Scrap Girls Chit Chat Newsletter: April 15, 2009

Occasionally, email clients or Internet Service Providers have email delivery issues that are beyond our control. If you are having issues reading the newsletter or viewing any of the images, you may find it is easier to read the web page version. It is available here:
http://www.scrapgirls.com/NL/Chit_Chat_090415_Wed_Laughter.htm

What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique

Digital scrapbook layout by Keri Schueller

Layout by Keri Schueller
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Digital scrapbook layout by Ariadna Wiczling

Layout by Ariadna Wiczling
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Altered Photos PSE 8201 and Lettering Delights Slender Font are also available.

Digital scrapbook layout by Shalae Tippetts

Layout by Shalae Tippetts
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Commercial license versions of Dynamic Brush Set: Pencil 4901 are also available.

Digital scrapbook layout by Paula Wright

Layout by Paula Wright
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Ribbons To Go I are also available.

Digital scrapbook layout by Syndee Nuckles

Layout by Syndee Nuckles
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Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Urban Grunge Photo Masks and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Aged Photos 6301 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: Laughter Medicine

Editor's note: Ro is taking some well-deserved and much-needed time off. While she is having a break, we hope you will enjoy these muses contributed by members of our Scrap Girls team.

Sitting on the couch today, I was trying to get my six-year-old to talk to me about school. She takes a lot of prompting but, out of the blue, she says this:

“Mommie, I wanna grow up to be a Scrap Girl.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Because if I grow up, I can work for Scrap Girls.”

“Why do you want to work for Scrap Girls?”

“Because it’s fun.”

“How do you know it’s fun?”

“Because you laugh at it all the time, Mommie!”

It is great being a Scrap Girl! I think she was referring to all of the wonderful times I have had in the chat room and on the message board. Daily, I can get at least three or four good laughs.

I have been going through a terrible emotional time recently and I have hidden from the boards. I have felt so terribly sad and depressed. My daughter made me think about how I have been viewing the boards as an added stress when they are not! The daily joy, laughter, fun... it has all become such an important part of keeping me going as a stay-at-home mom. I need the laughter, the joy, and even the praise of Scrap Girls for my daily medication.

- Angela Nussbaum

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!

Important to Know: Retirement Sale

We've just opened a Retirement Sale section of the Boutique. Items in this section are always on sale for 30% off. The items you will find during any particular month will be discontinued permanently on the 5th of the following month. So if you see something you like, grab it while you can!

Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial: Peeling Paint

Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 with Windows XP.

I love the look of creating dimension with my digital scrapbooking layouts. I’m always looking for ways to create the look of realistic texture within the embellishments and papers in my digital layouts. Today, I’m going to show you how to create the look of peeled paint.

Open one of the ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Peeled Paint 1 in your program.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Open paper template.

Open one of the papers from Fall Watercolors Collection Mini. I like to use this set of papers because they already have the blending and textures of bleeding paint, which will work well with the peeled paint templates.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Open paper.

Drag your watercolor paper below the peeled paint layer on your Layers Palette.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Drag layer.

Make sure your watercolor paper is selected. Right-click on the layer and select “Duplicate Layer.”

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Duplicate layer.

You now need to move the duplicated layer above your peeled paint layer on your Layers Palette. Click on the eye on the bottom watercolor paper so that it is not visible in your window.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Make layer invisible.

Select the top watercolor layer. You need to create a clipping mask with the peeled paint layer. To do this, hit Ctrl+G (Alt+Ctrl+G for Photoshop) while your watercolor paper is selected. You will see it become indented with an arrow pointing to the peeled paint layer below it. You will also see the watercolor paper take on the shape of the peeled paint layer in your window.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Clipping mask.

You now are going to change the Blend Mode of the watercolor paper by selecting the drop-down menu at the top of the Layers Palette that shows “Normal” in the window. Once the drop-down menu comes up, select “Linear Burn” and watch how your watercolor paper takes on the depth, texture and dimension of the peeled paint layer below it.

If you are working with different papers than I am demonstrating with, you might need to go through the various Blend Modes to find the effect that looks the most colorful and realistic to you.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Change blend mode.

Merge your watercolor paper and your paint layer together by selecting both of them in the Layers Palette and hitting Ctrl+E.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Merge layers.

Click on the eye on the bottom watercolor paper making it visible again in your window.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Make layer visible.

Apply a shadow to your peeled paint layer using the Layer Styles. I applied a “low” shadow for this example.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Apply shadow.

