A Designer's Life: Amanda McGee

I think I might have mentioned this before, so it may not be a big surprise to you. I love to sew. I think it feeds the part of my creative spirit that has the desire to make tactile things. I come by it honestly; the sewing bug runs in my family.

Life Muses by Ro: Trust Your Gut

Small airplanes land outside the wall of windows. I check my watch. Twenty minutes until my flight from St. George leaves for Salt Lake City.

I decide to take care of some last minute business and enter the restroom. To my horror, I discover a man standing at a sink, washing his hands.

Life Muses by Ro: Unlock Your Heart

“How many times should we forgive?” the question came.

“Seventy times seven,” the Lord replied.

Best of the Scrap Girls Blog: Make a Game

Note from Ro: I spotted this post on the Scrap Girls Digital Adventures Blog by Melissa Renfro. I thought it was a fun idea for mothers who are dealing with bored children during the long, summer months.

Life Muses by Ro: A Perfect, Ordinary Day

Ever consider what your perfect day would be like? I’m not talking about a fantasy day - like hanging out on a remote beach - but a perfect day considering your current circumstances?

Customer Muse: Dee Van

The bills are coming in from Christmas. The economy is in bad shape. Due to previous high gas prices, my gas charge card is over the top. Important, smart people are getting arrested for taking advantage of elderly, friends, relatives, charities and unsuspecting investors. Rain is coming and going - snowflakes, too - it is overcast and dismal outside. The housework is piling up, the kids don’t want to do their homework, and the dog just tracked in mud on my clean kitchen floor.

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.

Want to see more cute layouts? Go to the bottom left of our Home Page and check out our newsletter links.

Monday, June 22, 2009

“You Are Like A Rainbow” by Joann Brown
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:

I wanted to emphasize the word "color" in my layout subtly. Ariadna Wiczling's ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Freehand Coloring 8201 Super Biggie was perfect for this! I used the style above each of my photos, in different colors, and realized that it'd be a great touch if I used the style on the photos as well. In order to do this, I duplicated my photo. Then I applied ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Freehand Coloring 8201 Super Biggie to the duplicated layer. I kept the Blending Mode as "Normal," but I changed the Opacity to as low as 25% - depending on the photo I was working with. There were times when the crayon strokes fell on the face, which detracted from the photo, so I went to Layer> Layer Style> Scale Effects. At this point, I changed the scale of the style up or down, depending on the photo I was working with. The color that I used depended on the photo. On the blue and purple photos, I used the white color style. On the green photo, I used the green style. And on the last photo, I used the pink style, because I wanted the main color of the photo to show through.

Commercial license versions of Dynamic Brush Set: Glitter 6401, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Micro Glitter 6401 Super Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Freehand Coloring 8201 Super Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Fabric 5401, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Stitching And Hole 4101 Mini, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Edge It 5001, Lettering Delights Noodge Font and Lettering Delights Debonaire Font are also available.

Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS4

Name of challenge: Use three styles.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

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Layout by Keri Schueller
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If you have praise, comments, or questions for any of our Product Designers or Layout Artists, did you know you can send them a PM (private message) using the message board? It's easy!

If you are a registered user of the message board, just click on the “PM” box at the bottom of any of their posts to send them a message. Or, to check out more of your favorite designer's layouts, visit the Scrap Girls Design Team section of the Layout Gallery.

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 June's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Keri Schueller

Alert! Alert! TODAY is the last day you can sign up for the Scrap Girls club and still get this great group of products at this amazing price. Don't delay... sign up now!

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 or Word Art Template Set
1 Brush Set
2 Designer's Choice Items

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

Layout by Paula Wright using June's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Paula Wright and Syndee Nuckles

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!

Scrap Girls Club Concepts: Mini Tutorial - Plain Frame Makeover

I am totally addicted to transforming ordinary or plain items with digital scrapbooking supplies. Recently, I took a trip to Target and checked out their $1 section at the front of the store. This is an excellent place to find inexpensive items that you can makeover with just one digital scrapbooking kit. Don't have a Target nearby? I've also found great items to makeover at my local dollar store, yard sales - even my own garage.

Best of the Message Board

With all of the excitement of the Scrap Girls Convention 2009 coming up, I thought I would share some questions and answers that have been posted recently on the message board regarding last year. If you have not signed up for the convention, there's still time. We hope to see you there.

Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial: Using ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Tattered Photo 8501 Mini

You can use ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Tattered Photo PSE 8501 Mini for more than just pictures. Using digital scrapbooking papers instead of a photo gives you more options for using this action.

Way Cool Stuff Digital Scrapbooking Product Review: ScrapSimple Tools - Patterns

If you've never used patterns in your digital scrapbooking, you're in for a treat! These tools offer Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users some great options to really jazz up your layout. When you buy patterns from Scrap Girls, you'll get complete instructions on how to install them into your program and ideas on how to use them.

Digital Scrapbooking Tutorial: Making a Custom T-Shirt

In case you have the same problem that I have - dragging an eight-year-old boy into 10 stores and still not able to find THAT t-shirt which suits his taste - then I may have a solution for you. My oldest son, Nicolas, wants to look like a rock star at the moment. I was just exhausted trying to find a t-shirt in a reasonable price category for him. I bought a few simple white t-shirts and told him that we would create some using Scrap Girls collections. He was happy to help choose the designs from Erica Hite's Skin Deep Collection Biggie.

What Customers Are Saying...

Read what our great customers have to say about Scrap Girls, its products, newsletter, customer service and more!

