Scrap Girls Chit Chat Newsletter: November 28, 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_081128_Fri_Random.htm

What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique?

Life Muses by Ro: Completely Random Tips

This is probably one of the most random lists I have ever written. There are some good ideas in here, I think. Some of them are good boredom busters. A couple of them are problem preventers. Here we go...

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Locate a local thrift or second-hand store and go treasure hunting.
Create a month’s menu with shopping lists to rotate through.
Have a potluck gathering of friends.
If you over-schedule your life because you have trouble saying no, write the word “something” on each day in your calendar. Then, if asked to do something you would prefer not to do, you can honestly say, “I’m sorry, but I have something scheduled.”
Buy a flag to fly on national holidays.
Bake something new.
Sort your mail as soon as you bring it into the house. Have a file for bills or important papers to prevent losing them.
Back up your financial files monthly.
Make a list of three tasks you want to do during the day. Celebrate if you manage to complete them.
Eat a protein at every meal.
Hide your stash of M&Ms to ensure you will get some.
Dogs love to chew on empty water bottles.
Light bulbs are something you should always buy extras of.
Say “Thank You” whenever you can.
A good, quick lunch: Tortilla topped with spaghetti sauce and cheese. Fold in half and warm in microwave. Add lunch meat or other toppings, if you’d like. (Go easy on them because a tortilla can’t handle much.)
Sachets (the kind in paper packets) are great to rid yourself of stinky closet syndrome.
Sing in the shower.
Don’t forget to periodically back up your iTunes library.
Krud Kutter cleans sticky, goopy, oil drips from plastic.

End of list for today. Send me yours, if you’d like. I love to learn stuff like this.

- Ro

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 CharleneJ, Soozlou, and mtorres_usa.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial: Printing on Envelopes

Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS2 with Windows XP.

One Thanksgiving tradition that my family enjoyed during my growing up years is one of giving thanks. Every year my mom would bake homemade pies or other amazing baked goodies and everyone in the family would pick someone that they were grateful for that year. We’d sit down and write a thank you note expressing our gratitude for what they had done for us in our lives and let them know how much we appreciated them. We would then spend an evening as a family delivering our goodies and notes to all of them. My husband and I have decided to keep this same tradition in our family and will soon be baking our goodies as well as writing our thank you cards.

I love to make cards and I love the fact that I can create them digitally and then simply print them off. I love having matching envelopes that go with the card, yet often it seems like a lot of work or costs more for me to print off my own envelope, cut it out and adhere it together. Recently, I’ve been creating a decorative front for an envelope and then running a regular envelope, which is much cheaper than photo paper, through my printer to create a matching set.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Create card

Create your card, making sure that the size is slightly smaller than the envelope that you want to match.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Create new document

Create a new document with the dimensions of the envelope that you want to print on.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Decorate envelope

Decorate your envelope to match your card, using papers, embellishments, or alphas. You could even print the name and address directly onto the envelope using alphas or a fun font.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Rotate canvas 180 degrees

To prepare your envelope for printing, open up the flap and run the flat edge of the bottom of the envelope through first to prevent jamming. Since the top of the envelope is not going in first, you will need to rotate your canvas 180 degrees in Photoshop before printing.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Image should be upside down

You should see your envelope upside down on your screen before printing.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Set Custom Paper Size

Before you print, adjust your printer settings to “Custom Paper Size.” Here, you will want to adjust the width and height to match the dimensions of your envelope. The settings and adjustments will vary with each computer.

Computer scrapbook project by Shalae Tippetts

Project by Shalae Tippetts
larger view



Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album Templates - Layered: 4x6 Newborn are also available.

Shalae Tippetts

Tutorial written by Shalae Tippetts

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

Desktop Challenge Crop
Friday, November 28th - 8:00PM ET

Please come join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Becca at 8PM ET for the Desktop Challenge Crop.

Tired of your desktop being some graphic that you would've liked to make? Tired of a solid background? Did you know with your digital scrapbooking skills you can make a fabulous background for your enjoyment? A few hours before the chat, we will provide you with a source of inspiration, so stay tuned.

