Hello Scrappers! This week we are highlighting Monique. Her gallery is filled with simple STUNNING layouts. I’m sure you can find tons of inspiration.

I chose to lift: So Happy Together

Here’s mine:

And here’s some inspiration from the ScrapMatters Creative Team:

Heidi chose to lift:  So Different

and here’s her layout:  So Alike

Gi Christina chose:  Right Now

And here’s her layout: a moment of pure magic

Jamie chose: Be happy being who you are

And her layout: Aiden

Becca chose: France

and here’s her layout: Lili

And Marlen chose: Sven is the Man

and here’s her layout:  Ritter Sport Museum

Challenge reminders:
-You will receive one point for posting your layout in this thread & in the Grand Theft Layout gallery. You can 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 March I will choose one layout at random for a bonus point!

-You have until the end of March to complete your layout for your points to be counted towards March points.

-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!

Can’t wait to see what you create!

–Chelle

It’s “just another Manic Monday” at ScrapMatters.com!!! Monday ONLY!! Select items for $2 or 50% off!! Visit the ScrapMatters Shop for more details!!

*Manic Monday sales go into the shop early Monday morning and will “disappear” around midnight! HURRY! What are you waiting for!?! *

Berry Crush by Erica Zane and Mari Koegelenberg

Springtime for Krista by Britt-ish Designs

Lil Mr. Fix-it by Designs by Tater

Happy Monday everyone!!!

I’m new here to Scrap Matters & I LOVE it!!! I’m sure you’ll all agree that this place is a very relaxed, comforting environment.

When I signed up to post the What Matters post I had a pretty good idea about what to write. Then a week ago Sat. that all changed!

My wonderful hubby & a friend of his took our son to target practice. They go all the time & have a blast. I get a phone call a couple hours later from my husband saying that his friend was taking him to the ER! Hubby was having an irregular heartbeat & almost blacked out.

I meet them there & by then all was well. They kept him overnight for observation. I took our son (he’s 12) home to get some rest. Gavin (our son) was crying & I convinced him that I wouldn’t have left daddy if things weren’t good.

Sunday, the Dr.’s released him stating he had to come for a stress echo on Mon. We went & they saw that one of his valves wasn’t moving. They then wanted to send a camera into his veins to see what was going on. They thought it was just a spasm that could be taken care of with meds. We went on Wed. for this procedure.

The Dr. came to me & stated that one of my hubby’s arteries was blocked 100% & another 75-80% & he had to put in 2 stents. It was either that or open heart surgery which he didn’t want to do on a 39 year old man. We didn’t want it either.

They took him back several hours later to have the stents put in saying it would be 45 minutes.

I’ve known fear in my life. I’ve miscarried. I’ve taken Gavin to the ER when he wasn’t able to breath very well. Nothing could possibly prepare me for this. Praying that my husband, my best friend would be alright. Holding my son while he clings to me, crying that he doesn’t want his daddy to die & me telling him that daddy would be alright while praying that I’m not lying to him.

2 hours later the Dr. comes out & tells me that he almost gave up. He couldn’t get 1 of the stents in & was about to do open heart!! The Dr. then told me that he had to put 4 stents in my husbands heart!!! 2 in each artery.

My husband is physically fit. He works out & eats right. We were told that if he hadn’t kept fit he would have had a major heart attack & died instantly! As it was the left side of his heart made it’s own bypass by creating veins to feed the right side of his heart!

I know I’ve babbled on & on but this is what matters. Your family!!!

I don’t know what I would’ve done had I lost my husband. I came so close that it’s terrifying.

Stop everything that you’re doing & tell your significant other how much you love them!!! Hold them & make sure they know how much you care!

Leave the dirty dishes & clothes & play with your kids. Yes, even leave that unfinished scrapbook page! Without those that we love we won’t have anything to scrap anyway.

I did tell my hubby that he better not shy away from the camera. I will take his photo & even though he probably won’t like it, he’ll do it. Because he loves me!!!

Hello all!! Super excited to be announcing the LOTW! So many awesome LOs to look through and it means that I am Scapmatters Girl!! This week I choose Y_Baros Lucky U. It is perfect  for this month (or any month!) with wonderful use of green. The blocking is outstanding, I just love the way she used the elements and the journaling is so touching!!

Congrats Ybaros on you awesome LO!! Head on over to the gallery or the forum and leave her some love!

