Rozanne Paxman

How to solve information overload in three easy steps:

1. Choose wisely. Only consume that which lifts or improves your life, soul, relationships, or happiness.

2. Create a 30-60 minute technology-free recess each day. Back away from the computer. Turn off the cell phone. Go into a room where a television doesn't reside. If the call is important, they will leave a message. You can answer the email later. Chances are remote that there will be a true emergency in which you are immediately needed. Remember, 30 minutes is not that long.

3. Engage in something "real" every day. Cook a meal. Talk to someone you can reach out and touch. Smell a flower, sit in a bathtub, take a walk, or play an instrument. If you never participate in actual living, your brain starts to become disconnected with your body and you live in an electronic world in which true inspiration is hard to find. If you take these short breathers, you'll feel ready to roar the next time you want to use your computer to create something cool!

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 Julie White using March's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Julie White and Amanda Sok

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!

Baseball

Baseball season is upon us! Don't get in a pickle searching for the perfect digital scrapbooking supplies. You'll always be "safe!" with products from the Scrap Girls Boutique!

Here are Scrap Girls products that have baseballs or a baseball theme. You'll find everything to create layouts with photos from Little League games, an outing to watch your favorite Major League Baseball team, or even just playing catch in the backyard:

Baseball Collection Mini
Brush Set: Ball Game
Texture Set: Play Ball
ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Sports

Although these products are softball-related, they have sports-themed colors, elements, and word art that can be easily adapted to suit baseball layouts:

Softball Collection Mini
ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Softball

Having the perfect words to document baseball memories is important. While the above items are full of everything you would need for creating baseball layouts, you might want even more. Maybe you need a way to spell out words unique to your favorite baseball player or team? Or perhaps you just need a way of celebrating a winning game? Check out these items:

ScrapSimple Alpha Templates: Varsity Letters
Brush Set: Winning Words
Brush Set: Batter Up Biggie

We're all so proud of our children or grandchildren when they play sports. Documenting their love of sports is easy and creative when you design a baseball card featuring your all-star!

ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Sports Stat Card
Assemble Your Own: Trading Cards

Layout by Julie Moberly
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Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Ball Game, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Softball, Brush Set: Batter Up Biggie, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Sports Stat Card, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Basic Shadows 6501, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Realistic Shadows - Basic PSE 11301, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Dirty Press 5401 Mini and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Dirty Press Retro Inks 5401 Biggie are also available.

Since baseball memories are usually best displayed with a full sequence of photos, you'll want products that are perfect for capturing the motion of running, fielding, or batting. We suggest these products to achieve that look:

ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Film Negatives
ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: 3-D Negative Frames Biggie
ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Bursting

Last but not least, here are a few other items that can help convey the images, textures, and atmosphere of the baseball experience:

Brush Set: Game Day Biggie
Brush Set: Chainlink
ScrapSimple Transparency Overlays: Scratched
ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Edgy, THIN
Painted Cardboard Paper Biggie
Brush Set: Junk in the Trunk

With Scrap Girls, you are guaranteed a homerun with your baseball-themed digital scrapbooking projects!

Layout by Julie Moberly
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Transparency Overlays: Scratched, ScrapSimple Alpha Templates: Varsity Letters, Just Be You Collection Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Liquid Metals 6401 Mini, Brush Set: Junk in the Trunk, Brush Set: Game Day Biggie and ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Realistic Shadows - Basic PSE 11301 are also available.

Article written by Julie Moberly

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 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:

Scrap Girls Tutorials & Way Cool Stuff eBook Set - 2010 2nd 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 2nd 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!

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.

Mastering Brushes for Photoshop

Whether you are just finding out about brushes, or have been using them for a while, this eBook will help you see and understand the creative power that brushes contain and give you new ideas for using them in your digital layouts.

Perfect Memories for Photoshop Elements eBook

With five beautifully illustrated sections this eBook not only offers details on the most common photo flaws, but stunning designs by SIX contemporary digital artists in a variety of styles, as well as detailed steps for tackling layouts using your own flawed photos. Designed for the novice and expert alike, Perfect Memories will have you re-looking at photos previously deemed lost causes and utilizing their unique attributes as focal points for digital documentation of life's most cherished moments.

See more titles

Layout by Jacelen Deinema
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Designer Freebie by Jacelen Deinema coordinates with her JIF 6: Watercolor Roses

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Bow Borders are also available.

Today's freebie designed by Jacelen Deinema

* 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

New Member Chat - Early Edition
Tuesday, March 15th - 1:00PM MT

Join Debbie (B&K Mom) at 1pm MT for a fun chat to get to know our newest members. We will discuss the message board, gallery, chocolate and so much more! Everyone is welcome - new or not so new! Not sure how to get there? Just click the "chat room" button at the top of this Newsletter; you will need Javascript enabled to access the chat room.

Life Moments Chat
Tuesday, March 15th - 5:00PM MT

Join April (April Showers) in the chat room March 15th at 5pm 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 focusing on Fun and Games. What were your favorite toys and games as a child? Are there some special ones that you still have? Go ahead, dig through your files, write down your memories, and be sure to join us in the chat room!

Faith Journey Chat
Tuesday, March 15th - 6:00PM MT

Join Elisha (elibar) and Lei (Bride) for a Faith Journey Chat on the third Tuesday of each month at 6pm MT. All faiths are welcome! We'll be chatting and scrapping about our individual faith walk and how we also walk together. Watch the message board for this month's topic of discussion, and if you like - create a layout based on the topic!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, March 16th - 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 16th, we will be doing a ScrapSimple challenge! Create a layout using at least one ScrapSimple product. If you haven't used them before, we'll have some great ideas for you during the chat. 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!

Hybrid Craft Chat
Wednesday, March 16th - 6:00PM MT

Join Carla (CRS) & Shannon (tinkerbell11) in the chatroom to chat about Hybrid Crafts. This month we will do some fun spring crafts! Come and see what else you can do with your digital supplies!

U.F.O Chat
Wednesday, March 16th - 7:00PM MT

Everyone has them - those projects you started but just haven't gotten around to finishing! Join Shannon (tinkerbell11) and our guest this week Cheri (Cheri T), one of our very talented Layout Designers, in the chatroom at 7pm MT to talk about all of them. Post your layouts in the Unfinished Objects Layout Gallery before the chat so we can get Cheri's input.

Heritage Chat
Thursday, March 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.

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

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!