Welcome to the June edition of Hybrid Highlights!

Have you visited the Hybrid Gallery lately?  As always, it is absolutely SMOKIN’ with projects!    Here are a few that I just adore:

First up is this fantastic teacher appreciation box by scrappycath – who wouldn’t give her kid an “A+” after receiving this gift??

Next, I just adore this clever “You’re so Sweet” card by tiffanydimples:

And how fun is majula76′s “My Journey Tumbler” – I want to go on a trip just so I can make and use one of these!!

and an end of the year Teacher gift by Inkspots:

and last but not least, while this was meant to be use as bank, I’d love to use leightheo’s Beach savings jar to put shells in as I walk along the beach!

I hope you were inspired by this month’s hybrid highlights.  All of the images are linked, so feel free to take a closer look and leave some love while you’re there.

See you again soon!!

LuAnn

I don’t know about you but I love lifting my fellow scrappers. There are so many inspiring ladies out there! So today I am super excited to be hosting this weeks Grand Theft Layout challenge. And even more excited that we are going to lift the lovely Krista(sahlink) of Sahlin Studio! Not only is she a fantastic designer, her layouts always amaze me. Check out her gallery here!

So let’s get to it. I was inspired by Krista’s “where to next?”.

And created this fun layout (using Banana Split by Britt-ish Designs and Gwenipooh Designs, Tough to be a Bug by Britt-ish Designs and Mira Designs, Animal Kingdom by Britt-ish Designs):

If you need a little more inspiration check out Krista’s shop. Some of her layouts she has turned into templates….how cool! And of course here is some inspiration from our talented CT:

LeeAndra picked this beauty to lift:

And created this beautiful stunning layout (using So Grateful by Sahlin Studio and Sugarplum Paperie):

Kendall (kendalt) picked this festive layout to lift:

And created this wonderful holiday layout (using O Come Let Us Adore Him by Chelle’s Creations):

Kim (kimbytx) picked this super cute layout to lift:

And created this crazy fun layout (using Sahlin Studio Drawn Out, Watercolor Papers, Snipettes: Fall and Easter, and Foam Stamp Alpha-Sorbet):

Becca (Becca1976) picked this wonderful layout to lift:

And created this sweet layout (using Sweet Siblings by Sarah Bennett and Stacy’s Backdoor Design, Circle Stitches by Sahlin Studios, and leaves are from Jennifer Barrette’s and Lauren Grier’s collab, A Day Like Today):

[B]A few quick SM guidelines:[/B]

- You will have until the end of June to complete this challenge. Please upload it to the GTL gallery and leave your LO image and Krista’s LO image (both linked) in the GTL 06/16/10 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 (random) 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!

Looking forward to seeing which layout of Krista’s inspired you!

Courtney (cnscrap)

There are no rules this time other than to use the template

Download Here: http://scrapmatters.com/shop/product.php?productid=5032&cat=21

Some amazing Team Inspiration to get you going with this template!

Layout by Whitneyt using Birthday Mania by Designs by Tater & Keep Scrapping Designs

Layout by: QuiltyMom using If You Give A Girl A Castle & Forest Friends by Erica Zane

Layout by: misfitinmn using Hot For Teacher by Trixie Scraps & Simply.scraps

Layout by: kendallt using Twinkle Toes by GG Digital Designs

Layout by: alansrock using Berry-licious by HappyScrapGirl

Layout by: Shari using SM Collab Life’s Little Surprises

Layout by: kimbytx using Groovy by Creations by Rachael

Now before you go, just a few quick reminders:

* Post your layouts to the Tuesday Template gallery, then link us up here so we can leave you lots of love
* You will earn one point by participating in this challenge. You can receive an EXTRA point for using a product that has been released in the seven days prior to your post – be sure to make a note of this is your post so you receive proper credit
* Your layout must be unique to this challenge – no double dipping..
* You have until the end of the month to complete the challenge
* At the end of the month, I’ll choose one random winner to receive an EXTRA point

Thanks so much for playing along!! I can’t wait to see the incredible layouts that you create! :loveshower::clap:

Hello everyone!!  Summer is finally here!! I don’t know about everyone else but I seem to take even MORE pictures than I usually do in the summer. There is something magical about the sun and all the fun outdoor activities. I want to capture every second of it. But of course this means that I have tons of pictures to scrap! Wouldn’t it be nice to have a set of quickpages to just pop those photos into? This month our QPE sponsor is WM Squared Design’s kit Tropical Paradise! It is packed full of fun elements and papers that are perfect for scrapping all your summer activities. Just scrap one 12×12 page with this kit and get back all the pages from the participants! It will be a great jump start for your summer album! The QPE will run from June 14 – June 31. Tropical Paradise will be 30% off starting today!  Check out the forum for more details!

