Sunday, July 25, 2010

the final challenge

Here is my layout for the final challenge. It was the most difficult to do cause it had no theme so each of us can show off. I decided to make a layout using some pictures with my nephew and lots of elements from different kits. I used things I've learned in several workshops from DSM, like
  • shadows
  • clustering
  • composition
  • white space
  • technique workshop
  • journaling
  • extraction
the kits I used and all the elements from each of them are:
  1. PaperPlanes_RastaBoy_Paper (11)
  2. PaperPlanes_RastaBoy_Airplane
  3. PaperPlanes_RastaBoy_Airplane2
  4. PaperPlanes_RastaBoy_Car
  5. PaperPlanes_RastaBoy_Element (22)
  6. PaperPlanes_RastaBoy_Helicopter
  7. PaperPlanes_RastaBoy_Star2
  8. PaperPlanes_RastaBoy_TrafficSign
  9. PaperPlanes_RastaBoy_Train
  1. PaperPlanes_SS_element (16)
  2. PaperPlanes_SS_element (41)
  1. airlplane 2
  2. dump truck 1
  3. smoke for plane
  1. sbp_funpark_object_dodgem_car02
  2. sbp_funpark_stitching03
  1. BAKJuly_JustCreations_HotAirBalloon
  1. BAKJuly_JenMaddocksDesigns_bike
  1. PrettyScrappy_neighborbood_airplane
  2. PrettyScrappy_neighborbood_car1
 So here is the layout. Thank you all for your great products!



This is just a bigger version. :)

progressive challenge at the final step

I got the fourth and final step of this challenge and it said : Add title, date and/or journaling if you wish. Don't forget your shadows. So this was easy and I did it in no time. I will post all the layouts for this challenge and then start working on the last challenge for one of the three prizes. I did a little bit of shopping today and bought some kits and also won a couple so I have a bunch of new material to work with. I also have almost 500 new pictures. yes, 500! I went to two parties this weekend so maybe I'll do a party related layout for the final challenge; we will see. For the progressive challenge I used the Boys will be boys kit by Just so Scrappy.








Thursday, July 22, 2010

challenge no. 3

I think this was the most difficult challenge for me - it had to be inspired by a summer song and there are so many songs I like that it was a difficult choice to make. An then, when I chose a song I saw somebody else already used it before me so I had to decide on another song. Eventually I decided on a summer song which works perfect with my pictures and all... I think with a bit of journaling this is going to be a perfect leaving a legacy layout.:)

I chose a Romanian song sang by Body & Soul - the name of the song is One Summer Evening (Intr-o seara de vara) and the text is:
Intr-o seara de vara - one summer evening
Te-am sarutat prima oara - I kissed you for the very first time
Niciodata n-am sa uit - I'll never forget it
Te-ai lipit starns de mine - you got really close to me
Si mi-ai spus ca e bine - And you told me it's fine
Mi-ai placut atat de mult - I enjoyed it so much
In inima mea te ascunzi undeva - In my heart you are hiding somewhere
Undeva unde esti doar a mea - somewhere, where you are just mine
Te caut mereu in sufletul meu - I'm always looking for you in my soul
Unde ai un loc doar al tau - where you have a place that's your own.

For the layout I used elements and papers from several kits. I am just going to list the designers and the kit and say a big thank you to all:
Z Pink Boudoir Designs - Summer Getaway


Monday, July 19, 2010

leaving a legacy

This is the theme of the last challenge I am doing for points at the DSM forum. As with the ice cream layout, I've found it difficult to keep myself in a one page layout. However I decided to do it because I wasn't sure people wold be interested in all the boring stuff I wanted to write. Since I am not sure how well you will be able to read the journaling from my layout - in case you want to - I am going to copy it here too. First part of the journaling is my Rooms in Volga poem that I love so much. Next is a little explanation of why I chose to do this as my leaving a legacy layout and what AUBG meant for me.

