Rozanne Paxman

How to Become Twitter-pated

Are you on Twitter yet? If you're not sure what Twitter is, I'll update you: Twitter is just another method of connecting with people through short little messages called Tweets. You can only use 140 characters when you make a Twitter post so, by default, it makes you think carefully about what you want to say when you post.

Here's what the ScrapGirls Twitter account looks like. If you follow it, we'll follow you back, too!

Here's what my personal user account looks like. My Twitter name is ScrapGirlsRo. If you follow me, I'll follow you back and then we can talk. If you try to talk to me through the ScrapGirls Twitter user, I can't answer you because Brandie Valenzuela (our whiz kid) is the genius who sends out all of those cool, helpful tips from that account.

(By the way… THANKS to everyone who complimented me on my muses during last month's ScrapGirls Twitter game. I was dying to thank you when I saw your Tweets, but because we aren't Twitter friends yet, I couldn't do it!)

You can read your Twitter messages in various ways once you have joined. Here are some of the common methods:

On your Twitter home page, located at Twitter.com.
In Twitter applications. You can run them on your desktop, install them in your iGoogle home page, or do what I do - read the Tweets on your cell phone. (Smart phones have applications that allow you to do this.) I prefer the cell phone. There are tons of applications and a quick search in Google will help you find them. A good application for your desktop is TweetDeck.
Through your cellphone via text messaging.
Via email.

You will use the same methods to send your posts.

Twitter messages are kind of like mini-blog posts, only sometimes people post back to you and conversations start up - if you have said something particularly interesting, that is. I discovered quickly that if you stick to reporting about what you are eating (I just had a bowl of Cheerios), the conversation is pretty one-sided. After all, what can someone say back to that? "Oh nice. Cheerios. Good for you."

Nah... people won't do that and so they don't. But if your conversation is varied and if you provide useful information to people, they'll be interested in what you're saying. (Not that I'm saying I'm interesting on Twitter, because I don't think I'm a Twitter genius. But it's fun.)

The interesting thing about Twitter is that you'll find - after awhile - that some fairly interesting people start to follow you. If you follow them back, you find out what makes them tick. I'm finding that part fun.

There are some Twitter-spammers who pop-up every once in a while - my "fav" are the people who make a single post about how to win a free iPad. But you can block those people in a flash, and so it's basically a non-issue, in my mind.

I don't know if you have noticed my Twitter Gadget on the side of my blog – Life Muses by Ro. It shows my most recent updates. If you have a blog of your own and you install the gadget - or widget - your blog posts will go out as Tweets, which is nice.

If you're new to Twitter, do what I did to start out. Sign up to follow some people and then just watch the action for a little while until you start to see what's happening. Then start replying to people and you'll be on your way. You can also search for people who talk about the things you are interested at http://search.twitter.com/.

Here's what I found when I searched for ScrapGirls today.

If you're really interested in how Twitter works - what the best practices are - there is a great blog called TwiTip which is very helpful.

Hope to see you on Twitter!

- Ro

Follow Ro's popular blog – Life Muses by Ro
Blog-only muses and humor pieces, inside scoop of Ro's life, photo journals, and more)

Follow Ro's newest blog – How Mom Did It
Food recipes, homemaking tips, gardening, quilting, and other neat stuff her mom and grandma taught her

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 Kim Meeder using February's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Kim Meeder

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 Brandy Murry using February's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Brandy Murry and Sara Beth Peterson

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!

Three Fast Steps to a Custom Scrapbook Paper

Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS4 with Windows 7. This tutorial was written and tested with ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Subtle Photos 7601 Biggie. Other photo styles may provide different results.

Today we're going to create a fast, one-of-a-kind digital scrapbooking paper using a pre-made paper from a collection, a ScrapSimple Paper Template, and a style.

As you will see, you can create a very different look by using these three elements. The masculine paper you are creating today comes from a feminine collection, mostly feminine templates and a set of photo styles.

For the lower layer, let's use the khaki paper from my Victorian Garden Collection Biggie. (Remember to open your new layout document, then open the Victorian Garden paper, and using your Move Tool, drag the Victorian Garden paper onto your layout. If you do this Shift+Drag technique correctly, the paper should snap right into place in your layout document.)

Now, open the "Ticking" paper from the ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Victorian Garden. Again, Shift+Drag so that it's the layer just above your khaki paper layer. If desired, add a color overlay to the template to change the color by going to Layer> Layer Style> Color Overlay and then select your desired color.

If you have not tried using digital scrapbooking styles yet, be sure you read the instructions file included in your purchase and follow the steps to install and load the styles. Once you get the styles correctly installed in your software, using them is very easy.

To view your styles, go to Window and select Styles. Now your Styles Palette will be visible, with the nine ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Subtle Photos 7601 Biggie showing. (If you have Photoshop Elements, the specific commands to view your styles are given in the instructions that came with your purchase.)

