Digital Scrap Cafe October 2010 Blog train is here!

Uh... Well... Technically, the blog train is here but I am not, though. LOL! I'm actually on a beach somewhere sipping a mai tai (..more likely a cup of hot latte but it's more fun to think mai tai. Hehe) But since this is the 15th of the month, I just have to pop in here to welcome you on board the Digital Scrap Cafe October 2010 Blog Train.

This train is taking you to see the beauty of Autumn with the beautiful collab kit "Falling for You" by all the fabulous designers of Digital Scrap Cafe! Included in this gorgeous kit are 110 elements and 61 papers, more than enough to satisfy your scrapping needs all season long. :)


For this month, our talented and sweet Blog Train hostess, Alison of Milly Dee Designs, suggested that we make a hybrid tag as blog train freebies. What a fun idea! The tags can be printed out and used as is or you can of course use it as a part of your scrapbooking layouts.

Sadly, due to family business and out of town trips this month, I couldn't participate fully and wasn't able to make the tag for blog train. I still would love for you to visit all the participating blogs and collect the fantastic goodies our designers and CT members have waiting for you though. Here are all the blog train stops:

Digtal scrap Cafe
Tempusfugit
The Beale Five
tincancanoe
Kristen's Scrappy Life
Cage Bird Designs
Three Hearts Digital Designs
Milly Dee Designs

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Well, hybrid tag or not, I still can't let you leave this blog empty handed, especially on the DSC Blog Train day! My gift for you here is the 2011 Monthly Calendar Dates that I made to use with my own family calendars. The project is currently in printing process and I'm so excited about it!!!. I'll probably write another blog post to show you all the calendar pages soon. :D

Here's one sample of the calendar dates in use. (I modified my layouts to make the calendar. This page uses Designs by Doodelle's Creative Soul kit with a wire cupcake element by Three Paper Peonies, and my own calendar dates.)


Please click here or on the preview below for download link. I hope you enjoy it and have fun with your own calendar projects. And don't forget to check out the DSC blog train as well for a lot more freebies!! Talk later!

*Edited to add this: @suzielarose asked if the font I used for the calendar dates is my handwriting. I'm flattered but no, it's not. (I wish! LOL) It's a free font by Tom Murphy called One Constant. You can also find a link to his website [DIVIDE BY ZERO] in the TOU file of the calendar dates. ;)

Guess who made GSO again??

Me! Me! Me! (Gee, love yourself much??!! LOL) Oh well, I'm happy, what can I do? :D

One reason why this time it makes me more excited than before is because it's totally unexpected. I'll admit it, everytime I finish a layout I have a wee bit of hope it will get a GSO somewhere. A bit pathetic, yes, but it feels great to know that other people like my creations too. (Since I always scrap pictures of Neill, the term "my creations" means him as much as my layouts. LOL)


I finished the page in a hurry because it was going to be the last page - the backside of the back cover - of the family's 2011 calendar, which needs to be reformatted and zipped up and burnt to a disc and sent to the printer right away. At that point I had been working for 40 hours straight, hurrying to finish the project, and only managed to sneak in 3 hours of sleep in between those long hours. So, I was happy enough that the last page came out decent. LOL! The fact that it got mentioned in the GSO blog just blew me away! Thank you so much, Kate and GSO!!!

Of course, the page can't be half decent without Rachelle's kit Travelogue and Dunia's 2009 in Review Template. I salute you and am soooooo very grateful to be working with you, Rach and Dunia!!!


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Also just finished a new page for Caged Bird Designs' store grand opening at Digital Scrap Cafe!! (Her kits are now 40% off during this celebratory period. Go check it out quickly!!) This beautiful Fall kit, Bountiful Meadow, is so easy and fun to work with. I used it for the pictures of Neill in his grandma's garden. It was quite a funny moment for all of us.

Grandma's Garden
Journaling reads:
Neill wanted to help Khun Yai (grandma) in the garden
at our little holiday house in Rayong.
It took him the whole 20 minutes to properly put on
mosquito repellent lotion, long socks, and garden gloves.

He then confidently tackled the weeds, pulled out handful after handful of those,
never forgot to pause every half minute to pose for the camera.

After 5 minutes, he decided that he had enough,
claiming that an ant bit him somewhere and the leaves made him itchy.
It took another 20 minutes to remove all that he just put on to take a shower. :)

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Alright, just a few short notes before I have to go. Rachelle (Designs by Doodelle)'s CT Call is still going on until October 13. Send her your application fast if you're interested!

My What's in the Coffee Cup challenge at DSC is also running until the end of October. Already there are some amazingly creative layouts submitted. I hope to see a lot more, though. Remember, ALL participants get a little something at the end of the month too!! :)

Looking for some *Creative Soul*-mates :)

Pardon the silly attempt at word play for the title. It's late now and my own creative juice has already gone to bed without me tagging along. LOL

Speaking of creativity, I just finished a layout featuring my own creative little boy. It's in a style I never really tried before but have always wanted to. It came out just the way I imagined it, and got mentioned right away in MScraps' Gallery Standouts thread. Woohoo!!!

"Creative You"
Journaling reads:
You love singing. You love dancing.
You make your own music. You have fantastic imagination.
Okay, you don't draw all that well,
but you always have great stories behind all your drawings.
You asked, "Mama, can you teach me how to do digital scrapbooking?"
I sure can, and I definitely will, my love.

Kit used for the page is Creative Soul of Designs by Doodelle -- back when she still went by Rachness. I just love the kit and kept holding it until I could find what I really want to create with it. I'm glad I waited. :)


Anyway, does anybody get my title by now? :D Here's your deciphered message. Rachelle (Designs by Doodelle) is having a CT Call! If you are also a Creative Soul, this is your chance to work and play with Rach's fabulous products as her creative team member. I am already on her team, so if you make it to the team, wouldn't it mean we will be *Creative Soul*-mates? LOL

Alright, alright. I'll stop goofing around now. :D If you need more details on CT application, drop by Rach's blog. She has a really fun detailed explanation on it. And if you want to see more of Rach's fab stuff, to see how well you will fit in with the team, head over to her store. Apart from her infinite talent, Rach is also one of the sweetest persons I know in this business. You won't be disappointed.

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Well, naturally, I'll end this post with a little gift to you, from Rach and me. Enjoy the QP and hurry up with your CT application! Call ends Oct. 13!