Thursday, December 31, 2009

Here we go!


Welcome to The Digichick New Year's blogtrain. We are celebrating the dawn of 2010 in style -- TDC style! First off, here's a list of the other Digichicks who are participating. Be sure to visit us all so you can get everyone's goodies.

Tiffany: A Scrap Away
Jenn: Jenn Scraps
Kelleigh: Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs
Sylvia: Sylvia Scraps
neenee: nee nee's inspirations
Jude: Lil' Digi Bits
Holly: Love 2 Scrap in Japan (you are here)
Pam: Pamela Donnis
Jana: Jana M Designs 
Marianne: Now, then habibi
Jacinda: Digi Kiwi Chick


Please note that we are scattered all over the globe and with timezone differences it may take a few of us a bit longer to get our posts up. If one isn't up yet, don't forget to come back and try again!

Next up, since you're here visiting me, here is my gift for you. This cluster is made  with the gorgeous Girl's Best Friend scrapbook kit by Quirky Twerp. I hope you like it!

 

I have had such an fun and wonderful experience these past 3 months as a CT member of The Digichick. It is the best place on the web to CT for -- the staff and CT members are wonderful and the designers are amazing. I'm looking forward to even more fun in 2010.

The Digichick Blog Train is Coming




Have you ever heard of a blog train? Its kind of like a scavenger hunt where you are taken from blog to blog and you get to download free digital goodies at every stop along the way. Some of the Digichicks and I are going to do one for New Years, so keep an eye out and come take a ride with us! I'm going to be making something just for you, so come and visit me again within the next few days.

ブログトレインが聞いたことありますか?次から次へのブログを見てデジタルスクラップなどのファイルを無料にダウンロードが出来ます。The Digichick Creative Team membersはお正月にブログトレインをやります。私も何かプレゼントを作って差し上げます!時間があれば、是非 "乗ってみて下さい。" 明日、明後日ごろまた見に来てどうぞ。

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Crackerbox

Have you ever heard of The Crackerbox? When I was growing up my Grandma had some very elaborate hand-made beaded ornaments. After she died I was sad that I didn't think quickly enough to get them before her things were all sold off and thrown away. I don't know if she made hers from this company or not, but here are the ones I've made over the years. They're much too heavy to put on a tree so I hang them in our "bay" window.

Each one takes about 20 to 30 hours to make, so I have to start in September or so. I haven't made a new one in years. But going through their new releases makes me want to buy a new kit or two. Droool....

Here's some holiday eye-candy.



Friday, December 18, 2009

Scraplift challenge at The Digichick - Come and Play!

Here we go.... Its time to start the Scraplift Challenge over at The Digichick. Here's a link to the challenge forum so you can play along!

今日からTDCスクラップリフトチャレンジをやります。mom2peanutsの素敵なギャラリーを選びました。チャレンジに参加したいの方はmom2peanutsのギャラリーから好きなレイアウトを選んで、真似のページを作ります。出来上がりのレイアウトをTDCのギャラリーにアプロードして是非見せて下さい。

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Trio of pages

First off, I want to invite you to join me for a challenge. I will be hosting my first ever scraplift challenge at TDC starting on Friday the 18th. We will be scraplifting mom2peanuts' beautiful gallery. I'll be sure to upload a link here once the challenge is up and running. I would love it if you joined in! Here is the page I made, of course its a scraplift of one of mom2peanuts' pages. You can see her original page in the challenge thread tomorrow!

まずは、18日からTDCでスクラップリフトチャレンジに誘いたいと思います。ホストとして初めてですからちょとどきどきします。明日、もと詳しくを書きます。是非一緒にやてみて下さい。チャレンジの為にこのページを作りました。






















Next up I have an unusual Christmas page to share. One of my most beloved friends recently had a fantastic opportunity to have photos taken of her and her beautiful daughters by the incredible Solveig Boergen of Tokyo's starphotography. I'm so completely jealous of these awesome photos, but my friend has given me copies of the photo shoot. So at least I get to make pages with these incredible photos. Anyway, back to the Christmas page.

