Hi everyone and Happy Cyber Monday!  We hope you’re enjoying our super, extended Black Friday sale here at Scrap Matters!  Some of our designers have an extra special treat for you today, in honor of Cyber Monday – a coupon blog hop!!  If you visit each of the designer’s blogs listed below, you’ll find a coupon there you can use for EXTRA savings in their stores, TODAY ONLY!  At some of the stops, you might even find a small freebie, too!  And your first little freebie is found right here, courtesy of Denise Beatty Originals.  So, after picking up Denise’s great little freebie, make sure to visit each of the designers on the list to pick up your extra savings coupon and save some more on your purchases from the ScrapMatters shop today!

Here is the full list of blog hop stops – please remember, everyone is in different time zones.  We’ve done our best to coordinate our posting times, but if someone’s coupon is not up when you stop, please check back a little later on!  Have fun today and enjoy Cyber Monday!

1. Krisi  http://krisiskreations.blogspot.com/
2. Maria http://scrapmuss.blogspot.com/
3. Heather http://www.haynay.blogspot.com/
4. Amber http://stolenmomentsdesign.blogspot.com/
5. Wendy http://wendys-craftycreations.blogspot.com/
6. Tracy http://www.trixiescraps.com
7. Happy http://happyscrapgirl.blogspot.com/
8. Kim http://geekydiva.wordpress.com
9. Tater http://taterscraps.blogspot.com
10. Michelle http://mickeybdesigns.blogspot.com
11. Jenn www.jenniferbarrettedesigns.blogspot.com
12. Anna http://annabvdesigns.blogspot.com/
13. Sya http://scrap-stuff.blogspot.com
14. Jeni http://www.jeniscraftyblog.blogspot.com/
15. Chelle http://chelles-creations.blogspot.com/
16. Suzanne http://purpletulipdesigns.blogspot.com
17. Sharon http://www.digitalcreations.typepad.com
18. Christine http://www.pressedpetals.blogspot.com
19. Gwen http://gwenipooh.blogspot.com
20. Jill http://junosscrappingblog.blogspot.com

Jen W. (aka abcmomof4) here with your Saturday Special. I’ve got an easy peasy challenge for you today. I thought I’d share with you how to make your own brush. To keep it simple, we’ll make a brush using text. Let’s use the word “moments” to make into a brush. I am using CS3 ,but am sure this can easily translate into PSE or any other Photoshop programs. Open a new document 4 inches by 2.5 inches, Resolution at 300 PPI, background set to white.

Choose a font and a large font size. Type the word “moments”. Now go to edit, define brush preset, and name your brush.

Select the brush tool

and choose your newly created brush. Use your mouse to position the brush and left click to stamp.

What is great about making and using your own brushes is you can create your own word art or title work unique to your layout. There are so many endless possibilities in making your own brushes. It doesn’t have to be just text. You can make shapes/designs, textures, or create a watermark to copyright your creations. I love my logo that I made into a brush to watermark my creations with (see lower right corner of next image).

If you are new to the world of brushes, think of them like a stamp. When using one on your layout, be sure to create a new layer before stamping so that if you make a mistake, you can delete the layer and try again.

So for this challenge, make a brush and use it in a layout.

Here is what I made:

Here is a super cute example by Cristina:

Remember:
* You will receive one point for your entry.
* You will receive one extra point for using a new product within the first week of release. Please note this in your post. Link us up to your layout in the gallery so we can leave you some love.
* You have until the end of November to complete your layout.
* No double dipping please. Your layout must be unique to this challenge.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Christmas is approaching, and I’ll spend part of the weekend decorating my house for the season, so I thought it would be the right occasion to show you a way to create personalized hybrid Christmas ornaments.

First of all, I picked a couple of template packs by Geeky Diva Designs:

Next, I created 4 ornaments, of different shapes, all using Britt-ish Design’s kit Happiest Season of All:

and I used this great wordart templates by Plum Dumpling Designs as well:

Creating the ornaments was fun, and I followed the instructions that came with the ornament templates to put them together.
I printed out my ornaments on Epson Matte Presentation Paper, cut them out and scored them (I didn’t have any scoring tools but using a simple plastic ruler worked well for me!), added some ribbon to hang them, and used a tape runner to glue them together.
I also plan to seal them with Mod Podge for durability, but I haven’t done that yet.

So, here are my creations:

I’m so happy with how they turned out!

Here are some more examples from out wonderful CT. By Kim (tgmousechick):

The cube shapes would work great for creating photocubes too – a great gifts for grandparents!

