On the Move!

This is now a non-active/archived blog.
New postings can be found at:

http://cindyangiel.com/ChipsWanderings/

I'm still working on getting the site to look the way I want it. But will hopefully have it done soon. Come on over and check it out. Be sure to update your RSS feeds and/or bookmarks with the new site URLs. Because this one will no longer be updated.

Looking forward to seeing you at the new home of my new “Wanderings” blog.

More Great News!

I've recently started new website. This one for digital scrapbook professionals and for those hobbyists who are moving toward the business side of the house.

Come check it out and let me know what you think!

http://dsd-professionals.com/

Requesting Your Help with a Study

I am conducting a study about art in general and the views of today's creative souls. It is for both personal and professional reasons that I'm doing this. To collect the information needed, I'll be asking a series of art-related questions to members across several online communities that I participate in, and folks who read my blogs too.

With this first go around, I'd love to hear your thoughts about:

Defining Art: It seems when developing a definition for the word "art" there are as many diverse opinions and answers as when coming up with a definition for love. I'm curious to see how the talented people of this community define "art." I don't want you to go to the dictionary or any other source to pull up a definition and quote it. What I'm looking for is how you, personally, define art. If it helps you to do so though, feel free to add your comments in "dictionary style." In other words, use syntax similar to how many dictionaries are laid out: Write the word "Art", followed by a definition (in your own words). Then use it in a sentence. This, of course, isn't necessary. Free form thoughts are welcomed!

Please Note: If you choose to add your input to this message string, you are giving me permission to use your comments in my study documentation. For the most part, credits will be given in general terms (i.e. "a member of the So-and-So online community expressed, "this, that, and the other.") Please do not add your comments, if you wish NOT to have your words repeated in the study. In some cases I may be contacting you for permission to use your real name, pen name, or online username. If this should happen, you are welcome to say no and I will totally respect your wishes!

Jump to my New Blog to give your response!

Vintage ArtiStamps

Been a while since I created new ArtiStamps. So the swap that popped up over at ScrapArtist pushed my muse back into action again. We were only to make one. I got a little carried away and did three. You know how it is when you get started on something and just don't want to put it down.

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Added Notes: I had a couple people mention to me that I didn't follow my usual way of doing things, because I didn't describe my creative process for these stamps (that's what I've done in previous ArtiStamp postings). So here it is inserted for those who are really bored and want more to read:

Design Process:
I picked out an actual vintage stamp for the base of my art piece.
Found pictures I thought would go well with the feeling or theme I was going to create.
Then I cut, and trimmed, and re-colored, and cut some more, added shadows, blended, cut some more, and finally got the elements all collaged together the way I thought would be apealing to the eye.
Then I "mounted" the collaged pieces to the vintage stamp and blended, cut, and re-colored some more.
When everything was placed on my palette how I wanted it, I added some additional distressing.
I cut/pasted a "postage canceled" seal onto a couple of them and called it good.

Stamp Names/Themes:
"Sail Away" - Fly Away with me over the open seas to a place where the sun always shines bright
"Meet Me At the Station" - Oh the places a young soul dreams of going to
"Sit for a Minute and Read" - Let the imagination go to colorful places and experience big adventures through the pages of a book

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I'll have them available for sharing on my "Chips Creative Friendship Circle" that's coming very soon. (wink, wink) Keep your eyes open for more info on the circle.

... Don't you just hate it when they only give you a tiny taste of something and don't give you the entire plate full.

Would You Go Back and Do It Again?

I fried my computer not too long ago. And the new one still hasn't been delivered. So I've been stealing away time on DH's computer when he's not on it. But that can be slim pickin's. Today however, he had to work and I was lucky enough to have the day off. So I made the best of my time. I got in some chat time with friends and bounced around the web for awhile too. Landed on a new website called Tinkering Ink. A group of scrappers with some new products they will be introducing at the end of this month, I believe. They are catering to both the paper and digital scrapper audience. So that explains what lead me there. Still an unfinished site, but they are making big strides in getting things moving in the right direction. Check them out if you're a scrapper looking for new products and fresh friendships!

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On a different note -- A co-worker asked me not too long ago, "If you had it to do over again, would you?" My answer -- Not in a million years. You couldn't convence me to repeat those teen years... or the earlier 20's either.

Oh don't get me wrong I had a great life. But I like how things have turned out thus far too.


Photo of Boo by Me / Digi paper by Gloria ValVerde - Carmel Mint kit
(I took artistic liberties and scuffed up the paper. You know how I like the distressed look.)
I wouldn't be where I am today had I not gone through all that I did in previous years. I like the way my personal puzzle is put together.

