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Archive for the ‘Journaling Prompt’ Category

Employ Your Sense of Humor – Journaling Prompt

Monday, June 14th, 2010

My Shoes Addiction

[Font: VT Portable Remington; Digital Kits: KD Sun Kissed (background paper + frame), KD Handwritten Summer (accent brush), KD Stamp Alpha (title), KD Digi Essentials (stitches) – all by Karla Dudley.]

As far as journaling is concerned stop being so serious about it. Not every story has to be a masterpiece worthy of a Pulitzer prize.

Your sense of humor is also a part you would probably like to preserve for posterity.

Humor is especially called for in layouts featuring photos you took to capture a moment in life, rather than an actual story, a piece rather than the whole. When you look at your layouts you can remind yourself of that humorous moment or silly piece of life and read your journaling and have a good laugh.

After all, what more can you ask from a layout than making you feel better at time of distress?

My journaling reads:

The first step to a successful recovery is admitting you have a problem. I admit no such thing! I have absolutely no problem. It is completely reasonable to have a shoe to match every piece of clothing you own. It is totally natural to covet each shoe you see and do not already possess. It is purely logical to assume that painting your toe nails and wearing high heal studded shoes is enough to be considered fully clothed. It is customary to wear red open toe 5 inch heal and a patent leather flower to go grocery shopping, oh and it is totally acceptable to wear flip flops to negotiation meetings. All shoes are created equal. Yes. I do not have any problem!
April 2010

Digi Tip

To create the “stitched” strike-through line over the word ‘addiction’ in my title I used various pieces of the stitches image. All I did was to select a piece of the image with the rectangular selection tool and than with the move tool, to pick up the selected piece and lay it down on the title, next to the original image, slightly down. Than I used the move tool to nudge it sideways and repeated the process with another piece of the image. That gives the illusion of the sewing machine running back and forth. Sort of…

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Do you use humor or sarcasm in your layouts? How? Please share with me and leave a comment.


Make Your Own Planner Workshop
Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a fabulous mixed media mini album.

Chronicle An Unexpected Conversation – Journaling Prompt

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Forget I asked Layout

[Font: Urania_Czech; Digital Kits: CS Torn Bits 2 by cat scraps (torn photo template), KD Jillian + KD Digi Essentials 5 (Alphas and coffee stains) + KD Essentials (staples) + KD Fly Boy – all by Karla Dudley.]
My husband is the uncontested king of unexpected conversations.

Whenever I ask him something – I can never foresee what the answer will be.

I think it’s precious. It really brightens my day – so I try to keep record of these random “conversations”.

The funky alphas and the coffee stains in Karla Dudley’s new release where helpful in portraying the craziness in this everyday Q & A.

Sharing Pearls of Wisdom

A: “How would you like your coffee?”
N: “20% cup, 60% milk and the rest coffee.”

A: “How would you have your eggs?”
N: “With my mouth.”

N: “I have been slaving all day in the kitchen.” [while boiling water for instant oats…]

A: “I love you.”
N: “You don’t love me. You think I am a pickle/ herring/ fridge…” etc.

?!?
Forget I asked…

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What unexpected conversation have you been part of lately? Please share…

Document A New Tradition – Journaling Prompt

Monday, April 26th, 2010

New Traditions

[Fonts: For The One Hundredth Time, Tidy Hand; Digital Kits: CS Torn Bits 2 by cat scraps (torn photo template), KD Digi essentials by Karla Dudley (masking tape), Write It Down Ornate Frame + Can’t Buy Me Love + Write It Down Top Ten – by Shimelle Laine for Two Peas In A Bucket.]

After a loooong year, we went back home for a visit in January. We came back here on February 1st 2010 and some things have changed.

One of the changes was a blessed one – a new tradition was born.

Each evening Nadav and I have a piece of [LIGHT] cheesecake and a tall cup of spiced hot chocolate.

It helps soothing any stress accumulated through the day and sweeten our nights.

Have you got a new tradition? (or perhaps an old one…)

Take a few minutes and document it.

You’ll appreciate it later.

Recipes

Spiced Hot Chocolate [for 2]

  • In a small sauce pan heat up 1½ cup of milk (We use Silk Light Vanilla Soy milk).
  • Add 1 Tsp. of ground cloves, 1 Tsp. All Spice, 1 Tsp. Mace, 1 Tsp. dry ground ginger, 1 Tbs. cinnamon. (you may change quantities to taste)
  • Stir in 4 Tbs. of good chocolate powder (We use Ghirardelli’s Double Chocolate mix).
  • When it’s dissolved add 2 more cups of milk and heat up until it’s boiling hot. (make sure the milk don’t spill over)
  • Pour carefully into two large cups and enjoy!

