Ever wish that you could be a Product Designer for Scrap Girls?

Well, now's your chance to apply!

If you are interested, please forward the following items to [email protected].

The subject line must read: Product Designer Application.

1. 3 color palettes that you might use as a basis for designing collections.

2. A collection mini, consisting of 6 background papers, 1 "sheet" of embellishments, and 1 "sheet" of word art.

   A "sheet" consists of a grouping of items that will fit on an 8.5x11 document. Take care to make sure that the collection mini's color set is well balanced and that it has an idea that ties it together. It should contain enough embellishments and word art to be useful to someone who wishes to make several layouts from it. Also, take care that the embellishments are not a grouping of a small number of items that have just been re-colored. This is your opportunity to show your versatility and skill-level.

3. At least one sample layout using the collection mini.

4. A brush set with 3 brushes.

5. A paper template set (like our ScrapSimple Paper Templates) with 2 papers.

6. An embellishment template set (like our ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates) with 3 embellishments.

Also, answer the following questions in the body of your application email.

Approximately, how much would you like to earn each month?
Approximately, how many hours do you have to dedicate to design work each week?
What are your goals as it pertains to design work?
Why are you interested in working with Scrap Girls?
What software do you use?
Any other information that you will would be helpful as we make our decision.

Other instructions: Save your files as 600px wide, 72 dpi. Place them in one zipped folder and forward with your application email.

Heidi Dillon

Making Layouts with Collection Minis

I'll admit it: Sometimes when I'm looking through the Scrap Girls Boutique, I completely bypass the Collection Minis and go straight to the Collection Biggies. I think to myself, "I know those Minis are cheaper, but I like having options! Give me lots of goods!"

Then one day, it hit me: I'm missing out on some majorly gorgeous stuff!

This week, I decided to challenge myself to make a layout using only one Collection Mini, just to see what how it went. I chose Amanda Fraijo-Tobin's Vanilla Plum Pudding Collection Mini. Follow along with my experiment, and do not let yourself fall into the trap of missing out on these amazing little bundles of scrumptiousness!

First, I grabbed a sheet of digital paper for my background and placed the frame cluster on top, just slightly above and to the left of center so I could place goodies along the bottom and right edges later. Then I added my photos.

To add photos to these frames, place your photos behind them and resize it to your liking. Then use your Polygonal Lasso Tool or Rectangular Marquee Tool to select the frame. Then from your software menu, choose Selection> Invert (Ctrl+Shift+I). Then press the Delete key. Now your photo fits into the frame!

After I finished up my photo piece, I added a border to the bottom by placing one of the scalloped strips on top of a piece of the yellow patterned paper. I made sure both of these layers were behind the photo cluster so that the cluster's stitching would show over the top of the border.

Then I finished up by adding a swirl, flowers, flower centers, title, bows, and a date on the paper tab. Some quick shadow work with an action - and I'm finished!

I can totally see using these Collection Minis not only for single layouts, but to make complete matching albums! They make it really quick to create layouts since there are just enough things to choose from. And if you ever do want just a thing or two extra, many Collection Minis often have matching paper or alpha sets to help you find what you need.

Take a moment right now and go browse the Collection Minis in the Boutique. I'll be right there with you!

- Heidi

Layout by Heidi Dillon
larger view

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Blended 8201 Super Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Realistic Shadows - Basic 11301 and Lettering Delights Elf Note Font are also available.

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!

Beating the Clock: How Do I Make Time to Scrap

How do I make time to create digital scrapbooking layouts? The honest answer to this question is that my house isn't as clean as it used to be. Don't worry, we don't need to call the health department! I just used to clean out and reorganize closets for fun in my spare time. Now I use those free minutes to create scrapbook pages and organize my digital supplies.

For me, a well-organized stash is a key component of speedy scrapping. I use the organization method explained in 15 Things You NEED to Know to Become a GREAT Digital Scrapbooker (FREE Starter eBook). I've customized the categories to work with what I have. There isn't a right or wrong way to organize your supplies; choose what works best for you.

While I love spending an uninterrupted hour or two working on a layout, that isn't usually possible unless I'm working late at night while everyone else in the family is asleep. Instead, I take advantage of smaller blocks of time during the day to work on my pages. After I start a page, I often save what I've done and minimize the window while I go cook dinner or fold a load of laundry. I can use the time while something is simmering or baking to work on my layout. I am fortunate that the computer I like to use for scrapbooking is in a room close to the kitchen.

This is what the first step of my layout looked like before I stopped to help my husband with a project:

Over several increments of work between household tasks, I moved things around on my page, chose a photo, and played with different embellishments and papers until I found a combination I liked. When I went upstairs for the night, my layout looked like this:

I like to give my layouts a little time to "rest" so that when I open them again, it is easier for me to see things I'd like to change. I finished this page the following morning before my kids woke up by adding flower clusters, beads, the cardboard strip, my daughter's name, the date, and a stitched border. I created this page in several 5-to-20-minute increments between other tasks, instead of staying up late or neglecting my family. As a result, I got a good night's sleep and even came downstairs to a clean kitchen in the morning.

