Faith in the Future
Tuesday, January 3, 2012

IN TODAY'S ISSUE:

• Today's Special of the Day!
• What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique?
• Life Muse by Ro
• ScrapSimple Club
• Tips from the Pros: Using Repetition to Guide Your Layout Design
• Designer Freebie
• What's Happening at Scrap Girls?
• Ongoing Opportunities for YOU

Rozanne Paxman

Faith in the Future

"My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there." – Charles F. Kettering

January is a traditional month of renewing, reflecting, refocusing, reorganizing, refreshing, reforming, refurbishing, reclaiming, reducing, refining, reconciling, and generally attempting to rework ourselves.

We look at our past and see our mistakes. We see the path we have taken and ask ourselves if we are on the correct one, and if not, we commit to changing course. We stare at ourselves in life's mirror and take stock of what we see. And then, we commit ourselves to improvement.

It is good to reflect and learn from our past. But if we are not careful, attempting to live in the past can overwhelm our present and cast a deep shadow on our future. It is easy to get stuck in bygone days – continually traveling back there with thoughts of, "I wish I hadn't done that," or "it wasn't fair that this happened to me," or "I will never forgive them for what they did," or "if that wouldn't have happened, my life would be better now."

In an article called, "The Best is Yet to Be," Jeffrey R. Holland advises, "As a new year begins and we try to benefit from a proper view of what has gone before, I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed towards the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives."

Herb Brody wrote, "Telling the future by looking at the past assumes that conditions remain constant. This is like driving a car by looking in the rearview mirror."

As we turn towards the New Year, let us thank the past for lessons learned and joys received, and then let us wave goodbye and turn our faces forward so that we can march into the future with faith and hope.

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.

Would you like to earn a $20 Gift Certificate? Send your own muse to hello@scrapgirls.com. If it is selected for publication in the Scrap Girls newsletter, you'll get to have fun shopping!

		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). A commercially licensed version of the ScrapSimple Club is also available here. With the ScrapSimple Club, you will receive: 1 ScrapSimple Paper Template Set 1 ScrapSimple Embellishment Template 1 Brush Set 2 Designer's Choice Item CLUB EXCLUSIVE! Nano Collection CLUB EXCLUSIVE! Designer's Choice Item CLUB EXCLUSIVE! 2 Tutorials December's ScrapSimple Club has been created for you by Laura Louie and Melissa Renfro Club Exclusive! Nano Collection Club Exclusive! Designer's Gift
Layout by Laura Louie using December's ScrapSimple Club larger view	Layout by Melissa Renfro using December's ScrapSimple Club larger view	Layout by Laura Louie using December's ScrapSimple Club larger view

Using Repetition to Guide Your Layout Design

Tutorial created using Adobe Photoshop CS4 with Microsoft Vista

I love adding wonderful new collections to my digital scrapbooking supply stash, but I admit that I often get overwhelmed when I actually try to use them to create a layout. Usually, there are so many gorgeous papers and cute embellishments to use that deciding becomes a very difficult task.

One way to make the decision making process easier is to focus on a design principle, letting it guide you as you create your layout. Today, I've chosen to use repetition to guide me through creating a visually pleasing layout. Repetition is one of the easier principles to master. Simply choose something and use it again and again. It's best to use groups of three or five or other odd numbers because odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye.

So, let's begin. I tend to start my layouts with photos in mind. One way to use repetition with photos is to repeat the same photo. In this case, I'm using three different photos so I decided to repeat the same basic white rectangular frame on all of them.

Now it's time to choose the papers, and I'll do so by looking for papers that have the same colors that appear in the photo. The colors of the stickers in the photos remind me of the bright, happy colors in the Come One, Come All Collection Biggie. I've chosen a patterned paper that includes red, yellow, and blue, which is a repetition of the colors in the photos. Now it's easy to choose solid papers to coordinate with the patterned paper. Already, the principle of repetition has helped me by guiding my color choices.

With my papers chosen, I can start building the layout. I don't want to use a large amount of the patterned paper because it's so bold that it will overwhelm my photos. I decided to use the paper in rectangular strips. I chose the rectangle instead of circles or squares in this instance because I wanted to repeat the rectangular shape of the framed photos.

Now, all that's left is to choose embellishments. I like to use buttons or brads or bows or other small embellishments that naturally look great when used in groups. In my layout, I repeated the star stickers and the tickets. The other embellishments are not repetitions of number, but they do repeat the color scheme that I chose in the beginning of my process.

Now that you've seen how the use of repetition can make design decisions easier, go ahead and try it yourself!

Layout by Ashleigh Bronner
larger view

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Here Comes the Sun Edges and Lettering Delights Scrap Casual Font are also available.

