Hello everyone!! Natasha (bcnatty) here bringing  you this week’s Grand Theft Layout!! I have been patiently waiting for my chance to host this challenge, it’s one of my favorites! And I was so happy that when my chance came around that one of my favorite artists was not chosen yet. So without further ado…this week we are going to lift Chia. Check out her gallery and come play along!!

I lifted her Lollipop LO:

And here is my version:

 And here is some more inspiration from our amazing CT to get you started!!

Here is one from Alamama:

She lifted “O Holy Night”

Here is one from Monsu:

She lifted “Treasure You”:

And lastly, here is one from Stefanie:

She lifted “Sunshine”:

Well, I am SO excited to see your beautiful LOs that you create from Chia’s amazing gallery!! Please post your LOs in this forum and don’t forget to link it so we can leave you some love. Also, don’t forget to post a link to the original LO in your credits so we can leave Chia some love. Please let us know if you use a new product within a week of it’s release to get an extra point!

Hi Everyone! Krista (sahlink) here with this week’s Tuesday Template Challenge.

No rules… Just have fun with the template and make it your own.

Download here.

Here’s my LO using this template:

And here is some serious inspiration from our fantastic CT…
from kateypie

Sahlin Studio Loverly Design Star freebie

kkklatt

using Juno’s ‘Signs of Spring’ & other bits by Britt-ish Designs

Stefanie

Britt’s Sunshine in my Soul

kimbytx

Britt-ish Designs and Suzy Q Scraps Tale as Old as Time

And, here’s a reminder to the Matter of Scrap Challenge rules:

You have all month to complete this layout.   Please upload your LO to the Tuesday Template Challenge gallery and link it here. in this thread to get your point. You can also earn an additional point if you use a ScrapMatters product released in the past 7 days. Just make sure you mention that when you post your page. At the end of the challenge, one lucky winner will receive one more point at the end of the month for creating my favorite layout

You don’t have to use ScrapMatters products to participate in this challenge, but we love it when you do! Remember, no double dipping. Each LO must be created for one challenge only.  Have fun. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Good morning! Monique (monsu) here with a short post on this Monday before Christmas!

I know we’re probably all fairly busy, getting ready for Christmas in only a few days. Taking photos is probably the last thing on your mind right now. But ……., I think you should take some anyway! Every year we all take those pics of the children unwrapping presents, family members dressed up to the nines, posing in front of our beautifully decorated tree or sitting down for a fabulous dinner! Of course those photos are important, but I think it would be so much fun to have some different memories of this wonderful time of year! Be brave, and bring your camera to the grocery store! Document your overflowing shopping trolley, the long lines at the check out counter or the silly hat the sales assistant is wearing! Photograph that lovely pie in the oven (or the one that got slightly burned), your husband wearing your pink apron or the mountains of dishes in the sink after the food has all been consumed! Not only will these photos show your real life in addition to the fairy tale one, but it offers ample opportunity for the all important journaling!

Here are a few behind-the-scenes photos I took last Christmas:

I’m looking forward to all the original Christmas layouts your photos will inspire! For now, enjoy the preparations, be sure to bring your point and shoot camera with you everywhere you go, and a Very Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

Hi, this is Monique (a.k.a. monsu) with today’s Saturday Special Challenge!

I love playing around with photos! I’ll try different blending modes and opacities in order  to make colours deeper or instead get a nice faded effect, as if the photos were taken in the Seventies! I find new possibilities every time. Photoshop Elements also has some ready made effects for you to try in the Effects Palette. It took me a while to try anything but drop shadows, but no harm in trying, as long as you play with a copy of your original photo! (And there is always Ctrl z to undo, right?)

Today I’ll show you a few simple steps to create a subtle sketch art effect on your photo!
The screen shots are made in PSE 6.

1.    First open a photo.
2.    Duplicate this layer (Ctrl J on PC, Cmd J on Mac)
3.    Change the blending mode in this copy to overlay
4.    Reduce the opacity in this copy to 60%

5.    Rename this layer Overlay 1
6.    Duplicate Overlay 1 and rename it Overlay 2
7.    With this layer selected, choose Filter from the top tool bar on your screen
8.    From the drop down menu, choose Stylize, then Find Edges

9.     Duplicate Overlay 2, rename it Overlay 3
10    Repeat steps 7 and 8 for this layer.

If you like the subtle edges you have now, go ahead and make your page with the picture you have created! If not, you can go on repeating the steps to make it look more and more like a sketch. Here are two photos I used the technique on:

5 layers

3 layers

Your challenge today is to create a layout using this technique in one or more photos. The rest is all up to you!

Remember that you will have until the end of the month to complete this challenge. When you complete the challenge you will earn 1 point! If you use a newly released product (within the past 7 days) from the Scrap Matters store on your challenge layout, you earn an additional point!! How good is that – 2 points!
And my favourite layout at the end of the month will earn another point!

You don’t have to use Scrap Matters products (but we sure love it when you do) and once you post in the Saturday Specials Gallery, don’t forget to post the link to your layout in the appropriate thread in the forum so we can leave you some love and get you your points! If you want extra credit for using a new product, please mention that in the thread and your credits too! No double dipping! Look in the forum for more details on our challenge system.