This is also a printable product in the store, and it makes a wonderful Advent calendar indeed!

Finally, here’s another gorgeous ornament by Debra (dbrprc)

I hope you’ll give this a try! And since the sale planned for tomorrow is just incredible, I think it’s the perfect chance to stock up on some products to create your own Christmas ornaments!
Do share your creations in the hybrid gallery, and if you have any hybrid question, the Hybrid is Hot section of the forum is the right place to ask!

Hi All!
This is Anna, with this week’s Grand Theft Layout. In this challenge we will be lifting Jen (jendavey)! I admire her style, and I’m totally blown away by her dynamic and super creative pages.
Check out her gallery, and you’ll see what I mean.

I chose to lift her LO The Good Guys

Here’s my LO (credits: Girls are Trouble by Jennifer Barrette):

And now let’s see some inspiring pages created by our CT.

alamama lifted this LO by Jen:

ANd made this page, (using Erica’s Black Friday Grab Bag):

Jennamy lifted Autumn Days:

And made this stunning LO (Credits: Happiest Season of All by Britt-ish Designs):

Alansrock lifted The Force:

And made this cool boys’ LO (using Technotronic by Jennifer Barrette):

A quick summary of challenge guidelines:

- Since there’s so little left of November you will have until the end of December to complete this challenge. Please upload it to the GTL gallery and post your LO and Jen’s LO (both linked) in the Grand Theft Layout 11/25/09 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 create!

Anna

Hey!!  This is Jemenifer22 and it’s my very first blog post as a Member of the ScrapMatters Creative Team, and well – squeee – I’m just bursting with excitement!  Today’s template is brought to you by the very talented ScrapMuss Designs!  There are no specific rules to today’s challenge, just scrap a great page and have fun while you’re doing it!  That’s it!  So, let’s check out this great template:

Download HERE!!

Check out some fabulous layouts using this fantastic template:

Layout by:  Haynay, using *Life’s Bazaar, Life’s Bazaar Alpha* by Haynay Designs

Layout by:  Muss, using *My Pink Caprice mini* by ScrapMuss Designs

Layout by:  Stefanie, using *Touch of Blue* by AnnaBV Designs

Layout by: Jennamy82, using *A Story of Friendship & Circle Stitches* by Sahlin Studio

Layout by Juno, using *One of a Kind* by Juno Designs

and a Layout by:  snowdrop, using *’Carousel Ride by Man in the Moon Designs, ‘Border Dates’ by Erica Zane, ‘Glitzy Paper Dot Alpha’ by Britt-ish Designs, and ‘A Story of Friendship’ by Sahlin Studio*

Thank you so much ladies for some seriously rockin’ inspiration!!

So now the Tuesday Template General Rules:

- Because this is posting the last week of the month you have until the end of DECEMBER to complete the challenge. You will receive your point based on the month you post your layout in the forum;

- Upload it to the Tuesday Template gallery, and leave BOTH the image and a link in the challenge forum – HERE!

- You will receive one point for completing the challenge. You can earn an additional point for using a new product from the ScrapMatters store.  **YOU MUST indicate that you have used something new when you leave us the link in the forum;

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

- It’s not required to use ScrapMatters products, but we love it when you do!

So get to downloading and having some fun!!!

Hi,  Kate here with a few words about what comes to mind at the moment when I think about ‘What Matters’ in terms of scrapbooking.

So, what matters?

Printing!

There are so many options out there for printing your pages, and who you choose will depend on your location, the price, the services offered etc.  I recently got my first book printed, and I was thrilled with how it turned out.  Except for one thing.. some of the edges got cut off.  I know there are lots of tricks out there for making sure your edges don’t get cut off, but one thing that I really noticed after the book was printed, is that the pages that have most of my LO in the middle look far better!  They are so much easier to see and your eye is drawn to the middle of the page easily.

I think it is so important to get pages printed so they can be seen by your family and friends.  For those of us with kids, is there anything sweeter then seeing them exclaim and giggle over the pages we have worked so hard to create?  I love it!

So my advice for everyone is to get some pages printed.  Try different sizes, try them in a book, and then go through and see which ones of yours you think look best.  It really helps to develop your own style and ensure your pages are gorgeous when they are printed!

Having scrapbooking I can hold in my hands, and my children’s hands, is what matters to me at the moment.  What are your experiences with printing?

