Scrap Girls Chit Chat Newsletter: September 11, 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_080911_Thurs_View.htm

Cute Stuff

Computer scrapbook layout by Thao Cosgrove

Layout by Thao Cosgrove
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates - Layered: Storyteller and AMC_Chatty Font are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Erica Hite

Layout by Erica Hite
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photos That Pop 1801 Mini and Brush Set: Living are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Valerie Randall

Layout by Valerie Randall
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Commercial license versions of Brush Set - 4x6: Enchanted are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Amanda Sok

Layout by Amanda Sok
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Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Fanciful Frames, Dynamic Brush Set: Stitching 6401 and Brush Set: Trendy Circles are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Laurel Lakey

Layout by Laurel Lakey
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Assemble Your Own Zoom Pages: Faded Beauty

Computer scrapbook layout by Ariadna Wiczling

Layout by Ariadna Wiczling
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Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Homemade Grunge and ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitch 'n Holes 8302 Running Stitch are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Keri Schueller

Layout by Keri Schueller
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Computer scrapbook layout by Melissa Renfro

Layout by Melissa Renfro
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The first three products are included in this month's Scrap Girls Club offering. Members receive a substantial discount on these club supplies. They are also available elsewhere in the Boutique at regular prices for those individuals who would rather not join a club.



Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photo Basics 5001 are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Angie Briggs

Layout by Angie Briggs
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photo Basics PSE 5001 are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Brandy Murry

Layout by Brandy Murry
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Ribbons To Go II, ScrapSimple Word Art Templates: Bling and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Micro Glitter 6401 Super Biggie are also available.

If you have praise, comments, or questions for any of our Product Designers or Layout Artists, did you know you can send them a PM (private message) using the message board? It's easy!

If you are a registered user of the message board, just click on the “PM” box at the bottom of any of their posts to send them a message. Or, to check out more of your favorite designer's layouts, visit the Scrap Girls Design Team section of the Layout Gallery.

Life Muses by Ro: The View

Note from Ro: Another fun slice of life from one our design team. I found this one on the Scrap Girls blog and had to laugh. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma (Ok-lah-home-a... it has to slide out of your mouth like butter when you say it) and so I really related to it. I can slip back into the drawl so quickly. In fact, when I was in Arizona, I hung out with two women from the south. After a day or so, everyone was asking me which southern state I am from. While I’m not from Oklahoma, I will always consider it my second home. I’m a-fixin’ to go back there some-daaahy, y’all. (A lady I student-taught with spoke like this and she got me doing it, too!)

So, Ah thought ya'll might want to see the view Ah saw this mornin'. (Don't ya'll know, when Ah start talkin' bout the garden, Ah jes' slip back into the ol' drawl. Ackshually, Ah'm a gonna put on my straw hat and talk a lil' Okie talk for ya'll in this here blog.) Anyway, my family is turnin' over a new leaf, and this tomato plant is the livin' daylights proof of it. Isn't she darn tootin' purty?

Just so's you understand why Ah think this is such a great view (Ah jes know ya'll are rollin' ya'lls eyes in ya'lls heads, thinkin' Ah'm makin' a mountain outta a molehill) ya'll have to re-ah-lahze that my honey and Ah got involved in some local volunteer efforts last year. Yep, my darlin' husband (Ah call 'im the “Energizer Bunny”) made the website, collected thousands of names in an online survey and Yours Truly hadda get herself gussied up to talk at school board meetings and be interviewed on local TV. AND, landsakes! Ah got this amazin' job designin' digital scrapbooking products at www.scrapgirls.com. So Ah was fixed to be TIED to my keyboard for awhile. Don't ya'll know but when it rains it pours down on ya'll's head, even if it's showers o' blessings like the Good Book says?

Honey chile, our back yard got left behind in the dust. When Ah came up for air early this summer, the vine on the back fence was 'bout as big as a hill a beans! The weeds were waist-high, Ah kid you not.

So, Energizer Bunny and Ah and the young'uns are spending an hour ever Satiddy mornin' doin' cleanup. Yessirree, we had to clean up jes' so Ah could plant a lil' ole tomato plant. This fact is a lil' bit embarrassin', so could ya'll please not tell my momma?

And so, here's that lil' tomato plant! Due to all that stuff Ah tole ya'll 'bout, she's a late bloomer. Here's a digital scrapbooking layout Ah did of this lil' beauty, purely for personal enjoyment. Ah hope ya'll like it!

