Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Project 365: Week 1

I have decided to start my Project 365 even though it isn't the 1st yet. I decided that since it is on a weekly basis - that I'd like to start on a Monday, so here is the first 2 days! When I get my DIGITAL 365 Kit finished, I will start using it to put this stuff together, but I'd also like to share each days photo/journaling here on my blog and then finish the week with sharing my week's 2-page layout with you! Anyways....

Monday, December 29, 2008




We are spending this week trying to organize ourselves. Christmas is over and it was a good one, but it's time to think about cleaning up the house, organizing, and getting ready for the new year. So many thoughts and plans and trying to get it all put together is a bit overwhelming. Just have to keep telling myself - one step at a time, line upon line, and eventually everything can be the way that I want it to be right now.


Tuesday, December 30, 2008



Tonight, as I was putting the kids to bed, JJ said he was scared of the dark. So we talked a little while and I told him that anytime he is scared, hurt, or felt alone that he could pray to Heavenly Father and that HE would hear him and help him. JJ seemed to understand and I felt good that I was able to actually get through and teach him something. I then went to Beth's bed and was tucking her in. She had heard my conversation with JJ and we had this sweet little conversation.

"Mom, do you know what I dreamed last night?"

"What?"

"I dreamed that me and mommy went to see Heavenly Father."

"Really? Was it a good dream?"

"Yep."

That's all that was said, but somehow I went away feeling really good that my little girl would dream about her Heavenly Father and that it was a good place where he is. When I was telling Joey about this conversation he said, "Wow. She told me this morning that she dreamed about the sunshine." It fits don't you think?

(Note: Today's Pictures were taken by JJ! He wanted to use the camera so I let him for the first time!)


Wednesday, December 31, 2008


HAPPY NEW YEAR! We took this picture a few hours before the new year. This is our 10th New Year that we have celebrated together. We are not party people. We prefer a quiet evening at home. This year we celebrated by finishing our yearly tradition of watching The Lord of the Rings.


Thursday, January 1, 2009



Today was spent just hanging around the house in our PJs. I worked all day on a kit that just isn't quite done yet - I just can't seem to finish it no matter how much I want to right now. But I'll keep trying. So the kids watched movies all day and played while Joey and I spent the day on our computers. At one point, I looked over and saw JJ just intent on what his Dad was working on. They are so much like each other in so many ways and I can see JJ just wanting to be just like his dad!


Thank you so much to all of you who commented on my frustration with this kit getting done. I really appreciate your support! Unfortunately, I think I am just trying to force this - and creativity comes when it comes. Actually at this point, I'm a little scared. Because I think I hyped it up so much and I keep thinking that maybe you all will be very disappointed in it. I'm not sure it will have enough in it - or be what you need/want it to be! I hate it when I do this to myself - but that's about where I am right now with it. I have about 9 ScatterZ and a few bears to do and then I'm going to package it all up and call it good. I REALLY hope you won't be disappointed. It is a little different from my usual style - a lot of doodly/swirly kinds of designs in it. It is completely inspired by Becky Higgins' Project 365. Anyways, I will keep hoping I get it done within the next day or so and hopefully I won't disappoint you. All I can say is that there will be lots of additions to it - as bonuses to the monthly challenge and so if you have input on what you need/want - I guess you can always suggest at the chat and I can create some of that for bonuses/freebies.

On another note - I am going to continue my HIGH/LOW Series, even though I'll be posting my 1 photo everyday. I will use Friday's to still say my High/Low for the Week and offer a freebie. Maybe my High/Low will be repeating things from the week and maybe they won't so I think it will still be good.

Love you all! Thanks for reading!


Friday, January 2, 2009
(Picture still coming.....I have to wait for a fellow Scrap Girl to send it to me)

After finally finishing the kit I was working on, I rewarded myself by going to lunch and a matinee with the Scrap Girls. I feel so blessed to be able to hang out with these wonderful
ladies who I have so much in common with. It’s really great to just get out once in a while and visit!

After I got home it was time for the Utes Football Game! Utah vs. Alabama in the Sugar Bowl! It was an amazing game and we won! The Utes were the only college football team in the nation to go undefeated this year, so it was really wonderful!