Layout and Contest Winners

Congratulations to our Weekly Layout Winners, DixieLee and JessPrincess. Check them out! Congratulations!

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 CS4, CS3, CS2, and CS
NEWlY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements 6.0 and 7.0*
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Paint Shop Pro X (XI)

(*Have Photoshop Elements 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0? We have a tutorial program that will work for you. Please visit the product details page for more information.)

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!

No wonder tens of thousands of people have chosen Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed as their method of learning to scrapbook digitally!

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

It's time for you to stop playing catch-up in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and start having a blast creating your own digital scrapbooking supplies! You'll also learn all sorts of tricks that professionals and advanced digital scrapbookers use in their layouts. And because Ro covers so many topics in the series, it is one of the most cost-effective methods of moving your skills to a higher level. Join in with the thousands of digital scrapbookers who have chosen to learn advanced skills from Ro. You'll be happy that you did!

Note: These are NOT beginning tutorials. If you get this training and you have never used Photoshop or Photoshop Elements before, or if you aren't pretty sure of yourself in the software, you are going to be lost. You simply have to understand layers, where things are located, and all of the basic, important skills that Ro teaches in her Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed series before you try to use it.

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:

The Virtual Canvas eBook

What happens when you move digital scrapbooking beyond the basic page? What happens when you allow the layout to blur the edges between keepsake and art? The Virtual Canvas: Celebrating The Art of Digital Scrapbooking eBook will provide those answers for you.

Digital Photography Simplified

Colour (me) Creative eBook with 36 color swatches

Scrapbooking 911 - 20 Sketches to Revialize Your Digital

Start to Finish eBooklets

Start to Finish eBooklet - PSE: Making a Just Because Card Using ScrapSimple Card Templates

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 Amanda Sok
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Designer Freebie by Amanda Sok coordinates with her Fatherly 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

Life Moments Chat
Tuesday, June 30th - 9:00PM ET

Please join Danna (scrappylibrarian) on June 30 at 9pm ET for the next installment of our Life Moments Chat and Crop! These crops are about building a scrapbook all about you, one layout at a time. I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, July 1st - 12:00Noon ET

Join your guest host April Showers for the High Noon Crop every Wednesday. 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 July 1st, we'll do a Nature Challenge! Create a layout that shows nature in some way. Could be flowers, wildlife, camping - anything that highlights nature. You'll have one hour to create a layout and upload to the special High Noon Crop gallery. You'd be amazed what you can get done in just one hour! We hope you'll join us!

What's New Chat
Friday, July 3rd - 11:00AM ET

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Becca at 11am ET Friday morning 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!

Independence Day Chat
Friday, July 3rd - 9:00PM ET

Join Carla (CRS) for an Independence Day Chat! We'll chat about the country that we live in, how we show pride for our country and how we celebrate. We'll share some patriotic layouts, too!

NSBR Chat
Monday, July 6th - 9:00PM ET

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 Carla (CRS) on July 6th at 9pm ET in the chat room!

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, July 8th - 12:00Noon ET

Join your guest host April Showers for the High Noon Crop every Wednesday. 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 July 8th, we'll do a Stripes Challenge! Create a layout using stripes. Create your own or used striped paper. It doesn't matter as long as your layout has some stripes. You'll have one hour to create a layout and upload to the special High Noon Crop gallery. You'll be amazed what you can get done in just one hour!

JUNE EVENTS

June Message Board Game: Re-JUNE-venate!

We helped you jumpstart your January and now it's time to re-JUNE-venate your focus on scrapbooking! Join us on the message board this month for “Re-JUNE-venate”! This is a message board game and challenge that focuses on taking time to scrapbook regularly despite the little speedbumps of life. When the month is over you'll have completed several layouts and been challenged and treated to some fun along the way... with prize opportunities thrown in as well!

A member of the Welcoming Committee will post a mini-challenge/task every day from June 1-30. Some tasks will require message board participation, email responses or gallery posting. Read each daily task carefully to see what is required of you. Those who complete all tasks and submit or post required participation will be entered in a drawing to win one of three $10 Gift Certificates to the ScrapGirls Boutique! Those who complete just the layouts will be entered in a drawing to win one of two $5 gift certificates. Those who complete just the speedbumps will be entered in a drawing for one of two $3 gift certificates. (Those who complete all tasks will have their name entered in all three drawings!)

Join us in June for some serious scrapbooking re-JUNE-venation!

Layout Contests:

June Monthly Layout Contest: Do you have cobwebs and dust bunnies that need cleaning? How about some mental spring cleaning? Scrap it! For the June Monthly Layout Contest, we want to see your layouts featuring Spring Cleaning, either physical or mental. You could win a $10 gift certificate to the boutique if your layout is chosen! Just post your layouts in the June Monthly Layout Gallery before June 30th at Midnight EDT and you will be eligible to win! Be sure to include the credits for items used in the description area or under the Details tab. We can't wait to see all your inspiring layouts!

June Mid-Month Layout Contest: Did you know that June is National Candy Month? To celebrate this wonderful month, we'd like to see layouts inspired by your favorite candy bar! Just post your layouts in the Mid-June Monthly Layout Contest before July 14th at midnight EDT and you will be eligible to win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique. Be sure to include the credits for items used in the description area or under the Details tab. Good Luck!

Check our message board calendar if you have any questions about what is happening at Scrap Girls. All event times are given in Eastern Time Zone unless otherwise noted. Need help converting time zones? Check out the World Clock - Time Zone Converter. (Use 'USA-New York' as the location for the Eastern time zone.)