I was quite happy to know I was right about copyright law, though I’m sure many in the digi-world won’t be turning somersaults.  Also, I’ll be checking out the full interview next Monday to see if he addresses the “Orphan Works” bill. 

Head on over if the subject interests you - you’ll enjoy listening to Scott Kelby, in any case.

Tschüss!

I picked him up an hour ago - moments after they arrived at their kindergarten - and let’s just say he was less-than-enthusiastic.  It seems he didn’t miss me quite as much as I missed him.  Well, that’s okay because I keep seeing him peek around corners to look at me and he’s dropped by for a bit of “lap-time” already so I know he really did miss me, he’s just becoming a big boy and he’s getting shy about expressing it.

So the big reunion didn’t go as I’d pictured it in my head, but it’s still nice to have my little boy back.

Anyway, I’ve been trying to decide what template I’d like to share next and several comments have had me second-guessing myself with regard to the file types I offer.  So, in a further effort to provide a valuable service to my readers, I’m asking you, once again, to tell me how you like it.  n

Once I’ve gotten a significant cohort to respond, I’ll post the latest template.  If you have a preference for one of the templates I’ve used but not shared, please feel free to leave a comment requesting your favorite.

Tschüss!

The last layouts were completed and uploaded yesterday.  I finished the front and back cover and spine and uploaded those.  I double-checked each page to make sure I hadn’t left VividPics on.  I previewed more than once.  I placed the order and clicked "submit."

It’s done.

Now, all I can do is wait for Shutterfly to do what they do best and hope for a call from my daughter once she sees the results.

Here are the last layouts and the album cover preview…

Yes, the final page of her album is a repeat of a previous page’s template and colors - the first page, actually.  It’s my way of starting it and finishing it with a theme - and sort of matching the first and last pages to the cover.

I think my next project will be our family yearbooks.  I’ve got a few pages from each of the past 3 years already completed, so there’s a few anchor points to build from.  Now that I’ve got this book completed, I feel more of a compulsion to get our family albums under construction.

Tschüss!

Credits: Friends: SMJ - foliage, Elegant Word Art - wordart, SUAS - chipboard element, Songbird Avenue Take Flight - paper.  Auf Wiedersehen: Michelle Coleman - paper, Katie Pertiet - graphics blob, GinaMaria - template and wordart. Cover: Lynn Grieveson - paper, Katie Pertiet - edges.

Yes, Season 2 of "You Suck at Photoshop" is underway at My Damn Channel and I’ve gotten notice of the latest episode.  They’ll continue with new eps every other week, so just keep tuning in here for the links.

• YSAPS #11

Donnie’s starting us off with some really tough stuff - Smart Objects.  Hmm, I wonder why that sounds like a joke waiting to happen? 

If you haven’t experienced a tutorial led by Donnie, you’re in for a real treat but I’ll warn you that you’ll likely see and/or hear stuff that some might find objectionable, so don’t come back here and blame me.

Tschüss!

Here’s what I finished last night…

This one was done a while ago but I needed to finish it’s companion page before I could choose the background.  Since it will be paired with the following layout, I decided to use identical backgrounds - something I did with many pages in the album.

For this page, I had to combine two trips into one layout and I did that with the live round that my daughter found on Omaha Beach during her school trip the month before our family trip to the same location.  Can you tell it was getting harder and harder to get pictures from her?  Yeah, it was. 

I’ve felt really motivated and excited as I’ve worked on this album and I’m having a hard time deciding what I want to work on next.  What do you think?  Should I do something similar for my little ones?  Also, should I make albums that speak to who they are now or to the people they’ll become?  What are your opinions on that?

Tschüss!

Credits: Amsterdam: Shabby Princess - paper, SMJ - frame and foliage, Welcome to Holland - stamp, GinaMaria - template.  Normandie: Shabby Princess - paper, Oscraps collab - stamp, Tracy Collins - alpha, GinaMaria - template.

Here’s the latest…

This one is images of places, things and events around Dresden, where we live.  I don’t want her to forget all the little things that make this city so special.

And this page is just another vacation layout.  The beach wasn’t her favorite place to hang out (have I mentioned her aversion to the outdoors?) but it was still a pleasant time with family and friends.

The end is in sight, I just have to keep myself focused.  So far, I’ve gotten everything uploaded to Shutterfly and the book is organized and waiting for the remaining pages.  Thanks to all of you for the encouragement you’ve given me.  It’s helped me to keep going even when faced with criticism from my daughter or my husband.

Tschüss!

Credits:  Dresden Layout; Tracy Ann Designs - paper and embellishment, GinaMaria - template.  Baltic Sea Layout; ONDesigns - papers, bubbles and foliage, GinaMaria - template.