Light Cheesecake [for a lasagna pan]

  • Mix 1 package of instant vanilla pudding (fat free and sugar free) with 2 cups of milk (We use Silk Light Vanilla Soy milk).
  • Let it sit for a while and in the mean time dip Pettite Buerre biscuits in milk and arrange a layer of dipped biscuits on your pan.
  • Add 2 packages of low fat cream cheese into the bowl + 3 Tbs. of sugar + ¼ cup of light sour cream – stir everything until they are all combined together.
  • Pour ½ of the batter on the first layer of biscuits – level up.
  • Arrange another layer of biscuits, dipped in milk, on top.
  • Pour the rest of the batter (This is when you can experiment. I added 2 tbs. of cocoa powder to the second half).
  • Cover the pan and put in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
  • ENJOY!

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Have you got a new fun tradition? Please share by leaving a comment here.

Siblings: Compare and contrast – Journaling Prompt

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Siblings

[Fonts: Asha, Tidy Hand; Digital Kits: Springtime Basics, Starburst Mini, Long and Winding Road, Can’t buy Me Love – All by Shimelle Laine at Two Peas In A Bucket.]

Journaling Reads

One is blond. One is brunette.
One is pale. One is tan.
One is quiet. One is verbose.
Both are fabulous.

Sometimes siblings are spitting images of each other.
Either they look alike, behave the same or think similarly – or all the above.
Sometimes the only thing siblings are sharing is their DNA.

Tsuf and Shoham, my niece and nephew are nothing alike.
[Except for both being very good kids]
They look very different and they behave really differently.

Try to make a short list and find what is similar and what is different between siblings in your family.

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Are you and your sibling look alike or do you look nothing like your sibling – or are you an only child?
How are your kids? Do they look and behave the same or do they have nothing in common?
Please share your comparisons. It’s fun!

How Is Your Day Going?

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Have a Glorious Day

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In what ways has your day been glorious? Share by leaving a comment.

What Makes Anything Magical – Journaling Prompt

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Uvas Park Layout

[Fonts: Jesse James, Tidy Hand, rough_typewriter; Textures: Shadowhouse Creations; Digital Kits: KD Artist In Me (background paper), KD Blakely (patterned paper – floral), KD Sylvy (patterned paper – aqua), KD Trina (patterned paper – dark red), KD Digi Essentials (stitches + masking tape), KD Digi Essentials 2 (butterflies) – all kits by Karla Dudley.]

As a child I could look at my parents’ modest living room and see a palace. I looked at my red shoes and imagined how they transport me to Oz. I saw a smiling face in the sun and I swear I could see a caring bear resting on a cloud… Everything seemed magical when I was a child.

Sometimes I try to dig deep and find that ability to make the ordinary seem (and actually be) magical.

Journaling Prompt

What is it that makes the ordinary special and the plain magical? Write it down.

My journaling reads:

How can a natural preserve become magical?
Easy.
Add a couple friends you like hanging out with.
A husband you’re in love with and the perfect springy weather.
Done.

I also added character to my photo, by applying texture digitally. As you can see below, the changes are very subtle but add to the general ambiance:

Preview - original and textured

Digital Tip – How To Add Magic With Texture Using Photoshop Elements

To add texture to your photo, all you need to do is to add layers and play with the blending modes.

  • Download the high definition texture files (or take pictures of textured materials yourself). In this photo I used a few texture files by Shadowhouse Creations.
  • Open the texture photos and with the selection tool picked, drag them over to your original photo (make sure you save it under a different name). The textured file should appear as a layer above your original picture’s layer.
  • Resize the texture file so it covers your photo, by dragging the bounding box to place.
  • The texture should now cover your entire document.
  • Next, go to the blending modes drop menu. It is placed right above your layers view, left to the opacity levels and is ‘Normal’ by default.
    Play with the mode. Start with ‘Overlay’ or ‘Soft Light’ modes. See what happens…
  • Play with the opacity.
  • Add a solid color layer by clicking on the ‘adjustment level’ button and choosing ‘solid color’. Lower the opacity and see what happens.
  • Explore and have fun!

Are you feeling the magic yet?