Saturday, January 3, 2009



Our Indianapolis Colts lost today in overtime in the playoffs. A very sad day for us! Watching football is a great tradition in our family. It takes up a lot of our energy and it really hurts when our team loses. Oh well, there's always next year...

JJ also woke up today with a missing tooth! We don't know where it is and hopefully he didn't swallow it. But this is his third tooth in the past month to come out, so he's getting a little toothless, but very excited about it!


Sunday, January 4, 2009



I've been reading a lot of blogs that are talking about choosing "a word" for the year. A word that will inspire you to change your life for the better this coming year. Something to strive for and to become. I've been thinking about it and I just couldn't come up with a word until I read of someone else's word that totally made sense to me. BALANCE. I have been trying to achieve this for many years, but I still have a really rough time with it. Balance between my design work and my family. Balance between the housework, organization, finances, sleep, and all the things that come up. BALANCE. That's what I want in my life. I want to be able to be a successful wife, mother, and designer and I want there to be a good balance between them all. I've tried before and just don't feel like I succeed. But maybe if I truly make it my word - my goal for the year and actually scrap about it - maybe, it will be more on my thoughts as I go about everyday life and so I can truly become a better balanced person.

And here is my weekly layout:


I used my DIGITAL 365 Kits to create this layout!

More Details

Thank you all for your interest in my upcoming new kit and project!

So it is going to be called DIGITAL 365 and I am hoping to have it completed and in my stores by tomorrow evening! I HOPE! This idea only came to me yesterday, so I'm really having to put everything else that I have to do on hold so I can finish this in time and then I can get back to catching up with everything.

I've made some decisions about it and began to work on it and here is a few more details for you. Obviously this will be a DIGITAL kit, so unlike the Becky Higgins' Project 365 - this will not include any plastic sheet protectors, an album, etc.

I have decided to go with a Seasons kind of feel and swatches. So you will have FALL, WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER colors that you can mix-n-match anyway you see fit throughout the year. Hopefully you will feel like all the colors go together and yet also share in each season.


But here is what it will include (all digital):

- Papers (mostly textured solid, since this project will be all about the photos - but I'll add a few pattered papers as well)
- Fasteners
- Frames
- Overlays
- Journaling Tags
- Several Templates that will show you how to fit a week's worth of photos and journaling on a 2 page layout - this will be a photoshop layered file as well as just a sketch so that you can follow it anyway you would like - These templates will be very similar to the custom pockets that the Project 365 kit uses.
- 12 ScatterZ (1 for each month)
- 4 Seasonal Tear BearZ
- Month, Date, and Week Wordart


These are my ideas so far. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE if you have other things you would like included or have suggestions or anything - please comment on this posting ASAP so that I can include it in the kit. I want this to be useful for you! Also please let me know what you think about it all.

And I've got several people asking how much this kit is going to be. And I'm not set on a price yet, but being that it is digital - I'm thinking somewhere between $8-$12. What do you think - is it worth it to you?

Okay, back to work! I gotta get this done! Please comment and let me know what you think!

Monday, December 29, 2008

NEW project!!!

If any of you follow Becky Higgins - you will know about her amazing kit that is coming out on January 1st. It is called Project 365 and it is an innovative way to scrapbook the little moments all year long. Basically at the end of the year you will have 1 photo and journaling for EVERY day of the year!

Well, I have decided that I am going to do this in 2009! And one of the ways I am going to do it is by trying to blog every day starting January 1st. I am going to be blogging with one photo and the journaling that will be for each day. Then that photo and journaling will go into the album.

Now, here's the EXCITING part! I've been thinking about purchasing Becky's kit - but of course I just wanted to do it it digitally! SO, I'm creating my own kit for this Project 365. Of course, this decision came about an hour ago, so I really have to rush to get this done on January 1st. But it will be available in my stores and will be similar to Becky's in the way that it will work. But you won't need any special sheet protectors or anything and it will go in your 12x12 albums. I'm really excited about this whole project! AND I'm going to try to incorporate this project into my special Scrap the Night Away Crops (1st Wednesday of every month at Digitals) - so stay tuned for all the details as I get it all worked out! And please come to the crop on Wednesday, December 31st at 9pm EST - as I want to get your thoughts on it!


