Ro Paxman

Have You Drawn a Map Yet?

I dreamed about the home I grew up in. I wandered from room to room, looking in the closets, peering out the window, opening the refrigerator, sitting on the couches, feeling the carpet beneath my feet, and listening to the sound of the back door close.

I heard my mother tell my brother to take out the garbage, felt the keys of the baby grand under my fingers, and handled a volume of the encyclopedia I had pulled from a shelf in the living room.

I smelled potatoes frying. I turned on the color television in the TV room. I looked at the back of my hair in the upstairs bathroom.

It was a wonderful visit. It was almost like going home again.

- Ro

P.S. I realized that I needed to document my home. I needed to document myself in my home. I found the only photo that was taken of me in my beloved red bedroom and drew maps of the house.

P.P.S. I challenge you to draw maps of your childhood home and make a layout showing it. If you lived in more than one home, pick one and draw it. Post the layout in the Scrap Girls gallery and then send me an email to [email protected] with the link. I want to see it!

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.

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 Shalae Tippetts using November's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Melissa Renfro

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 Brandy Hackman using October's ScrapSimple Club
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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!

Using a Summer Collection for the Fall Season

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

Do you think that you can't use bright and summery collections with autumn photos? Think again! By making a few simple adjustments we can put a favorite summer digital scrapbooking collection to use even as the seasons change.

For this example, I am using a paper from the Cabana Collection Biggie. Open the paper in Adobe Photoshop.

There are many ways to change the color, but I will focus on using a color overlay for this example. Make a new layer above the paper and add a single color or gradient. Simple gradients are created by selecting two colors in the foreground/background palette and clicking the adjustment layer button. The gradient option is found in the dropdown menu.

To get a two-color gradient, click the little arrow to the right of the box and select the first option consisting of the two colors you have selected. You should now have a gradient completely covering the paper.

To combine the gradient and paper we will adjust the Blending Mode until we get one we like. For this example, "Hard Light" looks nice and fall-like. Remember, all papers are different and will require different Blending Modes. Sometimes, you will need to duplicate the gradient or paper to get the right combination of effects to make the new paper look just right.

You can do the same thing for embellishments. I took some bright green leaves and changed them into autumn leaves following the same process. (For embellishments, you must first select it - marching ants - and then add a color or gradient. Otherwise, the color will fill up the whole screen.)

Have fun transitioning through the seasons!

Layout by Sheri Johnson
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Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Splatter are also available.

Tutorial written by Sheri 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:

Artistry: A Celebration of Digital Design Excellence eBook

Artistry: A Celebration of Digital Design Excellence highlights the best-of-the-best in digital scrapbooking focusing on high quality layout design, imaginative use of products, creative vision, top-notch typography, and artistic expression. There are different layouts in a wide range of styles and techniques to be found in the book, and there are a multitude of ideas to be culled from the pages.

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 - PSE: How to Emboss & Texturize with ScrapSimple 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 Tools - Styles: Burned Textures 6301

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Burned Textures 6301 and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Aged Photo Edges 6301 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

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, November 11th - 10:00AM MT

Join your guest host April Showers for the East Coast High Noon Crop every Wednesday at 10am MT. 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 November 11th, we'll do a quote challenge! Create a layout using a meaningful, inspiring or funny quote. It can be in place of journaling, or use a beloved quote as a starting point for your journaling. 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, November 11th - 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, November 12th - 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) at 2 pm MT in the chat room Lobby! Hope to see you there!

Sketch Challenge Chat
Thursday, November 12th - 7:00PM MT

Join Marnie (sprinklz) for the Sketch Challenge and Crop at 7pm MT 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, November 13th - 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!

Scraplift Crop
Sunday, November 15th - 3:00PM MT

Join 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!

Quote Challenge Crop
Sunday, November 15th - 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. On Sunday, Pat will post a thread on the Chat section of the board giving you the quote that you will use to make your own word art. Then we'll meet in the chat room to have fun, chat, and create our Word Art layout!

NOVEMBER EVENTS

November Message Board Game: The Alphabet Hunt

We're taking your ABC game skills to a whole new level this month... and tacking on some prizes as well! This month's message board game is "The Alphabet Hunt." Every few days, we'll give you a new theme and a searching task and then set you loose to start building our list in alphabetic order! Find the specifics about game play in the November Message Board Game thread in the Monthly Message Board Game folder on the Scrap Girls forum.

For each item you correctly add to our alphabetic list in the game thread on the message board, your name will be entered into a drawing which will be held at the end of the month. Five winners will be drawn and each will win a $5 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls boutique! Additionally, the person with the most correct contributions to the game will automatically win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap GIrls boutique! Participation is what counts big this month, so join us on the message board for the detailed rules, search specifics and LOTS of fun!

Layout Contests:

November Monthly Layout Contest: Life is busy; so full of activities and distractions. What pulls you away from what you really want to do? We want you to scrap it! For the November Layout Contest, we want to see what pulls you away from what you want to do. Create your layout and post it in the November Layout Contest Gallery before Midnight on November 30th. Be sure to list your credits in the description or under the details tab. If your layout is chosen, you could 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.)