Waiting for Spring...

I am not a cold weather creature. I got chilled in December and I haven't been able to warm up yet! It doesn't matter how high I tweak the thermostat, or how many clothes I wear, or how many blankets I snuggle under. I'm cold. All the time.
Spring is my time of year. My birthday is on the first day of spring - the Vernal Equinox, to be exact. My husband laughs every year when I finally "smell the dirt". You know that smell. When the earth starts to thaw out and the air warms up just enough to carry the scent, and you can smell the moist, earthy, wormy-ness. Ummmm. Now, that's a great smell.

Usually by the time I smell the dirt, the air is warming up, but there's still an underlying chill to remind me that it's not quite over yet. Old Man Winter may just make a final appearance before heading south for the Summer.

Well, I'm ready. I'm ready for spring and warmth and green and dirt smells. So, I created this bright, cheery kit so that we can all get in the mood in anticipation of all things new. Hot pink, orange and lime green are sure to warm your toes. You get 6 papers, 2 frames, 12 brads, 2 word art, 1 alpha, 1 sticker, 4 flourishes, 1 chain border, 4 photo/page wraps, and 2 charms. PNG and JPEG formats. High-resolution, 300 dpi files for excellent print quality. Each element comes in its own file. One zip, 38.5 MB. This is a personal use license - commercial use licensing is available - please email me with inquiries.

I hope you enjoy it!

Spring Fling Digital Scrapbooking Kit
$5.99 (personal use)

Happy New Year!

Wow, 2009 is just hours away! I anticipate big changes for our family this year - growing my digi scrap business, expanding my marketing practice, a new job for the DH and possibly (gulp!) a big move. Change is good, though. We've been in the same place for six years and maybe it's time to shake things up a bit. As long as we're together and happy, that's all that matters. Or, at least that's what I keep telling the DH, who tends to stress over change a bit more than I do!

In celebrating the end of a wonderful 2008, and the beginning of an exciting 2009, I'm offering this freebie for your New Year's layouts. You get a the brush and a png version for whatever you might want to use it for. Have a safe and happy New Year!

Grab your freebie here.

Ho Ho Ho - Happy Holidays

Well, the tree is up and trimmed. In fact, the kids and the DH have already denuded it of the THREE packages of candy canes with which I had adorned it. The stocking are hung by the chimney with care, and the advent calendar has been counting down the days. I finished all my holiday shopping yesterday - gah! I know, I know, my friends are always the first to give me grief about my overwhelming organziation and ability to get things done before other people have started! But, regardless of my anal retentive preparations, it really is starting to feel like Christmas. This week we got our first real snow, and it dipped into the teens for a couple of days. We're getting ready for school choir concerts and class parties and before we know it, it will be Christmas Eve and we'll all be waiting for the pitter patter of little hooves on the rooftops.

In honor of the upcoming yuletide celebrations, I created this elegant and lovely set of holiday brushes. You get all five in both ABR and PNG formats, so you can use them any way you'd like. I also added a little Ho Ho Ho freebie, I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Holidays Brush Set
$3.00

Grab your freebie here.

Create Something Beautiful Today

I was incredibly stressed this morning - the kids were ornery, I was rushing around, didn't have time for breakfast, etc., etc. Sped off to school, sped home.

But the house is quiet now that everyone is at school, and my husband is tucked away in his basement office. My iPod is playing my favorite playlist. And I am about to spend a couple of hours being creative. I'm feeling incredibly peaceful all of a sudden and I can literally feel the tension leaving my shoulders. It's a wonderful feeling.

So, to celebrate this rare state of bliss, I thought I'd share my favorite word art. It seemed fitting to my state of mind this morning and I hope it inspires you to create something beautiful today. And, please, remember to laugh a little today!

Grab your freebie here.

Calling All Divas!

Today my daughter's school took their annual trip to the Denver Symphony. This is a BIG deal - as the kids are all encouraged to dress up. The boys generally wear and clean shirt and tie with their standard sneakers and jeans, but the girls go all out. My daughter left the house in a gold taffeta dress with pearl details (originally purchased for a relative's wedding), a black velvet jacket with leopard fur collar, gold sparkly ballet slippers, and her beaded pink purse. My, was she stylin'. It got me thinking about how much fun it is to be a girl and get all dressed up for a special occasion. I was inspired to create some "dress up clothes" for your layouts! So, here's my version of a super-girly alpha and papers, and a little freebie for you divas out there! Each letter/number/symbol is edged in hot pink glitter. The leopard print is an homage to my beautiful girl who went off this morning all shiny and sparkly and ready to take on the world!

Diva Alpha
$3.00
Uppercase, numbers 0-9, symbols
.png format, 300 dpi

Little Diva Alpha
$3.00
lowercase only
.png format, 300 dpi

Diva Papers
$2.50
Five papers, 12 x 12
.jpeg format, 300 dpi

Grab your freebie here.

Welcome to Scrap Buddha!

The Laughing Buddha, also known as "Hotei", has a special place in my heart. As the Hotei traveled the lands, he spread happiness and peace. When he entered a town, he would head straight to the market, the busiest place around. Once there, he dropped his sack at his feet, raised his hands above his head and began laughing. His infectious mirth and happy countenance would draw a crowd, who began laughing right along with him.

Today we know that laughter releases endorphins, those feel good chemicals in our brain that create a sense of peace and well-being. What the Buddha knew was that laughter meditation brought both a feeling of happiness and tranquility, and it was his life's work to spread that message to all the people in the land.

When I was first told the story of the Hotei, I immediately felt a kinship to this chubby, happy guy. Maybe it's because I'm quite chubby myself ;o) Or more likely, it was because I my own philosophy is to find joy in everything I do - whether it be parenting, work or pleasure. Sometimes life is tough - like when your five-year-old dumps an entire gallon of sticky apple juice on the kitchen floor (it's happened!). But, I really believe there is joy in absolutely every situation, even the most dire and depressing. So, when the apple juice went everywhere - I chose to laugh at the look on my little guy's face rather than rage at the work ahead of me. See, peace and tranquility CAN reign if you just remember to look for it!

So, in the spirit of spreading a little happiness today, I'm offering a freebie to kick off my blogging adventure. The following word art from the Buddha is a gift to you. And remember, laugh a little today!

Download the freebie here.