantasy stuff) as I got this kit, Entre Des Mondes, by Petitsouris @ Digital Crea



and here was where I got fascinated with the moleskin books but ended buying the one which is now my doodling diary..( you can read about it this in my previous post







the place was about to close when we were in the shop, so we went to a chinese restaurant and dinner and tons of fun...here is Sarita with the serynge/pens I bought them...
here the kit is Sheeps and Dreams, from Choubinnette @ Digital Crea, not sure but think the Alpha is from Gotta Pixel.



here is Nadia, who is a bit camera shy :)



we had fun!



finally this is something I made because I love this photo of Sarita I took in the shop. The title and journaling are a song, called Imaculada (immaculate), sung by Elba Ramalho, a song I used to sing to Sarita when I was pregnant and still didn't know it would be a she..., still, she turned out to be SO that song!
The paper is from Gunhill Storeide, another fabulous find from the women of the Yahoo Group, I will come give the links soon, she is AMAZING!



So, this is it until tomorrow.
I put together another little book with the other outing we had, which will be posting tomorrow.
I'm really eager to get to my CT work now I'm feeling better, you cannot imagine how amazing Karen's new kit is, and I also want to share about DigiScrapsDriveIn...but that ll have to be in another post..., thanks for popping in!

Returning to pen & paper....

Credit to Connie Prince's BeeHappy @ Gotta Pixel
...is what I have been doing, these past three weeks of anxiety and uncertainty.
In case you don't know what I'm talking about, you can find out by clicking here to read my previous post.
But better let the images speak:

We bought this before all the hospital thing, when we went to the Identity exhibition at the Wellcome Collection.
I don't normally buy things in shops like this, but it seemed reasonably priced(£12) and it was the last of its kind in the shelves. Not only I thought the book had my name written on it, but I had just read a post from my friend Annemarie about Moleskin books and also found (again, thanks to Annemarie, the wonder woman) Marit's blog about Zentangling.
Having *Zentagled* (posh, modern way to refer to *doodle*?) since 1970, I could not resist to have a go now, this seemed the perfect book for it.

I wanted to be away from the computer, blogging about this issue somehow did not seem right, so in between writings I started to let my mind go and these are some of the things I enjoyed making:

I used BeeYond Happy by Cherie Shields @ GottaPixel


Credit to Creations by Rachael, also @ Gotta Pixel, kit Love My Boys.


bits & pieces from Digital Crea France's designers, Pouyou,Choubinette,Moi, Chriscrap
these and the next couple of pages are photos taken with flash,I'm experimenting to see the best way to create elements for scrapbooking from this kind of stuff.

I put the paper together (background) the bits are from Mary's Mixes and string and staples from Digital Crea freebies.
Alpha by Connie Prince @ GottaPixel.

background paper and alpha from LoveMyBoys, CreationsByRachael @ Gotta Pixel.
The rest is Isabel Mendez's Aghata kit, also @ Gotta Pixel


As you can see, Sarita loved this thing so much she added her collaboration
Faery from Chriscrap's Far Away,frayed fabric from Droopette's around the World, heart, string of clouds and bow from Choubinette's Still Loving you, all @ Digital Crea.
Dymo alpha from Gunhill Storeide.
So, there, this is what I have been up to.
I know I can't be compared to Marit not in a million years,but not only has helped me relaxing and at the same time creating, but also has given me another thing we share a passion with my daughter...and that is a wonderful experience.
So, as the text in the first image says, I have found more than one good side to all the stress and anxiety they put me through the past few weeks, and showed me once again that the ones who are there for us are always there...they aren't many, but sure are first quality, amazing friends.

Thanks to all of you who came over to comment in my previous post, I have felt beautifully your presence over this whole thing,and its great to see that people are willing to make an effort to leave a comment here too :)