A Day on the Computer

I'm still plugging away at the heritage album for MIL. Even though I'm printing the digital LO's and assembling everything in an album, I'll be saving photos on a CD too. So I got the CD label accomplished, thanks to a challenge I answered at ScrapArtist. The photo on this label is of MIL as a child and I tinted it degitally. I used elements from Monique VanBekkum aka Jomi Designs to complete the project.



And here's the latest LO I did for the album too:




Used elements that I made, a few goodies pulled out of the SADS Heritage kit from the "Digital Scrapbooking Place" and a thing or two from the "As Time Goes By" kit by Gail (northsky) of ScrappyDooBooking.

Venting a Little and a New LO

So here's my 1st rant for the day. You know the shots I've been getting for my migraines that cost upwards of $1,300? Well the insurance company has decided they aren't going to cover them anymore. UGH! We finally find something that works pretty good for me (this procedure cut my migraine frequency in half!)... and the insurance company says, "No can do. You're on your own now." I am not a happy camper this day!

My second rant? Well since converting my blogger to the new (and improved???) google blogger - My customized template doesn't work the way I want it to anymore. Poo! I hate when that happens. When I did recent upgrades to my personal website, the blogging component went haywire as well. So now blogs all over the place are just so screwed up! Ugh... change isn't always so fab-dab-u-lous.

But I will survive! The computer WILL NOT win! It will not. It must not. I simply won't let it! After all, it's just a machine.

Stomping feet, rolling eyes, squealing out profanities, punching pillows..... okay, settling down now. Hissy fit over. Back to the drawing board and ready to set my sights on wading through all the paper work that's necessary for yet another insurance appeal, and new blog templates. Not exactly what I had planned for my weekend. But hey - at least it's another 3-dayer. :-)

So --- let's move on to stuff that is much more fun! How about a new digi-LO? This one features the oldest DD with her DH. I've had this song title floating around in my brain all week long. Thought if I did something creative with it, I might be able to move onto other things. LOL.





The steel blue paper in the background is from Traci Murphy's Uptown kit. I grabbed it up from SrapArtist I used a couple of swirly brushes from Obsidiandawn also. Grunged up the paper and swirls just a bit and changed a color photo to black and white.

Captured this little moment of affection when we were in Montana for Kev's graduation a few years back. And now we're preparing for Boo's graduation this year. I can't believe how quickly time flies!

I was Tagged

Blog Tag

I was recently tagged by Cheryl at ScrappyCat. Thanks alot Cheryl - I will get even! ROFLOL!!

These are the rules to play blogtag:

-- List 5 weird things about yourself or your pets.
-- Tag 5 friends and list them.
-- Those people need to write on their blogs about 5 weird things, and state the rules, and tag 5 more people.
-- Don't forget to let the people you tag know by posting a comment on their blog!

Here's weird things about me:

1. When I'm trying to stay awake on long car trips, I sing songs to myself that I learned many, many years ago in Sunday school. Songs usually only sung by children.
2. If I could, I would wear only sweat pants and T-shirts all year long. Wonder if I could get this dress code approved at work?
3. I enjoy Letterboxing and wish I had more time to devote to this little hobby.

Weirdness about our dogs:
4. When Topaz farts, she jumps up and looks around startled as if she has no idea where that sound (or smell) could have come from.
5. Even if she's freezing and really wants too, Lacy won't come in the house for anyone except me.

Here's the five fun-loving, easy-going, non-grudge bearing ;) folks I'm going to tag:

1. Amy Knepper - A great digi-scrapper friend who will never talk to me again after getting this tag.
2. CindyJo - A terrific gal with a new blog who does some great digi-designs over at ScrappyDooBooking.
3. Jeanne - A talented friend of mine who dabbles in stamping, scrapbooking and other crafty endeavers and hangs out at CraftHappy.com too.
4. Gloria ValVerde - a digi-scrapping friend who's now designing for MooTwoDesigns!
5. Carolyn - A scrappy friend of mine from Australia who stays busy teaching classes and hanging out with friends at CHW!

Photo Restoration

Taking out this year with cleaning up some old photos. Restoration projects can sometimes be such a challenge. But this one wasn't so bad.



This is a photo of MIL and it was water-stained and sun-bleached. I wasn't sure I'd get that cleaned up so well. But in the end I didn't even have to work that part of the photo at all! I used PSE4 for this particular project. Below is the scrappy LO I created with the finished photo.



Not my favorite LO by far. I'm not even happy with out it turned out. But really I'm tired of working on it. So it stays as is, until I feel like looking at it again. The cluster just doesn't fall right for me.

