The Remote
Wednesday, June 22, 2011

IN TODAY'S ISSUE:

• What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique?
• Life Muse by Ro
• Scrap Girls Club
• Tips from the Pros: Creating a Traditional Quilt Block Layout
• Designer Freebie
• What's Happening at Scrap Girls?
• Ongoing Opportunities for YOU

Rozanne Paxman

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.

Would you like to earn a $20 Gift Certificate? Send your own muse to [email protected]. If it is selected for publication in the Scrap Girls newsletter, you'll get to have fun shopping!

		Join the Scrap Girls Monthly Club and you can have fun with the newest traditional digital and printable scrapbooking looks while saving! (A $40.87 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 Word Art Mini 1 Embellishment Mini 1 Assemble Your Own Zoom Page Set 1 Designer's Choice Item June's Scrap Girls Club designed for you by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin
		But that's not all! Scrap Girls Club members now receive these exclusive, club-only items! Club Exclusive! JIFFY Easy Page Album Club Exclusive! Designer's Gift and a Club Exclusive Color Palette
Layout by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin using June's Scrap Girls Club larger view	Layout by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin using June's Scrap Girls Club larger view	Layout by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin using June's Scrap Girls Club larger view

Creating a Traditional Quilt Block Layout

Note: Tutorial created using Photoshop Elements 7.0 on Windows 7

One of my favorite hobbies is quilting. I love the patterns in fabric and the traditional feel of quilt blocks. I created my ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album Templates: 12x12 Quilt Squares so that I could incorporate that love of quilting into my digital scrapbooking layouts. I thought I would share the process I use to create a digital quilt block with you.

First, choose a photo and which template you wish to use for your layout. For this tutorial I am using the "Friendship" quilt square from the product listed above. Then examine the colors of the photo to decide on the main colors that will be used in the layout. I chose to select orange, navy, near black, and some shades of green to enhance the colors of the photo.

Next, pick out a collection that closely matches your color scheme. If you want a traditional quilt feel to your layout, pick a collection that has a lot of papers with small patterns. The majority of fabric used in quilting has small patterns that repeat all over (i.e., polka dots.) For my layout, I chose to start with Balderdash Collection Biggie because the majority of the colors match, and it has an extra set of solids.

Now, select papers for your quilt block. Traditional quilts have light-colored background with the darkest colors used as accents. Use a solid color for the spot you would like to place title, journaling, and your photo. If you decide you want blocks to have the same paper, you can merge those layers in your template. Select the layers you wish to merge by holding the Ctrl key while selecting (this allows you to select multiple layers), right-click on one of the layers, and select "Merge Layers" from the pop-up menu.

Once the layers are merged, place the paper above the template layer and select Ctrl+G on your keyboard. This groups the layers together and causes the paper to conform to the shape of the layer below (a clipping mask). It also makes it easy to change the paper to another one if you change your mind. I went through several papers before I finalized the design.

Place your photo on top of the layers. It can either sit on top of the quilt or be blended in. To blend in your photo, choose a photo mask and size it to fit the space. Set the photo mask layer's Blending Mode to best suit the photo. Adjust the Opacity to suit the photo, too. For my example, my Blending Mode is set to "Linear Burn" and the Opacity is set at 80%.

The ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album Templates: 12x12 Quilt Squares comes with stitches in the template. In order to emphasize the photo, I wanted to change the stitching around the photo better frame the photo. To do this, select the stitches layer. Using the Polygonal Lasso Tool, draw a rectangle around the stitches you wish to remove (I made my selection on the red line in the image below). Once the stitches are selected, they will have "marching ants" around them. Press the Delete key to remove the selected stitches. (If you accidentally selected and deleted the wrong thing, press Ctrl+Z to undo what you just did and try again.)

To change the color of the existing stitches to coordinate with the layout, use the Eyedropper Tool to select a color from the papers. Then, lock the transparent pixels by selecting the little white box after the word "Lock" on the Layers Palette. You should see a lock symbol on the layer. Then hold down the Alt key and press the Backspace key. This will fill the non-transparent pixels with the foreground color.

