Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope that you are enjoying the day, and taking some time to tell your loved ones that they are loved!

I have just posted a mini giveaway on my facebook page:
Check facebook for details!

You will have a chance to win this kit!:

Here are the cards at Etsy:


Etsy shop section "graphic design"

Download link for freebie is below the picture:

 

Download

And don't forget to leave your comments!!

Valentine's Day Elements kit, and a freebie!

I have just completed the coordinating kit to "the Blues", with "be Mine" Valentine's Day kit elements.
I started off designing a bunch of papers for another digital card making kit, that was meant to be completed before Christmas. Well, that didn't happen, needless to say! However, I didn't give up on it!
I decided to release several kits that all "go" together, representing various holidays. So watch for these as the holidays roll around!

So the idea is to get yourself the starter pack, with the papers, then add on to it as you like.
The colours go great with photos of people in blue jeans and denim!

I've already added a great new alpha to the bunch, which can be used for Project 365, or 52, and now the Valentine's Day elements kit!

I got my inspiration from our daughter and family's Christmas photo shoot, and based several Christmas card templates on this palette of colours. Here is the card they used, and these elements are in the Christmas Element pack.

Available at Etsy

 Available at Etsy

 Available at Etsy

Available at Etsy

 Available at Etsy

 Available at Etsy

I designed this card as a "quick page". It's a png file, with a space available for you to place your own photo. Easy Peasy!

Without further ado, here is your freebie:

Amazing photo, of my adorable grandson and our daughter, by Christina Clause is not included!

Check her blog: here

Download

Please take a moment to leave a comment! It is so much appreciated to be appreciated! 

Thanks,

Happy Scrapping, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Marlene

Another Giveaway! And a Freebie!

I am one of the vendors at the Creme de la Baby Giveaway! Go check it out! Wait! First have a look at what I'm giving away:

Summer Sun-kissed Textures
"Baby Soft" - digital card making kit 
Fabric Texture Plates

These are all available at Etsy

If you are curious about how to use textures in your photography editing, or digital scrapbook layouts, have a look here at a previous post about using testures.

I have been trying, without success to get an "exclusive" tab on my facebook page. I just don't know how to go about this!!! (can you tell I'm getting frustrated!!!)

How about I just give away a new texture pack, and as thanks, you can go and "like" my facebook page!? how does that sound?

Here is the preview, just click on the link below to download. This will be available for a limited time.
(maybe until I can figure it out!!!)

 

 Link expired:

Available at Etsy

All of the textures shown here are on "overlay" at 100% opacity, just to give you a small example of what they look like! The fun is in trying out different blending modes.

 

Please be kind, and leave a comment when you download! Let me know that you "liked" my facebook page.  You never know, you just might get something in return!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Happy Scrapping!

Marlene

Merry Christmas!

This is the card I designed and sent out to friends and family this year! I got them printed at Costco, which is quite an economical way to do cards.

Elements of the card are taken from the Stock Exchange, and are for personal use only, so I can't offer this card for sale.

The words in the background of my card are from my very favourite Dutch Christmas Carol. "Ere Zij God" The lyrics are:

Ere zij god, ere zij god

In den hoge, in den hoge, in den hoge

Vrede op aarde, vrede op aarde
In de mensen een welbehagen
Ere zij god in den hoge,

Ere zij god in den hoge

Vrede op aarde, vrede op aarde
In de mensen een welbehagen
In de mensen, een welbehagen, een welbehagen
Amen, Amen.

Tranlsated:

Glory to God! Glory to God!
In the highest, in the highest, in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people whom God delights in.
Glory to God in the highest, glory to God in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people, to the people whom God delights in,
To the people whom God delights in, whom God delights in.
Glory to God! Glory to God!
In the highest, in the highest, in the highest!
Peace be on Earth, peace be on Earth
To the people whom God delights in.
Amen. Amen.

My DH and I were in Florida for a time just before Christmas, but wanted to be home for our grandson Eli's first Christmas, and to enjoy Judah's Christmas too. One of the most memorable moments of our day, Judah telling us "I like presents!"

It was a lovely day, despite the occaisional bouts of sadness, missing our loved ones who have gone to glory. I pray that all of you had a very Merry Christmas. We had a busy, long day, but one that was filled with love and laughter with friends and family.

