My Digital Studio Monday - Week One

Hold on to your hats stampers! I am moving into uncharted territory! lol

If you are not aware, Stampin' Up! has digital scrapbooking software! It's called My Digital Studio, or MDS for short, and the start up package is only $24.95. Really! AND, they have a free trial version!

I've had it for years but have been reluctant to dive in. Well, no more!

I belong to a Facebook group that issues one MDS challenge per week, with a video of instructions to go along with it. Well, I have really just been lurking there, but I have finally taken the plunge!

The group is on Challenge #60 or something ridiculous but I have started with Challenge #1 One Photo, Multiple Boxes. I watched the video here and started creating.

This new adventure is not without it's challenges but there are lots of videos out there to answer most of my questions. Here's what I learned this week:

  • How to add background paper
  • How to add a photo
  • How to add one photo to three photo boxes (that was the actual challenge)
  • How to add and re-color a photo mat
  • How to add a drop shadow
  • How to round photo corners (so cool)
  • How to add/resize/re-color text
  • How to add a stamp (See the cute shoes? They look like Dinkles to me!)
  • How to add and rotate an embellishment (See the staples in the upper right hand corner?)
  • How to add a page overlay and flip it so the facing page had a mirror image
  • How to move layers backwards and forwards (awesome tool!)
  • How to pull the background paper color from my son's uniform jacket :)

Whew! That's a lot of learning for two 12 x 12 pages! But I am now one step closer to being caught up, lol

The subject is my youngest son who is now 23 (hanging head in shame at how far behind I am) during his freshman year in band. Here he is marching in the Band Tournament that our school hosted every year, called Artistry in Motion. My older son took my brand new Nikon D70 and shot this fantastic photo of his brother for me (I was working the ticket booth). Great memory, great photo, and now it's scrapbooked!

Now what to do with it? Well, MDS has a print company and all I do is send my pages electronically to them and they will print them for me. I can print each page individually or I can have a whole photo book printed. Once I have more pages done, I will send them to be printed both ways and see which I prefer. I think the photo books might be more manageable for the two boys who will inherit them :)

Thanks for stopping by and please let me know what you think about scrapbooking. Do you scrapbook? Digitally or with paper and glue?

Until next time, happy creating!

 

 

March Pals Blog Hop

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Thank you for joining us for the March Pals Blog Hop! Today the Stampin' Pretty Pals are excited to share new ideas and projects to get you ready for spring.

You should have just left stop number 23 on the Pals Hop - Amy Williams at Stampin' on the Range. If so, you are in the right spot.  If you get off track, the full blog lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all of the amazing creations.

I just love how Stampin' Up! is constantly providing wonderfully simple ways to decorate our homes and our lives...

My project today is a My Digital Studio download available for only $1.95 (Item #129889). I simply downloaded this template, printed it at home, and found a pretty frame to put it in! It doesn't get much easier than that!

I can't wait to display this in my home and bring in a touch of spring as winter makes it's retreat. But really, the colors are so cheerful, I think it could stay up year round!

I decided that this print would make a wonderful hostess or thank you gift so I added a few notecards in coordinating colors. One can never have too many note cards!

The notecards are simple 3 x 3 cards with a layer of cardstock in colors chosen to coordinate with the framed print. I added a layer of emobssed white cardstock and topped off with the flower image. I chose a flower image from the Button Buddies stamp set because it is sooo easy to punch out with the 1 3/4" Scallop Circle punch and then pop up with a Stampin' Dimensional for a bit of dimension. I couldn't resist (since the stamp set IS Button Buddies) adding a white button for a bit of jewelry. A tiny bit of cardstock threaded through the button holes provides a nice detail. Very simple but oh so cute!

I hope you have enjoyed my post today, simple and easy projects that you can do at home in an afternoon! And by the way...did you notice the Easter egg at the top of the post?? That's means I have blog candy to give away!!

My blog candy today is a sampler of items that you would normally only be able to earn with $100 purchase of Stampin' Up! product!

  •  12 6" x 6" sheets of the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper
  • 6 buttons each in 3 colors: Pool Party, Tangerine Tango, and Rich Razzleberry
  • 1 yard each of satiny ribbon in 3 colors: Island Indigo, Pool Party, and Tangerine Tango

Interested in receiving this blog candy? Please be sure to leave a comment by 6 PM CST on Thursday, March 14, 2013. One recipient will be chosen at random from the comments received. The blog candy recipient will be announced on Friday and the recipient will need to email me their mailing address within 24 hours. Blog candy can only be shipped to a US address -- thanks for understanding.}

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Button Buddies (1227374)

Paper: Whisper White (100730), Baja Breeze (111352), Calypso Coral (122925), Lucky Limeade (122926), so Saffron (105118) Cardstock

Ink: Baja Breeze (126960), Calypso Coral (126983), Lucky Limeade (126984), so Saffron (126957) Classic Stampin' Pad 

Tools: Big Shot (113439), Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder (117335), 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Stampin' Trimmer (126889)

Embellishments:  Neutral Designer Buttons (119743)

Thanks for stopping by!

The next stop is Amy L. Lazzell at Just a Thought...Cards by Amy, stop number 25 on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting – and I hope to see you next month!

2013marhop_back 2013marhop_next

  1. Dawn Tidd at tiddbitsfromdawn
  2. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty -
  3. Nicole Picadura at Scraps & Stamps
  4. Shannon Hokanson at Paper Works 
  5. Debbie Mageed at Scrappin' & Stampin'
  6. Diane Roberts at Score at Four and a Quarter
  7. Debbie Crowley at expressivelydeb...
  8. Ann Schach at The Stampin' Schach
  9. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
  10. Nicole Watt at Impressions By Nicole
  11. Kerry Willard Bray at stampgoodness
  12. Brian King at Stamp with Brian
  13. Maggie Mata at Maggie Made Cards
  14. Jennifer Takacs at Stamped in Full 
  15. Carmen Sublasky at The Creative Stamptuary
  16. Debra Simonis at Deb's Stampin' Grounds
  17. Linda Callahan at Stampin' Seasons 
  18. Kim Czenszak at LiveLoveStamp
  19. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin'
  20. Julie Trevett-Smith at The Stampin' Affair
  21. Rae Harper at Wild West Paper Arts
  22. Ginger Toivonvn at gingerstamps.com
  23. Amy Williams at Stampin' on the Range
  24. Shannon Jaramillo at ezpeasycards
  25. Amy L. Lazzell at Just A Thought...Cards by Amy
  26. Penny Nichols at Sierra Stampin!
  27. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine
  28. Peggy Noe at prettypapercards.com 
  29. Maxine Conrad at Stamp to the MAX!