Here’s my layout, using Kelly’s Apple Farm by Happy Scrap Girl Designs, The chosen One set 2 templates by Sya’s Blueprints, Floral Grunge Border from Frentree Fairies by Scrap’it Designs

Here are some examples from our CT members:

By Cyndi, using Pretties by Jeni Hopewell, Friday Flea Market Collab kit, Worn Out Overlays by Happy Scrap Girl, Stitches by Britt-ish Designs, frame by GG Digital Designs

By Mary (littlehiccup), using Fall Splendor by HayNay Designs and a template from the November Grab Bag by Sya’s Blueprints

By Christine (alamama) using Falling Dusk Kit by Erica Zane

By Kim (kimbytx), using Reach for the Stars by Simply Sweet Designs, The Big Picture templates by Sya’s Blueprints

By Krista (sahlink), using Paint Strokes by GG Digiatls Designs, Strawberry Days (paper) by Simply Sweet Designs, Benjamin (lines) by Jeni Hopewell

I can’t wait to see your layouts in the Gallery!

Good luck and have fun!

Happy Monday! Tgmousechick Kim here with today’s blog entry!

Today were going to talk about milestones.

I have lived in a number of places as an adult, and getting to many of them usually means driving through Pennsylvania. It is a beautiful, friendly state, but I am telling you that it gets longer every time I drive it! The only way I make it through is to watch the gradual ticking of the mile markers, each one getting me a little closer to the next state border. The big looming goal of the state border, overwhelming until you break it down mile by mile.

Isn’t that the way it is with our daily lives? I think it’s magnified once you have children in your family. All of the firsts, birthdays, and holidays. The indicators of where we have been, how far we’ve come, and how much farther we have to go. I’m tuned in to milestones- I am mom to an 18 month old toddler and a 6 year old as of last Friday. I’m in the throes of a blossoming vocabulary and learning to run, and the thrills of loosing baby teeth and starting kindergarten. It’s a busy time at our house!

Sometimes, life can get so busy. And scrapbookers, with the mission of documenting the details of our family (no matter how it’s composed), get overwhelmed by details and hit a roadblock. For paper scrappers, it the inches of photos and folders of maps and ticket stubs. For digi scrappers, it’s gigabytes of photos stored on hard drives or external websites. The constant lament of never being caught up.

Remembering milestones can be a way to work through the dreaded scrapper’s block. If the thought of getting through each one individually is overwhelming, why not make a list and summarize? If nothing else, a summary buys you time, getting important events documented in some form until you have the chance or the inspiration to really tackle them. I used Natalie’s birthday as a great excuse to point out the highlights of the past 366 days, and give props to the milestones she achieved (all digital products are from “Flutter By Me” by Scrap’it Designs by Brianna Cox, available right here at ScrapMatters):

I need to remember this piece of advice the next time I’m driving through Pennsylvania, and remember to enjoy the scenery when stopping at the rest areas!

Have a great week!

CT Member Kim (kimbytx) checking in for my first blog challenge! Weekends are my favorite time of the week since I am off work and am able to do things that I want to do…Sometimes that involves family activities, sometimes it is just getting errands and chores done, and if I am lucky it means time to scrap.

My challenge for you this weekend is to scrap a favorite weekend or leisure activity. It can be yours or someone else’s. It can be one thing or alot of things. Show us what you or those you love like to do during “play” time.

Here is my Layout. My husband and daughter’s new passion is our new Wii game system. They are having so much fun with it! I used Flim Flam by JenLin Designs and the Try it Out template by Britt-ish Designs.

Here are some fun and fabulous Layouts by our ScrapMatters CT

“The Hunt” by Andrea (chia) using Haynay Designs ”Fall Splendor”

“Playtime” by Lisa Kane using Ellie Lash Designs “These Crazy Days” and Sya’s Blueprints “Revived set 1″

“Hotdog King” by Britt using her Motor Mania kit and new birthday grab bag goodies

“Goecaching” by Mary (littlehiccup] using Haynay Designs  ”Fall Splendor” and Britt-ish Designs “Creative Block template”

Your participation prize will be this sweet mini kit by Simply Sweet Designs

I hope you have fun this weekend and can’t wait to see what you like doing!

Introducing our fabulous Fall/Winter Creative Team -

Digital artists

Amber (southernmother)
Andrea (chia)
Christine (alamamma)
Cyndi (cyndi146)
Denise (neeceebee)
Fliffy
Holly (mamaholly05)
Jennifer (virginiajen)
Julie (julydesigns)
Kathleen (k2vav)
Kim (kimbytx)
Krista (sahlinka)
Linz (l-i-n-z)
Lisa (ljonezy)
Mary (littlehiccup)
Monique (monsu)
Natasha (bcnatty)
Sharon (syke_zak)
Stefanie
Stephanie

Hybrid artists

Dawn (winkasheart)
Jaime (ocmath)
Kari (karistamps)
Kate (scrappykate)
Kimberly (tgmousechick)

A big welcome to all of you, we are so excited to have you on our team!

