The last of the "Book" Layouts

I am finally going to finish posting some layouts from the book. I was just going through the book thread, and it kinda blows me away that I did about 90 layouts in approximately 2 weeks. That is just plain NUTS!!!!! I will NEVER do that again LOL. I am getting ready to start 2 more books (Hubby's old family photos) I want to make books for each of his siblings for Christmas. That should give me enough time to put it together. (and find a good deal on printing). I also want to put another one together for our other son and his family. The kids are growing so fast, and I have a bazillion photos... that should be a fun project.

And here are the final layouts I will post from this last endeavor...

I have really enjoyed looking back. There were so many memories that made me laugh and made me cry... It has been a wonderful journey so far, and I am so looking forward to see where it takes us from here. Gotta LOVE the pink hat!!! Let this be a lesson to all children... pictures WILL show up that are related to the past.... This was our first trip out to the US... the left page is from central Pennsylvania. If you are anywhere near Scranton, PA, put Ricketts Glen on your list of places you simply must go!!! Nice camping - and BEAUTIFUL waterfalls. We have played there many times.

*

ALL But One layout - and I will specify that when I get there... are made using Creative Memories Packages and 1001 fonts.

More must go places!!! Montana - I will vouch for her beauty. New Zealand is also on the top of the list. It reminded me of Montana with shoreline. I would love to live there -with one exception. I love all the wildlife we have, and theirs is fairly limited. I do, however remember playing on a beach in the Catlins (Cannibal Bay) with a bunch of seals and sea lions. We were married there - perfect setting I might add.

This next layout is my oldest brother. He was great at Baseball, but was taken from us far too early. He was killed in a car accident when he was 15. The precious memories remain even after all these years.

oops - Angel Wordart is by Inspired Mommie Designs

This is my Youngest brother. He is a year younger than I am. He is an amazing human being. We are so lucky to have him in our lives. I just love some of the photos of him!

Credit goes to Beth Turner - The kit is called Let Freedom Ring. here is her soon to be "old" site and here is her new site. She has a good bit of patriotic stuff.

Last - but certainly not least... Arizona. It was not my favorite place to live... but man 'o man, the sunsets were incredible! The other photos are from prom and a road trip he took to LA with friends. The foot prints are Jack Nicholson's

I was going to wait to post this since I JUST posted yesterday... but I have some really exciting news... so I just could not wait...

THEY'RE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY'RE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY'RE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DOING THE HAPPY DANCE ALL AROUND THE OFFICE - I HAVE LOOKED AT THEM AND THEY ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS WORTH IT!!!!

...on that note I will sign off and say see ya ~ until next time!!!!

ciao for naio,

eila

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!!!!

*

This first set was done using a number of designs:

*

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

*

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!

*

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.

*

You can pick up the first one here

and the second one here

*

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.

*

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

*
eila

Words simply cannot express the relief I feel after finishing this project. Holy Cow!!!! (I guess those would be a start). I woke up Friday at 5 AM with so many ideas racing thru my little 'over worked' brain. So I got up - poured some coffee, and got to work... The last "heritage" page was the O'Sullivans. I had some history that went back to Ireland, and the potato famine. So I made it a little more green. I used Crops2Dawn overlay of shamrocks for the first page - from her kit Bring on the Leprechauns... I just softened it somewhat. I like the feel of it. I used Creative Memories - Shabby Cottage Package for the overall layout.

*on a side note* I have linked the Creative Memories to my sister's page in CM. I think if anyone knows someone who would like to make memory books, but doesn't want to work too hard learning Photoshop, it is a great program to own. There is a free version, but it is so limiting. You can not add your own papers, and cannot save your papers. With the paid version, you can do both. I was able to use kits from my favorite designers and save my work. The thing is that with the free one, you have to order your book from them. With the paid version, you can print your own, or as I did, use a different book program to purchase it. I got 4 - 120 page books (11x11) for 55.00 each including shipping. With CM, a 20 page 8x8 is 60.00 - In these tough economic times, you gotta do the math. I love the program, but can't justify the expense of the books. As far as the program, it comes with very basic packages, but there are SEVERAL you can download free. It is like having SEVERAL Quick pages, but you can rearrange the elements. Trust me, I know... LOL! Just something to keep in mind if you are looking for the perfect gift. Check out my sis... thanks... OK, I am done advertising... now onto the rest of the reveal.

The O'Sullivans

Check out the younger Daniel in the lower right corner of the left side page... does he look a little like this guy? Or should I say... does this guy look a little like him?

One thing that was interesting through this process was the strength of the similarities in my families visual features. (strong gene pool)

OK, NEXT....

These are a series of group shots of us - I was #6 out of 7...

