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 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。

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

TDC Thursday, TGIF Friday

Its been a slow week, scrapping wise. I haven't been feeling quite up to par so haven't had the power to sit at the computer for any extended amount of time. That being said, I only got one layout done for TDC.

This one is of my great-niece, little Miss Jetta bug, as we love to call her. She is beautiful and precious. I'd never believe it, but she seems to be a bit of a stingerbug at times. Even so, I love her to pieces. This is for her, "Sugar and Spice," perfectly fitting her.

今週は調子がちょっと崩れてTDCのレイアウト1枚しかできなかったです。芽衣子の娘です、それは日本語でひめいこですか？分からないですけど、とにかく可愛い子です。お母さんの話により悪戯ところがあるそうですが、信じられない。大好きなジェッタちゃんのために作りました。

October Crop Schedule

Oct 13th, Tuesday: Beginner Scrap (Theme: Summer memories page, or open theme)

Oct 14th, Wednesday: Open Crop (For those people who can't usually come on Tuesdays. Any theme is okay. Any level, including 1st-timers okay!)

Oct 29th, Tuesday: Advanced Scrappers (Autumn colors challenge. Any photo theme is okay, but we will only be using the papers shown below.)

Limit: 6 participants. If you'd like to join, please let me know.


10月13日(火）初心者スクラップ　(テーマは夏休みの思い出ページ、それとも自由なテーマでも可能です。)　

10月14日(水）オープンスクラップ （普段火曜日に来れないの方や、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月27日（火）：上級者 （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。使うセットは下に展示してあります。）

全日の定員は6人になります。参加ご希望の方はお連絡下さい。


(These are the paper sets we will use in our Advanced Scrapper's crop on the 29th. )

Another Thursday

Thursday is new release day at The Digichick. We (the CT members) get access to the new releases for the coming week around Saturday or Sunday, spend the next few days choosing which items we want and seeing how many layouts we can make. A few of the other CT members blow my mind with how many gorgeous layouts they can create in just those few days time. Many of them are on other designer or shop's Creative Teams as well. One member makes over 20 layouts a week. A week! I can't make that many in a month.

TDCで木曜日は新発売の日です。CTメンバーとうして土曜日か日曜日から新しいアイテムを使ってレイアウトを作り始める。ほとんどのCTメンバーはとってもお上手で何枚も素敵なページが作っています。いる方は毎週20枚以上作っているそうです。20枚、一週間だよ！私なら一ヶ月でも20枚は無理です。

But I did make three layouts this past week. Three. Two for new releases, and one just because I saw the papers and had the perfect photo to match. I was lucky because the papers' designer liked my layout so much that she even put it on her own blog as well.

You can check out her post here.

今週3枚作りました。3枚。新発売アイテムを使って2枚。もう一枚はスクラップしたかった写真にぴったり使いたかった用紙がありました。良い事で、その用紙をデザインしたの方は私が作れたページを気に入ったみたいで、自分のブログにのせていただきました。こちらへみてどうぞ。

This is a layout of my mom and dad. I don't know if they would approve of it or not. For one thing, its not the most flattering photo of them, I know. But it perfectly represents their new life "in the country." They are seemingly content. Ever since I was born they lived in a larger city. Over the years, of course, that city just kept getting bigger and bigger. Finally, in their golden years, they decided to move to a smaller town on the other side of the state. I'm sure it wasn't easy for them, giving up a lifetime of connections and friends. But they seem to be content in a beautiful new home with a great view. The journaling reads:

"Mom and Dad recently left their long-time home in the city and made a new, more quiet home for themselves in a smaller rural area. They have a good lot of land, a small fruit orchard, a beautiful view and the friendliest cat. Ahhh, life is good!"

このレイアウトは両親です。二人ともあんまりキレイに写ってないから、いい写真ではないですからきっと恥ずかしいと思うけど。伝いたかったテーマには完璧な写真です。2年前に引っ越しました。私が生まれた前から都心に住んでたのに、急に田舎へ引っ越した。その町で、ゆっくり暮らしています。慣れていて都心やお友達と離れてきっと寂しいでしょうが、新しい所で満足だようです。





















Here are the two pages I made using a few of this week's new releases.
次の2枚は新発売アイテムを使いました。

This one, "Tiny Dancer" I used the beautiful new paper set called For the Girls by Twenty to One. It's of my daughter when she was about 4 years old. Like any little girl, she loved to play dress up and dance around like a beautiful ballerina. The journaling says:

"Ballerina, you must have seen her
Dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me
Tiny dancer in my hand
You loved this song, even you didn't really understand the lyrics. You just thought it was about you.
Oh how I love you...
tiny dancer."






















And this one, "Meet Mr. Tokage," is of my boy, so I appropriately used For the Boys also by Twenty to One. The journaling reads:

"You and your creatures... you love to get down on your hands and knees in the dirtiest of places to catch bugs and lizards. We have a lot of nature around us here so there is never a shortage of them for you to catch. This little guy you caught in our own back yard. He was a cute one, wasn't he? He seemed to like you too.