Scrap Girls Chit Chat Newsletter: February 25, 2009

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_090225_Wed_Dog.htm

What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique?

Computer scrapbook layout by Jan Hicks

Layout by Jan Hicks
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Photo Masks - Grungy Edge, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Washed and Worn Curled Edges, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Edgy, THIN, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Curled Edges Shadows 3201, Brush Set: Grungelle, Lettering Delights Antique Poster Font, Brush Set: Circles Couture Biggie and Lettering Delights Monique Font are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Amanda Sok

Layout by Amanda Sok
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Word Art Templates: Digi Dots - Boys and Girls Biggie, Brush Set: Circles Couture Biggie and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Liquid Metals 6401 Mini are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Caroline Kaiser

Layout by Caroline Kaiser
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Bubbles 9901 Mini, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Packaging, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Staples & Holes 6101, Lettering Delights Peek A Boo Font and Lettering Delights Scratchy Pen Font are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Valerie Randall

Layout by Valerie Randall
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates - Layered: Dream Boards, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Paper 4901-Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Inked Edges Basics 4101, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Inked Edges Neutrals 4102 and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: 14K 4104 are also available.

Computer scrapbook layout by Sarah Batdorf

Layout by Sarah Batdorf
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Alpha Templates: Bluebirds Fly Wire Alpha, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Basic Shadows 6501 and Lettering Delights Becca Font 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: Time to Feed the Dog

The alarm goes off. The dog owner reaches out and hits the snooze button.
The dog owner becomes enthralled in a dream about cookies.
A dog whines in her crate.
The dog owner pushes Oreos out of her mind, wills herself out of bed, and allows the dog to answer nature’s call.
The dog owner brings the leashed dog back into the house and escorts it back to the bedroom.
The dog owner looks in the mirror and squints at the bleary-eyed woman squinting back at her.
The dog owner turns on the shower.
The dog whines.
The dog owner tosses a ball into the bedroom.
The dog owner takes a shower.
The dog owner picks up a shredded tissue.
The dog, undisturbed by the news that it is no longer allowed to eat tissue, responds by pulling fresh tissue out of the garbage can.
The dog owner places the garbage can on the countertop.
The dog owner dresses.
The dog owner recovers a slipper from the dog.
The dog owner rescues a second slipper from the dog.
The dog owner shuts the closet door.
The dog pounces on an innocent cat.
The dog owner blows her hair dry.
The dog owner recovers a makeup brush from the dog, admiring the new texture of the handle.
The dog plops on a pillow and licks her feet.
The dog owner puts on makeup.
The dog discovers a new garbage can.
The dog owner picks up three shredded tissues, two postcard magazine inserts, and one lotion bottle.
The dog owner feeds the hungry dog – at last.

- Ro

Computer scrapbook layout by Ro

Layout by Ro
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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 Soozlou, mtorres_usa, and teabaglady!

Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial: Using Patch It Up Paper Templates With Crumpled Folds

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

There are so many great ScrapSimple products here at Scrap Girls and you could easily double, if not triple, your stash by combining two of them at once. I’ll show you how to combine ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Patch It Up and ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Crumpled Folds.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Open files.

First, open the paper template you wish to use on your layout. In this case, I am using “TKA_SS_Paper_PatchItUp_1.png.” Open the crumpled fold that you wish to apply to the paper. In this case, I am using “TKA_SS_EmbTmp_CrumpledFolds_UpRt1.psd.”

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Drag paper to fold template.

Now, drag the paper template to the crumpled fold while holding down the Shift key.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Arrange layers.

In the Layers Palette, drag the paper template layer to the layer above the base layer.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Select pixels.

Right-click on the paper template thumbnail and “Select Pixels” of that layer.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Invert selection.

Go to “Select” at the top of your screen and choose “Inverse.”

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Cut base layer.

Now, be sure to click on the base layer in the Layers Palette below the paper template layer. Then, go to “Edit” at the top of your screen and click “Cut.”

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Create clipping mask.

Go back to the paper template layer and create a clipping mask to the layer below. (You can do this with the command Ctrl+Alt+G in Photoshop CS3.)

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Match edges.

Since the fold will likely not line up exactly with the clipped base below it, we will have to erase a little of base to make it line up. To do this, select the layers which make up the fold. There will be a fold layer, a shadow layer, and a gradient layer. Hold down the Ctrl key to select all three layers at once. Move these three layers until the fold corners match the edge of the base below.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Erase extra base layer.

