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.

DEADLINE: Friday, April 29th, 5:00 PM Mountain Time.

Notifications of results will be sent to all applicants by Friday, May 6th.

What is Ro looking for in a new designer?

Talent
Desire to work with Scrap Girls and be a committed, active member of our team
Work ethic
Software and designing skills

If a talented person comes along whose skills are not quite what they might be, and if Ro feels they would be a super-committed, dynamic member of our team if given a little help, she may choose to put them through an apprentice program.

Thao Cosgrove

New Mommy Confessions

I confess: As a new mother, I often think about my pre-child life. Those days where getting enough sleep was never a problem, sitting down for a hot meal was as easy as calling hubby to the table, reading a book before bed was typical, and going out, even for groceries, did not require a balancing act in our schedule.

These days, my life is orchestrated around a little six-month-old who has completely changed my world. Our normal day includes numerous feedings, diaper changes, playtime, and naptime - not to mention the occasional battles with teething, tummy aches, and crankiness. Her needs are so simple, and yet some days, I feel so drained. If this is motherhood, what have I gotten myself into?

But then I remember that the changes that motherhood has brought to my life don't stop at momentary challenges or life-long sacrifices.

On the other side of this story is a bounty of rewards and benefits. Because of her, I get to witness the mundane, precursory practices of talking, walking, and eating as miraculous signs of growth. Because of her, I make better decisions about the way I drive, the nutrition of our food, the investment of our money, and the safety of our home. Because of her, I discover the areas where I am weak and where I am strong, and they're not always what I thought. Because of her, the opportunities for laughter and joy are so much greater. Because of her, I've prayed more and relied on God's wisdom and grace so much more. Because of her, I get to directly impact the future for the better and leave a legacy that continues beyond the scope of my own life. Because of her, I've experienced an ever-growing capacity for love that I never could have imagined before.

Sure, there are days where I romanticize the past, but those days were not complete nor without their own challenges. I know I'll sleep again, read an entire book again, and have leisure time again (albeit in rationed quantities). But day by day, I choose to give everything I have and everything I am to my daughter. After all, my life isn't just about me anymore. It's also about creating a new life for her.

- Thao

Favorite Product I've designed:
Tooky Collection Mini

Obviously, my daughter and her toys were the inspiration for this kit. Tooky was the toy zebra that my husband, Jeff, got for Mercy for her first Christmas. This toy, with its fun colors and look, has always made her giggle. This is also the first kit that I designed after the birth of my daughter, so it is special to me for many sentimental reasons.

Layout by Thao Cosgrove
larger view

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Vintage Folio are also available.

How to Change Your Email Address

Last Monday, I explained how to sign up for the different sections of the Scrap Girls website. Today, I'm going to cover how to change your email address.

As we learned last week, there are three different locations you need to register at Scrap Girls to take advantage of the whole site. This would be the Newsletter, Boutique, and Forum. If at any time you change your email address, then you need to update each of these sections. Just doing it in one of the spots will not change the other lists.

First, the Newsletter. The easiest thing to do for the newsletter is to email us at [email protected] and let us know you'd like to change your email address. We must have your old email address and your new email address, and then we'll get your information updated.

Second, the Boutique. In the upper left-hand corner, you'll see the "My Account" link. Click on it.

You will then be prompted to put in your email address and password. At the next screen, you can click on the "Contact Info" tab at the top.

Then you'll see all your personal information stored in the Boutique, including your email address. Once you update your information and save it, then that's the email address you'll sign in with the next time.

Third, the Forum. Once you are signed in, click on the down arrow next to your name in the upper right-hand corner and select "My Settings."

Once there, you'll see (on the left) the option to change your email address.

Once you click on that option, you'll be able to update and save your new email address.

So now you know how to update your email address in all the different locations at Scrap Girls! If you run into any issues trying to update your information, please email me at [email protected], and I'll be happy to help you!

Article written by Angie Briggs

Designing an Album - 3 Steps to Color Success

Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS4 with Windows 7.

A friend gave me a gift certificate for a printed 4x6-inch photo book from a reputable online printing service. She knows that I'm a digital scrapbooker, so it was a lovely personalized gift. I thanked her and told her what a perfect gift it was - but secretly I was in a panic! So many things were running through my mind: Do I just send in random layouts I've already completed? Do I use one theme? What about color scheme?

After I took a few deep breaths, I started planning. I wanted to do something with a theme, so I decided to document a cruise we took to the Bahamas last year.

Maybe you have a potential photo book or album that is "on hold" because you need to make some decisions about how or where to start. Come along and walk with me through my decision-making process and get some tips along the way!

Normally when you make a single digital scrapbooking page, you use colors that are complimentary to the photo. But that isn't going to work here, because you want to give the album a uniform look throughout. You're looking to create one color scheme for the entire album. The highlight of our trip was a tour of the Atlantis Resort in Nassau. I loved the colors in one of the photos I took of the hotel.

So that's the first step: Pick your color palette before you begin.

Use your Eyedropper Tool (color picker) to choose some colors from the photo. Choose bright colors and lighter neutral colors.

If the main colors don't compliment your photos on a page, use the neutral colors. Use a variety of colors from your palette as you create your pages. You don't have to use all the colors on every page. This will add variety and interest.

That's the second step: Vary the ratio of the color used on different layouts. As you can see in the pages below, one uses more peachy colors and the other uses more blue-green colors, but they all still come from the same color palette.

You might be tempted to put the hotel photo on a really bright background because of the bright colors in the photos. But as you can see below, a more neutral background helps the photo to stand out. Instead, find embellishments in the bright colors of your color palette and use them.

There's your third step: Use bright colors as accents instead of main colors.

I hope you won't go into a panic at the thought of creating an album! If you go into it with a plan, following a few simple steps, you'll be fine! And if you'd like to find out more about creating color sets, I recommend Scrap Girls 2008 Digital Scrap Link Class: Understanding and Creating Color Sets.

Layout by Elisha Barnett
larger view

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Photo Borders 6501 and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Basic Shadows 6501 are also available.

Article written by Elisha Barnett

Layout by Angie Briggs
larger view

Designer Freebie by Angie Briggs coordinates with her Being With You Collection Biggie,
part of this month's Scrap Girls Club offering!

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Realistic Shadows - Basic 11301 are also available.

Today's freebie designed by Angie Briggs

* 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.

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!

Sketch Challenge and Crop
Tuesday, April 12th - 6:00PM MT

It's time for the Sketch Challenge and Crop! Join Cheri (Cheri T) on Tuesday, April 12th 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, I'll 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.

Hybrid ATC Swap and Crop
Tuesday, April 12th - 7:00PM MT

Please join Shannon (tinkerbell11) and Lei (Bride) as we host the chat for another round of our Hybrid ATC Swap. Didn't participate this round? Not sure what it is? Come join us to find out all of the particulars on Tuesday, April 12th at 7pm MT!

New Member Chat
Tuesday, April 12th - 8:00PM MT

Join Pat (PBarnes) and Theresa (tiza126) for the New Member Chat at 8pm 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, April 13th - 10:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) each 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 April 13th, we'll do a color challenge. Use the color green as a dominant color in your layout. 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!

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!