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December 2012

December Tutorials

Jan Walker has some gorgeous little holiday tags, recipe cards and labels for you to attach to your homemade gifts.

Christina Rambo will show you how to use custom shapes to make a circular photo frame overlay or a special tag for gift-giving.

Jen White turns a simple photo into a magical, watercolor-style sketch to make a perfect Christmas illustration for a scrapbook page.

And, in keeping with my passion for all things vintage, I show you how to make divine brushes and overlays from old handwriting and Christmas dingbat fonts.

However you and your family celebrate the festive season, from all of us here at Digital Scrapper we wish you love, joy and a safe and happy holiday.

You’re probably surprised to see my face on the Premier Newsletter this month! I’m filling in for Linda temporarily while she works on some wonderful new lessons for you all to enjoy in 2013. So here’s the news from Down Under.

This time of year many of us connect with family and friends to celebrate the season. I’ve just come back from visiting with my extended family, a day’s drive away in the southern state of Victoria. As a grandmother myself, I’ve reached the stage where my older relatives are slowly fading away so these visits have become even more special as the time with them is now limited.

Recently, two elderly spinster relatives of ours went into a nursing home and my brother and I spent some time going through their very old, rundown house and possessions to see what valuables had to be put away for safe keeping. Amongst 100-year-old photo albums and hundreds of letters written by our great-great-grandfather in the 1860’s, I found his daughter’s school autograph book dated 1887, which was filled with poems, paintings and drawings by her friends. This holly illustration was coupled with a beautiful poem written by the artist.

These treasures are the scrapbooking of old. I wondered how long it had been since this book was last opened and judging by its condition it could be ninety years or more. Now, in the wonderful world of digital scrapbooking we can create our own legacy to hand down to the generations that come after us more easily than ever before. Practicing the techniques you learn is only part of this exciting hobby of ours. It is also important to create your pages and albums for future great-grandchildren to discover.

Welcome to December 2012 Digital Scrapper Premier!

Susie

This layout, Thankful by Groobers, epitomizes Thanksgiving and is perfect in its simplicity. The photograph is clear and sharp in the foreground and fades delicately around the edges to make way for the journaling and accents. In the words of Shirl, one of our beloved Premier Members who always gives such thoughtful comments on others’ pages, ‘This is truly inspiring as she holds our bounty with in her hands. A truly expressive layout that lists your family blessing. I feel your love and gratefulness along with your beautiful swirls of emotion.’ What more can one say!

Congratulations to our other talented digi scrappers featured below (in alphabetical order):

Top Pick Layout by Groobers

Autumn Days - November 2012

fullterr Ikdavis

origami shorebirdsmonicabr

blackkathy

Top Picks

Click on each of the thumbnails to see the gallery pages for these great layouts and images.

Kit: Autumn Days by Kristin Cronin-Barrow

Digi Scrap Tutorial: Add Movement with Swirls - Using the Distort Filter by Barb Brookbank

Fonts: Verdana and Susie’s Hand

Layout and Photo by Sue Hodgson

Thankful For family, friends, moments, love, home,

health, laughter, joy …

Meet this month’s talented designer:Jenna BeamI first learned how to digi scrap in 2003. It was then that I truly began to enjoy creating my own techniques and layering styles. I then quickly jumped into designing and have lovedit ever since. I really enjoy digi scrapping more than paper scrapping because I can saveas I go, don’t have as huge mess to clean up, and I can go back and edit as much as Ineed to. Designing has been so much fun for me because it truly allows me to have a huge creative outlet everyday. I love looking through all of our albums and seeing all the memories jotted down from when our kids were so little. :)

I sell my designs at my own website at www.shabbymissjenndesigns.com. It has been such a blast to be able to sell at my site and continue the creativity there. I use Photoshop Creative Suite to design and digiscrap. I use a Canon 30d with several Tamron lenses. I love using photo actions and use TRA, Eye Candy and Florabella.

