Hi everybody! Sandra here with my very first Dare!

But before we get to that, lets take a look at the winners from week #137. It was a hard job to pick a winner, because you all did great on the one word, 2 alpha title! I finally picked the totally artsy and funky Obscure by Lukasin as our winner:

And the random winner is ACE’s Wild with this oh so Serious layout:

Congratulations ladies! Just send an email to thedigidares at gmail dot com to claim your prize.

So who is our sponsor this week?

None other than Amanda Taylor from TaylorMade Designs at Oscraps! I just love her stuff and can’t get enough of it.
And by playing along with us this week, you will get a coupon to her store for 30% off. Then you can stack up on her goodies. Click here or on the picture to learn more about her!

So, now let’s get to DIGI DARE #138:

The DARE:
Life has its ups and downs, the happy moments, but also the sad ones. The ecstatic highs, and the painful lows.
My dare this week is to scrap about those lows (emotional or physical pain). Yes, you can do it.
Think about what happened, how was your reaction to it and how did it affect you? Did it make you stronger or are you still coping with it.

The FLAIR:
-You can use a picture, or not. Use a stockphoto or something that symbolizes that pain.
-I want you to use your blending techniques. The papers, the elements, the picture, just blend something.
-Use the color that you associate with that pain.

by Aja

It was a sad day for these children of the prairie. After losing their parents to disease earlier in the year, they had worked hard to keep the farm going. But now yet another disaster had struck–this time a tornado. They were left with nothing. Nothing except for a few bits of brick and some twigs. Not much, but they knew they had to begin again if they were to survive.

Moody Papers 2 & Metal Alpha by ED by Gabi at SA
Old News Overlay by Aja Abney at SA
Roots by Robyn England at SA (retired)
Tapestry SA Collab with Madame Mim (retired)
12×12 Worn Overlays by Danielle at Catscrap
Illusive by Corina Nielson at FPD
Duct Tape Alpha by Tangie Baxter (recolored) at Scrapbook Graphics
Vintage Photo Action by Pioneer Woman on her blog
Thrift Shoppe Frames by Debra Tope (retired)
Ultimate Art by CRD (retired)
Recollections by CRD (retired)

by Alice

Credits : Gypsy Faire paper pack by Gina Miller ; alpha from Naturally by SA designers ; Midnight by Tangie Baxter.
Font : Prestige Elite Std.

by Traci

Credits: Don’t Go Baby Papers and Twirl Around Doodles from Lauren Grier at SSD, Wings from Joanne Brisebois at OScraps. Photo from Internet.

Journaling Adapted from Jason For The Love of God and reads:
There is no guide to dealing with this Club. No initiation. You are simply, miserably, thrust into it.
She’s had a miscarriage. She’s joined the millions of other women in this world who are suddenly, painfully, not pregnant anymore.
“It was just my turn.”
Her turn. To lose. To be lost.
It’s so not fair. It’s so blindingly not fair that it makes her ill.
Because why does it have to be her turn? Why, when she is good and kind and loving and really wants to have a baby? Why is her turn to feel that her body has failed her? Why does it have to be her husband’s turn to watch his wife cry? When they did everything they were supposed to do. When she dutifully stopped drinking her morning coffee and took all the disgusting vitamins she was supposed to take. When every day she took walks and kept herself in just the right shape. When she stopped having wine at dinner, months before, just to prepare herself.
She has to lose.
Instead of joining the happy baby club, in which she gets to discuss her vivid dreams and how much weight she gets to gain and her weird pickle and Wendy’s Frosty cravings, she instead joins the miserable little club that no one wants to talk about. The one where she wonders what the hell is wrong with her. And why did this happen. And will I ever be normal. And why God hates her.
Even the words are stupid and angry. Miscarriage. She didn’t drop the baby. She didn’t misplace it somewhere. It’s right where it always was. Inside her heart, which is now broken because life is so damn unfair.
She’s lost her baby.
But it’s not lost. It will never be.
There are no words of comfort. Everything said to someone who has lost her baby is inadequate.
She, for her part, is optimistic. Positive. It’s a blip in the road, and she’ll have a healthy baby soon. She believes that, strongly. It’s happened for so many of her friends. So, so many. It’s miserable and terrible and horrible but she’ll get through it. She plods on. She gets another test a few months later and it’s positive. A beautiful little plus sign. She gets another and another and they all have beautiful little plus signs. She is cautious and optimistic and maybe a bit scared for a few months and then she has a beautiful, rounded belly with a beautiful little baby inside.
She knows it happens. It happens for most. she knows this.
It all works out. She doesn’t drop the baby this time.
Still. She is forever part of the Club. She wears it like a scar on her heart.

by Valorie

Everything by Camila Designs (Blueberry kit and Splats, Strokes, & Stamps) @ A5D
except staple and circle trim by Natali Designs (trim filled with paper from Camila’s Blueberry kit)
and title by TaylorMade Designs @ OScraps and stitches on the buttons by me.

