2011-07-09T23:22:00.002-04:00

Why can't they be eight always?

We had a great time on this trip. We visited 800 to 900 year old temples and historic sites and Jacob seems right at home here. I can't believe Jacob was ever this young or this small. Now he is 16 years old, 6'1"tall and around 210 pounds. He's nearly on his way...

2010-07-06T14:39:00.001-04:00

Coming to the fork in the road, i turned right.

2009-08-11T08:34:00.002-04:00

Welcome These Sprites Into Your Home!

Link: http://board.deco-pages.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5915

These Fairies are looking for a good home, they are soft, sweet lavender girls and come with their own background. flower border, note and even conversation bubbles so they can talk about you behind your back. Come to Deco-Pages and get this cuties. You can also get their many, many siblings in the Yellow Flower Fairy kit and Blue Flower Fairy kit..

2009-03-03T00:54:00.012-05:00

Just Days Till Spring!

The trees are budding with the promise of growth and renewal and you will find some of the same happening at Deco-Pages.com.

Spring Fling by Scrap Buddha is full of bright spring colors of pink, orange and lime green and is available in two versions; personal use or commercial use. You can find her personal use kit here: http://www.Deco-Pages.com.com/product.php?productid=18410&cat=373&page=1 and her commercial use kit here: http://www.Deco-Pages.com.com/product.php?productid=18411&cat=373&page=1.

Flutterbyefaery has introduced two new kits: First is a sparkling new kit called Glitter and Glam. With rich colors, gemstones, and foil this kit is versatile and can be used for nearly everything. You can find her kit here: http://www.Deco-Pages.com.com/product.php?productid=18409&cat=0&page=1. Her second kit titled Lovely is soft and sweet with word art and alpha blocks included. Inspired by her daughter but with the versatility for everyday use, you’ll find tons of inspiration in her design. You can find her kit here: http://www.Deco-Pages.com.com/product.php?productid=18413&cat=373&page=1.

If you haven’t visited Deco-Pages.com lately you don’t know what you’re missing. There’s just one week left for this month’s challenges and rewards and a brand new challenge will be introduced soon. Deco Pages is going HYBRID! Visit us today at: http://www.Deco-Pages.com.com and Let Us Help You to Always Remember!

2009-03-03T00:28:00.008-05:00

We’re Inspired at Deco-Pages.com

Hybrid…that’s the buzz around Deco-Pages.com these days. Part digital, part paper and brand new to Deco-Pages.com for the month of March, it promises to be tons of fun! Do you like to send greeting cards to family and friends? Then the new Card Template Challenge is the inspiration for you. Create your greeting cards with digital scrapbooking kits and the starter kit is free to Club Deco Members or just $1.99 in the store. It’s just in time for St. Patrick’s Day so that you can send your family and friends a greeting that you create. The moderators are busy getting ready for the new monthly challenges to inspire you “To Always Remember!” Inspiration through Lyrics, Journaling, Brag Book pages, Photography Challenges, Holiday Challenges and so much more! There’s something for everyone.

Need a new digital scrapbook kit to inspire you? Maybe colors are your inspiration; maybe it’s the elements and theme. Whatever inspires you can be found in our store. Check out what’s new: RoseMadeDesigns Sunrise Polka Page Kit. This fun and cheerful kit has bright colors and patterns with greens, oranges glitter and more. Check it out in her store here: http://www.deco-pages.com/product.php?productid=18420&cat=373&page=1

Do you like fairies, elves and gardens? Well then there are two new kits in the store that are truly Enchanted. Enchanted by Designs by Jennifer Rassi has sweet pastels and enchanting fairies just for your inspiration. You can find her kit here: http://www.deco-pages.com/product.php?productid=18419&cat=373&page=1

Realistic elves and fairies are only part of the inspiration that Paris Designs has added to her Enchanted kit. With 25 papers and over 62 embellishments this huge kit is truly inspiring! You can find her kit here: http://www.deco-pages.com/product.php?productid=18418&cat=373&page=1

Have boys that are a little rougher and tougher than your average elf? Then Boys World by Lori Staton may be the inspiration that you are looking for. Bright basic colors, bugs, airplanes, crayons and more just for the boys in your world is a fun and versatile kit that can be used for nearly anything. You can find her kit here: http://www.deco-pages.com/product.php?productid=18416&cat=373&page=1

Stop over at Deco-Pages today and “Let Us Help You to Always Remember!” at http://www.deco-pages.com.
Other links of Interest:
Forum: http://board.deco-pages.com/forums/index.php
Sister Site: http://www.digitalscrapbookconnection.com/
Blog: http://deco-pages.blogspot.com/
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8672640733
Gallery: http://board.deco-pages.com/

2009-02-18T20:40:00.008-05:00

I'm so excited about my latest kit. We went skiing in northern Michigan in January and it inspired me to create a kti that would be perfect for those photos. These LOs use some of the elements created for this new kit. Please keep an eye out, this will be set up at Deco-Pages soon.

2009-02-13T17:06:00.006-05:00

Get This FREE!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I have a mini scavenger hunt for you, but it is simple as pie. First you get half of the kit here and then, to complete the plush purple kit you follow the link to deco-pages and retrieve the rest. The heart are bejeweled and funky and look good with lots of Valentine's elements and papers. Have fun and ENJOY!

link: http://www.deco-pages.com/free/CarolRupley/New%20Folder/CR-Val-Freebie-blog.zip

OK: Now get the rest of the kit! Check in our forum and look for 'Deco-Pages Design Team - Freebies & RAKs' about the 5th item down.

link: http://board.deco-pages.com/forums/index.php

2009-02-09T22:36:00.001-05:00

To celebrate our scavenger hunt I am giving away this great mix and match kit to create your own Valentine's Day Notes for your digital designs. The four above are just four possible results. With 4 hearts 2 envelope bottoms, 4 tops and 2notecards... well you do the math... there are many more possible notes to create. Enjoy! and be sure to check out the Scavenger Hunt and all of the freebies deals and other events going on Happy Valentine's Day!

link: http://www.deco-pages.com/free/CarolRupley/CRBlogFreebie0209.zip

2009-02-07T20:39:00.009-05:00

It's time for the Valentine's Week Scavenger Hunt at Deco-Pages.com. Be sure to check out my store and follow the clues to find your prize. And, not to be selfish, MANY other designers are also participating, so check out their stores and blogs too. My contribution matches my blog freebie so you get 1 kit in 2 freebies.

Check it out in my store:

Link:http://www.deco-pages.com/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=21&sort=add_date&sort_direction=1&page=1

Here is your clue, start in my store home page & GOOD LUCK:

CLUE: Your quest starts now; just watch out for knife-wielding nautical ne’er-do-wells

2009-02-02T23:27:00.002-05:00

Link: Fun and Funky

http://www.deco-
pages.com/free/CarolRupley/Janfreebie/CarolRupleyFeb09BlogFreebie.zip

Here is a kit I have been working on, a style I have been experimenting with. It is fun and funk and FREE! I hope you enjoy this kit, let me know if you use it, send me a link. Be sure to come and visit me and all of our designers at Deco-Pages.com, there are a lot of changes and some great NEW events and kits!!!

2009-02-01T21:48:00.002-05:00

Hello all, I know, I know, I am not much of a writer and I have been HORRIBLY neglectful of the blog but I just wanted to add a little hidden message about our upcoming event at DP. You will feel the love, you will find so many goodies that you won't believe it.

Here are a few of my latest favorites, Susie the rock star:

Becca the birthday girl:

and our best friend, Max:

Thanks for reading, look forward to seeing you at Deco-Pages!

2008-12-09T19:01:00.005-05:00

Free Gingerbread! See Link Below!

Wow, it's been a while, let's see if anyone remembers me! LOL, I hope you like my current kits and I will try to update more often.

