The Digital Scrapbook Place
N e w s l e t t e r
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In This Edition |
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A
Letter from Team Digital
Hello
my dear friends and family of DSP! As I sit here in my office, I am reflecting
on the many blessings I have. Earlier this year my husband and I decided
to sell our home of eleven years and move across town. I am so in love
with my new neighborhood, it is already so familiar. The neighbors wave,
the children play, and the bunnies run. We have a small undeveloped field
right next to our housing tract. Every night when the sun sets, the bunnies
gather across our lawns. Personally, I love it. I sit in my window and
watch them. Sometimes I'll sneak out ever so slowly and sit on the porch
and see just how close a bunny will get before I sneeze or cough unexpectedly.
I have a neighbor that doesn't think of the bunnies as cute. Every night
and every morning I see him stand in front of his house with his hands
on his hips cursing my little friends. They, unfortunately, are destroying
his vegetable gardens. I snicker under my breath as I witness this classic
battle of "man vs. nature". I came home from work tonight and
was so sad, it looks like my little bunny friends will be finding a new
home soon. It seems that another housing development will be erected in
our little patch of nature.
In the past year
so much of my life has changed and yet one thing has remained a constant.
While my role at DSP has changed, as I went from a member to a Digital
Elite Team member to now a designer, my love for DSP has stayed the same.
I know, I'm corny, but seriously, I'm telling you exactly how I feel.
When I joined DSP in December of 2004 I had the dream of becoming a designer.
I had no idea how to use Photoshop Elements let alone the big daddy Photoshop.
All I knew is that I wanted to create. As I get to know all the other
designers, I find that our stories are so similar. We all began with a
similar dream and DSP was the one to realize it.
Samara
DSP Designer
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Club Digital
Are you a member of the club?
If you haven't joined the hippest club in town, you are missing out! Club Digital is full of great digi-scrapping goodies for a great price! For just $2 more than a page kit (when you buy a three-month subscription) you get two Page Kits, a Plopper or Overlay, an Alpha, four Word Arts, a Quick Click, a Font and a Software Specific item like Photoshop brushes or PSP Tubes every month! You don't want to be left out! Just look what the DSP Designers did with this month's club goodies.
See more samples
and sign up for the club here.
This month's Club Digital has: two Page Kits (Laced Leather and Modern Princess), an overlay, an Alpha, four Word Arts, a Quick Click, a Font, and a Stamp set featuring journaling spaces! Don't miss out!
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What's
Inspiring the New Kids?
We've heard from the DET these last two months - this month we asked some
of the New Kids from NKOTB5 what is inspiring them.
I
find since I've started digiscrapping that I am inspired by all the great
design that is all around me everyday. Be it an ad in a magazine or a
new trend in fashion it can all translate to how I end up scrapping.
I'm also loving how people are doing a mixture of styles in their layouts
right now (like traditional paper and graphic style) on the same layout.)
I did this in my layout "First
Day of School" And, of course, seeing all the wonderful LO's
and techniques used here at DSP is a huge inspiration!
~pbhappy~
I
just love digital scrapbooking, it just makes so much sense to me, I get
to use computers and use my creative energy at the same time. My main inspiration
is my daughter; I want to do layouts for her to preserve memories for her
future. I’m still developing a style, and I currently find myself looking
at adverts and magazines for layout ideas. Digi-scrapping has opened up
a whole new world and now when paging through a magazine I wonder how I
can replicate a page I see. I’m always on the hunt for layouts to scraplift
and I currently love looking through Marilyn's Mommy’s gallery since
she has tons of baby layouts and unique ideas, and angminer, because I love
her layout design and I find them easy to work with.
My favorite layout at the moment is "A
Magic Moment" I did for NKOTB. It is of my daughter lying on
her tummy. This layout just worked for me from the beginning, I loved
using this kit and everything just flowed from there.
~ meldalj~
I
signed up with NKOTB5 unexpecting of anything. I surely learned a lot of
new techniques and was blown away with the other DSPers' comments and inputs.
And making it to the First Round Top 10 was definitely the breakthrough.
Being a newlywed, my NKOTB5 entries were all about me and DH. The inspiration
I thought of then was how to make our romantic photos even more romantic
with the kits and elements I'll be using. I realized that the basic PS features
such as recoloring, opacity and drop shadows..simple as they are, are indeed
great enhancers of a layout. Graduating with NKOTB5, I was armed with a
fearless attitude to try out some more new styles and techniques. Thus,
my DET4 entries consisted of mixing papers, colors, elements boldly and
freestyle creating a new feel for the kit. While there are still lots of
stuff out there I need to learn, I'm quite satisfied how my skills are improving
layout after layout...thanks to DSP for that.
