It’s my version of a toy; I got Photoshop Elements 8 today. It took the better part of the afternoon to get some of my actions loaded in it correctly. I don’t upgrade for every version of software, but PSE 8 has some new features worth having, this is the second update since I purchased my last version, and the rebate was still good until the end of October. I ordered it from Amazon just under the deadline. I’ve been playing with it and there are a few changes to the basics that will take some getting used to, but there are also a lot of new frames and photo effects that are fun to play with as well. I preordered The Missing Manual for PSE 8 for Mac, and it shipped today. That will be a big help in learning the new features.

I decided to try using a template for some photos I took a couple of weeks ago in Mendon Ponds. I used a Calendar/Album template but I have no idea where I found it, and there is no designer noted in the file. Figuring out the new printing commands took just as long as completing the template. Here’s the layout:

Last night I discovered that it’s National Blog Posting Month. I set a goal in January to do one blog entry a day. I haven’t come close, but since I’m taking Shimelle’s blogging class, it seems like a good opportunity to try to do it once a day for a month. Might not be as easy as it seems. Here’s today’s layout: three photos I’ve wanted to scrap since the summer. There’s a back story, of course, but I kept this one clean and simple. 

Not that I need another project. I can’t keep up with what I want to do as it is, and I’ve barely started to work on the Ali Edwards Yesterday and Today class, but I did sign up for Shimelle’s Blogging for Scrapbookers thinking I might get some new ideas for the blog and get motivated to do some scrapbooking as well. Today was the first prompt, and here is the first scrapbook page I’ve made since I finished our big Road Trip ’09 scrapbook in September.