go-long design: May 2006

go-long design

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Name It and WIN!!!

First... a public service announcement.

***Today is the last day to get 30% off everything in the store at Liddy's Loft!!!! After today, everything is full price.***

And now... here is my brand new kit, ready for a name. The rules are:

1. Enter as many times as you want
2. Leave an email address with your comment so I can send you the kit if you win
3. The flowers in the kit are Geraniums. The name of the kit cannot contain the word "Geranium". LOL! Not a very pretty name, in my humble opinion.
4. If I don't pick your kit name, you are not allowed to feel rejected in any way, shape or form and please don't send any hate mail.
5. You have until June 4th, 3pm EST to come up with something fabulous.

Good luck! Here's the preview (click to enlarge):




There are:
15 papers, 4 frames, 4 stitches, 4 flowers, 4 flower strands, 2 brads, 1 photo prong, 2 strands of glass beads on a transparent-ish fishing line, 1 book plate, and 10 leather word art tags with pink stitching and embossed letters.

Have a delicious day!

Susan

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

10,000 Hits!

I just want to say thanks to the Academy (lol!) and to everyone who comes by my little 'ole blog. I installed a hit counter when I started this blog last month and I can't believe that I've had over 10,000 hits! Unreal! Thank you!!!

So... I made something for you to celebrate and show my appreciation ;o). I really stink at previews... the glitter isn't white, it's silver (see detailed view) and I had to add those hideous glows to the type so you could see them. Oy! You can use these glitter elements (my new crazy obsession) for 4th of July LOs, birthdays, New Years, anything you want to celebrate. I made them in Red, Silver and Blue and also gold and silver so they will be versatile. Now... these aren't the same glitter style you've been seeing everywhere (not from tutorial, in other words). These look more like those glitter pens you find at craft stores with fine glitter. Hope you like them!








Click Here!











































You're not required to leave a comment, but they are sure appreciated. I've gotten to know some cool people already and enjoy reading comments from you!

Off to finish up getting ready for my yard sale. This is a lot of work! Ugh!

Susan

Monday, May 29, 2006

New Stuff is up at Liddy's... New stuff is up at Liddy's!!!

Wooohooo!!! My new things were put in the boutique today at Liddy's!

Along The Shore... Dragonfly Delight... Dino Nation... Catalina Harbor (my fave)... Anniversary Bouquet, Spring Blush paper pack and the Vellum Birthstone Flowers pack (as seen in my blog header). The previews are in my slideshow if you forgot what they looked like (I posted previews a while ago). Plus, there are some new designers there as well!

Everything is still 30% off right now, but only until the end of May... so hurry!

Kit Naming Contest postponed...

For some crazy reason, I decided to have a yard sale next weekend, so instead of finishing up my kit and making a preview, I've been tearing my house apart trying to find things to sell. It literally looks like a tornado came through here and is driving me insane (it's usually pretty neat)! I've never sold or given away a thing since my daughter was born, so I have baby clothes galore and need to give them to someone who needs them. It felt like I was ripping my heart out as I was packing things into boxes and I kept remembering the kids wearing those tiny, little clothes and I swear I could smell them too. Weird. I didn't think it would be this hard. We're moving at the end of the summer though and I can't see hauling box after box of things we will never use again. I was joking with my mom that I needed to have another baby so I could keep them! Ha!

So... the contest will commence in a few days. Check back!

Susan

Friday, May 26, 2006

Friday!

Let's see... I have tons of new things in the works and am struggling to finish things before starting new projects. I think I have Digital Design Attention Deficit Disorder. That's DDADD. LOL!

Yesterday I made some (okay... a lot) of glitter elements. Some of those will be freebies here very soon. I don't know if I should do an element pack or incorporate them into a kit. Lots of stuff for little boys, too.... in boyish colors. Fun!

Liddy's is back up and running, but my new kits aren't up yet. Hopefully today, but who knows.

Look for a kit naming contest here Monday!!! Winner gets the whole thing free!

Have a great weekend! I'm off to shop and go to lunch with my beautiful Mom.