Making sure that your Ticking Template layer is selected, move your mouse or pen over to the Styles Palette, and simply click on the ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Subtle Photos 7601 Biggie style circled above.

By the way, the Subtle Photos styles are quite versatile. In this layout, use them on Brandy Murry's Time Traveler Embellishments - Frames to tone down the rusty color and make them fade into the background more.

Below is my finished layout with my new custom scrapbook paper.

Are you new to digital scrapbooking or do you want to take your digital layouts to a new level? Check out the incredible tutorials on Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed and MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

Layout by Kerry Veale
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Victorian Garden Biggie and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Subtle Photos 7601 Biggie are also available.

Tutorial written by Kerry Veale

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:

30-33 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:

Scrapbook Quotes: 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.

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.

Scrap Girls Tutorials & Way Cool Stuff eBook Set - 2010 1st 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 1st Quarter of 2010 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!

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.

See more titles

Layout by Kim Meeder
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Designer Freebie by Kim Meeder coordinates with her Defining Moments Collection Biggie,
part of this month's Scrap Girls Club offering!

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Edge Them and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Blended 8201 Super Biggie 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

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, February 16th - 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 February 16th, we'll do a photo manipulation challenge! Create a layout using a photo you have manipulated in some way - change it to black & white or sepia, remove a distraction, cut out the subject - anything goes! 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! Hope to see you in the chat room!

U.F.O Chat
Wednesday, February 16th - 11:00AM MT

Everyone has those projects you started but just haven't gotten around to finishing! Join Shannon (tinkerbell11) and our guest hostess from the Layout Artist Team, Ashleigh (caprimom) in the chat room at 11am MT to talk about all of your U.F.O (unfinished layouts). Post your layouts in the Unfinished Objects Layouts Gallery before the chat so we can get help from everyone during the chat.

NSBR Chat - Early Edition
Thursday, February 17th - 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 Pat (PBarnes) at 2pm MT in the chat room Lobby! Hope to see you there!

Heritage Crop & Chat
Thursday, February 17th - 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 Challenge & Chat
Thursday, February 17th - 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 in the Scrap Girls Boutique Chat
Friday, February 18th - 9:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) at 9am MT on Friday mornings to chat about all the wonderful new products in the Scrap Girls Boutique! What are your favorite new items? Is your shopping basket full? What did you kaboodle? Have you already done layouts or other projects with your new goodies? Come tell the designers how much you love their work. You never know who will show up. There's a thread every Thursday and now there's a chat too!

Back-Up Party and Chat
Friday, February 18th - 8:00PM MT

Need a little extra motivation to back-up your layouts and stash? Join April (April Showers) in the chat room at 8pm MT for the Back-up Party and Chat. The goal of these chats is to make sure our back-ups are current. Come chat while you back up your files. We'll also go over several different ways to safeguard your files and even give you some tips on organizing your supplies. Grab some chocolate and we'll see you in the chat room!

Photo Focus Club Chat
Saturday, February 19th - 10:00AM 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. Please note that this is not a class but an opportunity to share ideas, ask questions, and try something new. If you are looking for tips, techniques or inspiration to help you take better images, this is the chat for you. Join Becca and Ashleigh (caprimom) on Saturday, February 19th at 10am MT for February's monthly conversation about photography.

New Member Chat
Tuesday, February 22nd - 7:00PM MT

Join Pat (PBarnes) 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.

FEBRUARY EVENTS

February 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 February 1st when we post the thread to February 28th at 12:00 Midnight (MST). We are doing things a little differently this time and there are two ways to participate - the Message Board and the Gallery, so here are the rules:

1) To enter the Message Board 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. During the month, chat your fingers off! On February 28th, 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.)

2) To enter the Gallery Posting Challenge, take a screenshot of your Gallery comment number and send it to [email protected] BEFORE February 1st, Midnight (MST). To get to your Gallery Stats, click the arrow beside your Profile photo and go down to Gallery. Your total comments number is under Stats on the left-hand side - this is what we need a screenshot of to know where you are starting. Then BEFORE Midnight (MST) on February 28th, take another screenshot of your Gallery Stats and send it to [email protected], this will give us your ending number and enter you in the contest!

PRIZES: You may enter both contests. Members with Message Board posts over 50 will be put in a drawing for a $5 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate. Members with Message Board posts over 200 will be put in a drawing for both the $5 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate and a $10 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate. Members with Message Board posts over 400 will be put in a drawing for a $15 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate, as well as the $5 and $10 Gift Certificates. Members with Gallery comments over 25 will be put in a drawing for $10 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate.

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

Layout Contests:

February Monthly Layout Contest: In the spirit of Mardi Gras, let’s scrap about parties!! For the February Layout Contest, we'd love to see your layouts featuring people or things that make a party special to you! It can be a party you hosted or one you attended. So put your party hats on and post your layouts in the February Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight MT 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!