Rooms in Volga, people on the lobby,
My room messy 6 days a week, my roommates,
Cosmetics all over the place, too many of them
For more than 3 women.
Sun glasses on the fridge, and lights on all the time…
Empty plastic bottles in the bathroom,
Waiting to be filled with water that comes
Once a day between 5 and 10pm.
Undone beds and cloths all over,
Pictures on my desk, with two different guys;
Both of them Scorpios and blue-eyed.
Omi, my animal-toy, somewhere in the bed
That is like a boat and makes me think
I'll get seasick one day.

The American University in Bulgaria was the place that opened both my mind and my way in life. It was here that I got my diploma and it was because of it that I had to go to the United States every summer to work.
I met my husband in the U.S. because we were both there trying to make a better life for ourselves. Thus without going to this university I know I would have missed a lot of great things in my life. Now that period of my life is one of the ones I treasure the most.

This was the first thing I wanted to write in the layout, but it was way too much, so I had to shorten it to the paragraph above.

One of the most beautiful and important periods of my life (except for being pregnant with Alex and getting married with Howard) was the period I was a student. I studied at the American University in Bulgaria, in a little town called Blagoevgrad, which we always shorten to Blago. Blago is the perfect town for being a student: smaller town with lots of restaurant and coffee places with accessible prices and of course a few clubs. I spent 4 and half years of my life being a student there and loved every minute of it, except maybe some of the maths and economics classes. When I first got there students were staying in old communists
hotels that were rented and used as dorms. I stayed in the most central one called Volga. A lot of people didn't like it because it used to be known as "the place where no one sleeps." I stayed in a couple of different rooms in that dorm, but the one that remained the freshest in my memory is room 308. If only these rooms could talk and say just a bit of the things that happened there; nothing wrong or illegal, but those walls heard a lot of secrets and saw a lot of fun. After the new dorm was built, the university gave up the old hotels and all students had to live in campus. I am not saying that place was not nice, but nothing will ever compare with my Volga times. And just to give you a glimpse of my student years, I'll share with you one of the poems I wrote. The poem is called "Rooms in Volga


Ice cream...

This was the theme of the second challenge of the contest. Can you say something in one layout? I couldn't. So I used a double page layout. My first double page layout in digital scrapbooking. Taking these challenges very seriously - you should see the prizes - I made a deal with my little one. The deal had several steps and she was involved in almost all of them.
  • step 1 - buy ice cream
  • step 2 - get the camera
  • step 3 - have a photo session with Alex eating the ice cream
  • step 4 - ice cream finished, photos taken, movie time - DVD of her choice.
Lucky me she loved the last two steps of the deal so she was very cooperative. Thus I had some ice cream material to work with. And then the real  work began. First I had to find some papers and elements that would go with the theme and the photos. So I used papers and elements from the Summer Fun kit by Just So Scrapy, Ice Cream Shoppe kits by Mad Genius Designs, Elise Hansen and Inspiredbydominic Designs.  The Ice Cream Shoppe kits were parts from a Half-baked girls blog train. Thank you all.

Anyways here are my layouts. I have two versions: with more and less text. :)




















This is a smaller version for the forum:


Saturday, July 17, 2010

July technique challenge

I've finished another challenge but cheated a bit this time. It is the layout for the technique challenge and I had already done it without knowing it, for the white space workshop. The layout itself would have been okie since the technique was used, but I chose to redo it because in this version I had some elements from another designer, not only from the new releases from Digi ScrapBook Mania, so I would have got only 1 point for the challenge and I wanted 2 points. :) In order to get 2 points for a challenge, I have to use just products from the Digi ScrapBook Mania store and they have to be July new releases too. 

