A Christmas 2008? layout already??????

I've never done a layout this fast after the holidays in my life. By the time I usually get around to them, I've forgotten all the little things that made it so special and I just slap some pictures on a page and call it a day. I think I procrastinate on holiday scrapping because I've scrapped for over a decade, and just how many Christmas pages can you do without it feeling cookie cutter? This year, I really loved this imperfect picture of my little 'maters on Christmas Eve and felt it was enough to tell our story this year.

Credits: green paper(by Me-recognize it from my free sampler?), frame by Ashalee Wall (OScraps Moonrise collab kit), Katie Pertiet-Letterbox holiday corner, wooden ornament, and staple. Fonts: happy daze, carpenter, and century gothic.

I hope you are having a safe and festive New Year's Eve!

Merry Day After Christmas to You!

Link has expired, but don't worry there will be plenty of Xmas goodies next fall for you!

Are you suffering from a holiday hangover? Exhausted from those 5:30am sales you had to get to today? Already tired of leftovers? Well, the best cure for almost anything is a few hours to yourself, listening to your Rascal Flatts CD Santa brought you, drinking some English Breakfast tea, and scrapping about the amazing memories your family made this holiday season(at least that's what works for me). As promised, I have my elements kit for you to use with the papers if you wish. Now, please know that these elements are some of the first I've made and I'm offering them as freebies because well you're awesome, and because I need to practice how to size everything, when to add shadows and not to add shadows, how to create good preview, and how to put good kits together, etc. So, any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated. I wasn't planning on making a kit with these, so it's kind of a mish mosh of ideas I was practicing. Also, some of the elements will definitely need to be resized slightly to look more realistic (one lesson learned today), but everything is 300 dpi, so you'll lose nothing in the process. A big shout out to Emma at DigitalScrapbookPlace for her amazing classes, and to Atomic Cupcake for her epoxy action that I used. I truly hope you enjoy using these, and please remember they are for personal use only. If you get a chance in your busy schedule, I'd love to see what you've created with these...email me a SweetTomatoScrapper@cox.net.

the elements are coming, are coming, are coming

eventually. The papers were such a hit, that I thought I'd share a couple of my elements I've been practicing on with everyone, too. Unfortunately, our whole family was struck by a wicked stomach bug this week and I'm still recovering. As soon as I can carve out some time to put it together, it'll be on here. Keep checking back. Enjoy all that shopping chaos out there this last weekend before Christmas!

My 1st Mini-Kit Freebie!

Link has expired, but don't you worry, there will be some awesome Xmas kits coming your way next year.

Well, please bear with me as I negotiate how to get you your freebies. I've created this little Christmas mini-kit to get you started on those photos you've been taking. I hope you put it to good use. Please remember that all these papers are for personal use only. Please do not share, copy, or resell these images in any way. Enjoy (and keep your fingers crossed this works!)

Ahhhh, the joys of Christmas,

let me count the ways you inspire me.

1. Watching the kids run around the tree lot (although picking out a tree was a bit harder this way).

2. Drinking hot cocoa and staring at the Christmas Tree at night.

3. Seeing my giant handmade stockings hanging on the mantle of our non-working fireplace. (At least Santa won't get a burned bum)

4. Playing Christmas music all the time and singing to it at the top of our lungs.

5. Seeing the excitement in my son's eyes as he watches Polar Express.

6. Shopping for cool toys I (oh, I mean the kids) can't wait to play with.

7. Making my first Xmas card this year.

8. Getting those mysterious packages each day after online shopping binges last week and I'd already forgotten some of the things I bought.

9. Driving around looking at all the fantastic lights, and thankful that even in this economy people still feel festive.

10. Hiding presents from everyone (this is the first year we've had to do that).

Here's a picture of my little darlings and our own personal xmas card. I hope you are able to take some time out to experience your own joys!

Little things

make me happy these days. I feel very overwhelmed right now with all the grand ideas I have for my new business: a new website, a forum, challenges, freebies, advertising, creating new product, and so on and so forth. I took a little time out today and created the "ribbon" that will go around my digital scrapbooking products, and it made me happy. I'm working on my Terms of Use page next, and then I get on to the business of making some holiday papers for everyone. It felt good to start and finish a project on the same day. I hope you get a moment to create something today!

Happy Turkey Day!

