Scrap Girls Chit Chat Newsletter: June 13, 2008

If you are using an online mail client such as GMail, you will find the newsletter far more enjoyable to read if you view it online.
You can find it here:
http://www.scrapgirls.com/NL/Chit_Chat_080613_Fri_Camel.htm

What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique?

Life Muses by Ro: It's a Camel

Place this image in your mind: A camel in a pink tutu dances across your brain singing, “I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair...”

See the camel dancing? It has big humps on its back but the pink tutu fits nicely above the legs. The tutu matches the camel’s ballet slippers perfectly. As the camel dances and sings, we are able to observe pink feathers dancing in the wind because the camel is wearing a crown made of feathers.

Do you see the feathers? Can you hear the music?

Good. Now forget that the whole thing happened. Wipe it all out of your mind. No dancing camel. No more pink tutu. No “Jeannie with light brown hair” and certainly no more ballet slippers and feathers in camel hair.

It’s gone. Ka-put. Over. Done with.

Breathe... Clear your mind... let it go blank and let whatever happens happen.

You will now put a stage in your mind. The stage has red curtains. Because you hear a band playing, you will open the curtains to hear the music better. When you do, you see right in the center of the stage is... is a...

No! Don’t say it! You do not see a camel in a pink tutu singing, “I Dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair.” Stop it, I tell you. That part of the story is over.

Let’s try again, shall we?

Breathe. Clear your mind and let’s go back to the stage. See the empty stage? Good.

It has wooden floor boards.

Over at the right side of the stage is a piano and oohhhhh... someone is playing a song. It is a man wearing a bowler hat and a red striped shirt... and the song he is playing is... is.... NO! Do not say it! It is not “I Dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair!”

What is that you are shouting at me? You see what? Camels dancing in across the stage from the left? Camels? Oh great... There was only one camel in our story before this point and now we have an entire chorus line because of your enthusiasm for the beasts.

They are doing high kicks – like the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders – and their pink tutus are flying about in the air, their pink feathers are bouncing, and their pink ballet shoes are laced up their legs to their knees.

Oh, brother. Make them stop it, will ya? I just want an empty mind again. No camels. No Jeanie with any color of hair. Maybe I better give this whole thing up and do something useful like digital scrapbooking...

- Ro

P.S. Now that I’ve told you that story, I will tell you I was inspired by what I go through when M&Ms are in my house. I try and try and TRY not to think of that bowl of dark chocolate M&Ms sitting in my china closet.

I keep them in one of my grandmother’s bowls. They look pretty in there. Grandma would like it. She would serve some of those M&Ms to company. Say... I need some company so I can serve them some M&Ms because that would give me an excuse to eat some candy right now. Do you want to come to my house so we can eat some M&Ms together?

Stop it! No M&M talk. I’ve already eaten too many M&Ms today. Maybe we better go back to dancing camels again. At least I won’t gain weight if I’m merely singing, “I dream of Jeannie with the light... brown... hair...”

Muse: To be absorbed in one's thoughts; engage in meditation. Not intended to solve the world's problems, another person's problems, or to cover topics completely. One does not have to agree with musings to enjoy them, just as one does not have to be the same as someone else to appreciate who they are.

Note from Ro: Would you like to earn a $20 Gift Certificate? Send your own muse to [email protected]. If it is selected for publication in the Scrap Girls newsletter, you'll get to have fun shopping!

Ro is now spotlighting various Scrap Girls members, showing layouts, and running contests in her blog. If you end up being spotlighted in it, you'll get a little gift from her. Subscribe to her blog so you don't miss what is going on!

Ro has recently spotlighted Pireps, CharleneJ and Soozlou.

Tutorial: Photo Technique: Selective Color Removal

Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS3 with Windows XP.

I love to make a contrast between color and black and white areas in my photos. It’s useful to focus attention on an area of the picture you want to emphasize or, perhaps, to remove colors that you don’t feel complement your chosen materials, such as digital scrapbooking paper or embellishments.

Screenshot: Duplicate photo

I want to focus on my cat, Tuna’s, gorgeous yellow eyes. First, duplicate your original image in case you make errors and want to begin again. Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the areas you want to keep colored. Remember to ensure that the “Add to Selection” option is checked if you need to select more than one area. Once you have selected the areas that you want to keep colored, use the Select> Inverse option to select the rest of the picture and then go Image> Adjustments> Desaturate.

