Rozanne Paxman

Ideas in a Notebook

"I can't get any new ideas," I thought to myself after wading through a two-month dry spell. "Maybe I'm finished as a writer. Maybe I've written all I have to say."

The more I worried about my inability to write, the harder it became for me to face the page. The longer the struggle continued, the more I began to dread the inadequate feeling I received when I tried.

But then one day, for no particular reason, I picked up my journal and started writing down every stray thought that popped into my head – no filtering or editing. I filled up three pages and discovered that in the middle of a lot of complete nonsense, I had stumbled onto two or three very good ideas.

A day or two later, new ideas started flooding my mind. I decided to write them in an eager little notebook that had been impatiently waiting on a shelf for its turn in my life. I opened it and wrote down all of the ideas that were forming. Then I decided to gather up every unused idea that I had received during the past five years.

I pulled out all of my notebooks and went through each one, page by page, moving every small thought or article idea that hadn't been fleshed out into my new "Idea" notebook. In the process, I discovered book ideas, product ideas, marketing ideas, and business ideas. I discovered bits of conversations I had overheard, drawings, and interesting quotations.

When I was finished, I realized that I had hundreds of ideas – great ideas – that had been patiently waiting for me to expand them so they can fly out into the world.

The ideas looked so happy together as they sat in the new notebook, side by side, that I practically saw them grin at me. It made me wonder if somehow, unused ideas have power. Perhaps they have the ability to throw a blanket over your mind and the only way to take it off is to find what you have lost. Perhaps they say to each other, as they impatiently wait on dark pages of notebooks never opened, "She won't get a single new idea until she appreciates the ideas she already has."

Okay, ideas... I know where you are now. Do you want to come up and play?

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 Ariadna Wiczling using August's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Ariadna Wiczling

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 Thao Cosgrove using August's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Thao Cosgrove 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!

Create Your Own Boredom Buster with ScrapSimple Craft Templates: Cootie Catcher

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

I'm sure many of you remember back to your childhood and the days of folding a piece of paper into a fortune teller or cootie catcher or whatever you may have called it. I remember making them when I was a child. Recently, I've come across some great ideas for elevating the basic cootie catcher to some very useful and grown-up applications - using your digital scrapbooking techniques.

For this tutorial, I will be using ScrapSimple Craft Templates: Cootie Catcher, which has text paths built in for Photoshop and PSE users. This will make my job so much easier!

First, I opened the PSD version of the file. I'm planning to make a "boredom buster" cootie catcher for every time that my kids tell me they're bored. I decided that the outer flaps of my cootie catcher will be "SPARE TIME BOREDOM BUSTER" with one word on each flap.

With the Text Tool activated, I triple-clicked on the text that says "Outer Panel 1." If all the text is not selected, you can also use Cmd+A (Ctrl+A on PC) once your Text Tool cursor is blinking anywhere within that section text, and it will select all the text.

Type the word you want to have appear on that flap (I typed "SPARE") and it will replace the original text with your new text. You can change the font and the size as desired.

This is what mine looks like after editing all the outer Panels.

For the "Mid-layer Flaps," I'm going to use the numbers 1-8. But I decided to use simple math equations, where the answers will be those numbers, so that my children will need to perform a simple equation before proceeding to the final fortune.

With the Text Tool activated, I triple-clicked on "Mid-layer Flap 1." I typed "3-2" as my first equation.

This is what mine looks like after editing all the Mid-layer Flaps with simple mathematical equations.

The next step is to put my "fortunes" on the innermost sections of the cootie catcher. With the Text Tool activated, I triple-clicked on "Fortune 1" and typed "Play outside with chalk."

This is what mine looks like after editing all the fortunes with boredom buster ideas.

Now I'm going to slip a piece of digital background paper behind the template, so it will just show through in the transparent area. I have chosen this orange diagonal stripe paper from Campout Collection Mini. I also used my Marquee Tool to select certain areas of the cootie catcher and darken some and lighten others, just for fun to create some variety.

Here is my finished Boredom Buster Cootie Catcher before printing.

After printing it out, I followed the instructions that came with the ScrapSimple Craft Template: Cootie Catcher to fold it. Below is a picture of the finished Boredom Buster Cootie Catcher. Here's hoping that it keeps those bored moments at bay!

Explore the flexibility of ScrapSimple Templates, plus 50 other digital scrapbooking topics, in Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed and MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed. Drop by the Scrap Girls Boutique now!

Craft by Cherise Oleson
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Craft Templates: Cootie Catcher and Lettering Delights Fat Hatch Font are also available.

