Archives for November 2024

Black Friday SALES! $2.00 Flash Sales & MORE!

November 29, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Hello my wonderful scrappers! I hope you had a wonderful week!
During this season of gratitude, we want to take a moment to express our sincere appreciation for your ongoing support. While Thanksgiving may not be a part of everyone’s tradition, the spirit of gratitude is universal, and we are incredibly thankful for YOU!

In the spirit of giving, we are excited to share our gratitude with exclusive Black Friday deals just for you!

  • 50% Off Site-Wide Spectacular! (Some restrictions apply.)
    Your wish-list is about to get a whole lot shorter! Enjoy a jaw-dropping 50% off on all your favorites.
  • Daily $2.00 Flash Sales from 11/29-12/2!
    Hold onto your shopping carts! Our daily $2.00 Flash Sales from 11/24 to 11/28 promise sizzling steals you won’t want to miss. Swing by each day to discover the treasures up for grabs.
  • Special Black Friday Deals, Grab Bags, Build Your Own, and More! The excitement doesn’t stop there! Brace yourself for our Special Black Friday Deals, irresistible Grab Bags, Build Your Own bundles, and exclusive coupon offers. This is your chance to curate a shopping experience tailored just for you!

Who is ready to SHOP?!!?

 

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking, Fresh Baked, GingerBread Ladies, sales Tagged With: , , ,

Tutorial Tuesday (Photoshop Elements)

November 26, 2024 by 1 Comment

Quick Trick: Templates Without Drop Shadows

Templates are real time-savers (once you decide which of your hundreds of options you’ll use… speaking for myself) by literally telling you want to do. Many of them have integrated drop shadow Styles, which are super-easy to Copy and Paste onto your papers and elements, no great effort required. But some designers choose not to apply drop shadow Styles to their templates… which makes then less attractive to me, especially for repeat use. But I’ve come up with a bit of a hack for that! It only takes a few minutes and sets me up for even more options. Let’s talk about it.

For this tip to work, I’ll be using commercially-available drop shadow Styles, rather than creating a bunch of custom shadows. I can always change that up as I go along later. I’ll show you some options that are available in the GingerScraps Store:

Aimee Harrison‘s are pretty realistic. [Click on her name to be transported right to the Store!]

Scraps-N-Pieces has a simplified set.

Karen Schulz has LOTS of Styles and Actions in her bag of tricks.

Karen even has an Action that customizes your shadows for you! I haven’t tried it, but it’s been tested with Photoshop Elements 2018, 2019, 2020 using Windows, Photoshop Elements 2018 using a Mac and CC2020 in Windows so I have no doubt it would work for me. [Note to self: TRY THIS!!]

Okay, so now that’s been set up, I open my shadow-less template [Connie Prince Unwind 1]. I’m going to add shadows to ALL the layers, in batches by type. I’ll activate all the paper layers by click>CTRL/CMD>clicking on them one after the other until they’re all lit up. I start at the bottom, background layer and work my way up, but the other direction would also work.

Once I’ve got them all active, I’ll click on the Styles button at the bottom of the Layers Panel. Then using the Style Set Selector button, I’ll choose the Shadow Styles set I want to use. [Karen Schulz’] Hovering the cursor over the thumbnails, the type of shadow will appear so I can select a Paper Shadow. Then I click on it.

All the paper layers are now shadowed!

Working systematically, I’ll activate all the element types in the same way, adding the most appropriate shadow Style to each of them. For example, I’d activate all the flowers next, then use a flower shadow Style to add shadows to all of them at once. Then I could move on to leaves, flair, whatever layers remain unshadowed, until the whole template has a shadow on every layer. It really only takes a couple of minutes! Once that’s done, I’ll Save the shadowed version of the template in the same folder, with a new name [Connie Prince Unwind 1 shadowed] so I know which is which. Then I can go ahead and create my layout, knowing I can reuse the template later and the shadows will be there for me.

This may not be something you’d ever use, but now you know you have options.

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Creative Style, Digital Scrapbooking, GingerBread Ladies, Theres An App For That, Tutorials Tagged With:

Fresh Baked Friday at GingerScraps! November 22, 2024

November 22, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Welcome to another Friday! I hope you have all had a great week.

Remember any $10 spent in the store gets you this great collab.

Now let’s see what new items are in the store this week.

If you complete any 10 challenges this month, you get this gorgeous collab as a reward! (Or a variety of other choices, visit the forum for all the details).