So I'll post both of the layouts so you can see the differences. In the first one I used the BAK July complete kit from Digi ScrapBook Mania and also a few elements from the kit Fireworks by Just So Scrappy.In the second one I used only the BAK July complete kit from Digi ScrapBook Mania.





more challenges=more points

Yesterday I posted my first challenge for a real contest with big prizes. I don't have my hopes too high that i will win any of the three prizes, but I had a surprised when i check the gallery and I saw I have 5 comments on my layout. :) For me this is a really good thing.:) Today I played with a layout for another challenge that brings me points and I used the Beach Fun kit made by Jen C. This kit is a July new release in the store and as long and I use the new released kits I get 2 points for each challenge I complete. The added inspiration was made after an ad from a magazine. I don't know which magazine, but I don't think it matters that much. So here is my new layout for this challenge. This one brings me 2 points closer to the 20 points I need for a $% gift card.:) Because the layout is from a magazine I made an A4 size of the same layout too.


















I also managed to finish the third step of the progressive challenge which said: "Instruction 3: Add two to four more paper strips or flat ribbons. Add two different scatters (or make your own). Add at least 2 more elements to your layout. " So I used 4 flat ribbons - green, yellow, red & blue; 2 scatters - stars & rectangles and 4 elements in total - 3 presents & a party hat


Friday, July 16, 2010

First Challenge in the contest

I know I promised yesterday that I'd be back later, but some things came up and I couldn't make it back. However I want to let you know that the layout in the previous post has my pictures as usual, the colors used are the ones required in the color challenge and some of the elements are CU or S4H freebies from Paper Edgers - CU Freebie; Gift tags - CU Freebie; Paisley Doodles - CU Freebie and DS CU Mix Leaves - Delicious Scrap - CU Freebie. 

For today I have finished my first challenge and for this I used things from several of the workshops that I've followed and I want to give all the credits for the elements and papers to Mega Doodle Inspired - Eurotraveler kit; SC - Vacation Circle Stamp; Everyday Mom Ideas - Road Trip kit; and Just Creations - BAK Summer Getaway. The workshops I used were:
  • blending workshop - background pic
  • Journaling
  • Shadowing
  • Collage
  • Selective color - the photographer's statue in the picture
  • Basic extraction - the door with the lion head
  • composition - triangle
  • white space


Thursday, July 15, 2010

color challenge

I'll be back later with some more blah-blah, but now i just want to post the color challenge layout :)



Wednesday, July 14, 2010

then and now

I've just finished my layout for a lyric challenge and I used two photos of Alex sleeping. one was taken when she was about 3 months old and the other one at the beginning of the year. Well, yes, the couch is the same :) but i really love the now and then pictures of Alex:)

I use the BAK July kit and I have to say I really like the colors and the diversity of papers and elements. The lyrics are from Christina Aguilera's new CD "Bionic" - the name of the song is Little Dreamer. You can listen to the song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhK9XghVw8g

Why?

Today I woke up to find out one of our singers committed suicide. She was turning 43 today, had a husband she loved, had a one year old baby boy and declared everywhere that she was happy, lucky and in love. Of course the news of her suicide shocked a lot of people and nobody understands why she did it. Most probably we will never find out why, but her songs are her way of staying alive for eternity. There where thousands of comments all over the place today and although I admit I do not understand why she did it, all I am thinking about is that she was selfish. If you have a kid that you wished for and prayed for as much as she said she did, you just don't kill yourself and leave the kid without one of his most important persons in his life: his MOM. Anyways, it's too late for questions that will remain unanswered so all I want to say is Rest in Peace Madalina and may God forgive you and allow you to sing for him in heaven!

There are moments like this one - although not directly related to me - when it is more real to me than ever that I have to do my best for my children; that for me they are the most important thing I am leaving behind and as long as they are healthy and they begin fulfilling their dreams, I feel fulfilled. There's no career, no education, nothing, that can make me prouder or more fulfilled than seeing my children smiling at me, kissing me or telling me that they love me just because. I thank God for my wonderful kids and pray that I can get older near them and see them making their dreams come true and having kids and grand kids. And I pray I can have my husband with me so we can feel the joy together.

However, to get to more optimistic things, here is my collage layout. Definitely not my best, but also not my specialty. Plus there are certain programs that make collages for you. For this layout I used my favorite model, Alex, and the Hannah Banana kit from Just So Scrappy.


