There is so much hybrid fun going on at ScrapMatters right now that rather than do the regularly scheduled Tutorial / Product Review (don’t worry … you’ll get that, too *HA*) I wanted to share just a little about the fun we are having with hybrid!!

First off, we are having lots of fun with our challenges.  We have 2 “big” challenges a month right now – a rotating challenge the first week of the month (Perfectly Packaged, Project reNEWit, and Dazzling Decor) and a repeating challenge the third week of the month (I’ll Pencil You In).  In addition to these amazing challenges we have added a new *WEEKLY* challenge!!  I just realized there had never been a “formal” announcement about it, so I wanted to make sure you knew … every Tuesday we have added a template challenge – just like the Tuesday Template challenge that is always posted here on the blog, but a HYBRID edition!!!  That’s right … we are providing you with a card template each and every Tuesday and you can now earn an extra Matter of Scrap point (or 2 if you use a new product) each week when you participate!!!  Make sure to check out the MOS Forum and look under Hybrid Challenges.

Next, our hybrid designers have slowly but surely been building their shops to give you even more hybrid resources – with much more to come!!  With a growing number or printables, quick albums, and templates you are sure to find something to inspire the hybrid goddess in you   Make sure to stop by the shop and check things out!

Lastly, a tutorial and product review … that’s what you’d normally find here on the third Thursday of the month.  I’m going to do one better this month – I’m going to provide you access to a hybrid tutorial (step-by-step, photos and all), product recommendation, hybrid freebie, loads more inspiration, AND a free kit!!!  Where will you find all of this?  Right in our ScrapMatters Newsletter!!  Now, this isn’t normally posted publicly … it’s reserved for our subscribers … but this month we’ve sent out our Anniversary Edition and we think everyone should see it   It is packed with goodies, freebies, and some major eye candy!  The great news is that the newsletter is just as fabulous EVERY month – and we just launched our new web version to go along with the usual PDF version.  If you aren’t currently a subscriber take a minute and look at the top left column here on the blog.  There you can get yourself set up to receive this awesome resource in your inbox every month!  Just so you know what hybrid goodies you’ll be receiving, here’s a little sneak peek … just in time for Halloween!!

Hey everyone!  For this edition of GTL we’ll be lifting Cristina.  Check out her amazing gallery! 

I chose this page in Cristina’s gallery to lift:

And here’s mine:

Credits:  {Ticket to Ride} by Chelle’s Creations and {JH_Cristina} font by Jeni Hopewell

And here are some more great pages from the ScrapMatters Creative Team!

Cristina even lifted herself!  Here’s the original:
and here’s her lift:

Credits:
Grandma’s Recipe – Designs by Tater
We’re Just Dating v. 2 by Britt-ish Designs
Font: Note this

AlliJ2008 chose this page to lift:

and here’s her lift:
Credits:
Ohana from Britt-ish Designs
Font: Cry Kitty

WM[Squared] chose this page as her inspiration:

and here’s her lift:

Credits:
Background Paper:  "Unfolded Papers V.1" by Jeni Hopewell
Date Stamp:  "Simply Dated – V.2" by WM[squared] Designs
"MUD":  "Let’s Kick It – Bonus Alpha" by Brittish Designs
All other items (some recolored): "Let’s Kick It" by Brittish Designs

Panders77 chose this page from Cristina’s gallery:
Here’s her lift:

Credits: Sahlin Studios/Decrow Designs Collab {Play}, Sahlin Studios {Photo Holders} and Chelle’s Creations {Chunky Chipboard Alpha}

kv2av chose this page:

And here’s her lift:

Credits:  GG Digital Designs’ Abbalicious (except stitching is from Where the Heart Grows), Denise Beatty’s Just the Facts Alpha, and Chelle’s Creations’ Building Blocks v.1

OK – now for the rules!

- You will have until October 31 to complete this challenge. Please upload it to the GTL gallery and leave your LO image and Cristina’s LO image (both linked) in the GTL 10.21.09 thread.
- You will receive one point for completing the challenge. You can earn an additional point for using a NEW product from the SM store! (Please indicate that you used something new with your LO/link in the forum.)
- I will choose one lucky winner who will receive an ADDITIONAL point!
- You don’t have to use SM products in this challenge, but we LOVE it when you do!
- Remember no double dipping…your layout must be UNIQUE to this challenge!

