2007 July | Scraps Of Mind

Archive for July, 2007

Posted by karooch on

July 14, 2007

Introducing the Articles Page

Welcome to Scraps of Mind. I'm delighted to see you. Why not check out the site, and if you like what you see, subscribe to my RSS feed and get daily updates delivered to you. If you're not sure what the RSS thing is, then check out this 'RSS made easy' post. Thanks for visiting and I look forward to seeing more of you.

Some of you may have noticed a new page under my blog banner called Articles.

I thought it might be handy for new readers to be able to find my back catalog of key articles more easily. And for existing readers to be able to reference previous articles without having to dig through the archives.

I’ve organised the articles in what i hope is an easy to find manner but if you find and confusion or would like to suggest improvements please feel free to let me know.

Hope you find it useful

Posted by karooch on

July 13, 2007

Five Freebies on Friday

Here are some more Freebie sites to end the week on.

Remember to leave some love when you download your freebie. It costs you nothing and means a lot to the designer.

FreeDigitalScrapbooking.com is a feast of free digital elements. Use them in your digital layouts or print them out for great accens on your traditional layouts.
Kuoha Designs, Ink. Joy offers a weekly freebie on her blog. She designs great stuff so it’s well worth a visit.
A-Z Lyrics Universe. Song lyrics make a great theme idea for a layout and exerpts from songs are great for journaling. here is a smorgasbord of song lyrics for you to choose from.
Mermaid’s Haven. Candee offers regular freebies on her blog. Another great designer so I recommend you check hers stuff out.
Scribblesonline.com have some great free transparencies. Download them and print them on acrylic transparency sheets for your traditional scrapbook layouts or use them as overlays on digital layouts.

Digital vs Traditional Scrapbooking

Is it my imagination, or is there a bit of ‘us and them’ going on out in the scrapbooking world between traditional scrapbookers and digital scrapbookers? A sort of elitism where scrapbookers are divided into two camps; each believing that their sort of scrapbooking is the absolute best way.

I ask this question because I’ve seen a few threads on various message boards over the past few weeks where there seems to be a bit of bagging going on from scrapbookers of one genre for scrapbooking of the other genre. Traditional scrapbookers who consider that digital scrapbooking is not ‘real scrapbooking’ because it’s not tactile enough or physically dimensional enough. And Digital scrapbookers who look down their noses at all the mess and trappings surrounding traditional scrapbooking.

This seems totally pointless, unnecessary and destructive to a great hobby which generates such a wonderful community spirit. It definitely needs to be nipped in the bud. In my view, there is nothing to be gained by dividing the scrapbooking world into two camps. Both approaches share the same objectives and characteristics. The tools used to create the layouts should not be relevant. And if the layouts created by the two methods have a different look and feel to them then surely that’s a good thing. Adding to the richness and diversity of the craft.

As a hybrid scrapper I enjoy the best of both worlds. I enjoy looking at both kinds of layouts, and admire the skill behind their creation. And I like to print out my digital layouts and add ‘real’ embellishments to them. It’s all scrapbooking!

I think that we’ll see a lot more hybrid scrapbooking in the next year or two and hopefully this will serve to bring the two scrapbooking ‘camps’ closer together. Here’s an excerpt from a great article I found:

The gap between traditional and digital scrapbookers has already narrowed in recent years with the rising popularity of digital photography.

Traditional scrapbookers downloading images from their cameras onto the computer quickly found they were able to view, edit and share their images through Web sites like Kodak’s EasyShare Gallery, Flickr and Google’s Picasa. Social networking through blogs, camera phones, message boards and sites like MySpace.com also drove the movement to share digital images.

Image creation and manipulation software like Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements has also helped traditional scrapbookers design pages faster and easier. And in some cases, the results have been better-looking. With computers, scrappers can make straighter lines, generate neater-looking lettering and experiment more without having to commit. Virtual papers and embellishments, which become available as soon as digital designers create them online, have also allowed traditional scrappers to acquire the trendiest, latest products without having to wait months for them in stores.

But many traditional scrappers, still preferring the tactile nature so inherent in scrapbooking, see hybrid as the way to have the best of both worlds. They use digital elements to create part of their pages and physical embellishments to finish the job.