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking, Fresh Baked, GingerBread Ladies Tagged With: , ,

Tutorial Tuesday (Individual Style)

November 19, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Challenge Spotlight: Quote Challenge

I hope I’m finding all of you in good health and good spirits! I had a COVID booster yesterday and feel a bit off today – poor sleep, sore arm, shoulder and neck, headache – which I expected. (I’ve had WAY worse reactions before that put me right in bed for a day… this is nothing.) So today is a bit low-key over here. The Challenge I chose, the Quote Challenge, is one I’ve only participated in once or twice. I love using quotes as journal prompts but find I can’t force it. That may be why there are only eight layouts for examination today. I’m showing them in the order they were posted to the Challenge thread. As usual, each layout is linked to its spot in the Gallery, simply click on the Scrapper‘s username and you’ll be whisked right to it.

The quote CathyK chose for this month reads: “We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.” ― Ellen Marie Wiseman  Let’s see how it’s been interpreted.

Up first is alexandergirl68. Her layout is simple, placing the focus on a casual photo of her extended family. The quote forms the entirety of her journaling. I only just noticed she’s matched the plaid shirt of the central figure in her photo with paper. How clever!

Our second layout is by pinklily. She’s diligently catching up with a Project 52 album and for the week of November 28-December 4, 2022, her chronology is so sad! She has used the quote as a sort of mental pep talk.

I love the ombre paper cinna has used for her background. It works beautifully with the other soft colours she chose to accompany her photo. She’s using the quote as her journaling to reflect her gratitude for the people she has in her life.

How beautiful is this layout by lm44west?! That grungy background and elegant cluster that pull colours from her photo creates something very special. Her use of the quote as a caption is quite effective.

For her layout, trinanne made the quote a theme, reflected in the photos of her family she’s used here. The grid style is ideal for this type of layout.

This layout by formbygirl transforms the quote with typography into a word art statement. The emphasis on “together” is reflected in her photos. Her colour choices meld with the photos so beautifully!

I adore the philosophical direction justpennys has taken here. That grungy background makes the cluster pop, and the quote is more of a guide than a statement.

When I look at this layout, I feel the pull of yin and yang… good and not-so-good. I think that’s what yvonne55 is conveying with her use of the quote. Most marriages/relationships have ups and downs, good and not good days, and she’s reminding us that as long as we meet our challenges together, we can do hard things.

Have these ladies given you some inspiration?

 

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Challenge Spotlight, Creative Style, Digital Scrapbooking, Spotlight Challenge, Tutorials Tagged With:

Fresh Baked & $1.50 Bake Sale *NOW OPEN* @ GingerScraps

November 14, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Happy Friday scrappers!! We’re serving up some creative treats for you this week! Check out our latest Fresh Baked products — bursting with new designs and perfect for all your digital scrapbooking projects. Plus, it’s time to dig into our $1.50 Bake Sale, where you’ll find incredible deals on select products!

Remember any $10 spent in the store gets you this great collab.

Now let’s see what new items are in the store you can use on those new (or old) memories.

AND the $1.50 Bake Sale starts NOW too!! Here is a peak of what is included this month

If you complete any 10 challenges this month, you get this gorgeous collab as a reward! (Or a variety of other choices, visit the forum for all the details).

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking

Tutorial Tuesday (Photoshop Elements)

November 12, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Rerun: Raindrops with Photoshop (Elements)

PDF Version : https://bit.ly/3YTcqgI

I’ve had a lot going on the last couple of weeks, with more yet to come, and I’m mentally exhausted. But rather than making excuses I thought I’d crank up the WayBack Machine and revisit a fun technique from 6 years ago… digital raindrops! (They look a lot like the ones that blasted my windows today.)

I started with a 12×12 blank, transparent canvas. Then I chose the Elliptical Marquee tool to make my droplets.

Water droplets are spherical when they’re suspended in space and have a domed appearance when they’re on a surface. So I set the Tool Options to Fixed Ratio 1:1 to give me a perfect circle. I clicked-and-dragged out my first droplet and filled it with white using the Paint Bucket.

You can click-and-drag out a random (odd) number of drops of varying sizes using that method, or you can just copy that first one then resize them to suit.

I made 5 round drops to start with. Then, because the photo I used in my layout looked stormy, I thought I’d add some falling drops too. The Custom Shape tool has a raindrop in the default shapes, so it was pretty simple to click-and-drag out a raindrop using white again.

I want to be able to resize and alter the shape a little bit, but there’s a raindrop!

