Tea on Tuesday
Monday, December 5, 2011

IN TODAY'S ISSUE:

• Sale! Save 40% off all ScrapSimple Templates until Midnight, MST, Dec. 6, 2011
• Gifts Galore!!
• Cute Stuff
• Blog Contest! A Chance to Win a Kindle Fire!
• URGENT! Win $25 from Scrap Girls!!
• A Designer's Life: Elisha Barnett - Tea on Tuesday
• Scrap Girls Club
• Tips from the Pros: Monogrammed Tile Coasters
• Designer Freebies
• What's Happening at Scrap Girls?
• Ongoing Opportunities for YOU

Answer 3 Easy Questions and maybe Win a Kindle Fire!

How would you like to win a GREAT prize - like a Kindle Fire - and not have to do anything but answer three easy questions to do it? Wouldn't it make a great Christmas present for someone you love - or yourself?

Now's your chance! Just head over to the Scrap Girls Blog to read all of the rules. Look for the post named:  Blog Contest: Easy way to win great prizes including a Kindle Fire

Here is what the lucky winners will receive:

THE PRIZES

ONE (1) Kindle Fire (The winner will be able to watch their Presentation Digital Scrapbook 1-2-3 videos on YouTube on this!)

TWO (2) CDs of Michael Lucarelli's music (Michael Lucarelli Plays the Beatles)

THREE (3) $10 Gift Certificates for the Scrap Girls Boutique

All of the rules for the contest are in the blog post. It ends on Tuesday, December 6th, so don't delay.

And while you are there... make sure that look around and see all of the improvements we've made. Make sure that you subscribe to the Scrap Girls Blog because it has all new, unique content and tutorials that are not found in the Scrap Girls newsletter. We are also going to be running special blog contests and giving away blog-only discounts that you won't want to miss!

Go to the Scrap Girls Blog to read all of the details.

See you there!

URGENT!
Be one of 12 people to win $25 Christmas CASH from Scrap Girls!

Get ready to capture the magic of the Christmas and holiday season! You could be one of 12 people who will win a $25 pre-paid Visa gift card!

Let me explain...

If you are one of the many, many, many who have told me over the years how much you love, love, love my annual 12-part Christmas story, thank you! I write each story from my heart – sometimes it takes weeks and months, and sometimes the inspiration comes so overwhelmingly fast that I have been known to pump out an entire story in a two-day, no-sleep marathon.

This year, I was inspired to ask you to be part of creating a very special experience for the Scrap Girls community. You see, this year, the 12 Days of Christmas will come from your heart. That's right – YOU! I want to hear YOUR stories of Christmases past. I want to share YOUR stories of the marvels and miracles of the season.

So I'm going to do something I've never done before. I'm going to feature one story every day for 12 days, beginning December 13th. And because I want this to be extra special, I am going to award a prize that I've never handed out before...cash. The author of every story that gets selected will receive a $25 pre-paid Visa card that you can use anywhere in the world that Visa is accepted.

CONTEST RULES

Here's what you need to do to be one of the 12 stories that are selected:

1. Write a 500-word (maximum length, please) story that tells about something you have experienced during Christmas or the holiday season sometime in the past. Or tell a story that has been handed down through the generations in your family. All I ask is that it be true (to the best of your knowledge) and somehow connected to you. (Please don't send us a retelling of something you read somewhere else!) Make this a story, a retelling of an actual event, not just a collection of thoughts about why you love Christmas or the holidays.

   Was there a time when you saw something miraculous happen at Christmas or during the holidays? Can you recall a first Christmas or holiday memory with your loved one, your child, or maybe the last Christmas or holiday with your great-grandmother? We love to share good stories around here, and we don't mind having to grab a tissue, so write with all your heart to speak to our hearts!

   We will edit the story as needed for clarity, grammar, punctuation, length, etc., though we will make every effort not to change the meaning of anything you write. However, the better you write, the less we have to edit, and the happier you will make our editor!

2. Submit a layout or a photo that goes with your story. Any layout or photo of a craft product submitted must use only Scrap Girls supplies.

   You don't have to make a layout or a craft project to have your story selected, but we would like to have some kind of image such as a photograph to go with the story. People enjoy stories best when they have images to connect to.

IMAGE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Submit two sizes of each image that accompanies your story:
1. 600 px wide (72 dpi)
2. 300 px wide (72 dpi)
2. Attach images to email, as described below.

STORY REQUIREMENTS:

1. Story should be written in a word processing program, such as MS Word or Works. If you don't have one, you can download a nice one without charge from OpenOffice.org.
2. In the document, you will include:
• Your story
• Your complete contact information (mailing address, phone number, email address)
• Supply list for any layouts/craft projects images you are supplying. Give us the name of the product (must be from Scrap Girls). If you can include the link to the Scrap Girls product page, it would be super-helpful to our newsletter team.
• Image file names
3. Attach the document containing this story, etc. to your email.