Things gave been pretty hectic at Deco-Pages, we have new kits to setup, new challenges are going on and of course their is decorating to complete, cookies to bake and gifts to wrap. Here's a little gift of Gingerbread from me to you. Just a small kit with a scrumptous gingerbread house, some cute gingerbread people, candy and more...

http://board.deco-pages.com/forums/showthread.php?p=61346#post61346

Okay, shameless plug, this freebie would go great with a couple of my holiday kits. Holiday Warmth 2 which has loads of realistic candies or Christmas Cabin Fever that has the original Gingerbread People and some warm lodge colors. Christmas Cabin Fever will be re-released shortly so watch for this one.

Holiday Warmmth 2: http://www.deco-pages.com/product.ph...2&cat=0&page=4 Christmas Cabin Fever
coming soon!!

2007-08-04T22:33:00.000-04:00

I've been Simpsonized!!

What do you think, do I make a good Simpson? What would you call me? I think I almost look like Mrs. Crabaffle (is that the right spelling?) It was fun coming up with the right hair, eyes, face, mouth, clothes etc.

Here is what happened when my entire family got zapped!!

2007-04-10T09:11:00.000-04:00

Code Orange

I think of the Homeland Security Advisory System as an interesting, colorful addition to the information landscape out there. I mean, how sweet, we are code yellow, that is such a warm friendly color – how can that mean ‘Elevated’? And it always seems to be orange and above at the airport. That’s the way the system goes – green – low, blue – guarded, yellow – elevated, orange – high and red – severe. It is a rainbow of response levels, more like a circus of circumstances than any indication danger.

I had the entire system driven home to me when I flew home recently, I had a layover in DC, perhaps this was a difficulty because it never seems to be anything less than orange at airports. The DC airports are of course the most security conscience (I suppose that is as it should be) Anyway, after spending close to an hour in one line, a kind older man checked my boarding pass and license and said I was good to go. I put my boarding pass back in my coat pocket and I was ready to board.

The next step was going through the metal detector. Ok, I made sure to wear new socks so I wouldn’t embarrass myself with my old, holey socks and I wore my flats to easily remove them. I slipped off my shoes placed them in a bin, opened up my two laptops and placed them in bins. Then my luggage, my coat and my purse. All in separate bins – all sent on their way to the other side. I lined up and one of the guards said, “You’ll need to take off that sweatshirt”. I did have a tiny little tank top that was too small for me, my midriff bulge hanging out under the top – I felt very cold and naked but no matter I would be through this soon.

“Boarding Pass”, the large tough looking guard said to me.

“But that other man checked it.” I offered. It seems that checking boarding passes is a several step process as I discovered, because on entering the plane the pass is checked again.

My boarding pass, along with all of my possessions, my money, my two laptops and most of my clothing where all on the other side. I, with no shoes and no shirt was on this side feeling rather cold, pretty worried and completely like a delinquent. I asked for my purse but the pass was not in there. Then my sweatshirt – no boarding pass – where was that thing. They told me to sit on the floor and let others pass. I scrambled through my meager possessions, feeling very much like an idiot and a criminal. Others that where more organized – the lucky few that had there boarding passes -- passed.

Finally, I thought of my coat, “Give me my coat I asked.” All the while I craned my neck to try to keep an eye on my possessions while searching for the pass. I retrieved the boarding pass, made it through the line and quickly grabbed my twisted remnants, threw on my shoes and made it to the waiting area.

I blended, no one said – “There’s that woman that caused the huge delay”. I bought a coffee, smiled nicely at the ladies across the way that smiled nicely at me. I read my magazine and played some Spider solitaire.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the system is good. Sure, it is easy to poke fun but ultimately it is simple for a reason -- I like the fact that it is purposely simple so that even a child can understand that there are elevated levels of danger. Even if someone visits to our country and speak no English, I think they would be able to understand the simple straightforward color system. Just as our street lights are blatantly simple, so is this system and that is a good thing.

FYI, it was only code orange that day, thank goodness it wasn't code red!

2007-03-30T22:12:00.000-04:00

New Freebie!

Things have really been busy around my house lately, my husband and I have been working a lot of hours, the kids have been really busy with activities and it seems we are pulled every direction. Is this just me or is this a trend?? It has been really difficult to even visit my blog lately, so I am making up for it by bearing gifts. A little tea set for my visitors.

Be sure to visit Deco-Pages, We have a A LOT going on, a recipe exchange, new challenges and more!! There are a few new terriffic designers and two of our designers are being published!!! Visit the website and then link to the newsletters for more info!!

Enjoy this latest freebie, thanks to everyone who has visited -- I will try to stop by more often!!

Link: Tea Time

2007-02-18T19:29:00.000-05:00

I know I have been so slow lately to update my blog. Writing comes hard for me and I have started a new PT job, so I have been really swamped. In fact I was away for training for nearly two weeks so I have not kept up.

There is a lot going on at Deco-Pages and we have some new designers and I know that there are some brilliant designers and really something for everyone.

I have been experimenting with lots of patterns, shapes and ideas. One is a bunch of sweethearts like you get for Valentine's Day. They are simple a but perfect accent for one of your LOs. I hope you all enjoy this freebie and be sure to look at Deco-Pages for more fab stuff.

Link: http://www.deco-pages.com/free/CarolRupley/AprilFreebies/CarolRupleyHearts.zip

2007-01-14T19:30:00.001-05:00

New Freebie at My Blog!

I am really looking forward to the spring and to all of the flowers and colors of the spring. I have a new kit in the works, aptly called Spring!, and I have a new freebie for blog visitors. This freebie gives you a good idea of what the kit is like and is mostly blues and greens. In the freebie you get three papers and 3 buttons. Enjoy and let me know if you create a layout with it, I'd love to see how it is used.

Link to Zip File

Spring! is coming soon! No, really is will! Along with that all importamt season, I have created a bright and flower-filled kit that celebrates spring. There are will be 15 flowery conchos and 3 golden buttons along with fun papers and some big bright flowers.

Check out the layout I did with the kit, we visited the ancestral farm that my family settled in the early 1800s. There were cats and kittens everywhere, one for each kid. I love this photo, it really shows off their love of animals.

2006-12-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays!

It has been a very busy time for all of us around here. I don't know why it is that every year gets even more hectic than the year before. I know somewhere someone is having a relaxing, restful holiday -- I want to talk to that person, find out how they do it.

Anyway! I am working way ahead! Here is a cupid I am working on. I used Lime's ( www.houseoflime.com ) fantasic cherub font as a starting point to create this little guy. Look for him in January, just in time for Valentine's Day!!

2006-12-08T13:04:00.000-05:00

New Template Available to Visitors!

Happy Holidays!

Link: Expired

I have been fascinated with all of the templates out there and finally decided to give it a try. So many of them are beautiful as they are and I was never satisfied with what I created. Finally I just decided to go with what I had. I wasn't sure how to package it so I created a .psd file and a .png file AND I created three seperate files for the three levels of the template. I'd love to hear what you all use and how I can improve this.

Also, check out the new kit I have created to go with my holiday warmth kits. It has a few sentimental papers and NINE different wreaths. Each pine branch is hand drawn and hopefully recreates the look of real pine. I love those beautiful ornate wreaths that they hang on upscale department stores and those candy wreaths you sometimes can buy. These combine the best of both types!

Link: Holiday Wreath

Well, anyway, thanks for reading all of my posts and hope to see you at Club Deco. Thanks for looking; Carol

2006-11-17T09:31:00.000-05:00

All Dressed Up and Everywhere to Go!

I hope you all enjoy the new look of my blog. I am a jazz fan and I have finally gotten around to including some streaming jazz. Right now I have Charlie Parker, he's the best -- considered a jazz master. I also love Thelonious Monk, Nina Simone and others. I have also created a new masthead, my version of a slide show and more!! I have been working with Flash Actionscript for a while and I am working on a Santa animation for Deco pages, I'd love to get some feedback.

ALSO, I am giving away some fun backgrounds, so be sure to check those out. These are based on three sites in Europe: Big Ben in London, the ruins of ancient Greece and the Alhambra in Spain. I wanted a dreamy quality to these papers because Europe is a dream to me. Though I visited a few years ago I'd love to get back and spend more time there.

