As the year is coming to an end we are busy planning for next year. In 2010 we are going back to the basics of leaving a legacy of faith. This years challenges are all focused on YOU and your lifetime story. When you join us in this challenge you will be creating a mini-autobiography. We are counting down the days till January 6th because we are so stinkin' excited about the My Lifetime Story challenges!!!

Wouldn't you to know what your grandma's favorite toy was as a child, how she felt when she met your grandpa, her favorite scripture and the song that expressed her heart? Your children and grandchildren will have that treasure when you join us in this challenge!

We will start out with your family roots in January and move into your childhood in February. We will continue throughout the year with your teen and adult years as well. The last challenge of the year will be a letter to your future generations or anyone who reads your book.

Each of our stories is important. This is a book that everyone should create about themselves. It will be the most treasured album of your family. As you create this album about your lifetime story you will be leaving YOUR LEGACY OF FAITH. This is an album that can make an impact in your life as you create it, but it will also create a major impact in the lives of your family both now and in future generations. As your children read your story in this scrapbook that YOU created, they will take your stories to heart. Your stories may have more impact on them than even Bible stories, because they are personal and from someone they know and . When friends and neighbors pick up your storybook and look through it you will be witnessing without even saying a word. They will read your lifetime history and discover your of Jesus, and His forgiveness and faithfulness in your life!

The My Lifetime story challenges will begin the first Wednesday in January. A new challenge will be posted each Wednesday all throughout 2010. The last challenge will be posted the last Wednesday of December. Just because the challenge series ends at the end of 2010 doesn't mean your lifetime story album is finished. We will continue to offer periodic challenges to continue your autobiography and keep it current.

Please join us in this year long challenge! Some of these challenges may be layouts you have already completed. That is ok! We need to get these all compiled in your lifetime storybook. Everyone deserves to be the star of their own book, including and most importantly YOU! If you don't put some time aside to create your My Lifetime Story album now, you may never find the time. If something were to happen to you, would your legacy of faith be lost forever? Take action now, join us as we create our lifetime storybooks for the next generation to see the glorious work the Lord can do in the life of a woman that loves God!

I am excited to be a new member of the FaithSisters Storytelling ct. I can't wait to share my faith and family with everyone. I hope that you will join in!!!!

My live and scrap love contest

Can you feel the love?Come join us for the My Life and Scrap Layout Love Contest from July 1-31, 2009!

Everyone is welcome!The My Life and Scrap gallery is bursting with wonderful layouts, and everyone loves to receive meaningful comments!

Come join us to see just how much love you can spread during the month of July, and you might win one of three fabulous prizes!

Here’s the scoop:You MUST sign up over at My Life and Scrap to let us know that you are going to participate. You can sign up beginning June 29. The official contest period is from July 1–31, 2009. There is no deadline for signing up to participate, but your comments in the My Life and Scrap gallery will not count until you have signed up. So the sooner you sign up, the better!Prizes will be awarded to the three participants who have left the most comments in the MLAS gallery during the contest period. We are looking for meaningful comments. If you just go through the gallery and say things like “Great layout” or “Nice job” you will not be eligible to win.

The three lucky winners will receive:1st prize = over $60 in coupons from participating MLAS designers2nd prize = over $45 in coupons from participating MLAS designers3rd prize = over $30 in coupons from participating MLAS designersYou can find more contest details at My Life and Scrap!

This is my new favorite site and home. I love the designers here and have met many wonderful scrappers here. Everyone is friendly and excited to see new members.

To stock or not to stock

Well, what do you think? Is stock photography a no-no in the digital world? I am unsure!!!! I don’t have small children in my home, so childhood kits are purchased and relegated to linger in my hard drive forever….. But I do have tons of photos of nature and my cat, Sunshine. Family and friends are egar to provide me with pictures of their children but sometimes you just need that one perfect photo to make a layout pop!!!!

So what’s a scrapper to do?

I decided to take a few minutes to google stock photography. And came back with nearly 41,000,000 sites. Ok… I am not gonna go look at all of them but I did look at the major sites that were one the top.

1. IStockphoto:

Huge selection of photography available! But WOW is it expensive to buy stock photos. Subscriptions begin at $979.00 for 3 months with daily downloads at 30. You can buy individual credits minimum of 12 for $18.00 . But most photos would require 6 credits to get a decent photo…..expensive but has the stock for every occasion.

2. Shutterstock

Not as many photos as the above site, but the site is very user friendly and easy. Subscriptions begin at $249 per month with 25 downloads per day. Individual credits begin at 12 downloads for $49. Not much else to say about this one except easy to use.

3. Canstock photo

Has one million photos and by far the cheapest stock company I have found. Very good quality of photos!!!! And 300dpi photos are still only one credit WOW!!!! There are even a few free photos available. Subscriptions begin at $35.95 for one week with 10 downloads per day or one month at $99.95. Individual credits start at $18.00 for 9 photos. Sooo Best Value and easy to use by far my favorite.

I hope that you have learned something about what is avialable in the stock photo world. But as far as the decision to use or not to use????? That remains to be seen!!!!!

Studio Berena is have a sale!!!!! A huge sale on her eye love you products!!!! They are adorable.

So go to my Studio Berna @ SBG:

http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/ma...ufacturerid=28



(Oh, and by the way, you can still download the Mother's day freebie from my blog (just these few 48 hrs!!!!) that's this one (this one is really the 20th kit, but it's only temporary downloadable and totally free!):


NOTE: Please know that from Saturday morning the 13th until Saturday morning the 20th 2009 my ' Eye Love You' products will be available all for 25% off!!!!

Ok-so it is nearly lunch time here in the burbs of KC and I am up and ready for a Monday at work. (Not really!!!!! But dh found red bull cola and my is it tasty…)

I had a boring little lecture on the theory of triangular spacing and layout composition, but instead I decided to share with you the coolest site for playing with your landscape photos. If you read DST over the weekend you probably know what I am taking about, but if not let me introduce you to the mini maker…… TILTSHIFT

This photo site turns any photo into a miniature scale. It is so difficult to describe what it does so let me show you. But my best reference is think movie set miniatures that they make for sci-fi movies.

This is my home town of Kansas city. This is actually an aerial shot of the downtown metro. Now once you upload to tiltshift and they doe their magic I am given this.

A miniature scale model of my home town….how cool is that? Even better? IT’S FREE!!!!

Now the rules: The photo action really works best on landscapes and those that have some depth of field. To make the miniaturization more pronounced. Not really for those portrait shots.

Go have fun…….show me some of your home town shots miniaturized!!!!