Credits: Used elements that I made, a few goodies pulled out of the SADS Heritage kit from the "Digital Scrapbooking Place" and a thing or two from the "As Time Goes By" kit by Gail (northsky) of ScrappyDooBooking.

Winter Bliss

We had a bit of a snow storm come through yesterday and today. Lucky us, we had an "early release" from our jobs and got home without mishap. Which was a white-knuckle driving experience for sure! I hate driving blind in white-out conditions!

Now we're snowed into our cozy little home and enjoying some family time watching movies, playing on computers, video games, and just hangin' out. Since the blizzard is still going on, we have no plans of shoveling out until later this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Waiting for the high winds to quit long enough for our efforts to be worth something. It doesn't make much sense to start the work before the snow is finished blowing.

Not sure how many inches of snow we actually got with this storm yet. Haven't heard any current rulings. But our snow drifts are pretty high. When I took these photos a few hours ago... right in front of the garage door we have a drift that's 6-foot already. And looking in the backyard you can see that the drifts are as high and in some places, even higher than our 6-foot fence. Since taking these clips, the drifts have gotten even higher. Almost the entire fence in the back of the yard is completely covered in snow now.

Boy, is it cold too! Last I heard, they still had the frost bight warnings out. Which is another good reason not to go start the snow removal efforts. We were going to get in the hot tub last night. But when we opened the cabana we found ourselves in a winter wonderland that needed a little scrapping. And the temps were too low to be out there long enough to gett things cleared. So we put that on hold for a while. ROFLOL

Blizzard conditions are predicted to end sometime this afternoon. I think the snowfall is supposed to tapper off before Santa's sleigh is due to fly also. But I'm sure we'll have plenty of the white stuff still on the ground for him to land his team of reindeer. :)

Get Freebies Now!

Hey folks the Holiday Happiness Gifts are now ready to download! Don't walk. Instead.... RUN to pick them up, because they are only available through the first week of January '07. Then they are taken offline.

We had eleven artists contribute to this project. There are some great digi-kits and printable goodies there too. Invite your friends to take advantage of these gifties too! Have a happy holiday season from the CHW folks!

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Jan 15, 2007 -- UPDATE: Freebies no longer available. Everyone have fun with your goodies!

Decorating the Tree

We decorated our holiday tree this past weekend. I think this is the first year in many that I got out from behind the camera lens long enough to have someone take a snap shot of me. :-) What did you do this weekend?

Welcome to the Family

Greyson Michael is the newest member of our family. Here he is with Mom shortly after he made his grand appearance. Greyson is our 8th grandchild. :-)



BTW - all elements for this LO were created by me and I'll have a freebie to share with you before the month is out, that has a similar flavor to it.

It's December!

Jan - 2007 UPDATE: The freebies mentioned in this posting are no longer available.

I can hardly believe that December is already here. I'm just not ready for the year to come to a close yet. Maybe by the end of the month I will be. But for now, I'm still enjoying 2006!

We have a new grandbaby. Greyson finally decided to join us this last week. He's a big 9 pounds and some change. Mom and baby are doing just fine. Mom and Dad even got a new digital camera, so we're hoping to get pictures more often now. :-)

Over at CHW I've been adding freebies here and there. This month we added an Advent Calendar to the site and folks have been sharing little goodies each day. Here's a clip of some of the freebies I'm offering. Jump on over and enjoy the downloads if you are interested.

Tomorrow is the LAST day!

UPDATE: This collaborative project is closed now. We had 11 great artists participate!
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Hey there you fabulous designers -- We're down to the last few hours to contribute to the Holiday Happiness collaborative digi-project! If anyone is interested, be sure to add your item today.

We've had some fantastic shares! The mega-kit is amazing with over 200 fabulous digi elements in it. Here's my latest share:




REMEMBER - every contributing artist (whether they submitted only one paper or several full kits) will receive EVERYTHING in the mega-kit. And then we're going to mix up a few of the goodies into a smaller kit to gift away to ANYONE who wants it during the last two weeks of December.

So jump in before midnight tomorrow night (mountain time) if you want in on the entire mega-kit! Last-minute contributions are welcome and will be added!

Open Art Call for Digi Scrappers

UPDATE: This collaborative project is closed now. We had 11 great artists participate!
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We're looking for contributing artists at any experience level.



Be a part of a special Mega-Kit Project this Holiday Season!

The holiday season is just around the corner. This year CHW members are gathering together to celebrate by building a collaborative digi Mega-Kit that will be distributed to everyone who contributes anything to the project. Plus some extra freebies for CHW visitors too!


The theme for our project is Holiday Happiness.
It is specific to the Christmas and Hanukah holidays.