Link: European Dreams Papers

Thanks for visiting and hope to see you at Club Deco. Carol

2006-11-10T00:00:00.001-05:00

New 1950s Style Freebies

I am really excited about the new kits and products at www.deco-pages.com. (Don't tell Deb I told you) but in December we are going to have another scavenger hunt. Dana Conditt came up with the first hunt and it was a big success, we had lots of visitors and a lot of fun finding all of those elements for Halloween. The Christmas freebies should be just as fun and I chose the colors scheme for this kit. hehehe, I made it a little bit challenging because I chose only 8 fairly bright colors. To the left is a card from the kit. There are lots of bright colors and simple shapes, just perfect for a fifties look.

Also in the 1950s vein, I created a mini-kit as a blog freebie. This kit shares very similar colors and a cut out shapes like the other kit. So if you like that simple patterned, 1950s style be sure to get the free mini-kit now AND be sure to check back for the scavenger hunt later. Link: Free Kit

Also, I have been playing with shockwave animation. I have been working on actionscript for the Holiday season. I am fairly new to Actionscript but I am having a lot of fun learning all of the rules. Create an object that is generic to create another object that is useful (like an listener). Listen for changes so you can do some other action. It is just as foreign as it sounds! Here is an example of one I am working on:

2006-11-01T18:43:00.000-05:00

Free Candy!

Link: Free Candy

This is the time of year I always think of candy of all sort, and the time of year I put on 10 pounds if I'm not careful. But I have come up with the perfect solution, digital candy!! Here are a few hard candies, just a few free samples like at that great candy store downtown or that cute one from vacation. Well there is no guilt here, ZERO CALORIES! These samples are from my next kit, Holiday Warmth 2, an add-on to the original kit. Look for Holiday Warmth 2 at www.deco-pages.com.

And there's more! Right now Deco-Pages is having a Halloween Scavenger Hunt. Just search around the site and find the various links to the many, many freebies. Here is a LO of my contribution to the hunt. I especially like the 'Queen of Darkness', she is a shadowy figure I created and then modified with bat wings. Halloween may be over but there are still those lovely photos that need scrapping and Deco designers have provided around 60 freebies for this event! Hunt lasts until November 5th at www.deco-pages.com.

And one more thing I want to let everyone know, the NOvember issue of the Deco Pages Newsletter is available now, be sure to look for the two free items in the newsletter, the new puzzle and lots, lots more!

2006-10-27T19:30:00.000-04:00

Free Golf Frames!!

Link: Free Golf Frames

Golf Outing -- Coming Soon!

I hope you all enjoy these free golf frames! Just before it got cold, my husband took the kids on one last golf outing. He had won passes to a neighboring country club and that is what got me thinking about all of the photos we have of golf and all of the people out there who might also like a golf kit. Even though it's nearly November and those cold winter winds are beginning to howl, I know those golf photos are stacking up from summer.

The kit that goes with these freebies will be ready shortly!! In this kit there will benearly enough golf elements to fill a pro shop! There are three golf bags, four gloves, three jeweled divots, some tees, clubs and balls. There is even a trophy for the many, many golf champions out there. Not only do I include around 40 golf elements, but there are fourteen 12x12 papers and fourteen 8.5x11 papers.

Well, anyway, thanks for reading all of my post and hope to see you at Deco-Pages. Thanks for looking; Carol

2006-10-26T20:34:00.000-04:00

Golf Outing Coming Soon
Save Your Money!!

Have you been in a pro shop lately, I have? Oh no, I don’t golf but nearly every one in my family does, so naturally there are countless excursions to just look at the equipment and yearn longingly for the latest and greatest advances in Titanium technology, graphite usage and balancing enhancements. (Oh sure, I talk the lingo but not much else.) These shops, and they are everywhere, are always like an out of body experience for me. I float through not entirely sure what I am looking at, afraid to touch anything and asking stupid questions like “Who is Big Bertha and she costs WHAT?”

In this kit there are nearly enough golf elements to fill a pro shop! There are three golf bags, four gloves, three jeweled divots, some tees, clubs and balls. There is even a trophy for the many, many golf champions out there. Not only do I include around 40 golf elements, but there are fourteen 12x12 papers and fourteen 8.5x11 papers. If my husband is any indication, there are tons of golfers and more importantly golf widows out there -- this kit is for you. I hope you all enjoy and remember; there are no stupid questions there are only Callaway Big Bertha Fusion Irons with steel shafts for $1200! Hehehe, don’t worry he didn’t get them! Save your money for golf equipment, this kit won't break the bank!

This kit will be available at Deco-Pages soon, TFL Carol

2006-10-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

Free Clearance Ribbons!

Link: Free Ribbons

I was cleaning out my computer and found these elements that didn't make it into a kit. With the holidays coming up in the not to distant future I wanted you all to have these for your cards and letters. They were originally designed these for the Christmas Bows kit that I created for Deco-Pages but never used them. I remember at the time that I was seeing so many beautiful ribbons being created and I just had to try it for myself. I still need to learn more about creating these wonderful ribbons and probably will continue my quest to create ribbons. I also need to learn how to make 'stitches' so watch for that in the near future.

Thanks for looking; Carol

2006-10-13T09:59:00.000-04:00

Free Add On Kit for the Holiday Warmth Kit

Hi everyone, I have been having so much fun creating Victorian inspired Holiday backgrounds and elements that there are too many to put in one kit. I have finally finished the Holiday kit and it is uploaded to Deco-Pages. It has the same basic style as the blue and purple freebies I posted earlier on my blog. All of these elements are huge, but I have more... This freebie also compliments the the Holiday Warmth kit and has delicate patterns on the scroll and journaling rectangle. I hope you enjoy this and let me know if you use it and post it on the web, I'd love to see how these things are used.

DOWNLOAD HERE!

Link: http://www.deco-pages.com/Carol_Rupley_-_Holiday_Warmth_P496.cfm

A month or so ago I created the Film Noir kit because I love the type of movie, you know the type, with the gritty tough guy whose usually a PI. He's been severely wounded by a dame and drowns himself in drink. And those dames with legs up to there and a figure and face that every girl envies. She has a past and no future but she in trouble, that where the PI comes in.

The Film Noir kit has many shadow figures and lots of martini glasses and shakers, fingerprints, magnifying glasses and more. This kit is perfect for Halloween OR a murder mystery party. Well... because of that kit I have had requests for more murder mystery stuff -- you know, crime reports, guns, daggers, a chalk outline; the tools of the trade that any good PI would need. The Add On is called Film Noir 2 (I know, not very creative). Check out these kits at Deco-Pages, they are really fun!

Links: http://www.deco-pages.com/Carol_Rupley_-_Film_Noir_P345C40.cfm, http://www.deco-pages.com/Carol_Rupley_-_Film_Noir_2_P500C40.cfm

AND, have you ever driven down a long, cold, dark road only to find an abandoned house at the dead end of it? Sometimes there is one single, faint yellow light flickering in an upstairs window, the only hint that some one might still live -- or exist there. A huge spider dangles from an enormous web that was made at leisure, undisturbed.

Those creepy drives on unfamiliar roads are the inspiration for this kit. It includes creepy spider borders, hanging spiders and a giant spider. There are signs everywhere -- Keep Out!! Perfect for Halloween, this kit is erie and grey, just the way it should be. hehehe -- enjoy!!

Link: http://www.deco-pages.com/Carol_Rupley_-_Haunted_Houses_P461C40.cfm

Thanks for looking; Carol

2006-10-05T15:02:00.000-04:00

Links for Two New Freebies PLUS A Note to Club Deco Club Members

Link: Yellow and Turquoise Freebie
Okay, I have another new freebie for scrapbookers out there. These are just a couple of papers from my scroll obsession. I hope you all enjoy this, it sort of reminds me of some designer scarves I've seen, I didn't set out to create that look, it just happened.

Also I am extending the freebie for the Blue Christmas one. I had such a lot of good comments, I wanted to offer it to more people.
Link: Blue Christmas Freebie .
The other link for the Blue Christmas freebie has nearly expired and because of all of the positive feedback I've set up a second link to the kit.

