Sunday Stills ... Photoshop

So the challenge today was altering photos in a picture type program ..

Here is the original photo:


And here is my Altered one: I first increased the back-light to -200%, then i used an antique filter and the sepia setting.. i think it looks pretty dern cool :)

This is my first time playing with filters and such so this was pretty fun :)

Feel Free to play along! Just go to Sunday Stills and either do today's challenge or get ready for next weeks!

New venture .. Custom Italian Charms!

As many of you know I have been working on a few new ventures! One is a website to sell my charms direct as well as offer affiliate sites! Well that is still in the works so keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming blog once it is complete!

The other project/ venture is that I am going to be making Custom Italian Charms! With Custom Charms you can choose any picture you want and we will re-size it and print it and put it on a charm! You can get an Entire Bracelet with custom pictures or you can order a few to add to a bracelet you have started or you can get a starter and choose some already on my site!



here is a link to my current site (it is just pictures and then you have to email me the ones you are interested in) Debs Charms .. soon i will have a full service website for you to shop from :)

Here are a few examples of Custom Charms I will be offering!

Please let me know if you have any questions! And I am thinking a giveaway is in the near future :)

And the winner is....

Wow I LOVED reading all of the stories you all shared with a positive memory in your life!

Well I know I said I was going to do the drawing on Friday but well my weekend went crazy! However, I did the drawing tonight - put everyone's name in the randomizer and the winner is....... Amanda! From Dawn Correspondence! haha you told everyone you were going to win and you did!!

Amanda wins a copy of this amazing book:


Amanda this book is FULL of great info for all relationships in your life! I hope you really enjoy it!

I will contact you for your address! Thank you everyone that participated and who knows I may do another one soon :)

October Bloggie Give-A-Way from Cara Retz - Discovery Toys!

October Bloggie Give-A-Way

I'm going to start having a monthly Bloggie Give-A-Way. This month, you can win:

Wipe Clean Learning to Read & Write

Colorful wipe-clean activity book comes with removable stickers, a washable-ink felt-tip pen, and engaging puzzles and activities. Children learn visual tracking, tracing, placing stickers, color and shape recognition, sequencing, matching. 38 page soft-cover book.

Learning Pathways: from 3 years - preschool READING & LANGUAGE, EXPRESSION, MOTOR SKILLS
KEY BENEFITS:
Foster visual tracking and fine motor skills with activities involving tracing, placing stickers, color and shape recognition;
Develop sequencing and matching skills;
Explore early concepts related to shape, size, position and directionality;
Practice tracing foundational letter line forms (straight, diagonal, curvy and circular);
Encourage playful "do-it-again" practice with write-on/wipe-off feature;
Progresses from ABC & 123 WIPE CLEAN WORKBOOKS



Ways to enter:

Go to Cara's Blog and do the following!

-If you follow my blog, leave a comment that you are! (1 entry)
-Follow my blog and leave a comment that you are a new follower. (1 entry)
-Post my give-a-way on Facebook, Twitter, etc and leave a comment with the link. (1 entry each)
-Post on your blog about my give-a-way and lave a comment with your link. (1 entry)
-Subscribe to my montly newsletter and leave a comment that you did. (1 entry)

*You have until October 15th to enter. Winner will be drawn on October 16th.

Cara Retz
Educational Leader
http://www.playsmartstore.com/
playsmartstore@gmail.com

Sunday Stills .. Signs Of Fall

So this weeks Challenge is Signs of Fall .. So I knew the pics I took 2 weeks ago coming down from Breckenridge would be PERFECT! I hope you enjoy! This is coming down Boreas Pass Going from Breckenridge down towards Fairplay! If you EVER have a chance to drive this route you should! We do EVERY Year and the scenes change!!

A Giveaway from DawnCorrespondence!

Booth #6: Women's Fall Business Expo

Well, ya'll, the time is finally here! I am so excited to be a vendor in the Women's Fall Business Expo sponsored by Dee at Runako Designs. Thank you so much for stopping by my booth, and learning more about Dawn Correspondence! I hope all you newbies will learn a little about my company, and all you past customers will maybe learn something new!