To be able to make changes to the image, I Simplified the layer.

Then I could change the angle on the drop to match the direction the rain would be falling from in the photo. I copied (CTRL/CMD>J)the layer a few times and resized them randomly.

After I had a good (odd) number of droplets, I Merged all the layers together. (CTRL/CMD>E) That way I could apply my next few steps to all of them in one click.

We’ve talked about Styles before in several other tutorials. What they are is a group of adjustments that make the layer take on a different look. Way down at the bottom of the list of Styles in PSE’s defaults is one called Wow Plastic. That’s the one I used. The menu looks like this.

One click on that Wow Plastic Aqua Blue turned them all into this.

I felt the blue was too blue, so I double-clicked on the fx icon on the layer in the Layers panel to get into the adjustment menu. I changed the blue on the shadow layer to one much lighter, and I turned off the Outer Glow setting because it made the drops look like they had a wire ring around them. The Bevel went to the max setting to make them look more spherical.

I also made sure the light source was coming from the same direction so there’s no visual conflict.

Below are my final adjustment settings.

As I’ve mentioned before, I have a variety of purchased Styles in my stash – including a water set, but I wanted to make sure everybody could accomplish the look without having to buy anything else.

But OH they’re blue!! So I dropped the Opacity to 75%.

Then it was time to see how they all looked on my layout. So I dropped them onto it and moved it into place.

They still looked too blue and obvious so I dropped the Opacity again to 75% and liked it better.

But alas, they’re not very WET. I didn’t want to mess up what I’d already done, so I Duplicated (CTRL/CMD>J)the layer to give me a throw-away if what I wanted to try didn’t work.

Because the two layers are only 75% Opacity, I can see the underlying layer through the top one. That’s helpful; I went into Enhance>Adjust Color>Adjust Hue/Saturation (CTRL/CMD>U) and played with that.

I took the Saturation down to 0 and increased the Lightness to +20. Now it’s got a stormy gray look to the top layer.

Now it’s looking more like a water droplet on the leaf, but not so much on the photo. Hmm.

There has to be a way…

Back I went to the Styles>Wow Plastic menu and this time I chose the Clear style. I’m still on that copy layer on top of my original droplet layer.

A few tweaks of the Style in the fx menu and NOW I’m happy!! For this adjustment I turned off the INNER Glow. You could follow all of these steps on your blank canvas before moving it to your layout now that I’ve done all the experimentation for you. 😉

You can see my entire layout in the Gallery. For the layout I used Ooh La La Scraps‘ Falling Slowly collection (sans Styles) and a photo I found on Pixabay.

Next week is Challenge Spotlight Tuesday. Maybe I’ll have time to actually participate in a Challenge before then. 😉

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Creative Style, Digital Scrapbooking, Tutorials Tagged With:

Fresh Baked Friday at GingerScraps! November 7, 2024

November 8, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Good Morning and Happy Friday! I hope you have a great week of capturing memories to scrap.

Remember any $10 spent in the store gets you this great collab.

Now let’s see what new items are in the store you can use on those new (or old) memories.

If you complete any 10 challenges this month, you get this gorgeous collab as a reward! (Or a variety of other choices, visit the forum for all the details).

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking, Fresh Baked, GingerBread Ladies Tagged With: , ,

Tutorial Tuesday (Potpourri)

November 5, 2024 by Leave a Comment

History in the Making

Today is Election Day in the United States. I think the whole world is holding our collective breath, waiting to see which direction history will take. As a Canadian, I feel confident in stating that we want the very best for our neighbours to the south, our most improtant trading partner with whom we share the longest undefended border in the world. I have a daughter, a son-in-law and three grandchildren who will be more directly affected by the outcome of this election, and the stakes are ever so much higher for many of you. The stress of it is palpable! To distract myself, I went Windows shopping in the GingerScraps store for coordinating kits. These are the ones I found.

This was the only election-specific kit in the store. But I found some others that could definitely apply…

There’s a decent chance America will elect its first woman President, and how much more appropriate could this kit be? Check out the title word art that is part of the bundle.

I do declare, that silhouette looks remarkably familiar.

Women have only had the right to vote in the US since 1920. Canada wasn’t that far ahead, granting suffrage to women in 1917. France waited until 1944 and Lichtenstein until 1984! Many people are saying it will be women who decide this election. Go get it, girls!!

I feel like this kit ticks a lot of patriotic boxes, as a reminder of how the United States came to be.

And almost every word in this word strip pack has been spoken at campaign rallies over the last few months.