Marlene

Feeling Blue again

On November 13, at around 10:30 in the morning, my Aunt May and Uncle Cor were on their way to visit my uncle's (and my Mom's) sister  for a pleasant birthday visit. (Uncle Brian's and Aunt Henny's place is pictured below) They were in Orangeville, on their way north, when they were hit by a pickup truck that ran a red light. Whilst I was baby-sitting in the nursery at church, Uncle Cor was being air lifted to St. Micheal's hospital in Toronto, and my Aunt went to the local hospital in Orangeville. Her injuries were not as severe as his.

She had to wait, while hanging upside down, for the rescue workers to get Uncle Cor out of the van, before she could come out of the van herself. It was a frantic day of phone calls. Uncle Brian was called, he had some tough phone calls to make as well. Our family is large, Mom is one of nine, and I have 22 cousins, most of whom are married and also have kids, and the next generation is on the way too. All together, I think there are around 90 of us.

Uncle Brian was there very quickly to help, and do what he could in this tough situation. He had nothing but high praises for our EMP's, the police, and even the local people who witnessed this horrible accident.

Mom's call to me came shortly after we came home from church, "there's been a horrendous accident" "it's very bad", and "we need to pray". As I got the details from Mom, I began to shake with dread, and after the call where she told me that my Uncle's skull was fractured, and his lungs were filling with blood, I thought, sadly, crying, perhaps he's already left this earth, and is on his way to heaven. I was so scared.

When Mom called at around 4:30 in the afternoon, our worst fears were realized, my uncle was gone!

This was my dear cousin Annette's Dad. Annette had only passed away 8 short months ago! This just didn't seem right or fair!

We had just had a gathering at my Aunt and Uncle's place, on October 22, after a very nice memorial service that was held at Shalom Manor, where Annette had resided for a number of years. It was a very nice visit, and the last words I heard from my Uncle were words of welcome, and he thanked me again for the piece I wrote about Annette in a previous blog post, and to come back and visit any time. I said that we would. You just never know...

This photo was taken at one of our family reunions, this was a game to guess what this object was used for.

Uncle Fred on the left, Uncle Cor, on the right. "what is this thing?"

My cousin had some profound words of wisdom at the funeral home. "We all have a number, we don't know what it is, and we don't know when it will be"... but every birthday, anniversary, family reunion, every opportunity to spend time with our loved ones, is very important and should not be missed. "I mean it, I'm not joking!" (Hugo is the kind of guy who likes to joke around!) When we were young, he would drive our Oma crazy with it. "Oh that Hugo!" she would say. She surely did love us all, though. She sometimes tried to hide the little smirk that threatened to appear when she chastised him!

Many wonderful words were spoken at the funeral. I was very touched by Annette's husband's words. He was very simple and direct. He told us how happy he was when he came to Canada, that he had a "Dad" again, as his own father had passed away. He also told of how they had a period of time where he and his in-laws didn't get along very well, but that they had reconciled, forgiven each other, and he was so glad to have a "Dad" again.  His words of wisdom: "Love each other, forgive each other". It's so true, and so important!

Uncle Dirk reminded all of us that are two ways to see things in a tragedy such as this one. We can sorrow that he is gone, or we can rejoice that he was here. We can be bitter about the accident, or we can be better for having known and loved him. I certainly do enjoy listening to my Uncle Dirk, he has a gift, that's for sure!

At the funeral, Uncle Brian told all of us, that as an employee, he often would have opportunities to learn, and in one such opportunity, he learned that all of us have a "board of directors". These are people that we turn to when in need of some advice. He gave such a wonderful picture of this "board", you can just imagine the people on your "board". When you are a child, your parents are the only board of directors you will need, but as you grow older, your board gets larger, to include your peers, your teachers, your friends. Teenagers seldom include their parents, but some do. Then as adults, we turn back to our parents, and want them on our "board" once again. We usually include people who are experts in their field, and Uncle Cor was one such person. He was an excellent carpenter, and woodworker. He was a fine friend and companion, Uncle Brian reminisced over the type of day they would have had together, enjoying some time playing pool, "drowning some worms", and feasting together. That Sunday was to be such a day. Uncle Brian's concluding words were that Cor would always be on his "Board of Directors". It was a very touching eulogy.