Check out the full kit!  Isn’t it awesome?!

Can’t wait to see all your fun summer pages!  So head on over to the store and pick up the kit and get scrapping!

-Amanda (panders77)

This week we get two LOTW for the price of one!! Last week was not posted so I figured I would post it today instead!  Better late than never! 

For the LOTW 6/6 I choose Ddamsel’s Scrapload of Fun layout.  I loved how it captured the true spirit of QOS and how all of the contestants feel towards the end of the competition!  And check out how she warped those pages so they looked stacked?!  How creative is that?! 

Congrats Maria!! Head on over to the forum or the gallery to leave her some love!

-Amanda (panders77)

This week’s LOTW is Park Play by mommy22girls. I love the scattered feel, yet it looks so put together! Also love the cluster in the corner & the title work! Congrats!!

Congrats Mommy22girls!  Head on over to the forum or gallery and leave her some love!

-Heather (snowdrop)

Today I got to interview the Scrapmatters Girls very own frog!! Terin (scrappyfrog)!!

1. Your screen name? Your real name?  Scrappyfrog….my real name is Terin

2. What is your main job/career? I’m one of several supervisors for LAPD’s 911 center.  LOVE my job!

3. Are you married/children/pets?  I’m not married and I have no little ones (I rely on family and friends to supply those!)  I have 2 dogs, Danny Boy and Shadow (both 10 years) and a cat, Rana who just turned 16!

4. Where is home for you? Lancaster, CA (It’s about 60 miles northeast of Los Angeles)

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? Toughie…hmmmmm….turkey, spaghetti and squash (any kind)

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?  I don’t eat much ice cream, but prefer mint chocolate chip Italian Gelato (I fell in love with it in Barcelona, Spain).  Here in the states I like Rocky Road.

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Salty any day!!

8. Beverage of choice? Water (yes, believe it or not)

9. What’s your least favorite food? Olives and mushrooms…yuck!!!

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use? I have a PC, but being greedy would love an Apple notebook so I could have the best of both worlds.  I use Photoshop Elements 6 and hope to get CS5 sometime in the near future.

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? I’ve been digiscrapping since June 2008 (so about 2 years).  I was actually trying to figure out what I could do with my PSE 4 and did a search.  Lo and behold up comes digiscrapping and the rest is history! 

12. What was your 1st LO about?  My very first layout was done of my 3 beautiful nieces in front of Snow White’s castle at Disneyland (I didn’t even know Britt’s kits existed back then :giggle:!!!  Here’s my first layout:

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? I LOVE to read, play on the ‘puter, but mainly travel, even if it’s just a drive somewhere! Put me on a plane I’m in 7th heaven!

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? Shadows, though I think I’m doing better.  Oh…and 2 pagers….they kill me!!!

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? Cook.  I’m jealous of my older brother as he is a self-taught gourmet cook and I wanna cook  like he does.  He’s awesome!

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?  TV is easy cuz I don’t have cable, etc. and don’t really watch it.  I do have a TV, however.  I do watch American Idol and Project Runway on the computer.  My all time fave movie is “Silence of the Lambs.”  I know, ewwww, but the psychology just gets to me and Anthony Hopkins is my fave. 

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? At a desk with country music going in the background.  I’m in my den drinking either water or, as a treat, some lemonade or soda (Squirt).  No real snacks but I do sometimes have chips.

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? I love to use ribbons or strings so I can play with their shadows…and I LOVE to try to find a spot to put a butterfly!

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?  Most people would be surprised to find out that I LOVE to live alone with just my furbabies.  I cherish alone time as much as I cherish time with friends and family.  My nieces can’t believe I don’t want to get married!  I even go to movies alone (cuz I don’t talk to myself through it!! )

20. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style? I enjoy doing whimsical layouts and layouts with some humor.  But if I see something someone has done that I like… I’ll go out of my way to try to learn how it was done!! So…I’m thinking…eclectic?  Isn’t that where you steal ideas from others? :giggle:

21. What is your favorite part of being a member of the Scraps Matter Girls? I LOVE to leave love…I just don’t have time to leave as much as I like.  I also love the camaraderie among all the girls…it’s unbelievable and so much fun!!