Tuesday, July 13, 2010

100 people - THANK YOU whoever and wherever you are!

I want to thank the 100 people who have visited my blog even if by mistake. Whoever and wherever you are: THANK YOU! I know for many people 100 is not a big number but, for me it is. I have the blog for less than three months, it's more of a personal blog than a professional one and yet apart from a few of my friends whom I asked to check my blog, most of the hundred visitors I have no clue who they are. Okie, I know they are from 14 countries, but this is not much of a help. However it seems that most of my visitors are from Belgium. I've been to Brussels once and loved it; took some pics and oh, how I wished I had my digital camera at the time, but my dear film Pentax did his job too. You can see a couple of pics from that trip on www.mariscorner.com .

Now about today's workshop assignment. It's all about journaling so I'll try to make a new layout and include all the data needed. Of course I'll post it here when I'm done. :) The kit I used for this  workshop is Baby Dino created by Snuggle Berry Pie Designs. Thank you for the lovely kit. And it was a freebie too:)


Monday, July 12, 2010

one step ahead

It seems that I am one step ahead in the progressive challenge I am taking part in, so lucky me I asked before posting it and I can still get my point. The things I added ahead of the instructions were the text and an embellishment. So here is the step II of the progressive challenge and a new workshop assignment.  The first set of instructions of the progressive challenge was to choose 10 different papers; use 3 of them as background, 2 of them into circles and 2 into paper strip. The second set of instructions was to two pictures and matte them with two of your papers. Place your last paper anywhere you want and in any way you want (strip, circle, extra matte, different shape, anything you choose). Today's assignment is a layout with a lot of white space - which doesn't necessarily have to be white, but left unused. I have some new photos from this weekend, including a mini photo session with my little girl so I'll use some of those to make it.

One hour later and after deciding which photo should go in the layout - here are my assignment and the progressive challenge. For the assignment I used the BAK July complete kit from Digi ScrapBook Mania and also a few elements from the kit Fireworks by Just So Scrappy.


Sunday, July 11, 2010

selective color assignrment

We had a long today at the swimming pool with lots of diving and jumping and trials of swimming. Water was perfect, the sun was hot so everything was ok. The only problem: I am very tired and I need to go sleep. However before doing that I want to post my selective color layout. I know I've used the photos before, but i really like them. I also used a template from Jen C Designs - i got this one with a RAK coupon:)



















I've also just finished the second set of instructions for the progressive challenge that I am doing. I used the kit Boys will be boys by Just So scrappy. I am not sure i can use other elements or journaling so I will check first with them and then post the final version.:)


Saturday, July 10, 2010

lots of sun this weekend

What was supposed to be a busy day filled with house cleaning and cooking, turned out into an going and playing in the sun day and partying in the evening. So Saturday is done and Sunday is going to the swimming pool day and bathing in the sun. Not that we are not already tanned, but splashing around is fun for everybody.

Sometimes between these two busy days i did my template workshop assignment and of course it's about fun, sun and water:). Off to bed now so I can wake up early in the morning and catch the first sun rays. Tomorrow night will be working on workshop assignments and a few challenges I still want to take part in.

This assignment was made with a template from Z Pink Boudoir Designs and using elements and papers from the Jen C Design - Beach Fun kit.


Friday, July 9, 2010

Composition

I tried to do a composition layout based on a triangle, but I am not 100% I got it right. However I like the result and I don't want to change it. Composition is so subjective anyways that I have never understood how can somebody WOW a piece of art and somebody else say it's worth nothing. The say there are all these rules in composition and I learned about them in school, but they also say that these rules are in fact guidelines and one can break them once he or she is comfortable enough following them. To somebody who has no knowledge about all these, it is going to sound crazy, but ART in any form or shape is the place where one can break the rules and not always get punished for doing it. Anyways, here is my composition assignment:

new layouts for challenges

Told you I was busy doing layouts for challenges and I am having a lot of fun with them too. They help me improve my creativity and keep me thinking about the next one and the next one and the next one. so without further introduction, here they are and they are made with the BAK July from Digi ScrapBook Mania.



