A Couple Layouts - and A Couple of Gifts

Whew - I have actually been a bit on the busy side here of late. I decided to do some spring cleaning out in our guest cabin. It doubles as storage (one room). I decided it is time to get rid of some of the things we have not even looked at in 3 years. Makes sense to me. I have had to have a fire going in the wood stove because winter has returned - and I am not so sure it will ever leave!!!! It is not even 40 degrees yet today, and it may not even get there. OK, so I will quit whining. I keep saying two words over and over in my head ("Snow Pack"). But it really is almost May, and Eila needs MORE vitamin D!!!! OK OK, I guess I just wasn't quite finished whining.

Moving on. MY BOOK IS ON THE WAY!!!! WOO HOO!!! I should have it in my hot little hands by the end of the week. I am so excited to see the fruits of my labor. I am posting just a couple more layouts because they are done using kits from some of the designers I so greatly admire, and I wish to give them credit... and a huge THANK YOU!!!!

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This first set was done using a number of designs:

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LEFT PAGE ~ Creative Memories (background)

Squiggly elements, bluebird, and giraffe ~ my buddy Crops - Crops2Dawn - pop over to see her, and tell her Thanks for all she does!!! She RAWKS!

Wordart by hilleke at Scrap Depot

Font ~ 1001 Free Fonts

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RIGHT PAGE ~Creative Memories for the border text - the beach alpha and background is from Vicki A Work In Progress - from her Beach Holiday kit that was featured in Scrap N Art last July (I believe). She has a fairly new store... ~ Scrap That Idea ~ You can buy "her store" (the kits she currently has for a mere $30.00 - so go check it out (the offer is expiring fairly soon!!!) I have shopped there, and cannot wait to play with some of my new stuff... Was my boy just too cute or what - hence the wordart I chose to use LOL!

This one is from a kit from Mrs Miles' HEART STRINGS MINI KIT. She does some of the most beautiful work. This matches a page I had previously done - it is the opposite page in the book - you would have to go back a few posts for the other side. Thank you so much Mrs Miles. This is on of my fav all time kits. I guess because of the passion Boy and I both have for music. So pop over to her place an say "hi".

The next one was made using Barbara ~ Just Passing Through's Colorful Grunge Kit. She is a great designer, and works very hard for us - so if you snag any of her work, be sure to say a heartfelt thank you!!!

Oh GOSH!!!! I almost forgot (not really). I just happened to make a couple QPs using that very kit.

I tried to take into account those with slower downloads... so I broke it into two parts. Enjoy!

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Oh yeah, and if it is not too terribly much of a bother, would you mind leaving a quick thank you if you do download. You of coarse are not obligated to do so, but it is just good manners, and I appreciate the feed back.

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You can pick up the first one here

and the second one here

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I really must sign out... I have a care package to put out for a friend who is going through a bit of a rough patch... Hoping to send a smile.

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Ciao everyone!!! Hope it is sunny where you are cuz it sure isn't in Montana!!!

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eila

Springing Into Spring... I hope...

Good Afternoon...

OK, so I am quit hopeful that Spring may, at least, be on its way to Montana. Man, it was one evil cold shot we got - so unacceptable for March. I am happy to report that "Spring One" (as my oldest GD calls it) brought with it a sunny weekend, and our first robin sighting. Doing the "spring bird dance" around the yard....

I did go to town, and boy did that help to lift the spirits. I guess I have just had cabin fever, and I don't always recognize it until it is too late.

Barbara over at Just Passing Through has recently created a kit called Sherbert. Pop on over to grab it here ~ and remember, it is very bad Karma to not say than you... Well, as luck would have it, I made a couple quick pages with the kit, and they are my gift ~ my way of saying thank you for all the free stuff I have received. I hope to become more proficient, and perhaps more productive... but for now, I hope you enjoy these.

*a side credit* I used the Mickey font from 1001 free fonts. there are some fun ones there.....

Happy Is ~ here

Aim High ~ here

I guess I am not super talkative today, so I will say so long... I hope the sun is shining on you where ever you might be.

ciao,

eila

PS - I know there is a way to get the previews to open by clickingon them - but cannot figure out how - suggestions would be appreciated....

K.I.S. - Keeping It Simple

Good Morning Blogger Buddies!

And a loverly morning it is! I heard geese when I was out with the dawgs. Do you know what that means? SWEET SPRING! Yes, we still have a ton of snow on the ground - the same snow that has been here since DECEMBER... but there is HOPE! Of coarse, as we all know, there is always HOPE.

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I had quite a weekend. I got my new computer for Christmas... and since setting it up - I have had some conflicts. I am thinking it was from pulling my XP settings over from the old PC. I have been dreading fixing it, but I knew I had to. Actually, more than anything, I have dreaded calling support. Saturday, I bit the bullet and did it. I moved all my pics, and documents to the external hard drive and I took the computer back to the factory settings. Then I got back to the task of reloading all my programs. It was going pretty smoothly, until I tried to load my scanner software. No matter what I did, I just could not get it to recognize the drivers. I tried to go to Epson and get their drivers... still not working. FOUR HOURS, I worked on this. (I did take a break and make some chocolate chip oatmeal cookies w/ Reece's chips thrown in... yum!)

