Well, grab a snack and a favorite beverage because you are in for a TREAT today!! We have 3 Guest Interviews and our LOTW/POTW Winners up on the SM Blog today!!

First up is Rachel (Captivated Visions).  She has been a Guest Designer for ScrapMatters before and we are SO EXCITED to see what new goodies she has brought for us this month!!  If you’d like to get to know Rachel a little more….READ ON!! =)

1. Your screen name? Your real name?
Captivated Visions, my real name is Rachel Jefferies

2. What is your main job/career?
Designer! Captivated Visions is my full time job

3. Are you married/children/pets?
I’m married to Simon, we got married overlooking the beach in Mauritius and will be celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary this year

4. Where is home for you?
I’m an English gal, I live in Birmingham in the UK

5. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Lasagne, Traditional Roast Dinner Yum, Hmm I don’t know what else, I eat too much of everything!

6. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

7. Snacks…Salty or Sweet?
Sweet!

8. Beverage of choice?
My friends call me the Tea Monster . .enough said . .

9. What’s your least favorite food?
Celery . . blech ..

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

11. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started?
I was first introduced to the digital scrapbooking community by a friend in 2009 after using Paint Shop Pro for many years creating signature tags in forums and dabbled with digi-scrapping shortly afterwards although I wasn’t very active back then.

12. What was your 1st LO about?
One of the first pages that I created and uploaded to the ScrapMatters Gallery was a wedding page – I look at it now and eek no date!!

13. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)?
No there are certainly not any other hobbies lol!!
My Design Work is more than a full time job, so if I am lucky enough to have spare time my one and only official hobbie is digi scrapping. If I’m not on the computer though I’ll be watching movies with Simon

14. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you?
Title work, I am in awe of scrappers who make such fun and bold titles and make it look so easy! I need more practice there.

15. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?
I’d love to learn more about my DSLR Camera, I’d love to learn to Meditate and I’d love to give driving another go! (Nerves got the better of me and I couldn’t afford the practical test fee again, I think I took it three times)

16. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?
Shows – The Uk Apprentice, CSI, UK X Factor, Medium
Movies – Twilight Saga, Pixar Movies, Classics like Superman, Planet of the Apes, and so much more, I love horrors, dramas, comedies, too many to name!

17. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?
Depends on Mojo If Mojo is flowing I’ll have music on, otherwise it’s a distraction. Cup of Tea or Fizzy Soft Drink and some Chocolate!

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

19. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?
My nickname in the family is Doris

20. When did you start designing? What is your favorite product that you’ve designed?
I started making blog freebies in 2009 and was selling shortly after that.

21. How would you describe your design style?

With great difficulty? LOL because it is always evolving!
It’s hard to label it as a ‘style’ as such, because a lot of the time it’s doodly, all of the time it’s fun, some of the time it’s grungey and so on! I really design for the moment and stay true to my emotions and my strengths when I design, but I like to try new things too. If I HAD to label it I’d say Doodly and Unique. I always include original drawings or doodles of somesort, you might notice my current fetish for craft paper, distressing techniques and paint .

22. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation?

I keep a designer notebook with me always, and keep a note of creative ideas or new product lines that pop into my head, I keep an inspiration folder on my computer where I collect colour inspiration and other visuals. Fabrics and patterns from home furnishings or fashion are great starting points for me, I am in Love with Pinterest and love to soak up inspiration from Mail Order Catalogues and anything else I can get my hands on!

24. What is your favorite color scheme to design with?

It’s a funny question as Purple has never been a huge favourite of mine though it’s been featured a LOT lately in my designs and I’m quite obsessed with it right now! I love opposites in the colour wheel, I get excited when I get to play with a bold colour scheme!

Thanks so much for letting us get to know more about you, Rachel, and your designing routines and styles!!  Be sure to check out Rachel’s store while she is guesting with us!!

Lisa (Kelseyll)

It’s time for another edition of the Saturday Special. Are you a blocking junkie? I certainly am a fan of blocking! Do you ever wonder how to make a row of ellies perfectly line up on a page? Today I am going to show you how to align elements/papers on a page. Let’s get started.

This little trick saves loads of time when used for lining up the alphas in a title.

1. Place all of the elements on the page that you want to align.

2. Link all of the layers together in the layers palette. You can do this by highlighting at least one of the layers to be aligned, then clicking the link button on all of the other layers to be aligned.