I can’t wait to see what you choose to lift!  Have fun!

Welcome to another Tuesday Template Challenge.   I have always loved the look of the layouts with the long trails of elements so I created this template to help everyone achieve that fun look.  The only rule for this challenge – use the template.  Feel free to use your creative license.  You can flip it, rotate it, move things around.  Here is the template:

Use the password: template10

Here is my layout using Brittish Designs’ and Sahlin Studios’ Land of Fantasy:

The CT and design team really rocked my world with their layouts for this challenge.  I hope they will inspire you, too! 

First up is CT member, Alansrock, using Barefoot kit (some items recolored) by AnnaBV Designs.

Next, design team member,Pressed Petals’ Alamama, created this fun layout with WM[Squared] *Viva Fiesta*.

Here is a fabulous Disney layout from CT Member, Cnscrap, using Leave the World Behind, Miss Kitty, and Happiest Kit of Earth by Britt-ish Designs. And Life’s A Beach and Enjoy the Moment by Sahlin Studios.

And check out this autumn beauty by Jenn using Credits-Designs by Tater: Wrapped in Autumn and White Vellum Alpha.

I bet you can’t take your eyes of this fun fair layout by CT Member, Melissa (rxdawg), using Chelle’s Ticket to Ride  kit.

And finally this sweet delicate layout by CT Member, Jenn Davey, using My Tootie Pie by Fluffy Bunny Feet Designs.

A quick reminder of the rules:
- You will receive one point for completing this challenge and posting your layout in both the gallery AND the forum thread. You will receive 1 extra point if you use a new release product within the week it was released. You must make note of this in your post in the forum to get the point.
- You have until the end of OCTOBER to complete the challenge.
- No double-dipping, your layout must be unique to this challenge only.
- FYI: you don’t have to use ScrapMatters products to complete this challenge- we just like it when you do!

That’s it.  READY, SET, GO!!!  I can’t wait my template in action!

The Saturday Special...tutorials, techniques and more. Every Saturday at ScrapMatters!

Hi everyone!  Jen (virginiajen) here to bring you the Saturday Special for this week.  I chose Scrapbook Page Titles as my subject.

One thing that can really make a scrapbook page special is the title.  It is sometimes a play on words, sometimes an important thought, a definition, a poem, a quote, a letter of the alphabet or just the one word that best describes the photos on the page.  The title sets the mood for the page and introduces the person viewing your page to what you are trying to portray.  There are also many ways to make a title look…using text or an alpha or multiple alphas or a combination of a fun font and an alpha, backing the title with a block of paper or leaving it floating, maybe decorating it with some elements.  You can orient the title horizontal or vertical, have it touch the photos or not, it can be bold and really stand out, or be blended on to the background paper and be muted and subtle.  It can be word art, or your own home made word art (by mixing fonts and using different orientation and maybe some elements) or you can clip papers to text to make the title coordinate to the papers used from a kit.  There are endless ways to personalize a page and really make it come alive by customizing the title.

Sometimes a clever title comes to mind while I am scrapping a page and I just know that it’s the one.  Other times I am looking for a clever way to say something and it isn’t as easy.  I suggest brainstorming and writing down anything that comes to mind for your title; words, phrases, ideas.  Then you might take little pieces from several of your ideas and come up with the perfect title!  And then other times I need a little outside inspiration and for those times I have a couple websites that I reference to find just the right way to title my page.  Here are a few good ones:

http://www.scrapbook.com/titles.php
http://www.theperfecttitle.com/
http://scrapsayings.com/say-top.htm

If you Google scrapbook page titles you’ll even find sites that list other sites where lists of title ideas can be found.

So, I want you to make a page and really concentrate on your title.  Make it really work with and complement your photos and the subject of your page.  Think about what the title actually says and how it looks.  I know there are some really creative ways out there..show me how to make a page standout!