A big Gobble, Gobble to you, my cyber friends. I've been MIA thanks to a power surge that gobbled up my computer. Luckily, I was able to get it fixed and save my work, thanks to my hubby. I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of the traditional turkey dinner, but let's talk about that dessert. My favorite is a chocolate pecan pie that my mom makes that is to die for yummy. I guess it won't be a very good example for my kids if I skip dinner and go straight to dessert. I have worked on a few cards to add to the shop, and I paid for some advertising through Etsy on Saturday so I'm hoping to have a 1st sale soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Good news for my fellow digi-scrappers, I'm setting up my file sharing account and I should have some freebies up for grabs very soon! I wish you all a very happy Turkey Day.

Cara

Digital Scrapbooking Mag no more...

at least in paper form, and I'm so sad. My lovely hubby got it for me as an anniversary present (I know, I know, geeky, but it showed how well he knows me). And now, after 2 issues, I won't get anymore. I hope they at least have an online version. There is just something so yummy about snuggling up with a great read, a warm cup of English Breakfast and getting creative juices flowing. To this end, I snuggled up with my computer and a Starbuck's White Mocha and found inspiration in this month's copy, a layout by Melinda Alexander, and created this card.

It's a phase, right?

Ok, I do realize that a parent-teacher conference for a 3 year-old is not the pressure cooker event that it will eventually be when he starts getting grades, but it was exciting nonetheless. It was a little weird to be on the other side of the coin, listening to all the advice I once gave my parents. (For those who don't know, I was an elementary school teacher for 9 years before my son came along). My little Monkey, as I affectionately call my 3 year-old son, has been a bit ambivalent about the whole school thing from the start. It's not that he doesn't want to be apart from me, he just wants to be able to do his own thing. I know I'll be grateful for this independence one day, but today it was still hard to hear how he has trouble following directions. Doubly hard, I know how difficult school can be for kids that don't follow directions. So, we will continue to work on it at home, and hope that much of it is this 3 year-old phase of testing all of his limits so much of the time. And, by the way, I can tell you mamas with the older children are grinning right now, remembering how your kids tested you, too. I will get through this, right?

Am I the only one...

pouring over those toy catalogs that come in the mail. Yes, I do give my 3 year old a chance to look at them and my baby loves to tear them up. But not before I scour through them looking for gifts and secretly picking out the things I would have liked as a kid. They are selling "anniversary" edition Cabbage Patch dolls this year, 25 years since I begged my parents for one to no avail. Sigh, it can be rough realizing that even you age. Is it bad if I buy the doll for my daughter, and I just "foster care" it for her until she's ready? Yes, I'm a geek, but a creative one tonight. Here's another card I'm putting up in the shop.

YeeHaw

I've put up a few more cards in my store, yeah me. I also spent the afternoon getting my business license, which sounds worse than it really was. They were very helpful and efficient, completely not what I expected from the government! Anyway, I am offical now, and with my new tax id number I can expand my printing options. Now, if I can just get someone to buy a card. ;) Here is a new Christmas card I made tonight, as well as a fun moving card I made for a friend that just moved to Texas.

If you can't buy them, make them...

I'm taking a great class over at Digital Scrapbook Place and I've learned how to make digital beads, FUN stuff. Here's what I worked on tonight while watching my new guilty pleasure...Privileged on the CW channel.

Love the life you live

Isn't that a great saying? It caught my eye while browsing through Sunday's circulars and it's stuck with me. I just feel so blessed right now, with a great husband and 2 healthy kids. Sure, I may wish I had a bigger house or even one without drafts around the windows, but at the end of the day I have all I've ever wanted within these four walls. I was reading Summer Driggs blog, summertimedesigns.blogspot.com (she gives great digital freebies) and a friend of hers has just learned her baby (9 months old I think) has cancer and she just finished her first round of chemo. Can you imagine? I've prayed everyday for a family I've never met, hoping that their little girl named Bree beats this ugly disease.

I did it...

I finally got my first card up on Etsy (along with a million other designers), but maybe somebody will like my designs better! I have more to put up in the shop, but I'm too tired to finish it tonight. I'm excited to get my first order, well I hope I get a first order really. Wish me luck...

Aaaaachoo!

That's the sound heard 'round our house lately. I don't know about you, but cold season has exhausted me already and it just started. My littlest 'mater has had her 2nd ear infection in one month. Anywho, that explains my lack of creativity this week. I have had time to put together my customization menu that I'm pretty happy with. I should be able to list my first items once they're finalized, maybe by this weekend instead?