Susan

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Catalina Harbor

I finished another one! This one reminds me of fabrics found on a yacht, so I named it Catalina Harbor. I've never actually been on a yacht... LOL! I have a vivid imagination, I guess. I wish I was better at kit previews. With so many papers and elements, it's really hard to show the details and there are a *ton* of fine details in this kit! Here's a preview:



Catalina Harbor
$6.50

This enormous kit was inspired by elegant, rich fabrics. Tones of dark reds and taupes with black wrought iron accents. Each paper and element in the set is meticulously detailed to make your scrapbook pages special. There are 15 papers, 8 tags (some plain, some decorated), 2 wrought iron bookplates, 2 wrought iron brads, 1 wrought iron photo prong, 4 colored straight stitches, 1 black wrought iron frame, 2 colored stamp photo corners, 2 colored stamp frames, 1 ornate stamp oval frame, 1 wrought iron staple, full wood cut alpha, and a wrought iron chain with crystal bead.

This should be up at Liddy's late this week. They are still closed right now for server upgrades.

Have a glorious day!

Susan

Monday, May 22, 2006

Wooohoooo... Number 2!!!

Okay, I'm not one of those people who need a lot of validation, but look at who's blog was number 2 this morning! What an awesome sight to see first thing in the morning. I know I probably won't stay here, but it sure is cool! LOL! I know I'm a big dork for taking a screenshot and posting it here... no emails please ;o).













Some important news for you today:
****Liddy's Loft will be closed today through Wednesday for server upgrades!****

So... come back Thursday and there will be lots of new things up. I have 4 new kits, a paper pack and some elements that will finally be going up.

This morning I got off my bum and went jogging (I use that term loosely). I am sooooo out of shape, but sitting here at this computer isn't exactly toning my thighs and I needed to do something. Since starting this hobby, I've gained 7 pounds! In 8 months!!!! Ugh! So here's a challenge for my fellow computer addicts - get some exercise today! Even if it's only 10 minutes.

Have a wonderful day!

Susan

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Watercolor Madness


2 posts in one day! I had to clean up my HD to make room for my new designs. Remember the watercolors I showed you from a few weeks ago when I was painting with my daughter? Well... I've decided that instead of using them in a kit, I'd just give some away. I saved a few for future use, but really... my kit style is not so artsy. I may do a really graphic kit soon just to mix things up. I dunno. I think I prefer girly flowers, lol!

Link to Download

Once these are gone, they're gone. I'm deleting them off of my HD so I can't reupload. If you use them, let me know! Just stop by here and post a link to your LO. I'd be thrilled to see your work! One of them is really wild - bright greens, yellows and hot reds. I would definitely love to see that one in action. Just a reminder... all my designs are for commercial use with no additional fees or strings attached. However, please don't redistribute. Not too much to ask, right? I hope you enjoy these!

Susan

Anniversary Bouquet



Woohooo... I finished something. LOL! I'm loving these colors and may go buy my daughter a new dress that goes with them. Is that crazy??? I don't care. ;o)

Look for this soon at Liddy's Loft. They are finishing up switching things to the new and improved server, so all my new stuff should be up late this week (crossing my fingers).

Have a great day!

Susan

Friday, May 19, 2006

Sneak Peak

I've been really busy designing and tweaking kits. For some reason, I can't seem to finish a kit and have to design 500 things at once. I get an idea right when I'm in the middle of something and don't want to forget it so I start on that. I must have 20 kits that are in progress. LOL! Here's one that is *almost* done. There are lots of unique elements in here in shades of purples and wines. I think it will be called Anniversary Bouquet, but I'm not so good at the kit names. I really should do a kit naming contest soon! I have about 5 kits that are near completion.


New things should be up at Liddy's very soon!

Susan

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Ugh!

Okay... I've known that my monitor color was off for a while now. My monitor was old and blurry and I got a brand spankin' new one for Mother's Day. Well, I had no idea how much it was off and am shocked at how different my kits look! My Dino Nation kit wasn't supposed to be that green - it was supposed to be really muted. Ick! I spent a lot of time re-adjusting the colors in my kits today and will continue to do so. Thank goodness most of my new stuff hasn't been uploaded to the boutique yet. Even my preview backgrounds are bugging me. It's not right! I'll be putting the new previews up later this week.

Monday, May 15, 2006

The Day After

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day and were able to spend some time with your loved ones. I spent all day Saturday with my Mom. We had a luncheon at her church and then went shopping. It was really, really nice. My mom is the greatest! Sunday we just relaxed around the house and I didn't have to do anything but snuggle with my kids. Of course, today I am making up for that because when I went downstairs this morning it looked like a bomb went off in my kitchen. LOL!

