Now go may your own amazing layout. I can't wait to see what you make. :)
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Sharing a Scrapbook layout
Since I switched to digital scrapbooking I am constantly amazed at all the cool things that can be done with a page. In September when I was at SpragueFest (I should post about that), I watched over someone's shoulder while she made this way cool "part photo, part sketch" layout. She directed me to the tutorial she used and I made a layout like it... and then another, and then another. It is such a cool technique I know I will use it over and over. You can find the original tutorial here. If you have Photoshop Elements you can use a levels adjustment layer on step 4 to achieve that look rather then the curves (which is only in Photoshop CS). Here is my layout:
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Thoughts on the Election
I have strong opinions about politics. They mostly have to do with people (citizens and representatives) knowing the Constitution (and not allowing our Reps to violate it) and personal responsibility. It seems as the people of our country want neither knowledge nor personal responsibility. Oh well, we reap what we sow and we have sown a generation of civically ignorant irresponsible people.
If I were to change on facet of the whole election process (besides ads on TV) I would change the debate process. There were 10 Presidential candidates on my ballot. How come I never heard of 7 of them? I think all the candidates should participate in the debates, at least the ones who are on the ballot in every state. ( I guess Rosanne Barr was running... she wasn't on my ballot). Each candidate should be in a sound proof booth and each candidate should get a certain amount of time (15 minutes maybe) to share their plan and their vision for our country. Or each candidate should field questions from the moderator. Or like the old Lincoln-Douglass debate... the first person should get 30 minutes and then the second person get 60 minutes to reply and the first person get 30 more minutes. They should not be allowed to attack the other person. This whole campaign seemed to be more about how many bad things you can say about the other person, rather than "this is my plan and it's good because x, y, z." But all the candidates should be involved, so that Americans can have a REAL choice.
There are so many more things I could say, but it would end up being a novel. Soon I will go back to "lighter" topics. I have been knitting and scrapbooking like crazy. I should post some pages or knitting projects soon.
If I were to change on facet of the whole election process (besides ads on TV) I would change the debate process. There were 10 Presidential candidates on my ballot. How come I never heard of 7 of them? I think all the candidates should participate in the debates, at least the ones who are on the ballot in every state. ( I guess Rosanne Barr was running... she wasn't on my ballot). Each candidate should be in a sound proof booth and each candidate should get a certain amount of time (15 minutes maybe) to share their plan and their vision for our country. Or each candidate should field questions from the moderator. Or like the old Lincoln-Douglass debate... the first person should get 30 minutes and then the second person get 60 minutes to reply and the first person get 30 more minutes. They should not be allowed to attack the other person. This whole campaign seemed to be more about how many bad things you can say about the other person, rather than "this is my plan and it's good because x, y, z." But all the candidates should be involved, so that Americans can have a REAL choice.
There are so many more things I could say, but it would end up being a novel. Soon I will go back to "lighter" topics. I have been knitting and scrapbooking like crazy. I should post some pages or knitting projects soon.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Thoughts on Halloween
Halloween is in second place for the holiday Americans spend the most money on, after Christmas, of course. It's a pretty big deal. For weeks ahead of time folks ask kids, "What are you going to be for Halloween?" Home decorations get more elaborate every year.
I celebrated Halloween as a child. My mom dressed us up every year and took us trick or treating when we were little and let us go when we were older. I think maybe 6th or 7th grade was the last time I trick or treated. As an adult I have dressed up once on Halloween (well, twice in the same year) to chaperone a junior high dance for the junior high I worked at and to go out to dinner with friends on Halloween. When we were in our first home and without kids we passed out candy on Halloween if we were home. I honestly cannot remember how many kids we used to get at that house. I had a couple of cute Disney Halloween decorations, but nothing elaborate.
One year, though, something happened that changed how I looked at Halloween. Our church at the time was very involved with some missionaries in the jungles of Venezuela who lived among the Yanomamo people. There was a specific man from our church who spent a significant amount of time down there and various occasions. He eventually wrote a book about the Yanomamo from the perspective of the head Shaman (medicine man) of this particular tribe. Now this Shaman had come to know Christ because of the missionaries who lived there... in fact, most of this tribe has become Christians. The book, Spirit of the Rain Forest, by Mark Andrew Ritchie, describes in great detail, their life before Christ. The book is not for the faint of heart. These people regularly, under the influence of drugs and spirits, raped, murdered, and pillaged other tribes. Violence was a way of life for them. The book tells of the Shaman's conversion and his life because of Christ.
Well, one fall Chief Shoefoot, along with one of the missionaries, came to the U.S. to do a book tour with Mark. He was here about the time that folks were putting out their Halloween decorations. He was greatly concerned and perplexed by this. He asked Mike (the missionary that came with him and spoke Yanomamo, who was born and raised in Venezuela) why the American's put up images of the demons that he and his people so feared (before Christ). Chief Shoefoot could look at people's decorations and name the proper names for each demon that the particular image represented. He did not understand why American's would celebrate the evil spirits that the tribes in Venezuela so feared and that inspired them to such violence between the tribes.