Here is an example I made for you using a font/alpha combo and wrapped my font text around the alpha and then to tie it all in I wrote around the circle photo a repeating line: “a circle is round and has no end”:

Circle of Friends: a digital scrapbook layout by VirginiaJen

Here is some more inspiration from our CT:

from iisuzieii…she used a cool stamp monogram and added the second part of her title in a font:

Digital layout, "6 years" by iisuzieii using digital scrapbook kit, "Whimsy."

from AlliJ2008…she repeated her cute decorated title for effect:

from kissncontrol…she actually muted her title and weaved the letters which echoed the softness of a wedding gown:

from Cristina…she also combined text with an alpha/word art:

Crisp Days of Autumn digital scrapbook page by Cristina

and from mommy22girls..she not only used her title to make her point, but the whole LO!! She used 2 kits and two alphas to set the mood she was going for:

Great great job ladies, thanks for the awesome examples!

So, now you go get scrapping and when you are done, post your layouts to the Saturday Special gallery and then link us up in the Saturday Special Gallery at SM so we can see your amazing title! You have until the end of October to complete it. You can get an extra point by using a NEW Scrap Matters product (within 1 week of release). Please note that here in the thread when you link us up so I can note your extra point. And, no double dipping, your LO must be unique to this challenge. And at the end of October, I’ll pick my favorite LO to receive one more extra point!

I can’t wait to see all the ways to title my page, I’ll probably be scrap lifting from this challenge!

Thanks,

Hey everyone!  LuAnn here hosting my very first ScrapMatters Hybrid challenge!  Woot!  Can you believe it’s October already?  Even harder to believe is that there are only 70 days until Christmas!!

This month I am hosting the I’ll Pencil You In challenge.   This monthly challenge is about creating our 2010 calendars one page at a time.  Some are printing each page as soon as it’s finished while others are waiting to have them printed and assembled at the end of the year.  And if you haven’t started creating your calendars, it’s never too late to join in!  Our goal is to have our calendar pages done and ready to assemble for gift giving in December!

Creating calendars is one of the easiest ways to break into Hybrid – It’s really as simple as creating your calendar page or topper with your favorite program and then printing it!   And believe me when I say that parents and grandparents LOVE getting these as gifts!

So now let’s see some inspiration from the Creative Team:

To create my calendar topper, I used  Everyday Elegance by Stolen Moments, Denise Beatty’s All Squared Away Template Set and Chelle’s Creations’ So Krafty Alphabet to create my calendar page – all available in the ScrapMatters Shop.

I also used Jan Hosford’s Time Saving Calendar Topper Template and a journal tab from Sugarplum Paperie’s Summer Delight kit.

Cristina completed this beautiful calendar topper using  Off the Beaten Path by Jennifer Barrette and Lauren Grier and Simple Templates Double Pages by gwenipooh:

And Jami played along with this vibrant, color popping calendar topper created using Enjoy the Moment kit & Enjoy the Moment add-on freebie by Sahlin Studios, In The City Alpha be Sahlin Studios, Happiest Kit on Earth by Britt-ish Designs, Delicate Mickey Sprinkles by Britt-ish Designs, Miss Kitty add-on freebie by Britt-ish Designs.

And last but not least, one from Kim (tgmousechick)

Just remember – it doesn’t matter which month you complete, as long as you get one page ready for your 2010 calendar!

As always, here are the guidelines for the challenges at Scrap Matters:

- entries must be posted in the hybrid challenge gallery, and you must post in the corresponding thread in the forum with a preview and a link to your project in the gallery
- entries must be posted before the end of the month (October 31)
- you’ll get 1 point for completing a month of your calendar and posting it. Plus, you can get an additional point if you use a new product within 7 day from its release. Also, I’ll select one entry for a bonus challenge point at the end of the month.

Can’t wait to see what you create!

LuAnn

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Hi everyone!  NeeNee here with our second Grand Theft Layout for October.  I have decided that we HAVE to lift AlliJ2008 (Alli).  She has an amazing, versatile gallery with such a unique style.  She is great with white space, multiple photos and filling Hi everyone! NeeNee here with our second Grand Theft Layout for October. I have decided that we HAVE to lift AlliJ2008 (Alli). She has an amazing, versatile gallery with such a unique style. She is great with white space, multiple photos and filling her pages which should make it super easy for you to find one of her awesome layouts to lift! Here is a link to Alli’s gallery.

Marathon is my all time fav layout of Alli’s so of course, I just had to lift it!

