my newest layout for unpubbed

Once I decided which pictures to use, this just made itself. I started grabbing stuff I had on my desk and it just all worked. There is an orange border all around this page and there are scallops at the bottom of the creative imaginations paper just like at the top. The scan cut the bottom off and I'm not feeling like messing with it. This was the most fun I've had all week. Just love painting on my stamps, too. I took these pictures of Allison on my birthday when we were playing around trying to see how fast the camera could keep shooting pictures. She was a willing model doing all these twists and turns and funky faces for me. She is a silly one, that girl. Love her to pieces.

The requisite mirror shot!

Just couldn't resist getting a picture of myself with my new camera!

Got another puzzle piece today!

This one is from my friend Corey Wagner whom I met at Scrapbook Playground. I keep running into her at other scrappy sites, too. Thanks, Corey. This piece is wonderful and I just love it. I am a big fan of brown and you used it beautifully.

And the winners are!

Melissa (city mouse)
Joscelyne
Samantha

I am much too old and decrepit to do a Liz style happy dance but I am high fiving you all! Please email me your address and I will send you a package of goodies. Remember, some of it is new. Some of it is large pieces of scraps. I have been downsizing and have way too many duplicate sheets of paper. I have learned to only buy one piece, now. I used to always buy two.

Thank you, Stacey!

Back on November 11, I won the Days of Glory contest over at All Moments Remembered. I got my prize package on Wednesday. It had several sheets of paper in blues and greens from Shabby Princess, some cardstock stickers and a blank accordian matchbook minibook. I think I'm going to use the mini book to make something for Curtis for our anniversary in a couple of weeks. I used the paper last night to make this page about my sister-in-law's surprise party back in September. I had also ordered some of the word board books from her. I got three of the ones that say FAMILY. I'm going to make one for me, of course and one each for my girls.

2nd puzzle piece back

I go this back from Debbie McCaffrey on Wednesday. It is adorable! Thanks, Deb.

Mommy has a new camera

Yesterday was a good day. Karen sent me flowers. Allison took me to lunch. Curtis fixed hamburgers. I had my family together to sing happy birthday to me and I played with my new camera. I have lots of shots of Allison playing "model" so I could see how fast it could shoot. Very fun. Don't forget to leave me comments between now and Sunday for a chance to get a gift from me. Also, I have given out all of my puzzle pieces. I will give you updates as they come in.

Gifts for my friends

48 years ago today, I came into the world as the first child of young parents who loved each other deeply until the day my dad died 44 years later. I have been loved all my life; first by my parents and now by my darling funny husband of almost 30 years. My two beautiful girls and darling little grandson have made my life so much fun. Though I have never been money wealthy, I have been blessed with a loving family, a comfortable life and lots of laughter. Today, I want to celebrate those things. I have been very lucky the past several weeks. I have won a few contests, received several RAKs and been given gifts. I want to share some of it with you. I have assembled three packages of assorted scrappy goodies. Some of it is brand new stuff. Some of it is large paper scraps. Some of it is just fun. Everyone who leaves a comment on any of my posts between now and Sunday at noon will go in a drawing to receive a gift from me. Thanks for being my friends.

Dipping my toes into digital

Every year, my mother makes a family calendar that lists everyone's birthdays and anniversaries and reminds us of Holy Days of Obligation. She has done it for several years, now. At first, she used stock photos she found on the internet to decorate the upper page facing the actual calendar page. Two years ago, I offered to do those for her. I used a mix of some old photos of my siblings and myself and some new pictures and made scrapbook pages that I scanned and we had printed. They turned out okay. Last year, I spent the year stalking each member of my family to get a good head shot of them by themselves and made pages featuring those whose birthday was that month. I really liked how these turned out but I had lots of gripers, especially from the girls about the pictures I chose. These pages are in my CK gallery if you want to look at them. This year, I decided to do quotes and use pictures with no people in them. I used some of the pictures and some of the quotes in my September project but there are some new ones, too. I decided to use a simple, minimal design and I did them digitally. Here are a few samples. All of the photos were taken with my Nikon Coolpix camera. That crayon picture took me about50 tries (I'm not kidding) to get one that was in focus and at an angle I was happy with.