My favorite layouts so far: Dream
Come True, Key
To My Heart, Forever
Lasting, and Ins.pi.ra.tion
~ maileen1~
NKOTB5
was a huge boost to my creative talent, understanding of the dsb medium
and introduction to DSP family. One of the challenges was to scrap about
ourselves, the kit provided just didn't apply to me at all however I was
very pleased with how "Bling
Bling" turned out. Even though the kit doesn't apply to me, it
was a great vehicle to express my humor and poke some fun at myself while
telling who I am. Kristen and her elves are amazing. I highly recommend
NKOTB for everyone who is a newbie at DSP.
I find inspiration in the challenges at DSP, they encourage me to try new ideas, and techniques. The constructive criticism members leave are always a helpful learning tool. I love looking at the galleries and reading the cc people have left for other layouts. Even when the design is not mine, I learn so much from reading cc's. My emotional attachment is not there, so I can see objectively and that really facilitates the learning process. I am inspired by the liveliness of the Freestyle gallery. There is so much positive energy at the Fandango, everyone brings their colors and plays. The layouts in Freestyle Fandango feel so free and that appeals to me very much. I am very happy with my first Freestyle effort "You Are" .
I have been having lots of fun pushing the boundaries. Knowing the rules
of good design are very important, knowing them allows you to push the
boundaries to the edge of creative licence while maintaining a good design.
Ultimately we scrap for ourselves and our families so if I want to get
way out there, that is o.k. As long as I'm being authentic to myself,
my vision and I'm having fun learning and growing.
~ artsea~
DSP
is my scrapbooking home on the Internet. It's the first site I visited
and the one I've stuck with despite dabbling in other areas. Why? Well
there are a couple reasons, the incredible designers for one. There is
such talent here! But I think the main reason is that the people that
make up DSP - the designers and the moderators, the Digital Elite Team
and the everyday members. All of them combine to make an incredible, fun
and inviting place. DSP feels like a vast sprawling family to me. Everyday
we share our lives and our hearts through our layouts. Everyday we grow
as artists and personal historians. Everyday we learn together. That is
something I haven't found elsewhere.
What inspires me most today are the members themselves. Just look at
the gallery and you'll see a world of possibility unfolding. You'll see
layouts that make you gasp and wonder how on earth they did that, you'll
see people just beginning to test their skills, and you'll see friends
that make you smile. The weekly designer and moderator competitions keep
me scrapping and challenge me to keep things fresh. Competitions, like
NKOTB, make me focus on the tiny details and try new techniques. I love
the mix of digital and realistic page designs found throughout the site.
I love exploring the possibilities of both. Most of all, I love the chance
to share my passion for this hobby and a small part of my life with people
I like and admire.
A favorite layout ... hmm that's a hard one, but I think this one is
most indicative of my current style:
"Charming".
~tapestry~
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Member
Spotlight Things are cooling off this fall, but the spotlight is HOT! This month
we are spotlighting cybergram aka Nancy! Take a few minutes to go through her gallery and I'm sure you'll be adding her great layouts to your favorites gallery! And be sure to check out the Scraplift the Spotlight Challenge and you could win when you scraplift her!!
Read more about her
here!
Congrats Nancy!
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DET
Special GuestThe competition for the Digital Elite Team was so strong this time, that the designers have created a DET Special Guest position that will rotate each month. And the first Guest is frachioni aka Christie.
You can view her
gallery here - and watch for her DET layouts throughout October. Congratulations,
Christie!
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Featured
Designer: Tina Chambers
Tina
says that she is inspired by most anything she sees. Magazine ads, billboards,
food labels, etc. Being primarily a word art maker, she sees fonts featured
on so many things 100s of times a day. There are so many things her eyes
land upon and she thinks, "I can do that!". Recently, Tina has
started creating more and more "Date Sets". Stamps or word art
for dating your layouts. This was inspired from Tina going through 3 scrapbooking
magazines in one night and finding only about 1/4 of them (if that!) had
included dates. She says that dating your layouts doesn't need to be boring,
you can add extra spice and interest with the fun sets she has made. Be
on the look out for more too!
Scrapbooking for Tina is somewhat of an obsession. She has been scrapbooking since Tate was born. For 5 years she paper scrapped only, then for over 3 years she "bi-scrapped" (paper scrapped but also digital scrapped), it wasn't until the start of this year that she finally gave up her precious paper. "It just seemed like the right thing to do", she says. "Working for this company with all of the wonderful designers, I began to think- 'why am I paying $1 for this sheet of paper that I can only use once?'. So, I finally made the bold move, and now my paper stash sits in the corner mocking me because of how much money I have spent on it!. I feel 'freed' from my paper now. Digital was the right choice for me, it just took me a few years to realize that," she laughs.
The month of October has Tina excited about Fall, her favorite season. "Everything seems just a little nicer in the fall," she states. "The weather is perfect, the colors are a treat for the eye and we begin what I call the 'chain of Holidays'. Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. Fall begins a chain of exciting events that we all look forward too. Tate is always so happy to see 'the chain' starting!
