The Persistent Woman
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

IN TODAY'S ISSUE:

• Today's Special of the Day
• What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique?
• Life Muse by Ro
• ScrapSimple Club
• Tips from the Pros: October's Scrap Girls Club
• Designer Freebie
• What's Happening at Scrap Girls?
• Ongoing Opportunities for YOU

Rozanne Paxman

The Persistent Woman

A yard-weed is anything that grows where it isn't wanted. Yard-weeds appear in the garden when the wind plants seeds from weeds that have yet to be destroyed or when creeping, crawling tendrils push their way into flower beds.

To rid a yard of weeds requires manual labor

or

chemicals that kill.

The problem with using chemicals is that they often kill good plants a gardener really wants to keep.

But manual labor... oh, that hard, manual labor required to remove weeds...

- This is the type of labor that makes a gardener's hat stick to her hair with sweat-glue.

- This is the type of labor that firms calves as they push and pull a gardener's legs up and down... up and down... as she drags away weeds.

- This is the type of labor that makes a gardener argue with herself about whether it takes more strength to keep weeding until the bed is finished

or

if it takes more strength to stop halfway and suffer the irritation of seeing new weeds eat up her clean flower bed once more.

In the end, a persistent gardener finishes the job because she knows that her manual labor will reward her with the elation of seeing a clean, tidy flowerbed at the end of the day.

A soul-weed is anything that has grown where it isn't wanted. The seeds of these noxious weeds are planted in a heart through hate, envy, jealousy, criticism, pride, enmity, and withering looks.

To rid a soul of weeds requires spiritual labor

or

pushing away bad feelings.

The problem with pushing away bad feelings is that a soul often kills the good feelings she really wanted to keep.

But spiritual labor... oh, that hard, spiritual labor required to remove soul-weeds...

- This is the type of type of labor that makes a woman rethink her life,

- This is the type of labor that firms the spirit, that pushes and pulls a woman's knees up and down... up and down... as she turns to God for help

- This is the type of type of labor that makes a woman argue with herself about whether it takes more strength to dig the weed out of her heart

or

if it takes more strength to stop halfway and suffer the pain that comes as her soul-weeds multiply.

In the end, a persistent woman keeps working because she knows that her spiritual labor will reward her with the peace that follows a clean, free heart.

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 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). A commercially licensed version of the ScrapSimple Club is also available here. With the ScrapSimple Club, you will receive: 1 ScrapSimple Paper Template Set 1 ScrapSimple Embellishment Template 1 Brush Set 2 Designer's Choice Item CLUB EXCLUSIVE! Nano Collection CLUB EXCLUSIVE! Designer's Choice Item CLUB EXCLUSIVE! 2 Tutorials October's ScrapSimple Club has been created for you by Loni Harris and Cheré Edwards Club Exclusive! Nano Collection Club Exclusive! Designer's Gift
Layout by Cheré Edwards using October's ScrapSimple Club larger view	Layout by Loni Harris using October's ScrapSimple Club larger view	Layout by Cheré Edwards using October's ScrapSimple Club larger view

The Scrap Girls Club allows you to get all of the newest looks while saving money! It is perfect for anyone who wants beautiful, coordinated digital scrapbooking supplies that are easy to use. You get all the products shown above a $40.59 value, for $9.99 or less! Plus, each month we will help you find new ways to use your club contents to the fullest with this article full of ideas, tips, and projects to get your creativity going!

Members-Only club content! Now Scrap Girls Club members receive three exclusive, members-only Club products every month! These new products include a JIFFY Easy Page Album - five layered PSD files of your favorite Club layouts designed by the professionals at Scrap Girls just for this Club, one Designer's Gift item - a product chosen by the Club's designer, and a Color Palette which you can use to coordinate your photos and ScrapSimple products with this month's Club to make it an even bigger value!

October's Scrap Girls Club's featured designer is Cherise Oleson. Her club will make your digital scrapbooking layouts and altered projects feel like true masterpieces, no matter your subject!

Scrap Girls Club Craft: Washer Jewelry

Note: Tutorial created using Photoshop Elements 9.0 with Windows Vista

One of the latest DIY jewelry projects involves an ordinary, large hardware washer, metal letter stamps, a hammer, and lots of practice. I tried this project over the summer as a gift for a group of girls, but my letters were off-center or the stamp didn't punch hard enough. Needless to say, they looked awful and the girls didn't get them. I decided quickly this wasn't a project for me.

However, when I downloaded the Inspiring Collection Biggie (Scrap Girls Club for October), I got inspired. Once I saw Cherise's prefect digital word art washers, a thought came to my mind, "Could I make faux-stamped washers?" The answer was, of course, yes. Let me show you how I did it.

