Painkiller induced creativity

I have a nasty habit of grinding my teeth. Wait, maybe it's not a habit exactly, since I do it at night and don't realize it. I have a small, comfortable bite guard that I don't wear as often as I should. What does this have to do with scrapbooking, you ask? Well, last week I split a tooth in half (for the THIRD time) and this morning, had to have it removed (when you split a tooth all the way down to the root, there's really nothing else they can do). Fortunately, my (terrific) oral surgeon was able to place an immediate implant, so at least I don't have a big old gap. Conscious sedation is truly a wonderful thing. So are prescription painkillers. While high today, I did the following two layouts - I think they turned out pretty darn good, considering! Credits under each!

Credits: sketch by Juli Fish; grunge edge by Penny Springmann; papers and elements by Elise Hansen (featuring new products to be released at The Digi Chick tomorrow in her May Grab Bag), Ellie Lash and Flergs; font is Pea Sarah Quick

Credits: sketch by Amy Bell; papers by Kristin Cronin-Barrow; dragonflies by Valerie Randall; swirls on the green paper from a brush set by Flyguy; scratchy overlay by Jessica Sprague; fonts are Pea Aimee and Times and Times Again.

We're finally going to Russia (and a really cute layout)

Well, we got the call a couple weeks ago. We're leaving for Moscow on 5/9 and will meet the little boy that will hopefully become our son! I am not getting all worked up - after the disappointment with our first referral, we know that anything can happen. But at least we're going!!!! Those of you who have been reading for a while know that Russia is very strict about confidentiality, so public updates will be vague, and if I post any photos or layouts, the baby's face will need to be blurred out.

On a completely different topic, I love the way the layout below turned out and I wanted to share it right away! I used four fonts, which is this week's challenge at Sisterhood of Scrap, and I also used a list, which is last Saturday's inspiration challenge at The Digi Chick. Credits under the photo!

Credits: papers and elements from the FEMNZ April Grab Bag at The Digi Chick (by Sugarplum Paperie and Flergs); crayon action by Atomic Cupcake; paper cuts template by E. Merritt; fonts are Pea Aimee, Pea Sarah Quick, Times and Times Again and CK Newsclips

A couple more CT layouts

I did several CT layouts this weekend using Elise's awesome kits:

This first layout uses her kit April Dawn:


The second layout uses New Day (I also used a couple items by Flergs) - this layout is a lift of a layout by 1girl1boy at The Digi Chick:


And finally, this layout uses items from her May grab bag (and a paper tearing action by Melissa Renfro), which will be released at The Digi Chick this Thursday! I'll be back with the link when it's available in the store:

Some hybrid goodness

I needed to make a baby gift for Adam's second cousin's new baby....and this is what I came up with! I used both the Storybook Princess kit and Wild at Heart kit by Julie Billingsley, and the little chick is by Chaos Lounge. I had a couple extra tank tops and some extra transfer paper, so I made the other 2 tanks for Alexa!!

My first CT layout!

In case you didn't notice the blinkie over there --->, I'm now creating for Elise's Pieces at The Digi Chick. Here's my first CT layout, using the awesome kit A New Day available HERE. Come on over to the Digi Chick and check out Elise's beautiful work!!

Another blog party layout!

This is for challenge 4 at the Sisterhood of Scrap party!

Credits: photo fold template by Theresa Kavouras; paper snippets template by Lauren Grier; doodle edge frame and staple brush and layer style by Amanda McGee, grunge brushes by M Babic; all other papers and elements from the Garden District kit by Misty Cato and Pineapple Plantation Designs

My first blog party layout!

Here's a layout I created for the Feeling Scrappy blog party, based on a sketch by Amy Bell. It was posted yesterday (Tuesday) and you still have time to participate! All papers and elements from the Junk Love kit by Patricia Yochum. We have so many pool photos since we have one in our backyard, and I'm always looking for new ways to scrap them!!

Blog Parties!!

Two of my very favorite scrapbooking sites are having birthday blog parties this week!!! Come on over and join the fun and check out some of the AMAZING prizes!!!

Feeling Scrappy

Sisterhood of Scrap

I got an awesome new computer yesterday and I've been busy setting it up, but I do plan to join in the fun at both parties starting tomorrow!

On one more note - I've finished up the Type + Writer course at Jessica Sprague - and if you are looking for a way to punch up and/or make your journaling more meaningful, it is a FANTASTIC class! It's only 2 weeks long, but it is an INTENSE 2 weeks!

Happy Easter and a freebie!

