Hi Kudz and everyone! No I didn't drop off the face of the earth. I've been very busy doing lots of crafty things actually. I found new venues in papercrafting and am just thrilled over it. My sis does homemade cards and at first I was just doing vintage pics on cardstock with embellishments such as ribbons and buttons but now I've taken the plunge into making cards and I'm just loving it. I purchased a computer photo program last year and am learning it here and there. It is time consuming but oh, so much fun! I got it on eBay and it didn't come with a manual so I purchased one and then searched online for tutorials and the next thing I know, I'm into digital scrapbooking. I was just thrilled as ever to learn how to make polka dot and plaid papers. Next was making Christmas hang tags. With the photo program I'd use the digital scrapbooking stuff and personalize them with names and Christmas sentiments. I'd put them on cardstock with the ribbons and buttons, glitter, etc. Again, oh so much fun. It made me very proud to hear my family and friends say they just loved 'em. One sis was going to keep several of them and make a hang tag feather tree using them. Another sis used them on gifts for friends of theirs and she told me how this one Mom was saying to her kids as they opened their gifts, "don't rip the tag, don't rip the tag." She wanted to also put them on her tree. I've also been doing some sewing here and there. Making some decorations for the holidays and Christmas stockings for my son, DIL and Granddaughter. I wish I had an embroidery machine but I don't so I used the iron applique letters to spell out their names. I used that white feather boa stuff to trim around the cuffs. They were a huge hit! Oh don't get me wrong - if I spy some great GJ finds folks are getting rid of, my car knows to pull over so I can snatch it right up. I still haven't done anything with that great white metal bed frame I found last year but you can rest assure it will be made into something for outside. I'd love to make a bench out of it but where the seat would be attached is too low and it covers up the ornamentation if I put it higher. I might take it to someone who does welding and see what they can come up with. I apologize I haven't been in the forums lately. I have posted here and there but not enough. I will be better and check in more often because ya'll good folks are family and friends to me and I enjoy your company so much. Hugs, Sal

Amity - I love DIP and now DIS (I am using the newest, and last, version - Digital Image Suite 2006-Anniversary Edition) I started using it way back in the "Picture It" days. I also have Photoshop Elements 5.0 - and find that DIS 2006 can do everything that PSe does - so MUCH easier though! I have one friend that is using DIS2006 Anniversary Edition with VISTA. eBay has a few copies of DIS2006 Anniversary available for a great price. If you are interested - I would get one ASAP - there used to be a ton listed and now just a few! I am attaching a link to a Microsoft patch. Some users experienced problems, and this patch (if needed) fixes that. I don't know if the "Anniversary Edition" needs it. They released DIS2006, then released DIS 2006 Anniversary Edition later - basically the same, but DIS2006 Anniversary appears to be Vista compatible. I have a few links of user forums (mostly dealing with digital scrapbooking) and tutorials for DIP/DIS. If you are interested in them, I can post the links. I went from using DIP/DIS for simple fixes, to doing some REALLY awesome photo editing. Simple to learn, simple to remember :0) Using edge finder tool to copy raspberries, then "Gaussian Blur" on image - then pasted unblurred raspberries back in, extending over the frame. Curling border, used edge finder tool to copy colored flower, made imgage b/w and pasted colored flower back in: Used "filters" to change the same picture as used above: Here is a link that might be useful: Microsoft Patch for DIS2006 - Vista

this is great a year or so ago I asked about the digital scrapbooking. I'll study your great layouts more. I love what they are doing with todays scrapbooking and wish I had started 40 years ago but find I look at things more on the computer now. I also believe you can put the pages on CD's and play thru a tv at least that is what I've heard. thanks for coming over here.

Hi Kathy, From your post I gather that you are from the Atlanta area. I've been Scrapbooking on and off for years. I recently started digital scrapbooking and really prefer it. I use an older version of Picture It which was replaced by MS Digital Image Suite. I have read that MS has now discontinued that also. You can still buy Digital Image Suite reasonably on Ebay and Amazon, I'm considering getting it to upgrade. I think that Office Max is also still selling it. I have Photoshop Elements but find that difficult to use. Picture it is easy to use and I get good results. This is a site that has a boatload of freebies for digital scrapping. http://fotoscrapluna.blogspot.com/ Mare