Tina is wishing you many blessings this wonderful time of year (if you
are headed into Fall or into Spring, it's still a special time!) and hopes
to see you around "The Place".
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Photography Tip
As a general rule of thumb when shooting hand held try to keep your shutter speed equal to or faster than the length of the lens you are shooting with......ie if you are using a 100mm lens then keep your shutter speed at 1/100th or faster, this should stop any camera shake.
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DSU Information
I can't believe that it is already fall! This is my favorite time of the year- football season, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! If you are like me, there will be an excessive amount of pictures taken and a hard time chosing which pictures to scrap! But I love looking back on my past layouts to see all of the wonderful memories and changes over the past year!
Late registration is open until October 5th for our October classes.
This month, we are re-introducing DSU 220 - PS Brushes which is now being
taught by Emma Powell!
Registration is also open for the November term at DSU! To register for
any of these classes please visit our store.
Make plans now to take classes in November at DSU!
November Classes
DSU130 – Corel/Jasc Paint Shop Pro: Introduction to Digital Scrapbooking
Instructor: Emma Powell
This 4-week Paint Shop Pro course exclusively for scrapping shows step-by step how to create new 3 layouts: paper style, graphic montage, and elements collage.
DSU160 – Adobe Photoshop Elements: Introduction to Digital Scrapbooking
Instructor: Emma Powell
This course shows step-by step how to create three layouts: paper style, graphic montage, and elements collage.
DSU170 – Intro to Pixel Magic (Formerly HP CSA and Scraps of Digital)
Instructors: Kim Liddiard and Lauren Bavin
With Scraps of Digital which includes HP's Creative Scrapbook Assistant, you can create scrapbook pages on your computer in very little time, and the results are sure to wow your friends and family.
DSU190 – Layout Design (2 week class)
Instructors: Lauren Bavin and Sharon Topliss
This 2 week class covers all the aspects of creating a visually appealing layout.
DSU211 – Adobe Photoshop: Creating Digital Elements for Beginners (Pre-requisite- DSU 110 or similar experience)
Instructor: Lauren Bavin
Begin to travel the path of element creation in this 4-week class for Adobe Photoshop users.
DSU215 – Adobe Photoshop Actions and Automations ( Photoshop v.7 and above) (Pre-requisite- DSU 110 or similar experience)
Note: This class in not for PSE.
Instructor: Lisa Carter
Learn how to run the actions Photoshop provides, download some amazing actions from the web, and WRITE YOUR OWN!! This is a 4 week class covering: how to play, record, edit and write actions.
DSU225 – Adobe Photoshop: Paths ( Photoshop v.7 and above) (Pre-requisite- DSU 110 or similar experience)
Note: This class in not for PSE.
Instructor: Lisa Carter
The pen is your friend and you too can make amazing scrapbook pages and elements once you finish this 4 week class. This is an In-Depth class on the Drawing Tools (Path Tools) in Photoshop.
DSU231 –Corel/ Jasc Paint Shop Pro: Creating Digital Elements for Beginners (Pre-requisite DSU130 or similar experience)
Instructor: Lori Davis
Begin creating your own elements in this 4 week class for Paint Shop Pro users.
DSU270 – Adobe Photoshop Elements: Brushes
Instructor: Emma Powell
A comprehensive 4-week class for in-depth exploration of brushes in Photoshop Elements. We'll learn how to use all the Brush-based tools, the Brushes Menu and Options, and practice different settings and techniques in several tutorials.
DSU290 – Adobe Photoshop: Creating and Using Overlays (PS and PSE Pre-requisite- DSU 110, DSU160 or similar experience)
Instructor: Lauren Bavin
This 4 week course will explore the basics of using overlays - transparent works of art for your scrapbook pages! This class will introduce you to using, overlays, and then spend three weeks learning to create your own awesome pieces of art.
DSU295 – Creative Journaling and Typography (Pre-requisite- DSU 110, 130 or 160 or similar experience)
Instructor: Stacey Jewell Stahl
Whether you love to journal or are intimidated by it, this class will help you improve your story-telling abilities to enhance your layouts for future generations and increase your technical knowledge of typography.
Be sure to visit our classes
page for more information regarding these classes and our other great
classes at DSU!
We would love to hear your suggestions on future classes! Send your suggestions
and comments to me at dsu@digitalscrapbookplace.com.
We’re also looking for qualified DSU instructors! If you would be
interested in teaching, please contact me for more information.
Amber, Dean of DSU
dsu@digitalscrapbookplace.com
New Tutorials
We're always trying to update our tutorials, if you have an idea for one you'd like to see, let us know! (tutorials@digitalscrapbookplace.com) Here are a few of the ones we've added in the last month. Check out the tutorial page for a full list of DSP tutorials.
