Today, as I thought about what matters most the thought of community and family kept coming back to me.  I feel so lucky to be a part of the community here at ScrapMatters.  I remember when I first found ScrapMatters I decided to jump in with a speed scrap.  In the last instruction we were told to remember to “leave love” for the other participants.  I had no idea what she was talking about!  I turned off my computer and figured that if I was brave enough I might post a message in the forum the next day to ask what in the world it meant to “leave love”.  Well, I certainly didn’t have to ask the next day.  My message box was flooded with love from other participants at the speed scrap.  I was really blown away that everyone took the time to comment on every layout from the speed scrap!  What a morale booster for a newbie!  I decided that this was definitely the place for me.  I had found community here.  Whether you’re new to digital scrapbooking or one of our seasoned leaders I hope that you are able to find connection here as well.

Amber (jeffsamber)

Hello, everyone! It’s Ro of Man in the Moon Designs here to bring you the very last Tuesday Template of August!

I based this off a layout that I did last month. You can use this template however you like. Turn it. Flip it. Make it your own. Just have fun!

Here’s the template.

Here’s another LO I did with it using my new “Any Which Way” kit.

And here are some gorgeous layouts from the fabulous ScrapMatters team to get you inspired!

This one is by Jami (alansrock) using Safari Stampede kit by Late Night Scraps & Creations by Rachel.

Here’s one from Bethie using “Good Clean Fun” by Man in the Moon Designs.

Here’s one by Bonnie (cursivesmile) using Defining Me by Trixie Scraps.

This one is from Stephanie (nanienamou) using Any Which Way by Man in the Moon Designs

Here’s one from Jenn (jennamy82) using He’s the Man by geniaBeana Scraps.

This one is by Whit (whitneyt) using golden girls designs- lil firework.

And last, but certainly not least, one from cinna using EZ Date Edgers – Erica Zane. Vintage Vogue – Sahlin Studios. Vintage Carnival – Sahlin Studios + Jennifer Barrette.

You can grab the template HERE!

Matter of Scrap Challenge rules:
You have today and all of September to complete the layout. Upload it to the gallery, and leave BOTH the image and a link as a reply to this thread.

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 I will pick a random winner to get one extra point!

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

I can’t wait to see what you create!

- Ro

Happy Sunday everyone!! Before we get to our regular post, I wanted to make a special announcement!! The ScrapMatters Girls are having a call!! I can’t wait to see all the amazing people who apply!  The call ends September 10th so get your applications in NOW!

-Amanda(Panders77)

Our winner for this week is Nature Lover by longhorn. The blend in this LO is just outstanding. I totally loved the title & the creative dating. AND the photos are just way cute!!

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

-Chel (Chel)

1. Your screen name? Your real name? My screen name is Fonnetta and my real name is the same. 

2. What is your main job/career? I am a wife to my Hubby of 18 years (we met when I was 13 in Jr. High School) Love at first sight! I am also a SAH Mommy to 4 fabulous children, DD Kassi who is 20 *tear* (am I really this old), DS Alex who is 15 1/2 (and driving…ack!!!), DD Missi who is 10 and is a Princess Ballerina, and our most recent DD Makayla who is 3 (we adopted from China Jan. 25, 2010) and is learning quite quickly that she too is a Princess! Being a Mom is my passion and I feel extremely BLESSED to be a Mommy to my kiddo’s and get to love and hug them every day…I LOVE IT!

3. Are you married/children/pets? I am married and have 4 children (see above question) and 2 pets. Duchess is our Miniature Schnauzer, she is 4 years old and Princess is our black cat with green eyes, she is 7 years old.

4. Where is home for you? Where ever my children are…right now my heart is split between Washington and Colorado.

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? 70% dark chocolate, chocolate & coconut, dark chocolate-caramel & nuts…is there another food group I am missing???

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Chocolate chip mint

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Nope…just dark chocolate

8. Beverage of choice? Vodka…oh, with Hansen’s Cherry Vanilla soda or Lemonade. There would also be the Iced Tea with two packets of raw sugar from Starbucks!

9. What’s your least favorite food? MEAT…I am almost a vegetarian!

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use? PC and I use Creative Memories Storybook Creator 3

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? I have been digital scrapbooking for almost 4 years now. I could not wait to be done with paper! I had wanted to find a program for so long and finally did!! I was so tired of all the cut pieces of paper and the HUGE mess that seemed to go along with paper scrap. Not to mention the amount of table space I needed just to get started! I also love to travel and couldn’t take anything with me because I had way too much stuff. It would take my husband and I both to lift my bags to put them in the car just so I could go to a “Crop Till You Drop”. Now, I just grab my laptop and go!!! I scrap in the car on vacations and I never have paper scraps!!!!

