My First Toot!

I recently began submitting some of my work for publication. This is the first time in my creative life that I have really been trying to submit my work and see if I can get something published. I learned recently that the online publication - Ready, Set, Create will publish one of my projects in the December/January issue. This was exciting! I will continue to submit my layouts and projects in hopes that a print magazine will pick-up one of my creations.

Photoshoot!!!

I took Jovanna over to our senior portrait studio on Sunday and had a blast doing a photoshoot with her. I think this is really the first time I have done this with her. She had a great time being the center of attention and got to wear fun things. I got some AWESOME pictures of her...layouts coming soon! I will give you a bit of a tease though - here is my favorite...o.k. I lied, I have several favorites LOL!

She looks so grown up and mature. We have to work with her a lot on her smile because she is at that age that smiling for pictures seems to be such hard work and they give you that funny fake over-smile, you know what I mean? We got her to smile though. I had her repeat funny sayings to me like, "Grandpa's got stinky feet!" and she would laugh so hard. We had fun!

Reflections on 9/11

Every year we all reflect back on 9/11 and somehow we all tend to remember what we were doing and where we were on that awful morning. I was getting ready for work and turned on the local news as I always do while getting ready and there it was, on every station - the images of the first plane making contact and as I was watching, the second plane. I didn't even care that I was supposed to be at work or even think to make a phone call that I was running late. I continued watching the television and watched in horror as the towers fell. I couldn't speak, I couldn't move. I didn't have any ties to anyone I loved in the areas that were attacked but somehow I had feelings of deep sadness, fear and so many other feelings that I am not sure there are words to describe them. When I finally was able to peel myself from the television and head to work, it felt like such an inconsequential thing to have to do - to go to work. The office was in complete silence, everyone was speechless, unable to find words to say. We had meetings on that day and no one was in a space to be able to talk about things that now seemed so unimportant.

Sketch #3

I created a new sketch! I am really enjoying learning this new skill and practicing new things in Photoshop that I have never done before. This is the first time I was successful at using a brush! Here's the sketch and a layout to accompany the sketch!




















I have really been enjoying the featured Spice Kit this month. This layout, "Cherish all your happy moments" was created using the September Scrapdango Spice Kit.

I'm an Auntie...again!

Last night, my new nephew was born! Wyatt was born around 4:30am and was almost 8 lbs. He appears to be a healthy little Bickler boy! I hope I can see him tomorrow and get more pictures!

Been Dabbling in Sketches again...

I've been dabbling again in sketching! I really want to learn how to do sketches in PS and feel like I really understand what I am doing. This is my latest sketch and I was happy that it only took me about 10 minutes whereas the other sketches I have done in the past took me about an hour. So, it must be getting easier for me! Here it is! Hope it inspires you to create a layout or try sketching for yourself!

I created this additional sketch today also! On a roll! And a sample layout using the sketch and the upcoming September Scrapdango Sugar Kit featuring Piggytales Itsy Bitsy Spider line!

Where does life go?

I visited my blog recently only to realize that is has been since June that I added anything! I was dumbfounded by that! I thought there must be something wrong because I was sure that I had been on my blog since June! Life just seems to be whirling by at tornado speeds. Wish I could find a way to slow time and have more of it to relax and enjoy life. I've lost my mojo amidst the tornado also. I think about scrapping and I get this "Blah" feeling come over me. I am thinking that if I spend some time organizing and cleaning up my scrap mess which is a complete cluster all over my kitchen table that maybe I will want to dig in and find my MIA mojo once again.