A little scrapbooking seminar for you...

I think I could have held a few scrapbooking seminars this weekend! :) I'm so glad people like what I'm doing...and want to learn how to do it, too! One warning though...it's addictive!!

Ok...grab a pen and jot down some notes (or do it the easy way and copy & past this blog post!)

First thing you'll need is an editing program (maybe Santa will hook you up with one!). I started out with photoshop elements. Any of the photoshop programs will work, or you can use paint shop pro, Digital Image Pro (and there are others out there, I'm just forgetting!) There are pros and cons to each program, but you can definitely do a lot with any of those.

Next...the best thing you can do for getting started is to read a couple of tutorials on how to make a layout. There are some great tutorials located at www.twopeasinabucket.com (click on digital scrapping and then click on tutorials) and also at www.scrapbook-bytes.com The ones at scrapbook-bytes are really great for the various programs! There are some tutorials on this site for how to make your first layout. The first couple of layouts you make will take awhile, just because you are learning your program. Once you've made a few, it will go so much faster!

Now, the fun stuff...downloading goodies! There are so many amazing kits out there that are FREE!! I just recently have started buying some stuff...mainly because I just love certain designers!

Sites to go to for free stuff are:
www.twopeasinabucket.com (go to digital scrapbooking kits...scroll down & they are on your left hand side)
www.shabbyprincess.com
www.scrapbook-bytes.com
There are TONS of other sites out there, but these will get you started. Also, you can google "free digital scrapbooking" and you will get loads of sites!

Once you have some kits & a program, you can begin making your pages. I am addicted to using templates on my pages. Go to www.jencaputo.typepad.com and click on her sketches. She has several on there for free, plus she sells some great ones! You can also google for digital scrapbooking templates and find more. (I don't want to overwhelm you with sites right now!) Using templates just saves so much time. You just "fill in" the spots with the papers & your pictures & presto--scrapbook page completed!

Try a few pages with the free stuff before you buy anything just to make sure you'll actually use them.

If you get stumped on what to do, just post your questions in the comments section & I'll try my best to help you out! (or at least point you in the right direction!)

If you attempt to do a page, I want to see it! E-mail a copy of it to me!

Good luck!

Prayers for Grandpa...

Please keep Grandpa Malone in your prayers. He has little strength and hasn't been able to eat hardly anything. They started him on oxygen today...keep the rest of the family in your prayers, too. It is just really hard to watch Grandpa go through this...I know he hates feeling like this, too. I'm always amazed at the sweet smiles he gives when the kids are around, though! He still tries his best to act like his happy self. Such a sweet, sweet man!

Bronchitis, runny noses, blah!!

We have been pretty sick here in our household! I took the kiddos to the doctor yesterday and he said Mason has bronchitis so we had to start him on amoxicillin & breathing treatments (which he HATES!) He gave me a prescription for Millie to start on Saturday if she isn't better. Her nose is still really runny, so I'm going to start her on her medicine tomorrow. I don't want my kids to be sick for Thanksgiving...we have way to much going on!! On top of the kids being sick, I've had a sore throat & must have gotten the colds from them (I guess that's what happens when all you do is wipe snotty noses!) Zicam truly works wonders though!!

I'm sitting here at 11:30 at night browsing Amazon.com trying to come up with ideas for Christmas for the kids. What do you get for kids who seem to have everything? Here's some ideas for Mason--a train set (probably Geotrax or a thomas train), a tent, doodle pro (like a magna doodle), anything Elmo, Backyardigans, or Diego. I wish I could find some Wonder Pets stuff, but I can't find anything yet. I'll have to keep searching! Mason's kind of difficult because his birthday is 3 1/2 weeks after Christmas! From us, he's getting his "big boy bed & bedding" and a big Tonka Dump Truck & Fire Engine. For his birthday, we'll probably get him a train set & a couple of things for his room. (We're trying to decide between vintage rockets & vintage airplanes as the theme for his room.)

For Millie--She is the HARDEST to figure out!! She has all of Mason's toys...and they are all still available in the stores. The kid seriously has all of the really cool toys! Ideas for her are--The Fisher Price Baby Grand Piano, Praise Baby DVD's, soft baby dolls (Disney has some princess ones), Gund has a my first purse that's pretty cute. I just hate to get more "big" toys because we are running out of room at our house! I'll have to keep searching! :)

Tyler hunted and hunted while we were in Sesser, and didn't get a deer. But, I had a ton of fun hanging out with Jessica & the kiddos!! Thanks Jessica for letting us crash your house and eat all of your food!! Wait till you guys see all of the sweet pics she took of Millie (actually...go to her site www.jessicahollisphotography.com and go to the children & fun site. There are some on there!) I'm going to post a layout here in just a sec of some pics of Mason and I during the photoshoot. I'm so glad to see Jessica's business take off like it is...she truly deserves it!