Here's a sneak peak at what's coming up at Liddy's Loft. Every month, we'll be doing a collaborative mega kit. June's theme is Les Vacances - a beachy, nautical theme with shades of navy and dusty blue with a hint of orange. Here's some of my part of the kit:

I think this may be my favorite thing I've done so far. Lots of goodies in this one!

I also would like to apologize for my new kits not being up in the store yet. I've had several emails asking about them, but unfortunately it will be at least a few more days. The site server is full and is being transferred this week to a new one with more space. I'll let you know when things are uploaded!

Gotta go clean this pigsty! Have a beautiful day!

Susan

Friday, May 12, 2006

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Being a mom is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I know that sounds really cliche, but it's true. My kids have taught me so much and enriched my life in ways I never knew were possible. I'm a lucky, lucky girl.

I was reading TV Guide a few weeks ago and saw an article featuring Julia Louis Dreyfus (Elaine on Seinfeld). She was describing motherhood and said it was like living on one side of a wall and then you have a child and you get to go to the other side and you don't realize what you've been missing all that time. It's profound and exciting and you're never the same. So, if you're a mom and reading this blog... here's a card for you. Have a great Mother's Day!



I used my new Amethyst Fields kit, available now at Liddy's for 30% off!

and... here's a little something for your scrapbook pages.




The background is only there for the preview. It's a .png file.
Download Here

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

For The Boys



I've been noticing that there aren't a lot of kits out there for older boys. Lots of baby boy and toddler boy things, but not much for 7 and up. So... I created Dino Nation. Muted greens and soft, neutral colors with realistic stone elements and cool dinosaur patterns. There are 12 papers, 10 tags (some plain, some with dinosaur stamps), 2 metal brads, 1 decorated ribbon, 1 grungy ink frame, 1 stone bookplate, 2 slide holders, and 7 stone dinosaur elements! Look for it early next week at Liddy's Loft! It will be $6.00, but for the rest of May you can get it for 30% off.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Designing Frenzy

I'm on a roll lately. I have 2 more kits, ready to go. They'll be up at Liddy's Loft in a few days. Prices shown are not the sale prices. Everything is still 30% off in the boutique!


Along The Shore
$6.50

This enormous kit is perfect for all of your beach vacation photos and memories. Beautiful water and sand hues that you can mix and match to make tons of different layouts. Comes with 12 papers, 3 journaling mats, matching alpha set in lowercase font (with blank), 1 pearl brad, 2 large lighthouse stamps (one white and one charcoal gray), 2 satin ribbons, 1 sand dollar, 1 sand dollar sticker, one starfish wooden disc element, 2 frames, 2 starfish ribbon hangers, 3 glass word art pieces, and 21 tags!!! The possibilities are endless!



Amethyst Fields
$4.50

Mother's Day Special! This rich, elegant kit comes in beautiful purple and pink hues with coordinating word art elements that are perfect for your Mother's Day layouts. 6 papers, 3 ribbons, 3 journaling strips, 2 page pebbles, and 5 glass covered word art pieces with silver writing saying: I Love You, Mother, Daughter, Grandma and Mother's Day.


Off to make some more kits!

Have a beautiful day!

Susan

Monday, May 08, 2006

New Uploads!

Hello! I had a fabulous weekend. My folks and I took the kids on a little road trip to Williamsburg, VA and went to the flagship Yankee Candle store. What a place!!! Gina Miller would faint right there on the spot if she went in there. LOL! It's absolutely HUGE, with row after row of candles and home accessories. I got some great stuff. In one section of the store, they have a Christmas-themed area with a snow machine so it actually was snowing inside! It was really hard to drag my daughter away from that... my little Snow Bunny. If you're ever in Williamsburg, you really have to check it out.

I made a ton of new things to go up at Liddy's, too. The prices shown are the regular prices. Everything in the store is still 30% off, so hurry before they go back up! Here are a few previews:

Dragonfly Delight
$6.00

This huge, colorful kit comes with 10 papers, 3 print ribbons, 2 stamped tags, 1 stitch, 3 gorgeous flowers, 2 brads, 6 glass word art pieces with metal rims (3 blanks so you can add your own wording to them), and a fun corkboard dragonfly sticker! Lots of detail to make your pages special!



