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Making A Desktop Wallpaper, Part 2
Thursday, February 2, 2012
IN TODAY'S ISSUE:
- Today Only! 31.9% off Groundhog Day Sale!
- What's New in the Scrap Girls Boutique?
- Scrap Girls, Etc.
- ScrapSimple Club
- Tips From The Pros: Using the Same Photo Three Different Ways
- Designer Freebie
- What's Happening at Scrap Girls?
- Ongoing Opportunities for YOU
GENERAL INFORMATION
Support Center We Accept:
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The entire Scrap Girls team wants to say how grateful we are that you have chosen to participate with us. You'll never know just how much your support means to us and our families. Ro P.S. Your email address is safe with us. We never share, rent, sell, or loan our list with anyone! P.P.S. If you ever need any assistance, please email hello@scrapgirls.com or call IMPORTANT TO KNOWDon't forget to check out the Retirement Sale section of the Boutique. Items in this section are always on sale for 30% off. The items you will find during any particular month will be discontinued permanently on the 5th of the following month. So if you see something you like, grab it while you can! OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUCustomer Muses: Would you like to share your own Life Muse with our readers? To have your own essay considered for publication as a muse in the column for our special Saturday newsletter, send your essay to hello@scrapgirls.com. If your essay is selected, you will receive a $20 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique. Way Cool Scrap Girl: We are so excited to have all of you meet some of the amazing people that have become Scrap Girls! If you would like to be spotlighted and win a $25 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique, send the following items to hello@scrapgirls.com:
Suggest a Challenge, Win a Prize! Have a great idea for a Gallery layout challenge? Submit it to challenges@scrapgirls.com. If your challenge idea is chosen, you will win a prize! Friday will be Customer Challenge Day, so keep an eye out on the Message Board calendar. It will be fun to see what YOU come up with for us to do!
Of course, it is a surprise what you will get because birthday presents are always surprises! But you will like it for sure because most people like money.... Anyway, make sure your Message Board email address is current and that you have the correct date entered into your profile to participate. *ADVERTISEMENTS*
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Make a Desktop Wallpaper Using Picasa and Digital Scrapbook Paper
Last week, we learned how to make a desktop photo collage using Picasa, and this week, I'm going to show you how to use your photos and digital scrapbooking papers to make a desktop wallpaper!
If you haven't yet downloaded Picasa, I would highly recommend it, and best of all, it's FREE! Download the latest version here: http://picasa.google.com/
Let's begin by opening up Picasa. Select a background paper for your desktop wallpaper and make sure it shows up in the photo bin at the bottom left of your Picasa window. Now hit the "Collage" button on the bottom right of your window.
You are now in the Collage window, and you will see your digital scrapbook paper. Select the paper and the hit "Set As A Background" button at the top right.
This will resize your paper to fit the desktop. You may see the smaller version of the paper still stacked on top of the larger background, so just select the small version and hit the "Delete" button.
To make sure you have the correct size for your computer screen, select "Current Display" out of the drop-down menu in the Settings pane on the left side of your Collage window.
Now it's time to select some photos to add to your wallpaper. Select one or more photos by holding down Cmd (Mac) or Ctrl (PC). You will see the photos you have selected in the photo bin at the bottom left of the Picasa window.
Then hit the "Collage" button on the bottom right.
You will now be in the Collage window and your photos will be in a scattered collage. On the bottom of the window, you will see two buttons - "Scramble Collage" and "Shuffle Pictures." You can play with those two effects to see if you like the results or you can move each photo around singly. When you click on a picture, a rotation tool appears and will allow you to rotate the photo.
Once you are happy with the placement of your photos, you can add a frame by choosing "Instant Camera" or "White Border." Just click on one of the three square buttons under "Picture Borders."
Once you are done, hit the "Desktop Background" button in the Settings pane on the left side, and Picasa will save a JPG of your desktop wallpaper in a folder called "Collages."
Now it's time to place your wallpaper on your desktop!
For Mac users:
Find your newly created image in your finder window, right-click on it and scroll down to "Set Desktop Picture."
For PC users:
Find your newly created image in your Windows Manager window, right-click on it and scroll down to "Set as Desktop Background."
You can always create a desktop wallpaper using your digital scrapbooking supplies in your image editing software and then use the method above to add it as your desktop. I created one for February which I am giving away FREE - just scroll down to Today's Freebie section in this Newsletter. Enjoy!
I hope to see lots of desktop wallpapers showing up in the Scrap Girls Gallery. I would love to see yours!
Happy desktops!
Scrap Girls, Etc. is a weekly column pulling bits and pieces from all over Scrap Girls. Stay tuned each week as Scrap Girls' team members bring you tutorials, musings, recipes, interviews, design/software tips and tricks, layout walk-throughs, and who knows what else!