12. What was your 1st LO about? My very FIRST layout was of my DD Melissa’s FIRST day of 3rd Grade.

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? I love cooking, gardening, and photography!

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? Getting more than one LO done and keeping the creative juices flowing.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? I would love to be an interpreter for the deaf!

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? Sweet Home Alabama has to be my all-time favorite movie! However, the Proposal had me laughing until you couldn’t hear me laughing anymore!!! As for TV shows, I love to watch cooking shows and design shows (that is when I have time with 4 children)

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? I can scrapbook just about anywhere ( I even scrap in the car on long drives) as long as I have an Iced Tea next to me and maybe a few M & M’s! It is always more fun though, when my BFF Lisa is on the phone with me doing the same thing!

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? Stitching and frames

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…? I have been called, “The Kid Whisperer”! It was the sweetest compliment my Missi said to me one morning! It made me laugh really hard! I do LOVE to laugh and I try to turn most bummer situations into something FUN. I learn more and having a better attitude always helps! My kids prefer it too…who wants a cranky Mom!?!

20. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style? I don’t know if I have a specific style, but I try very hard to NOT have any LO’s look the same. I never know what I am going to do until I sit with the pictures, begin the search for the perfect kit and then VOILA..my LO has emerged!

21. Favorite LOs that you have done?

22. Do you have any suggestions for kits you’d like to see in the SM store? I would LOVE to see a kit that had RASPBERRIES and also a kit about Jazz Dancers

23. What is your favorite childhood memory and have you scrapped it? My favorite memories of my childhood would be spending time with my BFF & her family. I don’t have a link for the LO because it was all paper scrapped, but it is finished and in my album.

24. What is your favorite season? My FAVORITE season is SUMMER and being on the beach is like heaven!

25. What is the most significant thing that has happened to you in the last year? Goodness, there are so many!!! Here goes…at the very beginning of the year, we spent 3 weeks in China (adopting our daughter) putting our arms around the most precious gift and her name is Makayla!!. Since that day in January, she has had 2 surgeries and is in love with her “Forever Family” and we are loving her right back. We also just recently moved to sunny Colorado for a job transfer (two weeks ago). The hardest part was leaving our 20 year old daughter behind. She wanted to prove her independence to us and we seem to all be suffering. Within 4 days she was missing us terribly and the feeling was mutual. We had never been apart, so it seems we are both growing. Our house just sold yesterday, so we are now free to explore this new state we call home without the American Dream of home ownership. We will be renting until we find the perfect house…if this is in fact where God wants us for a while!

Thanks Fonetta for letting us get to know you a little better!  Check out her full gallery here!

-Lisa (kelseyll)

For this week’s Saturday Special, I wanted to share a little trick for using brushes to help add some great detail to your pages.. For this page about our family road trip this summer, I wanted to put dotted lines between each stop to show our route..

But rather than painstakingly brushing each and every circle, or erasing portions of a solid line, I chose to tweak my spacing.. So here goes..

1. First of all, make sure you on are a new layer – otherwise, you won’t be able to edit your brushwork. Now select your brush tool from your palette.
2. From the fly-out box on the right, you can choose the size & shape brush you want. I used a round size 40, but anything will work.. It just depends on what you want. {If you are using PSE, with your brush tool selected, go to the paint brush icon at the top and it will give you most of these options in a more simplified way.}
3. Now go down to the bottom of the box, and check the box next to “Spacing” and then use the slider to decide how far apart you want each brush stroke – my spacing here is 200%. {NOTE: If you want a solid line, be sure to bring your slider all the way down. Otherwise it will default to 25 or so, and although it looks solid when you’re zoomed out, if you zoom in, there will be rugged edges.}
4. You can also play around with the different settings under “Shape Dynamics” to achieve a less uniform look.

   

And one last tip – if you want a stick straight line, hold your shift key down while using your brush.

So your challenge for this week is to use your brush tool to create some sort of line, border or fun doodle to include on your page. Here is my finished page, as well as some from our fabulous creative team.

by Bonnie – check out those awesome stars along the border..

by Jenn – don’t those hearts around the photo and outside edges add just the perfect touch of detail?

