Dream Big

Ok.. so I wanted to complete the challenges for the group that I am a part of over at scrapbook.com, so to do that I had to pull a couple of late nighters to get them accomplished by the due date... LOL... which I might add was today. It was well worth the lack of sleep, well it seemed good at the time! LOL.. but the end result was what I think to be 2 great layouts. This first is for the Eiffel Tower Group - April Technique Challenge In honor of April Fool's, this month's Technique Challenge is to use something on your layout that corresponds with the word FOOL(S) as follows:
F - Flora or Fauna. You must use plants (trees, flowers, etc.) or animals (ladybugs, butterflies, etc., also ok) somewhere on the layout--this could be in your actual picture(s), papers, or as embellishments!
O - Odd. You must use something odd on the layout (the "odd" thing can be something not normally used on a layout, OR--an odd number of a certain supply, such as 3 patterned paper s, or 5 brads, for example.)
O - Oval. You must use something in the shape of an oval on your layout. This can be anything.
L - Light Colors. You must use light colors on at least 50% of the layout. Think Spring! Pastels, muted colors, light colors.

All of these things make the LO worth 25 points.

TWIST:
S - Sewing Or Stitching. For an extra 10 points, you must use sewing or stitching on the layout. This can be freehand and freeform, by machine, or with a template--whatever you like!

You can also use any subject matter for this LO.

SOOO for my lo I chose to use one of Rachel's senior pics. My background cs in real life is a little more creamy/vanilla but doesn't really reflect that here.. grr the rain! LOL..

F: flora or fauna - I have that lovely lollipop flower from Prima and some butterflies.

O: Odd - Well, I actually have 3 pieces of different pp, 3 butterflies, and that green circle thingie in the bottom right corner is a washer with paint and stickles on it.

O: Oval - I made a hidden journaling tag which is to the right of the pic. I made an oval pull with the butterfly on it.

L: Light color - I believe that 50% of my lo is in light color.

S: Stitching - Twist extra 10 points - stitching.. I stitched the "X" and also stitched the washer on the lo.

Renew Me - Challenge

This layout was done for the ETG April BOM Challenge. In honor of Spring, the BOM Challenge theme for this month was Renewal. What is something you do for renewal of your body, mind, soul, environment, etc.? This can be anything--the time you take for yourself, something you do just for you--whether it be daily, weekly, monthly, etc. Or--did you just renew your environment? Possible examples: redecorate a room in your home, plant a garden, or even a new purse or new shoes that make you feel refreshed and renewed, etc.; anything with the Renewal theme! So use your imagination on this one! This challenge is worth 25 points, with a Twist: If you use the word "Renew" or "Renewal" in your LO title, it's an extra 10 points!

So, I truly think the thing that renews me from the inside out, in the depth of my soul daily is truly my relationship with Christ. When I prise him in song, in his word or through lo's such as this. Christ certainly has renewed me in ways that are beyond words and how could I resist not doing my lo on this.

First I just LOVE this pic of Jesus with the lamb and knew as soon as I found it I wanted to use this on my lo. I kept this very simple and let that beautiful pp from K & Company do most of the work for me. I did cut some of the background pp out and let it lay over the pic and then I cut another piece that is to the right with the bluish flowers and glued that down. My title says it all. My journaling are words from the song by Avolon "Renew Me". This was what instantly came to my mine when this challenge was presented. I love these words and what else can I say, this is exactly what he has done for me over the years and still does for me daily, the journaling reads "So renew me, remake me, Undo me, Unbreak me, Come into the empty spaces, Of my broken places, And consume me, Complete me, Pursue me, Redeem me, Let Your Holy Spirit living through me, Renew me, I need you to renew me" just love those words

Wow..

I found this to be soo creative and really just enjoyed the creativity of it and the music. So if you haven't seen it before make sure you watch it, very inventive! It's a great way to start my day! ENJOY



Fun Facts:
* The video was shot all stills - roughly 3225 still photos for the entire video, using one camera, hanging from the ceiling for the main body of the movie.
* It took 4 weeks before shooting to create an animated computer generated storyboard for the video, with 3d dummies for the characters.
* It took only 2 days of shooting for the live actors on set to re-create the 3.5 minutes computer sequence, frame by frame.
* Some of the bed sheets used in the video were taken from Oren’s own bedroom and are now considered collectors items, worth at the moment not very much and therefore used as bed sheets.


XOXO

Did you know.....

that I also do fine art? Well, I don't seem to do much these days (life just seems to busy with other things), but if you have ever taken the time to read my profile you will have read that I paint and draw. My choice of paint is watercolor and I love to draw in color pencil. Plus, people have actually paid me to draw and paint on their walls!! Now, my mom would have never allowed me get away with that while living at home when I was younger, but now a days, she just might allow me to do so! So, since my days are so extra full right now and I have not had much time to paper craft with layouts or too many cards or projects I thought while this was going on I would post some things that I have done PTHAB (prior to having a blog). Sooooo.... I thought I would give you a little art show... or also known as Designs by Nina... aka my fine art. So, let's pretend you have a glass of fine wine in one hand, a small plate of yummy food in the other and you are walking around having fine conversation in this art gallery at one of my shows!! LOL...

I am going to start you off with a commissioned painting of the the top part of a building known as the old Chrysler Building that was down town and closed shortly after I painted this. An employee commissioned me to paint this to be auctioned off at an event for Chrysler, but once he seen it he just paid me for it and kept it for himself, because his whole lively hood was spent there working and now it was no more.