On that note, I am very very very excited to announce that tomorrow on my 48th birthday, I am getting a Nikon D40! It is my combination birthday, 30th anniversary and Christmas present. I can't wait to get my hands on it and start taking some amazing photos! It is the camera that makes the photos amazing, isn't it? LOL Come back tomorrow. I will be giving presents away for my birthday!

unpubbed layout

I'm starting to like the 8 1/2 x 11 size more and more. It doesn't take near as much for it to look "finished." This is my lift of Jamey's layout. I took the torn edges, the double matte and the word strips to the left side. I also used the scallop ribbon across the bottom. All those same elements and it looks nothing like hers, does it? That is the really fun part of scrap lifting. I caught this sweet picture of two babies sleeping in the back seat of the car two summers ago after Karen tapped me on the shoulder and handed me her camera to take the picture cause she couldn't get them both from where she was sitting on the other side of Seth. I took one with her camera and then took one with mine. Curtis was mumbling the whole time about not waking them up. I have wanted to scrap it for a while. I have a few pictures in a little basket on my scrap table that I leave there just waiting for inspiration and this was one of them.

Would you like to help me with a project?

I have purchased this blank puzzle made by Technique Tuesday and would love for some of you to help decorate it for me. I have given out 4 pieces and received the first one back. The first person to return it was my friend, Liz Ness. I have included a picture of the lonely puzzle waiting for decoration and a close up of Liz' piece. Isn't it gorgeous? I just love it and am truly very excited that she did this for me. I can't wait till I get the other pieces back.

The instructions are simple. Decorate in any way you like but be sure the edges will still be able to connect with the other pieces. I would also like you to put your name on the front in some way. You can make it part of the design or simply sign it. When I get all the pieces back, I will mount it and use it to decorate my scrap space so I will have a constant reminder of who my scrappy friends are.

Would you like to play? Email me your address to dettaowens@texasearch.com and I will mail you a piece.

This made me giggle

Incurable Optimist

scattering little bits of happiness everywhere she goes, except at home because her family told her to get out & leave them in peace for godsakes Brian Andreas

What do you think?

My first real altered item. The paper and the ribbon are Prima. I was going for simple and elegant. Is it too simple. Shall I use this for my Daisy D entry?

Woo Hoo!

I won this week's Days of Glory over at All Moments Remembered. Go on over and check it out. She has those neat Bo Bunny Word Books and she can special order books with any name you want. too. Very Cool.

Guess where I was today!

I got to meet Kelly Pickler today. She is the tiniest little thing and just too sweet. Loved her concert, too.

A new bed and fun times

Yesterday, Curtis and I went bed shopping. Thanksgiving is coming. Allison will be home and there are no extra beds in our house anymore. We decided to buy a new bed for ourselves and put ours in the extra bedroom. It was an exhausting day. Who would have thought that laying down on beds, getting up from beds and rolling over and bouncing on beds would be so tiring? I especially liked the part where I laid there and made Curtis get up and down over and over so I could see if I felt him moving. You know, he is slightly bigger and weighs a bit more than me....

We finally decided on a King Size Tempurpedic. (Can you say monthly payments?) Then, we had to go shopping for sheets and a comforter because our old bed was a queen. Who would have thought this man I've been married to for 30 years would suddenly have an opinion about what colors he wanted to decorate our room in? What a beating! Not really. I enjoyed his input and he was willing to go to more than one place to look. We settled on sage and yellow from Target and we now have a pretty new bed. Fun times! I didn't sleep very well, though. I guess it will take getting used to. Also, there was this big huge space between us all night while we slept. No elbows in the side and no extra body heat. How great is that?!

Fun Scenic Route Paper and Chipboard

I guess I need to point out that this little cutie is my niece, Mary Kathryn. She is 2 1/2 years old and one of a set of twin girls belonging to my youngest sister, Mary.

I'm a finalist!

I just got an email from Jodi Stacey at Daisy D's that I am a finalist for their design team! She wants me to send an email with 1-3 of my favorite layouts plus one altered item. This is the first time I have tried out for a design team. It was so easy to try for this one. All they wanted was a link to your on line gallery or your blog. I sent links to both. Does anyone out there have a favorite layout of mine? I haven't done very many altered items. I guess I'll send one of the canvases I just did.

Hey, check this out!

Tenika has used one of my layouts on her blog. I like to look at all the pages on here when I have multiple photos to use on one layout. Thanks, Tenika.

http://scrapbooklayouts.blogspot.com/

Happy November

It's my favorite month. Welcome to November. I love Thanksgiving and sweaters and pumpkin pie. I like cool mornings as long as the sun comes out and warms up the day. I like thinking about Christmas coming. Happy November.