The Stories They Could Tell

What is it about old barns, old farms that in their silence call out to me? They whisper through their wooden walls, crooked gates, peeling paint and empty windows that there was so much life, so many stories that could have been shared if only I had been just a wee bit earlier to see them. You can almost hear the sounds, smell the smells and make up your own tales of the day as it draws to a close.

Many of us take photos of old barns - in good shape or almost done - and many of us scrapbook them as well. I decided to put together a little freebie in honour of our old barns and farms, and for Digital Scrapbooking Day. You can click on it to download or if you want it done in color just pop me a comment or message. I'd be so happy to do that for you.

Enjoy the freebie and please post some links or send me your pages that you've done with it so we can all share in your creative work!

Live Love Laugh

Today was that day for us - we enjoyed each other's company, we enjoyed our time together and we also played, worked and loved in the warm fall sunshine! Luke and I and Earl all had some special time together working on the truck, painting, playing in the grass, watching clouds and birds, chasing dogs, petting cats and just enjoying each other. I did manage to get some photos (okay when I unloaded my memory card from the past few days I had over 200 photos!) and even scrapped a few too!

I'm doing CT for Vivayne and she designs for Scrapbooks Gone Digital - check it out! These three pages were done with her great goodies...

Sometimes the light in the afternoon is just perfect for photos - and today was just perfect for a small window of time. I captured cats, dogs, leaves, Luke and me!

It was a nice day so Luke and I lay on our backs to watch the clouds - which of course made the dogs very curious and made the cats think they were missing something - so we didn't stay that way for long. I did, however, find the angle from there very sweet for some fun photos of Luke dancing like a falling leaf!

Every now and again I get a photo that captures, in a small way, the spirit that I love and admire that is Luke. The sunset with the tire swing and his running in the grass was the perfect way to end a wonderful day!

Me and A Poem

Me and a Poem

I have this really great kit for a designer that I CT for called Daybreak that I LOVE! The colors, the details and how it all goes together. Last night I was looking at the yummy papers and wanted to do something really special with it - so I did two double page layouts (getting all of these digital pages printed is going to require some planning!)...hope you enjoy. If you want Daybreak, go to Jaya Prem's Hangout and visit her store at Scrapable.

Okay, as promised here are the two 'stories' that go with the pages.

"Me"

I was invited, and honoured, to speak to a group regarding my work with animal emergencies. I was, however, unprepared for some of the 'add-on's' to the task such as photo, bio and brief of my presentation. It wasn't just because I was asked on short notice, it is that I never have thought about what I had to say as having enough import for me to need such things as a photo, bio and a presentation brief. That night I scrambled and surfed around to find a headshot that would work...I did settle on one but it wasn't great. Most of my pictures have Luke, a dog, a truck or a Farm Girl cap (not that any of those things are not awesome, of course) but I knew I needed a head shot that showed confidence and a wee bit of personality. The other night I took my camera in the sunroom and took some photos. I am so thankful they turned out (in part to a great haircut by Margaret at Hair in the City, Winnipeg) and wanted to do a page of just 'me'. I didn't even feel too selfish ;-) about having a page of me photos.

"Daybreak Warning"

You know the old saying, "Red sky in morning, sailor's warning, red sky at night, sailor's delight"? Well we know it is so true, red sky in the morning can lead to a very windy day ahead, so when I took the photos of our wonderful sunrise I was actually thinking of what might blow away! When I started playing with the Daybreak papers and swirls I thought of the windy day and the sunrise photos - and wow it worked! I came up with a quick little poem and 'taa daa' I did another layout with just one photo and a few simple elements.

I still have to post my photos of my other paper pages from Shanley's awesome C.M. Croptoberfest last weekend (I tied in a layout contest with Kimberly!) and I promised a freebie wordart this weekend...but for now it's back to work.

Two boys = Lots of Fun!

Luke worked so hard, and was missing Aunty Shelly and Evan lots, and we finally got a day when we all could get together! The two boys were so excited to see each other, and little man Zachary got in on the action too! They ran and played, and ran and played and then took it outside for some serious 'big boy' fun with an excavator, a play structure and a dog named Daisy.

I had to do two layouts (and will have a couple more!) as soon as I could...the photos turned out super.

The above layout was done using Scrapgirls' Work Zone kit - you gotta check it out! It's AWESOME stuff!

This next layout was done using Jaya Prem's 'Boys Will Be Boys' kit - there is an alpha, elements and papers...great for cool (or as Luke says, "BAD") boy layouts. Click on the kit to go to her store for the kit, you'll love it!