- Kerry

Computer scrapbook layout by Kerry Veale

Layout by Kerry Veale

Kerry Veale

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.

Way Cool Stuff Product Review: Alphas

Some time ago, I made the resolution to use more alphas in my scrapbooking layouts. I am always exited when I download them with the designer’s wonderful collections.

Before we talk about how to use them, I will tell you how I organize them. I have a separate folder called “Alphas” in my folder with all of my scrapbooking supplies. In this folder, I keep the alphas in folders with the name of the collection that they belong to. This way, when I want to use a brown alpha, for example, I browse through the thumbnails of my folders to find the one that would fit best.

In Bridge, I have tagged all of my alphas not according to their color, but according to their style. Like Bold, Thin, Charm, Stamped, Circle, Collage, Multicolor (for those where each letter has another color), Doodled, Grunge, Wood, Beads, etc. When I design a layout, I usually know which type of alpha I would like to use and this makes it easy to find the right one.

Now, let’s talk about the many ways to use your alphas. You can use them for the title of your layout. In your journaling you can highlight selected words, letters or numbers by using alphas. You can use them as embellishments on your page. Attach a number to a tag to highlight the age of the person. Use the first letter of the name and place it close to the picture of the person. Mix different alphas together like I did for my “Blessed” layout or play with their size when you assemble the different letters. Have fun with alphas!

Computer scrapbook layout by Caroline Kaiser

Layout by Caroline Kaiser
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Marginal, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Chickadees, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Enveloped, Brush Set: Definitions: Family Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Vintage PS 6502, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Basic Shadows 6501 and Lettering Delights Sweet Potatoes Font are also available.

Caroline Kaiser

Caroline is a mom of three kids and lives in Luxembourg (Europe). In addition to (or due to!) scrapbooking, she has discovered a passion for photography and can be found in strange positions to take awesome pictures of her family in all life's circumstances. Of course, the final goal is to scrap, scrap and scrap!

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

Recipe Swap Crop
Thursday, September 11th - 8:00PM ET

Join AprilShowers in the Chat Room Thursday, September 11 at 8 PM ET for our monthly Recipe Challenge Chat.

Check the message board on Thursday morning 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!

New Member Chat **Early Edition**
Tuesday, September 16th - 3:00PM ET

Join April (April Showers) at 3:00 PM ET for a fun chat to get to know our newest members. We will discuss the message board, gallery, chocolate and so much more! Everyone is welcome, new or not so new!

Not sure how to get there? Just click the "chat room" button at the top of this newsletter; you will need JavaScript enabled to access the chat room.

Get Published Chat
Tuesday, September 16th - 8:00PM ET

Join Angela (angelaNussbaum), Amy (tysMommy) and Christy (christyVW) for the Get Published Chat on September 16th at 8 PM EST.

Do you want to see your layouts in magazines, but you are not quite sure how? Do you need a little more confidence with your layouts? During the Get Published Chat, we will talk about current calls, give constructive criticism on requested layouts, and we will answer your questions about submitting to magazines.

As with most of our chats, there will also be a challenge. To help you further your chances of being published, we will select a magazine, and challenge you to do a layout with one of their calls!

Be sure you come to this informative Monthly chat, you will be glad you did!

Life Moments Crop
Tuesday, September 16th - 9:00PM ET

Join Carla (crs) for our next Life Moments Crop and Chat. These Crops are about building a scrapbook all about you, one layout at a time.

This week we will be revisiting our childhoods, specifically, extra-curricular activities! Was anyone else a Scout or belong to 4H? How about gymnastics or ballet classes? I hope to see you on Tuesday, September 16th, at 9 PM ET in the chat room!

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, September 17th - 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 Sept. 17, we'll do a Back to School challenge! Create a layout about going back to school - whether it's your child's first day of kndergarten, you going back to college after a break, your favorite school day memories, whatever! Have an academic-oriented 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!

Ad Inspiration Crop
Wednesday, September 17th - 9:00PM ET

Join Pat & Launa for an Ad Inspiration Chat and Crop in the Scrap Girls Chat Room Wednesday, September 17th, 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, September 18th - 1:00PM 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, Shari (PV Mom of 2), on September 18th, at 1 PM ET, in the chat room Lobby! Hope to see you there!

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 Melissa Renfro

Layout by Melissa Renfro
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Designer Freebie by Melissa Renfro coordinates with her Well Loved Collection Biggie, part of this month's Scrap Girls Club offering!

* 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