I had such a great response to my Blue Christmas freebie AND a couple of club members and others have said they would love some purple Christmas backgrounds and papers, thank you to everyone! I recolored, embellished and added to the Blue kit to create a Holiday Purple freebie. This will be offered, for a limited time, to Club Deco club members. I have been having so much fun creating these ornaments that I just don't know when to turn it off.

To find out about Club Deco-- Click here: http://www.deco-pages.com/Club_Membership_P441.cfm
If you aren't a club member, I will be offering many other blog freebies in the near future, so no worries. I am not much of a salesperson and this is not a 'sales' thing, I just know that the designers at Deco have created lots and lots of neat freebies for club members, I just wanted to share one of the freebies I offer at Deco Pages. Along with the great freebies, the monthly club kits are enormous!

2006-10-03T19:53:00.000-04:00

Christmas in October!

Okay, I know I'm running a little early, but I have been having fun creating ornaments that look like velvet! At least that is my goal. Here are a few freebies that complement my upcoming kit. So new, they don't really have a name yet. I was thinking maybe ... Blue Christmas or Holiday Blues, I think the papers especially could be nice for Hanukah. Get this while supplies last!

Link: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=477A91346D961A5D

Theses are just some samples of the of the elements that will be in this kit. A fun jolly Santa, several nice papers, ornaments and more. I have only begun to work on this kit, so look for more of this one.

Thank you for looking and enjoy! Carol

Oh, I almost forgot! The new newsletter has been released! Tami Davis has contributed some wonderful freebies for this issue. Check out all of the fun info, club news and More... Let me know if you see all of the crawling spiders on the newsletter (there are four of them?)

Link: http://www.deco-pages.com/October_Newsletter_W126C128.cfm

2006-10-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

Bully Pulpit

I am sorry, I usually post LOs and freebies on my blog but I am very frustrated and very disturbed and I guess I am using my blog to vent my irritation. Penn, Harris, Madison -- the school system that my kids attend, the one that is supposed to be the best in the state, is ridiculous! We paid a premium to buy property in that school district and we pay a premium in property taxes to be in this district!

From the first day we enrolled in this district, the first principal I met treated me and my kids like we were urchins. Her cold and callous demeaner is something I have tried to live with, but after more than three years and no winter thaw, I guess I am getting associative 'cabin fever'. I mean, do any one of you want to deal with an ice queen on a daily or weekly manner? You might be able to take it for a few months or a year and after a while you would expect the coolness to end. But it never does.

My daughter wanted to take accelerated math, and the counselor actually wanted her to take easier math saying "why work so hard?" Susie is smart enough to know that it is not only good grades that matter but the types of classes you take. Susie always scores above the 94th percentile on the math section of the standardized tests. But they didn't care about that, I had to sign my life away to get her into the advanced class and she got a B the first semester and As since then, I think she can handle it. I have never heard of a school, let alone one that is supposed to be the best in the state, encouraging their students to take easy classes? I was livid!

My daughter Rebecca was bullied last year to the point of depression and I complained at least four times about this and the school system actually told her to seek out her bully and 'talk it out'. She did this only to be bullied MORE. So she tried more to talk it out and got nowhere. All the while, the school did nothing. The law in our state requires all reports of bullying to be taken seriously, this school system actually encouraged my daughter to place herself in harms way rather than doing their job.

Now recently, my kids and I planned to attend a religious event in Chicago. I sent in a note to the school and said in it that if there would be a problem to let me know by the day before the event otherwise we would assume there was no problem. Of course, this principal, the one that had been so cold to us, waited to say anything until we were on the road to the event. A secretary called my cell and told me this 'may' not be excused. I was so upset, chewed the ear off of this poor secterary. Because I was so upset and frankly threatened to call the school district, they backed off!

I have had to deal with teachers that told me bold faced lies where school paperwork clearly showed they were lying and abusive teachers that are frankly cruel to their students (these are the teachers that get ahead in the system). I am exasperated! I finally did complain to the district and I will see what they do about this treatment. We used to homeschool and this type of capricious, cold and callous behavior is completely foreign to me. Is this common in school systems, am I too sensative? My friend who is a teacher in another state is outraged at the way we have been treated, so I do think it is unusual.

Well thank you all for letting me vent and I would love to hear your experiences and thoughts.

Thanks for reading

Carol

2006-09-26T09:40:00.000-04:00

I've been Tagged! It has taken me awhile to post mine, but here they are. I like all types of music and my recent faves are all over the map!

Here are the rules:
"List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether or not they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your LiveJournal/blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to."

1. I Write Sins not Tragedies by Panic! at the Disco
2. L'Ascenseur pour l'Echafaud by Miles Davis
3. Minnie the Moocher by Cab Calloway
4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
5. Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
6. Sexyback by Justin Timberlake
7. Round Midnight by Thelonious Monk

A little jazz, a little rock, a little Minnie the Moocher, that's me in a nutshell!

7 Bloggers I tagged!

Ø Deb
Ø Marcee
Ø Tami
Ø John
Ø Helen
Ø Rhino75
Ø Lime

2006-09-10T11:26:00.000-04:00

Link: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=4D79449400FC7594

A new freebie for scrapbooking fans. This is available for a limited time but this free sample and a lot of my other freebies and the freebies of a lot of other people are available at www.deco-pages.com. Look for the link to free samples for certain freebies and a lot of other freebies are available to club members. This freebie, my eyelet freebie and a lot of others are offered there.

I am working on other European sites but this is a secondary kit, right now I am working on a thanksgiving kit and a Christmas/winter kit. Below is a sample of some of the elements for the Thanksgiving kit.
Thanks for looking! Carol

2006-08-17T10:35:00.000-04:00

Link: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=81B975132A0D0AE0

A kit so new that the freebie has beaten it to the store! This free ad-on has some of the type of elements as the kit. It includes a swooped border with cut-outs and two curled journaling pages. The curled pages, I hope, look like paper doilies -- at least that was my intention. The border has a soft pattern overlay.

As always, these ad-ons and kits are for personal use only. If commercial use is desired, please contact me at carol.rupley@att.net Look for this kit in the near future and thanks for looking! Carol

Carol Rupley Eyelet Kit, Coming Soon!

2006-08-02T16:04:00.000-04:00

Free to fans of www.deco-pages.com. For a limited time these tags and two strings of beads. These ad-ons co-ordinate with the Gingham kit (link: http://www.deco-pages.com/Carol_Rupley_-_Gingham_P374.cfm) and the Flower Power kit (link: http://www.deco-pages.com/Carol_Rupley_-_Flower_Power_P377.cfm) .

Link to Download: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=F1053DAB427EA6CD

Here is a new layout with a new kit I just created. This is Jacob for Halloween a few years ago. He was a pirate and quite a rowdy character. This is a fun kit with all sorts of burnt edges and pirate gear. Check it out at: http://www.deco-pages.com/Carol_Rupley_-_Pirate_Gold_P390.cfm

Thanks for looking! Hope you enjoy the newbie freebies! Carol

2006-07-21T16:22:00.000-04:00

Free just for visiting my blog, two carousel horses with a brass finish. Link: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=E03633325401D987

These are add-ons to the kit I just introduced at www.deco-pages.com which features many, many carousel horses. Called simply Carousel it has many fun elements and lots of color.

And on the subject speaking of color, I have been on a color kick lately. No more muted colors for me this summer, I love those fresh warm colors for summer. Check out these other kits.

Flower Power

Gingham

and Movie Stars

Thank for visiting and checking out whats new.

2006-06-30T11:23:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, I have have a new addition to the kits at www.deco-pages.com -- graduation kit for all of those wonderful graduation photos. check it out: http://www.deco-pages.com/Carol_Rupley_-_Graduation_Cele_P365C93.cfm

In addition to the new kit, I have created a some free elements to go with the kit. Please check out visit this link to get these freebies: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=F7231BEA43C96CED

2006-06-09T22:01:00.000-04:00

Okay, I have been productive this week, except for my dog story, there is always a dog story. Anyway, I was cleaning out my computer and came across some designs I like but never used. So I bundled three gems together as a bonus freebie, Enjoy!

For a limited time, these gems are available at: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=C48E2BA413DC16AE

2006-06-06T09:03:00.000-04:00

Here is a set of three journaling squares just for you, for visiting my blog.