Screenshot: Change to black & white

TIP: If you have the latest Photoshop versions, you can also choose the Adjustments> Black and White option for different tones of black and white.

Screenshot: Feather edges

Now, click Select> Inverse to reselect your chosen colored area. Then Select> Modify> Feather to make the edges less sharp. You have now achieved this fun, simple and effective technique!

Computer scrapbook layout by Gillian Hurst

Layout by Gillian Hurst
larger view



Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Unvarnished and ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: In Stitches Biggie are also available.

Gillian Hurst

Tutorial written by Gillian Hurst

What's Happening at Scrap Girls?

Crops and Chats

Recipe Swap Chat
Friday, June 13th - 9:00PM ET

Join Scrappylibrarian for our monthly Recipe Swap Chat. We will meet up in the Chat Room at 9 pm ET. Check the message board on Thursday, June 12 for this month's recipe theme and info on the swap. Hope to see you there!

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, June 18th - 12:00Noon ET

Join your host, Betsy, for the High Noon Crop every Wednesday at Noon eastern time. These crops are designed to allow you to work on your own photos and themes, simply giving participants a one hour goal, and a fun, new challenge each week!

On June 18, we'll do a favorite photo challenge! Create a layout using a photo you love! Can be any photo, just make sure you love it!

You'll have one hour to create a layout and upload to the special High Noon Crop gallery. You'd be amazed what you can get done in just one hour! Meet new friends and have fun in the chat room! We hope you'll join us!

Ad Inspiration Chat
Wednesday, June 18th - 9:00PM ET

Join Pat & Launa for an Ad Inspiration Chat and Crop in the Scrap Girls Chat Room Wednesday, June 18th, at 9:00 ET. We will use a magazine ad to inspire a layout, there is no wrong answer!! Come join the fun!

The Ad will be posted a couple of hours before the challenge. Come join us for some chattin', croppin', and FUN!

NSBR Chat Early Edition
Thursday, June 19th - 1:00PM ET

What is NSBR? It’s a non-scrapbooking related chat! We talk about everything! It’s a great way to meet new people and get to know everyone. Catch up on what everyone is up to, and just relax! If you have any questions, we'll try to answer them. So, join me, Launa for some fun on June 19th, at 1 PM ET, in the Chat Room! Hope to see you there!

Keeping Current Crop
Thursday, June 19th - 4:00PM ET

Join AngRoCamp for the Keeping Current Crop on the third Thursday of each month. In June, we'll enjoy an afternoon crop beginning at 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. Central, 2 p.m. Mountain, 1 p.m. Pacific).

Don't let those photos pile up and become frustrating or overwhelming. Join us in the chat room for fun and focus on "keeping current" as we each tackle our most recent pictures and stories. So grab the last photos that are still hanging out on your camera's memory card and get to work so you can say with confidence, "I'm current!"

Heritage Crop
Thursday, June 19th - 8:00PM ET

Do you have boxes of heritage photos just waiting to be restored and scrapped? Are there family stories just waiting for you to write down and preserve? Then this is the crop for you! Join April (April Showers) and Carla (CRS) for the Heritage Crop and Chat!

This month’s Heritage Challenge is to use a Baby Photo in your layout. (The challenge isn't required; our main goal is to help everyone get their Heritage photos scrapped!)

We'll help you get motivated to scrap those heritage photos and record your family stories for future generations to enjoy. So come join us Thursday, June 19th, at 8 pm ET!

Scraplift Crop
Sunday, June 22nd - 5:00PM ET

Join AngelaNussbaum and TysMommy for a Scraplifting Crop. A few hours before the crop we will tell you the name of a Scrap Girls Team Member, and you will be able to choose one of their layouts to be your inspiration.

During the crop, we will also help explain about scraplifting, how to use a layout as inspiration, and the importance of giving credit. Scraplifting is a lot of fun! So come join us, you're sure to enjoy it!

Aussie Desktop Chat
Monday, June 22nd - 9:00PM *Australian Eastern Standard Time*

Join Jo (ScrappingJo) and Karen (Kazbar73) in the Live Chat Lobby at 9pm Australian Eastern Standard time to talk about up-dating your desktops. For all you American girls, the chat will be on at 7am, Monday, 23 June. Hope to see you all there.

