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Heidi Dillon
Fastest Layouts EVER!
As a work-at-home mom juggling jobs writing articles, maintaining websites, and digital scrapbook product design with the job of being mom to a one-and-a-half-year-old, a dog, and a husband who all find it great fun to run around wreaking havoc and seeing how high they can pile up the dirty dishes and laundry (PHEW!), how do I find any time to actually scrapbook our chaotic lives?
I'll let you in on a secret...
Easy Pages!
Yeah, even we "pros" use these amazing, time-saving, sanity-saving little miracle-workers!
But what exactly are Easy Pages, you ask?
Here's the deal. Basically, they're a layout that's already been completed for you. All you need to do is drop in your photo, add some journaling and a title (if you want), and you're finished! And because Scrap Girls Easy Pages have been designed by our top-notch Design Team, you're getting a pre-finished layout that's visually appealing, well-balanced, and ready for action.
Okay, you say, I'm sold. I'm going to get some of these beauties. What can I expect to get in my files, and how do I use them?
I'm glad you asked! Generally, an Easy Page will be a single PNG image. Just so you're aware, PNG is a file type that can hold information about the transparency in an image. This is important with Easy Pages because they have a hole in them for your photo.
Hmmmm. Maybe this is something that's easier seen than said...
Here's the Easy Page after I have opened it in my Photoshop software. You can see the transparent part of the image because it is represented by a small grey and white square checkerboard.
Now, to use your Easy Page, first find the photo you want to use. Bring that photo into your image-editing software.
Now, using your Move Tool (V), drag the photo onto the Easy Page image and place it over the hole. You'll see that something isn't quite right. The photo looks like it should be fitting in the frame, not lying on top of it, right?
Aha! Here's where the Layers Palette comes in!
You can see in your Layers Palette that the photo layer is on top of the Easy Page layer.
To make the photo appear like it's fitting in the frame, click on the photo layer and drag it underneath the Easy Page layer.
Now, you see that the photo looks like it's in the frame, but the photo's too big! Help!
Make sure your photo layer is still selected in your Layers Palette and press Ctrl+T on your keyboard. This will bring up your Transform controls. Press down your Shift key on your keyboard and click-and-drag one of the corners of your photo to make it smaller so it fits the frame. (Holding down the Shift key keeps the proportions of your photo correct so it doesn't become distorted and look funny!)
Once you've got the size of your photo correct, use your Move Tool (V) again to move your photo into place under the frame. Then, just add a title with some word art from a coordinating collection, a line or two of journaling, et voila! You've just completed the fastest layout EVER. Make sure to save it as a PSD so your new layers will be preserved, and you're good to go!
If this is your first time at it, and it took a bit longer than you wanted, don't get discouraged. It gets faster, trust me! I can knock one of these babies out while I'm waiting for Nelly to finish brushing her teeth.
And some days, that's just about all the time I get!
- Heidi
Layout by Heidi Dillon
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Scrap Girls, Etc. is a weekly column pulling bits and pieces from all over Scrap Girls. Stay tuned each week as Scrap Girls' Jane-of-All-Trades Heidi Dillon brings you tutorials, musings, recipes, interviews, design/software tips and tricks, layout walk-throughs, and who knows what else!
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Beating the Clock: How I Make Time to Create Digital Scrapbooking Layouts
How do I make time for digital scrapbooking? I'm so glad you asked! For me, it has mostly been about prioritization. I read a little less than I used to and rarely watch television. Cross-stitching, my other obsessive hobby, has been on indefinite hold since I began scrapbooking.
I have two main times that I scrapbook. The largest chunk of time is after my three children (ages 8, 5, 2) are asleep. I try to do housework earlier in the day so most of that evening time can be mine. My husband and I can do some visiting while I'mm scrapbooking, so I don't have to feel guilty that I'm ignoring him.
Where do I do my digital scrapbooking? Solely on my laptop on my end of the couch in our living room! On the occasions that my children are playing happily together or by themselves, I can sneak in a few minutes of scrapbooking time between other household chores. That soup needs to simmer for 30 minutes? No problem, I'll just head over to my laptop and start a new page. The kids are going to watch a DVD? Great, that is definitely scrapping time! (Well, unless it's dinner-making time.) If my creative juices aren't flowing, but I have time to scrapbook, that's when I pull out a template or sketch, or even "scraplift" a favorite layout from a friend.
I keep a folder of layouts in progress. If I only have a few minutes to scrapbook, I can start a new page by simply dragging in several photos I might use and perhaps the preview images of a couple products I know I want to use with those photos. Then when I have more serious time at my disposal, I have already laid some groundwork for a page. If I have further ideas that I don't have time for right then, I create a new, blank layout and go to File> File Info and type my ideas into the description box there. I can refer back to that later and remember what I was thinking about doing, such as using stitching around the borders of the page.
