A PROMISE TO MYSELF!

I know we all go through it...that time in our lives when we question the choices weve made and we wonder why we didnt follow through on those dreams we envisaged or the goals we had. Turning 39 a few years ago was the birthday that really shook me up ...it took me for a six! I had this huge wake up call and realisation that half my life had already been lived...F'me! Sorry for the swear word but its a milder version of the melt down that really transpired lol. 

My imminent 40th was only 12 months away and it felt as though the last 40 years had passed me by without achieving anything that really stood out as something I could be proud of. I had a reasonable career in Visual marketing and although I enjoyed aspects of it I didnt feel challenged by it. I had no children, (not for the want of trying) and a difficult family situation compounded those feelings of inadequacy. Life, in my books was not a lot of fun!

I felt like I had squandered those precious years in a career that simply paid the bills and that was my lot, work, home, work and home, surely there is more to life? Okay maybe it wasn't all that bad, but I really did feel like I was one of those unfortunates that would never find her true calling or have a family of her own.

But then I had an epiphany and quite literally it woke me in the middle of the night and it went like this...

If I am lucky I will live until the ripe old age of 80 (84 has always been my number)...

then I have 40 odd years left to enjoy it so just get on with it girl!

I cried and cried...because I realised the one thing that was holding me back was my own fears. My fear of failure, that ever present self deprecation that I was not good enough stopped me from giving it a go.

The process wasn't as easy to achieve it was actually quite arduous and in some ways still is. I had to change a lifetime of thinking a certain way. I had to change how I viewed myself and its not been easy. Its taken a lot of heart ache, trip ups, weeding out people from my life that I realised weren't what I thought they were, nurturing and re-establishing old friendships that I had let go wayside because I was lost. Trusting again...trust ooh that is a biggie and setting boundaries is a biggie but I think I am getting it now! lol

Anyways that was 3 years ago but recently I created a digital page to document this poignant moment in my life. I liked the digi so much I made a hybrid version of it to which you can see directly below the digital version. Ooh and these pages were also created for a little expose on moi over at Papero Amo a fabulous shop and community of Czechoslovakian scrappers.

 '39'

Credits:

Mustard Stain Mini Art Journal Kit

Mustard Stain Overlays

Grunge Stamps Vol.3

Thankfully things are definitely back on track...with all its ups and downs life is a busy one. I have my own design business yep I took the plunge, I have a supportive husband that has too, gone through a challenging time in his life but its because if this that he is my greatest inspiration....and well most importantly we have a beautiful little boy that is my/our forever expanding universe!

I CAN HONESTLY SAY LIFE IS GOOD!

yay...she says with a sigh of relief ;)

Hugs Em xo

FINDING MY TRUE NORTH!

I can't believe its been 4 weeks since my last post, just goes to show I have been head down bum up getting work done he he..But I have missed my blog and missed you guys so I hope you still remember me ;) I have a few shares for you so here goes. This page is my latest CT page for Sissy Sparrows using the fabulously amazing new Room 19 kit called 'Voyage'.  It is filled to the bring of everything you could possibly need to created a funfilled whimsical and magical style page including papers, elements, handdrawn accents, paint strokes and word art.

'Finding My True North' Credits: Room 19 Project #8- Voyage by Sissy Sparrows Tuesday Template: Week 4 by Megan Turnidge Here are a few more pages created for the Sissy girls I have been slack with my blogging sorry Jules and Don ;)

'Lost in the World of Imagination'

Credits:

'Librarians Daughter Collection' by Sissy Sparrows

'Sweet Sleepy Dreams' Credits: Page Play Overlays Sand Textures Elements Pack Things of Beauty Grunge Stamps Adrift in Dreams Mini Art Journal Kit I also managed to play in the latest Painted Nest Challenge over at Scrapbook Graphics.  Come and join in we'd love to see you there! Here is my page using the freebie and it got a little GSO (Gallery Stand out) bit chuffed I have to say!

'I Love These' Credits: Freebie TPN kit Black Crow Mini Art Journal Kit Can of Crazy Paper Pack Grunge Stamps Vol.2 Unafraid Bubble Wrap Textures Unafraid Full Kit 

Are you still with me I promise I am almost finished he he... just a few more pages and then I'm done jeepers I need a coffee after this post lol...

Anyways here is my last two recent CSI DT Pages the first was also the combined Double agent project for 2Crafty Chipboards so I have a hybrid page to share ...wowzers I know thats a rarity these day for me lol. The one below was for Casefile #84 including the Page Drafts sketch  ;)

'Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining'

Materials:

Chipboards from 2 Crafty Chipboards

Every Cloud Wordart 

Mini Gears

Clock Faces

Chevron Bits 

I also used some digi elements printed on Grafix Rub-Onz from Studio 68.

Border Madness {bloomin'}

This is digi is also for CSI using Casefile #86 as inspiration.

 '2 Cute for Words'

Credits: Studio 68

Love Struck Elements & Paper Pack

Love Struck Border Madness
Additional elements created by me.

...and last but not least this pretty page of my girlfriends daughter Ella looking...

well...I have to say just a bit spesh was created for Studio 68's current release!

