Category Archives: Contributor Feature

Showing off the amazing designers who are sponsoring the site this month

Stolen Moments Designs: Part Time by Night

Post by Steph

DesignersStudio

Sometimes, when I come across a new designer, their designs really jump out at me and I remember them for a long time. If I find myself going back again and again to see what’s new, I know I’m hooked. That’s what happened after I found Stolen Moments Designs. I love her great color sense and unique elements that can always be found. So many fun things that inspire me to scrap my memories! Let’s take a closer look at “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” that is included in The Digi Files this month:

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This is just ONE of the collections you get this month when you become a member of The Digi Files OR Digi Game! This month, we have EIGHT full collections for a total of $7.50 and that includes our Playbook with ideas for putting the products into action!

Here are some layouts created using Stolen Moments’s contribution:

Layout by Karen. Supplies: Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Stolen Moments; Fonts: .

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Stolen Moments; Fonts: DJB DigiKim.

Layout by Anne. Supplies: Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Stolen Moments; Fonts: Noteworthy.

Layout by Lauren. Supplies: Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Stolen Moments.

Layout by SharonS

You can see more layouts created with this kit on our “Team Inspiration” page.

InTheStudioWith
I’m Amber, a 27-yo mom of 1-and-a-half boys, who works full time by day and scraps part time by night. I’m back living in northern Utah after having been away for 3 years while DH completed his MFA in theatre in Missouri. My degree is also in theatre, and my “real job” is in arts administration. BTW, I hate these types of intros – I’m never witty or clever enough to make them interesting..

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These are some little boxes I made to give homemade gifts in for Christmas of 2010. My favorite thing about them is that they were my first true dive into hybrid crafting. I never paper scrapped before starting digi, and it was really fun to “get my hands dirty” in a way I never really had before.

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I was first introduced to digital scrapping the summer of 2008 when my husband’s cousin blogged about it. I had a new baby at the time, missed having a creative outlet now that I was a SAHM, and had always been intimidated by “real” scrapbooking because I’m too much of a perfectionist. The idea of being able to ctrl+z whenever I needed was a perfect solution! I surfed around the freebie sites for a couple weeks and decided I wanted to try my hand at designing, and the rest is history.

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The first thing that always speaks to me when I’m looking for inspiration is color. I’ll see an image – DS’s clothes, a family photo, an ad in a magazine – and the colors will immediately pop out at me and say something. The final product may not have anything to do with the image I pulled the colors from, but the feelings evoked by that combination of colors is always there.

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Computer: I do all of my work on my 15″ Dell Inspiron 1564 that I bought back in 2009. She’s in desperate need of a new battery (as in, the moment it comes unplugged she dies), hasn’t had any RAM or other upgrades (although she needs them) and is running Windows 7 – which I love! Before getting Stella I worked from DH’s desktop with a 17″ monitor and never thought I’d be able to comfortably work on a laptop – now, though, I can’t ever image going back!

Program: My primary program for designing is Photoshop CS3. I do a bit in Illustrator, but not enough to make any great claims to fame. I also occasionally use ArtRage, and all of my fonts are built in FontCreator.

Camera: Just a simple P&S – the Panasonic Lumix that we bought just before DS was born in 2008. It does a decent enough job – I didn’t know at the time what good really was. We keep saying we’ll save up for a DSLR, but somehow something else always sneaks in to use the cash instead.. One day, though…

Anything Else: I have a Bamboo Fun tablet that I really enjoyed playing with when I first purchased it. But DS got his hands on the stylus once a while back and it’s just never been the same since. Luckily my design style doesn’t really use a whole lot of doodling, so I don’t find that I’m missing out too terribly often.

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The BIGGEST time saver I’ve come across in scrapping is the function in PS to “load files into stack.” Go to File –> Scripts –> Load Files into Stack. From there, navigate to the folder you’d like your images to come from and select as many as you like by ctrl+clicking or shift+clicking. The beauty of this is that it keeps the file names of each item in tact in your document (great for those of you who aren’t one-kit scrappers and need to keep track of things for credits) – it also loads them alphabetically, (which always comes in handy as I’m doing product previews). As I’m working, I only need to have two windows open – one with my loaded files and one with the page I’m working on. Once I’ve used a certain piece on my page, I’ll delete that layer from the loaded files document and can easily see if I’ve used everything I wanted to.

A few other time savers in PS that I’m ALWAYS using is to hold down the shift key while I’m dragging a layer from one document to the other. This will always center your layer within your page and make it easy to find. Another one is rather than digging through layer after layer in your palette to select an object, simply ctrl+click on it on your page and that layer will automatically be selected. If you want to select several things – a photo and frame, for example – ctrl+click the first item, then while still holding down the ctrl key, shift+click each other item. This selects everything you click on and you can now treat them as one as long as they are all selected (applying the same layer style, moving them around on the page, etc.)

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It seems that my favorite kit is always my most recent – however The Sweetest Season has managed to stand the test of time a bit more than most. I was inspired by an image of a beautifully decked out Christmas tree while I was spending some quality time on Pinterest.. The colors in the photo were so vibrant, but the feel was still very vintage. I wanted to create something a little more kitschy than I normally do, and while I still have a lot to learn in that area, I loved the journey I took in creating the kit and the challenge it presented me to think outside my normal designer box. And hello – that snowman – does it get any cuter than that?!?

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The colors and theme for Makin’ Me Happy were inspired by a bouquet of flowers DH randomly brought home to me for no special reason at all.. Nearly 2 years after its release, I’m still getting fairly regular sales of the kit, and I think the biggest reason is that it’s so versatile. The primary colors with a good neutral base can be used for a variety of different types of pages, and there is enough variety within the kit itself that each page I’ve seen with it is different – so no matter your scrapping style, you’ll find something in there for you.. Another reason I think people pick it up is that it just so happens to have a “mouse-inspired” add-on as well..

Here are some of my favorite products by Stolen Moments:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using Stolen Moments’s products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.

Use the code DIGIFILES at Stolen Moments’ Scrapmatters store to receive 25% off your purchase (expires 03/01/12). You will also receive an extra coupon via email for 10% off every $5 you spend on the original purchase – i.e. spend $10 get 20% off your next purchase, spend $20 get 40% off your next purchase.

Go have a look in Stolen Moments’s store! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from her store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!

This post has 39 Comments...leave yours?
Posted in Contributor Feature Posted on February 6, 2012 by Steph | Tagged amber, scrapmatters, stolen moments |

Sabrina’s Creations: Waiting to be Scrapped

Post by Steph

DesignersStudio

I fell in love with Sabrina’s designs when I very first discovered her a couple of years ago. Sophisticated and classy are a couple of the words that come to mind when I look at Sabrina’s Creations! I have always found her designs so intriguing; I love studying the previews to find simple surprises that she includes in her collections. I am thrilled to have Sabrina joining us in The Digi Files again this month! Let’s take a closer look at “Love is” that is included in The Digi Files this month:

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Here are some layouts created using Sabrina’s Creations’s contribution:

Layout by Karen. Supplies: Love is by Sabrina’s Creations.

Layout by Kimberly. Supplies: Love is by Sabrina’s Creations; Fonts: Vrinda, CK Ali’s Hand; Coffee Shop Sunkissed Photoshop Action.

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Layout by Tara. Supplies: Love is by Sabrina’s Creations.

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Layout by Melissa. Supplies: Love is by Sabrina’s Creations.

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Layout by Aaron. Supplies: Love is by Sabrina’s Creations; It’s a Date by Zoe Pearn; Shadows by One Little Bird and Jennifer Barrette; Font: Digi Jenlin by Darcy Baldwin.

You can see more layouts created with this kit on our “Team Inspiration” page.

InTheStudioWith
My name is Sabrina, 30 years, SAHM and living in a small city in Belgium.
Mom of 4 wonderful kids, Sanne (12/2003), Brent (03/2006), Maaike (05/2008) and Mathias (03/2011). Married with Koen since June 2003 and we know eachother since November 2000. He is my first biggest love and still is my biggest love. I want to get old with him. Addicted to my family, photoshop, photography and designing.

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I love this layout because this photo is unique to us. It’s a photo taken at neonatology when Maaike was born with the Pierre-Robin Sequence. This is one of the most beautiful photos I made of her while she stayed at the hospital. It were heavy days, had 2 kids already and I went to 2 to 3 times a day to the hospital to visit my little miracle. I choosed this wordart because I think God gave her to us, he knewed that we could handle it all. If you see her now, you won’t believe that the 2 first weeks of her life were critical.

Expired collab between Sabrina’s Creations and Kelley Mickus Designs, wishing and hoping.

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I started to design after the birth of Brent (April 2006). I wanted to make a Thank you card and I did it, it wasn’t a lot on the card, just a 1 or 2 photos and some text on it. A few weeks later I discovered digital scrapbooking and a whole new world opened his doors to me. In 2008 I started to design, I wanted to make my own stuff for making layouts with my photos and since then, I’m totally addicted to it. I love the clean and simple style which I give to my products. I design more than I scrap pages. I’m behind with my yearly photo albums, have to make work on it really soon… A lot of photos are waiting to be scrapped and turning them into a photobook.

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A lot of the daily things in life gives me inspiration… Magazines, blogs, pinterest, which is a huge inspiration source. I get a lot of inspiration by looking to my kids or there clothes.

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Computer: Intel DUAL Core i3 350M 4GB RAM, 200GB HD. Windows 7

Program: I use Photoshop CS5 to design and scrap. I love this program and wouldn’t change it for another one. I use Lightroom too for editing my photos, I love the filters for Lightroom.

Camera: I have a Canon EOS 50D with 2 lenses; Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 and Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. And this lense is on my wishlist: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM.

Anything Else: I have a wacom bamboo tablet but I don’t use it a lot.

tipstricks
If you are creating a layout try to resize your elements a little bit smaller, your layout will look better and don’t forget to add some drop shadows to the elements. It will give that extra touch to your layout. Add some journaling to your layouts so you remember what happened that day or what was the reason what happened.

What I also want to say is that it’s really important to backup your files once a month.

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One of my favorite products is the ‘Family Love’ kit. I had a family photoshoot with a friend of mine and I wanted to put the photos into an album and needed a kit about Family. I couldn’t find one that I could use for my photobook so I made one for it. I found the colors on the internet, I definitely wanted white-grey and green in it and I bumped to this colorscheme on the internet. I had a lot of fun making this kit and my photobook turned out fantastic. Everyone can use it to capture their family photos.

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I think it’s Hello with the free Add On. I’ve found these colors on the internet and the theme ‘hello’ came to me when I saw the colors. I’ve made an add on to it with some blue papers and extra elements. This kit can be used for girls as for boys.

Here are some of my favorite products by Sabrina’s Creations:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using Sabrina’s Creations’s products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.

Sabrina’s MScraps store is 30% OFF during February, excludes collaborations. (exp 02-29-12)

Go have a look in Sabrina’s Creations’s store! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from her store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!

This post has 34 Comments...leave yours?
Posted in Contributor Feature Posted on February 2, 2012 by Steph | Tagged sabrina's creations |

Genia Beana: Easy Dodging and Burning

Post by steph

DesignersStudio

I quickly fell in love with genia Beana’s designs when I discovered her. She was a new-to-me designer and I couldn’t wait to download and unzip the products that I bought! Her designs are very whimsical and I love the super unique embellishments she includes! Let’s take a closer look at “A Whimsical Heart” that is included in The Digi Files this month:

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This is just ONE of the seven collections you get when you become a member of The Digi Game.

Here are some layouts created using geniaBeana’s contribution:
LO1

Layout by Heddy. Supplies: A Whimsical Heart by geniaBeana.

LO2

Layout by Jacki. Supplies: A Whimsical Heart by geniaBeana; Fonts: Giggles by Steph.

LO3

Layout by Aaron. Supplies: A Whimsical Heart by geniaBeana; Template by Emily Merrit; Font: Play Misty for Me by Darcy Baldwin.

LO4

Layout by Karen. Supplies: A Whimsical Heart by geniaBeana; Template by Biograffiti.

LO5

Layout by Katie. Supplies: A Whimsical Heart by geniaBeana; Template by Kay Miller; Font: Myriad Web Pro.

You can see more layouts created with this kit on our “Team Inspiration” page.

InTheStudioWith
I’m Val and design under the name of geniaBeana Scraps. I’m from Central Texas, a stay at home, work at home, student mom of 2. My husband and I celebrated our 13th anniversary recently. We have 3 feline fur-babies, a 17 year-old Calico, and we’ve recently adopted a sibling pair of wonderful 3 year-old Tabbies.

I am currently in school studying photography. I’ve been designing for a little over 3 years and am totally addicted to digital scrapbooking.

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I created this layout after we adopted our tabby cats. The colors of the kit and the them worked really well for scrapping the page about our new Princess.

howitallstarted3
I started paper scrapping when my son was about 4 months old. I started out with very simplistic, basic pages, but soon I discovered embellishments! I learned that I loved to tear paper, use brads, flowers, etc. to create my layouts. However, once my son became mobile my scrapping efforts were put on hold. I just couldn’t keep pulling out my stash, making a mess, cleaning it up, and pulling it out all over again all while I was trying to avoid little, inquisitive hands. I pretty much stopped scrapping all together until my my daughter was about 4 months old.

This is when I discovered digital. And I’ve never looked back. I learned the basics using Gimp, but soon acquired a copy of PSE5 and I was in love. I started out scrapping pages with other moms in a parenting forum. When I ventured outside of the forum and found the digital scrapbooking community I began doing challenges and eventually began to dabble in design. I’ve now been designing for a little over a year.

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I am inspired by color most often. I’ll see colors somewhere and have a desire to come home and do something with those colors. I’ve been inspired by the decor and color in a bedroom in a model home, a dress I’ve seen in a boutique, etc. I really like when a kit has colors that really work with my photos. It makes scrapping so much easier.

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Computer: I use a Dell XPS L502x. I run Windows 7. I do a lot of my design work on the laptop in the living room with my family. With the touch pad. I’ve been doing this so long I feel like a mouse slows me down. lol

When I work at my desk I have a 26″ monitor I hook my laptop to. I use a Canon 5600 F scanner for creating realistic elements and textures.
Program: I use Photoshop CS5, Illustrator, and Art Rage. I’ve also got the yummy filters from Alien Skin Eye Candy that I love to use.
Camera: Canon 40D DSLR
Anything Else: I have a teeny, tiny Bamboo Fun tablet. It’s so small it’s more a a chore than a joy to use. It’s quite dusty right now.

tipstricks
My new favorite trick is an easy way to dodge and burn without having to use the dodge and burn tool. You just create a new layer above the one needing lightening (dodging) or darkening (burning) set the blending mode to soft light. Ctrl Click on the layer that needs adjustment to get marching ants and then paint in the new layer with black to darken or white to lighten. You can set the brush opacity to taste and also the layer’s opacity so it’s super flexible and sometimes so much simpler to do than use the Dodge and Burn Tools provided in Photoshop.

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My favorite product pretty much changes from kit to kit Currently my favorite kit is the one I created for my DSD Grab Bag, Feelin’ Groovy. This kit was inspired by a dress a photographer I follow posted a link to on her Facebook page. The colors and prints were very inspiring, they were so bright and bold.

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I’d been thinking a lot about the animal prints I had been seeing around everywhere. Then the name of the kit came to me and I knew it had to be a Valentine’s themed kit. Having the animal prints i knew that I wanted a palette with browns and pinks. I like it, because at the time I hadn’t noticed very may animal print kits out there, and especially not any with the same theme. I think that ‘s been so popular because of the unique animal patterns combined with the Valentine’s theme.

Here are some of my favorite products by geniaBeana:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using geniaBeana’s products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.

$3.00 off a $5.00 purchase with coupon code gBtry30ff. Expires Feb 25.

Go have a look in geniaBeana’s store! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from her store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!

This post has 32 Comments...leave yours?
Posted in Contributor Feature Posted on January 23, 2012 by steph |

Paula Kesselring: It Gave Me The Courage

Post by Steph

DesignersStudio

I have always been so impressed by designers that can take something from everyday life and turn it into a digital scrapbook supply. That’s what Paula Kesslering does with her designs. Her extractions are flawless and the end results are so fun! Let’s take a closer look at “Your Song” that is included in The Digi Files this month:

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This is ONE of the products you get when you become a member during this month. You will find SIX other full products inside, a Playbook, and other bonus goodies all for only $7.50 TOTAL!

Here are some layouts created using Paula Kesselring’s contribution:

Layout by Lauren. Supplies: Your Song by Paula Kesselring; Doodles by Lauren.

Layout by Jacki. Supplies: Your Song by Paula Kesselring; Concert Alpha by Traci Reed; Manger by Wetfish Designs.

Layout by Amelia. Supplies: Your Song by Paula Kesselring; Holiday Templates No. 002 by Simply Tiffany; Font: VT Portable Remington.

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: Your Song by Paula Kesselring; Fonts: Small Typewriting Medium.

Layout by SharonS, additional supplies: Template: Simply.Scraps, Font: CK Extra

You can see more layouts created with this kit on our “Team Inspiration” page.

InTheStudioWith
I’m Paula, a 44 year old stay at home mom to the two most wonderful girls in the world. Isabella is 17 and she is studying in an American Boarding school in Switzerland and Gabriella is 12 and lives and studies here in Brazil with us.

I’ve been married for almost 14 years to my best friend Ricardo. We, my husband and I, never act our age! We’re both in our 40s and we’re so old. We’d rather stay home with Gabriella watching a movie than go out with friends. If we are out with our friends we’re usually ready to go home after two hours

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The challenge for us on this DARE was to create a page that is centered around one of our favorite childhood toys. What is it that made it special? Who gave it to you? Was it something you were longing for, or a big surprise?

So I started to tell about my Paper Dolls. I used to play with paper dolls. I don’t see them in stores much anymore…When I was a girl, there were books and books of paper dolls. Paper dolls were awkward. I walked the paper dolls along a pretend street, took them to a pretend party, or pretended my way into school with them.

I love a realistic and touchable look on my pages so I keep working at it until it looks real and touchable, playing with the shadows.

howitallstarted3
I started scrapping in high school…but not the same paper scrapping we do today. I spent hours cutting photos, gluing stickers and memorabilia together to make my own book covers.

After paper scrapping for a few years, I discovered digi scrapping! With the paper scrap I went a little crazy and documented every moment and bought thousands of different products… But it was too time consuming and messy with girls around that I came across digi-scrapping online one day and have never turned back.

I’ve always been a creative person and worked on my own stationery business for almost 15 yrs as graphic designer before and It gave me the courage to build my own kits.

I officially started selling my designs on February 2010 when I got accepted to sell at Scrapartist. And since march, 2011 exclusively at Catscrap, a wonderful place to work, where you can find some of the best designers and friends in the digiland.

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There is so much creativity out in our huge world…So many things to be inspired by…
I think inspiration can be found everywhere… My family, the tv, the web, blogs, magazines, nature, fashion…

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Computer: I design on a PC with 4GB Ram. a 24? monitor. I have 4 external hard drives(1TB/each) , too. One stays plugged 24 hours and houses my scrapping and designing stuff. The other ones are for back up only.

Program: I design primarily with Photoshop CS5. Every good illustrator knows the advantage of using a Wacom tablet with Adobe Illustrator but I’m still learning to use my Wacon Tablet!!! LOL I use my HP Scan to scan old photos, doodles, things to extract, etc.

Camera: I have 3 cameras… I’m learning about using my Nikon D5000 so I use more my new Cyber-shot Digital Camera TX55 , it’s the thinnest Cyber-shot camera ever made so I can take it anywhere!

Anything Else: I really want the Wacom Cintiq 21UX. You draw right ON the screen! But I think that I can never save enough money to buy it…LOL

tipstricks
I love more realistic looking pages .For me the most important technique you can use to make your pages look real is the subtle use of shadowing. Drop shadows have the ability to make a layout look realistic or they can look fake. The best way to learn about creating shadows is to see how things really are shadowed, paying attention to real world illumination conditions. You will see that they are rarely black, so instead of choosing the black go with the eyedropper on the image and select a darker, grayed version of the color of the SURFACE the shadow falls on. Does that make sense?

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If I had to pick a favorite it would be “Old Woody Alpha”, because it looks so real that I want to touch it! I love the pastel colors contrasting with the old wood color.

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My Old Metal Alpha #1 is my best sold product! I think the combination of the deep, dark brushed metal colors together with bright colors create an interesting a cool old grunge product that everybody loves.

Here are some of my favorite products by Paula Kesselring:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using Paula Kesselring’s products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.

The Daily Digi readers can save 35% at Paula Kesselring’s store with coupon code TDDPK35OFF. Offer expires 02-28-12.

Go have a look in Paula Kesselring’s store! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from her store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!

This post has 59 Comments...leave yours?
Posted in Contributor Feature Posted on January 19, 2012 by Steph | Tagged contributor feature, digi scrap supplies, Paula Kesselring, reveal, The Digi Files |

Tracie Stroud: The Good In Circumstances

Post by Steph

DesignersStudio

Tracie Stroud’s kits are ones that I tend to use for several layouts. They are filled with fun goodies that I just NEED to create with! I love Tracie’s colors, font choices, and her awesome ability to mix patterns so well. I always know I can use lots of her papers on one layout and they will look GREAT! I’m thrilled to have Tracie joining us again in The Digi Files! Let’s take a closer look at “I Am Beautiful” that is included in The Digi Files this month:

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This is just ONE of the colections you get in The Digi Files and Digi Game during January, 2012. See the others we have revealed so far and don’t miss out by becoming a member!

Here are some layouts created using Tracie Stroud’s contribution:

LO1

Layout by Karen. Supplies: I Am Beautiful by Tracie Stroud; Template by The Tattered Pear.

Layout by Heddy. Supplies: I Am Beautiful by Tracie Stroud; DSD 2011 Template by Crystal Livesay.

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: I Am Beautiful by Tracie Stroud; Fonts: Jailbird Jenna and Gimme Space.

Layout by Melissa. Supplies: I Am Beautiful by Tracie Stroud; Story Starters (word art) by CD Muckosky; Font: CK Ali Handwriting.

Layout by SharonS, additional supplies: Template: Rainy Dayz Designs: Font: SF Katie

You can see more layouts created with this kit on our “Team Inspiration” page.

InTheStudioWith
My husband Michael and I have been married for 11 1/2 years. We met at college the first day of my freshman year and his senior year, and we’ve been together ever since. We have 3 beautiful kiddos, ages 6, 4, and 1. We live in Shreveport, Louisiana. I’m addicted to reading, Pinterest, and chocolate. My very favorite pasttime is just staying home and having fun as a family.

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I created this layout for a challenge that required using 12 different patterned papers. I absolutely love including lots of different papers in my layouts, so this was right up my alley.

howitallstarted3
I started paper scrapping about 10 years ago. After our first baby was born, I didn’t have the space or time for all the supplies. I didn’t know about digital at that time, so I just gave up scrapping altogether, but I really missed capturing those memories. When I was pregnant with our 2nd baby, everyone on the baby boards was raving about digital scrapping. I decided to try it, and I was hooked! After scrapping for a couple of years, I really wanted to try designing. I started selling in January of 2009.

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Colors are my biggest source of inspiration. I’m always drawn to a color pallette first, and I build my theme around a palette, instead of the other way around.

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Computer: I’m currently using a Toshiba laptop with Windows 7 and 4 GB of RAM. I desperately need to upgrade though, and I’m hoping to do that soon.

Program: I use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, both CS4. I use ACDSee Photo Manager to organize my files, and I use a Bamboo Fun tablet instead of a mouse.

Camera: Just a Nikon Coolpix point and shoot right now. It serves my needs for the moment.
tipstricks
Don’t be afraid to use a variety of patterns and color in your layouts! If you use small pieces and strips of patterned papers against a neutral background, your photos still take center stage.

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I created My Bliss during a difficult personal time. It speaks to my desire to always try to find the good in circumstances that may not be so great. No matter what we’re going through, we can always look around us and focus on the people that we love and the small blessings that we tend to take for granted.

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I created Rock The Shadows Layer Styles to try to give scrappers an easier, more versatile way to shadow their layouts, so I included versions for 3 different light sources, and versions for both Photoshop and Elements, all in one package. I can’t tell you how many emails and pm’s I’ve received about them. So many of my customers have thanked me for creating them, and have raved to me about how much simpler shadowing is because of them. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that I’ve been able to help scrappers simplify and enhance their creative process.

Here are some of my favorite products by Tracie Stroud:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using Tracie Stroud’s products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.

Receive 35% off your order of $5 or more from Tracie Stroud Designs with coupon code TSD_TDD_35on5; expires 02-15-12. May not be combined with other discounts, coupons or sales. Not valid on collabs or bundles.

Go have a look in Tracie Stroud’s store! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from her store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!

This post has 45 Comments...leave yours?
Posted in Contributor Feature Posted on January 16, 2012 by Steph | Tagged contributor feature, digi scrap supplies, reveal, The Digi Files, tracie stroud |

suzyQ scraps: The Pressure of Perfection

Post by Steph

DesignersStudio

I’m excited to be welcoming back SuzyQ Scraps to The Digi Files! Suzy’s designs are super playful, bright, and so perfect for scrapbooking many festivities and occasions. Her style is whimsical and include a child-like innocence. Her collections contain a variety of papers and elements that can be used for more serious subjects as well. Let’s take a closer look at “A Fresh Start” that is included in The Digi Files this month:

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Here are some layouts created using SuzyQ Scraps’s contribution:

Layout by Jacki. Supplies: A Fresh Start by SuzyQ Scraps; Fonts: Smartypants by Darcy Baldwin.

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: A Fresh Start by SuzyQ Scraps; Fonts: Eccentric and Traveling Typewriter.

Layout by Heddy. Supplies: A Fresh Start by SuzyQ Scraps; Fonts: They Once Were by Amy Martin.

Layout by Kim. Supplies: A Fresh Start by SuzyQ Scraps; Template by Gina Miller; Font: DJB Jenna by Darcy Baldwin.

Layout by Karen. Supplies: A Fresh Start by SuzyQ Scraps; Template by Emily Merritt; Font by Darcy Baldwin.

You can see more layouts created with this kit on our “Team Inspiration” page.

InTheStudioWith
I’m Suzy Iverson, wife to the love of my life and mother to my greatest adventure, a rambunctious little 4-year-old who was born to move mountains (at least, mountains of sand), and soon-to-be mommy to child #2, due in July. We recently relocated from the middle-of-nowhere (after 4 years!) to a lovely home in Provo, Utah.

I am a creator, a woman, a teacher, a leader, a designer, a writer … a dreamer. (See, I’m not all that different than you.)

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This is a layout from Project: Love, Me, a project that Ziggle Designs and I created to help scrapbookers share their personal journeys. Each month has its own theme, and every week we post a new prompt — so 52 total for the year. I made a commitment to participate in the project myself — I’ve completed 35 layouts so far (I’m just a bit behind). It’s been a really fantastic year of discovering more about me and sharing my experiences, thoughts, and feelings. From both a creator’s and a participant’s viewpoint, this project has been more work than I first envisioned. I’ve had moments when I’ve wanted to toss in my hat and give up … and I’ve shed more than a few frustrated tears … but the project has been oh so worth it, and I’m so glad to be a part of it.

May I share a tip? If you’re looking to get involved in any sort of long-term project, like Project 365 or a Project 52 like this one, be gentle with yourself. If you miss a few days or weeks here and there, that’s okay. Don’t let the “failures” discourage you — just jump back in wherever you are, and worry about catching up later, if you even want to catch up. And if you decide that the project is not something you want to commit to anymore, you can totally stop at any time.

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I scrapbooked my first pages as a teenager with cardstock and stickers. Years later I hadn’t moved beyond the basics, thought my pages looked blah, and hated the mess and how much time it took to get everything out and put it all away. So I started searching for a way to scrapbook on my computer and stumbled across digital scrapbooking — I had no idea there was an entire industry! I downloaded freebies for months until Christmas, when I was gifted Photoshop Elements (and discovered how truly horrible some of those freebies were).

Digital scrapbooking became my creative outlet. For once in my life, I was happy with the layouts I created — even surprised sometimes at how “good” they looked! I even made it on a couple of creative teams, which was so awesome!

As I began scrapbooking and studying the papers, elements, and alphas, I thought, “I bet I could do that … and I’d save a lot of money!” So I searched for any tutorial I could find and after a lot of trial and error gave away my first freebie in December 2008. Shortly thereafter I started selling my designs, and by November 2009 I was selling at Scrap Orchard. I feel like I’ve always been there. (And no, designing didn’t save me money … I still shop!)

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Oh, wow, everything … I was born to create — stories & characters & anything really. There’s something so satisfying about taking an idea or a dream and turning it into something tangible. My digital scrapbook designs are inspired by nature, splashes of color, my son, my husband, magazines, web pages … so many different things!

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Computer: My workhorse is an HP Pavilion that runs Windows 7. I have 16 GB of RAM, an awesome processor, and just recently updated the graphics card, so this baby is FAST! I can easily work with Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign all open at the same time. Love it! I use a 19″ LCD monitor … it’s next on the list to be upgraded.

Program: I design most of my creations in Illustrator CS4 (aside from realistic extracted items, like ribbons) and do the finishing touches in Photoshop CS5. I use InDesign CS5 for my e-books, and Camtasia Studio for my classes & videos.

Camera: I snap all my photos with a 10 MP Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 that I absolutely love, with 18x zoom … DSLR-like but for a fraction of the price and a fraction of the photographic skill (lol!). It does have a couple of options for different lenses, not that I know how to use those. My husband chose it because it could do video too. We got it for a steal of a deal during a Black Friday sale a few years back and we don’t plan to replace it anytime soon. It’s a very affordable and easy-to-use camera if you’re looking for something a bit more than a point-&-shoot, but aren’t ready to plunge into the DSLR world.

Anything Else: I only ever use a mouse for video games now — I’m completely hooked on my Wacom Intuos 4 tablet. LOVE IT!

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I’d love to share with TDD readers something I learned last year that has totally changed how I scrapbook, as well as how I approach a lot of things in my life — from housework to family stuff to hobbies.

“Perfect is great. Done is better.”

That’s not to say you should do your shabbiest work. But it’s okay if that scrapbook page isn’t completely perfect — it’s better done than sitting on your hard drive “collecting dust.” It’s okay if your photos aren’t professional quality — scrapbook them anyway. It’s okay if you aren’t the perfect storyteller, if you’re not great at grammar, if your spelling sucks … write the story anyway. Our flaws & imperfections make us unique and REAL.

How many times have you not finished something — maybe not even started something — because it wasn’t (or you weren’t) perfect?

Whether the “it” is scrapbooking, laundry, dishes, starting a new hobby … I’d love to encourage you to release yourself from the pressure of perfection, and just get it done!
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Wow, it’s SO hard to choose a favorite … but the one I absolutely LOVE is Raindrops & Rainbows. The colors were totally inspired by a birthday card I received. (Thanks, Aunt Sharisa!) The theme was inspired by life in general — ups & downs, sunny days & rainy days, rainbows of fortune & raindrops of disappointment. This collection, and its companion The Sun Will Come collection, really reflects how I felt about the postpartum depression I experienced after the birth of my son, as well as its aftermath and my healing. My emotions and thoughts and learnings from this life experience are poured into every paper and element. It’s truly a piece of my heart, a long time in the making.

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My most popular product is the A Life Expressed collection. I’ve received a lot of feedback about it — most customers say they purchased it because it’s so versatile — it’s perfect for the everyday layouts about everyday life. Because all the different pieces coordinate, they can easily mix-&-match and create page after page of unique layouts.

I can’t even remember now where the inspiration from the colors originally came from … it think it started with the green and I built it from there. I really wanted to create a collection that could be used again and again, something packed with value that would be an excellent choice for scrapbookers starting out in digital, and something big enough that you could create an entire album (like Project 365) without getting bored. I also wanted it to be available in smaller chunks, so if you only wanted part of it, you could just buy the kits that spoke to you. I think I came close to bringing that vision into reality. My customers certainly seem satisfied with it. But wow, it was a TON of work. I still have nightmares about that one.

Here are some of my favorite products by SuzyQ Scraps:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using SuzyQ Scraps’s products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.

Save 35% off SuzyQ Scraps with coupon code LUVtdd_25_sQs; expires 1-31-12. Not valid on collabs. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

Go have a look in SuzyQ Scraps’s store! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from her store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!

This post has 49 Comments...leave yours?
Posted in Contributor Feature Posted on January 12, 2012 by Steph | Tagged contributor feature, digi scrap supplies, reveal, SuzyQ Scraps, The Digi Files |

Roadside Designs: Credit to my Sister

Post by Steph

DesignersStudio

I instantly fell in love with Roadside Designs templates. She has a template pack to fit every style of scrapper. From simple to layered and clustered and everything in-between. She even has 8.5×11 for the landscape and portrait scrappers of the bunch! Roadside Designs really spoiled us this month with LOTS of goodies in The Digi Files! Let’s take a closer look at “Down Digi Lane Maps” that is included in The Digi Files this month:

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Here are some layouts created using Roadside Designs’s contribution:

Layout by Kim. Supplies: Down Digi Lane Maps by Roadside Designs; A Magical Place by Connie Prince; Fonts: Sugar Shack Max’d Out by Darcy Baldwin Fontography and PMN Caecelia.

Layout by Jacki. Supplies: Down Digi Lane Maps by Roadside Designs; JellyBean Toes (alpha) by CD Muckosky; Life Composition by Viva Artistry.

Layout by Karen. Supplies: Down Digi Lane Maps by Roadside Designs; Wild About You by Valorie Wibbens and Heather Hess; Sara Gleason kraft paper.

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: Down Digi Lane Maps by Roadside Designs; Everyday Moments by Secret Stash; Tick Tock by Ziggle Designs; Font: Traveling Typewriter.

Layout by Tara. Supplies: Down Digi Lane Maps by Roadside Designs; Word Art from Ali Edwards; Just Be Kit from Dianne Rigdon; Font: AmerType Md BT.

You can see more layouts created with this kit on our “Team Inspiration” page.

InTheStudioWith
I was born and raised in Northern Virginia, the suburbs of Washington D.C, USA. I have been married for 20 years and have a 12 year old son, 18 year old daughter, and a 130 pound puppy, the subjects of most my layouts. I work part-time at a Great Harvest Bakery near my home to keep me busy during the days and when I am not working, designing, or scrapping, you will find me out on the soccer fields, field hockey fields, and/or on the side of the wrestling mats watching and cheering on my kids play and/or compete (ok, maybe not cheering, more like screaming).

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LOMM

howitallstarted3
I will have to give credit to my sister. She is the one who introduced me to paper scrapbooking back in 1991. She created a wedding album for me. She taught me all about preserving our memories, about using proper materials, and about journaling events. I was addicted. In 2005 I fell upon digital scrapbooking and I never looked back. I don’t create much with my paper scraps so I sold most of what I had.

I have been on many creative teams before my designing days and always loved creating templates for challenges. I enjoyed it so much, I set up a blog and I started giving away free templates. In April of 2010, Sharon with KsharonK Designs fell upon my free template blog and asked me to join Two Little Pixels; and in May, 2010, the Roadside Designs Shoppe was open for business. With the closing of Two Little Pixels, Roadside Designs relocated and is now exclusive to CatScrap.

Why Roadside Designs? I traveled much of my youth, driving across country most summers in my parents 1974 Winnebago Camper. I also traveled every winter to our vacation home in Vermont. Traveling in our camper was always something we were doing along with playing road games, coloring, reading, taking photos, collecting travel mementos, helping my dad navigate, reading road signs for roadside stops, and picking out which campgrounds we would stay for the night. Road travel became such a familiar way of life for me. So Roadside Designs naturally became a name that worked for me.

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Most of my inspiration comes from the photos and kits I have used to create my own layouts. I have a few designers I love and have followed for years. I also love browsing graphic design blogs for unique and fun inspiration.

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Computer: I have a Mac Desktop. I LOVE it. I have had it almost 4 years now, so I am ready to upgrade . . . in my dreams for now. My current MAC has a 2.8 Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB memory. I added more memory on my own at the time of purchase.

Program: Adobe Suite CS3. I use photoshop to do most my designing. I am still learning illustrator. I also have Lightroom, but a very old version.

Camera: I have a Nikon D-80 I have had for many years. My favorite lens is my Nikor 18 – 200 mm. Between my daughter who is taking classes in school for photography, and my husband who is in the Real Estate industry and does the 360 rotating images for homes, we own many lens.

Anything Else: I also have a Wacom Bamboo tablet, I am still learning how to use it.
tipstricks
I would say my best tip I have to offer is shadows make or break a layout. I love a layout with great shadow work. I love to browse the Internet for any tutorials and/or advise on how to perfect shadows. Learning different techniques is worth the time spent. Practicing on different types of elements and papers is truly gratifying because the results really will show in your layout. My templates come with shadows on each layer, which can be easily modified, left as is, or removed so you can create your own.

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My favorite product seems to always be my newest. Road Map Collection 6 and 6R are on the top of the list now.

I am a simple with a twist, template designer. I love simplicity and layering papers with a touch of elements. Each of my collections include a few actual elements. These are always the elements I feel help complete a layout or add to its unique design. I am an 8.5 x 11 scrapper and I know how hard it is to find rectangular templates so all my map collections come in 12 x 12 AND 8.5 x 11.

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My most popular product is my 12 x 12 Travel Journal – Western Frontier Template Album.

I was inspired to create this album from my folders and folders of vacation photos left unscrapped. I probably have more vacation photos than all other combined, but don’t we all? I have several trips where I took hundreds of photos as we drove around visiting different sites. I wanted to have consistency in my vacation layouts and so I decided to create an album and scrap a weeklong summer trip we took to the Grand Canyon and Lake Powel, USA. I created this album so each day of my trip was a matching 2 page spread with a place to document the day in our trip and location each day. This album provides room for journaling your trip and multiple photos on every page.

Here are some of my favorite products by Roadside Designs:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using Roadside Designs’s products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.

Save 30% off Roadside Designs through February 1, 2012 with coupon code 30off4U.

Go have a look in Roadside Designs’s store! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from her store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!

This post has 52 Comments...leave yours?
Posted in Contributor Feature Posted on January 9, 2012 by Steph | Tagged contributor feature, digi scrap supplies, reveal, roadside designs, templates, The Digi Files |

DDE: Magazine Ads and Junk Mail

Post by Steph

DesignersStudio

I’ve been a fan of Digital Essentials since I found the site in 2004! For a long time, being on Gina’s teams was a dream of mine. I was thrilled when I was accepted to be a part of her CT in 2007 and stayed with her until shortly after the launch of The Daily Digi (I cannot believe her oldest is graduating from high school…I still remember his middle school graduation!). Gina is definitely a seasoned veteran in the digital design industry. She has always had a clean, simple, shabby style that I have find so inspiring and easy to scrap with. I find myself thinking, “Wow! What a great idea for an element!” when I look at her previews. Gina is just as sweet as she is talented and I am thrilled to be welcoming her back Let’s take a closer look at “Restoration” that is included in The Digi Files this month:

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Restoration is included in The Digi Files and Digi Game during January 2012. You can get a copy by becoming a member.

Here are some layouts created using Gina Cabrera’s contribution:

Layout by Heddy. Supplies: Restoration by Gina Cabrera; Hope Collab (template).

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: Restoration by Gina Cabrera; Fonts: Traveling Typewriter.

Layout by Lauren. Supplies: Restoration by Gina Cabrera; Freehand doodles by Lauren.

Layout by Aaron. Supplies: Restoration by Gina Cabrera; Fresh Cut (template) by Sara Gleason.

Layout by Kim. Supplies: Restoration by Gina Cabrera; Template by Cindy Schneider; Font: Beanpole by DJB Fontography.

You can see more layouts created with this kit on our “Team Inspiration” page.

InTheStudioWith
My name is Gina Cabrera. I am a wife and mom to two wonderful boys. My oldest son (18) is leaving for Air Force basic training in less than one month. I am so going to miss him

I live in sunny Phoenix, Arizona and love to go fishing and camping with my family.

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I decided to go back through some older photos and found these of my oldest son’s first dance. They weren’t the best quality so I decided to tightly crop them and use elements that reflected his personality.

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Supplies: All by DDE.

howitallstarted3
I started paper scrapping when my first son was born in 1993. In 2002, I purchased my first digital camera and decided to create my own Christmas photo card. I immediately fell in love with creating my own designs and enjoyed the challenge of making my digital layouts look like paper. Wanting to share my designs with others, I launched my site Digital Design Essentials in 2004.

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I am really inspired by magazine ads and junk mail.

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Computer: Windows XP 64bit, AMD Athlon Dual Core, 3.21 GHz, 7.50 GB of RAM

Program: Photoshop CS5, Illustrator CS2

Camera: Nikon D70 with a kit lens, 50mm and 70-300.

Anything Else: 6X11 Wacom Intuos 3

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In Photoshop, I use clipping masks for almost everything. Creating paper piecings, recoloring elements, creating patterns and so much more. Can’t live without ctr+alt+g.

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A favorite kit of mine is Photographic Memory. I love the playfulness and the quirky nature of it. The colors were inspired by a retro ad. I love retro colors.

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I went out of my comfort zone while creating this kit and am so glad I did. I learned quite a bit and have grown in my designing since then. The colors were inspired by primary school colors.

Here are some of my favorite products by Gina Cabrera:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using Gina Cabrera’s products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.

Save 30% off any order with discount code DAILYDIGI30; offer expires 01-31-12.

Go have a look in Gina Cabrera’s store! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from her store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!

This post has 50 Comments...leave yours?
Posted in Contributor Feature Posted on January 5, 2012 by Steph | Tagged contributor feature, digi scrap supplies, Digital design essentials, Gina Cabrera, reveal, The Digi Files |

K Studio: I Regret

Post by Steph

DesignersStudio

I’m happy to welcome back K Studio to The Digi Files! Kristen is not only an awesome designer with gorgeous and inspirational designs, but she is a big Daily Digi fan and supporter! I love so many things about K Studio designs; her cute doodles, great eye for colors, and unique embellishments. she includes so many fun things in her collections that are sure to inspire great layouts (many members on our team shared ways her designs inspired their layouts). Let’s take a closer look at “Reflect” that is included in The Digi Files this month:

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Here are some layouts created using K Studio’s contribution:

Layout by Jacki. Supplies: Reflect by K Studio.

Layout by Karen. Supplies: Reflect by K Studio(paper recolored).

Layout by Kim. Supplies: Reflect by K Studio; Template by Kaye Wieniecki; Fonts: Clementine Sketch and Avenir.

Layout by Katie. Supplies: Reflect by K Studio.

Layout by Melissa. Supplies: Reflect by K Studio.

You can see more layouts created with this kit on our “Team Inspiration” page.

InTheStudioWith
Hi! My name is Kristen Rice, otherwise known as K Studio. I live in a suburb outside of Columbus, Ohio with my 3 kids, my husband of 10 years, and our dog. We love to spend time together, and with our family and friends. My favorite things to do (outside of digital scrapbooking) are going to church, taking long walks, photography, and relaxing with a cup of warm coffee.

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We do a joint birthday party for all 3 of our kids in the summer to celebrate their birthdays with our families. This layout was created to capture the happy moment of blowing out the candles on their birthday cake!

howitallstarted3
I really did not ever get into paper scrapbooking…I dabbled in it for a small period before searching and discovering digital scrapbooking, which was a much better fit for me since I was already a web and graphic designer! I digital scrapbooked for a year before I started designing, and when I started designing, I started out with templates and then went to designing alphas, and then kits and other products.

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My kids! My family is my biggest inspiration…and my faith. Sometimes a color scheme will call out to me and I’ll design a kit based around it, but most times I’ll have a theme in mind, and then find a color scheme to compliment it.

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Computer: I run Windows 7 on my Dell laptop. I use my laptop most because it is easy to quickly check my emails and attend to things, since I am also a full-time stay at home mom. (However, the model of Dell laptop that I have has had a lot of problems since I purchased it, so when it comes time to upgrade, I’ll likely experiment with a different brand, such as HP.)

Program: For my digital scrapbooking needs, I primarily use (and love) Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightroom. I also use Adobe Dreamweaver for my web designing, Mozilla Firefox for browsing the web, and 7-Zip for compressing and extracting folders/files. For keeping my computer running up to speed, I like to use CCleaner and Defraggler. To manage and organize my hundreds of fonts, I use Suitcase Fusion. I think that’s the majority of them, LOL!

Camera: I use a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi, and I love it!

Anything Else: I use my awesome Canon scanner for my extracted ribbons, frames, and such.

tipstricks
My biggest tip that I can give to digital scrapbookers is to quality check the products you have purchased (or downloaded for free). I regret all the time that I spent on layouts with flawed products when I was first scrapbooking. I didn’t know how to quality check anything and once I learned how, I realized that most of my stash was made up of designs that I couldn’t even use because the quality was so poor. It’s hard to tell because previews can be so deceiving, but viewing things at 100% (to check for clarity) and applying a red stroke to designs can really make a big difference!

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I really like this product because each of the overlays/borders can be used for so many different types of products and not just restricted to digital scrapbooking pages. Plus, it is versatile for both boys and girls (since many different kits were used in making the borders) and is super simple and easy, because essentially all you have to do is drop a border in your layout, add some photos/wordart, and you’re done!

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One of my oldest, yet still most popular product is my Comic Hero kit. I had a lot of fun creating this one and was never sure how well it would do, but right from when it was released, it’s always been a big seller for me!

Here are some of my favorite products by K Studio:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using K Studio’s products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.

Take Note! Kstudio is having a 35% off Birthday Sale. And, The Daily Digi readers get an EXTRA 10% off with coupon code kS_tDd_eXtrA10. Offer valid January 3th-7th, 2012.

Go have a look in K Studio’s store! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from her store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!

This post has 54 Comments...leave yours?
Posted in Contributor Feature Posted on January 2, 2012 by Steph | Tagged digital scrapbook designer, digital scrapbooking supplies, k studio |

Studio Dawn Inskip: Loving What You Create

Post by Steph

DesignersStudio

I think the thing that strikes me the most about Dawn’s designs are her doodles! I LOVE them! Her little people are just adorable and always bring a smile to my face! Because of Dawn’s super cute and unique doodles, she has some great things included in her kits that you won’t find anywhere else! Because Dawn also still makes scrapping a priority, here designs are very scrapable! Let’s take a closer look at “White Christmas” that is included in The Digi Files this month:

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Here are some layouts created using Studio Dawn Inskip’s contribution:

Layout by Jen. Supplies: White Christmas by Studio Dawn Inskip; Fonts: DJB JenLin.

Layout by Karen. Supplies: White Christmas by Studio Dawn Inskip; Yin Designs template.

Layout by Kimberly. Supplies: White Christmas by Studio Dawn Inskip; Heidi Swapp Handwritten Christmas Brushes; Font: Traveling Typewriter; CK Ali’s Hand; 1942 report; Budmo; Typewriter Scribbled; 28 Days Later; Baby Boston; Birch Std.

Layout by Kim. Supplies: White Christmas by Studio Dawn Inskip; Template by Cindy Schneider; Font: CK Aubrey.

Layout by Anne. Supplies: White Christmas by Studio Dawn Inskip; Fonts: Scribbled Typewiter and Pea Sugar Noodles.

You can see more layouts created with this kit on our “Team Inspiration” page.

InTheStudioWith
I live in England (a little North of London) with my very patient hubby Paul and our daughter Carly … she’s in her final University year, and is a total inspiration. Our baby lizard Marvin, cockatiel Sparky and 2 budgies also share our home.
I’m happiest either at home with family and friends or at a zoo or wildlife park – animals have a huge impact on our lives.

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I usually struggle with multi-photo pages, but when put together ‘A Wonderful World Collection’, it inspired me to create this layout, which documents our A-Z of Disney character greetings over the years. Time-line pages like this are fun, so many memories all wrapped up in a 12×12″ square. It’s not necessarily my best creative page, but it’s definitely meaningful to me.

howitallstarted3
I started as a paper scrapper in 2002 and only paper scrapped for a few years.
I slowly progressed to digital, first making freebie mini-kits. I very quickly became hooked and haven’t paper scrapped since. Paper scrapping used to cost me a small fortune, not to mention all the mess and storage ! Had a major clear-out of paper scrapping stuff this year and it feels so good to be clutter-free. I love the whole process of digital designing and make time to scrap a couple of pages a week at least. After being in a job I hated, I now design (and scrap) full time.

Being surrounded by an incredible team of staff and designers at ScrapbookGraphics, it’s a real pleasure doing what I do.

My favourite quote “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” – kind of sums me up right now.
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Even the smallest of things – colour palettes,home decor, TV and magazine adverts, places we’ve visited… every day life and our love of animals – majority of my kits will contain a critter (or two!). I love browsing Pinterest too, it inspires me in so many ways.

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Computer: Desktop PC
I run Windows 7 (correction, I battle with Windows 7)
8.00 GB RAM
24″ monitor
My ‘office’ is tucked away, so I often scrap on a laptop in front of the TV and be sociable!
I rarely design on the laptop
Program: Photoshop CS5
Camera: Nikon Coolpics P90 (almost always on auto!!)
Anything Else: Bamboo Tablet
Canon Scanner
EHD’s (several) and DVD’s
Most of my designing is done with real artists materials:
Fine-tip waterproof artist pens
Watercolour paints and crayons
Artists paper (various, depending on colour medium I’m using)

tipstricks
My tip for designing would be to stay true to yourself – do what comes naturally or what inspires you – loving what you create will show in the end product.

I also love to scrap and being an ex-paper scrapper, my favourite pages are those which look as if you could reach out and touch them.

IMHO shadows can make or break a page – I still experiment with light direction and depth of shadow and one of these days, I’ll get it right. LOL

My scrapping time is precious and I’ll often turn to templates, especially when somebody else has already done the thinking for me.

BIG TIP – back-up, back-up, back-up … I backup regularly – onto EHDs and DVD’s – kept in different parts of the house.

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At the moment, my favourite product is ‘Wrecked Collection’ … it’s a bit grungy and very me! It allows me to create paper looking touchy-feely pages – totally inspired by the way I love a scrapbook layout to look.

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I guess A Mixed up Fairytale is popular because it’s so versatile and appeals to a wide audience. It’s a perfect kit for digi and hybrid as well as for card-making. It’s a riot of colour, appealing to the child in us all.

Here are some of my favorite products by Studio Dawn Inskip:

Here are some more inspirational layouts using Studio Dawn Inskip’s products. All of the layouts are linked to the originals with credits.

Save 20% off all orders over $5 at Studio Dawn Inskip throughout December 2011 with coupon code: ditdd20pc. Be sure to be logged into the store before redeeming coupon .

Go have a look in Studio Dawn Inskip’s store! We will randomly select a winner from the comments to win $10.00 in product from her store! (Comments must be posted before midnight EST to qualify)!

This post has 35 Comments...leave yours?
Posted in Contributor Feature Posted on December 19, 2011 by Steph |

Category Archives: Contributor Feature

Layout by Karen. Supplies: Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Stolen Moments; Fonts: .

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Stolen Moments; Fonts: DJB DigiKim.

Layout by Anne. Supplies: Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Stolen Moments; Fonts: Noteworthy.

Layout by Lauren. Supplies: Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Stolen Moments.

Layout by SharonS

Layout by Karen. Supplies: Love is by Sabrina’s Creations.

Layout by Kimberly. Supplies: Love is by Sabrina’s Creations; Fonts: Vrinda, CK Ali’s Hand; Coffee Shop Sunkissed Photoshop Action.

Layout by Tara. Supplies: Love is by Sabrina’s Creations.

Layout by Melissa. Supplies: Love is by Sabrina’s Creations.

Layout by Aaron. Supplies: Love is by Sabrina’s Creations; It’s a Date by Zoe Pearn; Shadows by One Little Bird and Jennifer Barrette; Font: Digi Jenlin by Darcy Baldwin.

Expired collab between Sabrina’s Creations and Kelley Mickus Designs, wishing and hoping.

Layout by Heddy. Supplies: A Whimsical Heart by geniaBeana.

Layout by Jacki. Supplies: A Whimsical Heart by geniaBeana; Fonts: Giggles by Steph.

Layout by Aaron. Supplies: A Whimsical Heart by geniaBeana; Template by Emily Merrit; Font: Play Misty for Me by Darcy Baldwin.

Layout by Karen. Supplies: A Whimsical Heart by geniaBeana; Template by Biograffiti.

Layout by Katie. Supplies: A Whimsical Heart by geniaBeana; Template by Kay Miller; Font: Myriad Web Pro.

Layout by Lauren. Supplies: Your Song by Paula Kesselring; Doodles by Lauren.

Layout by Jacki. Supplies: Your Song by Paula Kesselring; Concert Alpha by Traci Reed; Manger by Wetfish Designs.

Layout by Amelia. Supplies: Your Song by Paula Kesselring; Holiday Templates No. 002 by Simply Tiffany; Font: VT Portable Remington.

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: Your Song by Paula Kesselring; Fonts: Small Typewriting Medium.

Layout by SharonS, additional supplies: Template: Simply.Scraps, Font: CK Extra

Layout by Karen. Supplies: I Am Beautiful by Tracie Stroud; Template by The Tattered Pear.

Layout by Heddy. Supplies: I Am Beautiful by Tracie Stroud; DSD 2011 Template by Crystal Livesay.

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: I Am Beautiful by Tracie Stroud; Fonts: Jailbird Jenna and Gimme Space.

Layout by Melissa. Supplies: I Am Beautiful by Tracie Stroud; Story Starters (word art) by CD Muckosky; Font: CK Ali Handwriting.

Layout by SharonS, additional supplies: Template: Rainy Dayz Designs: Font: SF Katie

Layout by Jacki. Supplies: A Fresh Start by SuzyQ Scraps; Fonts: Smartypants by Darcy Baldwin.

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: A Fresh Start by SuzyQ Scraps; Fonts: Eccentric and Traveling Typewriter.

Layout by Heddy. Supplies: A Fresh Start by SuzyQ Scraps; Fonts: They Once Were by Amy Martin.

Layout by Kim. Supplies: A Fresh Start by SuzyQ Scraps; Template by Gina Miller; Font: DJB Jenna by Darcy Baldwin.

Layout by Karen. Supplies: A Fresh Start by SuzyQ Scraps; Template by Emily Merritt; Font by Darcy Baldwin.

Layout by Kim. Supplies: Down Digi Lane Maps by Roadside Designs; A Magical Place by Connie Prince; Fonts: Sugar Shack Max’d Out by Darcy Baldwin Fontography and PMN Caecelia.

Layout by Jacki. Supplies: Down Digi Lane Maps by Roadside Designs; JellyBean Toes (alpha) by CD Muckosky; Life Composition by Viva Artistry.

Layout by Karen. Supplies: Down Digi Lane Maps by Roadside Designs; Wild About You by Valorie Wibbens and Heather Hess; Sara Gleason kraft paper.

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: Down Digi Lane Maps by Roadside Designs; Everyday Moments by Secret Stash; Tick Tock by Ziggle Designs; Font: Traveling Typewriter.

Layout by Tara. Supplies: Down Digi Lane Maps by Roadside Designs; Word Art from Ali Edwards; Just Be Kit from Dianne Rigdon; Font: AmerType Md BT.

Layout by Heddy. Supplies: Restoration by Gina Cabrera; Hope Collab (template).

Layout by Jenn. Supplies: Restoration by Gina Cabrera; Fonts: Traveling Typewriter.

Layout by Lauren. Supplies: Restoration by Gina Cabrera; Freehand doodles by Lauren.

Layout by Aaron. Supplies: Restoration by Gina Cabrera; Fresh Cut (template) by Sara Gleason.

Layout by Kim. Supplies: Restoration by Gina Cabrera; Template by Cindy Schneider; Font: Beanpole by DJB Fontography.

Supplies: All by DDE.

Layout by Jacki. Supplies: Reflect by K Studio.

Layout by Karen. Supplies: Reflect by K Studio(paper recolored).

Layout by Kim. Supplies: Reflect by K Studio; Template by Kaye Wieniecki; Fonts: Clementine Sketch and Avenir.

Layout by Katie. Supplies: Reflect by K Studio.

Layout by Melissa. Supplies: Reflect by K Studio.

Layout by Jen. Supplies: White Christmas by Studio Dawn Inskip; Fonts: DJB JenLin.

Layout by Karen. Supplies: White Christmas by Studio Dawn Inskip; Yin Designs template.

Layout by Kimberly. Supplies: White Christmas by Studio Dawn Inskip; Heidi Swapp Handwritten Christmas Brushes; Font: Traveling Typewriter; CK Ali’s Hand; 1942 report; Budmo; Typewriter Scribbled; 28 Days Later; Baby Boston; Birch Std.

Layout by Kim. Supplies: White Christmas by Studio Dawn Inskip; Template by Cindy Schneider; Font: CK Aubrey.

Layout by Anne. Supplies: White Christmas by Studio Dawn Inskip; Fonts: Scribbled Typewiter and Pea Sugar Noodles.

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