Also similar to Becky's - you can start on January 1st or since it is based on WEEKS you can start today. Just be taking photos and journaling each day - and you can still use mine or Becky's kits when they come out!


And I'm about 9 days behind on my Daily December Album that I was doing - so of course I need to finish that up and share the rest of the pages here and I will do it as soon as I can. I'm spending this week catching up with everything that I let go over the holidays - organizing and backing up my computer, cleaning, plans for the new year, emails, and design stuff - so a bunch to do! But this project has really inspired me. I was feeling really down about things and feeling no creativity - but I think this just sparked it again! So hopefully you'll hear a lot from me in the next little while!

Friday, December 19, 2008

MERRY CHRISTMAS!




December 2008


Dear Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas! We thought we would just a share some of our favorite things that happened this past year.

Beth started preschool. She goes twice a week and she loves to learn, be with her teacher, and especially the playground! JJ continued his exciting forays into the educational system. Each night Mom and Dad try to drag out of him any details of his day, generally without much success - but he always remembers what kind of milk he had for lunch! For Halloween, JJ got to be his favorite super-hero - which is Spiderman, no matter how many times Dad tells him Superman is better - while Beth chose Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty).

Last month, for a special treat, we stayed at a condo in Heber and took the kids on the Heber Valley Railroad - even though it only went about 15 miles an hour, you would have thought our kids were in heaven.

DeDe has had a really busy year, adding various new responsibilities in the fast-growing community of Digital Scrapbooking - in addition to hosting a number of regular online scrapbooking activities known as "crops", she also launched a new blog, attended the Scrap Girls Digital Scrap Link retreat at Fort Douglas, and illustrated a children's book titled, Princess Secrets (available for purchase at her blog, http://designzbydede.blogspot.com). Her distinctive visual style has really built a following, and we're all so pleased at her continued success.

Our favorite family sport, Football, has been a series of ups-and-downs this year. Joey and DeDe got to go to a Utah Utes football game in-person (thanks to DeDe's brother Cody and his wife for all the babysitting!), and the Utes had a perfect 12-0 record, becoming the first ever team to "bust" the BCS rankings twice. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts got off to rough start, and are now faced with having to "win-win-win" in order to retain their hopes of a post-season berth as an AFC Wildcard team. On the plus side, last time they were doing this well on Defense, they won a Superbowl - perpetual hope is what makes us fans, right!?

In work-related news, Joey finally finished the project Novell hired him for almost 5 years ago, after having it repeatedly pushed to the "back burner". The release resulted in - among other things - a trip to Dublin to present the new web-based tool to the European team. He tried many new (and strange) foods, was introduced to many bizarre rituals and cultures, and was nearly arrested for having the wrong kind of bus ticket! Well, at least it was a short trip - he should be back before any of you even get this letter, wiser and world-weary.


Well, that's all from the Smith's for 2008 - we hope everyone there is safe and well, and wish you all a happy and healthy 2009!

Love,

Joey, DeDe, JJ, & Beth Smith


I want to thank each and every one of you for reading my blog and for being such great support to me! I love to hear when you enjoy my products and I love all of you for making designing such a joy for me!

I wish you all a VERY VERY VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a joyful HOLIDAY SEASON! I hope each one of you feels the REASON FOR THE SEASON and the true magic and spirit of Christmas! I hope you have lots of family time and that your season is the best ever!

Love you all! Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

NEW! Products & CROP TONIGHT

Hi everyone! I have 2 new products!

CHRISTMAS STACKZ & SCATTERZ
If you missed my HolidayZ Downloads on my blog last week - it is now in my stores - so pick it up!


Get it in my stores:
BLOG
3Scrapateers
Digitals
Divine Digital


And I also have a new exclusive kit at iScrapbook:

WINTER BLESSINGZ


Get it here:
iScrapbook


AND tonight is my Over the Hump: Speed Crop! Please join me at Digitals!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

My Christmas Cracker

From Dec 12 to Dec 24, an inspiring and generous group of Digitals designers will be sharing Christmas crackers that will be hidden somewhere in their stores.