Come on over to the forum to play…

A few rules to remember…

-Post your pages in the “Saturday Special” gallery and link it back to the thread in the forum. You can receive an additional point for using new Scrap Matters products; please make a note of new products in your post.

-You have until the end of September to play along, then I’ll choose my favorite to receive an extra point.

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

-You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products, but we love it when you do!

Happy Scrapping!

Hey everyone! LuAnn here with our next It’s in the Cards challenge!  We have LOTS of inspiration from the SM team so let’s get started!

Here’s our template:

Here’s the template

Here’s my card using Jungle Josh digital kit by Golden Girls Designs – inside the card reads “Happy Belated Birthday!!!”

And take a look at what Cristina did with the template and EZ Wishes by Erica Zane

More inspiration from Krisi – love the dots!!!  She used It’s My Party from WM[squared] Designs

And check out this one from Cinna – I just *love* this – the stamp she used along with Bring on the sunshine by GG design just screams atti-tude!  and look at those water drops!

One from Cathy using Drift Away by Graham like the Cracker – love the movement created on the card with the butterflies and the swoopy (yes, I said swoopy!) wordart!!!

And take a look at this super cute back to school card Amanda created using A Time to Learn by Stolen Moments

How’s THAT for some inspiration?!?

Remember: the rules of the challenge are:
*To earn your Matter of Scrap point for the month you need to photograph and upload your card to the Hybrid Challenge gallery by the end of [COLOR="Red"]September[/COLOR] – yepp, you get more time since we’re almost at the end of August – then come back here and post it in the comments section of this post as well. Make sure to let your hostess know if you use a new product within a week of it’s release – if you do, you get an extra point!  One random winner will be chosen to receive an extra point!*

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

It’s Wednesday, so that means it’s time for another round of Grand Theft Layout!  Annisa (lionsimba) here to show you a fabulous gallery to lift this week. There are so many talented scrappers here at Scrap Matters who I admire every single day and I find so much inspiration from each of them. It was tough to decide who to lift for this challenge because I want to lift everyone! I noticed that there are a few scrappers whose layouts I “favorite” regularly, so I chose to pick the one who really has been shining in the gallery lately. That fantastic scrapper is . . . Debra, a.k.a. 4noisyboys! I’m seriously in awe of her mad scrappin’ skillz – she is SO creative! Check out her gallery HERE and then pick one of her gorgeous layouts to lift. It may take you some time to do this . . . all of her layouts are divine!

After much debate, I finally chose this beautifully layered layout to lift:

And here is the layout I created:

And here’s what the super-talented CT did:

Jen (jendavey) chose this:

and created this stunner using the NEW Vintage Carnival by Jennifer Barrette and Sahlin Studio:

Jenn (jennamy82) snagged this cool layout:

and turned it into this beauty using Queen of Scrap by the ScrapMatters Design Team, Just the Basics: Cardstock by wm [squared], and Doodley Loops and Doodley Borders both by Sahlin Studio:

and created this great one using Bella Gypsy’s *NEW* Brooklyn and Boston:

Heidi (scrappurple) opted for this wonderful page:

and made this fun one using The World Smiles with u by Jennifer Barrette:

and then made this gorgeous page using Jenn Barrette’s Feet in the Sand, Growth Spurt, Autumn Blush, and Technotronic:

And Melissa (profiler mar) found this eye candy to lift:

and created this cute page using Dirty Laundry Paper Pack; Dream A Little Dream; He’s The Man; In Spring; Big Chip Alpha; and Markered Up Alpha, all from geniaBeana:

Amazing pages, right? There are LOTS more in Debra’s gallery to choose to lift, so go check it out and have fun!

Now for the rules and reminders:

* You have until the end of September to complete this challenge. Please upload it to the GTL gallery and post both your layout and Debra’s (both linked) in the GTL 08/25/10 thread. This gives us all a chance to leave love for both you and Debra!

* 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 at 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!

Have fun with this one! Can’t wait to see what you lift and what you create!

Hello gals!! Wendy here with the second to last Tuesday Template of August! Be sure to download the template and get your LO in quick, because you only have until the end of August to participate!

As always, 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!

