Note from Ro: I spotted this post on the Scrap Girls Digital Adventures Blog by Melissa Renfro. I thought it was a fun idea for mothers who are dealing with bored children during the long, summer months.

Melissa Renfro

As a home-school mom, I am constantly on the lookout for fun things for my kids to do that reinforce concepts they are learning in school. A little game I saw recently that really caught my eye was a graphing game. The concept was so simple I had to make one for my kids. The great thing about Scrap Girls is that we have an abundance of awesome high quality images that are perfect for creating home-school printables.

The basic idea of this game is to have a grid with the numbers one through six going across the bottom and again the numbers one through six going from the bottom to the top. I used Erica Hite’s Make A Wish Collection Biggie for the numbers on the grid. I made the grid in Microsoft Excel, copied the section and pasted it right into Adobe Photoshop. The bright happy numbers finish this off perfectly.

To play the game, the first player rolls two dice. The numbers on the dice give you the coordinates. Place your marker where the coordinates meet on the grid. You have two options for every roll (except doubles, of course). If someone is already on a space that you roll, you can remove their piece and replace it with your own. The first player to get four markers in a row wins.

My kids love this game. I laminated mine, so instead of markers we use dry erase markers. Another option for reluctant players would be to use M&M's or chocolate chips for the markers and the winner takes all.

- Melissa

Project by Melissa Renfro

SCRAP GIRLS CLUB

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 Kim Meeder using June's Scrap Girls Club
larger view

Created for you by Keri Schueller

If you prefer not to join a club, the Scrap Girls 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 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!

SCRAPSIMPLE CLUB

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 or Word Art Template Set
1 Brush Set
2 Designer's Choice Items

A commercially licensed version of the ScrapSimple club is also available here.

Layout by Syndee Nuckles using June's ScrapSimple Club
larger view

Created for you by Paula Wright and Syndee Nuckles

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!

ScrapSimple Tools - Patterns

If you've never used patterns in your digital scrapbooking, you're in for a treat! These tools offer Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users some great options to really jazz up your layout. When you buy patterns from Scrap Girls, you'll get complete instructions on how to install them into your program and ideas on how to use them.

When I scrap, I try to make my digital pages look like paper - like someone could just reach out and touch them. For this example, I chose to use a pattern, Valerie's ScrapSimple Tools - Patterns: Textures 2101 that would add a unique texture to my background paper. I'm using Keri Schueller's Zoe Collection: Mini. There's a background paper I love, but I want to apply a texture to it to give it that extra oomph.

I apply one of Valerie's ScrapSimple Tools - Patterns: Textures 2101 to it, play with Blending Modes and voila!

I love the versatility of patterns - they open up so many possibilities. You can create your own papers or just alter ones you already have. With Blending Modes and the ability to recolor papers, the possibilities are endless.

Layout by Kara Swanson
larger view

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Patterns: Textures 2101 are also available.

Tutorial written by Kara Swanson

FREE STARTER KIT

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!

Ready to Take Off? In-depth Tutorials Help You Become a Great Digital Scrapbooker

Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

NEW! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop CS4, CS3, CS2, and CS
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 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!

MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed! for Adobe Photoshop
MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed! for Adobe Photoshop Elements

It's time for you to stop playing catch-up in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and start having a blast creating your own digital scrapbooking supplies! You'll also learn all sorts of tricks that professionals and advanced digital scrapbookers use in their layouts. And because Ro covers so many topics in the series, it is one of the most cost-effective methods of moving your skills to a higher level. Join in with the thousands of digital scrapbookers who have chosen to learn advanced skills from Ro. You'll be happy that you did!

Note: These are NOT beginning tutorials. If you get this training and you have never used Photoshop or Photoshop Elements before, or if you aren't pretty sure of yourself in the software, you are going to be lost. You simply have to understand layers, where things are located, and all of the basic, important skills that Ro teaches in her Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed series before you try to use it.

eBooks

Scrap Girls offers a large catalog of eBooks covering topics that will expand your digital scrapbooking abilities to new heights. Here are just a few samples:

The Virtual Canvas eBook

What happens when you move digital scrapbooking beyond the basic page? What happens when you allow the layout to blur the edges between keepsake and art? The Virtual Canvas: Celebrating The Art of Digital Scrapbooking eBook will provide those answers for you.

Digital Photography Simplified

Colour (me) Creative eBook with 36 color swatches

Scrapbooking 911 - 20 Sketches to Revialize Your Digital

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!

See more titles

Layout by Melanie Johnson
larger view

Designer Freebie by Melanie Johnson coordinates with her Childhood Memories Collection Biggie

Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Collage Stamped 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.

CROPS AND CHATS

NSBR Chat - Early Edition
Thursday, June 25th - 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), on June 25th , at 4pm ET, in the chat room Lobby! Hope to see you there!

Ad Inspiration Challenge and Chat
Thursday, June 25th - 9:00PM ET

Join Pat (PBarnes) on Thursday, June 25 at 9 PM ET for an Ad Challenge and Chat. A few hours before the chat, a magazine ad will be posted on the message board to use as inspiration for a layout. You can use whatever you want to from the ad - the colors, the shapes, the composition. There are no wrong answers!

What's New Chat
Friday, June 26th - 11:00AM ET

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Sherry(Sherry Lynn) at 11am ET on Friday 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!

Swap Crop
Friday, June 26th - 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 Carla (CRS) for a fun chat at 9pm ET on Friday, June 26th!

ATC Chat
Sunday, June 28th - 3:00PM ET

Please join Sherry_Lynn in the chatroom for our June ATC Swap Crop/Chat on Sunday, June 28th at 3pm ET. For this month's challenge, we are doing ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) that feature "Food!"

Scraplift Chat
Sunday, June 28th - 5:00PM ET

Join Amy (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!

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!

June Mid-Month Layout Contest: Did you know that June is National Candy Month? To celebrate this wonderful month, we'd like to see layouts inspired by your favorite candy bar! Just post your layouts in the Mid-June Monthly Layout Contest before July 14th at midnight EDT and you will be eligible to win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique. Be sure to include the credits for items used in the description area or under the Details tab. 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.)