Article written by Ashleigh Bronner

Learn to make digital scrapbooking layouts and more! – Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed Find out how easy it can be to learn how to create digital scrapbook layouts, edit photos, use and make brushes, recolor papers and embellishments, make your own simple backgrounds and embellishments, save and share your layouts and much more! Ready to learn advanced techniques? – MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed Learn to use paper templates, embellishment templates, custom shapes, styles, and brushes to make your own supplies. Learn advanced clipping mask and lighting blend techniques. Learn to make and use patterns. Learn to make brushes from your own doodles. Learn to extract images from photos. Learn work flow techniques that will speed up the layout creation process and advanced photo editing skills and much, much more!

Layout by Laura Louie
larger view

Designer Freebie by Laura Louie coordinates with
her ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Calendar Cubes,
part of this month's ScrapSimple Club offering!

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Calendar Cubes are also available.

Today's freebie designed by Laura Louie

* 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.

Creative Cards Chat
Tuesday, January 3rd - 6:00PM MST

Do you use your digital supplies to make cards? Do you want to? Instead of going to the store every time you need a card, you can save money and have fun making cards with your digi-stash! Make a note of any cards you might need for the upcoming month and join April (April Showers) and Theresa (tiza126) for the once-a-month Card Chat on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm MT. Can't wait to see you there!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, January 4th - 10:00AM MST

Join April (April Showers) each Wednesday at 10am MT for the East Coast High Noon Crop. All coasts and time zones are welcome! 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 January 4th, we'll we'll do an Embellishment Challenge. Create a layout using at least three different types of embellishments - flowers, buttons, brads, staples, tags, ribbons, whatever works with your page! Create your layout and upload it to the special High Noon Crop Gallery. You'll be amazed what you can get done in just one hour, but there is no High Noon Sheriff timing you! Hope to see you in the chat room!

ATC Swap Crop & Chat
Wednesday, January 4th - 6:00PM MST

Please join Lei (Bride) and Elisha (elibar) in the chatroom for our ATC (Artist Trading Card) Swap Crop/Chat on the first Wednesday of each month at 6pm MT. Come see what everyone has created and we'll talk about next month's topic. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

Use Your Stash Chat
Thursday, January 5th - 6:00PM MST

Join Theresa (tiza126) and Shannon (tinkerbell11) at 6pm MT for this month's Use Your Stash Chat. We will challenge you to use something in your digital supply arsenal that you haven't used before. Don't just collect supplies, use them! See you in the chat room.

Journaling Chat
Monday, January 9th - 6:00PM MST

Join Carla (CRS) and Lei (Bride) for a Journaling Chat at 6pm MT on the second Monday of each month. 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!

Quote Challenge Chat
Monday, January 9th - 7:00PM MST

Come join Pat (PBarnes) for the Quote Challenge Crop at 7pm MT. Including a quote on your layout can be a touching and meaningful addition, especially if you use the quote to create your own word art. Here's how it will work. Early on Monday, Pat will post a thread on the Chat section of the board giving you the quote that you will use to make your own word art. It's not hard, and she will have a layout with a Word Art example in the gallery. Then we'll meet in the chat room to have fun, chat, and create our Word Art layout! Everyone can participate and create a layout, even if you can't make the chat. Hope to see you there!

January Message Board Game: Jumpstart January!

It's time to kick off the new year with fun and focus on scrapbooking! And a few prizes thrown in never hurt, right? Join us on the message board this month for "Jumpstart January!" This is a message board game and challenge to start your year with fun and focus on taking time to scrapbook regularly despite the little speedbumps of life. When the month is over, you'll have completed several layouts and been challenged and treated to some fun along the way.

A member of the Welcoming Committee will post a mini-challenge/task every Monday through Saturday during January. Some tasks will require message board participation, email responses, or gallery posting. Those who complete all tasks and submit or post required participation by 11:59pm MT on January 31st will be entered in a drawing to win one of three $10 Gift Certificates to the Scrap Girls Boutique! Those who complete just the layouts will be entered in a drawing to win one of two $5 Gift Certificates. Those who complete just the speedbumps will be entered in a drawing for one of two $3 Gift Certificates. (Those who complete all tasks will have their name entered in all three drawings!)

For complete details, visit the Monthly Message Board Games folder on the Scrap Girls Forum.

January Monthly Layout Contest: With the beginning of a new year, many people set aside some time to set goals. It might be an exercise plan or establishing better eating habits. It might be getting your life more organized. Or maybe you set goals for your digital scrapbooking output for the year. Post your layouts in the January Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight MST on January 31st. Be sure to list your layout's product credits in the description or under the EXIF Properties. Two layouts will be selected to win a $10 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

Club Concepts Layout Contest: Post your new layout using the current club selection (either the Scrap Girls Club or the ScrapSimple Club) in our Scrap Girls Club Members Gallery or the ScrapSimple Club Members' Gallery. Be sure to list all of the Scrap Girls products you used. If your layout is chosen, it will be showcased as a Club Concepts layout winner, and you will win a $5 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

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

Haven't received your prize as a contest winner? Please send an email to prizes@scrapgirls.com and we'll get it out to you right away!

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