The template:

Here’s *MY* LO:

Credits: Family Fun WA – By Plum Dumpling Designs, Frolic by Jenn Barrette, So This Is Love by Sahlin Studios, Spray Dot Alpha by WM[squared] Designs & Itty Bitty by Erica Zane & Brittish Designs

Here is some inspiration from the ScrapMatters CT/DT & Admin Teams:

Layout By:  Bonnie

Credits: Sleep Tight by Jenn Barrette

Layout By: Cinna

Layout By:  Fiona

Credits: Feeling Hungry by Wimpychompers

Layout By: Heidi

Credits: Feet in the sand by Jenn Barrette

Layout By: LeeAndra

Credits: Celebrate by Chelle’s Creations

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 the rest of July *AND* all of August to complete the layout! Upload it to the 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 (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!!

Wendy

Hey Everyone it is LoriBear here today to bring to you the What Matters Monday post.  Here in Canada we are almost finished witht the summer holidays and in another 2 weeks the kids are back to school.  I know for myself when I was a child, I was always excited about the coming year. Iwent to school with my head high and and a HUGE smile on my face, proudly showing my new clothes, shoes and school goodies! This year is a big one in our house and we have alot of new changes as I have 2 teens who are just about to enter highschool and a little one who is going to be homeschooled this year.   I cant even believe that as I write it LOL My goodness time really does go by much too fast these days.  I remember taking my oldest to JK and watching him go though the doors like it was yesterday.  Now he is a young man entering some of the most fun and important times of his life.  I hope that he will make the most of these years as I am sure a bunch of firsts will be happening for him..  What I really think about as all this happens is have I been a good supportive and loving parent for him.  Will he turn to me when he is feeling stressed and will he think about the right and wrongs of things ahead.. I think what really matters is that I am here for my babes as they all go through these big changes to guide them and rear them in positive and loving ways!  Hopefully one day my little one will acheive his goal of being a Shark expert, my daughter will be a strong independant woman and my son will have made good choices that put him on the path to success and happiness. I think I will cherish this time with them as I know it wont last forever, they are growing and they are learning.  I made this layout to highlight this time in our lives.  I used WM[squared]‘s new School Days Bundle kit.  What are you thinking about as your children start this year??  What is it that matters most to you as they do?

Here is an amazing layout done by snaggle7575 titled “the good life”. I love this Vintage Carnival kit by Sahlin Studios and Jenn Barrette, but the composition is what really attracted me to this page. Upon a little further research I saw that profiler_mar nominated it in the GSOs this week too!! It is just stunning!!

Congrats to snaggle7575 for getting Layout of the Week!!  Head on over to the gallery or the forum to leave her some love!

-Lisa (kelseyll)

1. Your screen name? Your real name? My name is Amanda, but in the digi-world I’m known as dznyscrapper

2. What is your main job/career? My main “job” is being a stay at home to my kids. I also spend time substitute teaching at our local elementary school and teach classes at the local scrapbook store.

3. Are you married/children/pets? I have been married to my husband for just about 11 years (next month). We have 3 kids, Michaella (10), Hunter (7) and Kailee (1 1/2). We also have a black & white Shih Tzu named Tinkerbell.

4. Where is home for you? I have called the Southwest corner of Minnesota my home for my entire life.

5. What are your 3 favorite foods? My three favorite foods are ice cream, french fries and pizza.

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? My favorite ice cream is vanilla with various toppings added or mixed in.

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Definitely sweet

8. Beverage of choice? Have to have my Mountain Dew.

9. What’s your least favorite food? My least favorite food would have to be fish.

10. PC or Mac? What program do you use? I’m currently using an HP laptop with PSE 5.0.

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? I have been digi-scrapping for about 5 years, but had been paper scrapping for quite a few years before that. I started digi-scrapping when the company I was doing direct sales for came out with their own digital scrapbooking program. It was the same program as Memory Mixer, but licensed under their name. I decided to make photobooks for my parents and in-laws for Christmas that year. I really got hooked when my youngest was born and took over my scraproom. I have been doing pretty much all digital now since then.

12. What was your 1st LO about? My first layout was about my kids but since it was done in that other program I don’t have a link to it. One of the first layouts that I did with PSE was our title page for our California vacation. I didn’t have many items to choice from, mostly freebies, because I wasn’t sure if I would like digi-scrapping.

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? Some of my other hobbies include reading, other paper crafts, traveling and camping.

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? The most challenging part for me would probably be coming up with a title and the journaling.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? I would love to learn to use more of the functions and features of my Nikon D5000 that I received for Christmas. I have taken it off auto mode a bit, but would love to do it more often.

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? My favorite types of movies are romantic comedies with my favorite probably being Sixteen Candles. As for tv shows I like Amazing Race, Survivor, Bones, Burn Notice and lots more inbetween.