ATC Crop/Chat
Sunday, November 30th - 7:00PM ET

Please join me, Sherry_Lynn, in the chat room for our November ATC Swap Crop/Chat on Sunday, November 30, at 7PM ET. For this month's challenge we are doing ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) that feature Holidays!

Swap Crop Chat
Sunday, November 30th - 9:00PM ET

Join Shelbi (Michelle) for the November Swap Crop Chat Sunday, November 30th, at 8pm EST. I can't wait to see all the wonderful fall layouts you have made for each other.

If you can't make it to the chat we would still love to see your Layouts in the gallery. You can start uploading your layouts at 6pm and we'll chat about them at 8pm.

NSBR Chat
Monday, December 1st - 9:00PM ET

What is NSBR? It’s a non-scrapbooking related chat! Take some time out from your busy holiday schedule and relax with us in the chat room. We can chat about anything, including scrapbooking, chocolate and the craziness of the season!

So join me, Carla (crs), at 9 pm et in the chat room!

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, December 3rd - 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 December 3rd, we'll do a snowflake challenge! Create a layout using at least one snowflake, in any way you can!

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!

Scraplift Chat & Crop
Sunday, December 7th - 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!

Aussie Chat
Monday, 8 December - 9:00PM *Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time*

Join Jo (ScrappingJo) and Karen (kazbar73) for our next Aussie Chat on Monday, 8 December. This week's challenge is to create your favourite Christmas Recipe on a 4x6 layout. Join us in the chat room from 9pm Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time for lots of laughter and fun.

PS - For our International Ladies, the chat will start at 5am, Monday, 8 December.

New Member Chat
Monday, December 8th - 9:00PM ET

Join Pat (PBarnes) and Carol Ann (Zaz) for the New Member Chat at 9 PM ET in the Live Chat room lobby. This is a great place to ask questions about getting around the Scrap Girls site or about digital scrapbooking in general - and a great place to make some new friends.

All are welcome, new and long time members included. You do need to have Java installed on your computer to access the Live Chat.

November Events

November Board Game: Bingo!

It's that time again! Join us for an exciting game of BINGO on the Message Board Forum in November! Pick 25 words from the list provided in the forum and send them in an e-mail to [email protected] with a subject line that says “BINGO CARD” and your message board user name by Monday, November 3rd (midnight MST) in order to play in the first round which will begin Tuesday, November 4th.

Each day, members of the Welcoming Committee will call 5 random words from the Bingo list. Match just 15 of those words to win a BINGO. You must be first to call bingo in the forum to win that round. After a winner is called, the boards can be cleared and a new round will begin the following day. All winners win a $5 Gift Certificate to the Boutique! We like to see lots of winners, so please remember that each person can only win one round during the month. Have fun!

If you miss the first round cutoff date, you can still play! Just send in your Bingo card at any time during the month and you'll be eligible to begin playing when the next new round starts. Everyone who sends in a Bingo card will receive a confirmation email that their card has been received. If you do not receive confirmation within 24 hours, please re-send your list of words.

Layout Contests:

November Layout Contest: Have you ever wanted to get a little crazy with your layouts and create something unusual? Here's your chance! For the November Layout Contest, we want to see some unusual layouts! Get a little crazy and type your text sideways or backwards; maybe turn the whole layout on its side! Or use mirror images to create some unusual effects! The sky's the limit! Post your layouts in the November Layout Contest Gallery before November 30th at midnight, and if your layout is chosen, you will win a $10 gift card to the Scrap Girls Boutique. Have fun!

November Mid-Month Layout Contest: We all have some principles that we look to for guidance in our lives. These principles help us make decisions and choices. For the Mid-November Layout Contest, we want you to create a layout documenting a list of five principles or rules that you live by. Post your layouts in the Mid-November Layout Contest Gallery by December 15th at midnight, and if your layout is chosen, you will win a $10 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique! Good Luck!

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 Durin Eberhart

Layout by Durin Eberhart
larger view

Designer Freebie by Durin Eberhart coordinates with her Character Collection Biggie, part of this month's Scrap Girls Club offering!



Commercial license versions of Lettering Delights Tough Love Font 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.

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 important to 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