22. Favorite LOs that you have done?

I have 3 that I really love.  This one is of my gorgeous niece, Rachel:

Next is my friend’s little guy, Jackson (he’s so cute!):

And finally, my fave whimsical layout.  It’s my cousin’s daughter, Sam:

Thanks Terin for letting us get to know the awesome person behind those great comments!! Check out Terin’s full gallery here!

-Tanya (TanyaH666)

Hello all! Welcome to the Saturday Special for June 12, 2010. I’m Kat (ktanker) and I am thrilled to be hosting this week’s challenge for you. I am going to be offering a “time saving tutorial” for you. This is something I learned a while back and it has been a been a huge time saver for me and is one of my favorite techniques. I will be working in Adobe Photoshop CS4.

Please Note: These scripts only work in Photoshop Versions CS3 and above.

Today, we are going to learn how to “Load layers into a stack”. This is achieved using Photoshop Scripts. Scripts are described as “actions on steroids” and can increase your productivity so you may make the most of your scrap time . Many of us use actions on our scrap pages or photos and scripts are similar yet they allow more customization. There are numerous scripts that can be bought and found on a variety of websites for free. Loading layers in a stack is included in your program and extremely easy to use. Follow along with me below.

Today I will be adding a title to my scrap page. Normally, I would open all the individual files in my scrap program and have a lot of open windows. I would click on each window and drag the letter to the scrap page. This slows my computer because I am using a lot of resources by opening numerous “images”. By loading layers into a stack, I am only opening ONE image in my program and each alpha letter (or element/paper) is in that one file. ***If you are using elements from multiple kits, this is a great option to help you track your credits. You will be able to see the name of each element!***

Follow along with me below.

Step 1: Click on File, Choose Scripts and click “Load layers into stack”

Step 2/3: You’ll see a dialog box like below come up. Choose “Browse” and locate your files. Remember that all your files will load into ONE image. If you have files in multiple folders, choose your files from one folder, click ok and click browse again to add more.

I made a special note here that by changing the drop down from files to folder, you can load an entire folder at once.

Once you have all your files chosen, your script box will look like this.
Step 4: Click the OK button to add your layers to an image. (Note: if your files are open in your program already, click on the add open files button instead of browsing to add your images.

Here’s your new ONE image holding your numerous images.

Now, what I do next is set up my windows so I can do easy drag and drops of the layers to my layout. You can use any variation on this that you’d like.

Step 5: Drag and Drop. Drag your image to your layout, shadow and arrange as you please.

Here’s my final layout using this technique.
Credits: Blessed and Sweet Sayings by Sahlin Studio

Here’s some inspiration from the Scrap Matters Creative Team!

By Suzanne (iisuzieii)

Credits: Template from My Personal Favorites v.3 by Denise Beatty Originals, Papers and elements from Season of Giving by Sahlin Studios (Season of Giving Bundle here), Frosted Acrylic Alpha by Sahlin Studios

By Lori (loribear)

Credits: Polka Dot Bikini by Stolen Moments & Jessica Edwards

By Heidi (scrappurple)

Credits: Summer Reading by Jennifer Barrette Designs

By Kendall (kendallt)

Credits: If You Give a Girl a Castle by Erica Zane

By Jaime (azrood)

Credits: “I’m Back” Grab Bag” and Hopeless Romantic Kit by Sya’s Blueprints

By Jen (GrahamLikeTheCracker)

Brain Freeze by Connie Prince and Fabulously Negative – Templates V.5 by WM Squared Designs

Last but not least… here’s the rules to play by…

The deadline for this challenge is June 30th, 2010.

You will earn 1 point for your LO and a bonus point if you use a new release (within 7 days of release – be sure to mention this in the forum and in your credits).

No double dipping, your LO must be unique to this challenge.

Please note in your credits that your LO is for the June 12th Saturday Special.

At the end I will pick a random winner to receive an extra bonus point to go toward their July total.

