Rozanne Paxman

Gerbil Run

Sometimes I feel like a gerbil running around and around on his wheel. The spokes fly past my head, mesmerizing me until I lose all sense of time and awareness of self.

After the close of a gerbil-run day, I look back at my activities and wonder why I wasted time moving boots from one side of the closet to the other. I wonder why I cleaned the banister, read junk mail, and stacked boxes of jambalaya and corn muffins next to the soup. I wonder why I thought these activities mattered.

These evaluations make me catch my breath as I understand the magnitude of hours wasted on trivia. I ask myself why I didn't spend more time doing things that expand my mind, improve my health, and enrich my soul. I ask myself why I didn't spend more time doing things that last. I ask myself why didn't I spend more time loving and lifting others and why didn't I do things that fill my heart with joy.

I realize, as I consider my activities at the close of a gerbil-run day, that I cannot call back moments that have passed. It is too late. The only time I have is now because I cannot say with complete authority that the next moment will be.

I am tempted to say that my reflections following gerbil-run days alter my course. I am tempted to say that when I wake up the next day, I am filled with enough resolve to change that I completely revise my activities into days full of truly meaningful moments. I am tempted to say this, because a muse like this seems to beg for such a happy ending, but the truth is this: Life is filled with trivia that must be attended to. Groceries must be organized. Closets must be organized. Banisters must be wiped off, and junk mail must be thrown away.

Yes, sometimes I must be a gerbil, running forwards with the hope that later... later... maybe later... I can stop, rest, and have a little fun.

- Ro

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 Trish Yochum using February's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Trish Yochum

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 Template
1 ScrapSimple Embellishment or Word Art Template Set
2 Designer's Choice Items

A commercially licensed version of the ScrapSimple Club is also available here.

Layout by Armi Custodio using February's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Cherise Oleson and Syndee Nuckles

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!

How to Create A Paper Doll Chain Using Brush Set: Tike Transports 2

Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS3 with Mac OS X.

If you're like me, your digital scrapbooking supply includes brushes - and lots of them. While my Brush Set: Tike Transports 2 can be used in many different ways to create both papers and embellishments, I have been repeatedly asked how to create paper doll chains. So, I think it's time for a tutorial. Here goes:

Use the desired brushes to create a line of stick figures holding hands. Place all figures on the same layer. Be sure to overlap their hands. Or if you are unsure of the placement, brush each figure on a separate layer, adjust their positioning to your liking and merge the layers. I chose to use black, but you could use any color.

Next, use the Magic Wand tool to select the figures by clicking on one of them. You will see marching ants surrounding the stick figures.

Use the Select> Modify> Expand option from the Menu. The Expand Selection window will appear. Expand the selection by 25 pixels and click OK. Create a new blank layer above the stick figure brush layer. Make a stroke around the expanded selection by using the Edit> Stroke command from the menu bar. When the Stroke window appears, fill it in with the settings below.

You will see the stroke around the outside of the figures. You will also see some stroke lines inside the stick figures. We are going to fix that next.

Simply take a hard, round brush and, using the Eraser tool, carefully erase the unwanted stroke lines. Again, be sure you are on the stroke layer.

Place your desired background paper on a new layer and move that layer to the bottom. I used a notebook paper from the School Yard Collection Biggie. In the Layers Palette, you should now have the background paper on the bottom layer, the brush figures on the middle layer, and the stroke layer on the top.

Here comes the tricky part, so pay close attention. Highlight the stroke layer. Use the Magic Wand tool with the Contiguous box checked and the "Add To Selection" highlighted. Click somewhere outside the stroke. Then click on any additional, unwanted inside portions you wish to delete. You should see the marching ants surrounding everything except the paper doll chain.

Highlight the background paper layer (the bottom layer). Click Delete. Use the shortcut Cmd+D for Mac users (Ctrl+D for PC users) to get rid of the marching ants.

Next, merge all three layers. Crop the layout to get rid of any overhanging background paper if needed. You should now have a completed paper doll chain that can be moved onto your layout, resized, and positioned as desired. Add a drop shadow to make your paper doll chain appear realistic.

Experiment with different papers, colors, and styles to individualize your paper doll chain to coordinate with your project.

