tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3369798513886331662024-03-12T19:42:10.162-04:00random doorwaysRonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-9514384915502170122017-03-11T11:03:00.000-05:002017-03-11T11:03:07.163-05:00Something to Think About<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'San Francisco', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.23999999463558197px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i8CvfIhw_9w/WMQfnTUMYII/AAAAAAAAB4o/0J4QPOvyhOgZkYleJvOvmdHd44mNhKyKQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i8CvfIhw_9w/WMQfnTUMYII/AAAAAAAAB4o/0J4QPOvyhOgZkYleJvOvmdHd44mNhKyKQCLcB/s320/IMG_0093.jpg" width="213" /></a>For all of you who aren't sure, it is possible to be gay and Christian. It's also possible to believe in God and science. It is possible to be pro-choice and anti-abortion.</div>
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It is equally possible to be a feminist and love and respect men. It's possible to have privilege and be discriminated against, to be poor and have a rich life, to not have a job and still have money. It is possible to believe in sensible gun control legislation and still believe in one's right to defend one's self, family, and property, it's possible to be anti-war and pro-military.</div>
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It is possible to love thy neighbor and despise his actions. It is possible to advocate Black Lives Matter and still be pro police. It is possible to not have an education and be brilliant. It is possible to be Muslim and also suffer at the hands of terrorists. It is possible to be a non-American fighting for the American dream.</div>
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It is possible to be different and the same.</div>
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We are all walking contradictions of what "normal" looks like. Let humanity and love win.</div>
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I didn't write what appears above (but wish I did). A friend had posted this on her Facebook timeline and I posted a copy on mine as well. </div>
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The author is encouraging copy/paste if you like. </div>
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This is what it's all about - accepting everyone for who they are, even if you disagree with some of the things that they may believe. Life's too short, people. Be the person who makes a </div>
difference.</div>
Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-44835113293927011872017-03-09T17:41:00.003-05:002017-03-09T17:41:26.956-05:00It's been a while!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aKCV70qRFpk/TeAsCu5qVkI/AAAAAAAAAEM/TRvruoGULXU78D9FzLWJwDKiZiWJBxDdACPcB/s1600/100_0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aKCV70qRFpk/TeAsCu5qVkI/AAAAAAAAAEM/TRvruoGULXU78D9FzLWJwDKiZiWJBxDdACPcB/s200/100_0328.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
I've been thinking of creating a new website to showcase my work as a freelance graphic designer. While looking for a host, I started thinking about my other websites and blogs (and I'm most likely going to consolidate some of that stuff soon). It's been a long time since I've written a blog post and I really want to get better at that. So here I am.<br />
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I'm going to do my best to post on a more regular basis. And I'll post on a variety of topics - crafting, travel, design, and doors.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-82958282393766737602013-04-24T05:00:00.000-04:002013-04-24T05:00:12.614-04:00Club Scrap's Spring Chorus Blog HopWelcome to my blog! I’m really excited to be part of this month’s Club Scrap Spring Chorus Blog Hop!<br /><br />If you didn’t start over at Club Scrap Creates! you may want to head over there - you’ll see lots of creativity, along with a list of all those participating in today’s Hop. <a href="http://clubscrapcreates.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to go to Club Scrap Creates!<br /><br />For this month’s post, I’m again showcasing a digital layout and card, but this time, with a twist.<br /><br />When I started working on the layout, I wanted to do something that was suitable for framing, so I can up with this:<br />
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<br />It’s a fairly straight forward layout, with a large photo that’s blended into a digital background and includes an inspirational sentiment. You could print this out on a wide format printer, or use a service to print it out full size, put it in a nice frame and you have (almost) instant art.<br /><br />Or print it out at 8 inches on your home printer on photo paper and layer it onto coordinating paper from your stash. Frame it and hang it in your home or give it as a gift.<br />
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<br />And resized to card size, you can use it to make a digital (or paper) card quite easily.<br />
