Rozanne Paxman

Layout by Ro
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Commercial license versions of Structures Paper, Touches of Mexico Collection and ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Mega Lift I - Squared Biggie are also available.

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 March'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 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!

QUESTION: Presently, I have Adobe Creative Suite 5 (CS5) and Lightroom 2 (LR2) on my desktop and my laptop. I will be replacing my laptop and want to know what I have to do to have LR2 and CS5 on my new computer. I think you can only have these programs on two computers, right? So what do I have to do to take it off my old laptop? Is just deleting it okay or is there some kind of deactivating process?

ANSWER: According to the Adobe website, they allow you to install on two computers per serial number. It also said you must first deactivate the software on one computer by choosing Help> Deactivate or to check the deactivate checkbox during the uninstall process.

ANSWER: In Photoshop CS5, go to the Help tab and deactivate from there. It's really quite easy. I have not opened LR to find out but I think it should be about the same.

QUESTION: I have trouble with curved lines and wonder if anyone uses it in layouts as opposed to for designing? I have tried it for type paths, but just prefer those in the Boutique! I read the tutorials but just don't "get it."

ANSWER: Yes, what she said. I use Photoshop Elements 7 (PSE7). Thanks.

ANSWER: Anxiously awaiting an answer on this one as well. All my attempts in using the Pen Tool to create a type path do not produce on screen what I have in my mind's eye. I use CS4 and have found a different method to create a type path successfully, but the Pen eludes me.

ANSWER: Took me about an hour through trial and error, but eventually the type ended up where it was supposed to go and not upside down or backwards. Once it worked, I thought, wow, that wasn't too hard, but now I'm not sure I could reproduce the correct steps again. It's definitely a feature I'd like to master.

ANSWER: I've played with it a couple of times, but the practical use of it is a little beyond what I'm comfortable with and certainly not something I can use quickly. Maybe I'll try again and see if it's any better. Will get back with you if I discover any tricks or tips.

ANSWER: Using the Pen Tool can be useful in certain situations. Unlike all the other selection tools which select pixels based on their color (or color-range), the Pen Tool draws a line that is able to actually cut through a single pixel. If I were to create a selection using a low-res image, my selection would be very blocky and pixelated. One could choose to "smooth" the selection, but the smooth option often straightens out areas that you didn't want straightened at all. But if I traced around a low-res image using the Pen Tool, I would be able to create a custom-shape or path that is very smooth and specific. Likewise, a Pen Tool selection/path can be enlarged to huge sizes without becoming pixelated - think poster-size or even billboard size.

Yes, it has a bit of a learning curve to it. But it can be the better tool of choice in certain situations.

ANSWER: I use it every now and then for creating a typing path, but other than that, I haven't messed with it too much. I have seen others do amazing things with this tool, but not me.

ANSWER: I use the Pen Tool to make type paths and text boxes that flow around an object. That doesn't come up that often though, so I guess I don't use it a lot, but I love what it can do when I do use it. I'm taking an online course which I hope will give me a better understanding of it.

ANSWER: I really like the Pen Tool for text paths. I use it on the following settings in the option bar: Paths> Pen Tool (as opposed to Freeform Pen Tool). I do not try to get absolutely smooth curves. I simply click once to make a point, then I click again. If I need a smooth curve I use the Shape Tool to make, for example, a circle, I select the circle to get the "marching ants," then go to "Paths" in the Layers Palette and choose "Make Path from Selection."

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 Sara Peterson
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Designer Freebie by Sara Peterson coordinates with her ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Ribbon Embroidery,
part of this month's ScrapSimple Club offering!

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Ribbon Embroidery, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Quilted Fabric, Brush Set: So Tatty, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Ribbon Initials, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Floribunda, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Urban Living and Lettering Delights Long Hand Font 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

Sketch Challenge Chat
Tuesday, March 8th - 6:00PM MT

It's time for the Sketch Challenge and Crop! Join Cheri (Cheri T) on Tuesday, March 8th at 6pm MT in the Scrap Girls Chat Room! Enjoy getting a little creative boost for your pages? Are you needing help getting started? Then this is the challenge for you! A few hours before the chat begins, Cheri will post a link for you to download the sketch. Use it as the starting point for your page; be inspired by the basic arrangement; flip things around or scraplift the whole thing hook, line, and sinker! All interpretations of the design are welcome and encouraged. Don't worry about any deadlines... post your layout when it works with your schedule. Hope to see you there!

New Member Chat
Tuesday, March 8th - 7:00PM MT

Join Pat (PBarnes) and Theresa (tiza126) 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, March 9th - 10:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) this 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 March 9th, our challenge is to use products from at least five different collections on your page. 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!

Project SG Chat
Wednesday, March 9th - 6:00PM MT

If you aren't sure what Project SG is, stop by the chatroom and get the details from April (April Showers) and Shannon (tinkerbell11). It is never too late to start and begin to earn points for your participation and layouts in the gallery.

Baby Theme Crop & Chat
Wednesday, March 9th - 7:00PM MT

Join Carla (CRS) and Thersea (tiza126) for a new twist on the Baby Theme Crop! We're continuing through 2011 with a new challenge. This month, we'll continue to work with ABC's. Include something in your layout that starts with a G, an H and an I!

Use Your Stash! Chat
Thursday, March 10th - 6:00PM MT

Join Shannon (tinkerbell11) and Theresa (tiza126) in the chat room for this month's edition of the "Use your Stash Chat". We will post a challenge earlier in the day to inspire you to use some of your unused digital supplies!

What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique Chat
Friday, March 11th - 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!

Recipe Swap Chat
Saturday, March 12th - 7:00PM MT

Join April (April Showers) and Lei (Bride) at 7pm MT in the chat room for our Monthly Recipe Swap Chat. Please check the message board the Thursday before the chat for this month's theme and the swap details!

Quote Challenge Chat
Monday, March 14th - 2:00PM MT

Come join Pat (PBarnes) for the Quote Challenge Crop at 2pm 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. Early on Monday, Pat will 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 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!

Journaling Chat
Monday, March 14th - 6:00PM MT

Join Carla (CRS) and Lei (Bride) for a Journaling Chat at 6pm MT on the second Monday of each month. Struggle to find the right words for your layouts? Are your layouts more decorative than descriptive of the moments you're trying to capture? Then you won't want to miss this chat - we'll have a special challenge to encourage you to journal on your pages more! See you there!

MARCH EVENTS

March Message Board Game: Going on a Boutique Hunt!

Remember as a child when you played the game that started like this: "I am going on a ___ hunt and bringing..." then you listed an item with the first letter of your name or a specific letter? We are playing a similar game on the Message Board during the month of March. Each day, a new theme and starting letter will be posted in the Game thread. Members will search the Boutique for something that fits the theme and post a link to it in the Game thread. Only one product per letter per round will be counted, and products cannot be used more than once. Collections and their individual parts are one product, and time stamps will be used to determine which post came first in case of more than one post per letter. Entries are to follow the alphabet, starting with the letter posted with the theme each day. There's a limit of three posts per person each day, and there must be another player's post before posting again.

PRIZES: Members' names will be added to a drawing based on the number of qualified product links which they post in the thread. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the month and winners will be announced in the April 2nd Newsletter. Gift certificates will be awarded as follows: First prize - $15 Gift Certificate; second prize - $10 Gift Certificate, and third prize - $5 Gift Certificate.

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

Layout Contests:

March Monthly Layout Contest: Do you have a good luck charm? Do you have something in your life that you consider lucky? For the March Layout Contest, scrap it! We'd love for you to share you luck! Post your layouts in the March Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight MT on March 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!