For more great ideas on using brush sets in your digital scrapbooking layouts, check out the incredible tutorials on Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed and MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

Here's my finished layout using my newly created paper doll chain:

Layout by Kim Meeder
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Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Tike Transports 2, ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Target, Lettering Delights Fadoodle Font and Lettering Delights Letterpress Inverted Font are also available.

Tutorial written by Kim Meeder

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:

Scrapbooking 911 - 2-page Sketches
to Revitalize Your Digital Scrapbooking eBook

Are you stuck in a creative corner? Need a jumpstart to your layouts? Want more ideas how to go from a blank page to a digital masterpiece? With a fresh collection of original sketches, all the hard design decisions (such as balance, composition, and rule of thirds) have already been made for you.

Scrapbook Quotes eBook
The right quote for your scrapbook layouts

Looking for scrapbooking quotes or quotes to use for greeting cards? Here's your solution. This packed eBook contains hundreds of quotes, collected over many years by Rozanne Paxman specifically for use on scrapbooking layouts.

Scrap Girls Tutorials & Way Cool Stuff eBook Set
2009 - 3rd Quarter

Subscribers to the Scrap Girls Newsletter have one thing in common: they love to learn new techniques! Each issue shares ideas, tutorials, and new ways to use Scrap Girls quality digital scrapbooking products. Now you can have all those past tutorials and Way Cool Stuff articles of the 3rd Quarter of 2009 in one convenient PDF format.

Start to Finish eBooklets

Start to Finish eBooklet - PS: The Beauty of Blending Modes: Using them with ScrapSimple Products

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 Amanda Sok
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Designer Freebie by Amanda Sok coordinates with her ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Colored Wires 6401

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Colored Wires 6401 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, February 26th - 9:00AM MT

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Sherry (Sherry_Lynn) at 9am MT 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
Saturday, February 27th - 6:00PM 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 6pm MT on Saturday, February 27th!

Desktop Challenge Crop
Sunday, February 28th - 5:00PM MT

Tired of the boring desktop wallpaper backgrounds that your PC or MAC came with? Join Becca and Shari PV Mom on Sunday, February 28th at 5pm MT for this month's Desktop Challenge Crop. We'll show you how to use your digital scrapbooking supplies to create a personalized desktop wallpaper of your own. For this challenge, we'll give you a theme and a technique challenge to choose from! Keep your eyes on the message board for more details!

NSBR Chat
Monday, March 1st - 7:00PM 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 Carla (CRS) on March 1st at 7pm MT!

ATC Swap Chat
Tuesday, March 2nd - 5:00PM MT

Please join Sherry_Lynn and Elisha (elibar) in the chatroom for our March ATC (Artist Trading Card) Swap Crop/Chat on Tuesday, March 2nd at 5pm MT. We are looking forward to seeing you there.

Creative Cards Chat
Tuesday, March 2nd - 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 digi stash! Make a note of any cards you might need for the upcoming month, and join Michelle (Shelbi) and April (April Showers) for the monthly Card Chat on Tuesday, March 2nd at 6pm MT. Can't wait to see you there!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, March 3rd- 10:00AM MT

Join your 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 March 3rd, we'll do a font challenge! Create a layout on any theme, any topic, and any colors - using multiple fonts - at least 3 different fonts! Mix it up! 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!

What's New Chat
Friday, March 5th - 9:00AM MT

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Sherry (Sherry_Lynn) at 9am MT 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 & Chat
Friday, March 5th - 2:00PM MT

Need a little extra motivation to back-up your layouts and stash? Join April Showers in the chat room on Friday, March 5th 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!

Quote Challenge Chat
Sunday, March 7th - 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 can use to make your own word art. It's not hard, and she 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!

FEBRUARY EVENTS

February Message Board Game: BINGO!

It's that time again! Join us for an exciting game of BINGO on the Message Board Forum in February! Pick 25 words from the list provided in the forum and send them in an email to [email protected] with a subject line that says "BINGO CARD - your SG message board username" by Saturday, January 30th (Midnight MST) in order to play in the first round, which will begin on Monday, February 1st.

Each day, members of the Welcoming Committee will call five 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 forum 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:

February Monthly Layout Contest: During the month of February, many people turn to thoughts of love. What greater love is there than the love for family. For this month's contest, we want to see layouts about your family – either the one you grew up with or the one you have started. Create your layout and post it in the February Layout Contest Gallery by Midnight MST on February 28th. 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, it 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!