Ro Paxman

18 Ways to Get More Out of Life

Think before you speak.


Anger only begets anger. If you have an issue with someone or something, it is better to approach them nicely.


Smiling at people makes everyone feel better.


Opening the doors for someone feels nice to you and is generally helpful to them.


Allow yourself to take a mental health break day occasionally.


Remember that it is not "their" fault that you are so annoyed.


You always have a choice in how to respond.


Share what you have when you can.


Look in people's eyes when they talk to you.


Become interested in other people's stories instead of insisting that they act like they are interested in yours.


Wave at your neighbors when they drive by.


Leave someone cookies with a note on their doorstep and ring the bell and run. It's amazing fun for everyone.


Give people the benefit of the doubt.


Sometimes, you have to let people go so that you can move forward. Wish them well and don't worry about it anymore.


Own up to your mistakes. It's not fair to try to get someone else to pay the consequences for your mistakes, inattention or poor choices.


Let someone else hold the remote control occasionally.


Thank people for the nice things that they do for you.


Give yourself a break. Everyone makes mistakes and the world won't fall apart if you make your share of them, too.

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 December's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Shalae Tippetts

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 Amanda McGee using November's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Amanda McGee and Brandie Valenzuela

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 wondering how you organize layouts on the computer. Do you have a folder for layouts or organize them in the same folders where your pictures are located? Do you have any naming conventions? (In particular, naming something "Megan School.psd" isn't very descriptive of what year or anything. Do you use dates, words, what?) I'm just not sure where to put mine and, since I'm just getting started, I thought it was best to start with a system!

ANSWER 1: This is a really good question. I guess we really haven't talked about it before, but I can assure you, the layouts build up pretty quickly. Here's what I've done. I have one folder for scrapbook layouts. I pretty much organize them by the albums they will go in. I have a lot of subfolders:

Family - Includes subfolders for different families and one for each of the grandkids.
Travel - Includes a subfolder for each of the places I've visited with the year and month.
Scrap Girls Stuff - Things like desktops, siggies and all of the miscellaneous stuff.
Faith - This is my faith journey stuff. I love how this is growing.
My Journey - This is my "all about me" album.
In Progress - This is my UFO (unfinished objects) file.
SG 52 - This year, instead of trying to do weekly layouts, I'm going to do two-page spreads once a month. I guess I'll have to add the year to these.
Crafts - This is the one for the coffee tumbler, mint tin albums, word albums, etc., each with its own subfolder.

The size of these adds up really quickly, so this folder is kept on my EHDs and I try to back up to DVDs fairly regularly. I usually save the PSD file, as well as the JPG file. I've messed it up a few times though.

ANSWER 2: I put all of my layouts into a folder called "Projects" and organize by year. My file naming convention is "year_month_title" like "2009_05_Love.jpg." I rarely save the layered files because I'm so short on hard drive space.

QUESTION: I am going to design my daughter's wedding album - just graphic design, no scrapping. I have three portrait photos that I want to crop the same. I normally do a mask by using the Marquee Tool and then hitting the mask button at bottom of the Layers Palette. This way, if I need to change it, I haven't deleted the photo. Once I do this on one photo, is there a way to use the mask from one and do the same to the other two photos? How would you quickly do this and also make sure that they are all the same size?

ANSWER 1: I learned a way to do this in the selection class. I am not sure if this will work for you. First, add a blank layer and then select the Rectangular Marquee up at the top. You can put in a size (say 2x3 inches or whatever) and then when you click, it makes a rectangle/square in that size. Make the photo layer active, then Ctrl+Shift+I to invert the selection and then hit Delete. It will delete everything outside of the shape. Repeat for each photo and they will all be the same size! You can use the arrow keys to move the box around on your photo for exact placement.

ANSWER 2: If you want to keep using masks (and not actually delete anything) you can do it the same way you have started. After you make the mask on the first picture, use a direct selection of the mask. (Cmd+Click on the mask on the Layers Palette.) You will see the marching ants around the masked portion of the picture. Drag this selection to your new document or just click on a different layer if you have all of your pictures in the same document already. Position the marquee where you want it and then hit the layer mask button again.

ANSWER 3: If you are using Adobe, check your blank new documents. Open a new document, use the drop-down on that screen and you will see a selection of different photo papers to choose from. Select the size and drop and drag your photo onto it. I thought I would toss that one out there for you!

ANSWER 4: Select the layers containing the photos to resize. (Hold Ctrl while clicking each layer.) Then, Ctrl+T and hold Shift while resizing. They'll all resize at the same rate, even if they are positioned in different areas on your layout. I do the same thing when resizing an alpha for a title.

ANSWER 5: You can also copy a layer mask to another layer by holding down the Alt key and dragging the mask to the other layer on the Layers Palette. (This works with styles, too.)

ANSWER 6: One way I like to do this is to draw a rectangle with the Shape Tool. Use it as a clipping mask. You can just duplicate the rectangle for however many photos you need.

QUESTION: I have always used PSE and I am just getting started with CS4. I can't find things yet! Can anyone tell me where I would find the area where I can adjust the rotation and angle of the brush before I stamp it in place? Thanks.