次はちょっと違うなクリスマスページを作りました。この間大好きな友達は3人の娘さんと一緒に有名なSolveig Boergenに写真を撮ってもらいました。本当にうらやましいです。素敵な写真をいっぱい撮ってもらって、私にコーピを渡しまして。上のチャレンジ用ページの写真も、このページの写真もそうですよ。これからまだ色んなページを作りたいです。






















And last but not least, another wedding page. ViVa Artistry has a new set out called Skin to Skin. Its a gorgeous kit with a sub-theme of racial harmony. I don't know why, but as soon as I saw it I wanted to scrap one of my own wedding photos. This is the first page I have ever made using one of my own wedding photos.

最後にまた結婚のページです。ViVa Artistry から人種間の調和のテーマがあるのセットは今週の新しいリリースです。見てからすぐ自分の結婚式ページを作りたくなりました。初めて自分の結婚式写真を使ってページを作ってみました。


Thursday, December 10, 2009

Wedding pages

Just want to make a really quick post showing a couple of wedding pages I made last year. They are both basically quick pages from Natali Designs with a few little extras. Black and white seems to be a popular color scheme for weddings, but just like scrapping any other photo its also beautiful to highlight the colors in the pictures.

I'll be making more Wedding pages and as I do I'll be sure to upload them here.



Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Waterfall Album

The other day one of my friends taught me how to make a Waterfall scrapbook album. You use one full sheet of 12x12 cardstock, 6 patterned papers cut to size and lots of double-sided tape. It took me a few tries to get it right, but the end result is just too precious. The final size of the cover is 6x6, but each blank paper size is only about 3 x 5. I love it with just the paper, but it may be perfect with a simple photo on each page and very little embellies. Pull on the right-side tab and the pages cascade up to flip to the next page. Have you ever seen something so fun!

この前にお友達が教えてくれた、ウオーターフォールアルバムを今日はやっと出来上がりました。このままであんまりにも可愛いから写真を入れたくないけど、シンプルな写真や飾りなら似合うかな~。タブを引っ張るとページは次から次へ自動的にめくります。素敵でしょう。"O"さん、教えてくれて、ありがとうございます。
















 

Friday, December 4, 2009

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

and the designers at TDC have been keeping us busy and happy with all their new releases. Love to scrap Christmas photos, just don't have any from this year yet so I'd better get the camera out.

今週の新発売セットはほとんどクリスマス関係ですが、他のも山ほどあります。クリスマスは一番好きな季節です。今年はまだ写真を撮っていないからもうそろそろしなきゃ。。。









Friday, November 27, 2009

December Crop Schedule

Dec 8th, Tuesday: Beginner Scrap (Open theme. 1st-time scrappers welcome.)

Dec 22nd, Tuesday: Advanced Scrappers Group (For this month's challenge I will select 4 sketches. Please choose your favorite one and make your layout based on that sketch. I will send you the example pages within the next week.)

I've had such a wonderful year scrapping with you. Thank you and I hope to see you again in the new year.

Limit: 6 participants.

12月8日(火)初心者スクラップ (テーマ自由になります。経験者も、初めてスクラップをやってみたいのお友達がいらっしゃいましたら是非お誘い下さい!) 

12月22日(火):上級者 (12月のチャレンジはスケッチを使ってレイアウトを作ります。見本のスケッチは来週以内お宅のメール、またポストに送らせていただきます。)

時間は10:00 ~14:00頃までです。定員は6人になります。

今年一緒にスクラップが楽しく出来て、本当にありがとうございました。来年もよろしくお願いします。

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Time keeps on slipping

Where does the time go? It's a busy season, isn't it. Lots of school activities and the holidays are fast approaching. Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I haven't. But I am making some pages for family in the states. I don't know if they peek at my blog sometimes, so I can't really show the pages here yet. But I do have some more pages from the incredible designs at The Digichick.

Becoming a CT member for TDC was one of best decisions I have made regarding scrapbooking! (Okay, so scrapbooking decisions aren't usually life altering, but this one was near that.) I'm having so much fun and learning to use a wide variety of designs. I HOPE I am becoming a better scrapper in the process.