Snag My Blinkie

How awesome of you for snagging my blinkie and helping a struggling digi artist to get her feet off the ground. To easily add my blinkie (and a link to my blog)to your blog, please go to your blog, select LAYOUT, then choose PAGE ELEMENTS, select ADD A GADGET, add a HTML/JavaScript gadget, and then input the following code:



<a href="http://sweettomatodesigns.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Sweet Tomato Designs" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y245/cdibbs/sweettomato_blinkiefan.gif"/></a>

Happy Halloween!

A giant Cyber Happy Halloween to everyone. This holiday is so much fun when you have kids, isn't it? Although mine are sick as dogs, and the littlest 'mater at 16 months doesn't really get it, it still is fun to be spooky for the day. Have a safe night.

I'm thinking the Etsy store may be up as early as this weekend. Another card to interest you...

Cara

Making the Mailman Truck

Yep, that was me today, making Nolan's truck for his Halloween Costume. Which, really, is all he really wants. He could care less about the costume, and even the candy, all he wants is his mailman truck with doors, steering wheel, pedals, and the back must open so he can put in his mailbag. He can be so adorable! So, I've been busy with the cardboard, transforming his electric firetruck into his dream machine. What a mother does...

I was inspired by the new Land of Nod catalog and created two new papers tonight. What do you think?

Scooby-Doo Obsession

Is it alright if a 30-something mom of 2 is more excited to see the new Scooby-Doo that she DVR'd than the newest CSI? I have to admit that we'd watched more tv these past two days since my lil' mater has been sick and I've watched all the new movies they've put out and actually enjoyed them. I have vague recollections of loving them as a child, but other than the Backyardigans, most of the kids' shows today bore me to tears. So, I was excited that we're on a phase of shows that I can bear to listen to in the background. Now that I've shared a deep, dark secret with you all, here's something else to share...a new Christmas card that I worked on tonight. Peace out.

Creative Day

Ok, after yesterday's frustration, I went back to the creative and balanced myself out. Even though I'm dead tired thanks to a sick 3-year-old and a teething 1-year-old, and all I really want to do is soak in the bathtub. Here is my 1st Christmas Card.

All this Computer mumbo-jumbo....

has got me going crazy. You'd think with the sheer amount of time I've been glued to a computer since I was a kid, that this stuff would come a little easier, but no..... I've been playing around trying to create an Order Form to allow people to customize my cards and am just not sure the best format to get it to my customers. These are the times in my life when I wish I'd paid a bit more attention during those computer classes in college. Just one of the many obstables I'm trying to get through to get it all up and running. On the silver lining side of things, I did finally manage to get my Business Paypal up and running and got the order form created. So progress is being measuring in baby steps.

A Rainy Saturday Night

Ooooh, what is not to love about being inside a cozy house on a rainy Saturday night when the kids are asleep and there is a good mystery waiting to be read? I'm thinking a cup of Earl Grey and a dip into the Halloween candy is also in order. Before I get to snuggle in with my mystery, which is a fantastic read by a new author (Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn), I'm working on some boy announcements. My friend, Andrea, is interested in some for her son and I thought I'd get cracking. I was going for a more non-traditional approach with colors. What do you think?

Waiting for Cold Case...

and working on a new announcement. My good friend April Narby, who runs a photography business in NJ (http://www.aprilnarbyphotography.com/), created a great announcement and I made my own version of it. I'm working on making my Christmas papers right now, so I can get some Christmas cards out there in time for the holidays. My goal right now is to have at least 6 cards ready and then I'll open my etsy store. Here's the latest announcement. I've made all the papers and elements, which is more fun than I can tell you. A big thank-you to Atomic Cupcake for their action that made my gel letter F.

Project 365

Follow my Project 365 journey.

Card Cafe'

Come and take a look at my card designs. They are for sale at my Etsy Store in jpeg or printing options.

Product Menu

Come browse through my menu of fun digi products for sale!

Freebie Central

Come grab some great Sweet Tomato Freebies!

Putting my toe in the water...

Nervous, that's how I'm feeling right now as I type these words. I'm taking a huge risk, putting myself out here in the wide, unknown cyberworld. I've been talking for months about starting my business, taking classes, honing my design skills, coming up with business names, all while taking care of my two little tomatoes at home. Let's just say that I only work during naptimes and bedtimes right now! I know I can't be the only mom out there right now trying to launch a business in these turbulent times, hoping to help her family make ends meet and keep her sanity at the same time. So, here I am, hoping to connect with others who are interested in the goings-on of my little life. Stay tuned for funny antecdotes, freebie digital scrapbook stuff, digi-tutorials, and links to my new etsy store and website that will showcase my new photo cards/announcements, scrap 4 hire, and digital scrapbooking supplies. Let's see where this ride takes me.

Peace.