A year and some months ago I downloaded PSE (photoshop elements) determent to find out if doing digital scrapbooking was as fun as Valerie told me it was. And, man, was it ever. I’ve been making a lot of layouts over these months and have had so much fun.

my two very first LO’s, to the left a quick page – to the right using a template. click image for credits!

Lately I’ve also started making cards and gifts as well; what most scrap bookers call hybrid scrapping. And that has been more fun and giving (and time consuming) than I ever thought possible.

click images for credits

This week I received my new 8×8 albums in the mail and I’ve started to print out some of the layouts I did last fall to put into them; one album for us, one for places and one for family & friends. I’m so happy for the memories I have preserved (some I have forgot ever making). I’m learning new stuff about PSE every month and many of the older layouts make that clear with their lack proper shadowing and other things I didn’t know how to do back then. A few of them are really not my best work (to put it mildly), but I have decided to keep them as they are (more or less – I’m adding a bit of shadow on most and removing some of the more heavy shadows on a few). The layouts themselves tell a story about my way as a scrapper and I want to keep that intact too.

I’m now, sadly, out of photo paper – but can’t wait to print out the rest of it!!

mini albums to my favorite twins

Right now I’m also working on a few gift for some very special girls (have been working on and off on this for the last month took me some time to get the rings and things for them….), I’m now ALMOST finished and I’m so happy with how they turned out. Hoping the girls will love them too!!

I’m going to bed now, only have one more mini album shot more to show you; the dangling one Loving this one! And, by the way, all photos are SOOC (straight out of camera). I usually only edit photos when I’m going to use them in a layout or print them or make gifts…… I used a hight set ISO and lots of ugly indoor lights to capture these beauties :p

Looooving the view of all the papers; some thin, some thick (the thick one have images on both sides).

- and this post by Janet Phillips of the Daily Digi to take a change on getting this busy season documented in real time (more or less). I can’t wait to start adding photos – to the pages.

Yesterday I proceeded to work some more on the front page. I found some photos from last December and made a collage of a few of my favorites, as the thunderstorm approached I sat down and tried my best to make a front page with real glue, scissors and papers (I’m used to go all digital) – and found that I wasn’t happy with the result at all (bummer!) – but I love the collage!

This morning I’ve figured out a different approach – I think I’m starting to get it together (so far only in my imagination). The original collage for the front will now end up making the back side beautiful. And then I will use only one photo at the front, layered with different papers and whatever I can find. I have good hopes for this image, it makes me smile just looking at it:

I guess there will be more changes when December rolls around (or rather late November when Advent season is starting). This is going to be both fun and challenging, hopefully I can pull it off even thought it’s a really busy time and I’m at a new place. Make it simple is what I’m trying to live after. I wonder if I can do that

Happy Monday, people!