Layout by April Martell
larger view

Commercial license versions of Dynamic Brush Set: Loose Stitches 10701, Monsters in my Closet Collection, Movers and Shakers Collection Mini, AMC_Chatty Font, JIF 6 Plus: Treasured, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Clarify 11301 Mini, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Edge It 5001, Design Pack: Inked Text, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Realistic Shadows - Basic 11301, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Realistic Shadows - Firm Materials 11302, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Stitching 6401 Mini and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Basic Shadows 6501 are also available.

Article by April Martell

Designer Do-Over by Brandy Murry

The layout I am choosing to "do-over" is one of my first digital scrapbooking layouts. I'll be remaking the cover of the scrapbook that chronicles our trip to Texas in 2005. This whole scrapbook was "BSG" (Before Scrap Girls), and I didn't have a clue about DPI or saving PSD files. The whole album was saved at 96-dpi and is not suitable for printing. For all these reasons, this layout gives me a chance to show off the skills I have learned at Scrap Girls over the years.

Original layout by Brandy Murry

The Do-Over

First, I decided that I wanted my scrapbook cover to just have a title and to leave the surprises for inside the scrapbook. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to have photos on every scrapbook page!

Often, the most artistic and eye-catching pages I have seen were covers or artist trading cards - or sometimes just journaling. The great thing about digital scrapbooking is that there are no rules in what you decide you want for your albums.

I started by putting together my background and adding my title. I wanted to keep it simple.

I added dimension to my title by beveling it, adding a deep drop shadow, and adding a gradient overlay from black to transparent over 50% gray.

Your gradient setting should be as seen above:

Blending Mode: Normal
Opacity 44%
Black to Transparent Gradient
Linear Style
Angled at 118 Degrees
Scale at 100%

Then I duplicated the title and added a rusty style to it.

Once I added the style, I needed to simplify the rusty layer (rasterize for Photoshop users). This made it possible to change the Blending Mode of the layers to "Overlay," allowing the gradient shine you see in the upper left part of the T and E in Texas to shine through. I have this layer at 100% Opacity.

To make that title stand out a little bit more, I duplicated the rusty layer again and reduced the Opacity to 47%, really making it pop.

Then it was time to add the basic essential embellishments to give my page shape and form.

Next, I added the accent embellishments (my favorite part!) - just a small cluster at the bottom of the A.

Finally, I added the journaling to my cover. I chose keywords of the places we went and the things we did while in Texas.

I added it to the bottom half of the layout directly over the black background. I typed this out in white and lowered the Opacity of the text to 32% because I wanted the Texas title to take center stage. I also added the year, which I think is always important even when you don't have exact or specific dates. Since this is the title page, only the year is important. The specifics of the trip will be included in the layouts inside the book.

Now my new Texas cover page is complete and is saved at 300-dpi, which is the most suitable size for printing.

Layout by Brandy Murry
larger view

Commercial license versions of Beautiful Black Paper, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Aged Metals II 8501 Biggie and ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: US States Super Biggie are also available.

Designer Do-Over by Brandy Murry

Layout by Keri Schueller
larger view

Designer Freebie by Keri Schueller coordinates with her Digital Stickers: Set Up Camp

Commercial license versions of Eco Friendly Collection Mini are also available.

Today's freebie designed by Keri Schueller

* 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.

NSBR Chat - Early Edition
Thursday, April 7th - 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!

What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique Chat
Friday, April 8th - 9:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) at 9am MT on 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!

Recipe Swap Chat
Saturday, April 9th - 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!

Journaling Chat
Monday, April 11th - 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!

Quote Challenge and Chat
Monday, April 11th - 7:00PM MT

Come join Pat (PBarnes) for the Quote Challenge Crop at 7pm 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, I'll 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 I 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!

April Message Board Game: BINGO!

Join us for an exciting game of Springtime BINGO on the Message Board Forum in April! Pick 25 words from the list provided and send them in an email to [email protected] with a subject line that says "BINGO CARD - your Scrap Girls Message Board username" by Saturday, April 2nd at Midnight MST in order to play in the first round. The first round will begin on Monday, April 4th. If you miss the first round deadline, you can still play! Just send in your BINGO card at any time during the month, and you'll be eligible to begin playing when the next new round starts.

Each day, a member of the Welcoming Committee will call five random words from the BINGO list. Match just 15 of those words to win a BINGO. You must be first to call "BINGO!" in the game thread to win that round. After a winner is called, the boards will be cleared and a new round will begin the following day.

Each winner will receive a $5 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique! We like to see lots of winners, so please remember that each person can only win one round during the month. Have fun!

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

April Monthly Layout Contest: Earth Day was started in the United States in 1970 and it went global in 1990. For April's Monthly Layout Contest, we want you to show us what Earth Day means to you or what you are doing to make our precious world a little greener. Post your layouts in the April Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight MT on April 30th. 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!

Stop! Before you unsubscribe... Did you know we have a Weekly Round-Up newsletter?

This action-packed newsletter is sent out on Tuesday afternoons and summarizes what has happened in the past week. It's perfect for people who feel that they are too busy to read the daily editions! If you would like to receive our Round Up Newsletter, scroll to the bottom of this email and use the "Update Profile/Email Address" option to join the Round Up list and/or change your subscription options to our newsletters.

Of course, the Weekly Round Up Newsletter contains a fresh, new freebie, so even if you like to get the daily newsletters, you might want to join the Weekly Round-Up Newsletter, too. It's a great way to keep track of all of the fun things you are learning!