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? If I’m on my laptop, I sit in our family room on the couch with a tv show or movie on for noise. If I’m on my desktop, I’m in my Disney theme office with my Ipod playing. I usually don’t snack while I’m scrapping but I do tend to have Mountain Dew within reach.

18. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? If I could only use 2 elements they would probably be flowers and ribbons.

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…? I’m very much a tomboy. When I was younger I would rather play with tractors and cars than Barbies and dolls. I grew up with mostly boy cousins, so I could get just as dirty as they could. I still am not a very girly-girl.

20. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style? My scrapping style has changed quite a bit since I first started. I used to digi-scrap like I paper scrapped, not many layers or embellishments. I have now moved to a more layered and clustered style. I also love to mix and match kits. It’s not unusual for my pages to have an extensive credits list.

21. Favorite LOs that you have done?

Thanks Amanda for letting us get to know you a little better!!  We love having you as a part of the SMG!!  Check out her full gallery here!

-Tanya (TanyaH666)

Hiya, scrappers!
It’s Lena (the chatty half of Bella Gypsy) here to bring you our very first Saturday Special! And, it’s time to get BOLD! Have you ever opened up a kit and fell in love with a paper but thought to yourself, “Wow, how pretty, but I could never scrap with that!” ? I know I have! That was the inspiration for this challenge. A few months ago I was scrapping with a kit and fell in love with this plaid background. I’m not afraid of patterned papers but this was especially bold. I managed to use the paper despite my reservations. Once I got a gazillion compliments on the layout, I made it my mission to spread the word that bold backgrounds need love too!

So let’s get to it. There really isn’t a tutorial for this per se, so instead I’ll walk you through one layout’s journey to becoming bold.

This is our official guinea pig layout using The Three R’s Value Bundle by Threeology: Connie Prince & Bella Gypsy. This was the layout that Tabatha (my quiet partner, sister, and homeschooling mom) created for us to experiment on. (Don’t worry, no layouts were harmed during this process). This is a perfectly good layout, but the background is basic. It is a very safe choice.

However, with just a little bit of courage, you could try something a little more bold in its place:

I think the polka dots look adorable! They are whimsical and add a fun touch to the page. If you feel like it is a bit too much, though, there are plenty of ways you can customize your page.

This effect was achieved by layered the polka dotted background over the white background and lowering the opacity of the dotted page to about 75%. The exact percentage would depend on what you felt looked best! The trick is to make sure that the bottom paper is a similar color to the top paper (or the base of the top paper). In this case they were both off-white.

This same technique worked just as well when done with a plaid background.

For our finished product, however, we think bolder is better! Here is the final draft of the page, with the plaid background paper at full opacity!

One of the biggest concerns with bold backgrounds is finding a spot to journal on! Try using  journaling strips! They can easily be made out of any solid colored paper from your kit!

So I think we’re done torturing our guinea pig layout…I don’t know if I’d say it boldly went where no scrapper has gone before, but it is tres cute if you ask me! What say you? Let’s take a look at some more bold layouts!

Stephanie created this using Wiggleworm Value Bundle by Bella Gypsy and wow, what a visual masterpiece it is! Notice how she journaled on a semi-solid piece of paper, and left plenty of negative space to fully take in the beautiful background paper. This layout manages to showcase a bold background without taking away from the photo one bit!

Maybe you don’t want to commit to using a bold background all the way! Easy peasy! Just use it on half or a portion of your page! Tricia did that here with Bella Gypsy’s Popthickle Kit.

Tricia isn’t the only one who thought this would be a good idea! Becca did it here, too, and it looks great! Becca used Feisty Girl by Bella Gypsy & Laura Banasiak.

I’ll leave you with one more tip for getting your journaling on the page. If you don’t want to journal on strips, you can place a solid or semi-solid paper in a frame and journal there! Becca did that here, using Bella Gypsy’s Brooklyn Kit.

Ok so my dear scrapping friends, we went there. We went to the bold place and I think we’re no worse for the wear, right? You CAN use bold backgrounds and make gorgeous pages, there is no reason to be afraid of them! Now I challenge you to go through your kits and find the boldest background you love…and work it, girl!

Here are the official rules:
You have until the end of the August to complete this challenge.
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).
You don’t have to use ScrapMatters products, but we love it when you do!
No double dipping, your LO must be unique to this challenge.
At the end I will pick a random LO as the winner to receive an extra bonus point.

So, have a great weekend, scrappers!

Be Bold!

~Lena