Note from Ro: I found this post on the Scrap Girls Digital Scrapbooking Adventures blog. Cool desktop backgrounds, Brandy!

I've recently started making desktop backgrounds, too. I find that I like to create some space along the left-side and along the bottom to put icons, files and folders I keep on my desktop. I create different spaces for different kinds of things, so my eye can easily find what I'm looking for with notepaper and journaling-type embellishments. Try it! You might like it!

Brandy Murry

Desktop Backgrounds

I don't know about you, but I find it hard to make time to create a personal desktop background. I see all of the member's beautiful ones in the galleries and think, "I need to do that.. I NEED to do that!" So last night I couldn't sleep and decided now was the time. I started getting together all my digital scrapbooking supplies for my page: calendar, quotes, photos and of course charming thoughts. Now I remember why I avoided doing it. By the time I decided exactly what I wanted and got the page saved, not too long would go by and it would be time to replace it because the calender is a month old! Oh no! I can't have that right?

OK (I say to myself) "edit edit edit!" That's what Tim Gunn says from Project Runway. And he is right. After sitting back and looking at all the cool stuff I crammed on my desktop, it took the focus away from my primary photo and diverted my attention from my files. So I took Tim's advice and removed over half of the things including the calendar so I could get more than one month's use out of my background. Hmm... (thinking to myself) I should have done that to begin with. It was much easier! So I created two! Now next time I want a change, I'll be ready!

Desktop wallpaper by Brandy Murry

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Dirty Press 5401 Mini are also available.

Desktop wallpaper by Brandy Murry

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Dirty Press Retro Inks 5401 Biggie 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 Amanda Sok using January's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Amanda Sok

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 Thao Cosgrove using December's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Thao Cosgrove and Caroline Kaiser

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!

Transparencies

When I first started digital scrapbooking, I was intrigued with something called a transparency. A transparency is a design that you actually lay over your photos in one piece; like a paper that is, well, transparent. The transparency can have a texture, a design, an edging, or even an embellishment set. Slide your photo underneath it, and you have an instant layout. I thought "Wow! Can my pages really look like that? Are they really that simple?" It seemed to be a really quick way to make a layout that looked very professional and well designed. I had to check it out.

I had this really great picture of my daughter Isabelle when she was four years old and our dog Daffodil. Isabelle was wearing such bright colors and had such confidence in this photo that I thought it would be a great example to show you how to use the Gypsy Boots Transparency Overlays.

The first thing I did was to bring the transparency onto my layout. It is a 12 x 12 transparency and covers the entire page. I adjusted my photo to a pleasing position under the transparency. Isabelle's darling boots called for attention, so they were placed just at the edge of the lower left corner for emphasis. A layer mask was used on the photo to take out the distracting background.

The title came next. Each letter was brought onto the layout individually, so that there would be total control over placement. Only the shapes of the letters were used as I filled them each with solid white. Each letter was then duplicated. I applied ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Painted Plastic 6401 Super Biggie to the duplicate layer of each letter. This helped to create the plastic, glossy 60's look that would complement the psychedelic feel of the layout.

The polka dot circles were placed on top of the transparency to emphasize my daughter's expression, the dog and the pink boots. I erased away parts of the circles to look like they were behind her. The blue swirls were actually beneath the transparency.

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I could have been done at this point. This is the basic way to use a transparency and a very easy tool for a beginner. I have a bright happy layout, and it didn't take me very long to put together! However, as I was studying my layout, I decided to add a little more "flair" by taking it another step.

Using the Magic Wand Tool and the command Ctrl+J on the transparency layer, I pulled out select colors from the transparency and brought them each to their own layer. I now have a layer for pink, a layer for white, and so on. Then, I duplicated each and every color layer, naming each layer. I added a style to the top layer of each color. Adding the styles to each color brought in more depth and texture to the transparency and overall look of the layout.

The last thing I did was to fix the title, so I could tuck the letters under various portions of the transparency. Since the flower colors had already been pulled out into their own layers, it was just a matter of moving the individual letters up or down in the Layers Palette until the letter was positioned under the particular portion of the transparency. This last step gives the layout more depth.

Transparencies can be so much of fun, and they are another versatile tool in the digital scrapbooking arsenal of way cool stuff that will help you make your layouts shine!

Layout by Amy Flanagan
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Die Cut – Love, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Typography, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Painted Plastic 6401 Super Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Acrylic Swirls 4102 Super Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Glossy Super Biggie 4102, Brush Set: Paint Stroke and Dynamic Brush Set: Paintstroke 5401 are also available.

Article written by Amy Flanagan

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
NEWLY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Paint Shop Pro X (XI)

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

Now that you've learned the basics of digital scrapbooking with Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, you are ready to learn advanced skills for having even more fun while you create digital scrapbooking layouts!