Link: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=8392838709AC5E2D

Coming soon:

'This too will pass, the Max Rupley story or 'How Many Things Can One Dog Eat!'.

Also, a baseball / softball kit for all of those great photos.

2006-05-03T10:37:00.000-04:00

New Freebie to All you scrappers out there!

Click here --->:
http://beta.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=FEF0D9C43E9D1B8C

Free to you for visiting my blog. These recipe cards match my Kitchenware kit at Deco-Pages.com, so check it out. I have many things in the works, we have a few contests coming up and I am deeply drawing a 'Film Noir' inspired kit. It is taking a lot of time but I love it. Here is a layout based on the Film Noir: (Look for this in the future!)

ALSO! Be sure to check into Deco-Pages.com for all of the latest events! We have a lot going on for National Scrapbooking Day, so check it out.

2006-04-28T11:38:00.000-04:00

Free to the first few visitors.

Hi Everyone!

We have been really busy lately. It is baseball season! I have a lot of things in the works and would love to hear your ideas for kits and what you are looking for. To make up for being so busy I am giving away a few fun elements. If you like New Orleans, wrought iron or just filigree -- you will like these elements. Not only that, you can recolor them, use them to create brushes, etc. Personal use only on these. If you are interested in commercial just let me know.

These items are for a limited time only and a limited number of down loads, so if you like what you see -- go for it.

Thank you for looking, Carol

2006-02-17T14:15:00.000-05:00

This layout is a testimonial for Dad. He was more than a father, he was a good friend to me. I always looked forward to a visit and was pained when he became ill. Get better, do your therapy, listen to the doctor I would say. I must have annoyed him, but I wanted him to get back to the way he was. But he couldn't, I had to accept that. Just as I was accepting that he was losing strength and he wouldn't always know me, he died. Even at 76, it was too early. These things are was always too early.

2006-02-12T08:40:00.000-05:00

Just a little hello and an update on the latest. Can't say much, too much to say, to difficult to put in a short, clear format. Sometime I will, not ready yet. I did discover that my blog name is very similar to one dedicated to adult sex toys. How funny, it's like being the pet store next to the giant 'Adult Book Store'. People have left cryptic messages like 'found you by mistake'. I wonder if the other 'Babeland' gets messages like -- 'your layouts are not what I expected'.

I digress. Just wanted to publish some of the images I am working on for www.deco-pages.com.

I love the little 'Easter/Kid' kit I am working on. This image shows one of the backgrounds.

Along with this kit, I am also working on a Literary kit I am very happy with. This is a PTP kit so not all elements ar mine.

These will be available soon at www.deco-pages.com. Visit us there, we will have our forum up and running soon and there are lots of new designers, new kits and new layouts.

2006-01-07T14:57:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share a couple more layouts that I created for www.deco-pages.com.

The first one is a revision of a post I made in December. I fine tuned the alphabet and made the kit more finished.

http://board.deco-pages.com/showphoto.php/photo/170/cat/508

The next one is inspired by a cameo I found in my car. I am not sure if the previous owner left it or not, but I love it, it is so delicate.

http://board.deco-pages.com/showphoto.php/photo/171/cat/508

To see these kits go to www.deco-pages.com and choose designer Carol Rupley.

2005-12-31T18:48:00.000-05:00

These are two layouts I have created recently that will be offered on www.deco-pages.com. The first one is a wildcat themed kit. I really enjoyed creating the cats all stretched out and sinewy.

The next kit is for Valentine's Day. These two cute kids were childhood sweethearts; they married and raised wonderful, highly successful children. When I think of lifelong love, I think of these two kids.

http://board.deco-pages.com/showphoto.php/photo/170/cat/508

**These kit will be available in January.

2005-12-19T23:54:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share some of the layouts for the next month at www.deco-pages.com.

I finally finished the penguin kit. I actually studied some artic footage for this kit (I guess I'm getting too artsy). I have a renewed appreciation for these animals from watching the way they interact. The movie 'March of the Penguins' is really compelling.

This layout feels warm and cozy to me, I used family quilts and digitally created the jewelry! I love sephia tone photos and created one for myself. Visit www.deco-pages.com to see many more kits and designs.

2005-12-10T14:10:00.000-05:00

Awareness Ribbon Tutorial Two
Once you have created a basic ribbon shape in the first tutorial, you can embellish it. I know there are several methods out there to create a decorative pattern for a ribbon but I use the Pattern Overlay tool in Photoshop. I can quickly and almost always successfully obtain the pattern I want. This works best with a random pattern, because stripes for example would need to follow the contour of the ribbon to look realistic.

** First open up the basic ribbon file you have already created (the .psd file) We are going to add both a pattern and an edge to the ribbon; we will do the edge first. Click on one of the shapes and the layer will be highlighted in blue to show which shape is selected.

Double click on the selected layer and a dialog box will pop up. We will need to change some of the settings in the dialog box. To change the edge, you will need to click on the word 'Stroke' on the left edge of the dialog box. You will change the settings to what you want, but I did the following settings. Color- sort of a medium pink (color number: ff8eeb), the Opacity was set at 81%, position is set to the inside of the line and the size of the line is set to 3 pixels wide.

Repeat these settings on the other shape in this awareness ribbon and you will have your edges.

Next use the same dialog box to change the settings for the Pattern Overlay. In this case I am using a pattern that I created in Photoshop but there are several patterns already defined. Defining your own pattern can be as simple as using an image that you like and selecting Edit / Define Pattern. Your pattern will appear next time you go into the Pattern Overlay area of Layer Styles. To change the pattern, you will need to click on the words 'Pattern Overlay' on the left edge of the dialog box. I changed the settings as follows: Blend Mode was set to Screen, Opacity had no change, Scale was set at 15% and the pattern was a lace pattern I created. You can experiment with these settings to get something that looks good to you.

After the pattern is set for one shape, repeat the process on the other shape. The end result will look like the ribbon below.

If anyone is interested, I could do a tutorial on how to create a pattern and alter a pattern for different effects.

2005-12-04T10:54:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all;

I want to share some of my recent kits and layouts I have designed recently for www.deco-pages.com (a digital scrapbooking site).

These are some of the elements of a kit called 'Resolution and Celebration'. I really like the way these elements look like they are lined up at a bar ready to for a party.

The next picture is a layout of a holiday party using this kit. I really like all of the elements with this photograph.

With the next kit I wanted to create a predominantly red, white and green kit for the winter. I like the clean look of white with any color. In January I am working on a kit with black and white with penguins. Anyway here is a layout with cardinals for winter.

Below is an element that will be included with the January kit using Penguins. I enjoy drawing animals. People are difficult because you really need to capture their personality, but animals are easier. Not that they don't have personalities, but they are less demanding. This gal still needs a little more work, I'd love to get feedback on what she needs.

2005-11-23T13:18:00.000-05:00

It’s Thanksgiving, Turkey!

It is hard sometimes to think of reasons to be thankful at Thanksgiving, we have had a few difficult years lately. My husband has been downsized three times in about a year and a half and our finances have taken a hit. In addition, the holiday season has long been a source of acrimony and nerves. This year I can only look to the ridiculous for reason to be thankful, things like ‘at least I don’t have a disfiguring wart on my lip, ‘at least the cat didn’t eat our bird this year’ or ‘at least they don’t have streakers at Thanksgiving’. My ability to muster a generous, giving spirit has stammered and constricted this year, the way the last drops of gasoline sputters and suspend an engine from dying as it is itself dying. I am ashamed to say I am faulty and life is flawed.

After all, I should know better, I should have learned by now how to make my way in the world, I should have moved on by now. Instead of holding onto past problems, live in the moment and overcome the troubles of today, ones that can be changed. When my husband lost his job for the third time, I was able to dig deep and call up the stability and courage that he needed. Just a few days ago, I told Mike that I couldn’t go through a fourth downsizing and I would like him to prepare for the worst and get his resume updated. He exploded, how did I dare suggest he quit his job. I never said quit his job, just be prepared, we need to be prepared for bad times whether they come or not. With each layoff my optimism has faded and I have become wearier and wearier of ‘getting along’. I just can’t do it again; something in me must be fractured if my faith in the future has failed so miserably. How can I be thankful at Thanksgiving when I am so disturbed and concerned about the past and the future?