ANSWER 1: You will get the hang of it. Photoshop is awesome. There are so many things you can do. I have CS3, but I assume it will be the same. There should be some palette options for you at the top right of your workspace. The Brush Palette will open if you click on the icon that looks like a little can with brushes sticking out of it. If you don't see it, go to the top where it says Windows and under that heading should be all of your palette options. If you click on the Brush Palette, it will open.

ANSWER 2: I use CS4, too. The Brush Palette can be accessed from the toolbox or by clicking on Windows> Brushes or by pressing the F5 key. When the palette comes up, you have to click on "Brush Tip Shape" and then you'll see the interface where you can rotate the brushes.

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

Surprise! Surprise! More gifts galore!
We have TWO designer freebies for you each day until Christmas Eve!

Layout by Brandy Murry
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Designer Freebie by Brandy Murry coordinates with her Christmas Chronicles Collection Biggie

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Micro Glitter 6401 Super Biggie are also available.

Layout by Caroline Kaiser
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Designer Freebie by Caroline Kaiser coordinates with her A Tour Across Europe: Food Embellishment Biggie

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Europe and Australia Biggie, Dynamic Brush Set: Textured 8202 and Lettering Delights Painter's Hand 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, December 8th - 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, December 8th at 11am MT 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 for motivation if you want one. For this month's challenge, let's get those "firsts" scrapped! You know, the first smile, first time sleeping through the night, etc. - let's scrap those moments!

U.F.O Chat
Tuesday, December 8th - 5:00PM MT

Please join Sherry_Lynn and special guest co-hostess Elisha Barnett (elibar) from our Layout Artist Team on Tuesday, December 8th at 5pm MT for a "Un-Finished Objects" Chat. 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 chatroom to get some inspirational suggestions from our incredible professionals here at Scrap Girls!

New Member Chat
Tuesday, December 8th - 7:00PM MT

Join Pat (PBarnes) and Carol Ann (Zaz) for the New Member Chat at 7pm MT in the Live Chat 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, December 9th - 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 December 9th, we'll do a photo-manipulation challenge! Change a photo to sepia, cut out a background, use filters, try something new with your photos! 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 Challenge Chat
Wednesday, December 9th - 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!

Sketch Challenge Crop
Thursday, December 10th - 7:00PM MT

Join Marnie (sprinklz) for the Sketch Challenge and Crop on December 10th 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, a sketch will be posted 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, December 11th - 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!

Quote Challenge Crop
Sunday, December 13th - 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 board giving you the quote that you may use to make your own word art. It's not hard, and I will have a layout with a Word Art example in the gallery. Then we'll meet in the chat room to have fun, chat, and create our Word Art layout! Everyone can participate and create a layout, even if you can't make the chat. Hope to see you there!

Aussie Chat & Challenge
Monday, December 14th - 9:00PM Australian Eastern DST

Please come join Karen (kazbar73) & Jo (scrappingjo) at 9pm Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time on Monday 14 December for an Aussie Chat and Challenge. This week's challenge is a Template Challenge. Create a layout using your favourite template and then join us in the Live Chat Lobby for lots of fun and laughter as we talk about our layouts. For our International ladies, the chat will be on at 3am MT (5am New York) time.

ScrapSimple Club Chat
Monday, December 14th - 5:00PM MT

We know everyone is excited for the new ScrapSimple Club to come out on December 15th. Come join Sherry_Lynn on Monday at 5pm MT 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 November's Scrap Simple Club before the next one arrives. November ScrapSimple Club Designer Amanda McGee (amanda) will be joining us for this chat! It's sure to be a blast! Hope to see you there!

DECEMBER EVENTS

December Message Board Game: Holiday Hoopla 2009

Welcome to Holiday Hoopla 2009! This time of year is packed with celebrations, events and traditions galore! It's also time for our most challenging game of the year! This challenge promises to keep you busy all month long. We're going to celebrate the season together on the Message Board through tasks and challenges focused on holiday and seasonal traditions and of course, there will be prizes in store!

Join us in the Monthly Message Board Games forum for details about this month-long challenge. Find out how EVERYONE who completes the Holiday Hoopla challenge will earn a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls boutique, and learn what you can do to earn an additional $5 Gift Certificate through your participation in the challenge. Join us for fun and festivities as we celebrate the winter holidays together - Holiday Hoopla 2009 style!

Layout Contests:

December Monthly Layout Contest: December is here! It's a time for celebrations and family traditions. For the December Monthly Layout contest, we'd love to see your Family Traditions scrapped for future generations to enjoy! Post your layouts in the December Layout Contest Gallery before Midnight, December 31st. 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!

November Mid-Month Layout Contest: We all know one; maybe you even are one. You know her, the woman who can do it all and make it look easy... a Superwoman! For the Mid-November Layout Contest, scrap a layout all about that Superwoman in your life. Post your layouts in the Mid-November Layout Contest Gallery by Midnight, December 14th and you will be eligible to win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique! Be sure to list your credits in the description or under the details tab.

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.)