Note from Ro: I stole this article from my blog. It amuses me, so I thought I’d share it with you. (I know... I get kind of silly sometimes. But, I love birds and often wonder what they are thinking. Since they can’t tell me, I make stuff up.)

Ro Paxman

The Great Brownie Adventure

Hmmm... I think I smell brownies baking. I’ll go see.

Maybe the brownies are over there. Or not. I’m not sure.

Have you seen the brownies?

I found the brownies! Yeah! Good for me. I’m an awesome brownie hunter.

I hate to break it to the baker, but these brownies are awful.
What? What did you say? These are not brownies? Why didn’t you say so sooner?

I protest! If I don’t get brownies right now, I’m going to cause a scene. Or swallow my head. Whatever works best.

Better idea: I’ll make my own brownies. Off to the store to buy a box of brownie mix.
Now, where did I leave those car keys?

- Ro

Muse: To be absorbed in one's thoughts; engage in meditation. Not intended to solve the world's problems, another person's problems, or to cover topics completely. One does not have to agree with musings to enjoy them, just as one does not have to be the same as someone else to appreciate who they are.

SCRAP GIRLS CLUB

Join the Scrap Girls Monthly Club and you can have fun with the newest traditional digital and printable scrapbooking looks while saving! (A $27.94 value for $9.99 or less!)

The Scrap Girls Club contents are released on the 1st day of the month (or the closest business day to the 1st).

With the Scrap Girls Club, you will receive:

1 Collection Biggie
1 Paper Super Mini
1 8.5x11 Sheet of Word Art
1 Embellishment Set
1 Assemble Your Own Zoom Page Set
1 Designer's Choice Item

Layout by Brandy Murry using July's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Brandy Murry

If you prefer not to join a club, the Scrap Girls club contents are available at regular prices in the Boutique. You can easily find them right now by checking the What's New? section of the Boutique.

Note: The Scrap Girls Club contents are always available for sale elsewhere in the Boutique at their regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never seen before product releases for each month!

SCRAPSIMPLE CLUB

Join the ScrapSimple Monthly Club and you can enjoy the newest ScrapSimple looks while saving! (A $13.95 value for $6.99 or less!)

The new ScrapSimple Club contents are released on the 15th day of the month (or the closest business day to the 15th).

With the ScrapSimple Club, you will receive:

1 ScrapSimple Paper Template Set
1 ScrapSimple Embellishment or Word Art Template Set
1 Brush Set
2 Designer's Choice Items

A commercially licensed version of the ScrapSimple club is also available here.

Layout by Paula Wright using June's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Paula Wright and Syndee Nuckles

If you prefer not to join a club, the ScrapSimple club contents are available at regular prices in the Boutique. You can easily find them right now by checking the What's New? section of the Boutique.

Note: The ScrapSimple Club contents are always available for sale in the Boutique at regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never-seen-before product releases for each month!

Using ScrapSimple Tools - Styles With ScrapSimple Paper Templates

Note: Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS2 with Windows XP.

ScrapSimple products are designed to make your digital scrapbooking fast and easy and give you limitless design options. Combining various ScrapSimple products makes your creating time even more productive and fun. In this tutorial, I will discuss how you can use ScrapSimple Tools - Styles along with ScrapSimple Paper Templates to create beautiful paper quickly and easily.

Create a new 12x12 inch, 300 dpi document. Open the ScrapSimple paper template of your choice. The template must be in PNG format. In this tutorial, a template from ScrapSimple Paper Template: Character 3 will be used. Holding down the Shift key, drag the template onto the new document. Close the original template.

Create a new layer under the template. This will give you two transparent layers underneath the template. Now, experiment with adding styles to the template layer. Notice that the edge treatment of the style becomes much more prominent when applied to a template with small areas. Experiment until you find a style you like. In the example below, a style from ScrapSimple Tools – Styles: Unique 5103 is used.

To “fix” the style in place, make sure the template layer is active. Right-click and choose “Merge Down.” This will merge the template onto a transparent layer and make the style permanent. You can then choose the Eyedropper Tool and select a color from the template layer. Fill in the remaining transparent layer, creating a backdrop for your template. You can also simply fill in the bottom layer with a color of your choice. You can stop at this point, having created a unique paper, or continue experimenting.

The bottom layer can also have a style added to it. In the example below, a style from ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Distressed 5102 is added, creating a fresh, country inspired paper.

For this example, one style from ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Gold 5101 is added to both the template and background layer creating an elegant monochromatic look.