-Chel (Chel)

Yay!! It is that time of the month where we get to learn more about our fabulous guest designers!! This month our guest designers are Studio Tangie and Wimpychompers Creations.  I have been loving seeing all their stuff in the store (and alot of it is on my wishlist..he he!).   But it is always so interesting to learn more about the people behind these amazing designs.

First up I talked to Tangie Baxter of Studio Tangie:

1. Your screen name? Your real name?  My screen name is Tangie Baxter. My real name…I’ll give you three guesses (actually it’s Tangela but everyone calls me Tangie)!

2. What is your main job/career?  I’m lucky enough to be able to proudly say “Full Time Artist / Digital Designer”! Before that I was a real-estate office manager/controller and before that I owned my own preschool…I do change jobs about every 5 years that is about all I can take of something (hope that is a good thing?!).
3. Are you married/children/pets?  Oh yes very happily married to Dave, one fantabulous 12  year old daughter Samantha and an Italian Greyhound named Tank.

4. Where is home for you?  Sunny, Sunny, Sunny Arizona!
5. What are your 3 favorite foods?  Does Dr. Pepper count as a food?
1. Dr. Pepper
2. Mexican food (any!)
3. “Sunday” dinner (Roast & Mashed potatoes!)
6. PC or Mac? What program do you use?
I’m a PC girl through and through teehee! I use CS2, saving my pennies for CS5 due out in late Spring!

7. What is the most challenging part of designing for you?  Advertising! I’d much rather be designing but advertising is just as important as the design portion I think. But honestly I love designing so much I just JUMP out of bed every morning soooooooo excited to see what comes out of a day’s work. I pinch myself quite often and say do I REALLY get to do this all day????

8. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?  Oh well let me see now….*thinking* there is so much! Computer Programmer, Website Developer, Seamstress, Chef, Collage Artist….

9. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?  *blush* I think the last time I watched TV was like 3 or 4 years ago… I just have too many other things I’d like to be doing (see #8 lol)
10. Describe your “designing” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?
Oh this is a fantastic question! I’m sitting at my Ikea workstation with my 2 dual monitors… stack of magazines & books, Dr. Pepper ( & sometimes a snack), notebook all on the left…I’ve got Pandora playing or a movie (almost always 1 of the 6 Harry Potter movies, or an old musical) playing on the extra computer behind me as background noise…in my Studio looking out some French doors to the backyard!
11. If you only had 2 elements in a kit, what would they be?  Ephemera and Frames!

12. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?  A little known fact…I was in a commercial once (it’s a long story and NOT very glamorous) but none the less I really was!

13. When did you start designing? How did you get started?  I’ve been designing for about 3 years now (where DOES the time go???). I got started by doing freebies on my blog about 2 weeks after hearing about digital scrapbooking, I had been making websites for people to put their family photos so the transition seemed perfect!

14. How would you describe your design style?  Altered Vintage.

15. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation?  Is it just too cliche  to say EVERYWHERE!? I really do, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever said “I’ve lost my mojo”…I’ve got about 3 notebooks of ideas still waiting for me to get to them…truly I just love this job so much that everything around me inspires me…art imitates life, so I’m sure you can tell I LOVE all things vintage and altered art–I surround myself with it all the time!
16. Which of your products in the Scrapmatters Store showcases your style the most?
Well since this is only my second week as a guest I’d say the Bundle (it has little snippets of tons of products that I truly loved making!).

But I do love the Orchid Elixir kit because it combines my “usual style” with something a bit more modern and fresh!

17. What is your favorite color scheme to design with?  *chuckles* this is an easy one, you will almost ALWAYS find a very vintage color of turquoise and/or red in ALL of my kits!

18. Favorite kit you’ve designed for Scrapmatters?
Oh ooops I think I answered this in #16 but I do love the Orchid Elixir kit! Mehndi designs meets glitter and orchids! I heart it!

(That kit is so beautiful I figured I’d show it to you twice!  LOL!)  Thanks Tangie for letting us get to know a little more about you!  Check out Tangie’s full store HERE!