3. Next click one of the align buttons from the tool bar. I generally use align bottom edge. This will line up the items that are linked.

There you have it. Perfectly aligned ellies! Note: It is sometimes necessary to unlink the layers to adjust for spacing.

Okay, now it is your turn to give this technique a try. Join us in the forum to play along! I can’t wait to see what you create. Go forth and align!!

Challenge reminders:

-You will receive one point for posting in this thread & in the Saturday Special Gallery. You will receive an additional point for using new Scrap Matters products; please make a note of new products in your post. And at the end of the month you’ll be entered into a random drawing that could earn you some bonus points!

-You have until the end of August to complete this challenge to earn MOS points.

-Remember no double dipping…your photo and/or layout must be unique to this challenge.

-You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products, but remember your SM gallery must contain at least 50% SM product beginning July 8, 2011.

Look What’s New at ScrapMatters.com 8/12/2011!!

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Welcome to this edition of It’s in the Cards.  I love rounded corners, so I thought I should add a couple to my template.  I hope you have fun creating!

DOWNLOAD FILES HERE

Thanks Melanie for creating this terrific.  She used Imagination Creation by Stolen Moments and Studio Flergs

Love Sharon’s stitching on her take of my template.  She used I Scream, You Scream by The Design Girl.

Here’s a closer look at my creation.  I used Rainbows and Butterflies by Graham like the Cracker and WM[squared] Designs.

Can’t wait to see what you all can do with it!!

Challenge Reminders:

- You will receive one point for posting in the It’s in the Cards thread as well as posting in the It’s in the Cards Gallery.  You can receive an additional point for using a NEW ScrapMatters product; please make note of new products in your post.  At the end of the month, you will be entered in a random drawing that could earn you some BONUS Points!

- You have until the end of August 2011 to complete this challenge to earn MOS Points

-Remember no double dipping – you creation must be unique to this challenge.

-You don’t have to use ScrapMatters products, but we love when you do; remember beginning July 8, 2011, you gallery must contain at least 50% of ScrapMatters products.

Hi all! It’s my turn to host this next edition of Grand Theft Layout! I’ve chosen a one of our amazing creative team members. It’s calliclaire and you can find her gallery HERE. The thing I love most about her gallery is she has a little bit of everything: single photo, mulit photo, clustering, white space, everything!

I choose to lift:

and created this layout using Erica Zane’s awesome new kit – Imagine If:

Our amazing creative team also had a lot of fun in her gallery, check out these awesome pages:

Becca lifted this page:

and created this outstanding page using Wonderful Tonight by Jady Day Studio

Jan lifted this layout:

and created this layout using Play Ball! the Ellies, Play Ball! Alpha, Play Ball! the Papers, Dotted Cardstock: August Mix and Shabby Solids: August Mix by geniaBenia:

Manda lifted this layout:

and created this layout using the new SMDT Garden Party Collab:

Aren’t these pages amazing?

Can’t wait to see what you choose to lift and the amazing layout you create!!

Hi everyone!! Welcome to this week’s edition of the Tuesday Template Challenge! There is no specific theme, just grab the template and have fun with it!

Here is the layout this week’s template is based on:

I used Play Ball! (papers, alpha and ellies) and Dotted Cardstock: August Mix by geniaBeana. Font is Delightfully Ordinary by Stolen Moments

And here is your template:

Download Here

Check out the gorgeous layouts the CT made with it:

From Becca236 using Girlfriends by wm[squared] and Eva Kipler –

From Cyndi146 using Red, White & Boom by Jennifer Labre and Liberty Alpha & Frosty Alpha by WM [squared] -

From cinna using parts from the August Mix-a-kit –

Challenge reminders:
-You will receive one point for posting in both the challenge thread & the Tuesday Template Gallery. You can receive an additional point for using new Scrap Matters products; please make a note of new products in your thread post. And at the end of the month you’ll be entered into a random drawing that could earn you some bonus points!
-You have until the end of August to complete this challenge to earn MOS points.                              -Remember no double dipping…your photo and/or layout must be unique to this challenge.
-You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products, but remember your SM gallery must contain at least 50% SM product beginning July 8, 2011.

I can’t wait to see those pages!!

Hybrid Clocks-Tick Tock!

It  is time for another Home Matters (actually it was time a few hours ago, but better late than never).  Today I made a clock. (REALLY-just now since I completely did not know it was the 8th).

