Okblues Designs Blog

Today is the last day to pick up this free layered template at goDigitalScrapbooking. Click the preview to get the template.

And if you complete a layout for the sketch challenge using this template by midnight EST today, I'll send you a surprise freebie. See you there!

Today's Daily Download at goDigitalScrapbooking is a collection of Ornament Frames for your holiday layouts. Just place your picture behind the frame and you have your special photo framed to add to your card or layout. I hope you enjoy these. Click the preview to go to the store to download.

I recently added a winter/holiday themed kit to the store at goDigitalScrapbooking. My grandmother had boxes and boxes of Christmas ornaments and the ones that bring back the fondest memories were a set of silvery bell ornaments with glittered designs. That memory is the inspiration for my newest kit, Silver Bells, combining soft hues of blues and violet with a touch of shimmer and glitter. Complete snowflake alpha included. Here is a preview. Click to view it full size.

I also have a new series of paper packs in the works. The Barely There Collection features soft colors and subtle textures, with some of the papers having patterns that are barely there. I thought these papers would be great for those times you want a simple, clean start for a layout. The first two in the collection are in the store now. The first in the series is Oatmeal:.

The second in the series is Clear Sky:

There are four more in the Barely There Collection that should be in the store this week. And what about freebies? Check out the Daily Download at goDigitalScrapbooking for a terrific new freebie each and every day. And I'm not talking about 3 or 4 little elements either, but some really nice element packs and even mini-kits. Today's download is Blue Washed Chalk by Debra Anderson and it rocks.

It's been a hectic week. Lots of work at the farm and then Thanksgiving. Oh, and we all shared a lovely virus this week as well. I sometimes wish we would just all be sick at the same time instead of staggering it out & passing it back and forth. We did have a great Thanksgiving dinner at hubby's grandmother's home with the usual assortment of delicious food. We had a lot of the family's old favorites and some new dishes as well. Such as the caramel apple pie one of his aunts prepared. Delicious! And now it's all downhill to Christmas. As usual, I don't have my shopping done. Have barely even started.

I finally got a layout scrapped with one of the photos from our scenic fall drive a couple weeks ago. I did get the kids to pose for a few shots, but I couldn't get Doris to smile for a one.

The kit used is Fall Velvet by Holly McCaig Designs (blue paper was colorized); Frame is from Dreamy Frames by Emily Powers (colorized); Leaves from Thanks & Blessings by Miki Ferkul. Fonts: OakgraphixLx, LD FinePrint 16.

I have a sketch challenge posted at goDigitalScrapbooking with a layered template for you to use for the challenge. Here is a preview of the template:

I hope you can find the time to drop by & give the sketch challenge a try. This challenge ends on November 29th, and then I will put up a new one. Depending on participation, I expect to post a new one every two weeks. And each person who participates in this challenge will get a surprise freebie from me. Here is the layout I created that inspired the template:

The photos are of our dd JoAnn with one of the kids' horses, Rooster. Credits: Rustic Grunge by Denise Bailey Designs; Flowers from July Breeze by Tracey Lee; Doodles by Angie Briggs. Fonts: GE Greenway Caps, LD Diary.

My latest kit, Mocha Mint is now in the store at goDigitalScrapbooking. And don't forget, all of my products are still 35% off until the 15th, including Mocha Mint. Here is a preview:

And here is a layout using Mocha Mint. And yes, that is me, lol.

Credits: Mocha Mint now available at goDigitalScrapbooking; Flourish brushes from Art and Soul by MaryAnn Wise, available at Designer Digitals. Fonts: French Script, TrajanPro.

We are enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon. We went to church this morning, then had a quiet family dinner. The kids rode their horses for a while and are playing outside. I am taking some time to scrap. Here is a layout I just finished.

Credits: Feeling Blue by Denise Bailey Designs (hue & saturation adjusted on papers), available at DigiScrapShak; Stitching from Tranquility by Denise Bailey Designs (colorized); Snowflakes from Snowy Winter Solstice by Miki Ferkul, available at Scrap Outside The Box. Fonts: 2 Peas Peppermint Tea, LD Diary. Now I'm back to scrap some more. Hope you're enjoying your Sunday afternoon!

A big thank you to all of you who joined us at the Introduce A Friend chat at GDS last night. I hope you continue with the Treasure Hunt and the Grand Prize Challenge. I look forward to seeing all those gorgeous layouts with the collaboration kit!

I am finishing up a new kit and hope to have it in the store tomorrow. Here is a sneak peak.

Just to remind everyone who visits here....don't forget our Introduce A Friend chat tonight at goDigitalScrapbooking. The chat will start at 10:00 pm EST and I hope some of you can make it. It is going to be fun and there are some beautiful freebies, not to mention the prizes to be won. Here's a sneak peek to whet your appetite. See you at the chat!

Saturday afternoon we went for a drive looking at fall colors. We ended up at an old tower site in the National Forest near our home. There used to be a fire lookout tower here, but all that remains are a few concrete anchors amid the rocks. The kids love to climb on the rocks. It was almost dark, so my photos aren't that great.

Sunday was a lazy day, church and then dinner, with no company. It was pouring rain all day so we just relaxed with a movie. Finally got to watch Eight Below. I really enjoyed a family weekend with no company, no errands to run, etc. I hope we can have more of these.

We are having an Introduce A Friend chat at goDigitalScrapbooking on November 8th at 10:00 pm EST, hosted by the designers at the site. We will focus on the basics of beginning digital scrapbooking and will be giving away some beautiful freebies, and some great prizes too. We would love to have you join us!

Yes, it's official and my store is open at goDigitalScrapbooking. Thanks to Debra and Holly for adding me to their design team. And thanks to Melissa (Phoenix) for her encouragement and help. To celebrate the opening of my store, I have offered a 35% discount on all of my designs until November 15, 2006. Here is a preview of my latest design, Autumn Splendor.

I also have a matching quickpage up for grabs (FREE) in the store. I love autumn, the cooler days and the rich colors. The photo in the preview of the quickpage was taken during a family horseback ride near our farm.

Did you notice the difference in attire between dh & dd Doris? We have thermostat wars at our house. Randy & Daniel are always cold and the girls & I are always hot. I keep telling dh that they can cover up with a quilt, but we can only remove so many clothes. See you at goDigitalScrapbooking!