This is a painting I did this past Christmas for a friends daughter that wanted to give it to her parents for Christmas. This is a picture of her and her brother when they were younger. She is now 18 and I am guessing him to be 20. I usually hate to do people, but when you do people that are close to your heart, that is a different story, you feel them as you paint them. Can't really explain it, but that is the best I can say about that.



This painting is quite old, but one of my favorites and not my usual watercolor. It is more about design and color. I just love it.



This here is my all time favorite animal portrait that I have ever done. It is in color pencil, my favorite choice medium to do animal portraits in. This will show all you card makers and stampers how wonderful color pencils can truly be!! I take them quite seriously!! :O)



That was just a sample of some of my picturious things. So now do you wanna see a sample of my murals? Ya, so.. was that a yes?! Well, I am glad so here ya go... this first pic is a knight I did in a little boy's bedroom. He probably stands a good
5'4" would be my guess... isn't he just wonderful!?!



Now, I have done many more murals, but I am going to stop with a few from this one, because it is now 12:49AM and I need to go to bed!! UGH.... These pictures come from a mural that measured 37 feet long and 10 feet high. It was a scene from a jungle. These 2 are my favorite animals in the whole scene. Plus my elephant was awesome and I just loved it and still do and it was BIG which made it even better! These were painted mostly with wall paints and then it was sealed.





Thanks for coming to my art show today and visiting me and having a cyber glass of wine, plate of yummy food and good conversation with me... please come back and visit and I look forward to seeing you then....

Blast from the past... LOL

Well, I am slowly starting to feel back to myself. With Rachel about to graduate there is a lot to plan and to accomplish with the senior stuff and college plans, so my creative flow seems to have come to a halt for the moment. So, I thought since my last few posts have not been paper related, I thought I would post some of my work that I did prior to starting my blog. These are a few of my favorite layout's and are not on my blog, well, maybe in my slide show, but thought I would post something scrappy. So enjoy and hopefully I will get a few challenges done by months end!








Thanks for stopping by and taking a look...

Well, I have been feeling really sicky this past week. Since last Tuesday night to be exact. Started feeling better on Saturday, so I took Rachel out to take some pics of her for her senior pic. She was open to me taking them, so I told her if they turned out totally suckie, we would hire someone to take them for her. I think they have turned out not so bad since I am just her mom! She didn't even want to get any taken at all from anyone, but I certainly wanted some. I think that is why she was open to me taking them. Well, here a few of ump-teen million of them. I have messed around with these in my photo programs.. so we will see.... These first 7-9 shots are kind of goof-offs... she was soo funny she stated that she sure was hugging a lot of wood that day... and then on the steps she was all stretched out there and then rolled off and scrapped her elbow!! We had a lot of fun and then I got REALLY sick that evening and sunday I spent all day in bed.... today I feel gloomy and achie... but anyway, here are some of the pics... now remember I also don't have a super duper professional kind of camera, just a good kodak
The goof-offs:



























The more serious:















THANKS FOR STOPPING AND LOOKING...

Testing, 1-2-3

TESTING my signature... THANKS BUNCHES Marlene!!!

WOWZER.... BRAVO to you Susan Boyle!!

Really, someone very dear to me sent this link to me this morning in an e-mail. It is regarding a lovely lady named Susan Boyle and she appeared on Britain's Got Talent. I must say it truly moved me to tears. This video just reflects the world and how we truly judge people by their looks... so sad really when I think about the initial reaction, but so thrilling to see the result of God's true beauty shining through so clearly. Make sure you watch it, it certainly is worth seeing the reaction on Simon's face before, during and after.... WAY TO GO SUSAN! Make sure you look at the words to the song too. ENJOY and I hope it moves you as well! What a wonderful way to start my morning!! Hats off to you!! You certainly are more then a super star Susan!! I am certainly in awe of you; your voice, confidance, humility, your humor and joy; your beauty!! (((BRAVO - Standing and applauding))) So now, go not only forth to dream your dream, but live it!

Susan Boyle - 47-letnia śpiewaczka z brytyjskiej wersji "Mam
Uploaded by luloczek

Here are the Lyrics:
I dreamed a dream from Les Miserables

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life woth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame.

And still
I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different form this hell I'm living
so different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

Yes, another domino piece

What can I say? I LOVE making these!! Back in Feb. (I think) I had a post that referenced placing the same paragraph on your blog and offer the same thing and I would make you a piece of handmade something.. LOL... I believe I only had two people that actually posted it on their blog so I made them both each a domino piece. This was the second one I just made and sent out. The other one I posted was with several of the others ones. I made the other one to match Jenn's purse which was very cool and posted on her blog. It was a lot of fun to make them and I hope they enjoyed them. Oh don't worry I will be making more and like I promised when I have time sometime, I will post how I do it.. ugh.. just finding the time... but I am super busy right now getting some other exciting things together and I can't wait till I am past the "small details" of some of this stuff and then I will be back to let the world know what I am doing!! hehehe... I hope you will be soo excited, I know I am!! Thanks for stopping by and I will catch you all later!!

Cuppy Cake Song

Rachel my 18 year dear daughter just loves this song and gets soo excited when she plays this...I love to watch her listen to it...so I thought I would share it with all of you.. it is pretty cute... have a cuppy cake kind of day!