CKCB Challenge # 2 Pocket Page Inspiration

How delighted can one be to be inspired by Pocket Pages or Project Life as many scrap in this style!!!  I started PL this year.  Before starting Project Life this year I scrapped my first PL style albums with my Parent's New Zealand Vacation photos back in 2008.  Now I am also working on my Mother's and Grandmother's Alaska Cruise Album.  PL and PL Style Albums are supper fast and so easy.

I almost jumped for joy when I saw this challenge.  Perfect to do the third page in a series of photos Mom took of Zu and her son AC.  I can and sometimes do a double page spread, but I much prefer to a single page at a time for double page spreads.  Last year I did the first two pages.  The last one still needed to be done and this Challenge was perfect.

As written from CKCB Blog ~ Challenge #2: Pocket Page Inspiration:  Use a 3x4 or 4x6 card (does not have to be a pocket scrapbooking card, can be cutdown from your own paper) on your next project.  Use it as a sentiment on a card or as a layering element on a layout.  You can also bind a bunch together to make a mini album.

My 4x6 card turned out to be both title and journaling card!  No journaling as these photos come from my mother's horse album.  I love love the Studio Calico Farm Animal Veneers.  To my delight the silhouette veneers are of Arabians!!!  I also made a Yo-Yo for this layout for something Puffy in the CSI Case File #122 Evidence.  The Roller Doodle Stamp was just too much fun with a little Prima Chalk Inks.

Yes, the layout turned out to look somewhat like a pocket page, but the first of the three layouts was actually a sketch challenge last summer at ACOT to scrap a Becky Fleck sketch.  Second layout below is one to match the first and of course the above makes the third.

Thank you for taking a peek today at my blog.

Until Next Time!  Have a Blessed Day!

Ibn Zubaydahh

I want everyone to give a great big wave to Department of Homeland Security for doing their job!!!  It's just little ole me again with my Arabian Horses.  This time it's Zuby, with his registered name Ibn Zubaydahh and as you scroll through my blog you'll find his sire is Tammen and his dam is Zubaydahh.  And he has an older full brother Abcar Ibn Tammen aka AC.  By the way DHS investigator we appreciate you keeping us safe and please

I had an absolutely wonderful time using this sketch from Nuts About Sketches #258!  

Zuby is pictured here in May of 1993 as a young colt.  He's showing off a little and having some fun.

Now at the age of 21 he still plays in the pasture with his friend Bogart when he's feeling really good.  He has lived a year with thyroid cancer and shows no sign of  an additional slow down since being diagnosed a year ago. Everyday I treasure each and every interaction I have with this grand old gentleman.  I noticed this weekend Zuby has self braid his mane in to one horrible mess that only a pair of scissors will fix.  How he does that in a single day is beyond me!  He constantly reminds our now four year old Bogart that with age comes wisdom.  And I have seen in the last year Bogart has learned a huge amount from Zuby on how to live life as well as still defer to his best friend as herd leader although it is only the two of them.

Now you might be wondering why I'm writing about DHS.  I suppose with the recent happenings in Boston they will once again come looking at me.  Zubaydahh was born in the early 1980's given her name by her breeder Tom McNair a respected trainer/breeder in the Arabian Breed.  When I posted the layout in 2010 I happened a little under a week later on looked at the tracking of entries into our ranch website via our web server.  I wasn't surprised I was investigated I just didn't think I would know.  Not my fault my mother's beloved mare would share a name with a terrorist who would be killed by our country or that she would name Zu's last foal after his mother 21 years ago.  The difference is in the spelling of the name Zu had two "h's" where the evil one had one "h". They will find little ole me with Arabian horses, Lowline Cattle, an avid scrapper, and a huge love for my country and it's deep history I so dearly love to continue to learn.  I am a constant reader as it relates to my family lineage all the way back to the Pilgrims on my side of the family and on Larry's side the tidewater of North Carolina and how his family arrived in Texas before Stephan F. Austin.  They will also find out how much I love my state and it's rich history as the only state to have once been a nation.  One of my favorite sites is Texas Courthouses.  We have the most amazing collection of courthouses in the state.  I've started on my journey to photograph all 254 courthouses as well as scrap those photos.  It's a bucket list thing for me. They have written in the past it's a 200,000 mile journey on the Texas Courthouse website.  I am so excited at the prospect to see every one and read of the history of each county on the historical markers that can be found at each courthouse.  And if you wonder here's a layout of the Leon County Courthouse with more to come.