I love this kit, which so ably defines the entire 248-year experiment that is the United States. It also epitomizes what should be the focus of every voter – freedom. Whatever that means to you, I pray you’ll have every opportunity to have the freedoms you deserve.

If you want to see more related kits, the search feature in the store will show you ALL the things! Just type in a key word and go.

Tomorrow, while everyone waits for the final word on the future of the nation, my son will be undergoing an urgent procedure related to his transplanted liver, so I’ll be a little distracted. But I’ll be keeping an eye on the outcomes of both!

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Creative Style, Digital Scrapbooking, GingerBread Ladies, Tutorials Tagged With:

Designer Spotlight: November 2024

November 3, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Twin Mom Scraps!

It’s my great pleasure to introduce to you Rebecca, aka Twin Mom Scraps. This is her first Spotlight!

One thing quickly became apparent when I was chatting with Rebecca… she doesn’t much like talking about her creative process, so we glossed over that stuff. Check it out…

J: Tell us about your path to designing.

R: I started designing back in 2008 (I think) and continued through 2013. Life got busy with young twin daughters and a booming business, so I took a 10 year retirement. Once my girls graduated high school, I decided to come back in 2023 (although, I never stopped scrapping and have completed albums for every year since they were born!)

J: Wow, I didn’t even start digiscrapping until 2010. Late to the party, as always. What are the colours you love to design with? Do you have one you really don’t like?

R: BLUE is definitely my favorite color. I don’t really have a least favorite, but I guess I am least likely to use the color ORANGE in my designs.

J: So all the “fall” kits are really hard for you, Got it! It’s funny though… I don’t love orange or yellow, but I LOVE scrapping autumn photos. While we’re talking about colour, do you have a green thumb?

R: I have a BROWN thumb. LOL. No matter how hard I try. Things go great for the first few weeks, but then always seem to take a turn…in the wrong direction.

J: I love growing plants, indoors and out. I get lots of compliments for my flowerbeds, and it’s a good feeling. Do I love the workload spring and fall? Not so much. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

R: It is a huge compliment when people say nice things about my kids.

J: I know what you mean! I like hearing nice things about my kids too, although I can’t really take credit for their greatness. None of them went the career direction I expected them to, but ended up being wonderful humans. What did you want to be when you grew up?

R: I think I wanted to be a veterinarian.

J: My oldest wanted to be a doctor, and she is… a PhD-type doctor in a related field. Second wanted to do something with athletes, and instead is a criminal behaviours analyst. Youngest was determined to be an engineer until his brain injury. Now he’s just the light of everyone’s life. We all end up where we’re supposed to, I think. If time travel was possible, would you go back in time or ahead? Why?

R: Probably BACK in time, to give my mom a proper goodbye ☹

J: This time of year will always be difficult for you; it’s barely been a year since she joined your dad in the next world. I wasn’t there when my dad died, but I’m okay with that. He wouldn’t have wanted me there anyway. May I give you a hug? I’m a hugger. I can’t help it. I should put that on a t-shirt, like a warning to unsuspecting strangers. If you had a warning label, what would it say?

R: Don’t ask me a question, if you don’t want an honest answer. I often don’t have a filter.

J: That’s actually a super-power. People will always know where they stand with you. Kinda like Bette Midler. I admire her for that. Do you have a celebrity crush?

R: Paul Walker

J: Ooh, yeah! I can see why. Another one gone too soon. He was a fine actor… I know there are a lot of adjectives we could use describing him. What one word would your family and friends use to describe you?

R: Perfectionist.

J: Ouch. That’s gotta sting! But would you change that?

R: No, I’d worry less if I could

J: I can relate to that too. Thanks for the meet-and-greet, Rebecca. I’m just going to tell everybody about the business side of all this now. Safe home, ‘k?

As part of her Spotlight, Rebecca is providing this month’s Daily Download. Have you checked it out? Every one of us with kids will find it useful. 😉 She’s also hosting this month’s Designer Spotlight Challenge in addition to her usual Memory Mix-Up Challenge. She has generously provided a HUGE discount code for her GS store too!

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Creative Style, Daily Download, Digital Scrapbooking, Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, Feature Designer, GingerBread Ladies, Product/Designer Spotlight Tagged With:

GingerScraps: New FREE with Purchase Collab, New Monthly Mix, New Guest Designer, Fresh Baked & More!!

