Hi ladies… Christy (TheWerners) here with this week’s Tuesday Template Challenge. The amazing Denise (neeceebee) was awesome and made one of my LOs into a template for us. Yay!!! Here you go… no rules this week… Just have fun with the template and make it your own.

GRAB IT HERE
**If anyone uses my software (SBC+ by Creative Memories), feel free to PM me and I’ll send you the SBC+ Page file.

Here’s my LO for this week:

Everything is by Britt-ish Designs: Glam-o-Rama Papers, Hustle and Bustle Kit, Used and Abused Papers, Scratchy Solids Paper

And here is some inspiration from our fantabulous CT…

From Stacy (shutch):

Sya’s learning curve, Cyndi Price’s alpha, and date stamp from Britt

From Jaime (ocmath):

All supplies except white paper by Dirty Feet Designs.  White paper by Britt-ish Designs.

From Stefanie:

WM squared Green & Serene

From Sharon:

Using Happy Scrap Girl’s Kelly’s Apple Farm

Entries will be accepted until the end of February! Please upload your LO to the Tuesday Template Challenge gallery and link it back to the Tuesday Template thread in the forum to get your point. You can also earn an additional point if you use a ScrapMatters product released in the past 7 days. Just make sure you mention that when you post your page. At the end of the challenge, I’ll be choosing one winner for an extra point as well!

You don’t have to use ScrapMatters products to participate in this challenge, but we love it when you do! Remember, no double dipping. Each LO must be created for one challenge only. Can’t wait to see your pages! Happy Scrapping!!!

Today I thought I would write a quick note, to say thanks to our ScrapMatters community members.  What Matters Monday?  You all matter!

When I look around the forum and the gallery I see non stop support, encouragement, friendship, fun and love.  From the welcome threads, to the speed scraps, to all the challenges, the gallery standouts thread, all the threads asking for advice and constructive criticism, it’s all of you making it such a fun and friendly place to hang out.  I have not found another digital scrapbooking home out there so far that is so welcoming and friendly, not to mention all the love that is left in the gallery. Not only is our little community full of love, it’s also full of knowledge and skill and I love seeing us all share that with each other. I think it’s fantastic!

So, what do you love most about ScrapMatters?  What matters the most to you in our community?

Leave us a comment and let us know within the next 48 hours, and you could win one of two prizes!! The winners will be randomly picked. There is a $5 coupon for the store up for grabs, and Andilynn will donate one item of your choice from her store for the other prize. How cool is that?  So, come on, let us know what you love about ScrapMatters!

Hi everyone, this is Monique, wishing you all a Happy Valentines Day!

On any page I create I always seem to use a clipping mask of some sort!

I will fill a frame with a rectangle shape, so I can clip my photo to fit into the frame. I will clip a paper from the kit I’m using to a swirl shape in any colour, to keep the whole look coordinated.

The very simple technique I would like to share with you today, is how to use the basic shapes that come with your program, to easily crop photos and papers into interesting shapes! In Photoshop these shapes are called Custom Shapes, and I will show you how to use them here. Screen shots are made using PSE 7 on a PC, but these instructions should work for any version of Photoshop on any computer!

1. Edit your photo in any way you like, besides cropping it.
2. Drag your photo onto your layout.
3. Choose the custom shape tool. It is in the left hand Tool Bar, under the Rectangle Shape Tool. Right click on the rectangle tool and select custom shape. It should look like this:
4. In the Options Bar at the top of your screen, drop down the shape selector and choose the little double arrows (this is the Options menu). Make sure that “All Elements Shapes” is selected. It should look like this:
5. Pick any shape you’d like. For photos it’s best to pick a shape that looks filled in. If you want to use a shape to fill with colour or paper, you can choose any shape you’d like. Here are some of my favourites:
6. Create a new layer underneath your photo layer. With this new layer selected, draw your shape in any size you’d like. You need to hold shift in order not to distort the shape. Simplify layer by right clicking on layer and choose Simplify Layer.
7. With your photo layer selected, now hit Ctrl-g (Ctrl-Alt-G in CS2) to create a clipping mask. You can see that your photo conforms to your shape. It should look like this:
8. You can now finish your layout any way you’d like!