I do realize that these financial problems are nothing compared to what some people go through. Some people have real problems. Some people have to deal with death and illness; some people are homeless or have no family. I have even heard of one family where the father had lost his job 15 times over the course of a few years. They had to move across country several times following jobs and had to exhaust their savings on these moves. In this family’s case, Oprah Winfrey’s production company dragged them onto television and gave them various items (a car, tuition assistance, more). Outward gestures of generosity are certainly better then nothing, but all charity should be anonymous, that way self-importance does not adulterate the heart’s importance. I have heard that audience members for that show are selected based on their enthusiasm and ability to do so on cue. Her audience did their job and cheered mightily – ‘Good Oprah’, ‘How kind you are Oprah’. At least there is a silver lining to human misery, the ratings were PHENOMENAL!

A few year ago my mother cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the family. At that time my brother had some sort of phlebitic condition that made it difficult for him to walk and time consuming for him to get ready to even go out. He used to drive but had not renewed his license for several years because his condition made driving painful. If his mother wanted him to come to the Thanksgiving dinner, she would have to have him picked up. She did and she did, she had me pick him up.

I drove across town to the small apartment Carl rented in the converted Victorian. Each floor had two apartments for a total of 6 all together. Carl lived on the first floor because of his ailment and the other first floor apartment was rented by a young man named Eric Markson. My first memory of Eric was of the first time I visited Carl in this building, Eric stuck his tongue out at me, through the mail slot – but out at me. He knew me from seeing me at Carl’s place so he made every effort to be polite. As I knocked on the door of Carl’s apartment, Eric spoke to me from the doorway of his apartment.

“Excuse me Carl’s sister, could you tell me what time it is?” he asked in his politest voice. I turned around and Eric stood in the hallway of that ancient Victorian completely nude. I quickly looked at my watch and related “11AM”.

Without noticing or seeming to care, Eric continued his conversation, as if he was in his finest clothing ready to go with us. But he wasn’t, he was nude. Not one to point out the obvious and compassionate for people with infirmities and mental conditions, I continued to both knock on the door and talk to Eric. This is my downfall, being overly polite, in situation in which it is not necessary. Eric wanted to know what we were having for dinner, he told me about his cat, the one he kept tied to his bed. Later, when this cat died, he kept it in his freezer. I was blushing beet red and I still blush every time this incident is mentioned. It wasn’t until Carl answered the door that the ‘spell’ that kept me talking to the naked man in the hallway was broken and we went on our ways.

“Jesus f---ing Christ, Eric; what the f--- is wrong with you.” “You stupid f---ing turkey, don’t you know you don’t answer the door in your birthday suit. My brother was a poet when he wanted to be. This is a f---ing holiday you moron, we don’t want to see that.” Eric shrank away, not from the sudden realization that he was naked but more so out of fear of my brother’s reprisals. “It’s Thanksgiving, Turkey! You’re the f---ing turkey today, you f---ing moron.” Carl, knew very few adjectives, most of them cuss words and his favorite start with f. I just shook my head, I was quite speechless.

These sorts of situations always leave me speechless – but not Carl. Carl always had something to say in every situation whether his input is desired or not. We have heard this story every Thanksgiving since, it has become a traditional whether we like it or not. I know it could be worse, we all could have seen Eric nude or we could attend an all nude Thanksgiving. Thinking about these events has given me a few things to be thankful for though. Even though our cat did eat our parakeet this year, I am thankful that Oprah Winfrey hasn’t gotten wind of our miseries and forced us to attend one of her audience participation exorcisms. It is not that glowing, warm, sentimental reason I have been wishing for, but still there is always next year to hope for something better. In the mists of my misery this year, I am thankful that Eric Markson is not my Thanksgiving turkey. That alone is reason to be thankful. Happy Thanksgiving! Is that a bump on my lip – I hope that wart doesn’t grow?

2005-11-11T11:40:00.000-05:00

File This Under Strange but True

I don’t call myself Buddha Babe for no reason; it is because I am a practicing Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist and have been one for going on thirty years. Oh sure, life is full of adversity and life has been full of problems for me, not the least of which has been because I have chosen to be a Buddhist in a Christian country. I do have to say though that our country has become more open minded and the occasions when I feel prejudged have diminished greatly. Also as an aside Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism is not the same as a group called Sokkai Gaki which is a common misunderstanding with westerners, both groups do recite the mantra ‘Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.

Anyway, even in my early teens I was fascinated with eastern religion and thought and researched yoga, Zen, Hindu, meditation and more. I am sure that my teachers and parents were very concerned about me, but I was single-minded. When I was in my late teens, as luck would have it, an Asian couple moved in next door to my parents and in time we began to talk. From the moment the wife taught me the Buddhist chant that they used, I knew it was for me. I started immediately practicing this chant and I began to learn the sutra passages (in Japanese) of the ‘Lotus Sutra’. She told me that in a couple of weeks they would be going to Chicago for a Buddhist meeting and they would take me with them.

I couldn’t wait, that weekend I jump in my car and took off in search of the Buddhist temple in Chicago. I drove all the way up their and then found a telephone book and simple looked up Buddhist temples. I found it, I thought. I drove to the northern part of Chicago around Foster Avenue and drove to it like a woman possessed but when I found the temple it was closed. A little disappointed, I walked around the neighborhood to look for a McDonald’s or something. The neighborhood was a mixture of Asians and hippies so it was an odd mix to my subdivision mind, but a not unusual for a big city.

One hippie stopped me on the street and singled me out. In slurred English said “You’re so beautiful, man, you are beautiful!”

I smiled and tried to walk around him. Always trying to be polite, it has been my downfall! I am polite in situations where it is not called for and rude when politeness could have worked wonders. Anyway…

“Man,” he said “If I wasn’t so loaded on heroin right now, I’d jump you right here.” He was cute underneath all of the grime so I was oddly complimented, perplexed and frustrated all at once. Why did I have find hippies so fascinating, life as a hippie (at least his kind of hippie) meant drugs and homelessness? As a teenager in the ‘70s it was interesting. I am afraid that today that man is either dead, homeless, or possibly in jail. I got away.

I was disappointed, but happy that I found the temple at the same time. I could go on my own any time I wanted now and wouldn’t have to rely on someone else to take me.

I headed home later that night; I would be worried if my kids took off for Chicago all alone but it was approaching 10 pm, I was driving through south Chicago and Gary when I noticed that I was running low on gas. I pulled off of 94 onto Grant Street, the thought there would be a gas station near the interstate because most businesses do that to make money. There was nothing here. The further I drove, the fewer businesses I saw, but I did begin to see boarded up buildings and businesses with bars in the windows and chained up door. These businesses were all closed, locked up tight. I did see gas stations, but they too were locked down and chained up. I am an optimistic person but I became a little frightened. What if I run out of gas, would I be lucky enough to meet the decent citizens that live in this neighborhood (they are everywhere) or would I encounter the reason for all the chains. Worried that I would run out of gas, I finally came to a screeching halt along a residential area of Grant that had few street lights and few people. I took a deep breath, thought a moment. I looked at the glowing yellow lamp inside the nearby house and thought of knocking on the door and asking directions but my fear got the better of me. I retreated back to the interstate; of course the very next exit had several stations right on the exit. I gassed up and got home.

The next day I found out from my mentor that this particular temple was not ‘the’ temple in fact they had not build an official temple yet, the Buddhist meetings were held in houses at this point. My trip seemed to have been totally for nothing, I did not find the Nichiren Shoshu temple, I was accosted by a heroin addict and I could have been mugged. The very next weekend my friend took me to a Buddhist meeting in Chicagoland. We drove nearly all the way into Chicago but exited just before we got there. The area looked strangely familiar to me. As I looked at the bars and the grey buildings I realized we were driving down that same lonely street I had used before when I searched for gasoline. It was a little friendlier before sunset. She drove through that residential area and finally came to a stop - exactly where I had stopped the weekend before. That little friendly house with the warm yellow windows was the location of the Buddhist meetings. It turned out that I had chosen to stop right in front of the house where the Buddhist meetings are held and I did not know it. I had found the Buddhist ‘temple’ last weekend and I did not know it. I made shivers run up my spine.

