A Special THANK YOU Shout Out!!

I know I have met more than one gracious person who, through their own trial and error and sometimes hours if not DAYS of frustration--find out how to make some fabulous new element or write out an informative tutorial--or create some fantastic brushes, patterns and styles for all of us to use--and in many cases these are for personal and commercial use.........and in many cases are offered freely. This saves the rest of us countless hours (and in my case, I know the undertaking and haven't had time myself to even THINK about tackling it).
One of these special people--for they are rare in this world, aren't they?--left a link to a tutorial on how to install and use a layer style.....seems simple enough, right? BUT--for me, I was never going to find the time to figure this out, or search and search for a tutorial on my own--and to top it all off, she created yet ANOTHER fabulous layer style, CU and free--so broke arse people, like me, can enjoy them too! AND-- she made ANOTHER FAB Alpha, also CU and FREE from her newest layer style!!!!
OK, over-use of exclamation points there--but I am so thrilled that I was given these gifts and the links to figure out how to use them, that I just have to dedicate this post to her------The Scrappin' Cop (And, I work in Law Enforcement, and haven't met many cops who are HALF as nice as she is!!)

Folks---I want to take the time here to recognize Scrappin Cop-- she has been learning all kinds of new and fun things about her program, and she freely shares EVERYTHING it seems, with all of us--she certainly earned her "Generous Designer Award" from KittenKaboodle!! You are simply amazing for all you do and all you share! THANK YOU for giving so much of yourself and your time and talents!!
Because of your latest gift--I have a whole other avenue of possibilities opened up for me, and you have my sincerest gratitude!

I would also like to thank all of the tutorial writers, and Misty Cato, in particular here--I received my PSE 5 program with my new tablet--and it doesn't come with a book of instructions. The help features are very limited and I am completely lost. Your tut helped me SO much!! So, thank you to you and all of the tut writers for sharing your knowledge and experience with all of us!!

And Thank you to the CU Designers-- your generous TOUs and allowance to all to use your creations for personal and commercial use allows many, like me to become inspired. It gives us an avenue to explore and experiment and be creative by choosing colors, patterns and textures of our own. It makes the finished product more special because through our own imagination and creativity that CU item becomes our own little masterpiece! I cannot make bows---YET--but am beginning to do more with ribbons, and now that I know how to use layer styles--it should be much easier to master, LOL! I have also been inspired by many CU items, to get creative enough--and brave enough--to try my own hand at making things on my own, from scratch! How wonderful is that? I can now look at something and "see" how to do it--just because you firstly gave me a blank slate to work with! AND--many CU items have given me ideas for other elements and inspired me to try new and original things too!

I am currently working on my Christmas kits--and have hand drawn several of the items that will be going into them. There are many ideas and plans for many other elements and today, I was given a fabulous new tool to use, while I knew it was there, I had no clue how to utilize it---so, all of you generous souls in this wonderful community--I think I will be sending you a special Christmas gift (or two)!

Once I get faster at designing, I'll be offering more here, for all to use as well--CU and personal use---because I KNOW how helpful these tools really are.
Right now, I'm slow as molasses, LOL! And--I have many things to create and deadlines to meet for the store, but I PROMISE...once I get into the swing of things and get momentum, you will all be seeing more from me here.
There will be a catch, however---and that is simple. If I offer a freebie, and you download without leaving a thank you--I will no longer offer freebies openly but create a list of those who comment a thank you or a kind word and offer the freebies to them only. I have had over 250 downloads of my last freebie, which is a mini kit---and I have received only 14 thank yous!! That's pretty pathetic and says a LOT about the piss-poor state our manners is in....and as much I try not to let it, it really does hurt my feelings.

Anyway--- this post was to be about OTHER people and not me..so people, please say "hello" to these fabulous people if you visit their blogs--and take a moment to say "Thank you" if you accept the gifts they offer you there too, they are truly amazing people and a rare treat in this world!!

Thank you for your FUN templates, buttons, patterns, styles--you name it! Girl, you ROCK!
The Scrappin Cop

Mabelle--I just adore you and your fantastic creations! You are truly a gem and I am lucky to have "met" you and been able to work with your fantastic and one of a kind kits!
My Digi Style

Jeanie--you are such a kind and giving person! I imagine that everyone who meets you wants to befriend you--you are so warm and caring and your darling kids (natural and foster children) are blessed to have you for their Mother--you inspire and encourage them and give them so much love and affection--they are very lucky indeed!
Scrap Doctor Designs

Misty--thank you for your fabulous tutorial!! You helped to RAWK my world today!!
Misty Cato Designs