So wave to DHS on your way out and know they are really trying to keep us safe.  Have a great day Mr. or  Ms DHS investigator!

And a big whoop with two posts in two days!  

Contentment!

I definitely have been in a progressive state of of MIA!  That terrible process of thinking I need to blog today....I'll do it tomorrow thing going on.  So today as it's 11:30pm CST on the 23rd and I'm doing at least one post for early tomorrow morning.  I have so much I wish to share in one post!

Some wonderful things going on in various places I visit!  Imaginisce and The Twinery have teamed up this week on their blogs to showcase some awesome projects their design teams have created via a blog hop!  Two great prizes to be awarded so definitely check this Blog Hop out.

Yesterday (4/23/12) Prima launched a new Ustream video 1+1 with Frank and Liz doing a mixed media album cover which I viewed.  Totally Awesome and you just have to watch!  I have more ideas in my mind for a mixed media mini album I'll be making for my mother this summer for her birthday in November.  Not to worry my mother is terrible at navigating the web and has no idea I blog or even what a blog is.  Thank you Frank & Liz!

I have been more scrappy though since my last post and wanted to share with you one of my new favorite layout with Belle as the subject!  I used my Paper Bakery Kit from March and just fell head over heals with the layout when I was done.  I also used Nuts About Sketches # 260 to do the layout.

I just love March's Kit!  It's colorful fun and so inspiring.  Unfortunately it has sold out.  Paper Bakery teamed up one week in March with Elle's Studio via their blogs and had some pure awesomeness going on.  This month's kit has also sold out!  If you hop over to take a look be sure to find the Exclusive Elle's Studio Flairs Sarah Designed and I used one this layout!  They are so much fun!

I had one of those moments where I didn't attach the photo of this layout to my email....dumb I know....and it's not on the Nuts About Sketches blog.  I was so busy I didn't go back and check my email either until after the layouts were posted to the blog!  Honestly, it started to thunder and the computers at the ranch and my scrapbook room are in the same separate building.  I hate being outside when a storm is coming in as I've almost been struck twice in the past.  That hair raising thing is a terrible  feeling!  So I was hurrying to move to the house.

Until next time and I hope it's a much shorter time period between posts enjoy your day to it's fullest!

Abcar Ibn Tammen

This is the second 8x10 sketch Shawn used on her blog!  I had this photo of AC, his barn name, ready to scrap for four months.  I was ecstatic when I received the February sketches to see this awesome sketch!  I had no papers pulled to use and thought I'd use fall colors since the leaves were turning in the photo.  November in Texas Upper Gulf Coast.  I chose to use Lilly Bee Design and Jillibean Grandma's Lima Bean Soup with a little Bazzill cardstock thrown in from my scraps.  I chose to use a few embellishments and alphas from my Paper Bakery October Kit along with some Prima from my stash.

All I can say is I'm so excited about this layout!  The photo just pops and I cannot wait to show my Mom as it comes from her album of our horses.  I know she will be pleased.

Abcar Ibn Tammen (Tammen x Zubaydahh) is pictured as a long two year old.  His show record includes numerous Top Ten Yearling Straight Egyptian Futurity Colt at the Egyptian Event in 1987, Blue Bonnet Arabian Horse Club Futurity Champion and several Amateur Championships and Reserves.

Now everyone has to give a great big wave to Dept. of Homeland Security.  AC's dam was bred & named by Tom McNair long time trainer of Glennloch Farms, Tomball, Texas.  Glennloch has since been sold and is now a subdivision of houses.  This was long before our government was able to kill the terrorist of the same name we purchased.  The first layout I posted of "Zu" as AC's dam was called, I finally decided to not worry about it because it's not my fault she had the name or Tom's.  By the way her name means 'by the book'.  Tom felt her conformation so close to what Arabian Horse Type was suppose to be that he gave her the name.  I accidently found out a week later as I went through the origins of visitors to our website I found DHS had visited!  So I want everyone to wave hello and realize they are doing their job to keep our country safe!!!  My hats off to DHS and a huge thank you!  And whichever employee is looking into it this time, I hope you enjoyed a layout of a very special horse in our family!  And laugh when you realize I'm just a person who loves my ranching lifestyle and I help feed our great country!