In PSP you need to look for the Preset Shape Tool. I found this tutorial online, but as I’ve never used PSP, I’m not sure if it’s any good! I don’t think the GIMP has any preset shapes, but you can draw your own shape, or use any shape you can find, like an element (flower, tag etc.) from any kit and still use it as a clipping mask for your photo(s)! Don’t forget to credit the designer if you do! If you have questions about the program you use, try this thread in the forum. One of our other members might be able to help!

So, your challenge this week is, to make a page using a custom shape as a clipping mask. You can have more than one photo, as long as at least one of them is cropped into a shape!

To help you get inspired, here’s my take on the this challenge, using the NEW So Totally Teen Collab by Designs by Tater and Mickey B. Designs:

Here are two more examples from our wonderful CT members:

By Denise (neeceebee), using the NEW Tiny Dancer Collab by Britt-ish Designs, Dirty Feet Designs and Jeni Hopewell, and the Electric Pop Alpha by Britt-ish Designs:

By Christy (TheWerners), using Hang In There, Used and Abused Paper Pack, Gracefully Aged paper, Edge to Edge Word Art, all by Britt-ish Designs, and the NEW Retro Spring Collab by WM [squared] Designs And Digi Keepsakes:

I can’t wait to see what YOU come up with!

Create a layout unique to this challenge and post it in the Saturday Special Gallery. Then post a link to your page in this thread in the forum to earn a point for your challenge! You can earn an extra point by using a newly released product from the SM Shop, or if I pick your entry as my favourite by the end of the month! You have until the end of this month to finish and post your page. You don’t have to use ScrapMatters products, but we love it if you do!

The February newsletter is being emailed today. We changed mailing programs and I couldn’t get the old program to export the list of subscribers so I had to start from scratch. I think I got everyone, but if you don’t receive your newsletter by late Saturday, please let me know and I will make sure that you receive one. Just for subscribing you will receive a new kit every month for FREE. This month’s kit, Where the Heart Grows, is by Leslie, golden girls and it is simply fabulous. Take a look:

ScrapMatters’ February 2009 Newsletter

We also have new Twice as Nice collab kits hitting the shop today.  These collaboration kits are simply fabulous.

Fairy Princess by The Golden Girls & Happy Scrap Girl Designs

So Totally Teen by MickeyB Designs and Designs by Tater

“Tiny Dancer” by Britt-ish Designs, Jeni Hopewell & Fluffy Bunny Feet Designs

Love, Life, Nature by Sya’s Blueprints & Dirty Feet Designs

Retro Spring by WM[Squared] and Digi Keepsakes by Monica

Have fun and enjoy your Valentine on the eve of Valentine’s Day.

Thanks to all of you who have been so kind and left your best wishes on my recovery.  You are what ScrapMatters great!  Hugs, Andrea

Hello, and Happy Thursday!  Tgmousechick Kim back again, this week with some last minute ideas for your valentine!

To kick things off, I thought I would highlight a great find at the Dollar Spot at Target.  Aren’t these little mailboxes cute?  I went a little crazy and bought a bunch of them!  Fortunately, they are pretty simple to decorate.  I printed off two to three strips of paper: 1 13”x4” and 1-2 4” x 6.5”.  The long strip got wrapped around the body of the box, and I used the lid as a template to create the cover pieces.

My adhesive of choice for metal projects is Tacky Tape by Provo Craft.  Once you stick that down, it’s not moving!!!

