Nothin' but Style!
Friday, August 3, 2012

IN TODAY'S ISSUE:

• 40% off Vacation Travel Beach Sale!
• What's New in the Boutique
• Tips From The Pros
• Scrap Girls Club
• ScrapSimple Club
• Designer Freebie
• What's Happening at Scrap Girls
• Ongoing Opportunities for YOU

Nothin' but Style!

Tutorial created Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Windows Vista

A while back, I attended a Scrap Girls Meet-Up in Omaha, Nebraska. Twelve women from eight states were in attendance! We spent most of our time chatting, scrapping, and spending quality time together.

One day, Tiza was discussing various challenges that are posted on the Scrap Girls Forum, and I was really intrigued by one particular challenge that she mentioned. The challenge was to make a layout exclusively using styles. When I got home, I decided to take the challenge, and I am going to show you how you, too, can build a layout using nothing but styles.

Using a layout template is a great way to show you how easy and fun it is to make a layout using styles. I chose to start with ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album Templates: 12x12 Bless This Nest Mini. I used this template as my primary layout, making some minor adjustments to suit my needs such as rotating the photo matte and frame. There are tons of other templates you could choose from. You could also build your own template using shapes, but that's an article for another time!

Here are what the layers look like in Elisha's template set.

Notice the little fx on the right-hand side of each layer? This indicates that a style of some sort has been added to the layer. It could be a shadow, color, texture, transparency, or any combination of different effects. In this case, drop shadows have already been applied to the layer in the template set. Now let's add some fun and colorful styles to the layout.

To apply your style, start by loading your styles to your software platform according to the instructions included with the product download. Open your template and rename it so that you always have your original file in its unaltered form. Then select and highlight the layer you would like to work with.

Now, look to your Style Palette for the style you would like to apply. Simply click on the style while the layer is highlighted, and the layer will automatically take on the properties of the style. You will see the little fx is still there. If you double-click on the layer, a drop box will open up showing you all the details and options associated with the style you just applied.

Below you will see how I have started adding styles to several different layers, and you can see the layout starting to take shape. I have only one premade element on my layout (the light blue ribbon), and the title work is from a finished collection. Other than that, I am not adding papers or premade elements; I am only adding styles to layers.

Below is my completed layout that I created in this manner. I played around with a variety of styles on each layer until I found the bright, happy combination that I had in my mind's eye.

You can build your layout one layer at a time by methodically going through the layers provided in the template and applying a bright and exciting style to each layer. There are styles to suit your every mood and scrapbooking theme in the Scrap Girls Boutique. Turn on the style in your digital scrapbooking layouts and see where it takes you!

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Layout by Amy Flanagan
larger view

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Shapes: Build A Flower 6303, ScrapSimple Tools - Shapes: Tape 6301, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Life is Sweet 6301, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Life Keeping 12601 Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Tape 6301, Value Pack: Countryside Styles, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Metal Edge 6301 and Ribbons To Go Embellishment Biggie are also available.

Article written by Amy Flanagan

Layout by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin
larger view

Designer Freebie by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin coordinates
with her 8.5x11 Year In Retrospect Collection Mini

Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Divine Arrows 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.

Creative Cards Chat
Tuesday, August 7th - 9:00 PM EDT

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) for the once-a-month Card Chat on the first Tuesday of each month at 9pm ET. This month, we'll focus on how to use ScrapSimple Layout Templates to create unique greeting cards.

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, August 8th - 12 Noon EDT

Join April (April Showers) each Wednesday at 12 Noon EDT for the 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 August 8th, we'll do a Color Challenge. Use vibrant colors like turquoise, orange and yellow on your page. Any vibrant colors you choose are fine. Have fun with it!

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!

August's Forum Game: BINGO

Join us for an exciting game of August BINGO on the Scrap Girls Forum!! 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 Forum username" by Wednesday August 1st (Midnight EDT) in order to play in the first round. The first round will begin on Thursday, August 2nd. 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 Forum Games folder on the Scrap Girls Forum.

August Monthly Layout Contest: Summer vacation time! We'd love to see your layouts featuring your summer vacations! Have you gone on the trip of a lifetime? Or an annual trip with family or friends? Have you had a fun staycation right in your own town? We'd love to get a glimpse into how you spend your vacation and why you chose spend your time that way! Post your layouts in the August Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight EDT on August 31st and you could one of the two people who will win a $10 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique! Please be sure to list your layout's product credits in the description or under the EXIF Properties.

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 Forum calendar if you have any questions about what is happening at Scrap Girls. All event times are given in the Eastern Time Zone unless otherwise noted. Need help converting time zones? Check out the World Clock - Time Zone Converter. (Use 'USA-New York-New York' as the location for the Eastern time zone.)

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