Angela Blanchard

Sourdough Waffles

I hadn't cooked with cast iron since I was a kid - and it was with mixed results. Then my husband bought me a Griswold Dutch Oven a few years ago, and I've become hooked on cooking with cast iron ever since. I dug up his aunt's old cornbread pans, and I scrubbed, seasoned, and baked with them next. Then a friend gave me his mother's old griddle, and my husband purchased a skillet for me as well. (He adamantly supports all my cooking endeavors.)

Then my search began for a cast iron waffle iron. I did a lot of searching locally and online and finally won an eBay auction for a Griswold #8 waffle iron. Originally made for use on a wood cook stove, they can also be used on an electric or gas range. I bake a lot with sourdough, so I decided to test my waffle iron on our electric range with a sourdough batter. It worked like a charm and the results were oh-so-yummy!

Dig through your cupboards and find that cast iron pan or griddle that's been languishing way in the back. After using it, you might just find yourself falling in love with cast iron cooking all over again.

Note: If you want to try the sourdough recipe in the layout but don't have a starter already, just search your cookbooks or the Internet for a sourdough starter recipe. Once you have starter, there are even more wonderful sourdough recipes out there for you to explore!

- Angela

Favorite Product I've designed:
Home Canning Embellishments Biggie

Commercial license versions of Home Canning Embellishments Biggie are also available.

I enjoy cooking, and I'm starting to get into canning as well. There is nothing better than being able to grow fresh fruits and vegetables and preserve them to enjoy over the winter months. Hmmm, homemade blackberry syrup would sure go well on those waffles!

Layouts by Angela Blanchard
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Commercial license versions of Home Canning Embellishments Biggie and Farmstead Collection are also available.

The Digital Scrapbooker's Survival Kit

Starting to scrapbook digitally can feel slightly intimidating. It is wonderful to think that you can preserve your family heritage in a way that allows speed, creativity, no mess, and the ability to share the results with as many people as you wish with a click of your mouse. And yet it may feel slightly overwhelming to think of everything you need to learn to create the type of layouts that you admire.

This internal conflict often comes because we have unrealistic expectations of ourselves. If our initial results aren't what we imagined them to be, we become self-critical and even think we may not have enough talent to do it.

I say, "Don't be so mean to yourself!"

Do you remember when you were little and you drew your first house? Wasn't that a great feeling? But really, how masterful a work was it? I'm willing to bet that you could draw an improved version today.

Learning to digitally scrapbook is just like acquiring any other skill. You have to take it step by step.

So let's talk about some of the survival tools you will need during your journey.

Desire

Desire to learn is the basis of all knowledge acquisition processes. The strength of your desire affects how determined you will be and how well you will take the setbacks that are part of any learning process. If your desire is relatively weak, then any bump in the road will send you packing.

I used to see this all of the time when I was teaching music. If I had to choose the most important factor in a student's success - talent or desire, I would undoubtedly pick desire. Frankly, it used to distress me how often I saw students with great talent, which I consider to be a gift from God, choose to discard their talent because they would rather watch TV.

What a shame.

On the other hand, I saw less-gifted kids win scholarships by sheer will. They were busy kids because people with desire motivate themselves to accomplish things. But they were fully engaged in life. They had desire.

If you want to learn how to digitally scrapbook, you will be able to do it. There are resources to help you learn. We have some great ones here. And you'll ask questions and experiment and practice. In the end, your desire will carry you there - even if you have a very full life.

Kill the critic

Suspend in mid-air your little self that tells you that your efforts aren't good enough. Make the little beast stand on the sidewalk outside where you can't hear her nagging voice tell you to quit. Understand that every layout won't be a masterpiece, and you'll be happier when you do have one of those creative flashes that are so enjoyable.

One at a time

If you think that you are going to start and finish your entire life's history in an afternoon, you will quickly get discouraged. You may even quit, saying that you "don't have time" to scrap. The disconnect is in the expectation, not the actual time spent scrapping. Every layout gets you one layout further along your memory path. Every story told is one more that your family wouldn't have if you hadn’t created that layout. Just keep going and fit it in when you can. Stop pressuring yourself - and the joy will return.

If you take these approaches with every aspect of the art, from learning new tricks in your software to trying out new product types, you will find that you are not only surviving the experience of learning to digitally scrapbook, you are thriving.

So scrappers, start your engines... let's go!

Article written by Ro

Using Shapes to Create Contrast

Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS4 with Microsoft Windows Vista

Have you ever finished a layout only to feel that something is missing or that it could somehow be improved? I know I certainly have. When I feel that my layout needs a boost, I like using shapes to create contrast on my digital scrapbooking layouts. An easy way to utilize this design concept is to remember "opposites attract."

Just as in life, when opposites mingle, things become more interesting and dynamic. So let's explore ways you can create that same energy on your layouts.

Here is a layout that I've been working on:

The dominant shape on this layout is a square. The photos, the frames, and the papers are all square or rectangular. Just as in life, they're all playing together nicely since they are very similar. But we want to shake things up a bit! The perfect way to achieve this is to use a contrasting shape.

The best shape to use to create contrast on this layout is a circle. Remember, "opposites attract." Squares feature hard angles and straight lines; circles have no angles and have curves instead of straight lines.

So how do you add a shape to your layout? First, go to your toolbox and look for the Rectangle Tool. If you want to draw a square or rectangle, you'd use this tool. However, we need to draw a circle, so right-click on the Rectangle Tool to open the fly-out menu and choose the Ellipse Tool.

Next, draw a circle. In order to draw a perfect circle, hold the Shift key while drawing the circle, otherwise you'll have an oval shape. After drawing your circle, you can keep it a solid color or create a clipping mask (Alt+Ctrl+G) to clip patterned paper to it.

Here's another way to create contrast with shapes on your layout: Pay attention to the shapes of embellishments that you already have in your stash. Flowers, buttons, brads, round journaling spots, and even squares with rounded edges can all be used to add some roundness to a layout full of squares.

Below is my layout after adding round elements using the above methods. Now, my layout is more visually interesting. You can achieve the same results simply by using shapes to create contrast. Just remember: "Opposites attract!"

Layout by Ashleigh Bronner
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Commercial license versions of Little Birdy Collection, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Scattered Pictures 2, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Corner Rounder 5001 Mini, Creative Spirit Collection Biggie, Lettering Delights Scratchy Pen Font and ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Clarify 11301 Mini are also available.

Article written by Ashleigh Bronner

Layout by Angela Blanchard
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Designer Freebie by Angela Blanchard coordinates with her Rose Scented Collection Mini

Commercial license versions of Sunshine On My Face Collection Mini are also available.

Today's freebie designed by Angela Blanchard

* 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
Monday, May 2nd - 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 Crop
Tuesday, May 3rd - 12:00Noon MT

Join Carla (CRS) for another Life Moments Crop! This crop focuses on you, the scrapper, creating a scrapbook one layout at a time. The theme for this crop will "What have you done for yourself lately?". Hope to see you there!

Creative Cards Chat
Tuesday, May 3rd - 6:00PM MT

Do you use your digi-supplies to make cards? Do you want to? Instead of going to the store every time you need a card you can save money and have fun making cards with your digital stash! Make a note of any cards you might need for the upcoming month and join April (April Showers) and Theresa (tiza126) for the once-a-month Card Chat on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm MT. Can't wait to see you there!

Project SG Chat
Tuesday, May 3rd - 7:00PM MT

Join April (April Showers) and Shannon (tinkerbell11) to hear all the details about Project SG! You can win prizes for taking part in this Challenge. It is never too late to start. See you in the chatroom at 7pm MT!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, May 4th - 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. 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!