June Events

June Board Game: Chocolate Scavenger Hunt

What's sweeter than chocolate and shopping in the Scrap Girls boutique? That's right... NOTHING! This month we've combined those two super sweet things to create a game worth sinking your teeth into and a prize worth drooling over!

Every day (June 2nd-June 30th), a member of the Welcoming Committee will post a new clue on the Message Board. Use the clues to find the correct products in the Scrap Girls Boutique. You will know when you have located them because you will see a candy-coated Scrap Girls chocolate on the product details page.

Send the EXACT product names and the accompanying links where the products are found to [email protected]. Use the subject line: JUNE MESSAGE BOARD GAME for your email entry, and include your messageboard name and real name. You have until Midnight Mountain Time, on Tuesday, July 1st to submit your answers.

Everyone who finds ALL 29 hidden chocolates will be entered in a drawing for one of three $10 Gift Certificates! Find 20+ candies and be entered in a drawing for one of two $5 Gift Certificates! Find 10+ hidden chocolates and be entered in a drawing for one of two $3 Gift Certificates!

Layout Contests:

June Layout Contest: Did you know that June is National Candy Month? Digital scrapbooking is the ultimate no fat, no sugar treat – how sweet! For this month’s contest we want you to do a “Yummy” layout using colors and textures that say “yummy” to you – from bright colors that might represent a sweet treat to the luscious browns like melt-in-your-mouth chocolates. Post your layouts to the monthly gallery by Midnight ET, June 30th, and yours might be chosen to win a $10 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique.

Mid-May Layout Contest: In this crazy, busy world we live in, it's hard to find time for ourselves. Between work, family and other obligations, life gets hectic. We all deserve to make time to relax and concentrate on ourselves! What do you do to spoil yourself? What is your guilty pleasure? Create a layout about how you spoil yourself, your guilty pleasure, and you could win a $10 Gift Certificate to the Boutique! Just upload your layout to the Mid-May Layout Contest Gallery before June 14th at Midnight EST, and you could win!

Check our message board calendar if you have any questions about what is happening at Scrap Girls. All event times are given in Eastern Time Zone unless otherwise noted. Need help converting time zones? Check out the World Clock - Time Zone Converter. (Use 'USA-New York' as the location for the Eastern time zone.)

Today's Freebie

Computer scrapbook layout by Jan Hicks

Layout by Jan Hicks
larger view

Designer Freebie by Jan Hicks coordinates with her ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Sew Doodly Shapes



Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Sew Doodly Shapes, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Shapely Curled Edges, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Curled Edges Shadows 3201 and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Sew Doodly Biggie 3201 are also available.

* There is a “free download” button on the details page for each gift. You don't need to put them in your shopping cart unless you are shopping for other items. Also note that if you are slow reading your newsletter, you may find this freebie has already been retired, as the freebies are only available as gifts for about two newsletter cycles.

The Scrap Girls newsletter is created for you by a virtual army of Scrap Girls team members. Without them, we couldn't possibly share these resources with you, and I'm very grateful for their ongoing help and support.

I hope you enjoy today's issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Ro
CEO - Scrap Girls, LLC

P.S. Your email address is safe with us. We never share, rent, sell, or loan our list with anyone!

P.P.S. If you ever need any assistance, please email [email protected] or call
866-598-3444 and we'll help you as quickly as possible!

Scrap Girls Digital Scrap Link Convention

Here are the facts:

When: October 9-11th, 2008

Note: Convention begins at 1:00 pm - Thursday, October 9th and ends at 6 pm - Saturday, October 11th.

How many people may attend?

Only 22 openings out of 120 are still available. Space is selling out quickly so don't delay.