My favorite elements to design or use on layouts are buttons and bows! Can you tell?I get inspired as the holidays and seasons change, which motivates me to create new designs. It takes me about a week and sometimes longer to create a kit.

Aside from designing and digiscrapping, I love to run. I run cross country 4-5 days a week. I also enjoy Crossfit! It’s one of my new favorite exercise routines!

We have three kids and are super busy with them. They are all involved in extra curricular activities at school and are all involved in sports. My husband and I love to go eat sushi! As a family, we always enjoy hanging out on the weekends, going up to the lake or just lounging around together! We are a family that always loves to be together, and we enjoy having our kids’ friends over at our house as well.

For fun, write 2 truths and a lie.

1. I met Chris Isaac and Joe Montana in the same day.2. I met my husband and one week later was engaged.3. I never wanted to have any kids. Now we have 3.

Check out Jenna’s beautiful kits at her store here. Read more about Jenna on her blog here.

by Shabby Miss Jenn

Our Holiday

It was a thrill when Jenna Beam (Shabby Miss Jenn) agreed to design a kit for Premier. She’s famous for her unique style of shabby kits, which I’m sure many of you will be familiar with.

With a touch of whimsy, this Christmas kit will give you lots of inspiration for all your Yuletide pages and cards. There is a large variety of patterned papers with some gorgeous matching solids, lots of Christmas inspired accents, and as a special bonus, Jenna has included a full a - z alpha set.

14 papers (10 patterns, 4 solids)1 layered green blossom

1 red button blossom1 red plastic clip

1 holiday epoxy button1 lace trim

1 cardboard layered blossom1 striped mini bow

1 ripped notebook paper1 layered polka dot blossom

1 layered present1 green rhinestone brad1 red beaded safety pin

1 glittery star burst1 banner sticker

1 candy cane sticker1 festive tree sticker

1 gingerbread man sticker1 holly sticker

1 ornament sticker1 santa clause sticker

1 stitching border3 tags (gingerbread man, santa and holly)

1 vintage button frame1 vintage polaroid frame

1 vintage tape piece1 wooded clothespin

1 wooden frame1 a-z alpha set

December 2012

This month’s inspiring

collection of 10 QuickPages

(available in 12x12” and

8.5x11”) can be downloaded

along with the coordinating

Our Holiday Premier Kit.

Our HolidayQuickPagesby Carol Gilmour

Creative TeamFinishedQuickPages

Classic TemplatesVersatile grayscale templates -

in layered PSD format

December 2012

Templatesby Carol Gilmour

Our Holiday

Baking goodies to give as gifts? Add a little personalized pizazz by using the Custom Shapes Tool to create printable labels, tags and recipe cards for your holiday treats.

Hang tag: Jan WalkerKit: Our Holiday by SMJ DesignsFont: Pea Ellie Bellie

by Jan Walker

Holiday Tags, Cards & Labels Decorative CirclesVideo Lesson 1 Video Lesson 2

by Christina Rambo

Turn accents, shapes, and dingbat fonts into unique brushes. Then use the brushes to to make clipping masks for paper or to make stamps in colors that match your page.

Page: Christina RamboPapers & Embellishments: Our Holiday by SMJ DesignsWord Art: Christina Rambo

Give your scrapbook page the look of elegant simplicity using one ordinary photo, two fabulous filters, and the rule of three.

Page & Photo: Jen WhitePaper & Embellishments: Our Holiday by SMJ DesignsFonts: Ginette, OCR A Std, Helvetica

Elegant SimplicityVideo Lesson 4Video Lesson 3

by Susie Roberts by Jen WhiteMake unique stamps and overlays using a variety ofChristmas dingbat fonts, accents from Christmas kits,vintage handwriting and Custom Shapes.

Page and photos: Susie RobertsPapers & Accents: Our Holiday by SMJ Designs, Christmas Past by Susan Bartolini (wreath and pine branch) Holiday by Dianne Rigdon Designs (stars), Christmas Lights by Julie Billingsley (snowflakes), The Graphics Fairy and Linda Sattgast.Fonts: Alex Brush, Xmas Clipart, Xmas Clipart 2, Chocolate Box Decorative and Jayne Print.

