Reminder...Please vote!

In honor of Throwback Thursday (#tbt) and Gavin's run at winning a photo contest, thought I'd share a winning photo of my own!

TA DA!

Yours truly...1961

I'm told this photo won $50!

Yes, that was a lot of money...

Don't forget to vote for Gavin (you can vote once per day).

Voting ends Sunday, December 14.

click anywhere on the logo

We thank you very much!

Gerber Photo Search

Hello there!

I'm popping in on my very neglected blog to ask for a shameful plug.
Your support.
Your votes!

My dear daughter asked for a fall photoshoot with her small family.  I obliged.  I did not know that photographing a 17-month-old was gonna be a bit like harnessing the wind!  We had a beautiful (albeit rather late) Sunday afternoon planned to capture this sweet family.

We did not get many posed shots.  He was simply having none of it.  So, we let him wander, and I began chasing him with my camera.

I was lucky enough to capture him mid-stride strolling down the path.

It has become one of my very favorite shots of him.

My daughter has entered the photo in the 2014 Gerber photo contest, in the Toddler category.

click anywhere on the logo

His entry id:  201128
State:  Colorado
Category:  Boy / Toddler

There is a $5,000 prize for each category. Boy, could they use the money, as any young couple I'm sure.

Won't you take a minute to vote for him?

You will have to enter your birthday, and your email address.  That's all.  You can vote once per day every day until December 14.

Thank you ever so much.

@ 9 Months

@ 9 Months, he:

• is a crawling machine
• pulls himself to standing on almost anything
• puts every "thing" in his mouth
• says "ma ma" and "ba ba"
• stands alone for about 5 seconds
• make "ooh ooh ooh ooh" indian noise (if you pat his mouth)
• is very curious and investigates non-stop
• first tooth is barely visible (but has broken through!) hence, the jaw grinding instead of smiles
• learning to wave
• had first "spaghetti & beef" (Gerber) last night!
• will walk almost any day
• will no longer sit still and pose for pictures
• somehow knows he is wearing a sticker.  Rips it right off.

And is loved beyond words.

Joining a Support Group(s)!

First and foremost on this Monday after the Superbowl, please know the entire City of Denver is in mourning.  What the heck happened to our team?  They didn't even show up!!

So, I am focusing on other things. Lately, I have been unmotivated for some reason. My mojo is on vacation. The pile of projects and unscrapped photos just gets bigger and bigger.

I need help!

For some "motivation," I am joining a couple of support groups @ Let's Scrap.  I'm going to join the monthly LOAD (Layout-A-Day) challenges and the biggie:

100 Layouts in 2014!

I finished the entire January LOAD challenge last weekend = 44

Last weekend, I got to spend 48 luxurious hours in the beautiful Colorado mountains.  Lots of girl time, R&R, and a whole lot of scrapbooking. I'll be sharing a few of the layouts over the coming months. You can bet some of them will be created using my handy-dandy sketchbook that accompanies me to such a retreat; but first, I want to share these two LO's made without a sketch.  They are from our trip to NYC December 2012.  I love, love Central Park, this time photographed in the dead of winter.  Managed to whittle down about 63 photos into two, 12" x 12" two-page LO's.  Still...I hate to waste all the other pics!

The brown cardstock embellishments were all cut with my Cameo machine.  Pretty simple.  Only a couple of stickers, red twine, and two mounted photos.

I've made a little "visual" ticker to monitor my progress over the coming months:

Wish me luck.  Now...on to the other 56...

January 2014 | New Beginnings

Hello 2014!

As a new year begins, I've got to get really choose-y about new photo projects to work on through the year. My main photo project this year is to continue Project Life and continue the daily picture-of-the-day practice of collecting photos and stories for my album(s).

But first, a little back-story.

I began Project Life in 2008 when it was Project 365.  I breezed through that year easily, and each of the subsequent years got tougher. Here I am six years later. My 2013 book was current until June.  Then all hell broke loose.  I became a Grandma!  So, naturally I took on the big project of his baby book. Wouldn't it be great to document the first-year-of-his-life?  Oh Grandma, what a great idea! 

ACH!! I'M BEHIND!  I've spent the last few days of 2013, desperately trying to catch up.  I've got lots of notes and a calendar, so everything is preserved, it's just a matter of getting it in the book.

Additionally, I've already purchased my 2014 album and I got the midnight kit as a Christmas gift.  They sit waiting.  Staring at me.  Beckoning.

I will be looking for a better way to keep up with Project Life in 2014.  I may go solely with iPhone photos.  An iPhone and two cameras is just too much.

I'm also researching apps.  I wish I were in the app business.  I'd be rich.

I did see this one recently. It's called Flipagram and it's FREE! It collects photos from your phone, your Facebook feed, and your Instagram feed.  Puts it all nicely into a short, sweet video. You can also put your own music to it.