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How are you transforming the plain into magical? Share your thoughts by leaving a message.
Have you tried the texture technique? How did it work for you? Please let me know 🙂

Unleashing The Creative Child Within You

The Unexpected Things That Bring Bliss – Journaling Prompt

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Total Bliss

[Fonts: KD Everyday, Modern No. 20, Gulim, Erika Ormig; Digital Kits: KD Sylvy, KD Say It With Love, KD fancy Borders 1 – all by Karla Dudley.]

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things
From: The Sound Of Music

Clearly, winning the lottery or receiving the Nobel Prize creates unimaginable bliss, but as the song says – also are the little, unexpected things in life.

Let me share something with you. It’s a very personal fact pertaining to my taste in men…

For a LONG time I fell in love with smart men. When I say ‘smart’ I clearly mean genius, well above average. The higher the IQ, the deeper my infatuation.
As I met Nadav (my husband) during my first year in Law School I am talking about teen love…

I loved the intellectual challenge. I loved the puns and the riddles. I loved all the mind games. I loved the extra reading to stay on top… (Have I mentioned how competitive I were in high-school?)
I loved it all. The more mind twirling I had to exercise – the more I enjoyed the chats with my latest crush.

Then I met Nadav…

Don’t get me wrong here. Nadav is one of them geniuses everyone loves to hate (but can’t).
He finished everything he ever did “Summa Cum Laude”, astonishing all his professors.

But he doesn’t take it too seriously. He enjoys life and he makes life enjoyable to anyone near him.

When I met him I suddenly didn’t feel like playing mind games.
I felt comfortable enough to be weak sometimes.
I felt comfortable enough to let my guard down around him.

I realized that I like that better and that for the first time I am truly in LOVE.

Journaling Reads:

I can always expect you to find bliss in everyday things.
You manage to find beauty and Joy everywhere you look.
Every occasion is a reason for a celebration.
Every menial task can become magical after you are done with it.
Everyday and everything is blissful in your mind and I am lucky to live this life with you.

You may think it’s the big things that stir you and brings happiness into your life, but it is the small, unexpected gestures that transforms your life from plain to extraordinary.

So take a pen and a journal and list all the things that makes you go ahhhhhhhhh.

BE HAPPY!

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What brings total bliss to your life? Share by leaving a comment, I’m looking forward to hearing from you guys.

Unleashing The Creative Child Within You
Back when we were kids creativity came naturally to us. Everything was possible and our prolific imagination was the only limit we knew.
Through the years we have grown apart from our inner creative child and along with that – have lost our pristine and utter joy of creation.

In this e-book I will pave your way back to your inner creative child, brick by brick.

“Unleashing The Creative Child Within You” will explain why you became distant from your core creativity and will reveal the secret to getting it back.
With exercises designed specifically to help you find the inner child within you, regain its confidence and unleash it – you are bound to get your mojo back faster than you think.

Your inner creative child wants to come out and play, so don’t disappoint it and get “Unleashing The Creative Child Within You“.

Do You Know An Angel – Journaling Prompt + How To Make Personal Digital Word Art

Monday, April 5th, 2010

not All Angels Wear Wings

[Digital Kits: KD Cardstock Essentials, KD Blakely & KD Capture + Record – All by Karla Dudley]

Do you know an angel?

I know one.

My angel has a pure heart and beaming eyes.

My angel only knows one feeling. My angel knows LOVE.

My angel doesn’t envy. My angel isn’t mad. My angel doesn’t compete. My angel doesn’t hurt. My angel doesn’t lie. My angel doesn’t swear. He NEVER does. Ever.

My angel doesn’t wear wings, does yours do?

[In this layout is my nephew Shoham, 9 years old.]

Digital Tip

I created the word art in this layout my self. This is how I did it:

  1. First, I wrote my words on a white paper with various pens (both plain black pens and black calligraphy pens).
  2. Next, I scanned my paper in high resolution (600 dpi) and saved it as a JPG file.
  3. Then I opened the file with my Photoshop Elements and cranked up the levels [ctr+L/CMD+L]. Turning the “black” dial all the way to the first peak and the mid-tones dial all the way to the black one. The effect you are looking for is to have all the black parts REALLY black and all the white parts REALLY white.
  4. Then I turned my background layer into a simple layer, by clicking on it twice and opened a new layer beneath it.
  5. I made sure that I am on the original layer and picked up all the white parts with the Quick Selection Tool. I then pressed “delete” and the transparent layer showed up where the white used to be. I picked each of the small cavities inside the letters (e.g. the O’s and A’s) individually and deleted these white parts too.
  6. Then I merged the two layers together (merge not simplify!) and saved the file as a PNG file to keep the transparent attributes.
  7. Once your text is on a transparent background, you can select each word and each letter individually with the selection tool and then adjust its height and width with the move tool.

