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Best of the Scrap Girls Blog
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Note from Ro: I was knocked out by this post on the Scrap Girls Digital Adventures Blog by Theresa Kavouras because she accidentally solved a problem I had: How to manage the company while on the road. I have a laptop, but it is so heavy that the last time I took it on my travels, my back went out for months. And worse, the battery on it only lasts for a little over a half hour, which makes it fairly useless unless it is plugged into a wall socket. I found out that my T-Mobile BlackBerry account comes with Internet for a little Netbook. I immediately ordered one of my own.
In pink, of course.
When you read this article, I will be in an airplane with my family for a much-needed vacation. I'm excited to see how my little, pink Netbook will work while I'm gone.
She is really cute. I kid you not. When you meet her, you will fall in love. She is so pretty and smart. She can write, she can read and she takes great photos! I love her little figure, too. She comes with me where ever I go. She doesn't complain. She doesn't cry. She doesn't pitch a fit. She is the best friend a girl could have. Her name is Trixie.
If you were at the 2008 Scrap Girls convention, you may have had the opportunity to meet her. I brought her with me from table to table. She loved meeting all of you! Who is Trixie? She is my little, pink beauty - my MSI Wind 10" Netbook - in pink! Of course, pink is my favorite color. I just love pink. I love Trixie.
When I first bought Trixie, my husband thought I was crazy. He didn't think I needed another computer. But, being active on an Internet message board means that I need to have access to the Internet, as well as ease in typing, at all times. It would be nice if it would run Adobe, too. Trixie does! She runs Photoshop Elements 5, so I'm never too far from scrapping.
When we go to watch our girls ski or skate or when I'm lying in bed, I have Trixie. I don't have her open a minute when my husband asks, "Can I borrow her? I need to look something up." I let him. Sometimes, I have to wait a few minutes. Sometimes, a half hour. But, for someone who made fun of my little pink "girlfriend," as he calls her, he sure uses her a lot.
Fast forward seven months. "Hey Theresa... order me that Dell Inspirion Mini we saw at Sam's Club, would ya?" Aha! He wants his own! Thank goodness. I order it. He plays with it for a few weeks, admitting it isn't exactly what he expected. Then his oldest daughter spies it. "Dad! Can I have that?" He sells it to her. He says he really didn't want one anyway. Funny, because days later he is still searching the Internet looking at Netbooks and asking me my opinion. I tell him, "I love Trixie. You won't find anyone like Trixie." He laughs.
A week later another funny thing happens. A black MSI Wind 10" Netbook shows up at our doorstep. The girls name him Arnold. Arnold meets Trixie. As you would expect, it is love at first sight. How could anyone not fall in love with Trixie?
- Theresa
Layout by Theresa Kavouras
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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! |
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Digital Scrapbooking Product Review: Papers
Do I really even know where to start telling you about paper? No, I'm being honest here. I don't know! It is like asking a farmer, "What do you do with dirt?" I think paper is the foundation on which we scrapbookers build our pages - paper is the dirt in which we plant the seed of our layouts. This was even more true when I paper scrapped. After choosing my photos, the next step is always to choose a background paper.
Can papers go beyond being just the background? Absolutely! To this day, I have a very large envelope of leftover pieces of expensive, traditional scrapbooking paper. Often, I would go through it and find strips to accent a layout or matte a photo, but I don't have that same issue now that I have switched to digital scrapbooking. However, I can still get the look of collage that I used to create with my traditional scrapping.
First, to simplify my life, I choose to use a Scrap Pack. It contains a Collection, Assemble Your Own Zoom Pages and a ScrapSimple Digital Layout Template to help me get started. I began by choosing one of Amanda Sok's templates from ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Euphoria. Then, I open a new 12x12 document in Photoshop Elements and drag all the layers into place. I place my photo and start selecting papers.