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<br />So there you have it - 1 layout, 3 ways (or 4 if you do both digital and paper cards!); hope you enjoyed these ideas!<br /><br />Thanks for visiting my blog today! Your next stop on the Spring Chorus Blog Hop is Roni Johnson at <a href="http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com</a>. I hope you’ll stop by and see what Roni has in store for us today!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-83190119484966675082013-03-27T06:30:00.000-04:002013-03-27T06:30:01.951-04:00Club Scrap's Bookshelves Blog Hop!Welcome to Random Doorways and Club Scrap's second Blog Hop! This time, we're showcasing the March Kit, <a href="https://shop.clubscrap.com/bookshelves-c232.php" target="_blank">Bookshelves</a>. I’ve gotta say, I’ve been getting Club Scrap kits for a few years now and this is one of my all time favorites! I just love the colors and imagery so much!<br /><br />I'm working with the <a href="http://www.clubscrapdigital.com/store/p/2316-Bookshelves-March-2013-Digital-Kit.aspx#.UVDxjxkYS0M" target="_blank">Bookshelves Digital Kit</a> - first up, a layout…<br />
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<br />While this may look like a fairly complex layout, it's really not. Each month's <a href="http://www.clubscrapdigital.com/" target="_blank">Club Scrap Digital</a>™ kits comes with a few ‘clusters’ - these clusters are groups of elements that have been carefully created with drop shadows added resulting in a single element that looks like it took you a while to put together! This particular layout is made up of only 5 elements - background, photo, cluster and 2 text elements (the title and the date). I really love this type of layered paper cluster, since it easily adds a lot of complexity and richness to a layout, without having to do a lot of work - it really only tok a few minutes to create this layout - I love the instant gratification!<br /><br />Next, I created a digital card! I love sharing digital cards because they’re easy to make and quite versatile - you can send them via email or Facebook, or even print them out and turn them into hybrid paper cards!<br />
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<br />This one was pretty easy to assemble - after layering a few background pieces, I added the cat bookplate stamp graphic, removed the ‘Ex Libris’ and added the “Thank you” sentiment, and recolored the stamp graphics a nice rich brown. A fiber and globe element finishes this card off quite nicely.<br /><br />Hope you enjoyed my creations with this awesome kit! Thanks for stopping by!<br /><br />Your next stop on this blog hop is<br />
<b><a href="http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Roni Johnson’s Ink Stains with Roni</a></b><br /><br />If you’re just joining the hop now, here’s a complete list of all of this month’s participants:<br /><a href="http://clubscrapcreates.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Karen Wyngaard</a><br /><a href="http://www.patstamps.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pat Huntoon</a><br /><a href="http://www.capecodscrapper.blogspot.com /" target="_blank">Julie Heyer</a><br /><a href="http://randomdoorways.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ron Perry</a> (you are here!)<br /><a href="http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Roni Johnson</a><br /><a href="http://liftbridge.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Deb Charlesworth</a><br /><a href="http://debduzscrappin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Deb Weller</a><br /><a href="http://jmp1022.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jill Pechauer</a><br /><a href="http://theefficientcrafter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tricia Morris</a><br /><a href="http://craftchaos.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Hetty Sanders</a><br /><a href="http://kayskeepsakes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kay Williamson</a><br /><a href="http://cathyjgray.typepad.com/the_artful_gamut/" target="_blank">Cathy Gray</a><br /><a href="http://artfullybalanced.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Anne Marie Healey</a><br /><a href="http://crzymomstidbits.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Anne Hunter</a><br /><a href="http://shonascraps.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Shona Gibson</a><br /><a href="http://scraphappysistersink.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jen Rodgers</a><br /><br />And don’t forget to leave comments when you visit - we do love to read your messages!!<br />Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-62713212709400890112013-02-27T06:30:00.000-05:002013-02-27T06:30:05.388-05:00Club Scrap's Up, Up & Away Blog Hop!Hi, I'm Ron, welcome to my blog, Random Doorways! Club Scrap Member Hetty Sanders had a great idea to host a blog hop to showcase February's Up, Up & Away kit. I tend to play both with the paper and digital kits, but since I figured that most of the hop participants would be doing things with paper, I opted to made a couple of digital pieces (and I actually help create the digital kits at Club Scrap each month, so I especially like working with them!).<br />