Next up is Christina of Wimpychompers Creations…

1. Your screen name? Your real name?  Wimpychompers but real name is Christina.
2. What is your main job/career?   I am a stay at home mom of three.
3. Are you married/children/pets?  Married 9 1/2 years and we have three children (5, 4 and 2)
4. Where is home for you?   California
5. What are your 3 favorite foods?  ice cream, soda, and fresh fruit (lol)
6. PC or Mac? What program do you use?  PC
7. What is the most challenging part of designing for you?  Having *too* many ideas and not knowing where to go.
8. What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking?  I really want to practice more at photography.
9. What are your favorite movies/TV shows?  I love Greys Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.. sad I know. 
10. Describe your “designing” environment. Music? TV in the background? Drinks? Snacks? Where?  I just got a laptop for Christmas so now I can snuggle on the couch in the same room as my kids and they are usually playing or watching cartoons.  I do sometimes steal hubbies i-pod and always have some snack nearby.
11. If you only had 2 elements in a kit, what would they be?  Something unique to that kit, and a frame
12. Would you like to share a little known fact about you…?  I played flute in marching band.
13. When did you start designing? How did you get started?  June of 2008 I think it was?  I was actually playing with PSP long before that as a signature tag maker, started writing tutorials and got bored with it all.  Digital Scrapbooking was a natural jump for me since I knew PSP already so well and loved paper scrapping since I was a teenager.  It was also less messy with small kids so I took the plunge, realized I could actually make stuff myself, and that’s the end of that.
14. How would you describe your design style?  I try to be unique but yet something I’d want to use.  I love to look at what others can do and especially love to push myself to try new things and new ideas.
15. Where do you get your inspiration/motivation?  Everywhere… online, catalogs (I stole my sisters Scrapbooking magazines once), Inspiration Boards, it’s everywhere.  I try to think “what do I need to scrap?” and figure others might need it too.
16. Which of your products in the Scrapmatters Store showcases your style the most?  My kit “It’s getting hot in here” mixes my felt dolls with elements that are digital and I really think I love that combination of craft meets digital world… it’s all about textures to me.

17. What is your favorite color scheme to design with?  It depends on my mood (isn’t that the truth) but I love green and yellow at the moment.
18. Favorite kit you’ve designed for Scrapmatters?   My newest one “Enchanted Blooms” is on my list of favorites for the moment, I think it’s a good collection of fun colors and is very versatile.

That was so much fun!! Thanks Christina for letting us in on some inside information!!  Check out the full Wimpychompers Creations store HERE!

Thanks again ladies for letting me interview you this week!!  These fabulous ladies are only with us for two more weeks so head on over to the store and check out all their awesome products!

-Amanda (panders77)

Heidi here with a new Saturday special … shadows.  There are so many different directions I could go, but today I am going to show you how to change the color of your shadow.  If you have questions about shadows, you can always check here and here for a wealth of information. Before I get started, I wanted to highlight an amazing product in our store … Get Real – Realistic Drop Shadow Styles by Jennifer Barrette.  Jennifer had made it simple to apply a shadow to almost any element you can imagine.  With my example below, I have used her shadow styles on my layouts. Simple and easy.  Jennifer was kind enough to offer a coupon if you would like to purchase her style :

$1 off
code – getreal_1off
expires – March 20th 2010

O.k., onto the lesson.  Have you ever had an item that you added a shadow to, but it just doesn’t look right?  Sometimes, having a black shadow isn’t natural.  Look around you right now.  Are the items casting shadows black? Maybe they are a soft shade of gray. Maybe the are reflecting the color of the item as the shadow. Keep this mind as you go to shadow today’s layout.

However you add your shadow, go ahead and add it to your paper/element/etc.  Now, I want you to double click on the “fx” on your layer you shadowed.

It should bring up a box that looks like this:
Make sure you that the  “drop shadow” box is highlighted in blue like the #2 shows. If that is not highlighted, you will not see the screen above.  Next, I want you to click in the black box circled in #3.  It should bring up a new box that looks like this:
Notice that your cursor can now choose a new color if you place it over your layout. Next, I want you to click on your paper.  You color box will change to the color of the paper and this is o.k.  Now you want to start moving down on the color box.  I usually go to the gray side of my color.  Watch how the shadow color changes on your element.  Does it now look a little softer and more natural?  Keep playing with it until you get a shadow that looks like it would if it were sitting in front of you right now.  Or, if you have Jennifer’s style, you can keep the color where it is and just move the sliders as shown by the #4 until you get a color you are happy with.

For my layout above, I had white paper under my pics/elements.  With Jennifer’s shadows, she has a brown color for the shadow which give a nice warm natural shadow.  But for this particular layout, I wanted my shadow a little more on the “cool” side, so I changed the shadow color.  I did not, however, change the shadow color of the white paper resting on the bottom brown paper.  It was the perfect color for that paper.