I always look at this experience as an example of how deluded our knowledge and understanding can be and that we should be open minded and open to new things. I looked for the temple in a logical way and used the appropriate means to do it - the telephone book and my car. I did not find it that way. How mystical that somehow though my subconscious, my spirit, my Buddhist nature was pulling me in the right direction. Not only that, my fear of the unknown made me look at that neighborhood in one way - a source of danger and the unknown. In truth that neighborhood became for me a source of knowledge and friendship, a begin point to enlightenment.

I only have one problem though, what was the purpose of the heroin addict, I suppose the meaning in that deluded moment is yet to be revealed.

2005-11-08T08:15:00.000-05:00

A few of my favorite things

These are two recent digital scrapbook layouts that I created for www.deco-pages.com. I really like the colors and the format of these and I have been experimenting with plaids, grungy fabric and rusty looking items. I am very happy with the way these turned out. We never take good Holiday pictures but this one of my son looks great. Having most of my family pose during a hike - priceless.

2005-10-30T12:57:00.000-05:00

Awareness Ribbon Tutorial

Hi everyone, I have been on a ribbon kick, I suppose it is the approach of the Holidays in the not to distant future that has put me in this frame of mind. I have created several elaborate ribbons, but this one is very simple. Anyway, I hope you enjoy creating this ribbon as much as I did.

1. Photograph a ribbon that you want to use to draw a ribbon. It doesn’t matter if what kind of ribbon or what color, what matters is the shape.

2. Next you will want to select the pen tool and we will create a Bezier curve to trace part of the ribbon. For this type of ribbon there will be two Bezier shapes that will form the ribbon.

3. Now comes the fun part, select a spot along the ribbon’s edge to start drawing and create a series of line segments and nodes that will become your shape.

** I set the fill to zero so that you can see the shape underneath. Use the direction selection tool to reposition the nodes as needed to form this part of the ribbon.

4. Once the outline is created the way you like, then draw the second shape in the same way. Since the second shape is underneath the first one you will need to decide where the second shape goes and where it begins and ends. Notice on my picture where I have over lapped the first shape at the top of the ribbon. This step is really important since you may want to create a transparent ribbon with this shape.

5. Next comes the fun part, coloring the ribbon. Double click on the layer thumbnail and change the color, also make sure the fill is set greater than 50%.

I changed the color to pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At this point you might want to use the direct selection tool again to move some of the nodes so that they mimic the shape of the ribbon.

6. Now click on the ‘layer visibility’ eyeball on the original photograph to see how your ribbon looks so far.

Next tutorial – how to change the edge of the ribbon and more modifications to the ribbon.

2005-10-26T22:15:00.000-05:00

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished 2: Cutting the Fat

I have been on a diet; well I have watched my weight since my early twenties and after having children my weight has crept up slowly. I call myself a big girl, I a size 14 to 16, not awful but big none the less. Of course, as I enter pre-menopause I have heard that losing weight will be more and more of a challenge. All of this is hard to take and alarming knowledge to possess.

Compound that with my love of food. I have a love of chocolate that is well known among my friends, so no matter how careful I am about what I eat, no matter how meticulously I count calories I am always tripped up by one simple fact. I love chocolate.

Isn’t it funny how sometimes your mind can play tricks on you? I will be very good on a diet and even lose a couple of pounds so when I am shopping I decide to buy one small piece of chocolate, a reward. Except when I get there I discover that the chocolate in the big bags is a much better deal. I lie to myself, except I truly believe that I will only have one or two a day. Usually a bag of chocolate only lasts two days in my hands, actually a little over 24 hours. Instantly after eating 7 to 10 pieces I feel bloated and remorseful, but I cannot bring myself to throwing the rest away, that would be wasteful. I can get back on track, I can control this urge. Liar!

Well, somehow miracle of miracle I accidentally lost 10 pounds. I am not really sure how I did it except I drank a lot of water at the time and I was very busy and did not eat like I usually did. Anyway, I was delighted. Of course I still have weight to lose to get down to my supermodel weight but I felt great. My clothes were fitting looser and I felt more energetic.

I volunteered to go to a health conference with my mom, one of those events where you go from booth to booth and collect free pens and pencils and they tell you about their health cause. I had my sugar tested, my gripping strength, my heart, and more. We came to one table that had a row of devices that looked like Nintendo controllers. ‘Test your body fat?’ The girl behind the table asked. I had done above average on grip, was low on cholesterol and low on blood sugar so I was feeling quite self-assured. Now I know I am above average in weight but I did not expect anything except some sort of percentage. My presenter had to know my age, my height and she made me stand on a scale. Everyone else that came up to this table just told them their weight but I had to have the one person with a scale. Anyway, I was wearing a heavy sweater, boots, winter clothes and a heavy winter coat, and when I stepped on the scale, I was a full thirteen pounds heavier than I was at home after a shower. I told her I was nowhere near that weight and she took off a pound and a half – she said to be fair. Then I had to hold this Nintendo controller thing directly out in front of my body for some reason, and it gave a percent body fat number.

As I said, I know I need to lose some weight; I have been on a virtual diet since I was 20 and I am getting to an age where weight is hard to lose. My tormentor/presenter looked at a few numbers on a chart and announced that I was just slightly overweight. I complained, you can’t use these numbers, the weight is all wrong, I had lied about my age, every thing was wrong. Even though I knew that I needed to lose weight, I didn't need some stranger with a chart and a Nintendo controller to tell me that! Didn't she realize I had just lost 10 pounds and this was unfair to say I'm fat? For a split second I even considered taking off all of my clothes right there and being re-weighed. The girl behind the table sheepishly wanted to calm me down and reassure me, she obviously did not expect my reaction. She tried to reassure me by saying: “Maybe you could lose a little weight.”

I freaked, inside. “Lose a little weight!” why didn’t I think of that? I have only tried to lose weight everyday for the last 25 years (I am lying about my age again). Anyway, the bounce in my step was gone, the little secret for my smile was gone, and I was plunged into depression -- did they have a booth for that? “Lose a little weight!”

My triumph of weight loss had turn to tragedy, my good intention of supporting my mom at the health fair only spotlighted my biggest problems. Guess what, the very next table was an information booth on obesity, an obvious conspiracy. Where is the chocolate when you need it?

2005-10-17T11:26:00.000-05:00

Hey y’all;

This is how we talked in Memphis, when I lived in Memphis. I did love living in the Memphis area; Collierville, TN actually. There was the ever present heat most of the year, I learned from the locals to spend the height of the day in doors and an appreciation for the ‘dew rag’ and tank tops.

The lovely town was the entire reason for living there. We had investigated a dozen towns within a fifty mile radius of Mike’s job. There were contenders, towns with the charm and warmth we sought. One town notably (Kennett, Missouri) was neither warm nor charming. The houses were run down, the city itself was lack luster and the realtor made it clear that a: this was the hometown of their beloved Sheryl Crow and b: new people were not really desired. Quite a shock compared to the kindness and grace of all our other realtors. This was for the best because from the moment we drove through Collierville, I knew we were home. The town square was a perfect example of a 1840s town. It was one of the few towns in western Tennessee not decimated by the Civil War. The town square was the vibrant hub of all activity in town. We went to the square for ice cream, for coffee, for pet food, for the fruit and vegetable stands, musical events and more. Every Christmas, the square was decorated so beautifully with lights and ornaments. Every Halloween it becomes a haunted place. There was a sense of place there.

This is an artists's rendition of the Collierville town square. It doesn't really do it justice, but it is enjoyable to look at occasionally and remember our time in Collierville and I cannot locate my photographs of it. Actually most of the shops are on the viewers side of the square. To the left (east in reality) is a gas station straight from the 1920s or 30s that is still used today. To the right (west) is a western wear shop (!?!) and hardware that have bearly moved beyond sawdust floors (how devine).