CU Freebies Only--Thank you for the constant list of CU freebie designers! And, thank you to all of the designers who list their items at this blog! You are so wonderful!
cu freebies only
A few of the CU designers found there:
My Treasured Scraps
Entrecards
Sophisticated Scraps
Delicious Scraps
With a Russian/Dutch Heart
The Scrappin Cop
WenchdGrafix Designs
Voodoo Scraps
Candys Treats
SKrapper Digitals
Bon Scrapatit Design---Linda! You are AWESOME girl!
Cre8ive Creations
FLASHGRAPHICS
DMK Designs
Mamrotka
Strictly Reveal
The Maltese Scrapper
Heartfelt Perfection
Kwlkitten Designs
Bea Creations
Dood-Elle
Digital Imagery Plus
Cen's Lof
ArtyPharty
A-Design
Sunshine Studio
mimiscrapdigital
Scrapping 'n' Taggin
digibygodsdesign
Tantrum Scraps
HeartPrints


This is a small sample of designers listed at CU freebies only and is in NO way complete!! Even still----that's a LOT of generous people, whew!!

I know there are more that I missed, but will be adding to this list!
Thank you all SO MUCH for everything you give and everything you do!!

Baby needs school supplies!

So YOU get the savings!! Take advantage of my 50% off my entire store sale NOW at Designs in Digital!!
Rock-N-Rhos Designs!

Sale good through September 15th

Been feeling a little "blah" lately

Yesterday would have been my husband's 48th birthday----it doesn't seem possible that 13 years has gone by without him here, already. It's strange. Our son is 14 now and taller than I...his voice is deepening and he's achieved SO much and overcome so much and.....I just hope Kevin knows all about these things and can see them from wherever he is.

I'm working on some new stuff. I'll be the featured Designer at Designs in Digital in December---however, there will be a lot going on that month at DID as well. So--my dilema is this: how do I stand out, even just a little, from everything else that will be happening? It has been so hard to get any kind of a following. I was not given a "coming out party" (so to speak) as a designer--and trying to get "known" has been very difficult. I'm a bit frustrated as a result.
So, let me ask YOU--what would YOU like to see from me in the month of December? What would YOU suggest?!?? I'd like to steer away from a lot of hybrid projects--and will likely have to stick to a certain color theme. I had begun a vintage theme kit, being a very traditional Christmas kind a gal--but have had to change it to something a bit different. I collect old time Santa's--so the theme is now set around them and the word "BELIEVE" with the colors being dark reds, darks greens, dark purples and dark golds (not the bright brassy gold) I've begun to draw pine boughs, and trees which I think you're gonna LOVE! And some fabulous hand drawn garlands too--among other treats :) Did I mention that Christmas is my fave time of year? It's the ONE holiday where the kids and I go all out--more than half my attic is nothing BUT Christmas decorations!
At any rate--please leave me your ideas, I could use the help!! For your trouble, I'll make you something extra special too! (As a gift, of course!)

Get your Zen Freebie now!

Hi everyone! As promised, I have your freebie ready for you!
I hope you had a great weekend and are ready to start the new week--if you are, you're a step ahead of me!

I want to share a couple of LO's made from my Zen and Now kit, available at Designs in Digital--Shana was SO creative! She made a little zen inspired room to place her DS photo on the shelf! It's so cute!



Here is another by Shana, I love the zen inspired rock formation and her little one peeking through the hole! Very adorable!




This mini kit is complimentary to the full kit available in my store at Designs in Digital. Adding this little freebie adds to the original kit, so grab 'em both up and Super-Size Your Zen!



Zen freebie download here

Enjoy your freebie, and I hope that you will show your support for my work by considering a purchase from me at Designs in Digital!

Please leave a little "thank you" when you download and have an awesome week everyone!

New kits and a free QP just for you!

Hey all! Things are pretty busy over at Designs in Digital--Scrap Factor is up and running at full speed--more like HYPER speed, LOL! It's amazing to see all of the wonderful layouts with the kit provided for the first challenge, by Green Elephant Designs....Cole did an amazing job with her "The Maharajah's Elephant" kit and the Bonus challenge,brought to us by NDIDDS contestant, Lyndie, of Gone Scrappin' Designs, is making some fun and endearing lo's too! Her Autumn Breeze kit is so awesome!

We're still awaiting the final judging to see WHO HAS WON the NDIDDS Design Contest--I can't wait for the winner's to be announced!
In the meantime I have some exciting announcements of my own! heh heh!
I have two new kits in the store at DID--and you can get them now while they are still on sale! 30% off through this Saturday!
Here are the previews of my newest kit "Zen and Now" I've been wanting a kit just like this one, for some time now--I used color-therapy spa colors that are relaxing and very complimentary to many pics. I also get tired of the same CU items and actions, not that they aren't great--but I wanted something a bit more unique. So, I handmade the flowers and greens--and also the butterfly charm. Another unique element is the inclusion of the oriental style photo (or what-not) shelf! The peacock and Crane silhouettes are another addition that offer versatility and can be used for other things as well!



and the papers -- 3 of these are uniquely Eastern in design but the others can also be used for many other things, just imagine these colors in a fall lo!