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Cookies were the distraction I needed. I restored my system back to the point where I had started trying to get the scanner loaded. I found that when taking Vista back to the beginning, it creates a file called C:Windows.old. That file was 25 gig of useless space. I did a Google search (what did we do before google?) LOL!!! I found a suggestion to do a disc cleanup - which I did... and now my scanner is happy. I still have about 50 photos left to scan (I have done 900 already). I really need my flatbed! There you have it... the saga of my day yesterday. I have avoided electronics for years, but in the last 7 or 8, I find I have grown to LOVE all the tech stuff out there, even though I fry way too many brain cells trying to figure things out ~ Eila don't need to read no stinking manuals! I should, but I learn hands on - even though I should take notes, so I don't have to keep relearning the same thing. WOW, now there is a pretty propound thought.

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I believe we have several things to learn in our time here on earth - life lessons. I believe God tosses them at us, and what we choose to gain from them will determine whether he feels the need to toss them back at us again. I was so happy to turn 30 (40 - not so much). But I embraced "thirty". The twenties were my longest period in life. I encountered huge lessons (gifts from God) but did not always pay attention so well. It wasn't until I had the revelation that I had already learned this... and learned to just walkaway from bad situations. Each time I feel a lesson coming on, I pause and ask myself if I have already learned this one or not. If I have, I know what t do... I wish I was as good with the computer! I am working on it though... NOTE TO SELF ~ take better notes.

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Over all this week had been a pain "technically". On Monday - a week ago - the DVR crashed! It took about 10 movies and 40 programs with it. We don't watch a ton of TV, but we have the shows we like so while we have the ability to record 2 shows while watching a previous recording - it resolves many conflicts. I don't like commercials. I like being able to pause live TV - and I really need to be able to REWIND, in case I did not understand something that has been said. I love my electronic toys. Well, being as we live in the middle of nowhere, we had to wait until Friday for our new one to get here... I am a happy girl once again - we did hook it up ourselves. Me, patting myself on the back... LOL!

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Oh yeah, the reason for the post... I have another quickpage to go with the last one. I think it is nice to have 2 pages side by side in the book - that compliment each other. I made two similar, but different ones. I could not decide which to give you - so I decided to give you both, and let you decide which you like better. I like them both - for different attributes... although one is decidedly my favorite. As I told you in the previous post... these are from Barbara's Wood Meets Denim kit - at Just Passing Through - you can get it here. It is an older kit from back in December. Stop over and see Barbara - she is a lovely person, as I am sure I have said before. Also, she is in the process of sharing her Grand Canyon kit. She does wonderful things with colors. You can get the kit at her place ~ here. And please, remember to say thank you, if you snag any of her kits. A thank you goes a very LONG way! (and it is rude not to).

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Try not to be too impressed, but I actually zipped the folder - put in a preview, and a TOU - although I need to work on that... I just want credit to go where it is supposed to - not me silly - to Barbara. She is the designer ~ without whom, these would not exist!

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Click on whichever preview you would like to download - that will take you to 4Shared... see, I am trying to keep it fairly simple!!!

On that note, I am out of here!!!!

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Have a fantabulous day!!!!

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eila

A HUGE Surprise

A good afternoon it is, here in Montana. It's a balmy 40 degrees, and the weather man says there is a fun little snow storm on the way. I can live with it... I know Spring will get here eventually. The cold and snow has given me a chance to sort the photos, scan the photos... and generally reflect on my life and family. I am so blessed.

Several members of the family gave me a huge stash of family photos. They span back to my mother and father's childhoods, as well ours. I finally decided it is time to just get it done! I have scanned over 300 so far, and think I have only about 150 more to do. That does not include the medium format negatives my mom has given me to scan. ARG! But I do it for LOVE... The negs are next on the "hit parade". This is what I SHOULD have been doing today - but it is not.

This is where I am... There are a few people in scrapland that just plain inspire me... on a creative level, spiritual (true) level, and a down to earth level. They are kind, thoughtful, and just - hmmm - looking for the word ~ Oh Yeah - Genuine. I stop by to read their thoughts. Sometimes I treat myself to a gift they have offered... and say a very heartfelt thank you just for being who they are.

I have no excuse - but I have not really given anything back. I don't know if it is being shy - YEAH! NO! or self conscious. Yep that makes more sense. I am talented at that which I care about... but I am nowhere near as talented as so many people I have come across in this little society. I am humbled... I have made a few layouts, and today I decided to take a layout I had made and turn it into a quick page. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!? Yes, I said I have a huge surprise - actually, I should have said SHOCK! I have even uploaded it to 4shared and everything. You see, I really did make an account there way back when. (which I discovered I must sign in at least once in 30 days - oops) It is all good. I have nothing to loose - since I had not put anything in there yet. But I have now. And although I have a lot to learn - it is what it is for now.

I would like to share a little about this QP. It is from Wood Meets Denim by one of my favorite designers Barbara, at Just Passing Through. My guess is you recognized yourself above :o) ~ Before she even released the kit, she made me a birthday card from it. You have no idea how much her thoughtfulness touches me. She is a very strong christian woman - and she is genuine. I respect and appreciate it. She is about to release her latest kit - Grand Canyon. You may want to pop on over and say hello. If you download any of her kits, be absolutely sure you say thank you.

So there you have it. My first gift. I hope you can find a use for it. And do not pass out from shock. Thanks to those who have encouraged me... if only by thoughtful words.

Click the preview to download (I hope LOL!)

Have a great day!

eila