My first try is a look back @ 2013.

Swoon.

My year in pictures. Makes me cry. I am blessed.

Oh, am I gonna use this for 2014...

For now...I'm back to printing pictures. 

Gavin's First Christmas

Boy, oh boy, are we having fun!  Everything that was old is new again! 

All kinds of "baby's first Christmas" activity going on over here.

Spoiler alert:  I got to be the official photographer for my DD's first Christmas card.  We had planned for a day at the park, but December weather in Colorado is just too unpredictable. Very windy.  We went inside by the nice warm fire.

I got 77 pictures, but I'm only sharing one photo...my fav.

On the 5th, we took our little peanut for his very first visit to Santa.  He didn't cry!  Nor did he pull Santa's beard (good thing, too; as this Santa had a real beard!).

And on the 7th, our dear sweet Grandson celebrated his "1/2" birthday.  He was in a really good mood for his (six month) photo shoot. 

As you can see, I'm really loving the "animation" feature of Photoshop.  Can't stop myself!

Later that same afternoon, we kidnapped the "little kid" for our own Christmas Card photo shoot.  As he gets older, he gets harder-and-harder to photograph.  Besides the never-ending drool, his two new six-month tricks are blowing raspberries and shaking his head (with not much coordination yet).  On any other given day, this Grandma finds those antics hilarious, but not on Christmas photo day! 

"Hey Santa, Grandma needs a wireless shutter remote, please!" 

I won't be sharing spoilers.  Sorry.

Oh Baby!

OM Gosh.  Does time fly or what? Gavin is 5-months-old already.  Getting to be so much fun! Had our photoshoot yesterday.  Got lots of smiles.  And drool. I'm trying something new on Photoshop.  Love that program and need to learn how to do more.  So... here are my first animated photos as a .gif file.  Cute huh? I simply followed this very easy tutorial from Amanda. And, I also created a more "scrapbook-ish" layout/photo ready to print for the baby book.

Collage personalized with Smilebox Gosh.  Am I having fun!  Lots of photo opportunities makes Judy a happy girl!

Der's Gold in Dem Der Hills!

We are officially in Indian Summer.  We've had our first snow and our first hard freeze (two of them).  But, boy is Indian Summer great in Colorado!  It's been so nice, baby Gavin and Grace, and I have a daily afternoon walk on the path that runs along the water canal.  I call us the three G's.  We're quite a sight.

Anyway, I digress.  This past Sunday was absolutely one of those days where I was not sitting at home to watch the Bronco game.  Uh huh.  I do love the games, but like 'em even better when it's truly football weather.

I could not get the Broncos #1 fan to leave the house, cause after all, "how many trees can a guy see in his lifetime?"  Really?  I left him at home in all his Bronco finery and Gracie and I headed out for a Sunday drive. 

Just a girl and her dog.

And...her camera...

I'm gonna let the rest of the post be about the beautiful day, beautiful weather, and the beautiful color/show Colorado puts on for us every year.

 

 

Rare sighting.
Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.
Made my whole day!

Mt. Bierstadt, 14,060'
Just one of Colorado's 14ers

 

The aforementioned girl and her dog.

 

It's not just about the golden leaves.
We have some sweeping vistas as well.

 

 

  

I hope your fall is as beautiful as it is here!

Official Birth Announcement

Better late than never, right?

It only took 8 weeks for us to get our ducks in a row and get some official announcements out in the mail to family and friends.

Truth is...there were just so darn many choices out there (and they can be a bit pricey!).  Oh, that and the fact that I had exactly 118 really cute, newborn photos to choose from!  (Gosh, he's gonna hate his shutter-bug Grandma.)

We are really enjoying our new little man.  He is changing daily and putting on some weight in a hurry.  Truth is...he doesn't look a day over 11 weeks!

Front

 

back

 

He's so darn sweet.  'Specially when he's sleeping...

 

It's a Boy!

I'm not sure I really wanted to know.  I am one of the few remaining women on the planet that thinks one shouldn't ruin one of life's true remaining surprises, but it wasn't my choice to make.  So, at exactly twenty-one weeks, we took a peek at our little peanut...and we were all elated to find out that our new grandbaby is a boy!

Well, if you haven't realized by now, I'm a photo opportunist!  Couldn't let this one getaway.  Uh uh.

April and Beau were very patient, non-confrontational willing photo subjects!  I had prepared my home makeshift photo studio and purchased several props.

I ended up with 82 photos!  Yup.  Eighty-two!!  Ya see, I need lots and lots of crappy shots to get a few good ones.

After the shoot, most of the photos got some editing and some extra ooomph using Photoshop. (That program sure helps disguise an amateur photographer!)  These are the half-way decent photos:

 

 

This photo was the happy couple's favorite:

I was tickled pink blue with the photos!  Here's my favorite:

Good lord, that was so fun!  I'm making a list of the must-get "Anne Geddes" style photos for Gavin's arrival...