Tutorial written by Cherise Oleson

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 2008 Digital Scrap Link Class: Understanding and Creating Color Sets

Learn to create perfect color palettes on your digital scrapbook pages with Understanding and Creating Color Sets written by Trish Yochum. Learn color terms, how to put together color palettes, how to mix and match colors by hue and how to create winning color combos every time.

ReMix: (Digital Scrapbooking) From Ordinary to Extraordinary! eBook

Have you ever wanted to get a makeover - A layout makeover? Do you ever wonder how someone might decide to make certain changes and why? In ReMix: (Digital Scrapbooking) From Ordinary to Extraordinary! eBook, you have the opportunity to virtually "look over the shoulder" during the remake process, as Scrap Girls Product Designer Marnie Adams takes member's pages and plies her design magic.

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

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 Brandy Murry
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Designer Freebie by Brandy Murry coordinates with her Peaceful Collection Biggie

* 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, August 18th - 10:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) each Wednesday at 12 Noon Eastern Time 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 August 18th, 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. 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!

Heritage Crop
Thursday, August 19th - 6:00PM MT

Do you have boxes of heritage photos just waiting to be restored and scrapped? Are there family stories just waiting for you to write down and preserve? Then this is the crop for you! Join April (April Showers) and Carla (CRS) at 6pm MT for the Heritage Crop and Chat! We'll help you get motivated to scrap those heritage photos and record your family stories for future generations to enjoy.

Ad Inspiration Chat
Thursday, August 19th - 7:00PM MT

Join Pat (PBarnes) at 7pm MT for an Ad Inspiration Challenge and Chat. A few hours before the chat, a magazine ad will be posted on the Message Board to use as inspiration for a layout. You can use whatever you want to from the ad - the colors, the shapes, the composition. There are no wrong answers!

What's New Chat
Friday, August 20th - 9:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) 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 and Chat
Friday, August 20th - 8:00PM MT

Need a little extra motivation to back-up your layouts and stash? Join April (April Showers) in the chat room on Friday, August 20th 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 Chat
Saturday, August 21st - 6:00PM MT

Join April (April Showers) and Lei (Bride) at 6pm MT in the chat room for our Monthly Recipe Swap Chat. Please check the message board on Thursday, August 19th for this month's theme and the swap details!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, August 25th - 10:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) each Wednesday at 12 Noon Eastern Time 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 August 25th, we'll do a patterned paper challenge! Create a layout on any theme, any topic, and any colors - using multiple patterned papers - at least 2 different patterns! Mix it up! 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!

Desktop Challenge Crop
Wednesday, August 25th - 5:00PM MT

Tired of the boring desktop wallpaper backgrounds that your PC or MAC came with? Join Becca and Angela (angelaNussbaum) on August 25th 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. Stay tuned for the challenge! We will post it the day of the chat!

NSBR Chat - Early Edition
Thursday, August 26th - 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 April (April Showers) at 2pm MT in the chat room Lobby! Hope to see you there!

Speed Scrap Crop
Thursday, August 26th - 7:00PM MT

Ever wonder what you can get done when time is tight? Here is your chance to find out! Join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Carla (CRS) for a Speed Scrap Crop! We'll give you six items, spread out over an hour, for you to include on your layout. It's a challenge that is also a lot of fun! We'll see you in the chat room on Thursday, August 26th, at 7pm MT!

AUGUST EVENTS

August Message Board Game: Posting Contest!

It's that time again - Posting Contest time! This is where you are rewarded for your flying fingers and chattiness. The contest will run from August 1 when we post the thread to August 31 at 12:00 Midnight (MST). We are doing things a little differently this time, so here are the rules:

1) To enter the Posting Challenge, reply in the game thread with your CURRENT post count. This is the number under your Avatar that shows when you post. Do not post the number found on your profile; it is a different number that is calculated differently.

2) During the month, chat your fingers off!

3) On August 31, BEFORE Midnight (MST), go back to your original post in the game thread (the one with your starting post count) and take a screenshot of it. Send the screenshot to [email protected]. The screenshot is your contest entry! We will calculate your post count based on the numbers on the screenshot. (Directions for taking screenshots will be posted in the game thread.)

Prizes: The top poster gets a $20 Scrap Girls gift certificate. Everyone over 250 new posts will be entered in a random drawing for a $10 Scrap Girls gift certificate. Everyone over 100 new posts will be entered into a random drawing for a $5 Scrap Girls gift certificate.

For complete details, visit the Monthly Message Board Games folder on the Scrap Girls message board.

Layout Contests:

August Monthly Layout Contest: For August's layout contest, we want you to scrap about what you do to "get away from it all" when you can't get take a big vacation. Do you play tourist in your own town, do you pamper yourself with a spa day, do you just take a weekend day to do nothing? Post your layouts in the August Gallery before Midnight MT on August 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, 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!