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First up is a 12x12 layout using a blended background technique:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sOETJOUGwoo/USrImjkycrI/AAAAAAAAA0k/AnaRaZlFTPo/s1600/MykonosBlogHopWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sOETJOUGwoo/USrImjkycrI/AAAAAAAAA0k/AnaRaZlFTPo/s400/MykonosBlogHopWeb.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you want to learn more about blending photos into the background, please read my blog tutorial <a href="http://clubscrapcreates.blogspot.com/2012/07/blending-into-background.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> at the Club Scrap Creates! blog.<br />
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I tend to keep my layouts pretty basic, so in addition to the photo, there's just a fiber (with custom shadow) and a title that's blended into the background using a layer style. Simple but effective, I think.<br />
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Next, I made a digital card:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jFKun6ctSM8/USrIv4MefsI/AAAAAAAAA0s/ZbUylvIRu-4/s1600/BirthdayCardBlogHopWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jFKun6ctSM8/USrIv4MefsI/AAAAAAAAA0s/ZbUylvIRu-4/s400/BirthdayCardBlogHopWeb.jpg" height="400" width="285" /></a></div>
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As a paper crafter, I love to make cards, but I think that many people just don't 'get' the use of digital cards, even though they're a lot of fun to make. I've got another tutorial at Club Scrap Creates! on making and using digital cards. You can read it <a href="http://clubscrapcreates.blogspot.com/2012/09/digital-greetings-and-facebook.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> if you'd like.<br />
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This one was really easy to assemble - just a few layers of digital 'paper' (or backgrounds), that über-cool steampunk hot air balloon (designed by the very talented Jac Carney and included in the Up, Up & Away digital kit!) and a sentiment or 2 - didn't take more than 20 minutes to create.<br />
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So that's just a little bit of what you can create with one of <a href="http://www.clubscrapdigital.com/" target="_blank">Club Scrap's digital kits</a>. Really, the possibilities are endless!<br />
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Thanks for visiting my blog today! Your next stop on the Up, Up & Away Blog Hop is Roni, over at <a href="http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/">http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/</a>, I hope you'll stop by and say hi!<br /><br />(And please leave a comment if you enjoyed the post, bloggers love to get comments!)<br />Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-61850596488027122292013-02-09T09:35:00.000-05:002013-02-09T09:35:00.284-05:00Snow!Wow! I can't believe it's been 9 months since my last post! It's been one of those years and I may just have to write a post about what's been happening, but for now, I just wanted to post my latest digital layout commemorating this weekend's blizzard. It's actually still snowing a little, but the worst is over at this point. Now it's a waiting game - when will the plows show up to clear the streets in the neighborhood? I really don't want to go out and shovel until the streets are clear (who am I kidding? I really don't want to go out and shovel! Maybe some industrious kids will knock at the door - I'll happily pay them to shovel the walk and driveway.<br />
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So here's the layout, using <a href="http://www.clubscrapdigital.com/store/p/1933-Up-Up-Away-February-2013-Club-Scrap-Digital-Kit.aspx#.URZdxuh5nsI" target="_blank">Club Scrap's February Up, Up, & Away digital kit.</a> The photo shows the view out my front door.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L-tPo5cDxto/URZd5FXpsAI/AAAAAAAAAxM/qh4AXvF9Dbc/s1600/Blizzard2013Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L-tPo5cDxto/URZd5FXpsAI/AAAAAAAAAxM/qh4AXvF9Dbc/s400/Blizzard2013Web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Until next time, stay warm and be creative!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-67940856166711862502012-05-23T10:30:00.000-04:002012-05-23T10:30:17.238-04:00I {heart} Club Scrap!If you've followed my blog or visited either of my sites, you know I'm a huge fan of Club Scrap®! Club Scrap was the first (and IMHO the best!) monthly scrapbooking club around! The fine folks at Club Scrap produce awesome paper and digital scrapbooking, cardmaking, rubber stamping, and project-making kits each month. You can learn more about them and the different kit options <a href="http://www.clubscrap.com/"></a>by clicking <a href="http://www.clubscrap.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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And I'm thrilled to announce that Club Scrap now has an official blog! Please take a moment and visit <a href="http://www.clubscrapcreates.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Club Scrap Creates!</a> - and enjoy the inspiration!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-7888246621035697122012-03-07T21:30:00.000-05:002012-03-07T21:30:46.176-05:00Club Scrap's Tahiti KitClub Scrap has really outdone themselves with March's uber-cool Tahiti Kit! Beautiful colors and textures with a definite tropical-feel, this is a must have kit in paper, digi, or both!<br />