 

Oh, and I may or may not have bought a few things.

Merry Christmas

A very Merry Christmas to all of my "virtual" friends.  I feel very fortunate to have you drop in now and again and visit my blog, leave a comment, share a craft or two, a recipe or three, and general life craziness.  I hope you gather an ounce of inspirateion after a visit here...I really do love to share! 

If you've been here before, you know I love to share the "technical" notes:

• This is not an original photo idea.  I stole it.  If you've ever seen the opening segment of the Modern Family TV show you will know where this comes from. 
• I bought a white 11" x 14" open back frame from Hobby Lobby.
• Bill and I each posed in front of the Christmas tree holding the frame.
• Getting a good photo of Gracie was the hardest part.  She HATED her Christmas hat and would NOT close her mouth!
• I then worked some Photoshop Elements magic with the three photos.
• I first opened the photo of me, "magic erased" the part of my shirt inside the frame.  Once you erase part a photo, it acts just like a picture frame.
• Then, I "placed" the photo of Gracie under the "erased" part just so and then flattened and saved a new image of the two of us.
• I  then opened the photo of Bill and did the same "magic erasing" inside the frame area.  I then "placed" the picture of me and Gracie underneath Bill's photo. 
• Once again, I flattened the image and saved it as a new .jpg.
• The finished card is a 6" x 7 1/2" Costco card, the entire "chalkboard" sentiment is theirs.  I just uploaded my finished "altered" photo of the three of us and added our Christmas message.
• Here's a commercial for Costco and a personal testiment:  Costco's cards are awesome!  They are extra large and 50 cards is only $14.99 with silved lined envelopes.  What a deal!

I do hope you enjoy the card and a mini Photoshop lesson.

May your Christmas holiday be blessed with friends and family.  Here's hoping that you take as many photos as I do and that we have lots to scrap in 2013!

6-13-12 Sketch

Here is the sketch for today over at Let's Scrap (come check it out):

Notice that red "fold here" to add more pictures.

And...here is my take on it:

Bloom
Sunflower Field
Mead, Colorado
August 14, 2010

I pretty much followed the sketch as depicted.  I even made the fold out on the right page to include another six photos!  I did this by using a CTMH 6" x 12" flip flap memory protector.  It is adhered on the backside of the 12" x 12" page protector.  I love these.  They come with a full peel-n-stick clear adhesive strip that is not noticeable.  They come in various other sizes too.

Looking back, I think I may have been a bit "sunflower obsessed" on that particular day.  I can't believe how many photos I took!  And (allow me to brag just a bit), I loved every single one of them.  Confession; I have a really hard time editing photos for layouts - I think I must use them all, and this particular sketch allowed me to use many (not all).  I might plan another shoot at this same farm this summer.

The journaling reads:

This photo shoot was certainly not

impromptu!  No sir!  I planned

every single hour of my day.  I had

seen this sunflower farm on one of

our many trips along I-25.

I wanted to photograph these giant

blooms and I planned to stop here

on my way home from a shopping

trip to my favorite scrapbook store

in Fort Collins.

Here is the layout fully extended:

16 photos!

Here are a couple of close up shots so you can see the dimension and the bling I added:

If you've yet to participate in the weekly sketch challenge, what's preventing you from joining the fun?  My challenge to you...let's see what you can do with this sketch! It is posted on the main page at Let's Scrap right now and you have until midnight (site time) next Tuesday to post your layout in the gallery to get your name in for the prize draw...come on and join us.  You know you want too!

Friday Freebie

You may have noticed my new "motto" over there to the right.  I was inspired by this photo I found on pinterest.  It is so me.

So...I now have a motto for my photographic endeavors, but I also wanted a piece of framed artwork for my scrapbook studio.  I went a little overboard and couldn't decide on what color I wanted.  After several different versions all pasted on my wall, I decided on black and white. 



Frame is from Hobby Lobby (50% off!)

Since I had done all that work so many other choices, I decided to put them up here on the blog for my followers:

Free download:

Keep Calm and Take a Photo - 8x10 Freebie

Print the images just as you would any other photo using a photo lab such as Costco, Shutterfly, or Walgreens.  Or, do as I do and print on your home printer.  I printed mine on 90# smooth white (index weight) cardstock. The images are 8×10 in size. Matte and frame and you’ll have a positive reminder in your home to keep goin’ and shootin'

Terms of use:

• Prints are offered here for followers only.  If you're not a follower, please sign up - and  Welcome aboard!
• Prints are for personal use only. They are not to be resold for any type of profit. 

Designed by Judy.  If you have any questions, please contact me at onejr@aol.com