A self-professed ‘creature of habit’, it seems as though I am following a definite pattern, once again. I blog at the end of the month when I have finished the challenges. This month, things have been different, but, here I am, literally, at the end of August. Sheesh! You know how it is. The ol’ ‘fan’ gets mucked up. LOL I had some pretty rough issues with my back, which were hopefully taken care of. Then, lightning hit and my motherboard started smoking. LOL I was pc-less for almost a week! That was horrible! I didn’t know what to do with myself! LOL

By the time I got settled back down with everything, I set about creating. I have literally done little else. The grandchildren and my daughter are living with me, now, so, there are times that I can’t do much on the pc. But, when I do, I have been really experimenting and trying some of the design components I have saved and collected, like, actions, brushes, styles, etc. I HAVE A LOT OF STUFF!! I could try each thing, one a day, and my great-grandchildren wouldn’t finish. LOL

My ‘training’ in Photoshop is coming along pretty good. It’s slow as I am learning as I go. There are things I haven’t learned, yet, mainly because I don’t know about them, yet. I’m good at what I already know, but, I don’t know what percentage of the program that would be. I don’t feel that I have tackled that much, so far. I have often wondered what a real-live, actual Photoshop course would be like. What and how would I be learning? I could never afford to enroll in any of the courses I have seen online. I figure I’ll learn enough in my lifetime to do what I want to do. LOL

But, then, as if by cosmic means, I found out about a free, online Photoshop course. The course sounds fairly comprehensive and will take 6 months. The classes are once a week. This one starts September 3. Click on the image below to go to this site:

It is easy to sign up. The page will tell you what you need to do if you are interested.

There are a couple of things I want to share. First, my name in my ‘siggy’. Isn’t that sweet? A dear lady, whom I have made friends with online, made it for me. DonnaK, who has a store at ‘Elegant Scraps’, made me one in each color. I thought I’d experiment with siggies, so, the one below may change. LOL (Isn’t that half the fun of blogging?) I thought I’d make a new siggy, incorporating the bejewelled name in it. Fun! Donna is starting up a store of her own, but, for now, she can be found at Elegant Scraps and her Yahoo group, C U Only. She also has a webpage at ShareCG. Donna is the lady I wrote of in an earlier post who gives you her designs in the group. Her terms are very liberal. And, B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!

Technical Sites. Blah. They hardly sound fun. I have a few that I like, though. The Photoshop technical sites are pretty cool and there are some neat web-building sites. Yeah, web building. I know it sounds boring, but, they do have some great resources. There’s this one that I particularly like because of the dude who writes it. BoogieJack.com is the place; the newsletter is the feature I refer to. Dennis, the publisher, is just one hell of a nice guy! He is personable, informative and he writes stuff that makes me cry. Yep. Alligator tears!

The newsletter offers all kinds of great information on web building. Dennis writes books that, from the reviews, put them at the top. People thank him after reading his books. There is a section in his newsletter called, “Life’s Little Goodies”, that has never failed to remind me of what life has to offer us. After that, there is some great find of Dennis’s that has left me sobbing, on more than one occasion. He finds ‘feel good’ videos and unusual items of interest. It is a fantastic read.

If that doesn’t make you just a teeny bit curious, here is what reviews of BoogieJack.com have to say:

Best Ezine of the Year

WINNER – Almost a Newsletter

You have to give the award to Almost a Newsletter for the name alone. Actually, I chose it because it’s the best example of a publication that is both entertaining and informative. The publisher – Boogie Jack – is one of the more colorful characters on this planet. But what makes him really stand out from the rest is that he has the readers’ interests firmly welded to his heart.

There’s something for everyone in this newsletter, whether beginner or professional. So expect to see website design and management tips interspersed with wit and wisdom of a broader kind. And if you want to know what I mean when I say the Web world could do with a few more Boogie Jack’s, see the interview I did with him.
~ ibizNewsletters.com

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Published by the hilariously funny Boogie Jack, this one offers some great tips for novice Internet users as well as experienced web site owners.
~ Ezine Seek (now EzineUniverse)

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This is one of the funnier and more useful newsletters on the Web. Jack’s unique blend of humor and informative tips and reviews is an enjoyable read just for the comic value. The tips are top-notch as well…
~ List-a-day.com

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Humor aside, [Dennis] Gaskill (Boogie Jack) puts out plenty of useful information about the Internet and how to use it effectively, and often delves into little offbeat corners and comes up with promo tricks that others overlook. His newsletter is worth subscribing to for content alone — although it is obviously not aimed at the laughter-impaired.
~ Andover.Net

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In addition to tips for webmasters, Boogie throws in some useful computer tips, freebies, quotes, and a feature called Life’s Little Goodies which is both inspirational and educational. If you like to laugh and learn at the same time, I recommend subscribing to Almost A Newsletter. ~ Best Ezines

See ya there! LOL

Finally, the freebie. I entertained the idea of participating in this month’s Digi Scrap Obsession color challenge because of the color palette. Me, and half the scrappin’ community. LOL You should see all the lovelies the members have made! The colors are beautiful:

I worked away at it and made quite a bit of progress on the elements. Then, as a way to practice and explore new techniques, I went back and played around with a lot of the items. These colors led me in to the amazing world of mother nature’s original “bling”. Flowers bloom as faeries dance along glittery paths. Bugs sing, bling meets dirt and the intricate mingles with the simple. All together, it makes a for a lovely world, indeed, and, a fun kit, too. LOL

When I create, I often work on the designs in a kind of layout manner. This helps me keep with the ‘mood’ of the design. For that reason, my previews were left in these separate layouts. The download is in three files, one for elements, one for papers and one for terms and previews. Click on any image to go to 4shared to download, please.

Su