Trial, Error and Inspiration

I am new to scrap booking, so always on the look out for inspiration and also just a general guide on how to layout on the page nicely.
Whilst reading over at Alison's she had completed a mood/layout challenge and I liked the layout idea, so I borrowed the page layout and gave it a go.

Still not 100% happy with it but liking it more with time.

Desktop for May

Still practising with my scrap book programme.
Here is the latest desktop for this month of May

Desktop Layouts

I am still pretty new when it comes to scrap booking.
I have stored up quite a collection of papers and embellishments from the internet.
Did you know there are some amazing places to get free items for your library?

The place I obtained my layout for this blog also has some desktop pictures for you to download and use to make the computer look pretty. In December and January I downloaded and used the ones they had. They were cute but they had the date on them, well the calendar dates anyway.
Whilst checking out the February layout I suddenly realised that there was no reason why I couldn't make my own, I mean I do have a scrap book programme on the computer!

So that is what I did, I sat and designed my own desktop layout.

This one was my first layout and whilst I love the delicate detail of the lace and flowers, the spotty paper was not the best to use with desktop icons. Difficult to view them with all the spots!

This one I went for a more solid colour paper so the icons would show better, mainly because my husband complains if he can't see the icons too well, but I must admit a really light colour on the background does make for a difficult screen to view, however this grey works really well.

Now I will get creative and come up with something for March.

Christmas layout

I finally have 5 minutes to sit and try out further things with my photo storage programme.
Memory Manager 3.0 by Creative Memories
It can do wonderful things as I discovered today. There is also an update available to 4.0, that will get downloaded soon to my computer!

That meant I just had to do a layout with the picture I scanned.
This is the boys with Santa in 2009! I know, an old picture but so easy to work with....

Not sure I like the numbers I used for the date. Will go back and play with some others I have. Unfortunately I am fussy and things have to look perfect. These numbers just don't quite fit with the overal look for my liking. Funny how you see these things after you have posted it!!

Moment in History

Today for us but yesterday for others will be one of those days that goes into history.
It may become one of those days that people will have in their "Remember when..." files.

I think people will remember where and what they were doing when President Barack Obama won the campaign to serve "4 more years" in the White House.
It was important to us that the boys watch what was being shown here in New Zealand on the television about it, well we made them watch his acceptance speech.
Ben (9) was not sure why we were making him watch it, although we did explain that maybe one day he might remember it and realise what we made him watch.
Alex (7) sat on my lap and proceeded to draw the American flag in his notebook, making me count the stripes on the flags we watched being waved on the tv and working out how to draw the 50 stars.

I am glad we made them watch it, doubt they took much from it, but at least Ben will be able to join in the news discussion at school tomorrow.

I however decided that it was something that needed to be journalled. So I attempted my first public displayed scrap book page.
Quite odd that the first one I use has no pictures and is not too family orientated.

Thanks to Sweet Pea Designs for the ability to gain some free embellishments from her Proud American Freebie Posts. Not much call for American Election embellishments here in New Zealand, so really happy to discover her July 4th Freebies that worked just as well in my layout.

I am not sure about the date I have used on this LO though? As the election was all on Nov 6, but to us it was Nov 7. May alter the layout to show Nov 6 somewhere just for historical purposes?

Scrap Booking Freebies

In my last post I mentioned how I had discovered digital scrap booking?
I am having fun learning all the ropes at present so no layouts to share just yet, but believe me, when I do they will appear thick and fast.

In the mean time I have been getting to grips with digital stores online, downloading zip files and learning how to unzip them and upload into my digital programme!
Believe me, lots for me to learn, luckily I have a very patient husband when it comes to computers and he will, at a push, happily show me how to do things on this electronic device that manages to have me very frustrated occassionally!

Anyway, onto the freebies.

You would not believe the amount of sites out there in that big old www world that has kits and papers for the digital scrap booker...!

My Memories is one of the wonderful stores I have come across and they have lots of freebies as well.

A side from that they have a blog and currently this weekend only they are celebrating International Digital Scrapbooking Day and there is a blog train flowing.

You start at the first station (designer) and you collect a free kit and then they tell you where the next station (designer) is located and you follow the link to the next place and collect the next freebie.

These freebies by the way are not just an embellishment, no we are talking full kits here, some with up to 50 items in the pack.

So if you have some time today and wish to find some wonderful new designers of awesome kits for scrapbooking, then head on over to the My Memories Blog and follow the train out of the station.

Choo Choo

Happy travels to you all