Give it a try, it is so simple and it lets you inject some personality to the digital layout. No tablet is necessary!

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Who is the angel in your life? share your thoughts by leaving a message.

Are you planning on giving the digital word art a try? If you do, please share your work with us.


Unleashing The Creative Child Within You

Happy Announcement: I Am On Karla Dudley’s Creative Team + Small Comforts…

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Small Comforts

[Karla Dudley Designs: Capture + Record, Silly Lines Green, Rub On Essentials 1 and Alpha Stickers 2; Font: Erika Ormig]

You have probably noticed how much I LOVE Karla Dudley‘s designs. I have been using her gorgeous products in my digital layouts for a long while – they are classically stylish and if a “hard copy” line had been offered, I would probably buy it too…

You can only imagine my delightful surprise when she said she was looking for designers for her CT. I just couldn’t believe my own eyes.

I am beyond happy for making it to the talented CT of the uber talented Karla.

Journaling Prompt

This layout is all about small comforts.

In my journaling I wrote:

When I was a young girl I used to think I needed to be a princess living in a crystal palace located on a rainbow in order to feel grateful. Now I know all I need are tea and cookies.

Like their name suggests small comforts are the little things that make us go “ahhhh…”.
The small things that make us feel serene and happy and thankful.
Jot down what are your small comforts. I assure you that acknowledging them alone would already make you feel this much better.

[Go here for the digital tip on how to create an outline image of your brush or png. image]

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What are your small comforts? Leave a comment and share your delights with me. Please… 🙂
I love hearing from you guys.

Stay tuned for some more free journaling labels.

Make Your Own Planner Workshop
Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.

What Makes You Smile? Journaling Prompt and a Digital Tip

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Nadav Makes Me Smile

[Font: Erika Ormig; Digital Kits: Write It Down Cute Circles & Autumn Apples Polka Dot Papers by Shimelle Laine, available at Two Peas in a Bucket + Blakely by Karla Dudley, available at The Digichick Shop]

Smiling is better than make up. It gives you a natural glow and a sparkle in your eyes. It deepens your dimples and covers you with irresistibleness. I am telling you – smiling is way better tan putting on make up.

You may buy make up online, at department stores, drugstores, boutique shops – but where do you get a smile?

What have you that makes you brake out with a glowing smile?
Who brightens your day in a way that curves your lips from deep inside?
What can transform a gray day into a glorious and a happy moment?
Who is able to make you forget everything but your happiness and gratefulness?

I have my Nadav, my husband.

He injects my life with humor and makes it a million times better.
He manages to make me smile and forget I have been angry for an untended chore.
He surprises me, time and again, with the creative ways he finds to make me laugh.
He brightens my day and keeps my plate of gratitude overflowing.

When asked “where did you come up with that?”, he simply answers: “my mouth” or “my hands” – depending whether his current cuteness involves a saying or a deed.

Same goes for the arbitrary day in which he brought me a plate with an “apple face” – mine is smiling and his – sour.

I was surely smiling once I got this plate, but he’s just incapable of being sour 🙂

I love my Nadav.

Digital Tip

Do you want your png. images or brushes in your digital kit do double duty? Then create an outlined image of them.

How To – Adobe Photoshop Elements

  1. Lay your image or brush stroke on a separate layer.
  2. Copy this layer – either right-click on the layer indicator and choose “duplicate layer” or click on the image itself, while pressing the [Alt on a PC] or [OPT on a Mac] button.
  3. Reposition the copied image with the move-tool to where you wish your outline image to be.
  4. Open a new layer above the latter.
  5. Press [CTRL on a PC] or [CMD on a MAC] and click on the image on the left side of the copy layer indicator. That step will automatically select the image’s silhouette.
  6. Make sure your new – top layer – is selected and click on: “Edit” => “Stroke” (use the eye-drop tool to choose the color from the original image) and commit.
  7. Uncheck or delete the copied layer.

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What makes you smile? Share by leaving a comment. I LOVE hearing from you. Each comment makes me smile, so please share!

Make Your Own Planner Workshop
Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.