And here is my lift using Jennifer Barrette and Lauren Grier’s Off The Beaten Path:

This Moment by Nee Nee

Scrap Lift our favorite galleries at ScrapMatters

And here are a few other lifts from a few of my CT buds for more inspiration for you:

emileem lifted More Pumpkins:

emileem’s lift using Pouyou’s In My Street:

Cyndi146 lifted Legos:

and Cyndi146′s version using Layers of Love by Denise Beatty Originals & Play Collab by Sahlin Studio and DeCrow Designs:

alamama lifted Family

and alamama’s lift using Sya’s Block template, Jennifer Barrette’s Autumn Blush and Sahlin Studios’ LoveLife:

And last but not least, kv2av lifted Boo:

And kv2av’s lift using Haynay’s Falling for Pumpkins and the Falling for Pumpkins flair, with the beads and stitching (recolored) from her “wild princess” kit. The font is Jeni Hopewell’s JH Kari:

A few quick SM guidelines:

- You will have until the end of October to complete this challenge. Please upload it to the GTL gallery and leave your LO image and Alli’s LO image (both linked) here in the GTL 10/30/09 thread.

- You will receive one point for completing the challenge. You can earn an additional point for using a NEW product from the SM store! (Please indicate that you used something new with your LO/link in the forum.)

- I will choose one lucky winner who will receive an ADDITIONAL point!

- You don’t have to use SM products in this challenge, but we LOVE it when you do!

- Remember no double dipping…your layout must be UNIQUE to this challenge!

So come on, check out the challenge thread HERE for more creative inspiration and to join me for a great time!

Tuesday Template--Free template from ScrapMatters

And here’s what the wonderful CT ladies have done with it:

First up is this great sports layout by Liz (mommy22girls), using Britt’s: Let’s Kick It and the Bonus Alpha

Then Amber (Stolen Moments) put together this beauty using her own kit “Into the Night”

Melissa (rxdawg97) did this beautiful using Everyday Thanks by Plum Dumpling Designs

Jenn (jennamy82) did this pretty and fun layout with Erica Zane’s Woodland Fantasy

Here’s Fiona’s (canadianmommy) bright and cute page using Eat your Veggies by Denise Beatty and Erica Zane

Natasha (bcnatty) rocked it out with Erica Zane’s Punky

Wendy (WM[squared]) got all techy-geek on us with Jennifer Barrette’s “Technotronic”

And last but not least, Jen (jendavey) whipped up this superhero of a page using Incrediboy by Britt-ish Designs and GG Digital Designs, Date Labels by Erica Zane, and NeeNee Font by Jeni Hopewell

Wow!! The CT and design team really knocked my socks off with their layouts for this challenge – I hope they’ve inspired you all, too! Thanks so much, ladies!

A quick reminder of the rules:
- You will receive one point for completing this challenge and posting your layout in both the gallery AND the forum thread. You will receive 1 extra point if you use a new release product within the week it was released. You must make note of this in your post in the forum to get the point.
- You have until the end of OCTOBER to complete the challenge.
- No double-dipping, your layout must be unique to this challenge only.
- FYI: you don’t have to use ScrapMatters products to complete this challenge- we just like it when you do!

And that’s it – go download the template and have some fun with it!! I can’t wait to see the layouts you all create!

Hi Sarah here.  I want to focus on a technique that I find myself doing on a lot of my layouts. I want you to try matting photos. When you use several coordinating papers underneath your photos, it not only makes your photos pop, but also brings depth to your pages. I’ve seen this technique used a lot on paper pages and love the way it looks.

I use PSP to scrap with but I’m sure this is just as easy to do in other programs. The way I do this is by placing a new layer under my picture and then making a rectangle slightly larger than the picture itself. I cut/clip a paper to the rectangle shape. I will move the rectangle behind the clipped paper and expand just a little bit more and add another paper layer and repeat the process until I have the desired look that I want.

Another way I mat my pictures is by choosing the same paper as my background and then reducing it down until it’s approximately the same size as I want
the mat to be. The color of the mat is a little bit deeper than the background and the color on color looks great after shadowing.

Here’s another page from Maria using the color on color matting.

Your challenge is to create a layout with a matted picture. You can use just one mat or go crazy and do ten! You can make your mats just a touch bigger than your picture or vary in sizes. Once you’ve completed your LO, upload it to the Saturday Special Gallery, and be sure to link to the challenge post in the forum.

