Our home for the next little while...

Well, the bags are packed and we're very excited to leave the great white north behind for the next 10 days and enjoy the warmer temperatures of the Caribbean.  I hope to post lots of pics from our holiday when we get back.  See ya later!  Happy New Year!

Newspaper Album

Okay, so you may have heard of a paperbag albums, the little flip books made from brown paper bags, approximately 5x5 inches, but have you ever heard of "newspaper" albums?  Awhile ago I downloaded this free class courtesy of Donna Downey.  It was free, so I nabbed it.  (tends to be a trend here, lol)  I admit I was skeptical at first, but then I really thought.. why not?  It's definitely an "outside the box" sort of art project.  I really appreciate Donna Downey's style of art.  There are no boundaries, right or wrong way of creating.  It's all about being inspired and going for it.  And, I might add it is a good use for the newspapers that barely make it to the kitchen table before they are tossed into the recycling bin in the garage.  Planning to add some black & white photos of the kids from '08.
   

Sneak peek for all you Blake fans.

I couldn't resist.  Just look at this precious face!  Today I'm busy working on pics from Blake's photo shoot.  I know I haven't posted much lately, but I have been working on lots of projects, both digi and non.  Hopefully today & tomorrow I'll post some of what I've been working on.  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebrating Jesus' birth.

Craziness.

Whirlwind is how i would describe the last two weeks.

I quit my job at the Chinese place, (I was a waitress) it was just too much working for this Momma.  The boys made it clear they want me home, and with Christmas coming up I could see myself burning out.  So, that era ends.  Who knows what era begins.  The time working there was definitely not wasted, I made some good friends, and discovered I really love Chinese food.  And I discovered I can waitress, and I can do it pretty well.  I never knew that about myself, so that in itself made the whole experience worth it.  Ever since my cousin Shari (from Edmonton) asked me way back in the summertime to take pics for her wedding Dec. 13, I had sort of kept the date in the back of my mind for her.   And after I stopped working weekends, (and thanks to a deal with Airmiles) I was able to go on really short notice.  Although I was not the primary photographer, I did capture some shots for her to remember the day by.
   

Storyboards using PS CS3

Question from my lovely cousin Lynette:
Q: I'm looking into getting PS CS3... have you done any storyboards yet, and if so... is PS pretty user-friendly for storyboards?

A: Without a doubt CS3 is definitely capable of handling storyboards, the options are endless.  I haven't dived too far into storyboards myself, only "dabbled".  Here's one i made of my niece Kaitlyn.  I consider myself a definite "beginner" at Photoshop.  I've only taken an Intro class so far, but hope to take some more courses soon.  How "user friendly" photoshop is I think really depends on how much knowledge of the program you have.  At first glance PS CS3 can be very overwhelming.  But with some time and practice it definitely becomes a whole lot easier to navigate.  Before you take the plunge consider a trial version of CS3 before you buy.  Also, if you're looking into creating storyboards and digital pages, I can't stress how valuable a class in PS CS3 is.  Hope that helps and good luck with your decision Lynette! :)

Digital Scrapbooking II

Okay, so way back in March I wrote this post after dabbling a little bit in digi scrapbooking.  I have had lots of emails in response to that original post, and would like to finally answer a few questions.  I use Photoshop CS3 for all my photo editing and digital scrapbooking.  PS can be overwhelming at first, but that leads me to my next recommendation:  take a class.  Believe me, you're going to get a lot more out of it, a whole lot sooner if you take the plunge and sign up for Jessica Sprague's "Up and Running" class.  It's a great class and you can take it at your own pace, which is great for people like me who often don't have time for it until 11:30 at night.  ;-)  And to top it off right now she is offering it at 20% off.  Here are a few of my recent layouts, some from Jessica's class and some that I designed myself.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me or post a question in the comments section at the end of this post.  I'd love to hear from you.          

Tom, Alice & Boys

A beautiful day in the midst of a whole lot of rain.  Just what was needed in order to capture this easy-going family.  Alice suggested a place just 5 minutes from her house, and it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere.  (Which was exactly what we were going for.)  Thank you Tom & Alice and your fun-loving boys.  I had a great time hanging out with you on that gorgeous, albeit chilly fall afternoon!
    

Creative Time.

  
 
Here are some samples of cards I've made recently.  I find that lately I am re-using the same sketch or design over and over again.   It's nice to have a template, and then simply combine different paper/stamps/elements to get a totally different look.  I love the simplicity and colors/vibrancy of these cards.  I really enjoy making cards, it's a great way to outlet some creativity and have something to show for it in a short amount of time.

Wim, Jocelyn and Family

It was lots of fun taking pictures for this gorgeous family.  Jocelyn had scoped out the perfect little spot while going for a walk one day.  The only problem was that it was in someone's yard.  So, she called ahead to ask the owners if we could do the photo shoot there.  They were very gracious to allow us to use their property for the shoot.  And, just as the sun was starting to go down we captured some gorgeous "glow".  Hope you like the sneak peek Jocelyn!
  These girls sure kept me on my toes! Bursting with energy, but when Kylie discovered a beautiful butterfly, they all had to stop to look.
   

Blake Levi Devisser

Our newest nephew Blake was transported by helicopter to Vancouver Childrens Hospital on Friday night.  Here is an excerpt from the latest update Erik sent us last night:

"Our little guy is doing great. We were just informed they will try and remove the oxygen to see how it goes. He is using very little now.  He will most likely get the IV line removed from his belly tommorrow morning and we should be able to hold him then!! No new news regarding the possible aorta problem. There is no real evidence of that problem, but they don't want to take chances.

Jete and I have been doing great. We had a awesome day today, with many supportive visitors. As we look around the NICU (Neonatal itensive care unit) where Blake is staying we feel so very blessed. So many of the babies here are in much more serious conditions than he is. With all the positive news we've heard, we are thankful and humbled how God has been so good to us."

(from email sent on Nov. 15, 2008 @ 11:29pm)

Last night Tim (Erik's brother), and his wife Alice, and Cori-Anne (Erik's sister) and I drove out to Children's Hospital to support Erik and Jete and swoon over our newest nephew.

We went to Boston Pizza for dinner with Erik & Jete to give them a break from all the "hospital stuff" they've been surrounded by for the last 2 days.
 
And then it was off to visit our handsome little man.  He truly is a treasure.
    
Having gone to visit Erik, Jete and Blake I am inspired and amazed at their faith in our awesome Lord.  They give all the glory to our Sovereign God and are thankful to Him for bringing their precious "treasured" son Blake safely into this world.  Their positive reaction and true and honest testimony is humbling.  Although they realize there will be challenges that will be faced in the road ahead, they rest in the peace of knowing that everything that happens is God's will.  Praise God....Praise God!

New Baby cousin

This morning Blake Devisser entered the world.  We got the call at 7:35am that he had been born just after midnight, early this morning.  I took the boys and we visited Erik, Jete and Blake.  Lucas was very excited to go to the hospital.  Since I told him about his new cousin Blake, he can't stop asking questions about him.  Blake was born with Down Syndrome and there are some concerns about Blake's health.  At the moment he is on oxygen and IV, and has been transferred to Children's Hospital.  We just hope and pray that everything will be OK, and Erik & Jete may bring him home soon.  If you read this, please say a prayer too for our sweet new nephew Blake.

Chilliwack Family Session: Alida & Family

Recently I had the opportunity to take photos for Alida and her children & grandchildren.  I loved taking these pictures.  The colors of fall were so vibrant, and the location was just WOW.  Here are just a few of my favorites.