SUBMITTING YOUR STORY

1. Email your story to [email protected]
2. Subject line: My 12 Days Story
3. Attachments, which include:
• Story document
• Scrap Girls publication release (Download it HERE)
• Images (see above)
4. The deadline for the story submission is Midnight, MST on Tuesday, December 6th.
5. One entry per person.

HOW YOU WILL KNOW IF YOUR STORY HAS BEEN SELECTED

Just to keep things interesting, we're not going to tell anyone if they have been selected ahead of time! You'll just have to hop out of bed every morning and rush to your computer and open up your Scrap Girls Newsletter with all the wonder of a child on Christmas morning and look to see if your story got published that day!

After the newsletter is published, we will send the daily winner the good news and will tell them how they will receive their $25 pre-paid Visa card.

I'm so excited to see what you are going to send me! I think that this year's 12 Days Newsletters will be the best yet!

- Ro

Article written by Elisha Barnett

Tea on Tuesday

My daughter, Katie, and I have a little tradition called Tea on Tuesday. It came about in response to a couple of issues - the desire to actually use the tea sets we've collected over the years, along with the desire to intentionally spend time together amidst our busy schedules.

Tea on Tuesday is in my appointment calendar as a recurring event at 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday, and I'm careful not to schedule anything else at that time. I have it set so that I get a reminder 30 minutes prior to the event, just in case I'm so engrossed in my work that I forget the time.

We take turns with the hosting responsibilities, and the hostess decides what to serve and how to set the table. Ideally, we have high tea. We bake scones. We make homemade chicken salad with red grapes, pecans, and a little curry powder (yum!) and create little finger sandwiches. The hostess mixes and matches the dishes according to her mood and sets them on an embroidered tablecloth inherited from my grandmother. We heat water in the whistler, choose from a box fully stocked with our favorite varieties of tea, and serve the tea from one or two of our many tea pots. Then we sit and talk about what's going on in our lives. Those times are wonderful.

Most often, there's just not the time or energy to go all out. Usually, we have just one pot, one variety of tea, one hastily prepared treat, and two cups. We sit at a table with no tablecloth, and we talk about what's going on in our lives. Those times are wonderful.

Sometimes there's no time at all to prepare, or I just need to finish something for a deadline. It's those times when we will heat water in the microwave and bring two steaming mugs into my office. We sit at my desk with just tea and take a few minutes to talk about what's going on in our lives. Those times are wonderful.

Then there's the occasional Tuesday where something will call me away from home, and I can't get back in time for tea. Or one of us has to schedule something that couldn't be avoided at that time. Or heaven forbid, we completely forget. When we finally connect, we begin to make plans as to what we're going to do next week. And those times are wonderful.

Katie and I have found that it's important to remain flexible and forgiving if we want our tradition to continue as a blessing instead of a burden. We keep a standing appointment, so if we miss one, there's always next week. Even if we miss two weeks, we've still had the opportunity to get together twice that month and spend a half hour or so together.

Katie won't be living at home much longer. The time will come when our tradition will have to end. Maybe we'll come up with something different to do together, even if it's less often. Whatever happens, I hope we can get together to talk about what's going on in our lives and remember the times we had sharing Tea on Tuesday. That will be wonderful.

- Elisha Barnett

Favorite Product I've designed:
Homebody Collection Biggie

Homebody Collection Biggie is designed in the color palette of my own home and includes bits and pieces of my decor. The colors make me feel at peace, and the word art reflects the comforts of home and family.

Layout by Elisha Barnett
larger view

A commercial license version of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: A Bit of Texture - Edges Biggie is also available.

		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 Page Set 1 Designer's Choice Item 1 CLUB EXCLUSIVE! Jiffy Easy Page Album 1 CLUB EXCLUSIVE! Designer's Choice Item 1 CLUB EXCLUSIVE! Color Palette December's Scrap Girls Club designed for you by Angie Briggs Club Exclusive! JIFFY Easy Page Album Club Exclusive! Designer's Gift
Layout by Amy Flanagan using December's Scrap Girls Club larger view	Layout by Jennifer Wight using December's Scrap Girls Club larger view	Layout by Cheri Thieleke using December's Scrap Girls Club larger view

Monogrammed Tile Coasters

Note: Tutorial created using Photoshop CS5 with Windows

Are you looking for a great idea for Christmas gifts that's easy, fabulous, and economical? Then try out these darling monogrammed tile coasters you can make at home with just a few materials, your own printer, and your digital scrapbooking products. Once you gather the materials, you'll be ready to do several sets.

Materials you will need:

• Four (4) individual tiles for one set
• Mod Podge® (Matte or Glossy, your choice)
• foam brush
• felt tabs
• scissors or a craft knife and ruler
• printer and graphics program (like Photoshop)
• clear acrylic spray (Matte)
• white cardstock, medium weight paper or high quality photo paper (letter size to fit your printer)

Now, let’s get started creating your monograms. First, open a new document in Photoshop. Select the size which will be the size of your cardstock by selecting File> New. Then, where it says Preset, click on the drop-down box and choose US or International Paper (depending on where you purchased your paper).