Here is my layout:

Please note that this was using CS4.  I am not familiar with Elements, but I was told by Denise, who is the queen said that the dialog boxes look different, but the concept still works. This also works in Paint Shop Pro.

Look What’s New at ScrapMatters.com 3/12/2010!!

March Monthly Collab by the Scrap Matters Design Team

Fair Are the Meadows by Andilynn Designs

Facts Matter: Volume 1 by Andilynn Designs

Banana Split by Britt-ish Designs and Gwenipooh Designs

The Carrot Patch by Chelle’s Creations

Stitched Up Commercial Use by Chelle’s Creations

The Carrot Patch Word Bites (free with purchase of Carrot Patch 3/12-3/15)
The Carrot Patch Blog Freebie
Stitched Up Commercial Use Sampler

Sun Rays & Warm Days Kit
Sun Rays & Warm Days Word Art

7 Days A Week QuickPage Album
Project 365 Vol 4 Templates

12×12 Double Take Templates – CU Ok
12×12 Flying Solo Templates – CU Ok

Designs by Sarah Bennett – Remember Me

EZ Templates 13 by Erica Zane

Top Of The Mornin’ Alpha by Geeky Diva Designs

Chronicling Life Alpha Set by Haynay Designs

Wonderland by Jenn Barrette and AnnaBV

Egg Baskets by Krisi’s Kreations

Egg Templates by Krisi’s Kreations

Get Egg Templates FREE with the purchase of Egg Baskets until 3/18

Alpha Template #01 – Commercial Use

All About Photos Template Pack 1 by Purple Tulip Designs
All About Photos Template Pack 2 by Purple Tulip Designs
All About Photos Template Pack 3 by Purple Tulip Designs
All About Photos Template Mega Pack by Purple Tulip Designs

Happy Spring by Simply J Studio

Happy Spring Alpha by Simply J Studio

Spring Doodles by Simply J Studio

Lucky U Newsletter Kit by Stolen Moments & Scrapmuss Designs

Lucky U Combo Pack by Stolen Moments & Scrapmuss Designs

Sk8ter Boy {full kit} by Trixie Scraps Designs

Lovey Days Project 365 Grab Bag by Trixie Scraps Designs

Cottontail’s Garden Blogwear Set by Trixie Scraps Designs & Twinderland Scraps

Be Inspired – Megan by WM squared Designs

Be Inspired – Melody by WM squared Designs

Orchid Elixir by Studio Tangie

“No Girls Allowed” by Whimpychompers Creations

”Enchanted Blooms“ by Whimpychompers Creations

Hiya everyone! Melissa (profiler_mar) here with our next It’s in the Cards challenge! I am so excited to be hosting my very first challenge ever for SM! I had a lot of fun preparing for this and I hope you all enjoy this template!

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-It’s In The Cards gallery by the end of March. Then, come back here and post it in this thread 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 at the end of the challenge to receive an extra point!*

Here’s our template:

Download HERE

Here’s my card, using A Rainbow Promise from Trixie Scraps Designs and Ellie Lash:

And here is some more inspiration from our talented team:

From Amanda, using Boy Blue from By Becca:

From Sylvia, using the template as a guideline and Love Birds Kit by Connie Prince:

From Anne-Katrine, using love you forever – ethan from Andilynn Designs:

From Deb, using Teen Grunge by WM [squared] designs:

And from Jennifer, using So Grateful by Sahlin Studio and Sugarplum Paperie and Sweet Sayings by Sahlin Studio:

Have fun and thanks so much for participating!!!

Good Morning!!  Andrea (chia) here with this weeks Grand Theft Layout.  We have some new girls on the ScrapMatter’s Creative Team and I wanted to highlight the growing gallery of one of these new CT members…dianeskie.  She has a fun style that I’m sure you will love lifting!!