Christmas crackers are a traditional activity in the UK & Australia. The Digitals versions each contains a freebie, a coupon and a silly joke or motto to keep your Holiday spirits bright.

Check back each day for a new clue, and sometimes two, to where the crackers are hidden. Don't worry if you join in late! Each cracker will be left in the designer's store for 6 days. We hope you enjoy the hunt and enjoy opening your gifts from us!




And guess what?! I'm up next! Check THIS DIGITALS THREAD tomorrow (December 17th) for the clue and go get my Christmas Cracker! You'll love it - I promise!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Monday, December 15, 2008

BLOGGLED

Are you a blogger? THIS is something you need to check out. Go to bloggled.com and learn about what they can do for you. They're doing a huge promotion right now and you can be eligible to win something really cool ... like a Cricut machine or, HELLO -- an iPod Touch. I love my iPod Touch. NOT a blogger? You can still head over and be eligible to win, so that's cool. Oh - and you need to enter TODAY.

In short, there are two cool services that they can offer: backing up your blog (it's too easy to accidentally delete your blog) and ... this is what I'm really stoked about ... they can make a book out of your blog for you. I think that is really interesting. I'm going to have to think about making a book - maybe of my HIGH/LOW posts or something - or get more personal content in here!

Anyways - you should check it out!!!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Holly Jolly Express 2008

Welcome to the Holly Jolly Express 2008!!! 

DOWNLOAD LINK



I hope you will enjoy the little present I have for you all!
I would love to hear what you think!



And don't forget to go to the rest of the blogs for all your presents!


Friday, December 12, 2008

High/Low - December 12th

My LOW for this week is that my husband, Joey has been gone all week in Dublin, IRELAND! I wish I could have gone with him, but of course financially that just couldn't happen. He went for work and didn't actually get to see much - but he did get to meet people, eat some interesting food, and bring back TOFFEE. I can't wait to see him tonight when he gets home! I really missed him.

My HIGH for this week is that my children's book, PRINCESS SECRETS is finally here! They arrived this week and I just feel so excited! I even teared up when they got here - just to have had this amazing opportunity to be published - to have my artwork in a book! I just feel so blessed! You can purchase it here on my blog! It would be a great book for Christmas for your princesses! HINT HINT And there is still time to get it to you before Christmas! :)


So how is everyone's Christmas season? I hope you are all doing well! I'm busily trying to get my Christmas Cards done, some scrapbooking gifts done, my December Daily Album, my treats for neighbors/friends (I'm making some darling Christmas cupcake pops and bites - check out Bakerella's site for the recipe - so much fun!) and about a million other things. It's so crazy! I hope I can get it all done in the next week - so I can spend the next 2 weeks just enjoying my family!

Today's freebie is the last day of my HAPPY HOLIDAYZ gifts and you can find it in the posting below! :)

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Digitals 12 Days of Christmas Crackers



From Dec 12 to Dec 24, an inspiring and generous group of Digitals designers will be sharing Christmas crackers that will be hidden somewhere in their stores.

Christmas crackers are a traditional activity in the UK & Australia. The Digitals versions each contains a freebie, a coupon and a silly joke or motto to keep your Holiday spirits bright.

Check the forum here each day for a new clue, and sometimes two, to where the crackers are hidden.

Don't worry if you join in late! Each cracker will be left in the designer's store for 6 days. We hope you enjoy the hunt and enjoy opening your gifts from us!

Participating designers:
Kathryn, Shawn, Sharon, Beth, Georgia, Alessandra, DeDe, Amanda, Katey, Christine S, Silvia, Heather, Katie M, Paula

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Designer Spotlight with Maddy

Please join us Wednesday at 9pm EST for another wonderful designer spotlight! Our featured designer is Maddy Fernandez and you won't want to miss the chat, freebie and fun!

SEE YOU IN THE CHATROOM!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Princess Secrets



PRINCESS SECRETS
by Jo Ann Kairys
Illustrated by DeDe Smith

Princess Secrets tells of a young girl who dreams of being a princess but doesn't believe she can be until the secret is revealed through a caring, courageous act that she was a princess all along.