Hi All!  Melissa (rxdawg97) here to bring you this week’s edition of ScrapMatters Saturday Special. There are often many ways to accomplish the same task when digital scrapbooking.  Today I am going to show you one very simple way to recolor elements and alphabets on your layout.   I am going to be working in Photoshop Elements 5 – but this method should apply for virtually all Photoshop editions.
For my layout-I was searching for the perfect alphabet to match the colors of my page.  I found the perfect one in Andilynn Designs Fun Times Alpha, but it just happened to be the wrong color.  I first tried to change the color by adjusting the hue/saturation-but it only changed the outline of the alpha.  So instead, I tried this technique and the result was exactly the look I was after.
First, open the element that you want to recolor into a new document.  I have created part of my title “HEY NOW” and have merged the visible layers (in the layer palette you need to right click and choose MERGE VISIBLE).  This will allow me to change all of the letters to a different color at the same time.  You can do each letter individually too if you’d prefer.
Here’s how my screen looks:

Okay-now I want to make this part of my title red-so I am going to use one of the papers that came in the kit I am working with (Chelle’s Creations Go!Fight!Win! Red). I am going to drag that paper overtop of my letters.

Now I am going to create a mask overtop of the letters-so I will hit Ctrl-G on my keyboard

I could stop here-but then I would lose all of the small details of this totally cool alpha.  If I were recoloring an element-there would be no details showing either-just a colored version of the item.  So now I will experiment with the different blending modes in Photoshop.  First, I will select COLOR as my blend mode (found in the layer palette)

I like that effect-but I really want my alpha to be predominantly red-so I will try some more options.  Now I have selected LINEAR DODGE as my blend mode here

Okay, now we’re almost there!  This is perfect and just the look I was going after.  Now, I will merge the mask layer down by right clicking and selecting MERGE DOWN (or CTRL-E on my keyboard as a shortcut).
You can also repeat what I have just shown you and pick a different blending mode for even more options.  I have found that the OVERLAY, COLOR, LINEAR DODGE, and HUE Effects work the best.  The possibilities are endless!
Here’s my finished layout (I used Scraps by Number: Just Call Me “Y” Templates by Stolen Moments, Go!Fight!Win! Red by Chelle’s Creations, Happy Scrap Girl’s Basic Black Pack, Andilynn Designs Fun Times Alpha (Recolored), and Britt-ish Designs A Kid Again Alpha, Glam-o-Rama Paper Pack, and My Ribbon Jar)

Here are some more examples from the AWESOME ScrapMatters Creative Team

Heather (snowdrop) recolored the date (it was originally black with green writing) for her fun LO.  She  used the NEWLY RELEASED Hot For Teacher by Trixie Scraps and simply.scraps designs, Just Saying – Halloween by WM[squared] Designs, and Layers of Love Templates by Denise Beatty Originals.

Jenn (jennamy82) scrapped this adorable LO using Plum Dumpling Designs Adventures in Reading Kit & Add On and Date Bits.  She recolored the black and green alpha to orange and pink.

Amanda (panders77) created this merry and bright LO using the ScrapMatters November Newsletter Kit, Visions of Sugarplums by Haynay Designs and Andilynn Designs, In Stitches by Brittish Designs, Brownie Alpha by Chelle’s Creations (recolored), Holiday Cheer by WM Squared (recolored) and  Hustle and Bustle Add-On by Brittish Designs.  She recolored the word strips and the alpha.

Now for the details- you have until the rest of the month of November to complete the challenge. Upload it to the Saturday Special Gallery and leave your LO image and link in the Saturday Special Challenge thread HERE in the forum.  Please indicate what you recolored in your credits and in your forum post.
You will receive one point for completing the challenge .  You don’t have to use ScrapMatters products-but we sure love it when you do!  You can earn an additional point for using any NEWLY RELEASED product from the SM store! (Please indicate that you used something new with your LO/link in the forum.)  And, one lucky winner (random) will receive an ADDITIONAL point at the end of the month!

Remember no double dipping…your layout must be unique to this challenge.  I hope you have fun with this technique and can’t wait to see what you have recolored on your layouts!

Hi, all!  Tgmousechick Kim here with the November edition of the “I’ll Pencil You In” Challenge.  Wow, can you believe it’s November- it seems that I filled out my planning sheet for this project only last month!