The first paper I select has some really nice white space, along with some text and flowers along the edges. When I place it on my layout, I like the paper, but I do not like where the white space falls in relation to my other elements. I rotate it 180 degrees by going to Image> Rotate> Rotate 180. This gives me a much better flow around the elements of my layout. I choose to rotate instead of flipping the paper because there is text on the paper and flipping would cause the letters to be backwards.
Next, I select some other papers from the same collection and place each paper above the layer of the template I want the paper to be cut from. After I place each paper, I group the paper with the layer below. This technique is called "clipping." To clip a paper to a shape, I use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+G, but you can also click Layer> Group With Previous. After clipping the papers to the template layers, I resize them and move them around until I have the perfect piece of paper. (This is something I could definitely not do with my traditional paper scraps!) Notice in the screenshot that the paper layers are indented with an arrow pointing to the previous layer in the Layers Palette. This indicates that that layer is clipped to the layer below.
To finish my layout, I add a monogram and embellishment cluster, fill in some text, apply a stitching style and add drop shadows.
It is interesting for me to go back and do a layout that uses mainly paper. This is something I have not done in a very long time.
Layout by Kelly Favor-Chronister
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Article written by Kelly Favor-Chronister
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Are you interested in becoming a product designer at Scrap Girls? Now is your chance!
Scrap Girls is seeking high quality product designers for their Scrap Girls Product Design Team.
Download the informational PDF to learn more.
Note: If you have problems with the PDF, right-click on the link and choose "Save Target" from the menu. Sometimes PDFs are hard to open online. |
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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 |
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What's New Chat
Friday, June 5th - 11:00AM ET
Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Becca at 11am ET to chat about all the cool new things in the boutique. You never know who else is going to show up!! 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!
Scraplift Chat
Sunday, June 7th - 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!
Secret Pal Reveal Chat
Sunday, June 7th - 9:00PM ET
Join Pat (PBarnes) and Michelle (Shelbi) for the Secret Pal reveal chat and find out who has been spoiling you!!!
Aussie Chat and Challenge
Monday, June 8th - 9:00PM Australian Eastern Standard Time
Please come join Karen (kazbar73) and Jo (scrappingjo) at 9pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on Monday 8 June for a Colour Challenge Crop. Keep an eye on the boards on Sunday 7 June for the Colour Challenge. Create a layout and come along and chat with us about your creation and Monday night.
For our International ladies, the chat will be on at 7am New York time.
Card-Making Chat
Monday, June 8th - 8:00PM ET
Join Michelle (Shelbi) for the once a month Card Chat. Do you use your digital supplies to make cards? Do you want to? Instead of going to the store every time you need a card, we thought it would be better (and more fun) to use our digi stash to make any cards we might need for the upcoming month.
Baby Album Crop
Tuesday, June 9th - 1:00PM ET
Do you need some motivation getting those baby albums done? Children grow so fast! Let's get those baby memories scrapped! You can scrap your children, grandchildren or even your own baby album. Join Carla (CRS) and Shari (Shari PV Mom) in the chat room at 1pm ET to work on those albums! You can start from fresh on a brand new album, or jump in where ever you are in your project. We'll provide an optional challenge each crop for motivation if you want one. This month, let's scrap those nursery photos!
New Member Chat
Tuesday, June 9th - 9:00PM ET
Join Pat (PBarnes) and Carol Ann (Zaz) for the New Member Chat at 9pm 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.
High Noon Crop
Wednesday, June 10th - 12:00Noon ET
Join April Showers 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 June 10th, 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'll be amazed what you can get done in just one hour! We hope you'll join us!
Journaling Chat
Wednesday, June 10th - 8:00PM ET
Join Becca and angelaNussbaum for this week's Journaling Chat. 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.
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June Events |
June Message Board Game: Re-JUNE-venate!
We helped you jumpstart your January and now it's time to re-JUNE-venate your focus on scrapbooking! Join us on the message board this month for "Re-JUNE-venate"! This is a message board game and challenge that focuses on taking time to scrapbook regularly despite the little speedbumps of life. When the month is over you'll have completed several layouts and been challenged and treated to some fun along the way... with prize opportunities thrown in as well!
