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Random Guide for the 21st Century Revisited
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
IN TODAY'S ISSUE:
- What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique?
- Life Muse By Ro
- Scrap Girls Club
- Tips From The Pros: Using Non-layered Layout Templates to Make a Quick Photo Book
- Designer Freebie
- What's Happening at Scrap Girls?
- Ongoing Opportunities for YOU
GENERAL INFORMATION
Support Center We Accept:
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The entire Scrap Girls team wants to say how grateful we are that you have chosen to participate with us. You'll never know just how much your support means to us and our families. Ro P.S. Your email address is safe with us. We never share, rent, sell, or loan our list with anyone! P.P.S. If you ever need any assistance, please email [email protected] or call IMPORTANT TO KNOWDon't forget to check out the Retirement Sale section of the Boutique. Items in this section are always on sale for 30% off. The items you will find during any particular month will be discontinued permanently on the 5th of the following month. So if you see something you like, grab it while you can! OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUCustomer Muses: Would you like to share your own Life Muse with our readers? To have your own essay considered for publication as a muse in the column for our special Saturday newsletter, send your essay to [email protected]. If your essay is selected, you will receive a $20 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique. Way Cool Scrap Girl: We are so excited to have all of you meet some of the amazing people that have become Scrap Girls! If you would like to be spotlighted and win a $25 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique, send the following items to [email protected]:
Suggest a Challenge, Win a Prize! Have a great idea for a Gallery layout challenge? Submit it to [email protected]. If your challenge idea is chosen, you will win a prize! Friday will be Customer Challenge Day, so keep an eye out on the Message Board calendar. It will be fun to see what YOU come up with for us to do!
Of course, it is a surprise what you will get because birthday presents are always surprises! But you will like it for sure because most people like money.... Anyway, make sure your Message Board email address is current and that you have the correct date entered into your profile to participate. *ADVERTISEMENTS*
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Random Guide for the 21st Century Revisited
The future is now.
Life is good. Let's keep it that way.
It is a useful thing to occasionally have reality shattered.
I feel like I was in a whirlwind this week - like The Wizard of Oz - only I wasn't Dorothy in the house. No, I was the cow going around in the whirlwind. If you are the cow in the whirlwind, you need to start mooing for your farmer to come and get you.
If someone asks you an actual question, it is easier to give an actual answer.
Diet brownies: Brownies made by teenagers, as they get eaten so quickly that the mother only gets a small taste.
"I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one." – Mark Twain
Squishy socks are a must for anyone who requires foot-mothering.
Get mad but don't get even. And then, get over it.
"The worst pencil is better than the best memory." – Anonymous
The darker the chocolate is, the more health benefits it comes with. Cocoa has flavonoids, which are good for your health, and the darker it is, the more flavonoids it has.
"The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself." – Mark Twain
If you build your ship correctly, it won't sink when the captain or crew members take shore leave.
Keep your tetanus shots current.
Tomorrow never comes.
A good pocket camera will get used more than a big, expensive DSLR will.
An empty Cheetos® bag on the front porch says a lot about the occupant of the house.
It's true: Horizontal stripes are not flattering.
Drink your glass of ice water before the ice melts.
Made-up is a state of mind.
Remember that overnight success usually takes more than a decade. Or two.
Be original.
Get a living will.
Take your own advice.
I guess I'll see you the next time it is today.
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!
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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:
January's Scrap Girls Club designed for you by Jen Reed
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 Layout by Jen Reed using January's Scrap Girls Club larger view |
 Layout by Jen Reed using January's Scrap Girls Club larger view |
 Layout by Joyce Schardt using January's Scrap Girls Club larger view |
Using Non-layered Layout Templates to Make a Quick Photo Book
Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS3 with Windows 7
Using templates to create layouts is an easy way to get a jump-start on your creativity. Using layout templates to create backgrounds for your photo books is a super way to get a ton of pages done – fast! There are times when I think about making a photo book, and as much as I would love to have printed books of our family pictures, I have been intimidated by the number of pages involved.
Layout templates come in many forms, from complicated PSDs with a ton of layers to simpler, starter layouts. Many times, these simpler layout templates come with just one file, a black PNG file. This tutorial will walk you through a fun and simple way to get a jump on those photo books you have been waiting to start by using these simple Digital Layout Templates!
