Scrap Girls Chit Chat Newsletter: September 5, 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_080905_Fri_Contagious.htm

What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique?

Life Muses by Ro: Service is Contagious

Editor's note: Ro has returned from her vacation! However, she wasn't here when the deadline for this week's newsletters arrived. And so, we are pleased to present some more muses contributed by members of our Scrap Girls team.

My kids taught me a great lesson today: service is contagious. There was some work that needed to be done today and I asked the kids to help me out. The boys had some clothes that needed to be sorted and a closet that needed some rearranging to make room for the sorted clothes. There was laundry in the dryer that needed to be folded and put away. I started helping Mason sort through and rearrange his clothes and asked Aaron to help Bailey put the dryer clothes in the clean clothes hamper for folding.

Shortly after we started our assigned tasks, Lauren said she needed to go the bathroom (and being newly potty-trained, she still needs help). I asked Aaron to help her so that I could keep sorting clothes. He disappeared into the bathroom with Lauren.

I quickly got an idea to see if we could secretly “race” Aaron and surprise him. We finished sorting the clothes and getting them put away and then Bailey, Mason and I had a race to see how fast we could fold all of the clothes in the hamper. Voilá! We finished and Aaron and Lauren still hadn't emerged from the bathroom. Mason and Bailey decided to quickly put their clothes away before he came out and I grabbed Aaron's clothes and was finishing putting them in his drawers when he came into the room.

“You're putting my clothes away for me?” he asked.

I said, “Yep. I was trying to surprise you before you came in.”

He said thanks. A minute later, he came in and whispered something to Mason and Bailey and said to me, “Don't come downstairs for a little bit, okay Mom?”

A little while later (maybe 1/2 hour?) they called up to me and said I could come down. Aaron had made grilled cheese sandwiches for all of the kids for lunch and made a cheddar and bacon salad for me! What a great surprise! We'll have to see if our secret service surprises continue....

- Cherise Oleson

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: Scrap Girls Message Board Features

Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop 7 with Windows XP.

Many new and lasting friendships are forged at the Scrap Girls digital scrapbooking message board. The message board is oodles of fun and a great way to connect with people from around the globe. With over 40 forums, including Meet and Greet, Announcements, Challenges, and Real Life, I was a little overwhelmed with how to keep up with all of the activity. Not to worry!

Screenshot: "View New Posts"

There is a handy little thing called “View New Posts” located at the top right of the message board. Click on this link to see the most current and active posts at Scrap Girls.

Screenshot: New posts

This is where all the posts, since your last visit, are kept. View them at a glance.

Join a Challenge or a Crop

With all of the great activities we have at Scrap Girls, a challenge and a crop are some of my favorites. Don’t let the word challenge scare you. It’s more of an inspiration to help us get started on creating layouts. Sure, you may win a prize and get comments on your layouts, too!

Screenshot: "Fun and Games" section

Find the challenges and crops in the “Fun and Games” section of the message board.

There is the Color Challenge – use the suggested colors to make a layout and then post your layout in the gallery provided. There is the Tuesday’s Freebie Challenge – a freebie of the week is chosen to make a layout with. There is even a Friday’s Customer Challenge where you, the customer, can submit an idea for a challenge. Email your idea to [email protected]. If your idea gets chosen, you will win a prize from the Scrap Girls boutique and everyone will get a chance to participate in your challenge!

There is the Scraplift Crop. Browse through the selected staff member’s gallery and choose one of their layouts to scraplift. There is the Art Inspiration Crop. Be inspired by the chosen artwork to create a layout. There is the Desktop Crop where inspiration and directions on how to resize your layout and change your desktop are provided.

These are just a few of the events going on at Scrap Girls. Keep current on all the crops, challenges and events through the “What’s Happening at Scrap Girls?” section of the newsletter.

The Gallery and Favorites

There are a few different ways to view the gallery at Scrap Girls.

Screenshot: Gallery viewing options

Either go into each category, or view by “Latest Images,” “The Top Rated Images,” “Most Viewed Images,” or “Recent Comments.”

Screenshot: "Favorite" button

With all of the beautiful layouts in the gallery, you can add any one of them to your Favorites. You can save and store them in your favorites so you can look at them any time without having to search through the gallery again. When you are looking at a layout, there is a button called “Favorite” to the right and below the layout itself.

Screenshot: "My Favorites"

If you have added a layout or 10,000 layouts to your favorites and you would like to view them, do so by going to “My Controls” (next to “View New Posts” near the top of the message board). On the left, under Menu> Invision Gallery, will be “Your Favorites.” Click on that and your own private gallery of favorites will open up.

Enjoy all of the inspiration, creativity and friendship that the Scrap Girls gallery and message board has to offer!

This digital scrapbooking layout is inspired by the Art Inspiration Crop at Scrap Girls.

Screenshot: Art Inspiration Piece

Computer scrapbook layout by Sarah Batdorf

Layout by Sarah Batdorf
larger view





Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Floral Medley 2 Biggie and Lettering Delights Mother's Typewriter Font are also available.

Sarah Batdorf

Tutorial written by Sarah Batdorf

What's Happening at Scrap Girls?

If you have never been to the Scrap Girls Chat Room before or have questions about it, this tutorial, Chat Basics, will provide lots of helpful information.

Crops and Chats

Scrap Girls Stand UP 2 Cancer Chat & Challenge
Friday, September 5th - 8:00PM ET

Please join Dee Decker from 8:00 - 10:00PM ET for a two hour chat and challenge. The theme is "How Scrap Girls and their families stand UP to cancer and don't back down in their love of life."