For starters, I made mailboxes for my children, using Haynay’s Angel Baby Boy and Girl kits:

It only took making two before I was completely hooked, so I had to make several more for my gal pals at work…

Jeni Hopewell’s “Always Kiss Me Goodnight”

Love Bytes by Britt-ish Designs

Owl Love You by DigiScraps by Monica and Designs by Tater

Smitten by GG Digital Designs

Sugarplum Forest by Simply Sweet Designs

The kinds of goodies you can pack into these little boxes are endless- bite-sized candies, a small plush toy, a gift card, stickers!  The mailbox can actually hold quite a bit of candy, so if you want to avoid sugar-shock, you can add some paper stuffing to fill the space.  In fact, you can use your paper scraps to make perfectly coordinating stuffing!  Hurry!  Run to Target before they’re gone!!

For my next project, I went back to my days as consultant for Close To My Heart, and made an array of treat bags.  My little twist on this project?  I adhere there topper to the “bottom” (the sealed end) of the bag, allowing the recipient to get to the goodies without tearing through your work!

(Featuring Sweet Romance by Mickey B Designs (left), Eggplant Envy by Erica Zane (middle), and My Toes are Cold by Britt-ish Designs (right))

I made my toppers 3.5”x4”, resulting in a canvas 3.5”x 2”.  These fit the small 3”x5” ziploc bags, which I typically find in the beading section of the crafts store.

I hope this inspires you to run out and make a little something special for your valentine.  A gift doesn’t have to be extravagant to grab them- it just needs to come from your heart!

Hi everyone!! Kathleen (kv2av) here with my first ever blog post! I am so excited to be hosting this week’s GTL challenge – it’s one of my favorites out of all the challenges!

This week we’ll be lifting the extremely talented Krista (sahlink)…..you can find her gallery HERE. Once you have chosen a LO to lift (she has over 200 to chose from!) and completed your own version, upload it to the gallery HERE. Then go to this thread and post links to your LO and the LO you lifted, so that we know you’re participating in this challenge. Please remember to include a link to Krista’s original LO in your LO credits when you post to the gallery.

Let’s get down to business! Here are some LOs the CT came up with to help inspire you…..

Sya

lifted this LO of Krista’s

Monique (monsu)

lifted this LO of Krista’s

and I couldn’t decide, so I did 2! My first

is a lift of this LO by Krista

and my second

is a lift of this LO by Krista

On to the rules:  You get one point for participating in this challenge, plus an extra point for using a new product released within the week. Be sure to list the new product you used in both your credits and in the challenge forum.  I will pick my favorite LO at the end of the month and that person will get an additional point. Remember there is no double dipping – this LO needs to be an original LO and not used for another challenge. You have until February 28th to complete this challenge.

Well, what are you waiting for?  Go check out Krista’s gallery and get scrappin!

Hi everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  You know what that means at SM…yep, the famous Tuesday Template challenge….well, it’s always been my favorite anyway!  Here’s what I’ve created for you this week:

And here’s a larger image of the inspiration:

And here are a couple examples that our fab CT girls did for ya:

From emileem:

From littlehiccup:

From kateypie:

And from Brenda (Brenda Smith Designs):

Thanks ladies, they are all gorgeous!

There are no design rules, just use it to inspire you and go with it!  Easy peasy!

By completing this challenge, you get one point and if you use a new (within one week of its release date) Scrap Matters product, you get an extra point, be sure to point that out in your forum post please.  AND at the end of the month, I’ll pick a winner and that person starts out March with another extra point.  Please post your LO in the Tuesday Template gallery and then in the challenge forum with a gallery link.  No doubling up…only one Lo for one challenge, can’t count for two.  You have until the end of February to complete the challenge.

Go get scrappin, can’t wait to see your creations!

Jen

Good morning all. It’s Cyndi, here to give you this week’s “What Matters Monday”. And what matters this Monday??? YOU MATTER!!

I don’t know about you but I have tons of pictures of my kids, my family, my pets, places we’ve been, things we’ve done. Really good and fun pictures. But a lot of times, there’s something missing in these pictures. ME. As the scrapper, we’re most likely the photographer too. And that means we have pictures of everyone and everything else and rarely get pics of ourselves.