November 1, 2024 by Leave a Comment

It is the 1st of the month and you know what that means; a huge, exciting newsletter! We have a New Buffet, New Monthly Mix, New Free With Purchase Collab, New Challenge Reward, a New Daily Download, and a New Guest Designer at GingerScraps!  Plus it’s Friday so we have Fresh Baked goodness as well.

Don’t forget to check out the Buffet Bundles. One easy click to add bundles of Buffet goodies to your cart.

These colors are beautiful. I can’t wait to see what our designers have come up with for these colors. Remember you can mix and match the buffet kit contents to get what you need.

Remember any $10 spent in the store gets you this great collab.

Cozy Things by The GingerBread Ladies captures the essence of outdoor autumn adventures and all the delightful little comforts that come with the season. Perfect for documenting crisp, windy days, this kit is packed with seasonal elements like pumpkin spice lattes, pinecones, cozy sweaters, and warm slices of pie. With its vibrant fall colors and whimsical touches, you’ll feel the breeze and hear the crunch of leaves with every layout. Whether you’re scrapbooking a day at the pumpkin patch, a fall picnic, or simply enjoying the beauty of nature in autumn, this kit will add a cozy, outdoorsy charm to your projects. Cozy Things is the perfect companion for capturing all your favorite autumn moments!

This collab includes: 1 Alpha {Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers & Punctuation}, 72 Papers, and 78 Elements.

This Free With Purchase was created by Kristmess, Miss Fish Templates, Neia Scraps, and Scrappin’ Serenity.

November Mornings by The GingerBread Ladies is the perfect digital scrapbooking kit for capturing the warmth and comfort of cozy fall mornings. Perfect for fall photos, whether you’re sipping tea, reading your favorite book, or simply enjoying the crisp November air, this kit has everything you need to bring those moments to life. Filled with rich autumn tones, soft textures, and delicate elements like steaming mugs, books, and falling leaves, this collection evokes the gentle serenity of a peaceful morning. With an array of patterned papers, embellishments, word art, and more, you’ll be able to craft layouts that feel as snug as a morning wrapped in a blanket with a good story. Perfect for documenting fall memories, journaling, or creating seasonal projects!

This kit includes: 1 Alpha {Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers & Punctuation}, 59 Papers, and 97 Elements.

This Monthly Mix was created by Aprilisa Designs, CathyK Designs, J. Conlon and Sons, Jumpstart Designs, and WM[squared] Designs.

Now to the November Daily Download Sneak Peek. This month’s Daily Download is from Twin Mom Scraps! Make sure you are checking the blog every day to get all the pieces of this kit!

Not only do we have the wonderful Buffet and other first of the month goodies, it’s also Friday and that means Fresh Baked goodies too!

We are excited to announce we have a new Guest Designer starting in November.

Designs by Hilde

BIO:
My name is Hilde, and I am the proud mom of 4 beautiful boys almost man already. They mean the world to me, and they are my biggest inspiration to scrap. I also get a lot of inspiration out of nature. I love to hike and take my camera with me. I love to create layouts, and making albums and have been digital scrapbooking since several years. After a while I started to wonder how they make such beautiful goodies, and that’s when I started to create. I stopped for a while, but I am now fully engaged in designing again. I hope you enjoy scrapbooking with my goodies as much as I enjoyed making them. Please don’t hesitate to leave comments or give me a little feedback about my designs!
Enjoy,
Kind Regards, Hilde

Take a look at the new challenge reward kit. If you complete any 10 challenges this month, you get this gorgeous collab as a reward! (Or a variety of other choices, visit the forum for all the details).

Going Green by The GingerBread Ladies is the ultimate digital scrapbooking kit for all things fresh and veggie-filled! Bursting with vibrant greens, earthy tones, and garden-inspired elements, this kit is perfect for celebrating your love of nature, gardening, or healthy living. Featuring adorable veggies like carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and leafy greens, this kit brings the farm-to-table experience to life. Whether you’re documenting your garden’s harvest, a trip to the farmers’ market, or whipping up a favorite healthy recipe, Going Green has everything you need to craft layouts that are bursting with fresh energy and vibrant life!

This kit includes: 1 Alpha {Uppercase, Lowercase, Numbers & Punctuation}, 49 Papers, and 76 Elements.

This Challenge Reward was created by JB Studio, Lisa Rosa Designs, Twin Mom Scraps, and Sweet Pea Designs.

Filed Under: Buffet, Daily Download, Digital Scrapbooking, Fresh Baked, GingerBread Ladies, Guest Designer Tagged With: , , , , ,