I loved the bottle cap that I used to put my favorite photo of the day - somehow I was able to get both smiling faces to pause for just a shutter's breath and 'gotcha'! They were having so much fun, as you can see, and it was a great fall day for two best pals to spend together.

I've had some nice comments on my little freebie from the previous post, hope to hear from more of you and see some layouts! I'm working on a little word art for us farm and country folks who love old barns...look for it over the weekend. Go check out the kits and have a super night.

Bright blessings, always and in all ways...

Fall & Harvest

Although it is hard to say 'farewell' to summer fall does offer it's share of wonders. Migrating birds, the painter's box of colored leaves and grasses. Our animals getting their winter coats, getting shaggy and long. The days can be warm with no bugs, they can be chilly without being cold. The snow comes to visit and then leaves us with a freshly washed fall yard.

To celebrate fall I've decided to share a mini kit I made for scrapbooking. Share some love with your comments, use as much as you want, personal or commercial no worries. My only request is to share some of those pages that you've made! Would love to see what you do...after all it's that kind of encouragement that might motivate me to do another set of bits for this kit or make a new one :-) Click here for the files. If that doesn't work let me know and we'll get it to you another way!

The weather is so nice today we might have a fall cookout over the open fire tonight - hot dogs and chips! Sounds yummy...nice fire, warm fall night. Will get some photos, and one of these days I'll do some more pages.

I was a home handiwoman today, and that felt pretty good to fix something on my own. And it worked too! Which is an added bonus. Gotta get some work done though and post this so my Farm Girl friends and other friends can grab their fall treat! Enjoy...be brightly blessed, always and in all ways!

Now that's loyalty

The dog was created specially for children. He is the god of frolic.

Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit

Read more: http://www.dogquotations.com/families-kids-and-dogs.html#ixzz0RTxYzkLX

This page really was a challenge for me, I wanted to have a timless feel but still have a sense of the energy that 'is' Luke and his pal Sam. The pj's are from Sweden, a dear friend sent them for him and when he was in the 'forest' the pictures came out with a timeless feel. This page took me quite a long time, playing with elements and goodies, trying different looks. The more I tried for something the less it worked, so I started playing with elements of color and movement and it worked.

My challenge, for myself, lately is to try and take the things I love in my digital scrapbooking and incorporate some of them in to my paper and hybrid projects, and the reverse is true as well. Not to copy entirely one medium to the next, but to get a similar feel or dimension from a photo that I want to play wit in both types of scrapping. Here is an example - one digi page which I

LOVE how it turned out and one paper one that shares a similar feel but is not exactly the same. I'm pleased with the results and it lets me try new things.

So here I am working, playing with Luke, trying to do some things around the house and to get ready for a crop tonight. I'm pretty excited about that, and am looking forward to spending time with other creative scrappers. It's not the same as scrapping at home with all my own goodies and little Luke and furry inspirations running around but it will be some good girl time. I haven't been to a crop since spring, and Earl's Mom is going to come along too. Should be a great time.

Luke and I were doing dishes, playing bubbles and how he is driving his Tonka Jeep/Bronco around the house. Feathers, our red and white Border Collie, has wisely decided to hide somewhere with stairs from the crazy little driver. I think it is time to get some more work done today, and get ready for a super weekend with the two loves of my life - Earl and Luke.

Be well and be brightly blessed, always and in all ways!

Herbie Stunt Double

Luke has discovered, with the help of Mama and Deeda, the classic Love Bug (Herbie) movies...he has all but two of them (the new one and Herbie Rides Again). He especially likes it when Herbie splashes in water, and of course we had a couple of nice days and were able to find a nice puddle for Luke to reinact his favorite Herbie splashes...good thing my camera had fresh batteries! He had such a super great time. Word art by Bethany, backgrounds by Honey Designsand Scrapgirls. My photos, laughter and fun by Luke. Bethany has some wonderful word art (okay she has LOTS), Honey has kits that just totally rock and Scrapgirls are my girls and the stuff there is almost as super as the people you'll meet!

I did paper pages this weekend too, along with my digital page of Luke, which is the opposite of my usual. I've gotten almost 9 pages done in traditional and hybrid forms, while I only got one digital done :-) But I got to scrap and that felt SO GOOD!

I made a mini album for Earl's Kok using some wonderful freebies from Raspberry Road Designs (Hootin' Annie) and they were put into an owl shaped chipboard album. Wrapped a ribbon around it and used a cute paper clip with a flower to tie it all shut.

I'm on the deck right now - a few skeeters but the Off Powerpad Lamp and the wind are taking care of them, Luke is playing in his sandpit...I have to do some work but it is so nice right now I can't miss these moments of summer.