Get a big boost learning how to use ScrapSimple products to make your own backgrounds, embellishments, and alphas with the MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements movie tutorial series. You'll learn so much that your digital scrapbooking layouts will never be the same!

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:

Inspirations eBook

With three richly illustrated sections, Inspirations eBook not only offers a virtual gallery of stunning works by EIGHTEEN contemporary digital artists in a variety of styles, but it also describes the techniques they used and gives several key points on how you can recreate each of these TWENTY-EIGHT layouts yourself.

Ten Beginner Tips on Type eBook

If you're creating a digital scrapbooking layout, it's almost guaranteed that you'll be using type on your pages somewhere. But did you know that type can make or break your page? What typeface will you use? What size font? Where will you place it on your page? If you want to take some beginner steps towards improving the type on your layouts, and thereby improving the overall look of your layouts, then this eBook is perfect for you.

digital Photography Simplified eBook

This eBook is full of easy to understand information and photographic examples, and is tailored to the beginning digital photographer who wants to take better photos. More advanced photographers will also benefit from this eBook with the sections that get you out of your comfort zone.

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 Thao Cosgrove
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Designer Freebie by Thao Cosgrove coordinates with her
ScrapSimple Word Art Templates: Food Expressions, part of this month's ScrapSimple Club offering!

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Word Art Templates: Food Expressions, Brush Set: Everyday Eats and ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Kitchen Papers 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

What's New Chat
Friday, January 8th - 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!

Back-Up Party and Chat
Friday, January 8th - 2:00PM MT

Need a little extra motivation to back-up your layouts and stash? Join April Showers in the chat room on Friday, January 8th 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!

Recipe Swap Crop
Saturday, January 9th - 8:00PM MT

Please join April Showers at 8pm MT in the chat room for our Monthly Recipe Swap Chat. Please check the message board on Thursday, January 7th for this month's theme and the swap details!

Quote Challenge Chat
Sunday, January 10th - 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, I'll post a thread on the Chat section of the board giving you the quote that you will 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 layouts!

Photography Focus Club Chat
Monday, January 11th - 7:00PM MT

Do you want to challenge yourself and improve your photography? Check out the Scrap Girls Photo Focus Club. No membership required - Everyone is welcome. If you are looking for tips, techniques or inspiration to help you take better images, this is the chat for you. Join Mary Elizabeth O'Toole (NS_Scrapper) and special guests for a monthly conversation about photography. Each month, we'll have a theme and post a photography challenge. The challenge will be posted on the message board a week before the club meets to give you a chance to plan or practice your "assignment" - and consider some of its challenges. Note that this is not a class but an opportunity to share ideas, ask questions, and try something new.

Baby Album Chat
Tuesday, January 12th - 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, January 12th 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 each crop for motivation if you want one. For this month's challenge, let's scrap a milestone... the first birthday!

New Member Chat
Tuesday, January 12th - 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, January 13th - 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 January 13th, we'll do a "use your stash" challenge! Create a layout using a collection you've had for a while, but just haven't used yet! 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!

JANUARY EVENTS

January Message Board Game: Jumpstart January!

Join us on the message board this month for "Jumpstart January!" This is a message board game and challenge to start your year with fun and focus on taking time to scrapbook regularly despite the little speedbumps of life. When the month is over, you'll have completed several layouts and been challenged and treated to some fun along the way.

A member of the Welcoming Committee will post a mini-challenge/task every day from January 1-30 in the games folder on the message board. Check out the game thread titled "Jumpstart January 2010" for complete details and rules.

Those who complete all tasks and submit or post required participation by 11:59PM MT on January 31st will be entered in a drawing to win one of three $10 Gift Certificates to the ScrapGirls Boutique! Those who complete just the layouts will be entered in a separate drawing to win one of three $5 gift certificates. (Those who complete all tasks will have their name entered in both drawings!) Winners will be announced in the newsletter on Saturday, February 6th.

Layout Contests:

January Monthly Layout Contest: Did you have dreams as a child as to what your life would be like? Did you dream as a young adult how you wanted your future to pan out? Do you, as a mature adult, have dreams unfulfilled? The beginning of a new year is a great time to think about the future. This month's layout contest, create a layout about your hopes and dreams. It might center on family, a job or a recreational pursuit, show and tell us what your dreams are and how you are making them come true. Create your layout and post it in the January Layout Contest Gallery by Midnight on January 31st. Be sure to list your credits in the description or under the EXIF Properties. If your layout is one of the two chosen, you will win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

Club Concepts Layout Contest: Post your new layout using the current club selection (either the Scrap Girls club or the ScrapSimple club) in our Scrap Girls Club Members Gallery or the ScrapSimple Club Members' Gallery. Be sure to list all of the Scrap Girls products you used. If your layout is chosen, they will be showcased as a Club Concepts layout winner, and you will win a $5 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.)

Haven't received your prize as a contest winner? Please send an email to [email protected] and we'll get it out to you right away!