The beginning of April, my 20-year-old son, James, arrived home after nearly a year in Iraq. He is a Specialist with the Army Corps of Engineers in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is my youngest child and my only son. We have always been very close, to the point that he admits proudly that he is a "mama's boy."

Three weeks into this deployment, one of James' "battle buddies" and closest friends took his own life with his Army-issued weapon. He had just turned 25. James was a member of the detail that carried this young man's body onto the plane that would bring him home to his family. Most of us cannot imagine the daily stress of being in a war zone, of having to carry a weapon on your person every minute you are outside the 12x12-foot trailer that you share day-in, day-out with another person, of spending every holiday for one year away from your family and friends, of turning a year older 7,000 miles away from those you love... and add to that the stress and shock of losing close friends in a war. Our military men and women do not receive nearly enough respect, appreciation, or simple thoughtfulness for the sacrifices they make.

When James returned home this past April, he moved out of our house and into his own place. I felt like I lost him when he graduated from high school, then again when he left for Basic Training, training for mobilization, then to Iraq - and now he's out on his own. I'm not completely sure I can handle this one! I do have to say, though, that my husband and I are very proud of him. He has turned out to be a wonderful young man, and I am proud to call this soldier my son.

- Tami Harr

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 Armi Custodio using June's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Syndee Nuckles

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 Brush Set
2 Designer's Choice Item

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

Layout by Valerie Randall using June's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Melissa Renfro and Valerie Randall

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!

One of the challenges that our members look forward to each month is our Sketch Challenge. This challenge is introduced on the first Thursday of month and is led by our wonderful designer, Marnie Adams. Here are some things our members recently had to say about the Sketch Challenge:

I love Marnie's Sketch Challenge layouts, even though I don't often get to do them in a timely manner. I wanted to say thank you to Marnie for a great sketch that has inspired lots of layouts. My hat's off to the 17 (so far) layouts created with this month's Sketch Challenge - all different and interesting and great color combinations!

Marnie makes wonderful sketches! I love looking through the Sketch Challenge Gallery to see what each person has done with the sketch provided. Thanks for the fun sketches, Marnie!

That was a great sketch, wasn't it? And such variety in the layouts made from it.

I love Sketch Challenges! They are so much fun. It's so easy to be creative with them, and yet everyone is so different that they really become your own when you add the wonderful Scrap Girls embellishments and background papers.

I always love a Marnie sketch! Be sure to check out her books in the Boutique... lots of great options for when you are feeling in a pinch!

I agree - Marnie's sketches are so fun to work with and easy, too! I love her books in the Boutique, and I think I have all of them!

I greatly appreciate Marnie's sketches, too. I have learned so much while using them. It is a very generous gift each month, both the beautiful sketch and her time.

I love Marnie's sketches. If you were at Convention, you know she's awesome in person, too. I can always find inspiration with one of her sketches. Marnie, thanks so much for your generosity.

Marnie does great sketches! We are so lucky!

I always look forward to the first Thursday of the month because it means a wonderful new sketch. It is so fun to see everyone's unique take on them in the Gallery afterwards. Thanks, Marnie!

From Marnie: Thank you so much for such a sweet thread! I do enjoy making sketches and continue to work to make each one a fresh challenge for everyone. One of my highlights each month is the Sketch Chat where I get to spend quality time with some amazing Scrap Girls members. Seeing your posts put a huge smile on my face! Big squishy hugs all around!

We hope to see you all at our next Sketch Challenge. And if you can't get enough of Marnie's wonderful sketches, check out her e-book, Scrapbooking 911 - 20 Sketches to Revitalize Your Digital Scrapbooking, plus many other wonderful e-books we have in the Scrap Girls Boutique.

Weekly Layout Winners

Layout by podiumchick
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Blended 8201 Super Biggie, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Background Blenders and ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Rolled Tears are also available.

Layout by Cheri T
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Basic Shadows 6501 are also available.

Want to see your layouts make an appearance in the Scrap Girls newsletters?

Simply post your digital or paper layouts that use Scrap Girls products in our online gallery, and if we choose your layout to be featured in the newsletter, you'll win a prize! To be considered, don't forget to list the Scrap Girls products that you used in your layout.

Congratulations to this week's selectees. Please email [email protected] to get your gift!

Want to see past winners of the Weekly Layout Contest? Visit the Weekly Layout Winners gallery on our message board here!

June's Scrap Girls Club Concepts Layout Winners

Layout by Michelleds
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These two products are included in this month's Scrap Girls Club offering. Members receive a substantial discount on these club supplies. They are also available elsewhere in the Boutique at regular prices for those individuals who would rather not join a club.

Layout by Katie Grace
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These three products are included in this month's Scrap Girls Club offering. Members receive a substantial discount on these club supplies. They are also available elsewhere in the Boutique at regular prices for those individuals who would rather not join a club.

Congratulations, Michelleds and Katie Grace!! We loved your layouts so much we had to share it with everybody! Michelleds and Katie Grace each receive a $5 Gift Certificate for their layouts using June's Scrap Girls Club! Congratulations!

Congratulations to this club's winners. Please email [email protected] to get your gift!

Want to see past winners of the Scrap Girls Club Concepts contest? Visit the Scrap Girls Club Concept's Winners gallery on our message board here!