What you will need:

• 1.5-inch large washer
• Printed digital washer word art or other printed scrapbook paper (details below)
• Scissors
• X-acto® knife
• Craft glue (I used Aleene's® Original Tacky Glue®)
• Diamond Glaze (I used Triple Thick Gloss Glaze by DecoArt® Americana)
• Sandpaper or nail file
• Cording and beads (optional)

First, I created a 1.5x1.5-inch file in Photoshop Elements. I dragged the June washer from the Inspiring Dates Word Art Mini onto my new file. My daughter's birthday is in June, and I thought it would be fun to make a personalized necklace for her.

Next, I used my Clone Stamp Tool and filled in the center of the washer. This helps with sizing and cutting out the inside hole of the washer.

I also created a 4x6-inch file and created six 2-inch tiles with the paper from the Inspiring Collection Biggie to make other necklaces with.

Then I printed my work.

Next, I used my washer and traced around both the outer edge and the inside circle. Using an X-acto® knife, I cut out the inside of the circle, and with scissors, I carefully cut out the outside circle.

I glued my cut-out to the flatter side of the washer and let it dry for two or three hours. After it was dry, I used a nail file to file off the edge of the washer where some of the paper hung over. Then I applied the glaze over the top of it. I allowed this to dry for two days. Finally, I added cording and some beads to complete my necklaces.

This DIY project was much easier than trying to hammer each individual letter into a washer! I also love the added beauty the colored papers provide.

Project by Jennifer Wight
larger view

The two products listed below are included in this month's Scrap Girls Club offering. Members receive a substantial discount on these club supplies. They are also available elsewhere in the Boutique at regular prices for those individuals who would rather not join a club.

Article written by Jennifer Wight

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 Loni Harris
larger view

Designer Freebie by Loni Harris coordinates with her ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Burlap Blenders,
part of this month's ScrapSimple Club offering!

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Burlap Blenders and Dynamic Brush Set: Burlap Naturals are also available.

Today's freebie designed by Loni Harris

* 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.

New Member Chat - Early Edition
Tuesday, October 18th - 1:00PM MDT

Join Debbie (B&K Mom) at 1pm MT for a fun chat to get to know our newest members. We will discuss the message board, gallery, chocolate and so much more! Everyone is welcome, new or not so new! Not sure how to get there? Just click the "CHAT" button at the top of this Newsletter; you will need Javascript enabled to access the chat room.

Faith Journey Chat
Tuesday, October 18th - 6:00PM MDT

Join Elisha (elibar) and Lei (Bride) for a Faith Journey Chat on the third Tuesday of each month at 6pm MT. All faiths are welcome! We'll be chatting and scrapping about our individual faith walk and how we also walk together. Watch the message board for this month's topic of discussion, and if you like - create a layout based on the topic!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, October 19th - 10:00AM MDT

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 October 19th, we'll do a Journaling Challenge. Create a layout with at least seven sentences of meaningful journaling. 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!

Heritage Crop
Thursday, October 20th - 6:00PM MDT

Do you have boxes of heritage photos just waiting to be restored and scrapped? Are there family stories just waiting for you to write down and preserve? Then this is the crop for you! Join April (April Showers) and Carla (CRS) at 6pm MT for the Heritage Crop and Chat! We'll help you get motivated to scrap those heritage photos and record your family stories for future generations to enjoy.

What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique Chat
Friday, October 21st - 9:00AM MDT

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!

Life Moments Chat
Tuesday, October 25th - 3:00PM MDT

Join Theresa (teecee) in the chat room at 3pm MT for a Life Moments Chat. These chats are meant to get you inspired to scrap about yourself. A theme will be posted earlier in the day to help you get started.

October Message Board Game: Product Picks

Join us for a new game in October, where we encourage you to stroll through the aisles of the boutique and do a little window shopping!

Each Monday through Saturday in October, a member of the Welcoming Committee will post the name of one or two product designers in the Product Picks game thread. You will then head to the Scrap Girls Boutique and navigate to that particular designer's product pages. Choose any of their products (your favorite product, one you like, or one you wish you owned), then head over to the Product Picks game thread and share the product name, Boutique link, and a brief explanation of why you chose that product.

At the end of the month, members who haves posted links to 42 products (one for each designer) will be entered in a drawing for one of three $10 Gift Certificates. Members who have posted links to 16-41 products will be entered in a drawing for one of two $5 Gift Certificates. And members who have posted links to 10-15 products will be entered in a drawing for one of two $3 Gift Certificates.

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

October Monthly Layout Contest: October is all about color! Show us those fabulous fall colors or spring colors for our Southern Hemisphere members! Maybe you have a favorite color you'd like to showcase or a very colorful photo to scrap. Remember, it's all about colors! Share those layouts in the October Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight MT on October 31st. Be sure to list your credits in the description or under the EXIF Properties. Two layouts will be selected to win a $10 Gift Card 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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P.S. If you ever need any assistance, please email [email protected] or call 866-598-3444 and we'll help you as quickly as possible!