Ro Paxman

Diversionary Tactics

While our society is obsessed with health and fitness, we are also obsessed with how we can become healthy and fit without any effort on our part. In the process, we often find ourselves spending vast portions of our income on these quick fixes which promise complete nirvana. What's worse, we have started watching each other in airports, in the mall, and as we go in and out of movie theatres, to try and assess if other people are doing better than we are in this regard.

Then – because we know that WE are watching other people to see if they are doing well in the fitness category - we become obsessed with what THEY are thinking about us as we waddle around Wal-Mart.

I tell you... It can make one feel like the martians are out to get you when you realize that a few people care about whether or not your tummy has a six-pack or a liter bottle sitting on it.

Instead of driving yourself around the bend over the subject, here are some suggestions for getting fitness obsessed individuals to mind their own business:

Wear exercise clothing constantly.


Stock your freezer with frozen veggies, skinless chicken breasts, and sugar-free popsicles.


Stuff your shelves with exercise DVDs.


Casually place hand weights on the flat furniture surfaces of your living room.


Hang your gym pass on your key ring.


Drink water from sports bottles.


Leave a gym bag in your car.


Keep a food journal in your purse.


Have an easy-to-do sports hairdo.


Make monthly blog entries about how psyched you are about your program.


Put an exercise goal sheet on your wall.


Keep your personal trainer's number on your cell phone speed dial list.


Hide your chocolate stash in your filing cabinet.

You see, if the people you meet and the people you live with think you are trying to do something to become fit, they will leave you alone to enjoy your ice cream with abandon. You will be free to enjoy yourself as you are.

I am in the middle of trying to become fit. I am showing all of the above listed signs as proof that I am trying to do so.

Whether or not I am actually going to become fit will be a complete surprise to all of us.

- Ro

Am I going running or not?

I'm not telling...

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.

Would you like to earn a $20 Gift Certificate? Send your own muse to [email protected]. If it is selected for publication in the Scrap Girls newsletter, you'll get to have fun shopping!

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 Thao Cosgrove using October's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Thao Cosgrove

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 Armi Custodio using October's ScrapSimple Club
larger view

Created for you by Brandy Hackman and Erica Hite

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!

QUESTION: I'm pretty sure that this question has been asked, but I can't find it. I'm using PSE 7. Can the stitches and holes be used with the stitches dynamic brush set or is it only good on regular stitches?

ANSWER 1: The stitches and holes styles are for you to apply a stitch style to the stitches that you've made (and, yes, it will work with a dynamic brush) AND for you to apply a hole style to the holes that you must make with a round brush. The style does not make the holes for you. I think the description of each style explains this, but just want to mention it.

ANSWER 2: Are you talking about the stitches and holes styles or the stitches and holes action? I have both. The stitches and holes actions will make the holes for you and then you can apply the stitches and holes styles to give them a realistic look. The dynamic brush stitches will only make the stitching; you have to make the holes yourself with a round brush and then the styles can be applied. I will be happy to answer more specific questions if you post again.

QUESTION: What is the difference between ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Stitching and Holes 4103 and ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitch and Holes PSE 8302 Mini and which one is the easiest to use? Can they both be used with the dynamic brush stitches? Do you think I'm making this too hard? Sometimes I do that and end up not doing anything. Not really a good thing.

ANSWER 1: You asked the question I was wondering about this morning. There are all sorts of stitching things, so I am wondering what is the difference between the ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitch N' Holes PSE 8304 Paths Mini and the ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitch N' Holes 8302 Running Stitch Mini? There are other stitching actions/styles that all sound somewhat similar and I am confused.

ANSWER 2: Good questions, ladies. There are lots of stitching tools in the boutique and I know it can get quite confusing at times to figure it all out. I'll try my best to explain. First of all, there are several different ways to accomplish similar tasks and it really depends on the individual as to which is easier for them. Here are some different categories of products that relate to stitching:

Dynamic Brushes - As someone pointed out earlier, these are great for doing the stitches, but will not create the holes for you.