Next, select the size.  Select White for the Background Contents.

Measure your tile to determine the size you need your monogram to be. Mine was 10 cm but most U.S. tile sizes are about 4-4.5 inches. Check yours to be sure. Tiles can be purchased at your local hardware store for just a few cents each. If you plan on making several sets, buy a whole box. (Tiles start at about 30 cents each and go up.)

To create my monograms, I used the Printable Monograms: Elegant Black for my coasters since they are already predesigned – a super time saver! However, you can make your own monograms using your digital scrapbooking products.

I resized my monograms to fit my tile size and placed them on my new document. I was able to place four on one sheet of paper. (To resize in Photoshop, go to Image> Image Size and plug in your numbers.)

Next, print them out on the white cardstock. I used a white medium-weight cardstock that I purchased at my local craft store for just a few cents. The weight of the cardstock makes it a little easier to work with and it will have fewer bubbles to smooth out. Plus, because my project was in black and white, the card stock worked well. If your project has a lot of color in it, it might be best to go for a high quality photo paper.

Next – and this is very important! - after you have printed out your monograms, use the clear acrylic spray and lightly go over your monograms to set the ink. This will prevent your image from smearing when you add the Mod Podge®. This dries very quickly. I gave mine a couple of coats using a matte spray.

The next step is to cut out your monograms. I used a craft knife and ruler since my hand isn't as steady as I would like, but if you have a steady hand, use scissors.

Now it's time to assemble your coasters. Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge® onto your tile and place your paper on top, then smooth out any bubbles. I found that the edges lifted a little when adhering it to the tile, so I put some Mod Podge® on my finger and worked the edge down to get it nice and smooth.

Next, add another layer of Mod Podge® on top and let it dry completely before adding a second coat (two coats should be fine). Mod Podge® will be a milky color when you apply it, but it dries clear, so don't worry.

After both coats dry completely, use your clear acrylic spray again on top to give it a good seal and protect your tile from coffee rings and such. This also makes it easy to clean.

The last step is to add the felt tabs to the bottom of your coasters to prevent them from sliding or scratching furniture.

Add a bow - and ta-da! - a very lovely, personalized gift for Christmas, weddings, or anytime you need a quick present. And best yet, in these economic times, it cost very little to make.

Layout by Brandy Murry
larger view

Brandy Murry

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!

Surprise! Surprise! Gifts Galore!
We have TWO designer freebies for you each day until Christmas Eve!

Layout by Shalae Tippetts
larger view

Designer Freebie by Shalae Tippetts coordinates with her Humble Christmas 2 Collection Mini

Commercial license versions of Holy Night Collection and Humble Christmas 2 Collection Mini are also available.

Today's freebie designed by Shalae Tippetts

Layout by Angie Briggs
larger view

Designer Freebie by Angie Briggs coordinates with her Because Of You Collection Biggie

These three products 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.

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.

NSBR Chat
Monday, December 5th - 7:00PM MST

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!

Creative Cards Chat
Tuesday, December 6th - 6:00PM MST

Do you use your digital 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 digi-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!

Life Moments Chat
Tuesday, December 6th - 8:00PM MST

Join Theresa (teecee) in the chat room for a Life Moments Chat at 8pm MT. 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. Hope to see you there!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, December 7th - 10:00AM MST

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 December 7th, we'll do a white space challenge! Create a layout using white space. This "negative" or blank space guides the eye to the important areas of your page. Remember, it certainly doesn't have to be the color white! 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!

ATC Swap Crop & Chat
Wednesday, December 7th - 6:00PM MST

Please join Lei (Bride) and Elisha (elibar) in the chatroom for our ATC (Artist Trading Card) Swap Crop/Chat on the first Wednesday of each month at 6pm MT. Come see what everyone has created and we'll talk about next month's topic. We're looking forward to seeing you there.

Use Your Stash Chat
Thursday, December 8th - 6:00PM MST

Join Theresa (tiza126) and Shannon (tinkerbell11) at 6pm MT for this month's Use Your Stash Chat. We will challenge you to use something in your digital supply arsenal that you haven't before. Don't just collect supplies, use them! See you in the chat room.

December Message Board Game: BINGO!

Join us for an exciting game of BINGO on the Scrap Girls Forum during the month of December!! 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 Friday December 2 (Midnight MST) in order to play in the first round. The first round will begin on Saturday, December 3rd. 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 (Monday through Saturday), 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 Forum.

December Monthly Layout Contest: For the December Monthly Layout Contest, it's all about the gifts! Scrap a layout about a gift that was extra special, either one you gave or received. Or you can scrap about something or someone you consider to be a gift in your life. Share with us what makes that gift special! Post your layouts in the December Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight MST on December 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!

Copyright Scrap Girls, LLC 2004-2011

This newsletter may be freely redistributed by email in its unedited form. We encourage you to share it with others.

Customers or advertisers, you may contact us at:
Scrap Girls
10817 Highland Circle
Highland, Utah 84003
www.scrapgirls.com

Toll-free: (866) 598-3444

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!