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Here are a couple of digital layouts I've made with it:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fpCPfD9ks_M/T1gY4jLhhCI/AAAAAAAAAFk/j0H7nWZQNNw/s1600/DadMeWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fpCPfD9ks_M/T1gY4jLhhCI/AAAAAAAAAFk/j0H7nWZQNNw/s320/DadMeWeb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lbHT7qT9e2I/T1gY4yzg-nI/AAAAAAAAAFs/7swzzFfflvc/s1600/MeFolksDisney2004web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lbHT7qT9e2I/T1gY4yzg-nI/AAAAAAAAAFs/7swzzFfflvc/s320/MeFolksDisney2004web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Don't delay, head on over to <a href="http://clubscrap.com/" target="_blank">Club Scrap</a> and get your own Tahiti Kit today!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-20483114103370171242012-02-11T15:09:00.000-05:002012-02-11T15:09:12.741-05:00Club Scrap's Full Circle Kit<a href="http://clubscrap.com" target="_blank">Club Scrap</a>'s February Kit is called Full Circle and I like it a lot. I created a couple of layouts using the Digital Kit recently, and I wanted to share those with you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4AxSsBvWC5o/TzbJoAPxmJI/AAAAAAAAAFM/iJD12V051dk/s1600/Blessed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4AxSsBvWC5o/TzbJoAPxmJI/AAAAAAAAAFM/iJD12V051dk/s320/Blessed.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I love these earthy colors and this is one of my favorite photos - me and 3 of my very good friends - Cherryl, Tricia, and Julie. I am truly blessed to have friends like this!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3FZXPVq7_8/TzbJ7zN0-bI/AAAAAAAAAFY/W5hiszlfbKc/s1600/DessertWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3FZXPVq7_8/TzbJ7zN0-bI/AAAAAAAAAFY/W5hiszlfbKc/s320/DessertWeb.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This layout looks very different, but it's still Full Circle; one of the things I really love about this kit - so much variety! The photo is of a chocolate mousse and spun sugar dessert that I had this past Christmas while on a cruise on the Grand Princess. It was amazing!<br />
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If you like the look of Full Circle as much as I do, head on over to <a href="http://clubscrap.com" target="_blank">Club Scrap</a> and get yourself some - either digital or paper - or better yet, get both!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-64425106355244024182012-02-11T15:00:00.000-05:002012-02-11T15:00:51.235-05:003 Sites? Am I Crazy or Something?Well, if you know me, you'll probably answer "yes!" to that question!<br />
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I now officially have 3 websites. Yeah, that's a little crazy. This site (where you are now) is my art blog - I set it up because it's easy for me to get to from just about anywhere and add a post. I recently moved my main website (also called <a href="http://randomdoorways.com/" target="_blank">Random Doorways</a>) to Wordpress and I'm happy to report that I've got a new theme loaded and I've done quite a bit of work on the site - I really like how it's looking right now. I may post some artsy stuff there now and again, but it's more of a 'full blown' site with multiple photo galleries, a blog, and even a contact form. I really want that site to be more general and not always focused on my art.<br />
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Lastly, I now have a new version (also on Wordpress) of <a href="http://www.artisangreetings.com" target="_blank">Artisan Greetings</a> up and running. That site is all about my card business - so if you want to buy a custom hand-made card from me, head on over there and fill out the contact form.<br />
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I'll do my best to update all the sites as often as I can.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-22547473960296335932012-01-27T18:57:00.000-05:002012-01-27T18:57:09.073-05:00Quick 'n Easy ValentinesYeah, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything here, but life continues to get in the way sometimes!<br />
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My good friend Tricia Morris of Club Scrap recently posted a new video with some cool Valentine Cards and an amazing no-glue, origami-style envelope. Hope you like it!<br />