A member of the Welcoming Committee will post a mini-challenge/task every day from June 1-30. Some tasks will require message board participation, email responses or gallery posting. Read each daily task carefully to see what is required of you. Those who complete all tasks and submit or post required participation will be entered in a drawing to win one of three $10 Gift Certificates to the ScrapGirls Boutique! Those who complete just the layouts will be entered in a drawing to win one of two $5 gift certificates. Those who complete just the speedbumps will be entered in a drawing for one of two $3 gift certificates. (Those who complete all tasks will have their name entered in all three drawings!)
Join us in June for some serious scrapbooking re-JUNE-venation!
Layout Contests:
June Monthly Layout Contest: Do you have cobwebs and dust bunnies that need cleaning? How about some mental spring cleaning? Scrap it! For the June Monthly Layout Contest, we want to see your layouts featuring Spring Cleaning, either physical or mental. You could win a $10 gift certificate to the boutique if your layout is chosen! Just post your layouts in the June Monthly Layout Gallery before June 30th at Midnight EDT 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. We can't wait to see all your inspiring layouts!
May Mid-Month Layout Contest: Even though it isn't officially summer (or winter in the Southern Hemisphere), in many places it's getting very close. For this layout contest, we want to see layouts about what you look forward to at this time of the year. Is it summer barbeques, days at the beach, or long summer evenings? You could win a $10 gift certificate to the boutique if your layout is chosen! Just post your layouts in the May Mid-Month Layout Gallery before June 15th at midnight EDT 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.
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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.)
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Layout by Kim Meeder
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Designer Freebie by Keri Schueller coordinates with her Beauté Botanique 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. |
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The Irresistible Trixie
Thursday, June 4, 2009
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- Cute Stuff
- Best of the Scrap Girls Blog
- Retirement Sale
- Way Cool Stuff Digital Scrapbook Product Review: Papers
- Product Design Team Call
- What's Happening at Scrap Girls?
- Designer Freebie
- 2009 Digital Scrap Link Convention Information!
- Getting Started
- Expand Your Skills
- Online Classes Currently Available
- Scrap Girls Clubs
- Ongoing Opportunities for YOU
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The Scrap Girls newsletter is created for you by a virtual army of Scrap Girls team members. Without them, we couldn't possibly share these resources with you, and I'm very grateful for their ongoing help and support.
I hope you enjoy today's issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Ro
CEO - Scrap Girls, LLC
P.S. Your email address is safe with us. We never share, rent, sell, or loan our list with anyone!
P.P.S. If you ever need any assistance, please email [email protected] or call
866-598-3444 and we'll help you as quickly as possible!
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Scrap Girls is Having a Convention! |
Here are the facts:
When: October 8-10th, 2009
Where: Salt Lake City, Utah
What's Included
- 4 (four) meals (two lunches and two dinners)
- A Collection Biggie, designed especially for the convention
- Other free digital scrapbooking supplies, designed for class materials
- PDFs of the class materials
- Action-packed classes on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
- Crops, games, and time to hang out and make friends with other Scrap Girls
- The chance to meet in person and get help from Scrap Girls designers, layout artists, and welcoming committee members
- Memories that will last forever!
How many people may attend? Only 126 and over half of the seats are sold after only three months of being on sale! Don't miss out on this opportunity - secure your place now!
Note: Convention begins at 1:00 pm - Thursday, October 8th and ends at 6 pm - Saturday, October 10th.
Want to save on your expenses when you come to the convention?
- Lots of our attendees share rooms to save on their expenses. We have a special forum on our messageboard where people can find roommates here.
- It would also be important to know that if you choose to stay at the University House, your breakfasts are included and you won't have to worry about getting back and forth because it is right next to the Officer's Club. We've got you covered!
We hope you come because you're special to us and we are dying to meet you. Scrap Girls is all about making friends while we enjoy the hobby that allows us to save our memories in a fun way. Having you with us would be awesome!