Thank you to all who applied.  We had so many qualified applicants it was extremely difficult to narrow it down. Thanks again for taking time to apply, please visit often and join in the fun. We hope you will take the time to apply next time we have a call.

Hi Everyone!

Denise here to bring you What Matters Monday.

The last time we had a What Matters Monday post (here), Happy Scrap Girl talked about being part of an online community and how wonderful it to receive support and inspiration from our fellow scrappers here at ScrapMatters (don’t we look fabulous?).

I couldn’t agree more!

I am a stay at home mom and live a busy life (as we all do, whatever our jobs!).

Scrapbooking has always been a love, but with six kids, there just wasn’t enough time in my life or space in my house.

You know what I mean, right? You want to scrapbook, but you don’t have a dedicated place in your house to do so, and by the time you drag everything out, you’re only going to have to put it all away, or risk having the baby chew on it, or the three-year-old color on it, or the five-year-old cut it up…I could go on.

But digital scrapbooking opened up a whole new world for me.

I could pursue my love of scrapbooking and work on it for the five spare minutes I had and not have to worry about someone messing up all my work (except of course for the times when I didn’t remember to hit save …but that’s another post!)

I know there are some of you out there who are paper scrapbookers thinking about making the switch, and I say, don’t wait!

And I know that there are some of your who are so overwhlemed by how many photos you have, it almost seems hopeless to even begin…I feel your pain. I look 4,000 photos just the last eight weeks…holy cow!

But, don’t worry.

If you begin where you are, and scrap as you go, you will at least be current, and as you go, you will find that you are able to work on many of the old photos just screaming to get off your digital camera, or the cd where you stashed them for later!

Bottom line, start today. Begin where you are. Scrap what you have, and then as inspiration strikes, go back and scrap what you have stored.

Before you know it, you will become a better, more efficient scrapbooker, and have actual albums that you and your family will enjoy for years to come.

I get so long-winded when I feel passionate about something. And this is my passion! Maybe it’s your too!

Hugs.

Denise

I just realized how scatter brained I am! Tami here and oh do I owe a big apology to this week’s Sunday Spotlight, scrappin5kids (Heidi)!!! I’m SO sorry!! I completely lost my Sunday somehow, so I’m just now posting the Spotlight, and she’s such a GREAT woman, too!

Ok, so big piece of humble pie done, let’s get to know Heidi a little better! Here are some of the questions shes answered to give us a little insight into who she is:

What is your main job/career? Luckily I am a SAHM…=)

Are you married/kids/pets? Married for almost 12 years! With 5 kids, 4 boys and 1 girl.

Where do you call home? the lovely Northwest (USA)

What are your three favorite foods? Chocolate, Pasta (Olive Garden), Chocolate

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Almost any!

Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks? Sweet!! (with a little salty)

What is your favorite beverage? Water bottle with single drink mixes

What is your least favorite food? Not really picky…I will try most anything.

PC or Mac? PC

How long have you been digi-scrapping/How did you get into it? Actually scrapping since Oct 07, (been downloading freebies since about May 07!) Andrea told me I should start cause I loved scrapping anyway, I thought she was a little crazy, but I am totally addicted now! Poor Shari has recieved more than one phone call, “How do you do this??!”–so I am very thankful to both of them for getting me started!

What program do you use to digi-scrap with? PSE 6

What are your hobbies besides digi-scrapping? gardening is my other addiction thanks to my mil!

What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? Thinking “outside” the page and making my pages look original…=)

What would you like to learn to do (or do better) not related to scrapbooking? be a better, more patient mom!!

What are your favorite books/authors? LDS Church historical fiction (Gerald Lund)

What are your favorite movies? Comedy Romance

What is your favorite quote? Nephi: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. I love this quote/scripture because I know we aren’t given any trials that we can’t handle!

Where do you find inspiration for your layouts? templates and the inspiring people who post here!

How much time are you able to spend scrapping each week? It depends on if my husband will read this!! JK! I get to spend about 15-20 hours on scrapping–looking at the website, I spend a little more time!

Of all of your layouts, which is your favorite and why? I think I am going to have to pick 2 because I love the journaling. I feel that journaling is so important, my husband loves that I am doing my “family history” this way! I love my 10 Things, and Dedicated: to the one I love.

Here are Heidi’s 2 favorites and I just LOVE them!  

10 Things:

Dedicated: to the one I Love

And I just want to add one more of my favorites and really show you all how sweet Heidi is!  A while ago she asked our fearless leader Brittney for a photo.  Unbeknownst to Britt, she was creating this adorable LO in honor of all Brittney has done for all of us.  How sweet is that!??!  This is another one of my favorite pages Heidi has created:

Our Cheerleader:

How cool, right?!  Thank you to Heidi for playing along with us this week by letting us get to know you a little better.  Take some time to look through her gallery, it’s worth it!  (And Heidi, sorry again!  Watch for a special PM with a thank you just for you!) 

Until next time everyone!