Where: Salt Lake City, Utah

Officer's Club

Create your own digital scrapbook layouts using the latest, most popular techniques

Manage all of the important basics that digital scrapbook enthusiasts need to know to get started

Understand how to save your files for printing or sharing them with your friends and family over the Internet

Make your own textured brush

Learn how to install and use purchased brushes

Make your own simple backgrounds

See how easy it is to manage transparent embellishment files that allow digital scrapbooking layouts to look like they are “real”

Become a pro at managing the drop-shadowing techniques

Learn about transparency and lighting effects

Make your own digital torn paper edges

Be able to isolate a single item in an embellishment or alpha and be able to change the color to suit your fancy

Become a pro at repairing damaged photos

Know the secret of putting text on a curve or in a circle

Laugh at how simple it is to make rounded edges on your photos

Use keyboard and tool shortcuts that make digital scrapbooking a breeze

Be able to place digital embellishments on your digital scrapbook layout with ease

Unlock the mystery of how to clip a digital paper clip onto your layout so that it looks real

Learn how to install and use purchased textures

Understand some advanced techniques such as how to keep blue eyes blue on a black and white photo

Learn how to adjust black and white photos to sepia

Take the world's easiest shortcuts to creating your own backgrounds, embellishments, and alphas.

Make sure that you don't make the biggest mistakes that digital scrapbookers make when they create layouts.

Learn fantastic tricks for using Scrap Girls ScrapSimple products.

Dip your digital scrapbooking self into some of those “other” cool tools that are sitting there waiting in your software for you to use such as paths, masks, the drawing pen, and more.

See how easy it is to install and manage new Custom Shapes and Styles in Photoshop so that you can make things that are creative and unique.

Learn advanced tricks for using tools that you already know and love.

Watch me make some beautiful papers and get a chance to peek inside of my layers. (Oh dear... That is the last frontier and I might be out of my mind to let you do it... NOBODY likes people to see inside of their layers. It is like having visitors peek inside of your dresser drawers. Very private stuff.)

See a new way for coloring doodles. (I'm betting that it will surprise you what tool I've used to do that with, too...)

Get “IN&qrduo; on creating your own brush sets. (You do NOT have to have those impossibly long brush sets frustrating you anymore. In fact, when you learn this trick, you will wonder why you haven't been using it all along.)

Find out why Custom Shapes are so importantto you. (Bet you didn't know...)

Learn how to cut out a title from a background or a photo.

Online Class: Photo Fixes You Need to Know: Photoshop
Photo Fixes You Need to Know: Photoshop
July 1 and 8 - 4:00PM ET

This in-depth digital scrapbooking class on basic photo retouching is the perfect opportunity to learn about color correction and photo refinement techniques. Using various methods, this class will teach you how to retouch and prep photos for printing, digital scrapbooking, and web uploading.

Important: This Intermediate Level computer scrapbooking class is for Adobe Photoshop users, versions CS2 and CS3 only. Students are required to understand the basic skills taught in the Scrapbook Secrets Revealed and MORE Scrapbook Secrets Revealed program prior to starting the course. This information will not be reviewed as part of the course!

Enrolling in this course without understanding these basic skills may cause you to feel lost and frustrated when you attend the classes. We want you to have a great experience. So please, if you are uncertain that you have enough skills to take this course, use the Scrapbook Secrets Revealed program to build an adequate foundation prior to the classes starting. Thanks!

Join the Scrap Girls Monthly Club and you can have fun with the newest traditional digital and printable scrapbooking looks while saving! (A $27.94 value for $9.99 or less!)

The Scrap Girls Club contents are released on the 1st day of the month (or the closest business day to the 1st).

With the Scrap Girls Club, you will receive:

1 Collection Biggie
1 Paper Super Mini
1 8.5x11 Sheet of Word Art
1 Embellishment Set
1 Assemble Your Own Zoom Page Set
1 Designer's Choice Item

Digital scrapbooking layout by Brandy Hackman using June's Scrap Girls Club
Layout by Brandy Hackman using June's Scrap Girls Club
larger view

Created for you by Brandy Hackman

Remember, these items are available separately in the Boutique at regular prices for those who would rather not join a club.

(Note: The Scrap Girls Club contents are always available for sale elsewhere in the Boutique at their regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never seen before product releases for each month!)

1 ScrapSimple Paper Template Set

1 ScrapSimple Embellishment Template Set

1 ScrapSimple Layer Your Own Brush Set

1 Designer's Choice Item

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You need several methods of backing up in case one of them fail. Acronis True Image 11.0 is Ro's personal choice for creating a complete back up (software, operating system, settings... you name it) of her hard drives. It is easy to use (no excess geek speak) which is why she is recommending it to you.