Sign up now!
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Free eBook "starter kit" turns your dreams of digital scrapbooking into reality today!
This dynamite eBook is 65 pages - packed full of the information, ideas, and help people need when they are about to dive into this great hobby. It answers all of the important questions new digital scrapbookers have. They are all here for you - in one easy to use eBook!
Bonus! Download the free "Warning" Label, too. It was created for you by Valerie Randall as a little bit of extra fun!
Would you like a chance to try digital scrapbooking yourself?
Scrap Girls' Refresh Collection Biggie offers you free samples of some of our most popular product types. Try making a layout, your own paper with a ScrapSimple Paper Template, a fast layout with a ScrapSimple Digital Layout Template, or experiment with a brush.
We know you'll love digital scrapbooking as much as we do, and we have thousands of products to feed your new addiction!
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements 6.0 and 7.0
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements 5.0
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements 4.0
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements 3.0
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed (Photoshop 7, CS, CS2 and CS3)
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Paint Shop Pro (PSP) X
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Paint Shop Pro (PSP) 9
Do you wish you could learn how to scrapbook digitally, but feel kind of intimated? Well, here's the solution for you! This large set of video tutorials allow you to actually watch Ro scrapbook. And because Ro covers such a large number of topics in this item, it is one of the most cost-effective digital scrapbooking tutorial series available today. No wonder tens of thousands of people have chosen Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed as their method of learning to scrapbook digitally!
In the tutorials, you'll see Ro working on her computer and hear her talking about why she is doing what she is doing. It's like having Ro come to your home and give you private scrapbooking lessons. You can create digital scrapbooking layouts today!
Start to Finish eBooklets
Start to Finish eBooklet - PSE: Making a Just Because Card Using ScrapSimple Card Templates
Nothing could be simpler than learning to scrapbook digitally with Scrap Girls Start to Finish eBooklets. Step by step written guidelines and detailed screenshots will help you learn new digital scrapbooking skills. Included with the eBooklet are the actual digital files you need to create a finished project!
More Titles Available |
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Simple But Stunning 3D Text - Photoshop
Mondays, June 8 and 15 - 1:00PM ET
This in-depth online digital scrapbooking class for Photoshop users is a wonderful opportunity to learn the technique of '3D Text'. This step by step instruction will show you the basic method of making the extrusion to form the 3D part of the text and which arrow keys to use to achieve the direction of extrusion required. Study real examples and see how this simple approach adds that little something extra to your layouts. We will further manipulate and enhance the basic 3D text and discuss the use of different fonts and typical layouts. The 3D Text technique adds another personal touch to your scrapbook layouts.
Mastering Brushes for Photoshop
Thursdays, June 11 - July 16 - 9:00PM ET
This in-depth class is perfect for the digital scrapbooker who wants to take their brushwork above and beyond the basics taught in the Secrets tutorials. Beautiful brush skills taught in this class will turn ordinary layouts into the extraordinary!
Join Katherine Weaver in the six session Intermediate level course, Mastering Brushes for Photoshop. This class includes the Mastering Brushes for Photoshop eBook, six one hour sessions in a private chat room and access to a private class forum and gallery.
Simple But Stunning 3D Text - Photoshop Elements
Tuesdays, June 9 and 16 - 1:00PM ET
This in-depth online digital scrapbooking class for Photoshop Elements users is a wonderful opportunity to learn the technique of '3D Text'. This step by step instruction will show you the basic method of making the extrusion to form the 3D part of the text and which arrow keys to use to achieve the direction of extrusion required. Study real examples and see how this simple approach adds that little something extra to your layouts. We will further manipulate and enhance the basic 3D text and discuss the use of different fonts and typical layouts. The 3D Text technique adds another personal touch to your scrapbook layouts.