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<iframe width="515" height="262" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tO__kYGOuMk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-83165496662570855462011-07-15T15:37:00.000-04:002011-07-15T15:37:29.494-04:00Just Dandy StencilClub Scrap's own Tricia Morris has a great new video using Faber-Castell Gelatos and the new Just Dandy stencil to whip up some quick and easy (and beautiufl!) cards! Check it out:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WJCN2ucYq7k?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-72948632132863691002011-07-12T21:21:00.000-04:002011-07-12T21:21:33.958-04:00WordPress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yuLORWBIb2M/Thzy-jciEpI/AAAAAAAAAE4/bYQx9abvfy8/s1600/WPlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yuLORWBIb2M/Thzy-jciEpI/AAAAAAAAAE4/bYQx9abvfy8/s1600/WPlogo.jpg" /></a></div>As you may know, in addition to this blog, I've got 2 other websites - randomdoorways.com and artisangreetings.com. Up until quite recently, I created and managed those sites using iWeb for the Mac. Well, Apple recently announced that when they release iCloud in the fall, they would no longer support the web-hosting aspect of iWeb.<br />
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While I could easily continue to use iWeb and just have the site hosted by another company, it seemed to me that Apple was also saying that they weren't going to put a whole lot of effort into iWeb anymore, either (not that they'd done much with it in the past couple of years anyway!). So, I thought about it for a bit and decided to move both of those sites to WordPress. WordPress was origintally just a blog platform, but it's functionality has grown over the years and many companies run their entire website using WordPress. So, I made the move and as of tonight, both of my other sites are now running on WordPress.<br />
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Well, sort of. you see, I now have to re-build the entire sites! Yeah, it will take me a bit of time, but I think it will be worth it in the long run. Not quite as easy to use as iWeb, but still doable. And I'll be able to log-in from any computer and add content or fix stuff, so that's a huge plus over iWeb.<br />
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And this blog that you're reading now will officially be my art blog. I'll link to it from my WordPress site and I'll keep my photo galleries of travel photos and art pics on WordPress. Long term, I think it will be a great solution, but it will take me a while to rebuild as much data as I can on the new sites.<br />
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That's it, just wanted to let you know what I've been up to lately!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-1887672358915892192011-06-24T21:40:00.000-04:002011-06-24T21:40:47.790-04:00Club Scrap Essentials: Plaid StampingHere's a very cool new video by Club Scrap® and the extremely talented Tricia Morris using one of the wood mounted stamps from Mirror, Mirror to easily create a plaid design.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/D3CtxeufJGI?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="295" width="480"></iframe>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-55399670584442254732011-06-04T17:37:00.000-04:002011-06-05T11:22:55.206-04:00Mixon Match Guest Designer, Julie Heyer!My dear friend, Julie Heyer, is a Guest designer at <a href="http://www.mixonmatch.com/">Mixon Match</a> - an online store for all your glitter and glimmer needs run by my friend Cheryl Mixon.<br />
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Julie created a beautiful art canvas - you have to go and take a look at it! <a href="http://www.mixonmatch.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to go to the Mixon Match website!<br />
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Here's a sneak peek of the canvas...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bzydT0qwfLI/TeqlLDFQb7I/AAAAAAAAAEs/kpLpjXwioHs/s1600/rose-closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bzydT0qwfLI/TeqlLDFQb7I/AAAAAAAAAEs/kpLpjXwioHs/s400/rose-closeup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
...wait until you see the whole thing - it's gorgeous!!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-43589617148591213062011-06-03T22:50:00.001-04:002011-06-03T22:50:52.843-04:00Reading - Yesterday, Today, & TomorrowI've been an avid reader since I was a kid. It's funny, because other than a newspaper or the occasional magazine, I don't remember menfolks reading all that much when I was a kid, although my Mom reads regularly now. But for whatever reason, I started reading early and I haven't stopped yet.<br /><br />Hard covers or paperbacks, new, used, borrowed, or bought with my allowance money, I just really enjoyed all the journeys that I took through all those wonderful books. These days I prefer sci-fi/fantasy, murder mysteries, detective fiction, and thrillers, but I enjoy an adventure story (especially the true ones like Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki) now and again, too.