Some housekeeping, and then we’ll move on to this month’s focus, the annual calendar.  It is November, which means it’s almost time for your final exam- showing us your completed calendar next month!  I can’t imagine how satisfying it will be to show off a project that has been a year in the making!  So, in preparation, head back to your planning sheet and remind yourself how you were going to print this, and start making plans for it.  Keep in mind that shipping times are going to start lengthening for the holiday season, so don’t get caught off guard.

So back to this month’s feature.  Around this time of year, when we order take-out from our favorite Chinese restaurant, they will include a calendar for next year in with our order.  I enjoy the ones with the entire year on a single surface- it’s a great calendar to post in a public area to have the whole year at a glance.  During the holiday season, we can be pinched for time, but still want to share home-crafted gifts.  Annual calendars can be a solution to your dilemma.

There are a number of products in the ScrapMatters shop that contain calendars, and those grids can be transferred and resized on a new document.  Alternatively, I went ahead and crafted an annual calendar overlay for you, and it’s now available in the shop:

This calendar took me minutes to assemble- honestly, it took me longer to decide which kit to use and find the right photos, and now I have a super-easy stocking stuffer for the grandparents.

Here are some great examples of calendar pages by our fab CT-

From alansrock, featuring Elementary My Dear by Jeni Hopewell & Hafen Creations,
Explore Learn Grow by Sahlin Studios, & Back To School by WM [squared] Designs:

Cristina made this cool cover for her calendar, using Woodland Fantasy by Erica Zane, and Let’s Get Together By Denise Beatty Originals and Erica Zane:

Check out this great annual from Emileem, using Bliss by Andilynn Designs:

Here’s another cute page from Snowdrop.  She used Turkey and Stuffing by WM [squared] Designs:

Finally, another page from my CD Case Calendar.  I used Enjoy the Moment by Sahlin Studios:

So, to get your Matter of Scrap points for this month, post your monthly page to the gallery (under Hybrid Challenges in Matter of Scrap) and to this thread- you can post your traditional monthly page or an annual calendar- your choice.  The standard Matter of Scrap Terms and Conditions apply:

- pages containing new products (released within the week you post) earn an extra point- don’t forget to mention that you’re using new product
- Pages posted for this challenge cannot earn points for another challenge (the “no double dipping” clause)
- Pages need to be posted before 11/30 at midnight PST to qualify

We’re in the home stretch!  Good luck with your pages!

Hi Scrappers! This week we will be lifting Briarrose59. She has a fun variety of layouts in her gallery.   I know you’ll enjoy looking for inspiration.

I chose to lift

And here’s mine:

]

Loribear chose this one:

and her layout using Diva using Britt-ish Designs “Miss Kitty”

Jen (Jennamy82) lifted ‘Happy’

Here is hers using A Slice of Life Mega Kit, Fill in the Blank by Erica Zane,
Faith Trust, Pixie Dust 2 & Hang ‘Em High Templates both by Britt-ish Designs

Jen (Jendavey) picked 1st Grade:

and here is hers with Enjoy the Moment by Sahlin Studios:

And Melissa (Yzerbear19) chose this one:

Here is hers using History Lesson by Chelle’s Creations:

See? She’s got some wonderful Layouts to inspire you!

Now the fine print:
You will have until the end of November to complete this challenge. Upload it to the GTL gallery and leave your LO image, Briarrose59′s LO image and both links in the GTL 11/18/09 thread (this thread) in the GTL sub forum. You don’t have to use SM products in this challenge, but we LOVE it when you do!

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.) And, one lucky winner (random) will receive an ADDITIONAL point!

Remember no double dipping…you must make a layout specifically for this challenge ! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

–Chelle

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

First up, this great layout from Wendy (WM[squared]) using “Back To Basics – Neutral,” “Basic Training,” and “Dog Tag Dates” all by Denise Beatty. Her photo was from an iPhone, so she couldn’t make it very big. To compensate, she scaled down the whole template – doesn’t it look great like that?

Then, check out this fun page from Liz (mommy22girls) using Jenn Barrette’s Girls are Trouble and Newspaper Clippings Alpha

AbAllen made this bright and cute page using Jennifer Barret’s Miss Mary Jane

I love the photo of the stained glass window on this one by Heather (snowdrop) using Hot in Here by AnnaBV Designs

Cyndi (Cyndi146) pulled this beautiful family page together using Fall for You and Pewter Finishes by Chelle’s Creations, and Date Tags 1 by Jeni Hopewell (I love that photo, Cyndi!!)

And last, but certainly not least, check out this page by Kim (tgmousechick) using Hawaiian Happy Hour by the SM Design Team

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 NOVEMBER 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!