But I find that I LOVE to look through the galleries here at SM and see layouts about the person scrapping… with actual pictures of them in the layout! Even if it’s just a picture or two, I feel I can connect with my fellow scrapper just a little more seeing her in that layout. And you know what else?? I find that my family likes to see me in the layouts too. Yes, they love to see themselves, but the pages with our whole family or even me and my husband or one of my kids makes them happy too. And then we get to talk about the pictures a little more and reminisce about the day or that time in our life. Even if I’m not in a lot of the pictures, I try to have at lease one or two pics with me in it, just so I have proof that I’ve been at all these events I’m scrapping about

Here are just a few galleries I love because these scrappers remember to include themselves in their layouts… (click on user name to enter gallery)

Mary (littlehiccup)

Christine (inhisgrip)

Britt

So take a lesson from these gals and include yourself in some of your layouts.  It would be nice to get to know YOU a little better and I bet your family will love it too!

Good Mornig Everyone! This weeks LOTW is Taste of Nature by sarahtawisha. Isn’t it beautiful? We just love how the pictures pop off the page and of course her journaling is great. You can click on the link to leave her some love or go HERE to the forum. Congrats saratawisha!

Happy Sunday to you all!  Christine (inHisgrip) here, from the Scraps Matter Gang, to introduce you to Jeni Hopewell, Designer here at Scrap Matters. Looks like we share some commonalities, including the Great State of Texas! I hope you enjoy getting to know Jeni a little better.

1. Your screen name? Your real name? My name is Jeni Hopewell and in the forums I go by j_hopewell – so creative, aren’t I?  LOL

2. What is your main job/career? My main job is being a stay at home mom but I also teach piano lessons after school and of course, designing.

3. Are you married/children/pets? I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 13 years and we have three kids ages 7, 6, 2.  NO PETS ALLOWED – I have enough mess-makers ’round here!

4. Where is home for you? The great state of Texas!

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? I love my Granny’s green chile soft tacos, my mom’s homemade bread, and ham with green beans.

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? My all time favorite is Peanut Butter and Chocolate at Baskin Robbins but I’ll eat just about any kind of ice cream – except cookie dough, YUCK!

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Definitely sweet.  There’s always some kind of chocolate stashed around here.

8. Beverage of choice? Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew

9. What’s your least favorite food? Seafood – so gross.

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use?  PC and I use Photoshop CS3.

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? I’ve been digi-scrapping for just over a year now.  I was a paper scrapper for years and every year I make a family calendar for all the grandmas and grandpas.  It would take F-O-R-E-V-E-R.  Plus it was getting pretty expensive to buy six of the same paper and embellishment(s).  My sister had started doing some scrapbook pages digitally and I was amazed at how realistic they looked.  The only digi-pages I had seen were ones that looked very computer generated.  She told me how quick and cost effective it would be to do all of the calendar pages digitally and just print them out.  It sounded like a lifesaver and I found a video tutorial on You-Tube to help me figure it out in PSE.  I was hooked immediately.  I seriously don’t think I have even made a paper LO since.

12. What was your 1st LO about? I don’t remember my very first page but I know one of my first ones was for a template challenge here at SM by Britt.  The LO was about my youngest son’s birth.  That was my first visit to SM!

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? I also love to read, play the piano, take pictures, and watch TV (if that’s even considered a hobby!)

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? Definitely deciding which pictures to scrap.  I have sooooooo many pictures that it gets really overwhelming when I’m looking for one to scrap with.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? Well, my husband would probably want me to say that I’d love to learn how to be a better cook, but honestly I HATE cooking and don’t want to take the time to do it that would make me better at it!  LOL  I’d really love to take some singing lessons.  I love to sing and would really like to learn to do it well.

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? Uh-oh. . . this could be a really long list!!!  I’m definitely more of a TV person and my favorites are LOST, Heroes, ER, The Amazing Race, 24, CSI, House, Fringe, Survivor. . . and the list could go on and on.  I’ll watch just about anything except sports.