Now this happened more than 15 years ago and I am not describing it now with the detail and the absolute amazement that I had back then. I never thought about Halloween in terms of the forces of evil behind it. If we sugar coat (literally and figuratively) evil and give it a fun appearance, then it's ok for Christians, right? What has light to do with darkness? As Christians are we to make light of evil and the spirit world? God's word is pretty clear that we are at war with the forces of evil. Maybe we should take it seriously.
I celebrated Halloween as a child. My mom dressed us up every year and took us trick or treating when we were little and let us go when we were older. I think maybe 6th or 7th grade was the last time I trick or treated. As an adult I have dressed up once on Halloween (well, twice in the same year) to chaperone a junior high dance for the junior high I worked at and to go out to dinner with friends on Halloween. When we were in our first home and without kids we passed out candy on Halloween if we were home. I honestly cannot remember how many kids we used to get at that house. I had a couple of cute Disney Halloween decorations, but nothing elaborate.
One year, though, something happened that changed how I looked at Halloween. Our church at the time was very involved with some missionaries in the jungles of Venezuela who lived among the Yanomamo people. There was a specific man from our church who spent a significant amount of time down there and various occasions. He eventually wrote a book about the Yanomamo from the perspective of the head Shaman (medicine man) of this particular tribe. Now this Shaman had come to know Christ because of the missionaries who lived there... in fact, most of this tribe has become Christians. The book, Spirit of the Rain Forest, by Mark Andrew Ritchie, describes in great detail, their life before Christ. The book is not for the faint of heart. These people regularly, under the influence of drugs and spirits, raped, murdered, and pillaged other tribes. Violence was a way of life for them. The book tells of the Shaman's conversion and his life because of Christ.
Well, one fall Chief Shoefoot, along with one of the missionaries, came to the U.S. to do a book tour with Mark. He was here about the time that folks were putting out their Halloween decorations. He was greatly concerned and perplexed by this. He asked Mike (the missionary that came with him and spoke Yanomamo, who was born and raised in Venezuela) why the American's put up images of the demons that he and his people so feared (before Christ). Chief Shoefoot could look at people's decorations and name the proper names for each demon that the particular image represented. He did not understand why American's would celebrate the evil spirits that the tribes in Venezuela so feared and that inspired them to such violence between the tribes.
Now this happened more than 15 years ago and I am not describing it now with the detail and the absolute amazement that I had back then. I never thought about Halloween in terms of the forces of evil behind it. If we sugar coat (literally and figuratively) evil and give it a fun appearance, then it's ok for Christians, right? What has light to do with darkness? As Christians are we to make light of evil and the spirit world? God's word is pretty clear that we are at war with the forces of evil. Maybe we should take it seriously.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Make the Most of Every Opportunity
Three weeks ago the husband of a dear friend had a stroke. They were on their way to our house and we had a house full of people. The hospital is between their house and ours. He told his wife we was feeling funny, that he was either having a heart attack or a stroke, and they went there instead of coming here.
When they didn't show up, I didn't think much of it... things happen, kids need naps, etc. There was another family who hadn't shown up yet, but we all decided to eat anyway. The other family showed up soon after. My friend called 2 or so hours later to say her husband had had a stroke. What!? He's only 35! She briefly told the story and I tried to process it. I asked if her immediate needs were taken care of (kids not with her at the hospital, that kind of thing). When I got off the phone, I shared the news with all of our guests (it was a get together of home schoolers from our church). We stopped and prayed for her husband and her right then.
After everyone left and I got my littlest one in bed I told my husband I was going to go to the hospital. I called her up and sort of asked her and sort of told her that I was coming. The situation did not look good. We talked together, cried together and prayed together. At one point she said to me, "I don't know what my week is going to look like." And I said to her, "no one does."
And that is my point... none of us knows what our week is going to look like. We can make all the plans we want, but it is the Lord who directs our steps. Life is too short to argue over stupid things. Life is too short to get angry over minor inconveniences. Life is too short to not ask for forgiveness or to not grant forgiveness. Yes, there are big issues in life. Life is too short not to talk them out.... even if it is only with God. Sometimes friends don't talk over something no one can remember. Sometimes spouses grow apart because of the busyness of life. Sometimes we let our kids do their own thing because we're tired and it's easier. Life is too short not to take opportunities when they arise. Your kids want you to read to them or play a game with them, but you are on the computer. Life is short... your children will remember that you chose to spend time with them. Your spouse wants some attention, but you're tired. Will that extra half hour or hour of sleep make a difference in the morning... most days, probably not. You have wanted to do something silly for a long time and have never done it (dye your hair purple, get your belly button pierced, get a tattoo, etc)... life is short. If it's not illegal or immoral and you won't go into debt to do it, do it (especially if it's temporary, like purple hair). A friend is down and needs help... be there. Even a phone call or email helps. You will not ever regret the time you spent being there for others. You will not regret the time you spent making the most of every opportunity.
That first night and next day in the hospital, things did not look good for my friend's husband. I spent some time with her that night and went back the next day. But she called me the second morning to say he had greatly improved and by that evening he was home. I visited them at home that night and God's grace was so apparent in their lives. If you didn't know he had had a stroke, you wouldn't have known. We praise God for that. Two days before I wasn't sure if my friend would be a young widow. They have the opportunity now, after being faced with a serious situation, to reevaluate things in life. I know they have had some serious (and probably not so easy) discussions since then. If you need to have some of those discussions in your life, please do it and make the most of every opportunity.
When they didn't show up, I didn't think much of it... things happen, kids need naps, etc. There was another family who hadn't shown up yet, but we all decided to eat anyway. The other family showed up soon after. My friend called 2 or so hours later to say her husband had had a stroke. What!? He's only 35! She briefly told the story and I tried to process it. I asked if her immediate needs were taken care of (kids not with her at the hospital, that kind of thing). When I got off the phone, I shared the news with all of our guests (it was a get together of home schoolers from our church). We stopped and prayed for her husband and her right then.
After everyone left and I got my littlest one in bed I told my husband I was going to go to the hospital. I called her up and sort of asked her and sort of told her that I was coming. The situation did not look good. We talked together, cried together and prayed together. At one point she said to me, "I don't know what my week is going to look like." And I said to her, "no one does."
And that is my point... none of us knows what our week is going to look like. We can make all the plans we want, but it is the Lord who directs our steps. Life is too short to argue over stupid things. Life is too short to get angry over minor inconveniences. Life is too short to not ask for forgiveness or to not grant forgiveness. Yes, there are big issues in life. Life is too short not to talk them out.... even if it is only with God. Sometimes friends don't talk over something no one can remember. Sometimes spouses grow apart because of the busyness of life. Sometimes we let our kids do their own thing because we're tired and it's easier. Life is too short not to take opportunities when they arise. Your kids want you to read to them or play a game with them, but you are on the computer. Life is short... your children will remember that you chose to spend time with them. Your spouse wants some attention, but you're tired. Will that extra half hour or hour of sleep make a difference in the morning... most days, probably not. You have wanted to do something silly for a long time and have never done it (dye your hair purple, get your belly button pierced, get a tattoo, etc)... life is short. If it's not illegal or immoral and you won't go into debt to do it, do it (especially if it's temporary, like purple hair). A friend is down and needs help... be there. Even a phone call or email helps. You will not ever regret the time you spent being there for others. You will not regret the time you spent making the most of every opportunity.
That first night and next day in the hospital, things did not look good for my friend's husband. I spent some time with her that night and went back the next day. But she called me the second morning to say he had greatly improved and by that evening he was home. I visited them at home that night and God's grace was so apparent in their lives. If you didn't know he had had a stroke, you wouldn't have known. We praise God for that. Two days before I wasn't sure if my friend would be a young widow. They have the opportunity now, after being faced with a serious situation, to reevaluate things in life. I know they have had some serious (and probably not so easy) discussions since then. If you need to have some of those discussions in your life, please do it and make the most of every opportunity.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
You should do this
Jessica Sprague dot com is one of my favorite places online to hang out. She does a free class every year and that's what got me hooked 4 years ago. This summer's free class looks like a good one. You should consider taking it... especially if you want to sharpen your photoshop skills.
click here for more info
click here for more info
Friday, May 25, 2012
Yea, I made this...
I have been working on this vest for not quite 4 weeks. I loved the pattern (mondo cable vest/shell from Ravelry). And considering I have been knitting for less than 6 months, I think it turned out pretty well. There are some mistakes along the arm holes and the shoulder seams, but you really can't tell. The yarn I used is from Knitpicks.com and it's called sugar bunny. Doesn't it sound like it would be soft and fuzzy. Well, it is. It's a very soft merino angora blend. However, I never expected it to shed so much. I wore it yesterday with a white t-shirt underneath. The white t-shirt was COVERED in purple fuzz... as was the straps on my backpack and some other things. Also it is starting to pill a bit... after only one wearing.
Moral of the story... I am going to check yarn reviews on ravelry before I purchase a yarn. I still love the pattern and I will make another one (probably out of a superwash merino or cotton blend) after I make 3 or 4 other things on my knitting list.
Sorry the picture is kinda' "eh". I took it with my phone and I barely have enough time to blog (because I am always knitting). I definitely don't have enough time to edit pictures to put on the blog.
And I haven't forgotten about the selling my cricut story. I will get to that.
Have a great weekend!!
Moral of the story... I am going to check yarn reviews on ravelry before I purchase a yarn. I still love the pattern and I will make another one (probably out of a superwash merino or cotton blend) after I make 3 or 4 other things on my knitting list.
Sorry the picture is kinda' "eh". I took it with my phone and I barely have enough time to blog (because I am always knitting). I definitely don't have enough time to edit pictures to put on the blog.
And I haven't forgotten about the selling my cricut story. I will get to that.
Have a great weekend!!
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