Actions for Photoshop - There are a few different actions for Photoshop users. Some of these will create the holes for you and some will not. Please read the descriptions carefully to determine which one you are purchasing. ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitching and Holes 4101 - Straight Stitching Mini is a straight stitch action that does not create the holes for you, but comes with a brush that you can use to individually punch your own holes. ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitching and Holes 4102 - Zig Zag Stitching Mini is a zig zag stitch action that also does not create the holes for you, but comes with the brush to individually punch your own holes. There are two more actions that I'm aware of (I created them) for stitching and these will create the stitching and holes for you on separate layers automatically - no individual punching required. ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitch 'n Holes 8301 Machine Stitch Mini is a straight machine stitch (looks like a sewing machine stitch) and ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitch 'n Holes 8302 Running Stitch Mini is a straight running stitch that has space in between the stitches (typical of a hand-sewn running stitch). Both of these actions create the holes for you automatically.


Actions for PSE - None of the above actions (in #2) will work in PSE. There are four additional actions that will work to make the stitches and holes for you in PSE. There are two different actions for making a machine stitch and two different actions for making a running stitch. ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitch and Holes PSE 8301 Mini creates a machine stitch look, using the Marquee or Selection Tool to do it. ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitch and Holes PSE 8302 Mini creates a running stitch look (with space in between the stitches) using the Marquee or Selection Tool. ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitch and Holes PSE 8303 Paths Mini creates a machine stitch look (as in 8301 above) but uses a Type Path (sold separately) for the stitches to follow. This allows for lots of creativity in the shapes and paths that the stitching will follow. ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Stitch and Holes PSE 8304 Paths Mini creates a running stitch look (as in 8302 above) but also uses a Type Path (sold separately) for the stitches to follow.


Styles for Stitches and Holes - No matter which of the previous tools you use to create the stitching (and/or holes) you may want to apply a style to them to give them a more realistic appearance. There are several styles in the boutique for this. Some give texture and shadowing, some are glittery, etc.

That's a lot of information! I hope it helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

ANSWER 3: You are the best! Thank you so much for taking the time to type out the above reply. This question is asked frequently on the message boards. It will be helpful to refer to your reply in the future. I am sure that it will be asked again!

ANSWER 4: Thanks so much for taking the time to enlighten us! I do have one other question though. For the actions for PSE (I am using PSE 6 on my Mac) you say that the Type Path is sold separately. What is it called so that I can find in the boutique?

ANSWER 5: There are two different types of products that will work with the paths actions for PSE; Type Shapes and Type Paths.

Type Shapes: ScrapSimple Type Shapes: Stars 8301, ScrapSimple Type Shapes: Flowers 8301, ScrapSimple Type Shapes: Christmas 8301 and ScrapSimple Type Shapes: Circles 8301 Biggie.

Type Paths: There are so many in the boutique that it will probably be much easier if you do a search for "Type Paths." Make sure that you use the quotation marks and it will find all of the products that have "Type Paths" in the name. Any of those products should work with the stitching action that you are referring to (8303 or 8304 for PSE). (If you are purchasing 8301 or 8302 for PSE, you do not need a Type Shape or Type Path, but will use a Selection Tool instead, like the Marquee Tool, Lasso Tool or direct selection.)

Here are just a few to get you started, so you know that you're looking in the right spot:

ScrapSimple Type Paths: Curves 2101
ScrapSimple Type Paths: Spirals 2101
ScrapSimple Type Paths: Waves 3801
ScrapSimple Type Paths: Hearts 2101 Biggie
ScrapSimple Type Paths: Brackets 2101 Biggie
ScrapSimple Type Paths: Curvy Mats 2101 Biggie
ScrapSimple Type Paths: Curvy Labels 2102 Biggie

I ended up listing a whole lot more than I originally intended, but I want to make sure you got the information you were after. There are a few more if you go search for them, but those are the bulk of them. Let me know if there is anything else you need!