To begin you need a clock that you can re-purpose.  There are lots of clocks out there.  I really like the Re-Style clock from Target because the printed face is about 7 inches (so I can print at home), it comes apart easily, and it is reasonable priced.

You will need to take your clock apart.  Remove the hands, but make sure you remember the order because they have to go back on the same way.  The hands pop off.  It requires a little force-so don’t be afraid (but save the receipt just in case).  Then you need to measure the diameter.

Oh, I almost forgot.  You have to have a design idea.  I decided to make a clock for my husband’s mother who is an avid seamstress and has a huge sewing room. She is also hard for me to buy for- so this will be a relief come Christmas.

There are some fabulous sewing kits at ScrapMatters.  I really love this one.

Now all you have to do is design your clock face in your editing program.  I make a circle the size of my clock face and go to town.  It is also helpful to put a dot in the very center, this just helps you when it is time to punch the hole in your clock face.  I also use gridlines.  After I print it out, I just cut and add the center hole.

Put your clock hands back in order.  I like to set all my hands to 12 before I snap the plastic cover back in place. If you forget this step you may find that your clock never really reads like.  If that happens you just have to pop off the cover and do this step.

Now I have a very nice gift for my Mother-in-Law that is personal, handmade, and inexpensive.  I hope you make many wonderful clocks for your home or for someone’s home.

This week we get to learn more about ScrapMatters Girl Jamie (Jamieh)!  Here is what she had to say when responding to our questions! =)

1. Your screen name? Your real name? Jamieh Jamie

2. What is your main job/career? I just quit as an Elementary PE teacher to be a full time SAHM to 2 little ones

3. Are you married/children/pets? Married with a 3 year old boy and 6 month old girl – NO PETS!!

4. Where is home for you?
We live in Orem, UT

5. How long have you lived there? Different places in the same valley for the past 10 years going to school and working

6. What are your 3 favorite foods? Pizza, Sushi, cookies

7. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Cookies and Cream . . . get it everytime!

8. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? I need a little of both . . . but I love popcorn and chips

9. Beverage of choice? water

10. What’s your least favorite food? I don’t remember because I don’t eat it any more

11. PC or Mac? What program do you use? PC – PSE 9 (It’s new, I am still learning the tricks of the program upgraded from PSE 5)

12. How long have you been digi-scrapping? How did you get started? I learned to digiscrap from some girls in my spouses club for the MBA program in 2008. After a year of fiddling around and TRYING to learn, one of the girls, who was a designer, invited me to participate in a template Tuesday challenge. She walked me through everything! I was SO nervous to put my first LO on display!! I love the comments and was hooked on challenges ever since!

13. What was your 1st LO about?
I made several LO for my sons first year of life (using the same template for every page) but the first one I uploaded was just a park day with my kiddo

14. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? I love sports and exercising. I like playing with my kids and watching movies with my husband.

15. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? TIME – every second I am not with my kids I want to spend with my husband, so I feel like I can’t get time to do what I enjoy doing. I feel like I get more behind with photos every day rather than get caught up with layouts ever!

16. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? I wish I were a bit more crafty – like sewing or refinishing things. But I hate the way most of my projects turn out so I don’t think I will learn unless I learn patience pretty darn quick

17. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?
I LOL to Modern Family and am addicted to NCIS

18. Describe your “scrapping” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where? bowl of popcorn, perhaps a movie in the background, no other distractions.

19. If you only had 2 elements to use on a LO, what would they be? ribbons (I love ric rac) and stars.

20. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?
I have been skydiving in Hawaii.

21. Can you tell us a little about your scrappin’ style? Do I have one? I definitely like more than one photo on a page. I change my style a bit based on the different challenges. I really like trying new things with new kits and being challenged to make something different.
22. Favorite LOs that you have done?

23. What is your favorite part of being a member of the Scraps Matter Gang?
I love this place! The community, the challenges, the encouragement, the friends, the love, it is a great place to be and I really feel like I belong here!

24. What is your favorite childhood memory and have you scrapped it?
I haven’t scrapped anything previous to my kid being born. Was there life before kids? (Just kidding) I remember on my birthday my mom would read through our baby books with us in her bed. It was a happy time of her showing us pictures of ourselves and telling us how she felt about them. I hope I can do that for my kids.

Thanks for letting us get to know you better, Jamie!!!

-Kim (kjrogers01)