'Duckface'

Credits:

Nevermind (the collection) by Studio 68

This page also got a GSO wow on a roll at teh mo ;)

Thanks everyone hope you didnt fall asleep he he.

Have a great weekend filled with lots and lots of fun stuffs! xo

SPLISH, SPLASH

This little hybrid project can finally be shared it was done for Scrapbook Creations Issue #98. Its an article about photo manipulation and a quick look at creating a hybrid project using digital scrapbook products. I love this project it was one of the first pages I did that sparked a change in my scrappy style, so is a bit of a flag ship page he he and excitedly it got a GSO today so am doing a happy dance.  Then I thought why not share some of my techniques I use in my scrapbook process, so here is a quick tutorial looking at a couple I use often.

'On Cloud 9'

Digital Credits:

Studio 68

Watercolor Canvas Paper Pack

Blue Skies & Lemon Drops Elements pack

Blue Skies & Lemon Drops Border Madness

Bloomin' Border Madness

Everyday Border Madness

Travelogue Kit

Everyday Alpha Pack

Retro Vector brushes by Obsidian Dawn

Other:

Woodgrain Embossed Overlay by Emma Stafrace

Pea Miss Priss by Kevin & Amanda Pea Fonts

Impact Label

Impact Label Reversed

 PART 1

Creating a Digital Photo Mask

To make this project you will need some Intermediate Photoshop knowledge.

Step 1:

Open a new blank file setting the resolution to 300 for optimum printing / RGB Colour Mode/transparent file (NB: For the purposes of this article I have made my background white). From the brush palette select a fun shaped brush like a halftone dot. This design works well because the central area is a solid colour. Then select the colour you want to use and stamp the brush onto your blank file. This forms the basis of our digital mask.

Step 2:

Open your photo file. If your using a colour photo convert it to B&W then click enhance /adjust colour/colour variations. This will open a dialogue box, which has a series of different values that we can tweak to alter the photo’s colour so it resembles the same colour of the brush we stamped in step 1.

Step 3:

Drop your coloured photo onto the mask and position so it is centred. Highlight the photo in the layers palette, whilst pressing the shift key hover your curser between the two layers and press click. This will engage both layers and form a clipping mask. You will notice in the layers palette that the top layer has shifted to the right and an arrow appears pointing to the layer below. To remove the defined rectangular edge of the photo select from the erasure tool palette a soft edge basic brush. Then carefully delete areas of the photo so as to soften the defined edges until your happy with how it looks.

Step 4:

Combine the layers by highlighting them in the layers palette and select merge layers from the drop down menu. Now you have a cool halftone dot photo ready to include in

your digital and hybrid project.

.....................................................................................................

PART 2:

Creating a customised rub-on.

When I designed my digital page incorporating the halftone photo we created in Part 1 I set my dimensions at 3600 x 3600 pixels with a resolution of 300 pixels per inch. This way when we print our file it will transcribe into the same size format of a traditional page. I also cropped my original b&w photo using a triangular cookie cutter in PS for some extra visual impact. There are plenty of shapes to choose from so try some out and see which one works best for you.

Now that I am happy with my digital design I am going to keep the editable PSD file open so I can begin the cut & paste steps to create the printable word document.

‘On Cloud 9’

Materials used.

Woodgrain Embossed card stock- Spotlight

Grafix Rub-Onz

Hero Arts Cling stamp- Stripes Pattern

White Acrylic Paint

Versa Color Ink- 11 Canary

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist- Cinder

Memories Mists- Mango Lemondade

Dimensional Magic

Black Dymo Tape

Washi Tape

Toothpick

Masking/Scotch tape

Chizler/Paper Creaser

Scissors

Microsoft Word Program

Printer

 Step 1:

Isolate all the elements you want to print as a rub on, including the halftone dot photo mask we made in Part 1. Merge those layers together and then select cut. Open a new file and paste them into it.

 Step 2:

The new file needs to be flipped so it becomes a mirror image. This is a very important step

before printing. Once completed save as a .jpeg file onto your desktop.

 Step 3:

Open a blank word document setting the margins as wide as possible, then insert the .jpeg file. It should remain the same dimensions as was formatted in your digital page assuming that you create your digital pages in the standard size format of 3600X3600 pixels at a resolution of 300dpi.  Insert the printable sheet of Grafix Rub-Onz film into your printer and set your printer options at Transparency media type. This will prevent any excess ink and bleeds during the printing process

Step 4:

After the ink has dried on the transfer film we can adhere the clear sticky film over the printed side of the transfer film. Instructions are included in your Grafix Rub-Onz pack. Using a chizler or paper creaser carefully smear any bubbles out making sure to not puncture or tear the surface.

Step 5:

Cut around your design as close to the edge as possible.

Then peel the shiny adhesive backing off from the underside of the custom rub-on.

Step 6:

Carefully lay that onto your base paper and rub gently until the opaque film turns a whiter shade. Now peel that layer off revealing the rub-on below.

So there you have it, a really fun way to showcase all of your favourite photos. Creating the mask allowed us to use the original photo in a different way. Then by cropping the b&w photo into a different shape and overlaying it on the masked version created a visual impact that far surpasses any standard photo format. I hope this inspires you to look at your snapshots differently and hopefully try this technique out yourself!