Up for a digital scrapbooking challenge?

There is a new blog at twolittlepixels. I'm quite excited about that because it already has freebies and challenges. There is a template challenge using this fabulous template that you can grab for free:

and a scraplift challenge to lift this gorgeous page:

Hmm, so much inspiration, so little time! I think I need to retire!!
So add http://www.twolittlepixels.com/blog/ to your google reader.

CT opportunity with Scooty's Designs

Interested in joining a digital scrapping creative team? Here's a great opportunity. You can see Scooty's Designs here at twolittlepixels.

Keeping it simple

I love all the gorgeous digital product that is out there. I find it SO hard to resist. And you know, $2 here, $3 there... less than a cup of coffee (or so the voice tells me!). Yet I prefer the minimalist pages I've created to the ones with lots of embellishment.
This leaves me somewhat in a state of turmoil!

I have a quite a few minimalist templates by [ksharonkdesigns]. Here's one page I created using one of her templates with hardly any embellishment, just some photos I was a bit proud of, a background paper and some leaf elements blended into the background.

 (credits here)

Many of the scrappers I admire most do pages that are far more minimalist than that! They also often have amazing photos. (I wonder what they do with their less-than-amazing photos. No one can take amazing photos ALL of the time, can they?!)

I recently stumbled upon a bunch of freebie, ultra simple templates on a blog by Julie Designs. I love the simple LOs. Here is an example:

But they are just photos on white backgrounds. You'd think that a person would not need a template to do that, yet I'm so inspired by the designs that I can't resist collecting them! And I do use them. Sometimes they sit in my stash for years. My 2010 POTD album is ultrasimple and I'm so happy how it's turning out. It is based on an older freebie template by [ksharonkdesigns] that sat in my stash for years...

I don't manage to get a photo I'm proud of every day, but it surprises me how well they scrub up when I pop them into this simple template.

I'll be printing these with blurb like I did for my 2009 POTD album. Can't wait!

So, to embellish or not to embellish... that is the question!

UPDATE: I just found a Margote's blog where she used those simple templates for her POTD. Love it! I think I may just have found my format for 2011 POTD!!

Grab Bags Galore!

I am on the Creative Team at twolittlepixels.com and what a privilege that is! This week is ultra special because all of the designers there have released grab bags. That's 19 grab bags to choose from!!

I was lucky enough to see what was in the grab bags of [ksharonkdesigns], Roadside Designs and cherpea designs, and they are ALL well worth the $3. Below are a few LOs I've made with goodies from the grab bags (just to tempt you!)

These two pages use grabbag goodies: paper by Roadside Designs, alpha and frames by [ksharonkdesigns], tape and staples from cherpea designs. I also used the Simple Sets #50 template and stitches from collections [stitches 1] both by [ksharonkdesigns].

And another double page spread using paper from Roadside Designs' grabbag. I also used ExpresswayMap7 by Roadside Designs. Her templates come ready embellished - and included the ribbon, flowers and buttons. You'll find more amazing templates in her grabbag!
So do yourself a favor and pick up a bargain!

Things are happening

Can you guess what we're up to at our house?!

The elusive blue wren

I have tried to photograph superb blue wrens so many times as they move through the yard with their harem. The only real success I've had is with an almost dead female wren. Not quite the same. Today I spied them flitting though and grabbed my 300 zoom lens as I dashed outside.
Here are my photos:

I swear he was there when I pressed the button. They are so quick!

Ah, there he is, see? That blue blur. Now if only I could sort out this manual focus before he disappears again...

...This is how it usually goes and I end up with a bunch of useless photos.

And then a miracle happened. He popped up on top of the bush right in front of me, and showed off is plumage in the sun.

See how handsome he is?!

Oh yes, you're handsome from that angle, too.

And then he was gone.

Some things to make you drool

My sister kindly gave my husband and I vouchers for a "Chocoholic Tour" of the city for Christmas. It is actually a cunning plot on her behalf to get us to come to visit. It works! We finally booked our tour for this morning.
The tour not only included delicious chocolate...

...that we enjoyed with coffee and hot... (can you guess?)... chocolate (are you drooling yet)...

.. but we enjoyed it in some of the most beautiful settings in the city!

We learned interesting snippets about the history of the architecture (and a few juicy tidbits). We spent some time in an arcade that is my favorite part of the city. So much to photograph there. I was even tempted to take a macro shot of a pot plant but thought better of it - only to find myself surrounded by people with DSLRs taking photos of potplants and ceilings and floors and us. So I went ahead and pretended I was part of the photography class, too :)

So that was my morning. Doesn't get much better than that, does it?
But wait...
For digi-scrappers I have more... (well, yes this is a plug, but in digital scrapbooking land it can get quite confusing following designers from one store to another and I've been excited to see so many new designers joining the twolittlepixels crew).
New designers to twolittlepxiels this weekend ... A-liya, Siamese Studio, Blue Flower Art, SAS Designs, EljjDorado Design, Maue Designs, AnjaJ Designs, and Avdesigns. Check out this week's twolittlepixels newsletter to see a selection of their products. Gorgeous!!