Dee's husband is a 15-year cancer survivor and lost his father to Malignant Melanoma in January 2003, so this is a cause close to her heart. On September 5th at 8:00 PM ET, ABC, NBC and CBS are joining together to raise national awareness through the "Stand Up To Cancer" program. The goal is to share information and inspiration with millions of people and to encourage contributions to fund a cure.

Viewers will be educated and inspired to help fund research and treatments that will save lives and help us win this very important fight. Cancer is a disease that doesn't discriminate, touching all families and, more than a campaign, this initiative is a movement we hope will ultimately help end cancer forever.

Scrap Girls SU2C team page: http://su2c.standup2cancer.org//mysu2c/team/view/2628.

Quote Chat & Challenge
Sunday, September 7th - Time TBA

Come join Pat (PBarnes) for the Quote Challenge Crop! Including a quote on your layout can be a touching and meaningful addition, especially if you use the quote to create your own word art.

Here's how it will work. On Sunday, I'll post a thread on the Chat section of the board giving you the quote that you will use to make your own word art. It's not hard, and I will even have a layout with a Word Art example. Then we'll meet in the chat room to have fun, chat, and create our Word Art layout!

We'll post the time on Sunday, as the time changes around each time to allow participation by our international folks. Everyone can participate and create a layout, even if you can't make the chat. Hope to see you there!

Aussie Colour Chat and Challenge
Monday, September 8th - 8:30PM *Australian Eastern Standard Time*

Join Karen (Kazbar73) and Jo (ScrappingJo) for a Aussie Colour Chat and Challenge. Watch the boards on Monday for the colour, then complete a layout and join us in the Live Chat Lobby at 8.30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. Hope to see you there.

PS - For all you American Girls, who are more than welcome to join our chats, it will be on Monday, 8 September, at 6.30am New York time.

Leavin' Love Chat
Monday, September 8th - 1:00PM ET

Come join me (Launa) and leave some love in the gallery. Bring a link to a layout of your own that needs a little love and two links of layouts that belong to someone else that need some love! Let's recognize all that awesome talent we have out there! I'm sure at some point chocolate will be discussed!

So join me on Monday, September 8th at 1:00 ET in the Scrap Girls Chat Room! See ya there!!

NSBR Chat
Monday, September 8th - 9:00PM ET

What is NSBR? It’s a non-scrapbooking related chat! We talk about everything, including some scrapbooking and usually chocolate. It’s a great chance to meet new friends, catch up on what everyone is up to, and just relax! If you have a problem, we’ll lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on. Have some great news to share? We’d love to celebrate with you. So join me, Carla (crs) at 9 pm et in the chat room!

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, September 10th - 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 September 10, we'll do a geometric challenge! Create a layout using at leat one triangle somewhere on your page!

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!

Recipe Swap Crop
Saturday, September 13th - 8:00PM ET

Join AprilShowers in the Chat Room Saturday, September 13 at 8 PM ET for our monthly Recipe Challenge Chat.

Check the message board on Thursday, September 11 for this month's theme and Recipe Swap details. Hope to see you there!

Scraplift Chat
Sunday, September 14th - 5:00PM ET

Join TysMommy and angelaNussbaum 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!

September Events

September Board Game: Guess that Scrap Girl!

It's Back-to-School time and with it come memories of our own childhood. What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you dream big? This month, join us on the Message Board for a game of "Guess that ScrapGirl!" and find out what our ScrapGirls team members dreamed of becoming when they were little girls.

Every day during the month of September, a member of the Welcoming Committee will post a school-aged photo of one of the ScrapGirls team members. Identify the team member and then create and keep an ongoing list with your answers on it, and send your completed list to [email protected] no later than midnight October 2nd. (You can find current photos of all team members in the About Us section of the ScrapGirls home page.)

Everyone who correctly identifies all 30 team members will be entered in a drawing for one of three $10 Gift Certificates! Correctly identify 20+ team members and be entered in a drawing for one of two $5 Gift Certificates! Identify 10+ and be entered in a drawing for one of two $3 Gift Certificates!

Layout Contests:

September Layout Contest: All too often we get caught up in the things that bring us down in life. We sometimes take for granted all of the fun and wonderful things that happen on a daily basis. Here’s your chance to stop, smell the roses and appreciate the good things you have in your life right now. It might be the warm smile of a child each morning, or seeing your best friend on a fall afternoon to reconnect. Let’s pay tribute to the good things in our lives. We want to see your layouts about something positive in your life right now uploaded to the September Gallery. If your layout is chosen, you will win a $10 Gift Certificate to the boutique!

August Mid-Month Layout Contest: The story of your life is unwritten. We’d love to see a layout that has a story of something in your life most people don’t know about you. Do you have a hidden talent to share, a special award you received, or maybe an embarrassing moment? Upload your layouts to the August Mid-month Layout Gallery by September 15th at midnight and you will win a $10 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique if your layout is chosen!

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 Thao Cosgrove

Layout by Thao Cosgrove
larger view

Designer Freebie by Thao Cosgrove coordinates with her Art Journal Collection Biggie

* 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.

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” 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.

1 8.5x11 Sheet of Word Art

1 Assemble Your Own Zoom Page Set

1 Designer's Choice Item

1 ScrapSimple Paper Template Set

1 ScrapSimple Embellishment Template Set

1 ScrapSimple Layer Your Own Brush Set

1 Designer's Choice Item