Thursday, July 8, 2010

2 challenges=4 points

I've just finished 2 layouts for two different challenges and thus accumulated 4 points. Well, I actually need 20 points in order to get a $5 GC for the their store, but I am getting there. One of the layouts was a tropical one and while working on it I realized I don't have any photos with the beautiful waters that surround Jamaica. The explanation is actually really simple - every time we want at the beach I was to eager to splash around than take care of my camera, so I always left it at home. The story is different concerning the waterfalls we visited, so I cheated a little and put some Jamaican waterfalls in my tropical layout. I hope it will still work... after all, what is one has never been to the sea or the ocean?


















This layout was done with Beach Bound kit created by Modern June. It's a really fun kit and you can find it here if you are interested in buying it.

The second layout was made with the Complete July Build a Kit. And for this layout in particular I used Bean Bunny Designs part of the kit. The complete kt is huge and includes 15 kits or mini kits, which can be also purchased separately.


Do you know what clustering is?

I had no clue what clustering was until today when I read the fourth workshop from Digi ScrapBook Mania forum. Well, now I know and I even did some practice so I could do my assignment. Yet, the best thing that happened to me today was that I was able to do some online shopping and YES I bought some wonderful kits which will bring me extra points in the challenges I am doing on the same website. Another area where I was creative today was my daughter hairstyle. Man! she is hard to please and has no patience at all. But, we were both happy with the result. I have no picture of it to show you, but hopefully tomorrow I can convince her to pose a little for me. But now, since I feel like working on some challenges with my new kits, I will just show you the assignment for the clustering tutorial and run. For this layout I used Anna Design's Build a kit July. Thank you for the wonderful kit and colors. I love this kit. See you later. Am off to submit some new layouts to some challenges. Let the points roll in.:)


Wednesday, July 7, 2010

back with a birthday card challenge

I've just finish working on a page for a chance to win a really nice kit from Scrap'Anges. Now that I am done with my layout I think I should have just done a simple birthday card with the free mini kit she made available for this contest. Anyways I've finished the layout and put a photo of my little girl in it and will transform it into a nice 5x7 birthday card for Anges' little girl. After this I hope one of the two emails is the right one to enter the contest for wining her kit. If you want a chance at it, check her blog and do the birthday card until Sunday, July 10.

Here is my layout and my birthday card. Wish me good luck.:)



















working hard on those challenges

For the last 2-3 days I've been working a lot on making new layouts for the workshop assignments and for the challenges. I'll try to make the 20 points I need from challenges so that I can get a gift certificate for some nice goodies. In the mean time I will be using some of the kits I already bought and some of the Scrap for Hire freebie kits. For the third workshop I had to do a layout where to use extractions. They are not my strongest point, but I think the layout itself came out pretty nice. As always I used photos I take and for the elements I used embellishments from Just so Scrappy - kit Summer Fun.


















I might be back with the challenge layout today or tomorrow. I still have to work on a birthday card for a chance to win a free kit. So I am busy, busy like a bee.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

getting hooked to scrap challenges....

There! I said it! I am getting hooked to digital scrapping challenges and I already completed two of them today. The second workshop assignment is not included in the two layouts I've just mentioned. The truth is I like challenges and I really could use some practice and improvement in the digital scrapping. Yes, I have some design and layout knowledge, but I've never done paper scrapping (although I'm sure I'd love it), thus digital scrapping is new for me.

Ever since I started playing with digital papers and elements and making all kinds of things with them, I also started being interested by all kind of crafts (I did some beading before, but nothing major, although I made some bracelets as presents for my friends), which I intend to put in practice once I am settled in Jamaica. After all I have an empty house that needs wall decorations and furniture among many other things. So bring on the fun!:)

For the last two hours I've been working on a challenge from Digi ScrapBook Mania forum. The challenge is called Progressive Scrap and what I will show you it's just the first part of my layout and it is done according to the instructions. The papers I used for this challenge are from the kit Boys will be boys made by Just So Scrappy. Once again, Thank you Katie!


