You might need to adjust the depth or size of your shadow. Mine is too big, so I dropped the distance of the shadow down to seven, making it more realistic. Click OK when you are finished.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Change depth of shadow.

You have now created a peeled paint background which can be used in your digital scrapbooking layouts.

Digital Scrapbook Tutorial Screenshot: Peeled paint background.

You can take these basic steps and create a variety of fun looks. Try creating peeled paint on your digital scrapbooking titles. Try putting a wood paper behind the peeled paint to make it look the paint is peeling off the wood. Try applying a photo to the peeled paint to make your photo look old, curled and distressed. This technique can be used in endless ways.

Digital scrapbook layout by Shalae Tippetts

Layout by Shalae Tippetts
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Peeled Paint 1 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

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, April 15th - 12:00Noon ET

Join your guest host April Showers each Wednesday at Noon ET for a fun chat and crop. 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 April 15th, we'll do a simple challenge! Create a layout using the clean and simple style - straight lines, graphic looking, one big photo, etc. 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! We hope you'll join us!

Get Published Chat
Wednesday, April 15th - 9:00PM ET

Join Angela (angelaNussbaum), Amy (ManiakMama) and Christy (ChristyVW) for the Get Published Chat at 9pm ET. 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!

NSBR Chat - Early Edition
Thursday, April 16th - 4:00PM 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 Michelle (Shelbi) and Shari (Shari PV Mom) at 4pm ET, in the chat room Lobby! Hope to see you there!

Heritage Crop
Thursday, April 16th - 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! We'll help you get motivated to scrap those heritage photos and record your family stories for future generations to enjoy.

What's New Chat
Friday, April 17th- 11:00AM ET

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Sherry_Lynn at 11am ET 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!

Recipe Swap Chat
Saturday, April 18th- 9:00PM ET

Join Danna (scrappylibrarian) and April (April Showers) to chat about this month’s recipe swap. The theme for the month will be posted on the message board on Thursday, April 9th. We always end up with some great ideas so be sure to join us!

UFO Crop & Chat
Sunday, April 19th- 3:00PM ET

Please join Sherry-Lynn and special guest co-hostess Kimmy (kimmybutton) from our Layout Artist Team, in the chatroom. Let’s complete or revamp some of those layouts that are sitting in your “Layouts to be Completed” folder. Post your layout in the UFO Gallery and meet us in the Lobby at 3pm ET to get some inspirational suggestions from our incredible professionals here at Scrap Girls!

Scraplift Crop & Chat
Sunday, April 19th- 5:00PM ET

Join ManiakMama 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!

April Events

April Board Game: The Alphabet Hunt

We're taking your ABC game skills to a whole new level this month... and tacking on some prizes as well! This month's message board game is The Alphabet Hunt. Each week we'll give you a theme and a searching task and then set you loose to start building our list in alphabetic order! For each item you correctly add to our alphabetic list in the game thread on the message board, your name will be entered into a drawing which will be held at the end of the month and the TEN winners of the drawing will each win a $5 gift certificate to the ScrapGirls Boutique!

Participation is what counts big this month, so join us on the message board for the detailed rules, weekly specifics and LOTS of fun!

Layout Contests:

April Monthly Layout Contest: With April 1st being April Fools Day we've decided to get Silly. If you have kids or grandkids, or even spouses, that like to mug for the camera, then you have what you need to do a layout for the April Monthly Layout Contest with the theme of Silly Faces. You could win a $10 gift certificate to the boutique if your layout is chosen! Just post your layouts in the April Monthly Layout Gallery before April 30th at Midnight ET and you will be eligible to win! Be sure to include the credits for items used in the description area or under the Details tab.

April Mid-Month Layout Contest: Do you have a mischief maker in your family? Pets or wildlife in your yard are often mischief makers, too. For this layout contest, we want to see your layouts of a mischief maker or two you have known. You could win a $10 gift certificate to the boutique if your layout is chosen! Just post your layouts in the April Mid-Month Layout Gallery before May 15th at Midnight ET, and you will be eligible to win! Be sure to include the credits for products used in the description area or under the Details tab.

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

Digital scrapbook layout by Ariadna Wiczling

Layout by Ariadna Wiczling
larger view

Designer Freebie by Trish Yochum coordinates with her Junk Love Collection Biggie




Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Altered Photos PSE 8201, Brush Set: Story Time, Brush Set: Homemade Grunge and ScrapSimple Transparency Overlays: Paper Piercing 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