Be sure and stop by tomorrow for the Sunday Spotlight! Have a great weekend!

xoxo-Kat (ktanker)

Happy Friday! It’s tgmousechick Kim here to give you today’s Roadmap to Scrap edition!

Your layout should include:
1) At least 4 photos
2) Elements or papers from more than one digital product (kits, elements packs, alphas, etc- mix it up!)
3) Include a fastener of some sort (brad, staple, etc)
4) At least 2 mini clusters
5) One (and only one) string or ribbon
6) Include an alpha in your title
7) Include an element that you enhanced with use of an action
Add something sparkly or shiny

Here’s my page:

1) More than 4 photos
2) Used Britt’s Tale as Old as Time and Leave the World Behind kits
3) Gold staples scattered thoughout
4) 2-3 small clusters
5) One string
6) 2 alphas in title- check!
7) The bracket was covered with paper, stroked, and then I ran AC’s Chipboard action on it
Plenty o’ rhinestone brads

Here’s another page from jeffsamber:

She used:
Pri Rocha Blocking Template
The Design Girl A Beautiful Day and Add-On
Sahlin Studio Glass Pebble Alpha, Vintage Vogue, and A Story of Friendship

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

Remember that entries are due in the Roadmap to Scrap gallery before midnight on June30th (PDT) to get the Matter of Scrap point- don’t forget to post a link here! A random winner will get a bonus point!

Hey all you hybrid and card lovers out there
Welcome to our new ‘It’s in the Cards’ challenge in June!
I created this card template for you and hope you’ll enjoy playing with it

and you can download the template HERE

Here are some great examples from our dazzling hybrid design team to inspire you

Cristina made this beautiful, fresh and funky card:

credits: Vintage Vogue by Sahlin Studio; Font: CK mini

Cathy (scrappycath) created this elegant card:

credits: A Spot of Tea by Denise Beatty and Erica Zane

Amanda (abhall) made this adorable and fun rocket card:

credits: Rocket Launch by Wimpychompers Creations

Krisi created this super cute strawberry card:

credits: Eat Your Veggies by Erica Zane and Denise Beatty Designs

And last, here’s my sample card:

credits: Everyday by Sahlin Studio

And here are the rules:
To earn your Matter of Scrap points for the month you need to photograph and upload your card to the Hybrid Challenge – It’s in the Cards gallery and post it in the challenge thread **here** by the end of the month (June).

If you use a new product within the week of it’s release please let me know so I can give you the extra point.

Wishing you lots of fun and hope to see lots and lots of entries

Welcome to another round of Grand Theft Layout! This week we’ll be raiding the gallery of the wonderfully talented aprilisa! To complete this challenge, you’ll need to browse through her gallery and choose a layout to inspire a page of your own. Make sure to check out all the challenge details in the GTL thread in the forum.

I chose to lift her layout So Much In Love:

Here’s my layout:

Using Life’s Little Surprises

Here’s some additional inspiration from our fabulous CTs:

LeeAndra chose to lift this page:

And here’s her layout:

Using Amber’s Into the Night kit + Carry My Heart alpha + Alpha Snips

loribear chose to lift this page:

And here’s her layout:

Smile using the QOS kit by SM Design Team

whitneyt chose to lift this page:

And here’s her layout:

Using Carry My Heart by Graham Like the Cracker and Stolen Moments

nanienamou chose to lift this page:

And here’s her layout:

Using Kiss The Frog Kit and Easy Being Green Alpha, Britt-Ish Designs

jendavey chose to lift this page:

And here’s her layout:

I can’t wait to see your lifts!

Hey scrappers! hope you are all having a fabulous week… Jenn (jennamy82) here with a new fun template for this weeks challenge. No special rules, you can rotate it, flip it or modify it anyway to suit your needs.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Now for some fabulous inspriation from our Creative Team.

One from me (jennamy82):

by alansrock:

by jendavey:

by nanienamou:

by misfitinmn:

by whitneyt:

by jeffsamber:

and last but not least by loribear:

THE RULES:

* You’ll receive 1 point for your submitted layout, and one EXTRA point for using a NEW RELEASE PRODUCT (must be within the last week) from the Scrap Matters Shop. Be sure to mention in your post in the forum, if you used a new SM product.
* At the end of the month I will choose one Random Winner to earn an additional point!
* To qualify for points each layout you submit must be unique to this challenge, no double dipping.

But most important have fun!! can’t wait to see your layouts!