I also have the Template challenge from the same forum done:


Jamaica in my layout

Today's workshop is about blending and for my layout I decided to make something travel related and use some of the pictures I took in Jamaica. There are many things I still don't know about Jamaica, but I like a lot of the things I know about it and I know enough to move there. Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to ive by the ocean. In a few months I will move to a wonderful island in the hills area, but about half an hour away from the ocean. I keep making fun of my husband telling him that he should have had at least a palm of sand at the ocean if i am going so far away from my native country.:)

Anyways, if you ever plan to visit the Caribbean Islands, make sure Jamaica is one of them.

















I still have a couple of challenges I want to take part in, so I'll be pretty busy working these days.

Monday, July 5, 2010

My first layout as an assignment

So today is the day I made my first LO (layout) as an assignment for a workshop I read. This workshop is part of the month long thing I told you in my previous posts. Their first workshop was about shadows so in the assignment we obviously had to use different shadows and play with the angle, size, spread and so on. Here is my layout:


















I used the kit Spring Spunk made by Victoria Feemster.Thank you Victoria, I love the kit.

Ok, now I have to go back to my things and finish up what I am doing and go to bed (it is already past midnight here...). I had a busy weekend with a lot of sun and splashing around in the swimming pool as well as cleaning the house and putting things together. Today we got a storm in the afternoon so I spent most of the day inside resting, burning some CDs and working on this layout. Tomorrow, however, we are going to listen to a tale from Sudan. I think it is going to be very interesting especially since we are going there with our little friends whose father is from Sudan. :) So I am looking forward to it and maybe I'll get the chance to take a couple of pictures with the girls listening to the story. I'll let you know how it went, but until then take care. I'm out.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

trying my luck for a wonderful kit

Between going to the swimming pool with my girl, doing the house chores, getting a haircut and downloading some wonderful freebies, I want to post a qucik note about a really nice scrapbooking kit I found through Craft Crave. The kit is called Loving Life and it is made by Sus Designs. I have to say that this is just the second time I am going to her blog, but I will surely go back more often. She is also offering some really nice free mini album pages she made with Loving Life kit and you can also get matching alpha. I have one more good news for you, Sus is giving everybody a chance at winning her kit, so you have at least a chance to get the kit for free or two if you tweet or blog about it.

I have to once again make some space in my computer and try to make some new 8x8 templates and quickpages. Also, for the first time in my life I am trying to take part in a full month of workshops and challenges on a really cool blog I found. All these will actually start on the 5th of July and if you want to know more about it here is the link: http://dsmsummergettaway.blogspot.com/2010/06/events-calendar.html .

In the mean time wish me good luck and please come back and visit my blog.

Before I forget, HAPPY 4TH OF JULY to everybody celebrating it!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

July 1st

I can't believe it's already the first day of July. Time seems to be passing faster the closer I get to the flying date. It's also almost a week without me posting something on the blog and although I promised myself to write or post something every day, these past few nights I just couldn't get myself to do it. And last night when I was all getting ready for a post I stumbled upon the Digi Scrapbook Mania and joined their Digi Summer Getaway just in the last day of signing up. If you want to find out more about it, you can check them at the DSM Digi Summer Getaway . I'll try to follow up all their ten workshops and do the challenges - this is going to be my first time doing this so if you read this post please wish me good luck.

Ok, now back to business. I got approval from Gab from Snuggle Berry Pie Designs to post the layout as a quick page freebie and please use it for Personal Use only. So I will offer you the bookmark under the same conditions. Remember! these papers and elements were not created by me so I can't take credit for that. I am only taking credit for the way I used the papers and elements to make this quick page and the bookmark. I am also preparing a wordart for you, so if I have the time I will come back today and post it. In the meantime enjoy this blog and thank you for taking your time to read it.