I used Crops2Dawn - You're a Star kit for the paper and Autumn Moments for the half torn edge overlay... YOU RAWK CROPPIE!!!! You will be seeing more of her stuff in posts to come. Go check her out! She is a great read, and pretty darned talented too... The wordart... Elegant Wordart (Bethany) for the family. The brothers and sisters had no TOU and is not named with the designers tag, so your guess is as good as mine... (I just spent an hour searching the web... and digi free, and I even know what date I downloaded it... so kudos to the designer, and sorry I cannot link to you) and the text is "girls are weird" from 1001 free fonts.

My brother was killed in an auto accident when he was 15. that is why the later shots have one less. In the black and white, my youngest brother was not here just yet. We are 7 children with an age range of 8 1/2 years from oldest to youngest. Can anyone say Catholic?

Each of my brothers and sisters got a side by side layout... The oldest is all about animals. She works for Best Friend's Animal Sanctuary in Utah. I made the cat plaque a long time ago for her to put on a memorial spot on the animals place in Angel's Rest at the sanctuary... I used Mel Haines Raining Cats and Dogs (a collab she did a while back with Vicki Parker) - they have a somewhat new store out there - Scrap That Idea - you should check it out... and a little piece from Cats and Daisies.

This is another of my sisters - this is all Barbara at Just Passing Through. (Grand Canyon - Old Barn) I just love her kits, and she is a really fine person as well... Stop in and say hello, and it should go without saying, but you really need to say thank you to any and ALL designers whenever you download a kit.

THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!!! (below). I think that in light of the fact that it was one of the very last pages I did after several days of "psycho scrapping" - I NAILED it! This is from two more kits from Barbara - see above...this is from Cork Meets Plaid and Wood Meets Denim. I have all these silly things that I have saved in a file most of his life... so what better way to display them than a bulletin board. (and I am aware I spelled Bulletin wrong - DANG - I should use spell check ALWAYS!!!!

Of Coarse, I had to do some pages for me - I am "The Mom" after all... these are all Creative Memories Packages - Soft Baby Girl, and the text is all from 1001 Free Fonts.

*

*

I used Barbara's (Just Passing Through) for this one as well... It is the Wood Meets Denim and it matches a page I did WAYYYY back when...

*

*

The last layout for today is "All Me" With a little help from 1001 Free Fonts. We have gone to Washington DC on MANY occasions throughout our time in Pennsylvania. I used a blended photo of the White House for the background. Man oh man, we had so many great times there.

*

I drove a bright orange VW Super Beetle for about 7 years. LOVED that car. His Name was "Syd" It is one of those cultural oddities... when you own an older bug - it is supposed to have a name. I had an 8-Ball on the gear shift - and a rainbow in the back window. That way I was always behind the 8-Ball with a Rainbow over my shoulder - kind of a "cosmic balance thing". OK, cut me some slack - it was mostly in my 20's. I was a bit of a "free spirit". So you might be wondering what the heck I am ranting about this for. In the pic below, you will see a photo my son took once, as a surprise to me. We were in DC for yet another July 4th celebration. (If you live close - crops... I am talking to you - and maybe Melanie too?) You have to do a July 4th there. It is the coolest thing ever, and I do not like crowds... OK back to the photo... he had gone to the Museum of American History with one of the people we were there with. He had the camera... and he saw what he called a "Syd-a-Saurus". The boy just cracks me up!!!! If you bring up the photo by clicking on it, you can see the literal sea of people in the photos. One year we even watched the fireworks while standing in the reflecting pool... probably would not do that again (again own it to youth... LOL)

*

*

OK, so I am done for today. I will post more of the layouts over the next week or so. Thanks to those that encouraged me and believed I could do this. There were moments when I thought it might be 110... but as it turned out - it was the exact right number. Now I am off to say hello to y'all. I have been remiss in visiting. I have a lot of reading and hellos to catch up on. So until the next time...

*

BE WELL and God Bless,

*

eila

PSYCHO SCRAPPER!!!!!

I am not totally sure, but I think "Moe & Joe" might just have relocated to the Swan Valley in Montana!!! Following are 29 of the 60+ layouts I have done since my last post. My deadline is coming up... and here, I get an email from Inkubook, offering me 28% off my book order if I can get it in by Friday the 17th. I am ordering 3 copies of a 120 page book (Boys - plus - one for me and one for my mom)... so 28% figures out to @ 60 Bucks... So I have been jamming. I dream scrap layouts these days!!!! It is a good thing I sorted all my photos. It has been quite useful as I come up with ideas. I scanned @ 1000 photos about a month ago... yet I am still thinking of photos I want to use that I have not scanned. At least I know EXACTLY where to find them. YAY!!! My desk an immediate office area are pretty scary - negative sheets, CD notebooks, and photo boxes...

And in the middle of it all, I tweaked my back. I was making the bed on Friday and I felt that little tingle you get just before it causes you to walk like you are 100 years old. I actually think it might be a pinched nerve. I am sitting OK - which means I can scrap - but getting up and walking around is a bit of a challenge. it is getting better everyday.