A few reminders:

* You will receive one point for your entry
* You will receive one extra point for using a NEW product within the first week of its release – PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THIS IN YOUR POST
* You have until the end of October to complete your layout
* No double dipping – please keep your layouts unique to each challenge
* HAVE FUN!

Hi everyone! I am SOOOOO sorry for posting this SOOOO late!! Jen (jendavey) here to host this weeks Grand Theft Layout challenge. I’m super excited because (1) I LOVE lifting and (2) I totally LOVE lifting Denise!!

So let’s get this party started! Like I said above I have picked to lift Denise’s (neeceebee) gallery to lift…because she simply rocks! You can check out her gallery here…there are PLENTY of fabulous layouts to choose from! And don’t forget Denise has many great templates in her store that are inspired by here own LOs…making it even easier to lift her!!

I lifted this one:

and here is mine using the NEW Off the Beaten Path by Jennifer Barrette and Lauren Grier:

And here is some inspiration from the AMAZING SMCT Girls:

Jami (alansrock) lifted this one:

and created this LO using Itty Bitty by Britt-ish Designs and Erica Zane:

Jill (jillyfish) lifted this one:

and created this LO using Incrediboy by Britt-ish Designs and GG Digital Designs

Wendy (wmsquared) lifted this one:

and created this LO using On The Front Porch by Plum Dumpling Designs

Melissa (rxdawg97) lifted this one:

and created this LO.

(cnscrap) lifted this one:

and created this LO using Hopeless Romantic by Sya’s Blueprints and Stolen Moments

Lori (loribear) lifted this one:

and created this LO:

Thank you so much ladies for all the amazing inspiration and I can’t wait to see all the other amazing lifts the amazing scrappers at SM will create!! Happy scrapping

Oh yeah, here’s the important information.

- You will have until the end of October to complete this challenge. Please upload it to the GTL gallery and leave your LO image and Denise’s LO image (both linked) in the GTL 10.7.09 thread.

- You will receive one point for completing the challenge. You can earn an additional point for using a NEW product from the SM store! (Please indicate that you used something new with your LO/link in the forum.)

- I will choose one lucky winner who will receive an ADDITIONAL point!

- You don’t have to use SM products in this challenge, but we LOVE it when you do!

- Remember no double dipping…your layout must be UNIQUE to this challenge!

Thank you so much in advance!

It’s my FAVORITE Challenge!! It’s Tuesday Template time! Wendy here with another template!  I haven’t hosted a challenge in like 2 months, and i’m SOOO excited to get to host one in October, my FAVORITE month of the year!

There is no specific theme or set of rules for today’s template, just have fun!! Use the template as is, or switch it up…it’s all up to you!

Here is the template:

Here’s *MY* LO :

Credits: Kits:  “Autumn Blush” by Jennifer Barrette & “Feeling Fall” by WM[squared] Designs, Alpha:  “In the City” by Sahlin Studio

Here is some inspiration from the ScrapMatters CT/DT:

Layout By: alansrock

Credits: “Octobers Daily Download” by The SM Design Team

Layout By: happyscrapgirl

Credits: “Explore, Learn, Grow” by Sahlin Studios

Layout By: jillyfish

Credits: “Everyday Elegance” by Stolen Moments

Layout By: jennamy82

Credits: “With Dessert” by Juno Designs

Layout By: jendavey

Credits: “Punky” by Erica Zane, “Date Labels” by Erica Zane
“Chatter” by Plum Dumpling Designs & “JH_Krisi Font” by Jeni Hopewell

and last, but certainly not least…

Layout By: loribear

Credits: “SM Collab Friday Flea Market” by the SM Design Team

Feel inspired?  Good!  Now go download the template –>  HERE! and lemme see what ya got!  I’ve included both the .psd and .png files for you!

The “Fine Print” aka the Matter of Scrap Challenge rules:

You have all of October  to complete the layout. Upload it to the gallery, and leave BOTH the image and a link in the challenge forum–>

You will receive one point for completing the challenge. You can earn an additional point for using a new product from the ScrapMatters store (PLEASE indicate you have used something new when you leave us the link in the forum), and one lucky winner will receive one more point – I will be doing a random draw!

Remember, no double dipping…your layout must be unique to this challenge.

Happy Scrapping!!