Scrapbooking news...I know...just what you all want to hear about, but it's kind of what consumes my thoughts/time! :) The frog layout of mine won layout of the week for the digi dare site last week. (I can't believe I'm just now posting this...that was last Friday!) I was so excited to see I had been chosen again!

Did you notice the new design to the blog?? What do you think of it? The blog header was made with Nikki Meador's Inspire Me Mini-kit (www.scrapwithnikki.com) It's such a pretty set! (and those are some cute kiddos in the blog header, don't you think?) I'm not sure I'm 100% happy with the new blog layout, but it took a lot of time to do, so it'll be here for a little while!

OK...wanna see some new layouts??
I took this picture of Mason the other day & loved it!

Click here for credits!

These are some pics Jessica took. Mason would not cooperate & threw a huge fit. I tried to calm him down & that's when these pics were taken...just wish I had on make-up! :) I think they turned out really sweet!

Click here for credits (and to read the journaling better!)

Can't leave out Millie...here are a couple of her!

I don't think I've put this one on here yet...if I did already, forgive me! :)

Click here for credits!


Click here for credits!

Thanks for looking!!

Silly Mason!

I snapped this photo today & loved how he was "smooshing" his ear!

My chunky monkey!! & other things to share

Isn't she sweet?? She made for one cute monkey on Halloween! Mason went as a little fisherman...I don't have his page done yet, but hopefully soon! Click here for credits!

For the digi dare this week, we had to scrap our fears. I really pondered about what to scrap...fear of losing another child, fear of getting cancer...but decided to do a light-hearted page this week. So, I scrapped my fear of frogs!

Click here for credits!

I love this layout of Mason...he's getting so big!

Click here for credits!

Let's see...what's been happening in the life of the Penns? The church sent Tyler & I out of town Sunday night for Pastor Appreciation to The Chateau in Bloomington. The kids stayed with Kay & Lee and I know they loved getting spoiled by the grandparents! Tyler & I enjoyed our trip...except we both got sick on Sunday night! Ugh! That's just our luck!! Monday we were both feeling better & spent the day shopping in Bloomington. I was determined to buy myself some new clothes, but walked away with one $10 sweater. Mason got a couple of Christmas presents & Millie got some new clothes.

Tyler has been getting ready for hunting this weekend. He's been practicing with his bow and is hoping to get a deer or two (If he gets one, I am going to have to learn how to cook with deer meat...yucky!!)

Millie is full of smiles these days. She has a sweet little giggle & is such an easy baby. She's eating baby food & you can't feed that kid fast enough!

Mason has to be one of the funniest kids out there. He tries to think of anything silly that he can do. He also tries to think of things he can get into that he's not supposed to. The other day, I told him "no, no!" when he was pulling things out of the drawer in the bathroom. He walked into the other room and came back into the room about a minute later and shook his pudgy finger at me, gave me a "serious" look & told me "No, No!" It was hard tell him he can't tell Mommy no without cracking up! I think the terrible two's are rapidly approacing!

Cruisin' with a hot chick!

I love these pictures of Mason & Maddie Kate Hollis! Can you believe she's already in Kindergarten?? We are going to get to visit them next week...and I can't wait!



This layout uses Nikki Meador's Girlfriend's kit which is available soon at www.thedigishoppe.com Also, the sketch is by Jen Caputo & can be found at the same shop!

I just realized that I didn't post credits for the heritage layouts. If you'd like to know who the designers were on a particular layout, just let me know!

Some heritage layouts...

I've completed some more heritage layouts...but I haven't shared them on here yet. I really need to get organized & go through my files & label the one's I already have on here...but who wants to be that organized? That's precious time away from scrapping! Since the kids are napping, I'm going to take advantage of sharing some layouts! :) These are all of the Malone side of the family.

October was breast cancer awareness month...

...and I made this layout in honor of my mom. She was so very brave while she battled breast cancer. The other night, I had a dream about mom. We were shopping & having so much fun together. She was laughing at Mason & bought him some sprinkled cookies while we were shopping (she loved her sweets!) I woke up and was so sad that she's not here to have moments like that with me and my children. It just stinks!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so grateful for all of the breast cancer research that is happening and hope for a cure soon.



Click here for credits (and to read the words in the journaling)
Mom...I love & miss you!

I won!!

I did the layout of Millie with the fro for a Gina Miller sketch challenge & it won! Yippee!!! I was so excited when I found out this morning! (www.ginamiller.typepad.com) Can you tell I am having a lot of fun scrapbooking??