<br /><br />These days, most of my reading is done via ebook. I started reading ebooks long before they were the "in thing" that they are now. My very first mobile device was a Phillips Velo1 in 1998; it ran on WindowsCE (usually abbreviated WinCE, and it was quite a painful operating system to use!). There weren't many 'Apps' for it, but I did manage to find a book reader and a site that offered some free ebooks in plain text format. Obscure titles, all in the public domain, but I still managed to get some reading pleasure from them.<br /><br />Within a year or so, I had upgraded to a Palm Pilot clone (called the Handspring Visor), and I continued to read electronically (along with managing my calendar and contact lists and such). Even with that tiny screen, it was so much better than lugging around a paperback or hard cover - especially when traveling (when I usually lugged around 4 or 5 books in my luggage). When I bought my first iPod Touch in 2008, the first App I downloaded was an ebook reader.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/101366881613552976023/RandomDoorways?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDw3b-J5veQYw#5614191634012411570'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OCdqdabpJZI/Temdi75HlrI/AAAAAAAAAEo/siyfunGvU1g/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='256' align='right' style='margin:5px'></a><br />I still read occasionally read on my iPhone, although the small screen means you're turning pages every few seconds, but my ereader of choice these days is my iPad 2. and if you think that the iPad is a bit of 'overkill' just to read a book now and then, have no fears, there are lots of choices out there. The most popular is probably the Kindle by Amazon, followed by Barnes & Nobel's Nook and the the Kobo Reader (Kobo recently cut a deal with Borders, so expect to see more of them moving forward). And if you are an Apple fan, you'll be happy to know that all of those ebook readers (and many others, including Apple's own iBooks) are available as free apps for the iPhone and iPad.<br /><br />Ebook readers make it so easy to carry lots of books with you and read whenever you want. I know that I'm reading more than ever and most of my friend have some type of ebook reader. If you enjoy reading and haven't tried using an ereader yet, do yourself a favor and give it a shot - I think you'll be surprised how much you'll like it.<br /><br />And you're not limited to books, either. The Kindle offers newspaper and magazine subscriptions, and an App called Zinio on my iPad delivers my esubscription copies of MacWorld, Readers Digest, and National Geographic to my device every month!<br /><br />So what does the future hold regarding your favorite books and magazines? I'm really not sure, but I know that I'll always be an avid reader, thankfully.<br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-77521452917448865972011-06-01T09:51:00.000-04:002011-06-01T09:51:41.854-04:00I Love Paper and Digital Scrapbooking<b>I love paper.</b> There, I said it. I love everything about paper - and I especially love Club Scrap® Paper. It looks awesome, and feels wonderful and I can make so many wonderful things with it.<br />
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But as much as I love paper, I also love Digital Scrapbooking. It's a different kind of creativity and just as there are things that I can do with paper that I can do with 'digi,' there are some things that I can only do with my digital tools. So, I do both - I work with paper when that muse inspires me, and I also work with my supply of awesome Club Scrap Digital™ kits and Photoshop on my Mac. It's the best of both worlds and I'm so glad I can do both.<br />
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Here are a few of my favorite digital layouts:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr align="left"><td><i><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wiW1x-lkgg8/TeZBk2j3-qI/AAAAAAAAAEY/CspkgHFZAjg/s1600/mykonos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wiW1x-lkgg8/TeZBk2j3-qI/AAAAAAAAAEY/CspkgHFZAjg/s400/mykonos.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Mykonos, Greece (CSD™ Cyprus Digital Kit)</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AB8jSndJINs/TeZBluD1_DI/AAAAAAAAAEc/cNq8uXywibM/s1600/1109SolsticeCS_RonP1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AB8jSndJINs/TeZBluD1_DI/AAAAAAAAAEc/cNq8uXywibM/s400/1109SolsticeCS_RonP1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Venice Window (CSD™Solstice Kit)</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RI0s1RXHA6s/TeZBmBFkwYI/AAAAAAAAAEg/gjQNHatDhgw/s1600/BlockIslandWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RI0s1RXHA6s/TeZBmBFkwYI/AAAAAAAAAEg/gjQNHatDhgw/s400/BlockIslandWeb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Block Island, RI (CSD™ Castaway Kiy)</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6UyFhRa9b0/TeZBmWSwDUI/AAAAAAAAAEk/4gVg4oIkauo/s1600/ScenesMykonosWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6UyFhRa9b0/TeZBmWSwDUI/AAAAAAAAAEk/4gVg4oIkauo/s400/ScenesMykonosWeb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Scenes of Mykonos (CSD™ Simply Avant Kit)</i></td></tr>