Used following blending options: Soft light on emphasis markings beneath the journaling. Pin Light on the scribble. All stamps and scribble was filled with a paper from Camila’s Blueberry kit.

Journaling reads: Living with the memories of being sexually abused can be overwhelming sometimes. I had lived most of my childhood hiding my emotions and hiding myself away in fear that someone might find out. I was so ashamed. Now I am a 36 year old wife and mother of three. My abusers are a thing from my past and has no contact with me ever. I am strong. I am healing. I am not that frightened and battered child anymore. I have become a good Christian woman in spite of my abuse. I have become a better mother. I know how evil the world can be and I am now an advocate for my own childrens’ welfare. If anything good has come from something so traumatic it is that I can and will protect my babies from that evil to the death. So just so they know, to my abusers, you lose. You did not break me. You did not win. I am no longer in hiding. I am no longer ashamed. I am at peace and I am truly happy. In spite of you, I live.

by Karah

Journaling: Two years ago he entered this world without taking a breath.
Two years ago we looked at him for the first and last time.
Two years ago we had to say goodbye without ever saying hello.

Credits: papers (blended) from Amanda Taylor’s Touch of Grey paper pack; frame, alpha, & stars by Karah Fredricks (recolored); swirls by Jofia (recolored); Font: notebook

by Leora

Credits:
Chipper Chatter Adjectives A-Z by Tangie Baxter at Scrapbook Graphics
Unscripted-Not So Great and Clearly Stuck by Taylor Made Designs at Oscraps
Worn And Stained Cardboard by Camila Designs at After Five Designs
Torn Edge by Anna Aspnes at Designer Digitals

Stock Photo from Deviant Art
Font: Die

by Christine

I blended the right photo at hard light.

Credits:
Worn & Stained Watercolor Series and Splats, Strokes, and Stamps by Camila Designs.
Masked Out 4 by Leora Sanford.
Urban Edge Alpha by Sherrie Piegdon.
Font is CK Marissa.
Macchiato Lightroom preset by Peppermint Granberg.

by Julie Ann

I used the blending modes “Overlay’ on the Word art title, “Screen” on the upper right photo and on the word art “frustrated”, “angry”, and “blah”.

Journaling:
I don’t want to be known as the girl with FMS. So I rarely talk about it. I was diagnosed in 1999, I think. However, I had been living with this pain for many years before that. There is no cure. There is no treatment that I know of to give me a day’s relief. You learn to cope and to go day to day and to be a SURVIVOR.

Having FMS, pain, headaches – it all factored in my decision to stop trying to conceive. I’m ok with it. We all have our handicap and this is mine. I believe pills that help you sleep were the biggest blessing of my life since sleep is my greatest ally in feeling slightly human. Since FMS deteriorates the muscles, sleep becomes essential.

If we ever meet in person, it’s best for you to keep your hands to yourself. I’m not trying to be “Miss Manners”, it’s just that the gentlest touch causes pain to my muscles.

For more information on Fibromyalgia, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia

Credits:
Bookboard by Christina Renee Designs; I’m Free Photo Mat and Mark That Date Again Stamps by Emily Powers; Playtime Masking Tape by beAUDacious Designs; Confessions and Unscripted No. 2 Not So Great Word Art by Taylor Made, Emerald Envy by Kathryn Wilson; Woodworks by Leora Sanford. Photos and images from the internet.

and mine:

Credits:
By Tangie Baxter
Project 365 Grabbag, The Briny Deep, The Bounding Main, The Great Pink Sea, Timeless Masters Da Vinci
By Lorie Davison
Flying Dreams and Rough to the Touch
Need Some Water by Jofia Devoe
Shattered Glass by Kimberly Cameron
sand: Secret of the Sea by Cali
sand: Bounty by Sailor and Lula (freebie)
font: 1942 report

I blended 5 papers in the background and the text and water were also blended to get a certain effect.

Now we want to see your layouts. Remember to link us up here in the comment section by Thursday night at 11.59 PM Eastern (US) time in order to be eligible for the winning prizes!