I chose to lift Enjoy Every Moment…

Here is my layout using Happy Go Lucky by Jenn Barrette Designs…

And here is what has inspired the ScrapMatter’s Team…

wm[squared] lifted…

And using “Play Bundle” by Sahlin Studios & DeCrow Designs and White Paper: “Just The Basics – Cardstock” by WM[squared] Designs, she came up with…

Tanya lifted…And here is her beautiful layout created with Enjoy The Moment, Enjoy The Moment Snipettes, Stitched Swirls and Tuck and Wave Templates…

scrappurple lifted…And came up with this fun, winter layout…

jennamy82 lifted…And here is her lift using Daisy Crazy by Trixie Scraps & Madame Wing…

hoo-rah and abcmomof4 lifted…

hoo-rah’s using Feeling Moments from Pri Rocha, Storytime Collab from Sarah Bennett, Lil’ Digi Bits by Jude, and Stacy’s Back Door Designs, Crayon, Crayoff Alpha from Denise Beatty, Glitter Mess from Juno Designs…

and abcmomof4’s using explore.learn.grow staple, stitches and string (recolored) by Sahlin Studio, Sister Sue by Sarah Bennett…

Challenge reminders:
-You will receive one point for posting your layout in this thread & in the Grand Theft Layout gallery. You can 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 March I will choose one layout at random for a bonus point!

-You have until the end of March to complete your layout for your points to be counted towards March points.

-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!

Enjoy the lifting! I can’t wait to see what you’ve done!!

It’s out with the old and in with the new!!

The Designers at ScrapMatters are cleaning house this week!! Come and check out the SHOP for all of the Clearance Items that will be leaving the shop after the sale!
Sale runs from March 8th through March 14th.

Happy Saturday Everyone!! Today I am going to talk about something I do all the time and it is fairly simple!  We are going to hang something on our layout that wasn’t meant to be hung.  So the first thing you need to do is “punch” a hole in it so the string can go through it. 

Once you choose what you are going to hang (I choose my part of my title (an Alpha).)  Position your element over the string in a way that looks appropriate and then reduce the opacity so you can see the string underneath.  Then use your elipitical tool to draw a small circle in a layer above the element you want to punch.  Use the string underneath as a guide for how big you want your hole to be. 

Simplify your shape and make sure your shape layer is highlighted.  Then using the magic wand tool and click on the shape.  You will get the marching ants around your shape.  Then select the element layer and cut (control -X).  Bring the opacity up on your element.  Now you can move your shape out of the way and see the hole has been punched. 

Now we need to “hang” it.  Select the string layer and use your magic wand to get the marching ants around the it.  (You can also select the whole string by selecting the magic wand tool and contol clicking on the string layer)  Select the layer of the element you are hanging.  Using the eraser tool, erase part of the element so it looks like it is hanging.  Now you might notice that the shadows look pretty funky…

To fix this first duplicate the string layer and drag it above the element layer.  Select the element layer again and use the magic wand to get the marching ants around it.  Then erase the part of the string that is under the element. (After you finish with the part of the string on top of the element,  deselect and make sure to erase the rest of the string except the part that is overlapping your hanging element so the shadow is not duplicated.)

Just to give you an idea of what this looks like, here is a screen shot before I erased any of the string and had selected the element.

Ta-da!! Your element is hung!  You can now delete your circle shape (or hole punch..lol).  A few pointers for hanging more than one thing (like a title).  Keep the same shape to punch each hole.  That makes it look more realistic.  And just to make it easier on yourself, “hang” all your elements first and then duplicate your string to fix the shadow problem.
Here is my Final LO using Jenn Barrettes NEW Happy Go Lucky, and Date Swirls and Get Real Shadow Styles, Chelle Creations NEW Lucky Me alpha and Sahilin Studios Sorbet Stamped Alpha clipped to Brittish Designs Glamorama Papers. 

Fun and easy!! I can’t wait to see what you hang!!

Here is some more awesome inspiration from our CT:
TanyaH666 used Connie Prince and Bella Gypsy’s I Wuff You.

Becca1976 used Jenn Barrettes NEW Happy go Lucky. (Great minds think alike..lol)

Alansrock used March 2010 templatepalooza by Connie Prince & BellaGypsy and Spring has sprung kit by Jeni Hopewell & MickeyB Designs

Kim21673 used Enjoy by GG Digital Designs and Just Call Me Niki Templates by Stolen Moments

And now for some rules.  No double dipping on challenges. You will not be able to use the same LO for multiple challenges.  You can earn one additional bonus point per challenge when you use a newly released (within the first week/7 days of release) ScrapMatters product. In order to receive the extra point you MUST indicate in your credits that the item you used was a new release.   You will have until the end of March to post your LO and  at the end of the month I will pick a winner and they will get an extra point! 

Have fun using your hole punch!! 

-Amanda (panders77)