Happy Easter, everyone! If you celebrate the holiday, I hope you have a blessed and joyful day.

I did this little piece of word art as a homework assignment for the Type+Writer class at Jessica Sprague, and I thought I'd share:

You can download the .png here (I am now using box.net instead of 4 shared): CLICKY

Scrapbookers will understand

One of my favorite things to do is browse online for new digital scrapbooking kits - I have 3 favorite sources and I know exactly when new items are released! I often find myself buying kits that I think are cute or whimsical, but it's been a long time since I saw a kit that literally took my breath away (I think the last one was probably the Thankful kit by Paula Wright back in October or November of last year). I found another - I bought it today and it is just absolutely gorgeous, much more so than the preview shows. It's called Junk Love, by Trish Yochum, and here's a link if you want to check it out:

CLICKY!

I have fallen in love {again}

One of my major objectives this year is to learn more technically about the things I love to do - photography, digital scrapbooking and writing primarily. I have already taken a photography class at my local community college, and I've taken several online digi scrapping classes that have REALLY accelerated my learning and sped up my scrapping. On the writing front, I mentioned in my last post that I'm taking the Type+Writer class at Jessica Sprague and on day 2, I love it! She's given us two resources that I.AM.TOTALLY.IN.LOVE.WITH:
1. Fonts, fonts and more fonts at Fonts for Peas. I seriously spent two hours browsing and downloading today
2. A place to quickly store all the cool images you come across on the web (I usually save them to my computer and then try to remember how I organized them): visualize -- you can see the images that I've already stored today if you search for my username: tkosofsky

Have fun!!

An admission (and some layouts)

Some of you know that we also have a family blog that Adam keeps updated, and after reading his last couple posts I have to admit that he is a much better storyteller than I am. I really don't have a lot of patience for reliving past details - details being the operative word. I am about as un-detail-oriented as one can get. How bizarre that this is true about me, and I'm a scrapbooker! I start the Type+Writer class at Jessica Sprague today and I'm hoping to learn some good tips for more colorful, meaningful journaling.

Here are a few miscellaneous layouts from the last week or so - credits under each.

Credits: sketch by Amy Bell; overlays by Patricia Yochum, Melissa Renfro and Kelley Mickus; alpha by Tara Dunston; flowers by Kristin Cronin-Barrow; acrylic swirl layer style by Cheryl Barber

Credits: sketch by Mari Koegelenberg (4/6 DigiChick sketch challenge); papers by Kelley Mickus; swirls by Kim Wresh; aged metals layer style by Brandy Murry

Credits: layout created for the 4/4 Inspiration Challenge at The Digi Chick; most papers and elements by Mari Koegelenbeg; frame by Kelley Mickus; ribbon by Erica Zane

Credits: this is a lift of an awesome layout by Vanessanf (The Digi Chick); background paper by Pri Rocha; other elements by Cinnamon Designs, JanaM and MK Designs; plastic action by Atomic Cupcake

The "Other" Trip Layouts

Here are the layouts from the other places we visited - Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), Madeira (Portugese island), and Malaga! Some of these are based on Sketchapalooza sketches, but not all - credits under each photo!

Credits: sketch by Stacy Killion (Sketchapalooza); paper template by Ursula Schneider; journal spot by Elizabeth Quintana



Credits: sketch by Jessica Sprague; papers and elements from the Desert Sunset kit by Sara Amerie and Suzy Q Scraps; staples and notepaper by Katie Pertiet; distressed overlay by Trish Jones

Credits: sketch by Suzanne Baird (The Digi Chick); papers from the In the Meadow kit by MGL Scraps and Sugarplum Paperie; swirls by Keri Schueller; stitching by Katie Pertiet

Credits: sketch by Juli Fish (The Digi Chick); papers and elements from the Holidays in Eden kit by MGL Scraps; threaded flowers by Melissa Renfro

Credits: sketch by Stacey Lokovic (Sketchapalooza); papers from the Cozy Sophisticate collab kit by the Digi Chick designers; edged paper template by Syndee Nuckles; aged metals layer style by Brandy Murry

Credits: sketch by Amy Bell (Sketchapalooza); papers and elements from the Cozy Sophisticate collab kit by the Digi Chick designers; stitched page frame by LivE Designs; journaling tags by Katie Pertiet; aged metals layer style by Brandy Murry

Credits: sketch by Stacy Killion (Sketchapalooza); papers and elements from the Moments Like These kit by Kelly Mickus; journaling card by Katie Pertiet; stacked photos action by Sarah Batdorf

Credits: layout template and all elements by Anna Aspnes