Now, go back to the thumbnail of the base layer, right-click and “Select Pixels.” Then go to the thumbnail of the fold layer, right-click and “Subtract Transparency Mask.” There will be marching ants which appear on that part of the base that needs to be erased. Use your Eraser Tool and erase just that part of the base. Make sure that you have reselected the base layer before you start erasing!

Go to Select> Deselect and clean up the erasing. Now, you have a Patch It Up Template with a Crumpled Fold. Go ahead and use this file to create your layout using elements from your Scrap Girls library. Remember, don’t be afraid to combine ScrapSimple products. The results are limitless!

Computer scrapbook layout by Theresa Kavouras

Layout by Theresa Kavouras
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Crumpled Folds and ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Patch It Up are also available.

Theresa Kavouras

Tutorial written by Theresa Kavouras

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

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, February 25th - 12:00Noon ET

Join your guest host April Showers 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 February 25th, we'll do a surprise color challenge! Create a layout predominantly using a color to be chosen by the group at the beginning of the crop!

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!

Journaling Chat
Wednesday, February 25th - 8:00PM ET

Join Becca and angelaNussbaum for the Journaling chat at 8pm.

Are most of your layouts decorative? Do you have stories to tell, but just not motivated enough to make a layout with journaling? We are going to challenge you to do a layout with your Journaling in mind. Come join us and tell your stories.

Desktop Crop
Thursday, February 26th - 8:00PM ET

Join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Becca tonight at 8pm ET for this month's desktop crop!

If you're tired of your computer's boring and basic wallpaper, this is one chat and crop that you won't want to miss! You'll learn how to use your digital scrapbooking supplies to make a unique and fun-to-look-at wallpaper for your computer!

Each month, we will give you a theme and a technique challenge for this crop. It will be announced on the message board a few hours before chat time!

What's New in the Boutique Chat
Friday, February 27th - 11:00AM ET

Join Michelle (Shelbi) at 11 am EST Friday morning to chat about all the cool new things in the boutique. What are you getting? What did you Kaboodle? And most importantly, show us the layouts or other projects you made with your new goodies! There's a thread every Thursday and now there's a chat too!

Swap Crop Chat
Friday, February 27th - 9:00PM ET

It's time for the Swap Crop Chat! We've done the swapping, and created the layouts, now it's time to chat about all the gorgeous layouts! I don't know what it is, but these swaps bring out the best in everyone. This is the time to chat about the theme, the beautiful layouts, and learn about the swap crop if you haven't participated before. I'll even reveal the theme for next month!

Join me, Carla, for a fun chat at 9 pm et on Friday, February 27th!

Scrap Girls Monthly Club Chat/Challenge
Sunday, March 1st - 3:00PM ET

Here we are with another Sunday club release! We know everyone is excited to get their hands on the new Monthly Club, but for today we'll just have to look with anticipation for Monday.

Come join me, Sherry_Lynn, on Sunday, March 1st, at 3 PM EST for a Scrap Girls Monthly Club Chat/Challenge! We'll be oohing and aahing over the download we'll get tomorrow. As a challenge, let’s create one more layout using February's Monthly Club before the next one arrives. It’s sure to be a blast! Hope to see you there!

NSBR Chat
Monday, March 2nd - 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, March 4th - 12:00Noon ET

On March 4th, we'll do a font challenge! Create a layout on any theme, any topic, and any colors - using multiple fonts - at least three different fonts! Mix it up!

February Events

February Board Game: BINGO!

It's that time again! Join us for an exciting game of BINGO on the Message Board Forum in February! 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 - your SG message board username” by Monday, February 2nd (midnight MST) in order to play in the first round, which will begin Tuesday February 3rd.

Each day, members of the Welcoming Committee will call five 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:

February Layout Contest: Amour, Amor, Amore! The word LOVE is one of the most popular in any language across the globe. For this month's contest, we want you to use the word “Love” on your layouts. Let's see how creative you can get with it by using it in a unique way on your pages. Post your Love layouts in the February Layout Contest Gallery by midnight ET on February 28th, and if yours is selected, you will win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique.

February Mid-Month Layout Contest: Did you know that February is International Friendship Month? Let's honor the special people we call friends by featuring them in a layout! Post your Friendship layouts in the Mid-February Layout Contest Gallery before March 14th at midnight eastern. You will be eligible to win a $10 gift card to the Scrap Girls Boutique! Let's get scrapping!

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 Theresa Kavouras

Layout by Theresa Kavouras
larger view

Designer Freebie by Theresa Kavouras coordinates with her Volleyball Collection Mini



Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Lifted Photos 2 Biggie and ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Tear It Up 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.

1 8.5x11 Sheet of Word Art

1 Assemble Your Own Zoom Page Set

1 Designer's Choice Item