Digital scrappers have also gone traditional. Many of them — frustrated with the flat, fake look of virtual ribbons, flowers and tags — started printing out their pages and pasting real buttons or bows over the ones they’d digitally created. And even though the industry has responded with more photo-realistic adornments, many digi-scrappers have decided they like the mix. Now, many of them are printing out their cyber designs and turning them into 3-D gifts like cards, albums and even decoupaged home décor.

by Lisa Hutchurson

Scraps of Mind is a blog about scrapbooking. All kinds of scrapbooking, and then some.

I think all my readers enjoy the diversity that different styles and methods bring to this craft. Let’s spread that message to other scrappers.

OK I’m stepping carefully down off my soap box now. But I’d love to hear your views.

Posted by karooch on

July 11, 2007

Submitting Scrapbook Layouts to Magazines

Some of you may recall a post I wrote a few weeks ago about how excited I was to be Published…for the very first time in a mainstream scrapbooking magazine. I was so thrilled and excited that I made a layout to celebrate the event.

Well I thought I would let Scrapbooking Memories know how pleased I was and show them the layout of the magazine page that I had made. Imagine my surprise and joy when Krys emailed me to say she really liked my ‘layout of the layout’ and Scrapbooking Memories wanted to publish that one too!

Needless to say I am totally stoked. Both of the layouts are digital ones and there seems to be a lot less of them in published magazines than traditionally scrapped layouts. So that’s another buzz. Although I must say, Scrapbooking Memories does seem to be paying more attention to digital layouts in recent months, which can only be a good thing.

And on the subject of magazine submissions, I’d like to take a moment to praise Scrapbooking Memories for their great approach to customer relations. I have submitted a few layouts to various magazines over the last couple of months and Scrapbooking Memories is the only one that has responded (within a week) to let me know of my success or failure. I really appreciate that. It removes the ‘wondering’, and frankly it’s just common (or maybe not-so-common) courtesy. All the other magazines have sucked my email submissions into some black hole, never to be heard of again. It’s nice to be treated like a person. So thank you for that Scrapbooking Memories.

Anyway, here’s the original layout that started this saga. I’ve only just realised that I’ve never actually posted it on my blog. Created with the gorgeous Art Journal Collection by Thao Cosgrove from Scrap Girls.

I’d be interested to hear your experiences with submitting to magazines. Do they give you acknowledgment for your submission? Do they respond in a timely manner? Do they make you feel like you actually matter to them?

Scrapbooking Techniques & Tips - Making your own Rub-ons

I saw this really nifty tutorial on the Scrap Girls site and thought what a fabulous scrapbooking technique! Now you can make your own rub-ons out of digital elements which you can use over and over again!

Okay, all of you paper scrapbookers or bi-scrapbookers, did you know that you can use even the most detailed digital embellishments for paper scrapbooking? No kidding. And you don’t have to cut out a single thing.
How?
By making your own rub-ons with them.

Here’s how:
1. Get an ink-jet transparency.
2. Select your digital embellishment (check out how cool the stitches are in the sample below) and insert the graphic into a Word document or other word processing document.
3. Print on the slick side (yes, that is the WRONG side) of the transparency.
4. Place the transparency on your paper ink-side down and rub the back with a tool of some kind until all of the ink transfers to the paper. (My current favorite paper scrapbooking tools are those little wooden cuticle pusher sticks. They have a pointed end on one side and a flat end on the other. The flat side is perfect for things like this.)

Note: You have to make yourself go STRAIGHT down when you place the transparency and don’t let yourself slide it around. The two stamps samples show what happens if you slide. I slipped on the right-hand one, but went straight down on the left one.

If you have recently been perusing rub-on prices, you will realize immediately that you can save some real money with this idea. And guess what? You won’t run out of these. Want to have stitches on every single layout and card you ever make for the rest of your life?
No problem. Just print and rub away!

P.S. Having trouble with your printer and a transparency. Try an 8.5×11 page protector. It works, too!

Tutorial written by Rozanne Paxman (CEO Scrap Girls)

How cool is that?!