How it works: Through the month of November everyone submits digi-art you've created using a predetermined palette of colors. You can create full digi-kits, a few elements, or just one piece of digi-art that fits our Holiday Happiness theme. How much you contribute is totally up to you. All the submitted digi-art items are compiled into downloadable zip files to make up a Mega-Kit. After the deadline (31 November) the download links are made available to every person who contributed to the project, so you can grab up your Mega-Kit and start having fun.

All pieces in the Mega-Kit go to every contributing artist.
It's like a big digi-swap!

Then we'll select pieces from the Mega-Kit to build a wonderful freebie-kit to gift away to anyone who wants to download it during the last two weeks of December. This gift package will also include a selection of printable items for scrappers who prefer paper arts. The freebie-kit is a gift from CHW and the many talented digi-artisians and hobbiests that play around on the web all year long. Visitors DO NOT have to be a member of the CHW community to download the freebie-kit. This is an honest to goodness gift -- with no strings attached! We don't even collect names, email addys or any other info from visitors. Just give out the link to the download page to all your friends and let them delight in the freebies!

~~ Outdated Film Strip Removed ~~

Halloween Madness from Boo

A Face that only a mother could love? Oh dear! I'm not sure I could even go there with this one. ROFLOL

The Boo got dressed out for her work day:

Getting Ready for Major Card Creating!

I know in the last few postings I've made to my blog I've yammered on about some digi this or some digi that. But honestly, I still do so much other paper creations than I do digi-art. And this weekend I picked up some lovely papers and cardstocks for making my holiday greetings. I'd really like to get an early start on things this year! So that's what's on the adgenda for me to do when MIL leaves. I'm so itching to get back into my art studio and play with inks again!

Cutting up the papers and arranging the cards is the perfect thing to do while sharing time with Hubby. He's such a TV nut and I'm not. But I find I can enjoy the time in front of that darned Boob-Tube if I'm keeping myself busy with other activities. So when it's the time of year I make our holiday cards I'm more content in the family room. :-)

Speaking of hubby... his foot is still healing. He didn't have to have surgery (Wahoo)! But he's still gimping around in that boot cast. I'm having to play taxi to get him to and fro everywhere and that can be a hassle sometimes. But nothing too bad. Other than the way I get told how to drive. LOL I told him the other day that I was going to install a steering wheel and an extra brake pedal on the passenger side of the car. Just to keep him feeling like he's in control. LOL I do believe the driving thing is causing him more stress than the foot pain.

Well, I'm out of here for now. Catch you all later!

SADS - Heritage Theme

SADS = Seriously Addicted Digital Scrappers

I recently finished up making my contributions for the current SADS project. The theme this go around was Heritage. I don't know how many artists contributed. But we have over 600 super terrific goodies in our kit. I was looking through the gallery at what was submitted. And WOWSA! There are sooooo many talented people addicted to it. LOL I can hardly wait to get my package(s) so I can get to scrapping with these new toys.

Here are the contributions I made, a set of striped papers:



And a smaller set of designer papers:



I plan to re-package these paper sets and then offer them as digi-RAKS sometime in the future. Probably after Christmas when I have more time on my hands. But they will be offered for only a limited time and I doubt that I will have time to advertise them out much. So keep your eyes open here in the blog or at CHW if you want to know when I get around to that. :-)

Have a creative day, my friends!

I Won New Digi Kits!

A little toot for myself here today. I've been doing the "New Kid on The Block" contest over at the DigitalScrapbookPlace.com. This is not an easy contest! I was honored when recently I placed during the 2nd round of the contest, the 3rd round, and then in the overall scoring as well. I won several new scrappy kits. There's a ton of goodies to pick up in their store. So I haven't actually used my coupons yet. But I'm itching to get over there.

This is the first of the three LO's I accomplished for the contest:



I didn't even place in the first round. But I had a ton of fun and created not only a great LO for our memory albums, but also got some wonderful constructive critiques as well!

The second LO was way easy to do. It's one of the photos from Boo's park visits. I posted them in my blog earlier. She was the perfect choice for this round in the contest because we were given patriotic kits to work with. How could I not scrap our Boo when those are the color choices? LOL



I placed 10th place using that LO. I tied with a couple of other scrappers too.

Then for the last round we had to do a heritage LO. My MIL gave me some WONDERFUL photos a couple years back and since she was in town this past week - I decided to use one of her family photos for my entry.



I came in 4th place with this LO. :-) That made my day. When the contest rounds were over they judges added up all the points and then gave the group our overall placements. There were about 57-ish scrappers that stayed in for all three rounds. I came in 7th place overall. Wahoo, for me!

Okay, I'm done bragging now. Thanks for visiting today. Have a good one!