Ro Paxman

Thank You for You

A knock told me that housekeeping had arrived with the heating pad I needed for my strained back.

As I opened the door, I saw one of the foreign exchange students standing in the hall. "Thank you so much," I said, reaching for the heating pad.

The young man bowed at me and replied, "Thank you for you."

It was a mistake, I supposed, for him to say that. But, at a time in my life when I was attempting to re-discover myself, it didn't feel like a mistake to hear someone say, "Thank you for you."

Yes, kind sir, I am thankful for me. And thank you, for the accidental hug.

- 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.

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 Valerie Randall using August's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Valerie Randall

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 Trish Yochum using July's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Trish Yochum and Theresa Kavouras

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!

Adapting ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates

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

Summer is a popular time to take photos for Christmas cards or newsletters, but why stop there? You can get a jumpstart on your Christmas cards by starting them in August – leaving you more time to enjoy family and festivities once December rolls around.

Today, I'm going to show you how you can adapt a set of digital layout templates and expand their usefulness in ways you might not have considered. I will be using ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: 5x7 Monogrammed Announcements.

Christmas photo cards are typically 4x8 inches. Open up ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: 5x7 Monogrammed Announcements - template two. To ensure that none of the original template's elements get chopped off inadvertently, create a new document that is four inches wide and eight inches tall and drag all of the layers from the template onto your new file. Your new file will look something like this:

As you can see, we need to resize the layers so they fit the new canvas. To do this, start with the bottom layer (the background) click Edit> Free Transform (or Ctrl/Cmd+T) and adjust the size to your new canvas. Do this with each layer until you have resized them all within the new canvas. This is what my new file looks like after I've adjusted and moved all of the layers from the original template:

Now, it's simply a matter of customizing the template with your photos and digital scrapbooking supplies.

This is what my final Christmas card looks like:

Project by Melanie Johnson
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Card Templates: 5x7 Monogrammed Announcements and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Fabric 5401 are also available.

Tutorial written by Melanie Johnson

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!

NEWLY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop CS4, CS3, CS2, and CS
NEWLY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements 6.0 and 7.0*
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Paint Shop Pro X (XI)

(*Have Photoshop Elements 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0? We have a tutorial program that will work for you. Please visit the product details page for more information.)

Find out what tens of thousands of people have already learned: Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed is the fastest way to learn how to create digital scrapbooking layouts. And because this series covers so many topics with one purchase, it is a bargain!

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!

Download and CD versions available.

Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users receive:

30-31 movie tutorials
Companion eBook(s)
Collections
Other supplies

Paint Shop Pro users receive 31 movie tutorials.

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 Jan Hicks
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Designer Freebie by Jan Hicks coordinates with her Scruffy Tones Paper Mini

* 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

What's New Chat
Friday, August 7th - 9:00AM MT

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Becca at 9am Mountain Time 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!

Scraplifting Crop
Sunday, August 9th - 3:00PM MT

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!

Aussie Chat and Challenge
Monday, August 10th - 9:00PM Australian Eastern Standard Time

Join Jo (scrappingjo) and Karen (kazbar73) for an Aussie Chat and Challenge. This week will be a Recipe Challenge. Down Under we are starting to move out of Winter (and not a moment to soon) but we want to know what is your favourite winter dish. When creating recipe cards, I like to make them on a 6 x 4 card and then print them on photo paper but you can be as creative as you want. Come along at 9pm Australian Eastern Standard Time and join in all the fun of our Aussie Chat. For International ladies, the chat will start at 7am New York time.

New Member Chat
Tuesday, August 11th - 7:00PM MT

Join Pat (PBarnes) and Carol Ann (Zaz) for the New Member Chat at 7pm Mountain Time 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.

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, August 12th - 10:00AM MT

Join your guest host April Showers for the East Coast High Noon Crop every Wednesday at 10am Mountain 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! You'd be amazed what you can get done in just one hour! We hope you'll join us!

Journaling Chat
Wednesday, August 12th - 6:00PM MT

Join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Becca for a Journaling Chat at 6pm Mountain Time. Struggle to find the right words for your layouts? Are your layouts more decorative than descriptive of the moments you're trying to capture? Then you won't want to miss this chat - we'll have a special challenge to encourage you to journal on your pages more! See you there!

Sketch Challenge Crop
Thursday, August 13th - 7:00PM MT

Join Marnie (sprinklz) for the Sketch Challenge Crop at 7pm Mountain Time in the Scrap Girls Chat Room! Like getting a little jump start on your layouts? Then this challenge is for you! A few hours before the challenge begins, Marnie will post a sketch for you to use as the starting point for your page. You can be inspired by the basic arrangement, the amount of photos, or copy it literally. All interpretations are welcome and encouraged!

What's New Chat
Friday, August 14th - 9:00AM MT

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Sherry Lynn at 9am Mountain Time 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!

AUGUST EVENTS

August Message Board Game: Embellishment Hunters!

Calling all adventurous souls! Join us for the August Message Board game - Embellishment Hunters! This month, we're playing an old game with a new twist and hope you'll join us for fun and of course... prizes!

Your task is simple! Imagine a dartboard with 100 targets. To find the target hiding the embellishment of the day, simply guess a number between 1 and 100. The first person to guess the correct number is the daily winner and will be showered with applause and will proudly enjoy bragging rights PLUS the possibility of prizes at the end of the month!

All daily winners will be included in a month-end drawing with prizes including one $10 gift certificate and five $5 gift certificates to the Scrap Girls Boutique! Visit the Monthly Message Board Games Forum on the message board for specific rules and instructions about game play.

Layout Contests:

August Monthly Layout Contest: Be cool! Since we're in the middle of summer here in the U.S., thoughts of staying cool are at the forefront. For the August Challenge, we want you to scrap your photos of your favorite ways to stay cool during the hot summer months. Create your layout and post it in the August Layout Contest Gallery before Midnight MT on August 31st. Be sure to list your credits in the description or under the details tab. If your layout is chosen, you will win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

July Mid-Month Layout Contest: Ah, vacations! They're so relaxing and fun, but can be expensive, too. For the Mid-July Layout Contest, we want to see your layouts featuring your vacation or staycation photos! If you don't have any vacation plans, what will you do instead? Scrap those plans! Post you layouts in the Mid-July Monthly Layout Gallery before August 15th at Midnight MT and you could 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 Mountain Time Zone unless otherwise noted. Need help converting time zones? Check out the World Clock - Time Zone Converter. (Use 'USA-Utah-Salt Lake City' as the location for the Mountain time zone.)