ANSWER 6: Thanks. I was going to come back and try to help, but I think you covered it beautifully!

ANSWER 7: Wow! You really came through. Now I have it clear in my mind and, if I forget, I have the information stored on my computer for the next time I do some shopping. You are the best!

ANSWER 8: I'm glad the explanation was of some help to you!

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

Learn about the color wheel, color terms and their meaning, how to load the colour palettes in Adobe or use the colour strips with a colour selection tool. You get both valuable lessons and inspiration in this book filled with 48 layouts showcasing the use of the colour palettes along with links of all the products used to create the digital scrapbooking pages.

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

Now you can have all the past Scrap Girls Newsletter tutorials and Way Cool Stuff articles of the 2nd Quarter of 2009 in one convenient PDF format. It's easy to find those helpful hints with just the click of your mouse. You get two eBooks for the price of one!

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 Julie White
larger view

Designer Freebie by Julie White coordinates with her Cherries Jubilee Collection Biggie

* 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

New Member Chat
Tuesday, October 27th - 7:00PM MT

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

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, October 28th - 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 October 28th, we'll do a "Push Yourself" challenge! Create a layout that really pushes your personal style - either something you've never done before, or a layout that is very much your style - just INTENSELY your style! You'll have one hour to create a layout and upload to the special High Noon Crop Gallery. You'd be amazed what you can get done in just one hour!

Journaling Chat
Wednesday, October 28th - 5:00PM MT

Join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Becca for a Journaling Chat at 5pm MT. 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!

NSBR Chat - Early Edition
Thursday, October 29th - 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 Shari (Shari PV Mom) and Michelle (Shelbi) on October 29th at 2pm MT in the chat room Lobby! Hope to see you there!

Desktop Challenge Crop
Thursday, October 29th - 6:00PM MT

Are you bored with the simple backgrounds that your PC or MAC came with? Want to learn more about using your Scrap Girls products to make exciting and colorful new desktop wallpapers? Join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Becca at 6pm MT for this month's Desktop Crop. A few hours before chat time, we'll give you some details on how to get started, plus a technique challenge and a theme for an extra dose of motivation!

What's New Chat
Friday, October 30th - 9:00AM MT

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Sherry Lynn 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!

Swap Crop Chat
Friday, October 30th - 7:00PM MT

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 7pm MT on October 30th!

OCTOBER EVENTS

October Message Board Game: Posting Challenge

It's time to put those fingers to the test and get chatty. This month, everyone who posts at least 250 times will have their name entered in a drawing for one of five $5 Gift Certificates to be used in the Scrap Girls Boutique. In addition, the one member who posts the very most in October will receive a $10 Gift Certificate! To be included in this month's game, you must post to the October Posting Challenge thread in the Monthly Message Board Games folder on the message board and include your starting post count as of Thursday, October 1st. Once you have reached 250 posts during the month of October, email Ang at [email protected] and include your forum user name, starting post count and your new post count total. Contest ends on Saturday, October 31st at Midnight MST!

Layout Contests:

October Monthly Layout Contest: You might be a city girl or maybe a country girl, but even those that live in the city can enjoy time spent in the country. For the October Layout Gallery Contest, we want you to scrap a page about time spent in the country. It could be a visit to a farm, or a state or national park, or maybe you live in the country. Create your layout and post it in the October Monthly Layout Contest Gallery by Midnight on October 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!

October Mid-Month Layout Contest: Anniversaries are very special times. For the October Mid-Month Gallery Contest, we want to see your layouts about an anniversary. It doesn't have to be a wedding anniversary. Birthdays are anniversaries too. Anything that you remember annually is an anniversary. Create your layout and post it in the October Mid-Month Layout Contest Gallery by Midnight on November 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.)