Christmas Stamps & Overlays

Extra TidbitRecycle Your Scrapbook Pages into Cards

by Susie RobertsNeed a personalized card in a hurry? Here’s a quick way to turn an existing 12 x 12 inch scrapbook page into a card that will fit neatly into a 6 x 6 inch envelope.

• After you have made whatever changes to suit the occasion, choose File > Save As, choose a location on your hard drive, and choose JPEG for the format. Click Save.

• When the JPEG Options dialog box opens, choose a Quality of 10 and click OK.

• Open the JPEG file (File > Open) onto your desktop.

• In the Menu Bar, choose File > Duplicate (PS: Image > Duplicate).

• Close the original file and just work with the copy.

• In the Menu Bar, choose Image > Resize > Image Size (PS: Image > Image Size).

• When the dialog box opens, check all three boxes at the bottom: Scale Styles, Constrain Proportions and Resample Image. Highlight the Width and change it to 5.5 inches. The Height will change automatically. Click OK.

• Open the paper (File > Open) you want to use for the back of the card and repeat the last four steps to resize it.

• Create a new file (File > New > Blank File) with a Width of 11 inches and Height 5.5 inches at 300 ppi. (PS: File > New)

• Turn on the Rulers by pressing Ctrl Shift R (Mac: Cmd Shift R). (PS: Ctrl/Cmd R)

• Get the Move tool and drag a Guide from the left hand side ruler to the 5.5-inch center of the page.

• Click on your 5.5 x 5.5 inch scrapbook page and drag it onto your new file.

• Drag it over to the right hand side of the page. It should fit snugly next to the center guide.

• Repeat with the resized paper, dragging it to the left

hand side of the page.

• Add any accents, journaling tags, etc to the back of the card.

• If you are going to print the card on your home inkjet printer, in the Menu Bar choose File > Print.

• Make sure that it fits the paper you are printing on. For example on US Letter paper it will go right to the edges so you may want to check the box that says, Crop To Fit (PS: Scale To Fit Media) in your Printer Options. If you’re using A4 paper there will be plenty of room.

• Make sure you choose Landscape for the Page Orientation.

• Use a guillotine to cut out the card.

• Alternatively, have it printed at the store.

Tips:

• The cardstock papers I like to use are either Epson Photo Quality Matte or Canon Matte Photo Paper.

• If you want to use a smaller square envelope just resize the pages to suit.

December 2012

Looking for an extra treat this month? Be sure to post a layout in the Premier gallery using the Our Holiday kit, QuickPages, or templates and you’ll receive these clusters as our thank-you for being a Premier member! For more information, check out the Posting Bonus thread in the Premier private forum. Don’t forget that your layout must be posted in the current Premier Gallery during the month of December.

Posting Bonus

Premier Gallery PagesWe’d love to see your pages using this month’s kit! The Premier Gallery is for pages created using the current Premier Designer Kit and to showcase the techniques taught in the current month.

You may use accents from other kits by Digital Scrapper as long as the page is predominantly showcasing the current Premier Kit.

Thanks in advance!

Coupon Code PasswordYou can find the December password in the Premier Members’ area. Enter this password in the coupon code field of our shopping cart to receive an additional 10% off any purchase at Digital Scrapper, except Premier membership.

December DownloadsAll links to download the Video Tutorials, Designer Kit, Templates, and QuickPages are in the Premier Members’ area on the Digital Scrapper website.

Premier Log-InYou can log in to Premier from the My Stuff menu in the top navigation of our website, DigitalScrapper.com. and also from every Digital Scrapper weekly newsletter by clicking on the Premier link in the header.

© 2012 Digital Scrapper. All rights reserved. This content is for current Premier members only. If you have friends or associates who are interested in this information, please refer them to www.digitalscrapper.com where they can sign up for their own Digital Scrapper Premier subscription. Do your part to prevent digital piracy so we can continue to offer you valuable products like Premier.

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