OK, so I have to get back to Photoshop and Creative Memories... so here are the Pages. Keep in mind that I am doing them in twos... and as always, it is a work in progress... Aren't we all?!

*

First off - the wedding. Who gets married in Montana in January?! Three words for their wedding day (THIRTY DEGREES BELOW!!!!!) - yep, and then they went off to Victoria BC for the honeymoon - had to get off the plane in Seattle and drive the rest of the way because of a snow storm... LOL. They never take the easy way!!! This is a sample of the 14 pages I did... of just the wedding.

*

CREDITS:

first image only - wordart - elegant wordart

everything else is Creative Memories Cherish Package

fonts - 1001 free fonts

*

*

*

*

*

*

For his 16th Birthday we went to San Francisco - I had a BOGO airfare from Phoenix, (which is where we lived) and a friend to stay with - so it was affordable... By some fluke, my sister was there the same days on business (from Pennsylvania)... so it was a major bonus. What a great memory. We went to Carmel and Monterey to see my niece and her mom...

Th background blends are single photos that will go across both pages - same with the street-shot of San Francisco -

Fonts - 1001 Free Fonts (also one Creative Memories element)

*

*

Iowa - what can I say - we were there, and I actually made some of the best lifelong friends. There are 3 friends from there that are still my bestest good friends (25 years later). You know the ones - You talk to them and email them on a regular basis. (one even lives here in Montana...) another in Seattle - I see a visit to her in my future, since that is where Boy and Girl are moving...

*

background - Amy Sumrall Designs - MAN I Love that particular paper - I have used it before, and will surely use it again!!! The guilded leaves were a gift from Mrs Miles, I don't even know where you can get them, or if you can - but I LOVE them... and use them alot as well!!!

*

*

all me and 1001 free fonts (I love the Dear Teacher font for pages like this - I used it one other time...

*

*

Boy's day of Deployment - the background is a Main Street photo I had...I like it... again 1001 free fonts... linked above (these links are slowing me down... LOL)

*

I am using some full page images for a little balance - only a few - but when used, they apply...

*

*

The teacher... no idea whose wordart - no TOU with it...so if it is yours... I salute you, it is PERFECT!!!!! Same fonts... the kit belongs to Lilybelle Scraps

*

*

I made this layout using - HEART STRINGS MINI KIT - If you have not been over to Mrs. Miles' Place, stop by and say hello - it is always a good read. Wordart belongs to Bethany at Elegant Wordart

He was 5 when he made this - silly things we save!

*

Grunge frame courtesy - Numb Bum Wordart ~ Vanessa Fellow (whose blog is no longer with

us.

*

The next two are the covers Front first - then back - I used a quote from Richard Bach's ~ There's No Such Place As Far Away... a favorite (short) book of mine. The photos are mine - and the font is from 1001 fonts. I used these as covers so that it is something they will want to have on the coffee table (artistic - yet beautiful). I had t do that border so the gulls wings would be all on the front - after going around the book - All these things to consider LOL!!!

My Father was Uncle Sam in a parade a few years ago in Pennsylvania - so I decided to make a page honoring that. He was a retired Marine Lt Col, and loved this country deeply. Semper Fi Dad, we miss you.

The kit is by Beth Turner - called Let Freedom Ring here is her soon to be "old" site and here is her new site. She has a good bit of patriotic stuff.

This is the opposite page - I used Creative Memories Soft Baby Boy package for this.

A "ME" page using Creative Memories Jewel Achievement Package and Movie Font from 1001 Fonts... links above.

These layouts are my sis and her kids - using Barbara (Just Passing Through) Michele's Sunflower Kit. She does some awesome creating - pop on over and say Hi... Tell her Eila sent you...

Who doesn't Love Disneyland? Boy and Girl (that is what I call them) love Disney - they own every movie, and watch them regularly - She is from that part of California, so they get to go when ever they go see her folks. The first two are all me - my photos etc - except the font - which is waltograph from 1001 fonts.com... The fireworks one is a combo of a bunch of photos we took when we went in 2003. The other is from a play. Everyone should go to Disneyland at least once in life...

The one below is a combination of alot of stuff - I took the pic of the mouse flower garden - but I will have you know there were people in the pic - construction stuff... utterly took we weeks (in school) t clean this up... glad I found a use for it.

font - 1001 fonts.com

outer frame - saramarie creative team

inner frame - Lindsay Jane Designs

Wordart by - elegant wordart

I cannot believe I finally finished this post!!!! It took almost as long as making the pages... LOL... so now if you wonder why you have not heard from me for awhile, this covers the rest of April... I will be by to see everyone soon. I have been glancing at who is posting, but really have to stay focused. I have 4 days left to finish - (tomorrow is Dr appontments, and in town all day.)