Thank you for taking a look at my layout and come join us at Nuts About Sketches!

Belle's Foal

My first Arabian was my graduation gift from my parents upon receiving my Master of Science Agriculture from Sam Houston State Univ.  I was stunned, I had no clue.  Her name Bey Belle a Nabiel granddaughter.  She is shown in the layout below in the proofs shot by Jeff Little.  I still have four more proofs to scrap.  I started scrapping the photos we purchased from this shoot with Basic Grey Mellow.  The colors just seemed to fit Belle's beautiful bay coat.  This one includes the photo of the ultrasound taken for us as she was at Rinconada Arabians being bred to Nabiel for her first foal.

This is the first layout I have done as a design team member of Nuts About Sketches, Sketch 229.  Take a moment if you love double page layouts to take a peek at Shawn Lahr's awesome sketches!  I'm having so much fun with them!

Ibn Zubaydahh aka Zuby

At it again to scrap our family's Arabian horses. If you have followed I've done several layouts of Zuby's dam, Zubaydahh. This is her youngest son Ibn Zubaydahh. Although a chestnut his personality, the conformation of his face and his nuisances are his mother's. He's a Tammen son.


My entry into the ACOT February Scrap you Life Challenge. This month was to scrap the simple things in your life. For me I have those simple things happen each and every day with my animals. Some of those wonderful simple moments last but minutes when you have spent hours upon hours of work leading up to the moments which last a lifetime in your mind. Thank you Zuby, for making my life full of those wonderful moments we spent in the ring together when you were a younster. I still love many years later love watching you and your friend Bogart trot across the pasture with heads up and tails curled. The Arabian horse, to be owned by one is a treasure to hold for a lifetime!

Zu

My second layout of Zubaydahh's photos just after purchase. When I started on the her other layout I happened to look at the journaling paper. The back was so pretty but the journaling paper just kept begging me to us it. December arrives and I see the ACOT's Sketch Challenge for this month. I've been wondering how to do the next five photos. I'm a person who likes a single photo layout. But I looked at the sketch and looked at that journaling paper. I played with the photos. Through it to the side. Came back the next day and tried again. Through it to the side....why do I have trouble with multiple photos? Picked it up again on Monday....and it fell together by midnight in my on the table. Everything I need but the ribbon. I'll find it in the morning. I inked the edges of the photo and went to bed. Then next day my creation!


As I posted this layout to my Facebook page and started to write the caption I thought about how much trouble I have had trying to get my mother to understand what journaling is on a layout. I may have found the solution because she doesn't get it when I say there is a story behind every photo or series of photo. It's not just a who and when thing. It dawned on me. My mother has always written detailed instructions. Called overboard on folding the clothes or linen napkins after ironing along with the instructions on ironing. I laugh now even thinking about it. Whether it was our chores after school if she wasn't home when we arrived or how to feed each individual horse. And it always seemed there would be at least three different rations in the barn. Now I'll tell her, 'Mom write detailed instructions about Zu!' I'm laughing thinking about those instructions.

Is it June Already?

I simply can not fathom it is the sixth month. This year has flown by. As I sat this evening watching the young heifers we are retaining I looked at a show heifer and realized by the third week of June she had to go out with Peyton. My goodness she grew up quick!

I thought I would divert for a post on cattle. Oh yeah, I already mentioned them. Yesterday, I spent working on a couple of layouts. Finished them both and uploaded them to the Challenges I entered them in at A Cherry on Top. My last layout is my favorite of the twelve I did during May. My subject was AC, a gelding we owned a long time ago and is now owned by a good friend. He's 24 this year. His full brother is in our pasture here at the ranch along with another gelding hubby rescued. I don't talk very much about our horses, although they are a part of my soul. I could never be without one to love. Back to the layout. This is AC as a yearling being shown at a show under the capable hands of Tom McNair at Great Southwest Equestrian Center. He has a decorated career in halter as a colt and a couple of get on the ground. I used Basic Grey Lillykate Collection. I've learned over the last several months "AC" has a Black Beauty story over his life. I chose the paper because he is now in his forever home with lots of love. He deserves to always have green pastures surrounded by Texas Wildflowers.

AC aka Abcar Ibn Tammen (Tammen x Zubaydahh) who's name means "first born son of value." He's a straight Egyptian Arabian of Glennloch lines.