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As a matter of full disclosure, I'm a member of the Club Scrap® Digital Artists Team.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-72159881736887201152011-05-27T18:58:00.000-04:002011-05-30T09:47:43.935-04:00Why Random Doorways?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKCV70qRFpk/TeAsCu5qVkI/AAAAAAAAAEM/GMVcIQY8I9k/s1600/100_0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKCV70qRFpk/TeAsCu5qVkI/AAAAAAAAAEM/GMVcIQY8I9k/s400/100_0328.JPG" width="400" /></a></i></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This door is in the Town of Oia on the Island of Santorini, Greece.</i></td></tr>
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I think doors are fascinating. There are so many beautiful ones out there in the world, and I frequently take photos of them. You can see some of the photos I've taken at my website <a href="http://www.randomdoorways.com/random_doorways/photos/photos.html">HERE</a>. Doors also conjure in my mind the different paths or 'doorways' that we walk through during our life.<br />
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When I finally decided to create a site, I started playing with different names and ‘random doorways’ came to mind (and a quick search found that the URL was still available!). Since that's my main site name, it seemed appropriate to bring that name to my blog, too.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-3169159949850935332011-05-25T21:18:00.000-04:002011-05-25T21:18:21.014-04:00Countdown to Retreat!Each year, Club Scrap holds a couple of craft retreats - one in August and one in October. It's a long weekend of crafting, pampering, chatting (lots of chatting!) with friends, lots of fun, loads of laughs! I'm going in October this year (just like I did last year) and to keep track of how long it is before I go to Wisconsin, I've added a Countdown Clock on the right side of the screen.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-oi66HF9Ic/Td2p9IBzHRI/AAAAAAAAADs/CZIyHnabn9s/s1600/IMG_0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-oi66HF9Ic/Td2p9IBzHRI/AAAAAAAAADs/CZIyHnabn9s/s400/IMG_0400.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I can't wait to go back to that beautiful place!</div>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-52254514450720316342011-05-24T22:34:00.000-04:002011-05-24T22:34:36.703-04:00Another Club Scrap ProjectLast month I made the April Club Stamp Project - the first time I've actually made a project the same month it came out! I was just so excited to get this terrific project - an organizer for ink pads, reinkers and foam applicators. I haven't finished decorating the front of it yet, but I hope to do that very soon (life just always seems to get in the way of the fun stuff!).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GpWRwTmZeXQ/TdxqDHj0tiI/AAAAAAAAADo/2ggTyKNzpFI/s1600/GEDC0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GpWRwTmZeXQ/TdxqDHj0tiI/AAAAAAAAADo/2ggTyKNzpFI/s320/GEDC0005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I will definitely be making more of these (since I've got more than 12 ink pads) to help me get more organized.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-86057998229699100442011-05-23T22:51:00.001-04:002011-05-24T13:55:05.009-04:00Desk CalendarThis is a photo of a desk calendar that I made for my desk at work. It's from the Club Stamp December 2010 kit, Vogue.<br />
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<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/101366881613552976023/RandomDoorways?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDw3b-J5veQYw#5610109903113374930"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-62xGrHAPLDo/TdsdO7X5TNI/AAAAAAAAADk/8ajrhqX8GWQ/s288/0.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="218" /></a></center><br />
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I really like how it came out and it was quite easy to make. Thanks to Kay Williamson from Club Scrap for designing such a great and useful project.<br />
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- Posted by Ron using BlogPress from my iPadRonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336979851388633166.post-71073305252446510042011-05-22T22:36:00.001-04:002011-05-22T22:47:36.915-04:00Random Doorways is now on Blogger!After much thought, I've decided to move my blog to Blogger. My main website, <a href="http://www.randomdoorways.com/" target="_blank">Random Doorways</a>, was created using iWeb, and although it's very easy to create And publish a site with iWeb, it means that I can only blog from the computer that houses my site files. That's rather inconvenient, so I made the decision to move my blog to another platform, so that I can blog from just about anywhere (I'm using BlogPress to write this entry - it runs on both my iPhone and my iPad). <br />
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Hopefully I'll blog a bit more regularly now that I have other options.<br />
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- Posted by Ron using BlogPress from my iPadRonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16455008178957505788noreply@blogger.com0