This kit has 16 papers and 33 elements --and I made a sheet of the handmade flowers and foliage too, so you can make your own flower designs and put them wherever you like!

Also available is "Strawberry Kiwi"


It has a fabulous add-on too:



Checkout what Shaleew, one of the Designs in Digital Creative Team members, made from this kit! Isn't he SO ADORABLE?!



I had to show off this LO too--Christi made an adorable LO of her DD being so brave! What a day to remember and a ride she will NEVER forget! Christi is a new member to DID and it's so nice to have her there with us! Welcome, Christi and thank you for making this wonderful LO! She enthusiastically agreed to assist when I called for an impromptu CT team! (Lucky ME!!)







I thought I'd make a little LO of my DD


I thought it turned out quite nice so I made a QP out of it for you!

You can
Download QP here!

I hope you enjoy your QP! I'm currently working on a mini kit from my "Zen and Now" kit to offer as a freebie. It will compliment the kit, now up in the store and none of the pieces will be duplicated--so snag the kit while it's on sale in my store
HERE and come back for the freebie mini and get yourself an amazing kit for real cheap! LOL!
I'll have the mini kit freebie ready by this weekend--so come back and grab it!

Happy Scrapping everyone!
Rho~

I've been TAGGED

I cannot believe she did it, but Melonie tagged me!!

You have been tagged.

These are the rules:
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog enjoy!Have fun!!!


Okay then, here are the 7 "strange but true, odd-n-end facts you were just dying to know about me" betcha weren't even aware of it yet! ha ha! Probably the saddest and strangest fact of all, NOT on the list is that...I have SO MANY to choose from, it took awhile to narrow it down!!

1.) I was born a fraternal twin to my brother, Brian, who passed away within 24 hours of our birth due to complications. At the moment he died, the nurses tell us that I literally lifted my torso and head from the mattress of my incubator and looking towards the ceiling, I let out a wail of grief like they had never heard--I was only a few hours old and shouldn't have been physically able to do that in the first place-but couple that with me only weighing 3 lbs 15 oz. (nearly 40 years ago) and it's even stranger....want more oddness? I spent 6 months in that incubator in the only neo-natal ICU nursery in our region..the nurses, in their attempt to comfort me, always kept baby Joey's incubator touching mine. We did everything together during that time, from feeding schedules to baths--the nurses never seperated us. When I was old enough to have my first imaginary friend, I called him Joey, of course! This really freaked my mother out, so she decided to get me a puppy............ which I immediately named Joey.

2.) I am related to Max Baer Jr. (Jethro of the Beverly Hillbilly's) His father, Max Sr., the prizefighter made more recently famous in the movie, "Cinderellaman" (and was portrayed rather villanously) was my Father's great-great uncle.

3.) The band, Green Day, has spent the night at my house and immortalized that visit in their song "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" You see, my parents divorced shortly before I filed for my own divorce from my daughter's dad. My father kept custody of my then, 13 year old sister. I moved back home (to Dads house) from San Antonio, TX, where I'd lived for 3 years, Chelsea was almost 2 at that time. My sister was in her "grunge phase" along with all of her friends, who practically lived at our house. My dad liked it because he liked knowing where my sister was and he truly enjoyed all the goofiness that all of these kids brought into our home. They became a part of our family during this strange and wonderful phase. One of their favorite pastimes was heading to the Nordic Hall for Friday night shows when they would have several bands from all over the country, playing for an all ages crowd. The grunge-meisters loved the large "Mosh-pit" Terry, a good friend of my sister's and a house regular--was the one who lined up and arranged every one of these shows. Bands knew about them from word of mouth and who knows what other kind of "advertizing" but it was a great rest stop for them as they'd travel cross-country....they could refill their cash vault and be able to continue the next leg of their long trip. Well, this particular summer, Green Day was traveling east, to New York, to shoot their first MTV video. L.A. to New York is a long journey and they wound up in Sioux Falls,S.D. (my hometown) with a number of other bands for Friday night's show. One of the other bands playing was one called "False Sacrement" a great group of young adults who had stayed with us once before---my dad stayed up for HOURS, chatting away with the members of this band and truly liked their stories and their company and moreso--the fact that they were polite and respectful.....he gave me orders to go to the Nordic, and tell Terry that if False Sacrement needed a place to spend the night, he'd love to have them over again to catch up. So, I did as I was told...and then I went out with my friend for some grown up fun at the Pomp Room. heh heh. It's 2:30 a.m. or so, and Teresa and I are headed to my house--and when we turned the corner our jaws fell open and all we could think was "Dad is gonna KILL us!" There were vans--literally end to end for an entire block and a half! It seems that EVERY band was told to crash at our place for the night, LOL! We walked in and dad was sitting there, glassy eyed and with a dazed look on his face--people were EVERYWHERE! All he could say was "The groupies just left". The story has it that Billie, or one of the band members of Green Day, had asked about the meaning behind my maiden name. They were told the story of how it is descended from the Viking days when they wrote their laws on deer skins, and they were (rather unimaginatively) called "Skin Laws". OK--so then another topic of discussion was about all of the tatoos these kids were getting at the time--and there were A LOT of them! Chelsea used to tell me that she "wanted a pretty owy too" because when she'd try to touch the most recent work of art--she'd be told "Don't touch, it's a pretty owy right now" So.....a verse is written in that song where part of it goes: "Tatoos of memories and dead skin on trial, for what it's worth it was worth all the while"
So, now you know my crazy story of the night Green Day stayed at my house!
Pretty freaking cool, huh? And, yes, Billie--- we had the time of our life!