I’ve tried it out and it works. I find with my printer that using the ‘Draft’ print quality gives me the best result as I don’t get too much ink on the transparency. But suddenly all my digital elements have become rub-ons that I can use over and over again.

There are heaps of handy scrapbooking techniques and tutorials on the Scrap Girls site and at least two or three per week in the free daily newsletter.

Posted by karooch on

July 9, 2007

The Red Tent Woman

I’ve just had a mind expanding weekend and I thought I’d like to share it with you.

I’ve spent the last two and a half days at a Self Discovery Weekend run by The Red Tent Woman. This is a personal development program focussed on taking responsibility for your own life and the outcomes that are generated and understanding how to make the changes that are needed to create better outcomes.

Now this is not a ‘new’ concept. The Red Tent Woman has not invented a whole new branch of thinking. These are concepts that have been around for many years and are integrated into many personal development courses — several of which I have been to in the past. But like all learning, the trick is in how it is taught that really makes the difference. And I have to say that this is the best personal development course I have ever been on (and as I said, I have been on quite a few).

I think the fundamental difference is that this is by women and for women. I didn’t think that was such a big deal before this weekend. The previous courses I have been to I have always enjoyed and been able to take some useful learnings from them to implement into my life, but they have always had an underlying aim of making improvements to achieve better work performance and improve career prospects. Whilst the learnings from this week end can also be totally applicable to these goals, the main focus is on tailoring them to improving your overall life outcomes and the relationships you share.

So our group was made up of a small number of women from very different walks of life, each with very different life experiences behind them and different desires for reshaping their future. And by the time we were through we had formed a strong emotional support network committed to helping each other achieve our goals. It was a very powerful and inspiring weekend.

At this time, The Red Tent Woman is operating solely in Melbourne. And I think it won’t be long before we see this organisation really spreading its wings across Australia and beyond. So if you are female and over 18 and are accessible to Melbourne go check out The Red Tent Woman website. You might like to give Ludwina a call (she’s a very friendly supportive person) and find out a bit more.

Also there’s monthly women’s networking dinners held in Williamstown. Apart from being a great night, with fabulous food and wonderful company, they’re also an excellent way to meet and network with a growing diverse group of supportive women. I’ll be going to my second one on 17th July. Let me know if you decide to come along, I’d love to catch up with you.

Posted by Karen on

July 6, 2007

10 Top Scrapbook Freebie Sites

The Internet Scrapbooking World abounds with free scrapbook kits and elements that are of very high quality and great design. Here are a few of my favorite scrapbook freebie sites I recommend you visit.

Scrap Girls: This is a wonderful friendly and supportive scrapping community that offers a magnificent huge free scrapbook kit called Refresh to kick you off. Be sure to sign up for the free newsletter which comes out 6 days a week, is a great read and offers a freebies in each newsletter. If you want to know more check out my review.

Digital Scrapbook Place: A large but friendly digital scrapbooking site that offers a weekly freebie and also regular freebies to folk who join in the organised chats.

Two Peas in a Bucket: Great paper and digital scrapbooking site. They offer a free digi-scrapbook kit each month.

Shabby Princess: Great designs. The Princess offers free kits from time to time and they stay on her home page indefinitely so there’s quite a back catalog to download.

Love Laugh and Learn: Our very own Andrea. Featured in my post last week. She’s really starting to get going designing lovely kits and offering them for free on her blog. I just wrote a recent post about this.

A Little of What We Like: Bonnie’s blog (formerly known as Scrapping till the Cows Come Home). Bonnie still offers freebies and she now offers a free newsletter with even more freebies. See this review for more info.

Cottage Arts: Michelle Schefveland offers a great Freebie kit in each monthly newsletter and a lot of the previous month’s ones are still available on the side for download.

Scrapbook Bytes: A great library of freebies in their download section.

A Cherry on Top: A division of Stickers Galore. It has a small library of interesting freebies. Registered users just need to sort by price in their shop to easily find them.

Simply Clean Digi Scraps: Melanie has ‘retired’ from designing for a couple of year, but as of the date of this post her catalog of great freebies is still available for download. However I can’t guarantee how long she’ll leave it up so grab them whilst you can.