There are many examples of Uncle Cor's craftsmanship throughout our family. Uncle Cor was the kind of man who would see a problem, and fix it. He told my parents that since they were getting on in years, they would need a sturdy hand rail on their stairs to the basement, so he built them one. He also noticed that the step outside was too high, so he came the next week to pour a new step out of concrete. He made the TV stand, the wainscoting, the shelving, and on and on....

Mom's house is full of memories of Uncle Cor. It's so hard to have lost someone in such a sudden and tragic way. Everywhere you look at Mom and Dad's house, you are reminded of him. How much more so at their own home!

Uncle Cor was also the caregiver to Aunt May. He built their house with this in mind, making it wheelchair accessible. It is impossible for Aunt May to be by herself in the home. At this time, she is living with her son.

Their home was built in a beautiful rural area; she had such a lovely view out of her window. Picture a comfy chair, sitting beside a large window, overlooking fields of wildflowers, and an abundance of trees. There is lovely natural light to cross stitch, knit or crochet by, and a wonderful little stand to hold your patterns right beside the chair, and a light in just the right spot, for when it starts to get too dark to stitch. I had wanted to ask my uncle to make a stand just like that one for me, but I never got the chance.

It has been a tough few weeks, and the first few days, I was very angry. I think I'm getting over the anger, but it's a tough one. I know this person did not intentionally seek out my uncle's van to drive his pickup into, but, it has been difficult. My Aunt has been handling things quite well emotionally, I think I would be a basket case. Can't even imagine losing my spouse that way! It's just all so sad! Another of my uncles, Uncle Al, said that "you won't be, you are given a gift" he was overcome with such a feeling of calm when his wife passed away, he knew he had to be strong for his family. The Lord surely does give this blessing, for I know it does not come from ourselves.


Well, I've been rambling on again about family tragedies.

In the meantime, Christmas is almost here, and life does go on. I've been busy making some Christmas card templates, and I've added a bunch to Etsy. They are great for photographers and digital scrapbookers, and those familiar with photoshop. They are layered psd files, ready to add your own personal pictures and phrases to.

These all feature my daughter, son in-law, and my 2 adorable grandsons! (aren't they ever so cute!?)
My daughter asked me to design a card for her, and I just kept going! She chose three of them, so even she couldn't decide which one she liked best!

Amazing photographs by Christina Claus! Check her blog, she is a fabulous family, children, and newborn photographer in the Niagara region.

 Available at Etsy

Available at Etsy

Available at Etsy

Available at Etsy

Available at Etsy

 Available at Etsy

Happy Digital Scrapbooking Day!

How exciting! A day (weekend) devoted to my favourite hobby, digital scrapbooking. I'll bet there are many, many scrappers who are busy hunting some great finds in digiland this weekend!

I've been busy today coming up with something to give away!

I've also been busy baking cookies for coffee after church tomorrow. We were involved in "we love our neighbour" campaign. Basically, about 2 weeks ago, a bunch of us went around our church neighbourhood, and handed out paper bags, to collect non perishable food for our local food bank, "Community Care". On Halloween night, we picked up the bags, and invited all to come to a special service to celebrate a bountiful harvest. And it was bountiful indeed!
As my DD said "FRC rocks!" It was a great event, and I would say, very successful. On one of the bags was written a nice note: "Thank you for giving up your Halloween night to do this"

Is anyone thinking about their Christmas Cards yet? I've taken one of my favourite birth announcements, and turned it into a Christmas Card template. This will be simple to use, with your photo editing software, (ie, photoshop elements) just pop in your own photo, change the names, and voila, your Christmas Card will be ready to print.

This is a 5x7, but can be scaled down to 4x6, if you prefer.
If anyone wants this in a different format, just leave a comment, I'll do my best to accommodate.
The basics of this template are from another of my favourites, the snow day kit:

 

Available at Etsy 

 Available at Etsy

Available at Etsy 

And without further delay, here is the link to download the template. (click the link under the picture) This will only be available free for a limited time! After that, you will find it at my Etsy shop.

Freebie has expired.