I had the opportunity this past year to illustrate a children's book. I was able to use my TearZ Creations as characters in the story and it has been an amazing experience! I'm so excited to finally have the book published and available and even more exciting - I get to sell it right here on my blog! Please check out the pages of the story in the above graphic and use the button below to purchase it! Please let me know what you think!

EACH BOOK WILL BE SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR.


Price: $12.99
Shipping is through Priority Mail (2-3 Business Days Shipping for U.S.) and is a flat rate of $4.80. That includes any multiple orders of the book as well.




Monday, December 8, 2008

Blogstore Download Problems

PLEASE NOTE: If you purchase item(s) from my blogstore - please ignore the first message you receive that sends you a username-password to get your files. IT WILL NOT WORK. I am experiencing some problems with the server side.

I will be sending you a link to download your zips DIRECTLY - so just wait for that email from ME (dedesmith32@gmail.com) - and download it that way!


SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

THANKS,
DeDe

Daily December Album Update!!!

So I caught up today with my Daily December Album - since I slacked off this weekend! Wanted to share with you! They are very simple layouts, but I really like them! I am using Ali Edwards Templates and her brushes (for the month, week, and date) with my Snowman FriendZ Kits to create these layouts.

Let me know what you think!!!


Saturday, December 6, 2008

Impromptu Daily Download!!!!

So I'm starting to feel the Christmas Spirit! And I've decided to create something to give away on my blog next week! So I'm working on it today - and it all starts on Monday. So please come back each day from Monday December 8th - Friday, December 12th to get each download. Each download will be only available for 24 hours (the first one will be for 48 hours)!

Friday, December 5, 2008

High/Low - December 5th + Freebie

My LOW for the Week is that my van transmission is costing us over $2000. We finally got the van back yesterday - and thank goodness for a mechanic who will let us make payments - but UGH! So much money and of course it's Christmas time! On a better note, we rented a vehicle for a few days (so that we could actually go to my parent's for Thanksgiving) and it was a blast. We reserved a standard car, but when we went to pick it up we got a free upgrade to a small SUV (because they were out of cars). So for over a week we have been driving a 2009 GMC Acadia! We have to give it up this morning and I can tell it's going to be really hard to do! It has been so much fun to have a new vehicle (our van is old - 1988! LOL But it's all we've got and we can't afford a car payment right now to get a new one). Drives great - plenty of storage room - just fun!

Check out what we have been driving:



My HIGH for the Week is that I have actually been scrapbooking! Since I became a digital scrapbook designer, I really have not found the time and the balance in my free time to create pages. But when I heard about Ali Edwards' Daily December Album idea - I just had to try it. I am taking photos every day and journaling about my feelings and what is going on every day this month! And I am loving how everything is turning out! I'd love to share my pages with you! Here's the first 3 days!




I'm very excited about my new Snowman Kit Series and I have a great coordinating freebie for you today! Don't forget to check out my SNOWMAN FRIENDZ 1 (3S December Daily Download), SNOWMAN FRIENDZ 2 (in stores), and SNOWMAN FRIENDZ 3 (iScrapbook Store)! Please enjoy these little snowmen and let me know what you think!



DOWNLOAD LINK

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Crop tonight!!!

Please join us tonight for another All About Me Album Chat! Please come!




SEE YOU IN THE CHATROOM!

NEW! Snowman FriendZ & Daily Download

I'm very excited to offer the December Daily Download at 3Scrapateers! We had a slight delay in getting it started since 3S had a server move, but it is up now and the Download for the 1st is available today, as well. And on the 3rd, the downloads for the 1st and 2nd will also be available. As of the 4th - we'll be back on the one download-a-day schedule! So get it now! In January it will be put in my stores!

SNOWMAN FRIENDZ 1



And I have TWO COORDINATING KITS available as well!


SNOWMAN FRIENDZ 2


Get it now in my stores:
My Blog
3Scrapateers
Digitals
Divine Digital



SNOWMAN FRIENDZ 3



This kit will be exclusive to my store at iScrapbook. Get it HERE.


THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Christmas Convoy 2008

Welcome to the Christmas Convoy 2008!!!

I hope you will enjoy the little present I have for you all!

I would love to hear what you think!



DOWNLOAD LINK


MERRY CHRISTMAS!