In the example below, two styles from ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Construction Paper 5101 were added, creating a fun, whimsical paper.

In this final example, two styles from ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Antique Paper 5101 were added to make a rustic, old paper.

Combining ScrapSimple Tools - Styles and ScrapSimple Paper Templates is a fun and quick way to make beautiful, unique digital scrapbooking papers. Experiment and see what you can create!

Layout by Durin Eberhart
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Character 3, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Antique Paper 5101 Super Biggie and ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Desaturate 5101 are also available.

Tutorial written by Durin Eberhart

FREE STARTER KIT

Free eBook "starter kit" turns your dreams of digital scrapbooking into reality today!

This dynamite eBook is 65 pages - packed full of the information, ideas, and help people need when they are about to dive into this great hobby. It answers all of the important questions new digital scrapbookers have. They are all here for you - in one easy to use eBook!

Bonus! Download the free "Warning" Label, too. It was created for you by Valerie Randall as a little bit of extra fun!

Would you like a chance to try digital scrapbooking yourself?

Scrap Girls' Refresh Collection Biggie offers you free samples of some of our most popular product types. Try making a layout, your own paper with a ScrapSimple Paper Template, a fast layout with a ScrapSimple Digital Layout Template, or experiment with a brush.

We know you'll love digital scrapbooking as much as we do, and we have thousands of products to feed your new addiction!

Ready to Take Off? In-depth Tutorials Help You Become a Great Digital Scrapbooker

Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

NEWlY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop CS4, CS3, CS2, and CS
NEWlY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements 6.0 and 7.0*
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Paint Shop Pro X (XI)

(*Have Photoshop Elements 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0? We have a tutorial program that will work for you. Please visit the product details page for more information.)

Find out what tens of thousands of people have already learned: Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed is the fastest way to learn how to create digital scrapbooking layouts. And because this series covers so many topics with one purchase, it is a bargain!

No wonder tens of thousands of people have chosen Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed as their method of learning to scrapbook digitally!

In the tutorials, you'll see Ro working on her computer and hear her talking about why she is doing what she is doing. It's like having Ro come to your home and give you private scrapbooking lessons. You can create digital scrapbooking layouts today!

Download and CD versions available.

Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users receive:

30-31 movie tutorials
Companion eBook(s)
Collections
Other supplies

Paint Shop Pro users receive 31 movie tutorials.

MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed! for Adobe Photoshop
MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed! for Adobe Photoshop Elements

It's time for you to stop playing catch-up in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and start having a blast creating your own digital scrapbooking supplies! You'll also learn all sorts of tricks that professionals and advanced digital scrapbookers use in their layouts. And because Ro covers so many topics in the series, it is one of the most cost-effective methods of moving your skills to a higher level. Join in with the thousands of digital scrapbookers who have chosen to learn advanced skills from Ro. You'll be happy that you did!

Note: These are NOT beginning tutorials. If you get this training and you have never used Photoshop or Photoshop Elements before, or if you aren't pretty sure of yourself in the software, you are going to be lost. You simply have to understand layers, where things are located, and all of the basic, important skills that Ro teaches in her Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed series before you try to use it.

eBooks

Scrap Girls offers a large catalog of eBooks covering topics that will expand your digital scrapbooking abilities to new heights. Here are just a few samples:

The Virtual Canvas eBook

What happens when you move digital scrapbooking beyond the basic page? What happens when you allow the layout to blur the edges between keepsake and art? The Virtual Canvas: Celebrating The Art of Digital Scrapbooking eBook will provide those answers for you.

Digital Photography Simplified

Colour (me) Creative eBook with 36 color swatches

Scrapbooking 911 - 20 Sketches to Revialize Your Digital

Start to Finish eBooklets

Start to Finish eBooklet - PSE: Making a Just Because Card Using ScrapSimple Card Templates

Nothing could be simpler than learning to scrapbook digitally with Scrap Girls Start to Finish eBooklets. Step by step written guidelines and detailed screenshots will help you learn new digital scrapbooking skills. Included with the eBooklet are the actual digital files you need to create a finished project!

See more titles

Layout by Trish Yochum
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Designer Freebie by Trish Yochum coordinates with her 1776 Collection Mini

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Layout Masks and ScrapSimple Tools - Shapes: Halftone 5701 are also available.

* There is a "free download" button on the details page for each gift. You don't need to put them in your shopping cart unless you are shopping for other items. Also note that if you are slow reading your newsletter, you may find this freebie has already been retired, as the freebies are only available as gifts for about two newsletter cycles.