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? I’m almost always sitting on the couch with my laptop and the TV on.  I usually always have some chocolate stashed nearby too.

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? Yikes, that’s a hard question!  Probably ribbons and buttons.

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…? I’m pretty boring.  The only thing I can think of right now is that I really don’t like “chick-flicks.”  Give me an action movie or a drama over some sappy love story anytime.  My husband thinks it’s awesome. : )

20. When did you start designing? What is your favorite product that you’ve designed? I started designing in May of ’08.  One of my favorites products is {Tag – You’re It!}  It was one of my very first products and I still like (which is more than I can say for some of my other firsts!  LOL)

21. How would you describe your design style? Hmmm, I guess I’d say that is was very realistic and pretty cutesy, very kid-friendly.  I try to design things that I would have liked to use when I was a paper-scrapper.  I like paper-pieced looking elements too so there’s usually some of those in every kit.

22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation? I get lots of inspiration from magazines and ads and kids’ clothing.  Who knew laundry could be so inspirational?

23. Which of your kits showcases you style the most? I think {Benjamin} is definitely the most “me” kit.  I just love the colors of that kit.

24. What is your favorite color scheme to design with? I don’t know that I have one color scheme that I could call a favorite.  I like a lot of different colors.  Something I would really like to try is a monochromatic color scheme.  I haven’t done one of those yet, but it’s definitely on my to-do list.

25. Favorite kit you’ve designed? My latest kit is almost always my favorite, so {Always Kiss Me Goodnight}!

Thanks Jeni for letting us get to know you a little better. We sure loving having you here at SM and we love your kits. Visti Jeni’s store and her gallery.

A few weeks ago I learned how to do something new!!!  It made me so happy!!  I love to learn new things and have made a goal to learn something new in digital scrapbooking at least once a month.  That is why I love the Saturday Special.  So I thought I would teach you what I have just learned.  Some of you may already know this technique, but I didn’t have any idea that it could be done and love the final result.   I have been loving blending papers and photos and this is just a new technique for blending your photo using brushes.

To start off you need to pick a photo that will look good blended.  Let’s face it not all photos are created equal.

Open up a new project and place your background paper on the bottom layer.  Next create another layer and choose a brush.  I picked a basic brush that is already in PSE for this challenge to show you.  I picked the round brush, soft mechanical 65 pixels, with the fuzzy border.  Next paint with your brush a few times to create a big blob – really technical I know.  I typically do this in white, but it really depends on what the background paper looks like.

Then you will simply place your photo on a new layer over your brushed layer and clip it to it (CTRL G in PSE will do the trick)
 

You will then just simply play around with your photo until it blends into the background the way you want it to.  You may have to make the photo bigger or the brush strokes smaller in order to eliminate the borders of the photo.  Don’t be afraid to play around with it until it looks just right – you can always undo anything that you don’t like.  Use your blending modes and make your photo pop.  For a LO like this I always think that less is more.  Less elements or really small ones.  Play around with it until you are happy with the final result.  Here is mine:

If you usually blend in a different way, for this challenge give this technique a try.  Don’t be afraid to try something new you may love the results. 

Don’t forget the basics:

- no double dipping – this must be a uniqe LO just for the challenge

- if you use a new product you get an extra point (make sure you note it in this thread)

- you have until the end of the month to complete this challenge. 

- have fun!!!

Upload your LO to the gallery and then post it to http://scrapmatters.com/forums/showthread.php?p=30802#post30802

Here are a few more examples:

Monique using Blissfully Blue by Digi Keepsakes:

Andrea (chia) using Romance and Blues {revisited} by Brenda Smith Designs:

Christine (alamama) using Jeni Hopewell’s *Benjamin* alpha, Mikey B’s *Autumn Breeze* & Jeni Hopewell’s *WonderFALL* kits: