Cottage Arts

CottageArts.net has a softer less hurried feel from other scrapping sites. The only gallery is for the design team to showcase creative examples from the Simply Digital CD’s. The other unusual feature is that there is not a forum on this site. But that doesn’t detract from what they have to offer.

Their product line, Simply Digital, currently offers themed CDs and a huge variety of downloadables of custom designed layout templates, background papers, and embellishments to help you create stunning digital scrapbooking layouts, or to print for use in traditional scrapbooks. Samples of their products are available for download.

They provide a great overview of the possibilities that digital scrapping provides and some very nice tutorials as well. There is also a free newsletter with tips and freebies that is well worth your while to sign up for.

“Scraps of Pink” freebie!

As a thank you to all of you that are helping us towards our goal of being able to donate at least a $1,000 to the Susan G. Komen foundation I have created a quick page freebie using items from this wonderful mega kit, which is being host by custom photobook publisher Viovio.

The quick page is located in the preview gallery for the kit. Simply copy and paste the url listed under the preview of the quick page. Enjoy!

(Picture and text not included in the quick page)

Atomic Cupcake

A year or so ago I started noticing a line in a lot of designers “Terms of Use” (TOU) documents that said “special thanks to Atomic Cupcake”. My curiosity piqued, I decided to investigate and discovered a great resource for digiscrappers.

The offerings on this site are set up buffet style. All you can download for 30 days for one low price. The Cupcake Club is where you find the page kits – when I downloaded there were over 60 kits and more are added on a regular basis. It’s a great deal for only $12.95. The Atomic Club is filled with actions for Photoshop and Elements along with a few drag and drop templates. You can choose just this section for $16.95 or if you would like both you really get a bargain for only $21.95. Free samples of the items in each of the clubs are available.

Another nice feature is the Atomic Colorator. According to the site “Unlike most other color wheel pages, ours is set up for printing the schemes, so your projects will look as good when you print as they do on the screen.” It really is a handy tool for creating coordinating color schemes.

Graficalicus

Graficalicus is not exactly a scrapping site, but there are a lot useful things for scrappers to be found there. Graffi has actions written for both Photoshop and Elements, as well as tutorials for a variety of image manipulation software.

My favorite action is his Add-o-matic. It gives you drag and drop simplicity when it comes to installing, custom shapes, layer styles, brushes, gradients, patterns, actions etc. Sure I could walk through all the steps manually, but I prefer the faster easier route!

 

There are free samples of his work, and a few “just for fun” freebies there as well. Just be sure you are downloading items specific for your software. And from time to time he makes beta test actions available for a limited time on his blog.

Customer service is always excellent and if you encounter any problems, Graffi is quick to help you come to a solution. He has also been known to see someone wishing for something in a forum and pop in a little later to provide a link to something he has come up with to make the wish a reality!

What can you get for $10?

I can remember back in the 80’s when I used to fill my little car every friday afternoon for $10. These days that would barely be a drop in the bucket at the pump. But you know, drops add up!

When you purchase a “Scraps of Pink“ digital scrapbooking kit for $10, you are not only getting a HUGE kit, but you are also benefiting the Susan G. Komen beast cancer foundation. So far, the kit has raised over $500 in its first week of availability, but we (yes I was one of the designers) would really like to double that amount. So although $10 may not buy what it used to, it does all add up to help build a better future for all of us.

Digital Scrapbook Place

Digital Scrapbook Place (DSP) is probably the largest scrapping site on the web with over 100,000 registered members, including me. Fortunately, the site is well organized so its size is not overwhelming, and the members are friendly and helpful.

There are a lot of on-going challenges for all skill levels, along with crops, chats and contests to help you find your scrappin’ groove. And their store & freebies gallery has a lot of creative items to offer.

A nice tutorial section for a variety of software programs, is complimented by on-line self-paced courses covering digital scrapbooking and related topics. Instructors are available through optional chat sessions or by email. And of courese if you need help with a particular process, someone is always happy to help.

They also have information and projects for hybrid scrapping (combination of paper & digital) and some fun craft projects as well.

Gotta Pixel

If you are “addicted to the pixel” then Gotta Pixel is a good place to check out. They have an extensive freebie section available for anyone, and there is also a wide variety of monthly challenges to help jumpstart your creative process.

They have tutorials for both Photoshop CS and elements as well as Paint Shop Pro, but you must be a registered user and logged in, in order to see or access that section of the forum which is located below the monthly challenges.

Lots of interesting items in the shop, including quick page brag and alphabet books, curled and folded corner templates and curly ribbons. Commercial use items are also available.

Scrap Girls

I came across Scrap Girls several years ago while looking for tutorials and freebies. I found both at Scrap Girls. They offer a free Digital Scrapbooking Starter Kit that includes a mega kit, an e-book titled “5 Things You NEED to Know to Become a GREAT Digital Scrapbooker” as well as some video tutorials.

Have to admit that most of my time spent there is not spent in the forum, although it is a very friendly place, rather it is spent browsing through the interesting array of products in the boutique. Scrap Girls is celebrating their 3^rd anniversary this week with a nice sale that ends on Oct 24^th

I recently purchased the ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Artsy – Watercolor 1 and was having difficulty figuring out how to get it to work with a photo. I posted in the forum asking for more help and designer Shalae Tippetts bent over backwards to help me. Gotta love great customer service!

In addition to all the great finds in the boutique, the friendly forum, and the myriad of training opportunities, there is a free newsletter. Filled with tips, new product info and musings from Ro and others it is definitely something that should be in your in-box!

INTERNATIONAL DESIGN TEAM SCRAPS FOR A CURE

Raleigh, NC (Oct 17, 2007) — Viovio, a custom photobook publishing company, has joined an international team of twenty-five digital scrapbook designers in a benefit for Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. “Scraps of Pink” is a 300+ item digital scrapbooking kit that will be on sale in the shop through November 7, 2007. All proceeds from the sale of this kit will be donated to the aforementioned charity.

The idea for creating a kit as a benefit began with a group of friends in the Photoshop Elements Techniques forum challenging each other to improve their digital scrapbooking skills. Since October is breast cancer awareness month it was an easy decision to use their artistic talents to support Susan B. Komen for the Cure.

For Designer Nancy Marti, a 7 ½ year survivor, her reasons for contributing were very personal. “When I saw the challenge I thought what a wonderful way for me to remind people of the importance of having annual mammograms. I survived because of one and now I can contribute something that will remind people every time they use it about the reason it was created. If it reminds just one person to have a mammogram and it saves their life then I feel a major victory over breast cancer. I can’t fight it medically so I will fight it through my art.”

Reviews of the kit have been very positive. “The “Scraps of Pink” kit is fabulous. All the contributors have done a fantastic job in creating and designing the kit”, said Grace T after seeing the previews, “I will be purchasing the kit when it becomes available.”

About Viovio (www.viovio.com)

Founded in 2004, Viovio offers a creative and easy-to-use photo publishing service that allows users to upload photos or PDFs, create photobooks, travel blogs and to exchange information about their favorite places and memorable adventures. More than just a publishing Web site, Viovio is an online community designed for photographers (professional and novice), travel enthusiasts, and those who want to combine the two. Viovio’s goal is always to produce on-demand products of exceptional quality with record speed without ever compromising quality, customer service or price. The company offers 200 MB of free photo storage (a capacity that can be upgraded), and over a dozen different photobook sizes that use either interior matte paper 80# Digital color uncoated white, 96 bright, or 100# coated Gloss. All books are printed with a Xerox iG3.

May she grow up to know a world without cancer!

Hummie’s World

I don’t remember just how I came to find this gem of a resource, but it was probably searching for a design tutorial for Photoshop Elements. Hummie’s World is a very interesting place.

Hummie has arranged the tutorials into five category or courses that gradually progress from introductory to more advance skills. Each of those courses contain four or more individual lessons. If you have some basic knowledge you can jump in to whatever tutorial suits your learning needs.

In addition to the tutorials, there is an extensive links section as well as a wonderful section for scrapbook title ideas. And finally be sure and check out the page on addiction, but do not drink or eat while reading the list or your keyboard and monitor just might suffer the consequences.