Mastering Brushes in Photoshop Elements
Thursdays, June 11 - July 16 - 3:00PM ET
This in-depth class is perfect for the digital scrapbooker who wants to take their brushwork above and beyond the basics taught in the Secrets tutorials. Beautiful brush skills taught in this digital scrapbooking class will turn ordinary layouts into the extraordinary!
Join Anna Mansfield in the six session Intermediate level course, Mastering Brushes for Photoshop Elements. This class includes the Mastering Brushes for Photoshop Elements eBook, six one hour sessions in a private chat room and access to a private class forum and gallery.
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Join the Scrap Girls Monthly Club and you can have fun with the newest traditional digital and printable scrapbooking looks while saving! (A $27.94 value for $9.99 or less!)
The Scrap Girls Club contents are released on the 1st day of the month (or the closest business day to the 1st).
With the Scrap Girls Club, you will receive:
- 1 Collection Biggie
- 1 Paper Super Mini
- 1 8.5x11 Sheet of Word Art
- 1 Embellishment Set
- 1 Assemble Your Own Zoom Page Set
- 1 Designer's Choice Item
Layout by Keri Schueller using June's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Keri Schueller
Remember, these items are available separately in the Boutique at regular prices for those who would rather not join a club.
Note: The Scrap Girls Club contents are always available for sale elsewhere in the Boutique at their regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never seen before product releases for each month! |
Join the ScrapSimple Monthly Club and you can enjoy the newest ScrapSimple looks while saving! (A $13.95 value for $6.99 or less!)
The new ScrapSimple Club contents are released on the 15th day of the month (or the closest business day to the 15th).
With the ScrapSimple Club, you will receive:
- 1 ScrapSimple Paper Template Set
- 1 ScrapSimple Embellishment Template Set
- 1 Brush Set
- 1 ScrapSimple Layer Your Own Brush Set
- 1 Designer's Choice Item
A commercially licensed version of the ScrapSimple club is also available here.
Layout by Ariadna Wiczling using May's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Ariadna Wiczling and Brandie Valenzuela
If you prefer not to join a club, the ScrapSimple club contents are available at regular prices in the Boutique. You can easily find them right now by checking the What's New? section of the Boutique.
Note: The ScrapSimple Club contents are always available for sale in the Boutique at regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never-seen-before product releases for each month! |
Customer Muses: Would you like to share your own Life Muse with our readers? To have your own essay considered for publication as a muse in the column for our special Saturday newsletter, send your essay to [email protected]. If your essay is selected, you will receive a $20 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique.
Way Cool Scrap Girl: We are so excited to have all of you meet some of the amazing people that have become Scrap Girls! If you would like to be spotlighted and win a $25 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique, send the following items to [email protected]:
- 500-900 word essay about your experience with digital scrapbooking, Scrap Girls, and specific examples of how we have helped you.
- A 600-pixel wide, 72 dpi copy of a layout you've created that uses Scrap Girls products, plus a complete list of those products.
- A 100-pixels wide, 72 dpi picture of yourself.
- Permission to use your statement.
Club Concepts: We would like to announce that we will be looking for your help in creating these Club Concepts articles. Simply post your new layout using the current club selection (either the Scrap Girls club or the ScrapSimple club) in our Scrap Girls Club Members Gallery. Be sure to list all of the Scrap Girls products you used, as well as a short (1-2 sentence) description of the unique idea or theme your layout shows off. If your layout and its corresponding tip is chosen, they will be showcased in our Club Concepts article, and you will win a $5 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!
Suggest a Challenge, Win a Prize! Have a great idea for a gallery layout challenge? Submit it to [email protected]. If your challenge idea is chosen, you will win a prize! Friday will be Customer Challenge Day, so keep an eye out on the message board calendar. It will be fun to see what YOU come up with for us to do!
 Scrap Girls is giving away birthday gifts to our message board members! Of course, it is a surprise what you will get because birthday presents are always surprises! But you will like it for sure because most people like money... Anyway, make sure your message board email address is current and that you have the correct date entered into your profile to participate.
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