CROPS AND CHATS

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, July 1st - 12:00Noon ET

Join your guest host April Showers for the High Noon Crop every Wednesday. These crops are designed to allow you to work on your own photos and themes, simply giving participants a one hour goal, and a fun, new challenge each week! On July 1st, we'll do a Nature Challenge! Create a layout that shows nature in some way. Could be flowers, wildlife, camping - anything that highlights nature. You'll have one hour to create a layout and upload to the special High Noon Crop gallery. You'd be amazed what you can get done in just one hour! We hope you'll join us!

What's New Chat
Friday, July 3rd - 11:00AM ET

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Becca at 11am ET Friday morning to chat about all the cool new things in the boutique. You never know who else is going to show up! What are you getting? What did you kaboodle? And most importantly show us the layouts or other projects you made with your new goodies! There's a thread every Thursday and now there's a chat too!

Independence Day Chat
Friday, July 3rd - 9:00PM ET

Join Carla (CRS) for an Independence Day Chat! We'll chat about the country that we live in, how we show pride for our country and how we celebrate. We'll share some patriotic layouts, too!

NSBR Chat
Monday, July 6th - 9:00PM ET

What is NSBR? It's a non-scrapbooking related chat! We talk about everything, including some scrapbooking and usually chocolate. It's a great chance to meet new friends, catch up on what everyone is up to, and just relax! If you have a problem, we'll lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on. Have some great news to share? We'd love to celebrate with you. So join Carla (CRS) on July 6th at 9pm ET in the chat room!

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, July 8th - 12:00Noon ET

Join your guest host April Showers for the High Noon Crop every Wednesday. These crops are designed to allow you to work on your own photos and themes, simply giving participants a one hour goal, and a fun, new challenge each week! On July 8th, we'll do a Stripes Challenge! Create a layout using stripes. Create your own or used striped paper. It doesn't matter as long as your layout has some stripes. You'll have one hour to create a layout and upload to the special High Noon Crop gallery. You'll be amazed what you can get done in just one hour!

Journaling Chat
Wednesday, July 8th - 8:00PM ET

Join Angela (angelaNussbaum) and Becca for a Journaling Chat at 8pm ET. Struggle to find the right words for your layouts? Are your layouts more decorative than descriptive of the moments you're trying to capture? Then you won't want to miss this chat - we'll have a special challenge to encourage you to journal on your pages more! See you there!

JULY EVENTS

July Message Board Game: Hide and Seek!

Join us this month on the Message Board for a month long game of “Hide and Seek!” The designers have each chosen their favorite product that they've designed and it's your task to find each one! Every day from July 1-31 a member of the Welcoming Committee will post up a designer's name (or two!) and a clue to their personal favorite product that they've designed. You'll get a special peek into the minds and inspiration of the Scrap Girls designers as you search for their favorites contained in the boutique. When you find the correct product, you'll know it because a special little sunny marker will be waiting for you to let you know “You found it!”

Compile a list of links to the correct products throughout the month and send the list to scrapgirlang@gmail.com by August 1st at 11:59 p.m. (MST) for your chance to win a prize! Everyone who finds all THIRTY-SEVEN products will have their name added into a drawing for one of seven $5 gift certificates to the Scrap Girls boutique! Happy hunting, enjoy getting to know your designers and HAVE FUN!

Layout Contests:

July Monthly Layout Contest: In the good ole summertime, we see lots of lightning. Summertime also brings out the fun side of friends and family members. For the July Monthly Layout Contest, we want to see your layouts featuring photos of lightning or scrap someone with an electric personality! Post your layouts in the July Monthly Layout Contest Gallery before July 31st at Midnight, EDT. The winning layout will receive a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique! Be sure to include the credits for items used in the description area or under the Details tab.

June Mid-Month Layout Contest: Did you know that June is National Candy Month? To celebrate this wonderful month, we'd like to see layouts inspired by your favorite candy bar! Just post your layouts in the Mid-June Monthly Layout Contest before July 14th at midnight EDT and you will be eligible to win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique. Be sure to include the credits for items used in the description area or under the Details tab. Good Luck!

Check our message board calendar if you have any questions about what is happening at Scrap Girls. All event times are given in Eastern Time Zone unless otherwise noted. Need help converting time zones? Check out the World Clock - Time Zone Converter. (Use 'USA-New York' as the location for the Eastern time zone.)