Note from Ro: I found this post by Theresa Kavouras on the Scrap Girls Digital Adventures Blog. Reading it, I had this overwhelming desire to find a box of chalks.

Theresa Kavouras

We are in the dog days of summer - half way between the end of a school year and the beginning of another. It is this time of summer where there are no vacations planned, summer camps are taking a bit of a break, and the weather just isn't warm enough to use the backyard pool. What is a child to do? You want them to get outside. Staying inside when the weather is cool and fresh is just a bad idea. Children need air. Yet, they need to let their creativity flow.

Open a box of sidewalk chalk and watch them come running. There is nothing quite like a brand new box of sidewalk chalk (except for a brand new box of crayons). The kids love them. Fortunately, we have a sidewalk... rather, a driveway that runs for a quarter of a mile, so the canvas is unlimited. I love to watch their little brains bloom, whether it is by drawing what they see around them, what they are into at the time, or what they think about at the moment.

On this day, it was food. Funny, I don't think I ever drew food when I was a kid. I get a chuckle from my kids when I see them come up with things like this to draw. It was so unlike me at that age. I wonder if they inherited it from their dad?

Photo by Theresa Kavouras

This product is included in this month's ScrapSimple Club offering. Members receive a substantial discount on these club supplies. They are also available elsewhere in the Boutique at regular prices for those individuals who would rather not join a club.

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Photo Folds 4 are also available.

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!

Transparency Overlays

One thing that I just love about our ScrapSimple Transparency Overlays is how easy they make it to add a custom touch to our layouts, without having to think too much about it. I love any kind of product that makes me look more creative than I am!

For instance, I had this layout that I was working on, but it just felt like it was missing something. The solution? Add a transparency overlay, of course! I chose Dinny's Icy Transparency Overlay.

I bring the transparency over to my layout and select my Elliptical Marquee Tool. I click and drag a circle (while holding down the Shift key to make sure the circle is proportional) and then select the inverse (by hitting Ctrl+Shift+I or Cmd+Shift+I on a Mac) and hit Ctrl+X (or Cmd+X) to delete the selection. I am left with the transparency overlay in the shape of a circle. It adds just the right touch of texture and brings the focus to my photo.

At this point, if you'd like to gussy up your transparency, you can easily add a style to it in order to give it some pop. I like the white color of this transparency, so I leave it the way it is.

With this addition, the layout is complete!

Layout by Laurel Lakey
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Commercial license versions of Lettering Delights Scratchy Pen Font are also available.

Article written by Laurel Lakey

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 Syndee Nuckles
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Designer Freebie by Syndee Nuckles coordinates with her ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Noteworthy

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Noteworthy 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

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!

ScrapSimple Club Chat
Friday, August 14th - 1:00PM MT

We know everyone is excited for the new ScrapSimple Club to come out August 15th. Join Sherry_Lynn on August 14th at 1pm Mountain Time for a ScrapSimple Club Chat and Crop! We'll be discussing ideas on different ways to use the current club. As a challenge, let's create one more layout using July's ScrapSimple Club before the next one arrives. One of July Club Designers, Theresa Kavouras (wxchic), will be joining us for this chat!

Recipe Card Swap Crop
Saturday, August 15th - 8:00PM MT

Please join Danna (scrappylibrarian) and April Showers in the chat room for our Monthly Recipe Swap chat at 8pm Mountain Time. Please check the message board on Thursday, August 13th for this month's theme!

UFO Chat & Crop
Sunday, August 16th - 1:00PM MT

Please join Sherry_Lynn and special guest co-hostess Janine Buckles (J9Buckles) 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 1pm Mountain Time to get some inspirational suggestions from our incredible professionals here at Scrap Girls!

Quote Challenge Crop
Sunday, August 16th - 6:00PM MT

Come join Pat (PBarnes) for the Quote Challenge Crop at 6pm MT. Including a quote on your layout can be a touching and meaningful addition, especially if you use the quote to create your own word art. Here's how it will work - on Sunday, Pat will post a thread on the Chat section of the message board giving you the quote that you can use to make your own word art. Then join her in the chat room later to have fun, chat, and create a Word Art layout together!

Coffee Break Chat
Monday, August 17th - 4:30AM MT

If reading the Scrap Girls Newsletter and having a cup of coffee, cocoa, or tea first thing in the morning is a part of your daily routine, join Sherry_Lynn at 4:30am Mountain Time for this month's Coffee Break Chat. We'll chat over the latest issue of the Newsletter for a light and fun way to start off your week! Hope to see you there!

Get Published Chat
Monday, August 17th - 7:00PM MT

Join Angela (angelaNussbaum), Amy (ManiakMommy) and Christy (ChristyVW) for the Get Published Chat at 7pm Mountain Time. 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 increase your chances of being published, we will select a Magazine, and challenge you to do a layout with one of their calls!

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.)