Ro Paxman

Soar Into Silence

In 2-3-4.

Out 2-3-4.

In 2-3-4.

Out 2-3-4.

I sat on the floor, my eyes closed, and counted as I breathed. I listened as the clock on the shelf kept time.

In 2-3-4.

Out 2-3-4.

My mind raced through the events of the days before. I re-read support tickets I had entered, email I had received and to-do lists scattered about my desk. I saw my son come home from college. I heard political commentary rattle about and touched the books on my nightstand. I smiled when my dog ran into the house, dancing about the room, proud of her new haircut. I felt my daughter's arms around me and heard her say, "Love you, Mom."

In 2-3-4.

Out 2-3-4.

My toe itched, but I didn't scratch it. My ear twitched, but I didn't move. My back protested the position I sat in, but I willed myself to sit still and experience the moment.

In 2-3-4.

Out 2-3-4.

My mind soared out over the valley and looked at the mountains. It danced in the clouds. I remembered summer and that I had not yet stretched out in my hammock. I had been too busy.

In 2-3-4.

Out 2-3-4.

I counted my blessings one-by-one. "I'm thankful for my family. I'm thankful for my children. I'm thankful for my home. I'm thankful for the people I work with. I'm thankful for my life..."

In 2-3-4.

Out 2-3-4.

I prayed for guidance. I told the Lord that I trust Him, no matter what may come. I told Him that I knew that trusting Him would bring me the peace I need.

In 2-3-4.

Out 2-3-4.

My soul soared into the silence of God's peace.

- Ro

Layout by Ro
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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 Angie Briggs using September's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Angie Briggs

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 Cherise Oleson using August's ScrapSimple Club
larger view

Created for you by Keri Schueller and Cherise Oleson

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!

The Original

Today, I'm going to show you how small choices that we make when designing can make a big difference in our final layout. To do this, I'm going to redo one of my early layouts using nothing but the original materials and a different approach.

This was one of my very first digital layouts, a pretty pink one that features the first photo ever taken of my mother and me.

Original layout by Melanie Johnson

There's actually a lot that I love about this layout: the paper tear, the photo and ephemera cluster, and the subtle flower brushed on the pink paper. However, it has one fatal flaw that I was completely unaware of as I designed it. The type is completely illegible when printed. When my mother saw the layout in the newsletter, she loved it; so I printed out a copy to give to her. Only then did I realize that you couldn't even read the journaling! Not only did I choose a font that was hard to read, I used a size that was so small that you couldn't make out the words when it was printed. Let's see how just a few small changes can improve the entire layout.

The Do-Over

Because I love the paper tear and papers that I initially used, I'm going to keep them, but rotate the canvas so that the tear is on the left side of the page. This will form the backdrop for my new layout and the story that I want to convey.

I put the tear on one side because in addition to adding back the original photo at a slightly larger size, this time I'm also going to add a smaller photo of me with my first baby just underneath the tear. (OK, so I did add one thing, but I promise everything else will be the same as the original!)

This gives a visual clue that there's likely to be some sort of connection between the two photos of mothers and babies, which the journaling will address.

The main thing that I wanted to highlight in the original layout was the photo of my mother and the journaling, which compares her first experience of motherhood with my own. In the original, the photo and journaling area were roughly the same size. This time, I'm going to use the photo at a slightly larger size and make the journaling more readable by using a smaller, but more legible font.

I add back the original embellishments in a slightly different grouping and modify the fonts to make them more visually appealing and readable. The final result is a layout where the photos complement the journaling - and this time, you can actually read it all!

Layout by Melanie Johnson
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Fancy Folds 1, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Instant Photo and Brush Set: Garden Path are also available.

Designer Do-Over 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.

Colour (me) Creative eBook with 36 color swatches

Scrapbooking 911 - 20 Sketches to Revitalize Your Digital Scrapbooking - Book 4

Scrap Girls Tutorials & Way Cool Stuff eBook Set
2009 - 2nd Quarter

Start to Finish eBooklets

Start to Finish eBooklet - PS: How to use ScrapSimple Tools: Custom Shapes & Patterns

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 Kim Meeder
larger view

Designer Freebie by Kim Meeder coordinates with her School Yard Collection Biggie

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Artful Photo Masks, Lettering Delights Sweet Potatoes Font and Lettering Delights Underwood Pica Font 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

Baby Album Chat
Tuesday, September 1st - 11:00AM MT

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 on Tuesday, September 1st at 11am Mountain Time 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.

Creative Card Chat
Tuesday, September 1st - 6:00PM MT

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, you can save money and have fun making cards with your stash! Make a note of any cards you might need for the upcoming month and join Michelle (Shelbi) and April (April Showers) for the once a month Creative Card Chat at 6pm Mountain Time. Can't wait to see you there!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, September 2nd - 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! On September 2nd we'll do a Brush Challenge! Create a layout on any theme, any topic, and using at least one brush! You'd be amazed what you can get done in just one hour! We hope you'll join us!

NSBR Chat
Thursday, September 3rd - 2:00PM MT

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 2pm Mountain Time, in the chat room lobby! Hope to see you there!

What's New Chat
Friday, September 4th - 9:00AM MT

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

Back-up Party and Chat
Friday, September 4th - 2:00PM MT

Need a little extra motivation to back-up your layouts and stash? Join April Showers in the chat room Friday for a Back-up Party and Chat. We'll also go over several different ways to safeguard your files. You won't want to miss this one!

Labor Day Chat
Monday, September 7th - 7:00PM MT

Join Carla (CRS) in the chat room at 7pm Mountain Time for a fun Labor Day chat! Not only does Labor Day honor the working force, it's the unofficial end of summer in the United States and Canada. It also is the unofficial start to the National Football League and College Football seasons! So, take some time to come chat about your summer, football or work! Hope to see you there!

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

September Message Board Game: BINGO!

It's that time again! Join us for an exciting game of BINGO on the Message Board in September! Pick 25 words from the list provided in the Monthly Message Board Game forum and send them in an e-mail to [email protected] with a subject line that says "BINGO CARD" and your message board user name by Wednesday, September 2nd (11:59pm MT) in order to play in the first round which will begin Thursday, September 3rd. Each day, members of the Welcoming Committee will call 5 random words from the BINGO list. Match just 15 of those words to win a BINGO. You must be first to call "Bingo!" in the game thread to win that round. After a winner is called, the boards can be cleared and a new round will begin the following day. All winners win a $5 gift certificate to the boutique! We like to see lots of winners, so please remember that each person can only win one round during the month. Have fun!

If you miss the first round cutoff date, you can still play! Just send in your Bingo card at any time during the month and you'll be eligible to begin playing when the next new round starts. Everyone who sends in a Bingo card will receive a confirmation email that their card has been received. If you do not receive confirmation within 24 hours, please re-send your list of words.

Layout Contests:

September Monthly Layout Contest: We're coming up on the date 09/09/09. For this layout contest, we want you to create a layout using repetition. It can be a photo that is repeated, an embellishment, a color... the possibilities are many. Create your layout and post it in the September Layout Contest Gallery by Midnight MT on September 30th. 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!

August Mid-Month Layout Contest: Everybody loves dogs – right? For the August Mid-month Challenge we want you to scrap photos of your dog(s) – current or past. Not a dog person? Then you can scrap your photos of your cat or any other pet. Create your layout and post it in the August Mid-Month Layout Contest Gallery by Midnight MT on September 15th. 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!

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.)