Have had some fun these past two weeks using digital supplies to make hybrid projects too. The little envelopes I made are perfect for gift cards and New Year money gifts (those of you in Japan know what I'm talking about).

又二週間がたちました。バタバタするな時期ですね。クリスマスのお買い物は始めていますか?私はまだ買い物していないけど、いくつかのページが出来ている。アメリカの家族はこのブログを見ているかどうか分からないから、まだギフトページは展示しないね。 CTのページも出来ているからそれを見せられます。

デジタルスクラップ材料からハイブリッド封筒が作りました。パソコンでデザイン、印刷して、組み合わせて、飾りをつけて出来上がります。ギフトカードやお年玉にぴったりです。作ってみませんか?




























































Friday, November 13, 2009

Too busy playing

I've been a lazy blogger these past two weeks. Too busy making pages, and not enough time displaying them. Having tons of fun at TDC, I absolutely love it there. The women -- staff, creative team, designers -- are wonderful. Its better than I could have ever imagined! And here is the proof!

ちょっと久しぶりですね。ページを沢山作ってもブロッグに2週間乗せてない。。。良くないですね。The Digichickのクリエーチヴチームになってから毎週毎週楽しんでいる。本当に遊んでいるの気持ちです。TDCのスタッフ、チーム、デザイナー皆様はとっても素敵です。いつ楽しんでいる!

























































































































These last few pages aren't for TDC, just some other kits that I've been wanting to use.







































Wednesday, November 4, 2009

November Crop Schedule

Nov 10th, Tuesday: Beginner Scrap (Open theme. 1st-time scrappers welcome.)

Nov 18th, Wednesday: Open Crop (Open theme. Any level, including 1st-timers okay!)

Nov 29th, Tuesday: Advanced Scrappers Group (Repeat of October challenge for those who couldn't attend. Autumn colors challenge. Any photo theme is okay, but we will only be using the papers shown below.)

Limit: 6 participants.

11月10日(火)初心者スクラップ (テーマ自由になります。初めての方や、経験者でも大丈夫です。) 連絡は遅くなりまして申し訳ありません。まだご予定はなければ、是非いらっしてどうぞ。

11月18日(水)オープンスクラップ (普段火曜日に来れないの方、初めての方や、経験者でも大丈夫です。テーマは自由になります。)

10日と18日もスクラップをやってみたいのお友達がいらっしゃいましたら是非お誘い下さい!

11月24日(火):上級者 (先月のチャレンジい来れなかったの方のため、10月チャレンジ用紙を使ってみましょう。テーマは秋色ページです。写真のテーマは何でもいいですが、当日使う用紙種類は決まっています。)

定員は6人になります。参加ご希望の方はお連絡下さい。

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Family times

Almost exactly ten years ago, my husband, our daughter, I and his parents drove up to Hakone to view the changing leaves. It was a beautiful day. This photo was one of those photos that just happens... we weren't posing, we weren't ready and we didn't know that camera was pointed at us. We just looked over and click! Maybe that's the best way to have a photo taken. The journaling is a poem by Albert Camus, "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

10年前に主人の両親と5人で紅葉を見るため箱根へ行きました。とっても楽しかったの日だった。主人は写真を撮るつもりのを知らなかったです。ただ主人に見たら撮ってもらった。やっぱりその撮り方がいいですね。






















This next one is a page I made about my family from Sri Lanka. About 6 years ago I began to sponsor them through World Vision. I have found it to be a life-enriching experience. We are so blessed and I want to share some of our blessings with those less fortunate, and World Vision is a truly responsible and trust-worthy organization. If your interested in learning more, please take a look.

スリーランカにも家族がいます。6年前からワールドビジョンのスポンサーになりました。自分でもスポンサーとして本当に恵まれています。~"何か”はきっとできる。~ 是非見て下さい。

The journaling reads:

This is the Appuhamy family in Sri Lanka. This is my family. I have sponsored them for the past 6 years through World Vision. At first I didn't know what to expect. But over the years we have gotten to know each other through personal letters, and of course through correspondence with World Vision. The girl's name is Samanthi. She calls me Auntie Holly. I cry nearly every time I get a letter and a photo of them, just to know how incredibly different our lives are. They are always so grateful and loving in their letters to me, thanking me for the assistance we offer to them. But to tell the truth, we are the ones who have been far greater blessed to be given the chance to take care of them. We love you, Appuhamy family.





