Oh, and one more thing....be sure to read to the very bottom for some special surprises!

Fun Facts About Me/Dawn Correspondence:

1. Dawn Correspondence started out of my apartment my senior year of college to make a little extra cash.
2. I have a minor (and by minor I mean extremely major) obsession with shoes.
3. I am debating painting one wall of my studio with chalk board paint.
4. My inspiration typically comes when I am driving and have time to clear my head and think. I also get a lot of my inspiration from nature.
5. I started out as an interior designer. I also dabbled in real estate for a couple of years before settling on my passion of creating stationery and paper goods.

Interested in knowing anything else about me, the company, or what Dawn Correspondence can do for you? Just ask, I don't hold anything back!

My items can be found on Etsy or Art Fire., and I am also a columnist for Handmade News. For all you brides out there, you can find my wedding invitations in either of my shops, or you can contact me directly for a custom order!

Here is just a small sampling of some of the products I create!

Personalized lizard stationery

Oh, Happy Day! Notecards

Birds of Paradise Wedding Invitation

Children's Birthday Invitation

Like what you see? Be sure to visit one of my shops to see more, or contact me directly for a custom order!

Now for the fun part! To show my appreciation for everyone who has taken the time to stop by my booth, I'd like to offer each of you 15% off all purchases made in my Etsy or Art Fire shops now through Tuesday night, September 29 at 11:00PM EST. Be sure to include the coupon code WFBE09 to receive your discount!

In addition to the discount I am also doing a giveaway. What will I be giving away, you ask? Well, I did a quick synopsis of my shops, I asked a few folks for their input, and I have decided to give away one of my most popular items (shown below). Have it personalized for yourself, or for a gift for someone else!


The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, September 29 at 8:00PM EST, so make sure all your entries are in before then! The winner will be chosen from random.org.

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory entry:

Become a follower of my blog. If you are already a follower, let me know in your comment.

Additional entries:

1. Check out my Etsy shop or my Art Fire shop and leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is.
2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. Leave a comment with your tweet. (1 entry per day).
3. Blog about this giveaway and paste the link to your blog.

Good luck! Remember to have all entries in by Tuesday, September 29 at 8:00PM EST.

Thanks again for stopping by my booth, ya'll! Have fun shopping!

xoxo

An amazing weekend .. and a Giveaway!

So my husband and I had the opportunity to attend a Marriage Retreat that was sponsored by The Colorado National Guard. If you or your spouse is in the National Guard I would suggest you check to see if they have Marriage Retreats in your area! This is the organization that put this one on Strong Bonds So check your state and see if they have one going on!

And remember - your marriage does NOT have to be in trouble to go to a Marriage Retreat! It is for enrichment of your marriage! And the tools you take away can be used in MANY aspects of your life!

So during this Marriage Retreat we were treated to a stay at the Vail Marriott Mountain Resort & Spa .. we were also lucky enough to have been put on orders so we were reimbursed travel and per Diem!

The program was amazing and was put on by this amazing Chaplin that was actually a Navy Chaplin and he is moving to the Colorado Army National Guard! The Retreat was based on the Book 12 hours to a great Marriage!

I was even able to get an extra copy of the book .. And I am going to give one away!

The timing was perfect for us as we were going on vacation the night we got home and we were going to be talking to my Husbands family about possibly moving from CO to ID and the techniques we learned helped reduce the stress immensely! You will LOVE this book .. If you do not win the giveaway you really should order the book! They have it available at Amazon!

OK So this is what you need to do to enter to win the book - Leave a comment with a positive memory from a relationship in your past or present! It can be a husband/wife; mom/child; Dad/Child; best friends; any type of relationship! I REALLY look forward to reading your comments! Please pass my link on to anyone you think may like to win the book .. and I will probably throw in some other freebies :)

I think we have so many negative things going on in the world today that some great positive stories will be inspirational!