Available at Etsy 

My Trip down Memory Lane: How I Became an Artist

I can't remember a time that I didn't love art, or want to be an artist. From a very young age, It was my dream to create, to be an artist. I was influenced the most by my one of my uncles, who's art I have always admired, a painter extroardinaire! Many in my family have dabbled in painting, my grandfather, uncles, and an aunt. We are also a very "crafty" family. My grandmother's skill with needlework and sewing was bred from necessity, but became one of her most loved activities. My mom can knit faster than anyone I know, she's almost as fast as a machine! Many of us women have done crosstitch, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, even tatting. Paper crafts too, scrapbooking, card making, journaling... the list goes on and on.

I think it was natural for me to get involved in Art and Craft. Even though my heart's desire as a child was to paint, I ended up in fine craft. That's a story in itself. While in high school, my parents were just starting out in their new business. They began importing and distributing various goods from The Netherlands, their former homeland. Some of the goods was jewellery. Dad had some connections there, and a promise from someone at the company that I could get a job designing jewellery, but I would need an education in jewellery design first. So, the next step, apply to a college that has a course in jewellery design. My guidance counselor suggested Sheridan College, School of Crafts and Design. It was relatively local, about an hours drive, in Mississauga, Ontario. One of my uncles commuted daily to Toronto, and it was decided at the time that I would continue to live at home, and get a ride with him, should I be accepted at Sheridan.

I didn't doubt for a second I would get in. I didn't apply anywhere else. My art teacher in high school helped me put a portfolio together, which by today's standards would be laughable, however, it was good enough to "get me in". Sheridan's standards today are very high, and it's difficult to get accepted now. They are world renowned, particularly in the animation dept. Many of Sheridan's graduates are now employed at Pixar and Disney.

This was happening in the late 70's, when craft was getting quite the revival, and even a new lease on life, so to speak.

Some of my old high school art, these were part of my application to get into Sheridan:

 my little brother! I ended up using this design on a T shirt for him, and then later gave him a copy of the drawing. 

A funny story; I have to recall one of my English teachers in high school. He made us write a 1 page essay every week, many of us complained bitterly. His reasoning; he wanted us to be more, have more, do more. Be Better! He continually told us if we didn't learn to write, we'd end up as "basket weavers" from Bangladesh! How we'd be from Bangladesh, I'll never know, for we were all Canadian, through and through. I remember walking around the campus at Sheridan at an Open House, and there were some highly respected "basket weavers" giving workshops to a very interested audience! I think I laughed out loud when I saw that. Here I was, associated with "basket weavers", and it was "OK", even better than OK.

I do understand what he meant, that education is the key to success in this world, and he didn't mean that being a craftsperson in and of itself was a bad thing... but it sure was humorous!
When I joined the Sheridan family, my family was busy getting their souvenir business off the ground. Part of my duties then was to prepare the artwork. It was tedious, painstaking, work. I'd get it done in about 2 minutes now with a computer, but back in the day, it took me well over 2 hours for each one.
You see, my Dad, the entrepreneur, was importing and distributing souvenir spoons. They'd been a big thing in Europe, and was just getting big in N America. It was quite a process, and eventually, they did much of the manufacturing themselves. It started out as a home business, graduated to having an offsite building, and a bunch of employees.

The spoons themselves had a little, plasticized photo on it, usually of a some kind of attraction, like a picture of Niagara Falls, for instance. My job was to put the lettering on top, and make sure that the shape of the photo would eventually fit into the shield shape of the little pictures. There was also some photography involved, and with computers, this too has become obsolete! My classmates, and even my teachers, often be-littled my involvement with this enterprise. But goodness!, it's how my parents were able to pay my tuition!
Those first self-taught dabblings in graphic design turned out to be a foundation for what I'm doing even now!

So, I learned a lot at Sheridan! As it turns out, the basics of good design is quite useful in all kinds of endeavours. I spent 3 years there, and even though I had sorta planned to go to Holland, for that design job, those plans quickly changed... my high school sweetheart, and the love of my life, asked me to marry him. (also to my classmates scorn!), and a new path for my life was set!

I did become quite pleased with designing and making one of a kind jewellery, and it was my focus for many years. I did a lot of craft shows, had my work shown in some galleries, and sold to the retail market as well.

We were raising our family all the while, and I quickly discovered that teenagers need their mom around more, rather than less often, and the craft show sales were declining, and so, I gave it up. I didn't think it would be for very long, but I have not really picked it up again, and I can honestly say I don't really miss it!

I've dabbled in all kinds of other creative outlets, but that's another story.

Thanks for stopping by,
Happy Scrapping!
Marlene.