Birthstone Vellum Flowers
$2.50
12 frosted vellum flowers, in every birthstone shade! Each flower has delicate stitching around every petal and a gemstone set in silver in the center. Approx. 3.5 inches high and slightly transparent, so only use a very light opacity drop shadow on these.

The flower preview really doesn't do them justice because I had to make them so small, but they are really pretty!

Have a fantastic day!

Susan

Friday, May 05, 2006

National Scrapbook Day!

Hello! Tomorrow is National Scrapbook Day and there is so much going on in the digital community. Head on over to Liddy's Loft for a scavenger hunt and lots of fun!

Thanks for all your sweet comments yesterday! I'm working on lots of new things, so stay tuned....

Have a wonderful weekend!

Susan

Thursday, May 04, 2006

What happened to Wednesday???

I had very good intentions of posting yesterday, but my children ran me ragged and I ran out of oxygen. Have you ever gone to the grocery store with a 4 year old and a one year old? Hoooo boy... let me tell you how fun *that* can be. I try to make sure I have all my bases covered before I go. Feed kids so they aren't whining for junk food (check!), get a nice long nap in for the little one to prevent toddler-meltdown (check!), make sure everyone goes potty because daughter is afraid of public restrooms (check!), write detailed grocery list by aisle so I don't have to backtrack across humongous super food center (check!), carefully clip coupons and arrange according to list (check!).

Let's just say, by the end of the trip, my meticulous planning was useless. The store we were shopping at is notorious for not having enough cashiers, so my children (who normally are pretty good in public) were throwing total fits after 45 minutes in line and not listening to a word I was saying. My son was literally throwing everything I put on the conveyor belt onto the floor, my daughter was spinning the bag wheel so the cashier couldn't put the groceries in the bags, little hands were flying faster than I could keep up with (hey... I was outnumbered!), kids were shrieking and crying and out of control, and I almost lost a complete head of hair. I never did use my coupons due to all that chaos either, lol! And... for a spectacular ending, it was pouring down rain when we walked out of there and my daughter fell in the parking lot and was soaked.

So, needless to say, I had no energy left to post.

But... to make up for that (and to reward you for having to sit through the first 3 paragraphs), I made a little something for you ;o).



Download here!

Please remember though... this is a freebie, but send your friends here to get it. Don't give out the link. Thanks!

Have a gorgeous day!

Susan

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

I may need an intervention...

Okay folks... I've officially gone off the deep end. I have been dreaming about designing digital kits almost every night since I discovered this hobby (last September!) and can't go anywhere without noticing how the patterns I see would make great papers. Well... today I was playing with my daughter and she decides she wants to paint. So I get out the watercolors and start painting with her. Before I know it, I'm painting backgrounds to scan in and use for scrapbook kits. LOL! Is that crazy or what???

See what I made? I have no idea what I'm going to do with all of these. Maybe I'll do a freebie sometime soon :o) .


And this is just a *small* sampling. I really need to find a new hobby before I'm committed.

Don't forget... all my scrapbook stuff is 30% off this month at Liddy's!!!

Susan

Monday, May 01, 2006

Liddy's Grand Opening - This Week!

Here's what's going on!:


• Each registered user that posts a meaningful* comment in the Forums or a photo in the Gallery will receive the Liddy Kit link FREE via PM (the kit will be password protected). This is a great way to get involved in a digital community if you aren't already. Everyone is brand new!
*as determined be the site owner.


Liddy, Too


Liddy, too -- shop early!
• For ONE WEEK ONLY, the Liddy, too Kit will be available to all registered users for only $3.00! To get this special price, go to the following link for the SHOPPING CODE.
• From May 8–31, the Liddy, too Kit will be available for $5.00 and the Liddy Kit will be FREE with a purchase

• After June 1, the Liddy Kit & Liddy, too Kit will be combined into one mega kit and will be available for $10 indefinitely

** Second, we are planning to hold a "Childhood Memories Crop" on Thursday, May 4 at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. EST. Kryss Bourque has made a mini-kit that will be used and a posting bonus.

** We have an awesome contest going on this week. Details here:
Contest!

** There are freebies throughout when you click on the silver box.

** And we'll have all new challenges for May and a few surprise challenges throughout the week! :)

***30% OFF EVERYTHING IN THE BOUTIQUE!!!!!***

SO COME ON OVER! I can't wait to meet you!

Susan