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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:
January's ScrapSimple Club has been created for you by
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 Layout by Amy Flanagan using January's ScrapSimple Club larger view |
 Layout by Amanda Fraijo-Tobin using January's ScrapSimple Club larger view |
 Layout by Elisha Barnett using January's ScrapSimple Club larger view |
Using the Same Photo Three Different Ways
Tutorial created Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Windows Vista
One of the wonderful draws about digital scrapbooking is that the photos, papers, and elements can be altered in fantastic ways - more than once! Your scrapbooking supplies can be used over and over, and so can your photos.
In the Scrap Girls Boutique, there are many styles and actions available that can help you use your photos on your layouts in different ways. I am going to show you how some of these actions work on your photos and how you can then use them all on one layout.
Here is my original photograph. I like the direct eye contact and the bright, saturated colors in the photo. The side light also gives this photo a softer, magical feeling.
Here is the same photo after running ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Sketch It PS 8501 Mini.
The results of this action can be personalized in many different ways by following the prompts that are provided within the action. It's easy and fun to explore all the different effects that are created with this action.
The next example is the same photo after running ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Color Isolation 8501. This action removes selected colors from your photo.
Here, the pinks and reds were selected to remain while all the other colors are changed to hues of black and white. The advantages of this are found when you want to make a highly artistic or graphic layout or to remove that annoying "off" color that just doesn't quite match anything else in your layout. Again, the changes here can be subtle or dramatic. You have total control. Explore! Create! You can do it!
The result on the following photo was achieved by running ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photo Basics 5001. This action will turn your photo into Black and White, Sepia, or Chocolate Classics.
This action, like the others, allows total creative control. This action also gives options to leave just a hint of color, if desired. The crowning glory on this action, though, is the "Smart Glow" portion of the action. This softens and highlights the photo in totally magical ways. You can also run the "Smart Glow" part of the action independently of any other color change, if desired, to add just the softening effect to your photo.
It's no wonder that digital scrapbooking is so addicting! Having the ability to alter photos in unimaginable, unlimited, artistic ways to emphasize your theme is one of its huge attractive benefits. The Scrap Girls Boutique is loaded with many more fun and creative actions that will allow you to reveal creative photographic effects that will make your photos and your layouts really shine!
Layout by Amy Flanagan
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Sketch It PS 8501 Mini, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Color Isolation 8501, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photo Basics 5001 and Zoomba Collection Biggie are also available. |
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Article written by Amy Flanagan
Learn to make digital scrapbooking layouts and more! – Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed Ready to learn advanced techniques? – MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed |
Layout by Syndee Nuckles
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Designer Freebie by Syndee Nuckles coordinates with her Unforgettable Collection Mini
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Butterfly Shadows 6301 Mini are also available. |
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Today's freebie designed by Syndee Nuckles
* 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, February 7th - 6:00PM MST
Would you like to use your digital scrapbooking supplies to make greeting cards? Instead of going to the store every time you need a card, you can save money and have fun making cards with your digital stash! Join April (April Showers) in the chat room Tuesday, February 7th at 6pm MT for our monthly Creative Cards Chat. This month we'll use Scrapsimple Layout Templates: Love Story to make quick and easy Valentine Cards. Can't wait to see you there!
East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, February 8th - 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 February 8th, we'll do a Color Challenge! Create a layout on any theme, any topic, using the colors red and white! 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!
New Member Chat
Tuesday, February 14th - 6:00PM MST
Join Debbie (B&K Mom) for the New Member Chat at February 14th at 6pm MT in the Live Chat room lobby. This is a great place to ask questions about getting around the Scrap Girls site or about digital scrapbooking in general - and a great place to make some new friends. All are welcome, new and long time members included. You do need to have Java installed on your computer to access the Live Chat.
February's Message Board Game: Posting Contest!
February is Posting Contest time on the Scrap Girls Forums! You can win a Scrap Girls Gift Certificate by simply being chatty in the Scrap Girls Forums and Gallery. This contest will run from February 1st when we post the thread until 11:59pm MT on February 29th.
To enter the Scrap Girls Forum Posting Contest, you MUST reply in the Posting Contest Thread with your CURRENT post count. Your post count is the number under your avatar that shows when you post. (NOTE: The number found on your profile is a number which is calculated differently.) During the month, post your fingers off! At Midnight on February 29th, we will calculate your post count based on the numbers posted in the game thread.
PRIZES:
- Those with 50-99 posts will be entered in a drawing for a $5 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate.
- Those with 100-249 posts will be entered in a drawing for a $10 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate.
- Those with 250-399 posts will be entered in a drawing for a $15 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate.
- Those with 400 or more posts will automatically win a $5 gift certificate and will be entered in a drawing for a $20 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate!
For complete details, visit the Monthly Message Board Games folder on the Scrap Girls Forum.
February Monthly Layout Contest: This February we have a Leap Year Day. For this month's contest, we want you to scrap about what makes you "Leap for Joy." Let us know in your journaling why you leap for joy. Post your layouts in the February Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight MST on February 29th. 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!