- Blending Overlays (PSP)
- Borders or Mats (PSE) (DIP)
- Changing Background Colours (PSP)
- Chenille Stems (PSP)
- Doodle Dandy Fun (DIP)
- Easy Alphas or Tiles (PSP)
- Folded Ribbons (PSPX) (PSP)
- Make a Flower (PSE) (DIP)
- Organizing your DSP Gallery
- Quick Clicks, Using (PSP) (PSE) (PS) (DIP) (FotoFusion)
- Saving Brushes (PSP)
- Two Toned Text (PS)
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More
Challenges Club
Digital Challenge with Karen Digital
Delights with Kim Freebs
with Tina Item
of the Week Challenges Scrapblog
Challenges with Meg |
Challenges/Contests/Events
Check our
Calendar
of Events and the October
Links thread for a complete list of all events and challenges.
Here are a just a few of our Designer Exclusive Challenges!
Watch for news of a fund-raiser event in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
Yippee!
I'm a Designer!
October 4 at 9:30 PM or Oct 5 at 9:30AM. Join Bethy for her first chat
as a DSP designer! Freebie given out at the chat.
Clear
View Page Frame Challenge with Liz McCoy
Use the new Clear View Page Frames for a chance to win (2 CDs to the first
place winner!) Closes October 31
Scraplift
a Moderator Challenge with Ann Maree
Stretch your skills by scraplifting layouts done by the moderators for
a chance to win a store coupon! Closes October 15
New
Kids on the Block 6 with Kristen Skold & Emma Powell
Are you a new scrapper? Want to stretch your skills in a friendly, supportive
environment? NKOTB starts Monday Oct 2nd and runs for three weeks. Want
to know what you're getting into first? Read "How
Does New Kids Work."
DET
Bootcamp
Join in to stretch your scrapping skills in preparation for the next DET
Contest coming up in March. (Come join even if you don't plan to
enter the DET contest - the Bootcamp is open to all!)
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Newsletter Challenge!
We are striving make our newsletter more interesting and useful. If you have an idea, let us know about it! If it's an article idea, a feature, even something you'd like to write, shout it out to us. If we incorporate your idea into the newsletter, you could win a free page kit! So, put your thinking caps on and come up with some new features, article ideas, or something fun you'd like to see in our monthly newsletter. Then email it to comments@dsplace.com. (Please type "Newsletter IDEA" in the subject line of your email.) We can't wait to see your ideas!
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Items
Of The Week (IOTW)Each week a new item goes on sale for only 99 cents. Check out the IOTW challenge starting each Sunday. Buy the kit, use it to make a layout, post it to the IOTW gallery and the designer will have different prizes for you! It could be a posting bonuses, random drawings, chances at a free fonting, you never know! Check it out this week!
The Item of the Week
for October 1st is the Dear
Autumn Page Kit by Lisa Carter from the new Autumn Tones CD. Playing
in the leaves, walks in the park, watching the changing of the colors
of the season. What wonderful memories. Once you have lived the moment,
scrap it with this wonderful fall kit!
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What's New at DSP?
New to the DSP store this month we have two new seasonal CDs all ready for those Autumn photo ops! Autumn Tones contains 12 complete kits in a variety of styles - you're sure to find the right one for your photos. And Autumn Word Art will help you find just the right words to express what you feel. The kits in Autumn Tones are also available separately for download.
Sale: Little Spooks Sale – 30% off Halloween
Products from the 29th through the 31st. Scrap the photos of your little
spooks in style while you save on Halloween Page Kits, Ploppers, Alphas
and More!
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The Newsletter Desktop Calendar Plopper
A
newsletter exclusive! Specially designed ploppers for your computer desktop.
This month's offerings use background, doodles and word art from our featured
designer, Tina Chambers. This month's ploppers were designed by moderator,
Kristen Skold. Also used were the wonderful Calendar
Grid Brushes by Kim Liddiard.
Download the PNG file of your choice here: 1024x768 hires version and 800x600 regular version. And just like any of our ploppers, put your photo on a layer underneath the desktop plopper. Angle and size it as you please, add journaling, and save it as a jpg. Then update your desktop wallpaper background by browsing to your new image!
And
since we went with a strong seasonal theme, we're also offering a Spring
version. Download the 1024x768
version or the 800x600
version.
Voilà! A favorite photo paired with this month's calendar to help keep you up-to-date all month! Look for a new one each month in our newsletter!!
Kits used - all by Tina Chambers: Whimsical
Backgrounds, Doodle
Dos, Doodle
Dos 3, Autumn
Delights Word Art, Feeling
Fall Word Art, Spring
Titles Word Art, Circles
of Seasons & Holidays
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All new members receive a free gift.
Feel free to pass this on to your friends!