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:

Scrap Girls 2009 Digital Scrap Link Class: Combining ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates

Learn how you can combine ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates to create your own unique layout template written by Angie Briggs. You will get step by step instructions, with screen shots to follow and several sample layouts giving you even more ideas. You'll also receive ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album Templates: 12x12 Album Series 7, so that you may easily follow along with the instructions.

Scrapbooking 911 - 20 Sketches to Revitalize Your Digital Scrapbooking eBook

Are your creative juices drained? Need help finding ideas? Want a great starting place? Scrapbooking 911 - 20 Sketches to Revitalize Your Digital Scrapbooking is the answer to all of these questions. With twenty original sketches to work from, you'll be creating exciting, dynamic, and creative layouts in no time.

Scrap Girls Tutorials & Way Cool Stuff eBook Set
2009 - 4th 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 4th Quarter of 2009 in one convenient PDF format.

Start to Finish eBooklets

Step by Step Movie Tutorial: How to Create An Old Wall Mural

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 Theresa Kavouras
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Designer Freebie by Theresa Kavouras coordinates with her Re-Enlist Collection

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Washed and Worn Curled Edges 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

Swap Crop Chat
Saturday, June 26th - 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. We'll even reveal the theme for next month! Join us, Carla (CRS) and Angela (angelaNussbaum), for a fun chat at 6pm MT on Saturday, June 26th.

U.F.O. Chat
Sunday, June 27th - 3:00PM MT

Please join Sherry Lynn and special guest co-hostess TBA from our Layout Artist Team, in the chatroom. 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 Lobby on Sunday, June 27th at 3pm MT to get some inspirational suggestions from our incredible professionals here at Scrap Girls!

ScrapSimple - Use It! Chat
Sunday, June 27th - 6:00PM MT

Strengthening your abilities in scrapbooking is essential to becoming a better scrapbooker and learning to utilize the ScrapSimple product line available here at Scrap Girls will give you so many more unique and fun options with your layouts! Join Angela (angelaNussbaum) for this monthly chat on Sunday, June 27th at 6pm MT as we talk about how to use these versatile products!

Emphasis on Embellishments Chat
Monday, June 28th - 7:00PM MT

Join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Janine (J9Buckles) on Monday at 7pm MT for the Emphasis on Embellishments Chat. This chat is geared towards challenging you to use more embellishments on your layout. Each month, you will be given a specific number challenge to inspire you to start using more elements on your layouts or to create your own cluster of embellishments!

Desktop Challenge Crop
Tuesday, June 29th - 5:00PM MT

Tired of the boring desktop wallpaper backgrounds that your PC or MAC came with? Join Becca and Angela (angelaNussbaum) on Tuesday, June 29th 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 month's theme, let's scrap our pets or any animals! And for the added challenge, try an out-of-bounds technique on your desktop layout!

Life Moments Chat
Tuesday, June 29th - 6:00PM MT

Join April (April Showers) in the chat room on June 29th at 6pm MT for another Life Moments Chat and Crop. These chats are focused on building a scrapbook all about you, one layout at a time. This week we will be working on Graduations. High School, College, Kindergarten, Middle School - it is up to you! Dig through your files, write down your memories, and be sure to join us in the chat room!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, June 30th - 10:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers)each Wednesday at 10am MT for the East Coast High Noon Crop. All coasts and time zones are welcome! 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 June 30th, we'll do a Stars Challenge! Create a layout using at least one star. It can be embellishments like brads, buttons, stitching, brushes, or even a layout template. There are so many possibilities - have fun with it! Create your layout and upload it to the special High Noon Crop Gallery. You'll be amazed what you can get done in just one hour, but there is no High Noon Sheriff timing you!

Scrap Girls Club Chat
Wednesday, June 30th - 2:00PM MT

We know everyone is excited to get their hands on the new Monthly Club to be released tomorrow. Come join Sherry Lynn on Wednesday, June 30th at 2pm MT for a Scrap Girls Monthly Club Chat and Challenge! As a challenge, let's create one more layout using June's Monthly Club before the next one arrives. It's sure to be a blast! Hope to see you there!

NSBR Chat - Early Edition
Thursday, July 1st - 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 Michelle (Shelbi) and Pat (PBarnes) at 2pm MT in the chat room Lobby! Hope to see you there!

What's New Chat
Friday, July 2nd - 9:00AM MT

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and 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!

JUNE EVENTS

June Message Board Game: Quotable Quotes

The object of the game is to correctly guess the layout (created by either a product designer or layout artist) that contains a quote or journaling. Each day, you will be given a word found in the clue. We will keep giving words to the clues until a correct guess is made.

Be the first to answer it correctly and win a $5.00 Gift Certificate to the Boutique! You are only allowed ONE guess per daily clue, and you are only allowed ONE win per month. When you make your guess, you must link it to the correct layout in the Boutique. We will play the game daily during the entire month of June. When a correct answer is given, the new puzzle will start the following day.

For complete details and examples of game play, visit the Monthly Message Board Games folder on the Scrap Girls message board.

Layout Contests:

June Monthly Layout Contest: June is National Candy Month and who doesn't like candy!? For this month's layout contest, use the wrapper of your favorite candy for inspiration. Does your favorite candy have a great color combination, cool fonts or a fun striped pattern? Use whatever inspires you about it to create your layout. You don't have to include the candy's wrapper in your layout but you might mention it in your description. Create your layout and post it in the June Layout Contest Gallery by Midnight MT on June 30th. 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!