One of the fun things about layout template sets is that they usually coordinate in some way. This gives you the opportunity to make a bunch of pages that look like they belong together.
When you first open your Layout Template file, you will have one black layer with holes in it. This is going to give your layout its basic form. For this tutorial, I am using ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Painted Edges and the Laughter and Sunshine Collection Biggie.
You need to understand two basic Photoshop tools. The first one is layers. In your Layers Palette, anything that is below your layout template will show through the holes in your template. Anything in the layers above your layout template will need to be "clipped" to the template so that you can see the layers below.
Using the layout template as a clipping mask is what allows the paper to be "cut out" in the shape of the layout template. In Photoshop Elements, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+G to "clip" your paper onto your layout template. In Photoshop, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt+G. Here you can see the layout template in black in the middle and one paper on top clipped to the template and one layer below that is showing through the windows.
The second thing you need to know for this tutorial is how to turn layer visibility on and off. Next to each layer is a little icon of an eye. If you click on the eye icon, you can turn the visibility of that layer off.
Begin adding papers into your document and layer some above and some below your template layer. Make sure all the layers above the template are "clipped" to the template as shown by the little indented arrow and the ability to see the lower papers through the windows. Notice how I have a variety of papers all clipped to the template layer and a variety of papers below my template layer.
Now you are going to begin making your backgrounds. Turn on one layer above and one layer below your template, then save as a JPG. Turn on a new layer above and a new layer below your template, then save as a JPG. Make several from this template, then pick another template from the set and drag it and drop it into your document. Continue to combine papers from the collection you have chosen and mix and match for a variety of colors and patterns.
These simple backgrounds will give you a head start on making a custom photo album or photo book. Just add your pictures on top, some journaling and a few embellishments and you are on your way to a finished album.
Within minutes, you have a variety of patterned coordinating backgrounds perfect for quickly putting together a photo book. Make a quick photo book for special events, vacations, or baby books.
Layout by Melissa Renfro
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Painted Edges and Laughter and Sunshine Collection Biggie are also available. |
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Article written by Melissa Renfro
Learn to make digital scrapbooking layouts and more! – Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed Ready to learn advanced techniques? – MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed |
Layout by Andrea Trump
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Designer Freebie by Andrea Trump coordinates with her ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Around It Mini 1
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Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Crazy Retro Day and ScrapSimple Paper Templates: A Bit of Texture Edges Biggie are also available. |
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Today's freebie designed by Andrea Trump
* 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, January 18th - 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 January 18th, we'll do a Font Challenge. Use a font that you haven't used before 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!
Heritage Crop & Chat
Thursday, January 19th - 6:00PM MST
Do you have boxes of old photos that you want to scrap? Is preserving a record of your family's heritage important to you? Come to the Heritage Crop at 6pm MT where we'll give you some basic scanning tips and teach you how you can use Scrapsimple Tools - Styles: Photo Fix 2201 and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Photo Fix 2202 to correct an old photo's color cast.
January Message Board Game: Jumpstart January!
It's time to kick off the new year with fun and focus on scrapbooking! And a few prizes thrown in never hurt, right? Join us on the message board this month for "Jumpstart January!" This is a message board game and challenge to start your year with fun and focus on taking time to scrapbook regularly despite the little speedbumps of life. When the month is over, you'll have completed several layouts and been challenged and treated to some fun along the way.
A member of the Welcoming Committee will post a mini-challenge/task every Monday through Saturday during January. Some tasks will require message board participation, email responses, or gallery posting. Those who complete all tasks and submit or post required participation by 11:59pm MT on January 31st 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!)
For complete details, visit the Monthly Message Board Games folder on the Scrap Girls Forum.
January Monthly Layout Contest: With the beginning of a new year, many people set aside some time to set goals. It might be an exercise plan or establishing better eating habits. It might be getting your life more organized. Or maybe you set goals for your digital scrapbooking output for the year. Post your layouts in the January Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight MST on January 31st. Be sure to list your layout's product credits in the description or under the EXIF Properties. Two layouts will be selected to 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!