4.) I picked up the cello when I was in the 4th grade determined to play it, even though everyone told me over and over that I should play the violin because I was too small to play the cello. I proved them all wrong and became hooked on the instrument in the process. I practiced constantly------relentlessly even--it was my best friend. My mother would have to TELL me to go outside and play with my "human" friends for awhile. I found out, when I was about 25, that I had had a chance to attend Juliard--tuition paid in full--I had become THAT good, where the school District was out gathering the tuition money FOR me. But my parents didn't want me in New York--with a chaperone only--so they nixed it immediately. in high school I had to give it up completely because the small school I wound up attending, only had a band--no orchestra--12 years went by without touching a cello when I met a friend of my cousins, who has his own recording studio. He hooked me up with a cello and we started a little guitar/cello duet called Monroe and Chellars. I played music as Rhowan (hence my current DBA) Steve and his wife soon started a production company and record label as well and we wrote some new songs together--I am a singer/songwriter and I am a published author of lyrics. I now have my cello, safely sitting on "her" stand right here in my livingroom. It might sound strange, but it is a constant source of comfort, just knowing it is right here.

5.) My alias, "Rhowan" comes from the book, "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice--Rowan Mayfair is the lead character and literally can kill with a look--I have always been accused of this myself, by my mother mainly.....but I have never rendered anyone unconscious, let alone dead, from a single look (nor anything else that I am aware of)but Rowan can. OK--so that sounds creepy, but there is more--I was studying a bit about herbology and the orientation of plant meanings and history in folklore (I get bored and my mind MUST find something new to learn--all the time) so, as I'm studying this new-age botany, I find out that the Rowan tree (Mountain Ash) was said to hold the powers of protection, strength and healing. Soldiers would carry the berries in their pockets for protection when going into battle. The bark was used to stop bleeding and prevent infection--it also, apparently aided in clotting and had certain antiseptic qualities to prevent wounds from infection. The leaves were also steeped and dtunk as a tea to promote the healing process. So, when I was thinking of a name to DBA, I immediately thought "Rowan". When I tried to use it on my AOL account, it was taken, so I wound up adding the "H" just to make it available to me. This new name represented all of things I didn't have in me at the time, or was in need of finding more of. I was an abused child, emotionally, physically and verbally--and this name gave me instant confidence and inner strength--not to mention, if anyone ever tried to hurt me again, I'd just shoot them THE LOOK and they could drop dead. (LOL!)

6.) I am a bit OCD--for example, I cannot stand it if my hands feel the slightest bit sticky or damp. I am also OCD at work and cannot stand anything in my in-basket.....ever. One of my DA's knows this (well, they all do, but he's got a "mean" streak) so he is constantly threatening to fill my basket up over the weekend--I have actually lost sleep over this before. But, I've come to learn that he is only teasing me.

7.) To wrap this up, we'll go back to when I was a kid----I used to run away.....a lot, it began when I was 4. Not in the typical "pack a bag and sit in a tree until it's dark and a bit scary, time to go inside" kind of running away either-----I would run away. The cops would have to be called and they'd find me at the bus station, or walking along a road leading out of town--and I would RUN---as fast as I could--away from the cops, LOL! So, when I was 5 and my parents found that I had mapped out my "escape route to Australia" on my new globe--they immediately confiscated it and I have not owned another globe since.

Alright--there's my strange and wacky "Tag confessions" Now------I nominate:

1.) Meg of Tiger Lily's Digis and Designs in Digital
2.) Cathy of Five Corners of my Mind
3.) Tink of Tinks Trinkets
3.) Sarah of Scrappin Cuteness
4.) Dorothy of Dorothy's Creations
5.) Lori of The Cameron Collection
6.) Janie of A Damsel with a Dulcimer
7.) Kim of Island Girl Designs