This last page is my CT page of the week. I was only able to make one page again this week. But I absolutely love the kit, A Grand New Day by Danielle Engebretson, that I got to use. The page is about some of my daughter's nicknames.

今週のCTレイアウトは1枚しか出来なかったけど。娘は色んなニックネームについてです。

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Thursday Galleries

Its probably not the best layout I've made, but I like this one. Its a letter to my Grandpa and my Grandma. I never met my Grandpa (my father's father). He died before I was born. I always wondered what kind of man he was, what kind of Grandpa he would have been. On the other hand I knew my Grandma (my father's mother) very well. She only lived about a 20 minute drive away and we were able to visit often. My favorite memories of her were when she took me fishing. She was a wonderful Grandma.

マイベストレイアウトではないですが、気に入りました。お祖母ちゃんとお祖父ちゃんへの手紙です。お祖父ちゃんに会った事無かったです、生まれて前にいなくなりました。時々どんなお祖父ちゃんになれたかしらと思っていました。お祖母ちゃんと、とっても仲良かった。大好き大好きなお祖母ちゃんだった。近くに住んでいたし、よく訪ねることも出来ました。時々魚釣りへ連れてくれた事は大好きな思い出。立派なお祖母ちゃんだった。





















The rest of these layouts I made with this weeks new releases. I really love these Whimsy Houses. Aren't they cute! Being a CT member for TDC is a blast, I feel like I'm a little kid in a candy store.

後のレイアウトは新発売デザインで作ってみました。Whimsy Houses は気に入りました。毎週CTメンバーとしてレイアウトを作るのは楽しいです。遊んでいるの気がしますね。
































































































Thursday, October 15, 2009

It's Thursday, new releases at TDC!

As soon as I saw "Touch of Spice" by Gypsy Couture, I was blown away and knew that it was a kit I would use over and over again. The colors and elements just scream Autumn. Its such a gorgeous set. If you get a chance, please stop over at The Digichick and check out some of the other stunning layouts made with it. Better yet, why not try it out for yourself!

Here are my two "layouts" for this week. The first one isn't really a layout, its a front door nameplate for our home. The second one is a photo of my daughter years ago. But the feeling and colors just felt right with this kit.

また木曜日で、TDCの最新物が発売されています。Gypsy CoutureのTouch of Spiceをすぐ気に入りました。素敵な秋色セットで、繰り返し使えると思いました。本当にキレイなキットですよ。他のCTメンバー皆さんのページも是非見て下さい。それとも自分も使ってみませんか?

今週はTouch of Spiceを使って二つレイアウトが出来ました。一つ目はレイアウトよりも家の飾りになっています。玄関のネームプレートです。二つ目のはやはり秋ページが作りたかったです。まだまだ色んな秋ページが作りたいと思います。














About a year ago or so

I have been working on this mini album for my daughter for over a year. No good excuse why it took so long, just that paper scrapping is very slow for me. But, I am thrilled to say, it is finally done. Well, I may change the album cover ever so slightly, but for the most part I am satisfied. The photos are a little blurry, but if you like, please take a closer look.

The name and bday information on the newborn page are intentionally blurred for web posting. The final page is an envelope in which I intend to put a little love letter to my precious daughter. Oh, and just to keep it honest, the Little Dreamer page is a scraplift of a layout by the fabulous CD Muckosky.

一年以上かかりましたが、やっと出来上がりました。娘の10歳ミニーアルバムです。カバーはまだちょっと変えるかもしれないですけど、あとはほとんど満足です。写真はちょっとピントがぼけているけど、よかったら見てどうぞ。

赤ちゃんのページに誕生情報をわざとピントがぼけている。最後のページの封筒に手紙を入れるつもりです。 Beautiful Dreamerページは CD Muckoskyが作ったのページをまねしました。


Celebrating 10 Years Mini Album