At the southwestern corner of the square stood my favorite place of all, an antique store that contained all of the lace, linen and iron treasures I could want. It was called ‘The Cats Meow’ and it was owned by Miss Lisa Williams (that’s what we say Miss Lisa, Miss Mary, etc.) About a dozen cats made their home at the Cats Meow. Nothing was ever so precious that the cats weren’t allowed to nap on it. The cats came and left as they pleased and all along the square, you would see small bowls set outside of the shops. Some put out milk, some cat food and still occasionally some put out meat or hotdogs. I found out later that these cats were all orphans that Miss Lisa had taken in, everyone on the square all helped out with the foundlings. I discovered that this is the way people were in Collierville. In my hometown up north if a shop-owner decided to take in a dozen cats there would be an injunction within a week and some people might even suggest commitment. The animals would be shipped off to an antiseptic life in a shelter after being thoroughly inoculated. The shop-owner probably also would need to be inoculated and screened for fleas, ticks, rabies, etc. There surely would be a story on the evening news about the scary, strange woman who is disrupting the lives of others. In Collierville, the generous spirit to individually help others is joyfully encouraged, no one ever questioned whether to adopt the cats, they just did it. Who couldn’t love a place like that?

2005-10-07T21:56:00.000-05:00

Hey y’all;

Just wanted to pass along that Deco-Pages just uploaded a bunch of new digital scrapbooking freebies. Check out the items at http://www.deco-pages.com/ and go to Digi-Freebies. You will need to enter your email and give yourself a password but they send you info about new freebies and new stuff. My fellow designers at Deco-Pages are so talented it is amazing to see each month what they offer for free.

Here is another favorite technique for Photoshop, to give something a texture and color depth. First create a new image any size you like, I like 600x600.

Next place a graphic on the page that has an interesting pattern, color or texture or create a rectangle and use the pattern tool to give it a texture. The one I have used here is a rectangle with a pattern and it also is beveled.

Now that I have an interesting patterned rectangle, I will use the shape tool to add another shape to the layout. In this case I used a fleur de lis and I colored it yellow.

After this I bevel the fleur de lis.

Next, on the top of the layers panel you will notice several drop down boxes to adjust opacity, fill and color overlay. Click the arrow next to the word ‘Normal’ (that is default – normal color) and you will notice several color options. Try a few to see what results you get. At the bottom of this drop down menu I chose ‘Luminosity’ to get my results. You will get different results based on the colors, patters, light etc. that you are using.

Next I select the area around the fleur de lis and use this mask to delete the excess patter of the rectangle. You may need to choose Layer Rasterize All Layers to make sure the layers are treated as bitmaps otherwise Photoshop cannot edit the layers.

Just a note, when you save this as a .png file in Photoshop the layers are merged into one bitmap but a .psd file will retain the layers. The images does not do this justice, you will get subtle images within the main image and subtle color.

See more interesting tutorials at Deco Pages, www.deco-pages.com. Happy Scrapping!

2005-09-29T11:38:00.000-05:00

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

We have all heard it; we have all had situations were no matter how kind and unselfish we are we get slapped with a fee, fine, bill or something. Here is one case in point, we took in a baby kitten from our grandma to help her get rid of a cat and so our daughter could have a kitten to play with. It was so small and so cute with enormous blue eyes, who could say no.

The kitten is sure of itself these days; no longer the jittery little baby, it is a wiry nimble feline able to climb anywhere. Yesterday it climbed onto the table when we weren’t looking and ate some of Becca’s cereal! Not a shy creature, it boldly goes everywhere in the house. The kitten has had a very difficult time learning how to use the litter box. It was formerly a barn cat and perhaps the entire idea of ‘litter box’ is confusing to it. We have researched the best methods for training it and are keeping it isolated in a small room with a litter box and letting it out (while supervised) to eat and play a little. I don’t know yet if this will work, but we all are trying our best to make it work.

In the mean time, perhaps to show us they are mad or because ‘the other one is doing it’, our other two cats have begun to urinate and defecate all over the house. You can’t know all of the places a cat goes in a days time, so I find little (or should I say big) surprises all over the house. To name a few places there were 8 piles in the corner of my son’s room, a dozen or more behind the entertainment center, about two dozen piles in the basement, one in the dining room, several urine stained shirts and urine behind the two chairs. Yesterday, I am not making this up; one of the cats had the nerve to defecate on top of our coffee table!@#*&!!

So now all of the cats are under lockdown and our once tranquil house has become a toilet. I feel like I am part zookeeper and part cleaning lady. All of the animals are confined and hopefully controlled while I gingerly lifts bed skirts, examines boxes in the closets, explores the crevasses of the basement and looks under all of the furniture. Carpet cleaners, deodorizers and sanitizers are my constant companions and best friends -- my hands are chapped from scrubbing and cleaning.

2005-09-27T11:50:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to pass on one of my favorite digi-scrap techniques. I like to create an editing mask and use it t cut out another shape. I did this in Macromedia, but this can be done equally well in Photoshop or another graphics program. First you open an image that you want to cut into another shape, I used a dark orange paper that I created.

Next you place a layer one the graphic that has a shape you wish to duplicate. I am using a horse shape that I created.

Next I use the magic wand to select area around the horse shape.

Then instead of selecting the horse shape, I select the background orange paper and hit the delete key. This will use the horse shape to remove part of the other shape. It might look like I deleted the orange paper entirerly, but if you look at the layers panel you’ll see that I have two layers.

Next, delete the original shape to reveal the result.

I use this technique to create all sorts of shapes like:

and
and Happy Scrapping!

**See more techniques and other info at www.deco-pages.com.

2005-09-22T20:16:00.000-05:00

We took a couple of hours and looked at furniture this afternoon. We can’t really afford new furniture but the local store has a sale going on—no payment for two years sounds too good to be true. Our family furniture is so old and ratty; it just makes my happy to see new, crisp colorful furniture. What started out as an afternoon trip for fun (it doesn’t cost anything to look) but the kids and the sales lady have it all planned out which pieces we would buy and so on. The only one who doesn’t know is Mike, the person who would pay for all of this. It would be nice to have new things, but we’ll see – we do need to stay in our budget.

The previous posts are of my family. Susie has been used a subject for clipart elements and Jacob and I are just hanging out.

2005-09-22T20:13:00.000-05:00

Susie at the Beach

2005-09-22T20:08:00.000-05:00

Jacob and me on a hike.

2005-09-22T00:26:00.000-05:00

First entry

My husband calls me Babe. It is my pet name of sorts, short and sweet. It was my name for nearly twenty years but gradually he began to also call me Carol and I didn’t mind but I still answer to Babe without raising an eyebrow. It was eerie, I had been the only Babe in our family for twenty years but in a season it was applied to another Rupley, a nine year old, a big kid with a dynamite swing, Jacob. At 9 he was nearly hitting it out of the park, at 10 he did. The coaches and team started comparing him to Babe Ruth and the name stuck. I didn’t mind, I wasn’t really using the name, I didn’t own the name but it was just eerie – I am glad to share this with my wonderful son.

So that’s Babeland, why the name. But my screen name is Buddha-Babe. That’s because I am one, a Buddhist that is. I have been one for over 30 years now and I would love to hear about other experiences being Buddhist or to answer questions as I can about Buddhism. Buddhists aren’t necessarily more peaceful or less worldly, but we can be. Buddhism is about living in the moment and doing your best. There is an expression that says that if you want to know your past, look at your present circumstances and if you want to know your future, look at your present actions. Buddhism is all about responsibility and making the actions to be a better person. Of course people get angry, are greedy and etc., life is long and you have time to overcome obstacles and karma – if you choose to do so.

During the time I’m being a Buddhist, I also enjoy the arts. I have a wonderful job as a graphic designer for a scrap-booking website: www.deco-pages.com, please check out some of the wonderful designs available at the site. It is a truly liberating experience to create the digital kits and they are surprisingly affordable. Check ‘em out.

Well I will close for now; I’d love to get your input about Buddhism, the arts and design, Babe Ruth, baseball or other interesting topics.