I hope you, too, can find some time in your busy life to digitally scrapbook your memories (and share them with us in the Scrap Girls Gallery and Message Board!)
Layout by Cheri Thieleke
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Work Jeans, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Work Zone, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Textures 10402, ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album Templates: Life - Everyday, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Edgers Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Stitching 6401 Mini, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Happy Summer, Brush Set: Labeled Dates Super Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Clarify 11301 Mini, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Realistic Shadows - Basic 11301, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Basic Shadows 6501 and AMC_Friendly Font are also available. |
Article written by Cheri Thieleke
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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.
March's ScrapSimple Club has been created for you by Julie White and Amanda Sok |
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Digital Scrapbooking Product Review: ScrapSimple Paper Templates
I have to admit that not too long ago, I was rather intimated by and unsure how to use ScrapSimple Paper Templates. However, after taking just a little bit of time to experiment and play with different ScrapSimple Paper Templates, I find myself using them on nearly all of my layouts. If you find yourself to be just like I was and a little afraid to play with them, I encourage you to play around, have fun, and experiment with them. I'm sure you will grow to love paper templates as much as I do. Let me show you how I used them on a recent digital scrapbooking layout.
First, I opened up the photo I wanted to scrap, a recent shot I took of my cousin's baby boy, and a beautiful blue paper from Amanda McGee's Jake and Emma Collection Biggie. I love how well the blue from the paper compliments the photo, but I wanted to modify the look a little bit.
To create the look I wanted, I chose the damask paper template from Keri Schueller's ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Vintage Nursery Biggie. To change the look of the template, I modified the color via Image> Adjustments> Variations. Don't be afraid to play around here, since it's very easy to start over if you end up with a color that you don't like. This is what my layout looked like once I finished playing with the color variations.
From here, I played with the Blending Modes until I found the mode that I wanted. (I wanted to get back to a blue, since I really liked that look with this photo.) For this layout, I chose "Luminosity" and kept the Opacity at 100%.
To help complete the look of my paper, I added the aged Paper Template from Brandy Murry's ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Edgers Biggie to my layout. I placed this layer directly above my ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Vintage Nursery Biggie template. I proceeded to add a white Color Overlay and set the Opacity to 90%.
Now that I'm happy with the look of my background paper, I finished off my layout by adding a frame, embellishments, title, and word art.
Layout by Heather Messmer
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Tutorial written by Heather Messmer
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Learn to make digital scrapbooking layouts and more! – Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed
Find out how easy it can be to learn how to create digital scrapbook layouts, edit photos, use and make brushes, recolor papers and embellishments, make your own simple backgrounds and embellishments, save and share your layouts and much more!
Ready to learn advanced techniques? – MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed
Learn to use paper templates, embellishment templates, custom shapes, styles, and brushes to make your own supplies. Learn advanced clipping mask and lighting blend techniques. Learn to make and use patterns. Learn to make brushes from your own doodles. Learn to extract images from photos. Learn work flow techniques that will speed up the layout creation process and advanced photo editing skills and much, much more!
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Layout by Kim Meeder
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Designer Freebie by Kim Meeder coordinates with her Piece Of Cake Collection Biggie
Today's freebie designed by Kim Meeder
* 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.
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ScrapSimple Use It! Chat
Friday, April 1st - 8:00AM MT
Strengthening your abilities in scrapbooking is essential to becoming a better scrapbooker and learning to utilize the ScrapSimple product line available here at Scrap Girls will give you so many more unique and fun options with your layouts! Join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Elisha (elibar) for this monthly chat on Friday, April 1st at 8am MT as we focus on using one of these versatile products!
What's New in the Boutique Chat
Friday, April 1st - 9:00AM MT
Join April (April Showers) at 9am MT Friday morning 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!
ScrapSimple Clubbers Chat
Monday, April 4th - 5:00PM MT
Join April (April Showers) and Angela (angelaNussbaum) on Monday, April 4th at 5pm MT for a chat and challenge using this month's ScrapSimple Club. Did you know that every time you create a layout with the ScrapSimple Club and upload it into the ScrapSimple Club Gallery that you could be chosen to be featured in the Newsletter and receive a prize? Well, join us for the chat so we can encourage and inspire you and help with any questions that you may have. Let's get those ScrapSimple Club layouts done and uploaded!
NSBR Chat
Monday, April 4th - 7:00PM 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 us, Carla (CRS) and Lei (Bride) at 7pm MT!
Life Moments Chat and Crop
Tuesday, April 5th - 12:00Noon MT
Join Debbie (B&K Mom) in the chat room on April 5th at Noon MT for the 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 scrapping Family Traits: Do you have your Mom's eyes, Dad's height, Aunt Gerty's sense of humor? Do you and your sister sound exactly the same on the phone? Did your child look just like you as a baby? Let's give credit where credit is due and scrap the Family Traits you possess or have passed on. So dig through your files, write down your memories, and be sure to join us in the chat room!
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.
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!
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