One of my readers, Barb, sent me an invitation to try Lightroom 2.0 Beta (after considerable effort on her part, I might add.)  And I got it loaded and registered yesterday and tried to play around with a photo a friend had sent that needed some exposure and color correction.  My first whack at it wasn’t all that impressive and I reluctantly closed it and walked away from my computer.  I figured I needed more practice, more skills and maybe a better picture.

This morning, after some strange and vivid dreams about creating a layout featuring the photos I took of my kids last Easter, I visited a Lightroom site to load up on free presets and gave it another try.  After a few stops and starts, I figured out how to save my work, locate the photos I wanted to work with, revert to original and even combine more than one preset. 

Honestly, Lightroom is easier to get the hang of than any Adobe product I’ve ever worked with even though scrolling through some of the areas is a little awkward.  It’s definitely going to be on my “must-have” list after my beta version expires. 

I took a bunch of decent, but ordinary pictures of my kids and made something so different - it was so cool!  I probably went a little over the top, but I just couldn’t resist and, since it’s for another page in my teen’s book, I figured it wouldn’t go unappreciated.

Want a peek?  Here’s the layout I made…

Because I wanted the emphasis on the photos, I left the layout virtually bare of embellishment. 

I also want to send a huge “THANK YOU!” to reader, Becky, for sending me a coupon for a free 8×8 Shutterfly album - including shipping!   I have the best readers here!

Tschüss!

Layout Credits: Michelle Coleman - background paper, Birgit - cut-out frame, GinaMaria - template.

I miss her already but there’s no time for that.  I have to finish her album and get it sent to Shutterfly.  Yeah, I think I’ve decided on Shutterfly, after all.  I won’t have too many pages over 20 and I’m pretty sure I want a custom cover so it seems like the easiest choice.  It would have been nice to have received one of the free album offers they were handing out like candy at Halloween but I never get that lucky.

I finished the companion page to her Simple Plan layout, too! It’s pics from the Taking Back Sunday/Hello Goodbye concert I took her and her sister to see and all the concert ticket stubs she kept, along with the playlist from the Plain White T’s concert (there’s a little profanity on that, so I won’t be enlarging the layout and you’re forewarned if you click it to see the larger version.) I was disappointed in the picture quality this time around but it’s a concert and I was working with a new camera at the time so I’m not going to beat myself up about it.

And, for those who like the last layout, I’ve got a new template to share.  It’s another multi-opening stamp frame template, so those who are fans of the stamp frame, this one’s for you!

(Sorry, download link has expired.)

Don’t worry, I still have a few more in me and several more pages to go so the giveaways aren’t going to stop any time soon.  I love it when I get comments and I especially love it when those comments link me to layouts using my products, so “leave some love, bitte!” (That’s Deutsch for please.)

Tschüss!

In my unending quest to get this thing finished, I went back to my list of layouts needed and decided to document her first concert in Germany.  Her very favorite band is Simple Plan (has been since they opened for Avril Lavigne many years ago) and they just happened to be on tour in Germany right after we moved here.  We’d been to their show in San Diego the November before, so we knew when to plan our trip to Berlin.

She’ll see it when she gets home later this afternoon (yes, she knows about this gift - I couldn’t get many of the pictures, otherwise) and I’m sure I’ll probably hear about how I used terrible pictures of her (they’re all I’ve got), I didn’t feature David enough (he’s her favorite band member) and her brother’s in three (THREE!!!) of the pictures (he was there, the guys loved him and it was his very first concert.)

So what does it take to impress the teen set?  I’m not sure but I think she secretly likes it but doesn’t want to say so to me.  Kinda like if I bought her a top she’d hate it but if her friends wore the same thing she’d be begging me to get it for her.  I read the Twilight series of books by Stephanie Meyer (a fun, easy read - don’t let the number of pages discourage you - with a new take on vampirism and lycanthropy) and suggested that she’d probably enjoy them but she refused - vehemently.  Then she read a few spoilers and quotes from her online friends and read about the movies and she did a complete 180.  Now it’s the best thing ever written and she’s forgotten that I ever read it.

I’ve become irrelevant in her life.  I know it’s a phase and she’ll recover in adulthood but, in the meantime, I miss my baby.

Tschüss!

Layout Credits: Background paper and epoxy guitar by Susan Fitch, pinned frame by Katie Pertiet and template by GinaMaria.  Look for the template soon.  You know I’ll share.

If any of you are current Lightroom owners, I’d be grateful for an invite to try Lightroom 2.0 Beta.  Otherwise, I’ve only got 30 days.  An invite from a registered user will give me until the end of August to play around. 

Anyone?

Tschüss!