To make the stitches look more like stitching, use a layer style such as ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Stitching 6401 Mini. Adjust the layer style by adding a small drop shadow, if you desire. This gives the quilt block a more natural dimension.

To draw new stitches, I used the blanket stitch from Dynamic Brush Set: Loose Stitches 10701 and the action ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Edge It PSE 5001. The action makes it easy to use a dynamic brush to follow around the edge of a shape. Use the Eyedropper Tool to select the color from the papers to use for the stitching. Select the layer you wish to stitch around by holding down the Ctrl key on the keyboard while you click on the layers thumbnail in the Layers Palette. Make sure you choose the correct brush selected in the Brush Tool and run the Edge It action. It will add the stitches to a new layer for you. Copy the layer style from the original stitches and paste it onto this new stitch layer.

Now your quilt block layout is ready from some embellishments. Create your journaling and titles on the layout and then select some embellishments to enhance your layout. I find it handy to color the ribbon templates to match my layout. Buttons will add dimension as well as a ragged fabric alpha to show off the first letter of my son's name. Now you have made a traditional quilt block for a digital scrapbook layout that is worthy of framing!

Layout by Sara Beth Peterson
larger view

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album Templates: 12x12 Quilt Squares, Shark Lagoon Collection, Dynamic Brush Set: Loose Stitches 10701, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Background Blenders - Masks, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Edge It PSE 5001, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Ribbon Embroidery, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Stitching 6401 Mini and Lettering Delights Underwood Pica Font are also available.

Article written by Sara Beth Peterson

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!

Layout by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin
larger view

Designer Freebie by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin coordinates with her Jubilant Word Art Mini,
part of this month's Scrap Girls Club offering!

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Layout Masks are also available.

Today's freebie designed by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin

* 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.

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, June 22nd - 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 June 22nd, we'll do a multiple photo challenge! Create a layout on any theme, any topic, and any colors - using FIVE or more photos! 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!

U.F.O Chat
Thursday, June 23rd - 6:00PM MT

Everyone has them - those projects you started but just haven't gotten around to finishing! Join Shannon (tinkerbell11) and our guest this month Amy (mimes1) one of our very talented Layout Artists in the chatroom at 6pm MT to talk about all of them. Post your layouts in the Unfinished Objects Layouts Gallery before the chat so we can get Amy's input and also get help from the everyone in the Chat.

Ad Inspiration Challenge & Chat
Thursday, June 23rd - 7:00PM MT

Join Pat (PBarnes) at 7pm MT for an Ad Inspiration Challenge and Chat. A few hours before the chat, a magazine, newspaper or online ad will be posted on the Message Board to use as inspiration for a layout. You can use whatever you want to from the ad - the colors, the shapes, the composition. There are no wrong answers!

What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique Chat
Friday, June 24th - 9:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) and Theresa (teecee) at 9am MT on Friday mornings 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!

Swap Crop Chat
Saturday, June 25th - 6:00PM MT

It's time for the Swap Crop Chat with Lei (Bride) and Carla (CRS)! We've done the swapping and created the layouts, now it's time to chat about all the gorgeous layouts! I don't know what it is, but these swaps bring out the best in everyone. This is the time to chat about the theme, the beautiful layouts and learn about the swap crop if you haven't participated before. We'll brainstorm a theme for next month, too! If you haven't done so, you can check out past swaps in the Swap Crop Gallery!

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 Forum this month for "Re-JUNE-venate!" This is a Meassage 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 several completed layouts and will have 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 or task each day Monday through Saturday from June 1st - 30th. The tasks will be formatted in LARGE PURPLE FONT for ease of locating them in the game thread as it grows. 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 Scrap Girls 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!

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

June Monthly Layout Contest: Father's Day is celebrated in June in the United States, but a day set aside to honor our male parent is celebrated in many countries on different dates throughout the year. For June's layout contest, we want you to do a layout honoring your father, whether he is living or not. Post your layouts in the June Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight MT on June 30th. Be sure to list your credits in the description or under the EXIF Properties. If your layout is one of the two chosen winners, you will receive 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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