Have a wondrous day!!!

eila

Out of the Past ~ Into More Recent

The sun is shining, and I am feeling quite inspired. Yesterday was quite a day for me. I have been getting all the ancestor pages together, not realizing just how much work they would be. It is not a sense of indifference, quite the opposite. These are our roots... but I do not have the story embedded in my heart. As connected to the past as I am, they are not MY memories. (on a side note - I did not do most of the journaling - the pages that have a great deal of old typed text were taken from printed materials from family books done by others. One of the nifty benefits of Photoshop is that I was able to take the "white" out of the documents and drag them into the layouts. - an example of what I mean by "somebody else's story".)

So, yesterday, I decided to get into more of MY memories, or should I say OUR memories. I thought about making pages of more recent times... his wedding, his trip to Disney Land, times at Seeley Lake etc. I spent some time cleaning up photos in PS and started to play. I had no idea of the power of some of these images. I had put my headphones on (listening to my blog play list) - much like at this very moment. Toward the end of my photo editing, I started to come across photos of Boy's return home - airport photos.... THAT is when the waterworks started (much like this moment as I type this). It amazes me how a single photo can take you to a specific place ~ a moment in time, and you can feel every single emotion you had when it was "live". Powerful stuff!!!!

When the word of deployment came, there was so much insanity in Iraq (Nick Berg had just lost his life). I was terrified, but I also knew that I had no choice in the matter. He is a proud soldier, and had committed to serve his country with honor. Whether we believe in this mission or not, it is the soldiers we must always support. (and their families)

*

I remember the day we were at the National Guard Armory saying good bye. I remember the children crying as the roll call took their daddies to buses to go catch a plane for six months of training. I remember hugging my son, and then his wife and me, crying in each other's arms after he was gone. I had promised myself not to worry until he was actually boots on sand. I had 6 months to try to prepare myself. I had to have faith that it would all be OK. It was truly in God's hands.

*

He was able to come home for two weeks between training, and going to Iraq. This will tell you what kind of boy (Man) he is... He was supposed to get in on my birthday. I knew it would be late, and that he would want to be with his wife. (Moms have to step aside for wives sometimes, and this was one of those times). His wife wanted to take me out to lunch for my birthday. I met her at Applebee's, and guess who was at the table. The brat had snuck into town the day before, and wanted to surprise me. Yes, these are the moments that tell you you have raised a compassionate human being... and yes there were tears. Tears of joy. He has provided so many of those.

*

He was able to come home on leave after 6 months. We were not told ahead of time. He would just get the order, and fly home for 2 weeks. I had gone to Miles City with a friend, Patsy. We had stopped in Billings to see a friend, and put her on a plane. That is when the call came that he would be home in about 3 to 4 hours. That gave me just enough time to get back to Bozeman to meet his plane - and yes, I was right on time - just barely!!! (Cruise control and 75 mph) LOL!!! We will miss NO homecoming by golly!!! We had such a nice time, and I was feeling less stressed. I hated that he had to go back, but I knew it was almost over.

*

Last, but certainly not least, I remember when I was at work one day when the cell phone rang. It was him. "Mom, I am in Kuwait, and I am stepping on a plane and coming home". More tears of joy, and a HUGE sigh of relief. We went to Helena about a week later (they had to stop in Tacoma for debriefing). There were hundreds of people at the airport hanger - there to welcome their men and women home. The army had chartered a American Airlines plane, as there were alot of soldiers coming home that day. We watched the plane come out of the west - then it kept going back toward the mountains, then... it turned and came back - low... the pilot did a "FLY BY". It was incredible. (of coarse it might not have been so good for the guys, as there were some pretty fancy curves... Boy said there were a few "green" guys surrounding him. I was close enough to the plane after landing to get a photo of him stepping off the plane. THAT is a total keepsake. They had t go across town to get "released from duty". They closed the roads in town - police escorts etc. All the families went in the procession. The thing that will always stick with me were the crowds of people (thousands) that lined the entire route - saluting.

A day embedded in my heart forever.

And here are 2 layouts from it. There will be more, but these are my faves.

I used the Shabby Princess Heritage kit for the layout - Wordart courtesy of Bethany at Elegant Wordart. The double frame is also from Shabby Princess - Promises kit.

The layout below is somewhat my own... with 2 borrowed elements - the wordart is again Bethany's and the frame is from Lesley at Digkeepsakes (I LOVE HER WORK - go check her out!!!). The photo was taken by me. they wanted a portrait of sorts. I do better with candids, so I told them to go play over by the water (we were at a local lake). I had my 300 mm lens... and this was the "money shot" so to speak. As we were leaving that day - we saw a double rainbow. I turned the actual photo into a watercolor - and there you have it.

Sorry the post was so long - I had a story to tell. Hope you don't mind .

Have a great day!

eila