Challenge Spotlight – Font Challenge

April 17, 2012 by

Hey ladies! Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start and your month is happily chugging along!

Christina here with your weekly CHALLENGE SPOTLIGHT!

I’m a challenge addict! I mean, discovering new fonts, color palettes, hybrid inspiration and more? Chatting with the lovely ladies of the forum? PLUS you get a store discount coupon or gift certificate?! Need I say more? 😉

It’s already mid-April, but there’s definitely still plenty of time to get your challenge points going, so let’s jump right in! This week I’m spotlighting Laura Marie Scraps’ font challenge!

We are using this fabulous font, Simply Glamorous!

Laura Marie really picked a fantastic font for this month: sweet, girly and absolutely gorgeous for all your spring photos! Check out her layout here using her own Easter Fun kit:

So beautiful. You’ve got to love her cluster work! The ladies in the forum have also made some lovely layouts using the font! Here are a few to  get your creative juices flowing:


By MSPeeler


By MommyScrapper


By waterlily_mc


By sparkysgirl

Excellent job, gals; your use of the font is fabulous! There are more in the forum, so swing by and take a look for more inspiration. This is an easy challenge to complete and you’ll add another fun font to your stash!

If you have any questions about this or any of the challenges, head over to the Cookie Jar and ask away! Now, get those layouts in and you’ll be on your way to some sweet rewards! Until next week, happy scrapping! 🙂

Filed Under: Spotlight Challenge Tagged With:

LOTW winner!

April 16, 2012 by

Congratulations to Rosemarythyme for winning LOTW! Her layout is absolutely beautiful. The photo is perfectly blended. Click the image to leave her some love or click here to view her entire Gingerscraps Gallery.


You can pick outstanding gallery layouts which become the next LOTW nominee’s by posting in the “Baker’s Best” thread. Check out the rules here.

As always your vote counts so head over the the forum to vote for the next LOTW winner. You can be a LOTW winner too, all you have to do is scrap! Happy Scrapping.

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking

Team Spotlight: Terra – Sugar Kissed Designs!

April 14, 2012 by

Good morning GingerScrappers!

Today we get to chatty chat with someone  a lot of you already know, Terra! Designer of Sugar Kissed Designs, host of our Friday Night Owl Scrap&Chats and all around awesome lady!  OH! And she is hosting this months Daily Download! Awesome? Yup.

 

The standard, little bit more about yourself please 🙂

I’m 35 and I was born and raised in Arizona… I took a detour up north and lived in Minneapolis for a few years, and honestly feel like I’m more from Minnesota than here. I have a dog and a cat that sleep on either side of me and take up most of my bed! As far as hobbies, I love gardening and cooking. I’m very into the whole foods movement.

What got you designing? How did you start?

I started as a designer for taggers. And then I participated in a designer contest and was SOOO unprepared! Designing at 300 dpi is much different than designing for web use. However, I think that contest and the encouragement I received from other designers in the community really spurred me on and helped boost my own designing confidence.

Well, I can safely speak  for the general public, that we’re happy you gained that confidence because your designs are lovely!

Speaking of, your kits- Do you still have your first? Your favorite and your bestselling?

Oh this is a hard question. I think my favorite kit is the first one I ever made for Ginger Scraps “Home”.  I Love EVERY layout I see made with it!

My best selling kit is either Photogenic or Fleur de Pêche

I know I’ve said this before, and I mean it each and every time, but I absolutely love ALL three of those kits! I’ve been wondering what to use my March challenge rewards on, and I am really really really eyein’ up that Home kit now. All kits are available still in the store, each image preview is linked.

 In one word how would you describe your design style?

Transitional. (I think I’m a nice cross between contemporary and traditional)

More about your designing Terra, what inspires these beautiful kits?

All kinds of things! Music is a huge inspiration when it comes to ideas though!

 What is the one thing you can’t do without when designing: be it music, coffee, quiet, specific software, any one thing you can’t live without!

 I can’t design without Illustrator and Photoshop! I love illustrator and the freedom it gives me to create items by hand.

What is your advice for aspiring designers?

I had a professor in theatre arts once who said “If you can see yourself doing anything else… don’t act”… I think the same really goes for designing… You have to love it heart and soul and realize that the return is rarely ever going to be what you put into it. Even the top designers probably don’t earn enough to truly compensate for the time, supplies, and talent put into their products. So make sure it’s truly a passion because it is hard work and it’s definitely a business not a hobby! LOL 

Makes perfect sense to me!

Now for some fun!

What is one thing we may not know about you?

I tend to hum and sing a lot.

Your most favorite book turned movie ?

Alice in Wonderland

That response had me jumping out of my seat (almost literally), ME TOO ME TOO ME TOO! I just love all things Alice in Wonderland! I mean looooooooooooove!

If you could vote any FICTIONAL character into Presidency for 2012 who would it be?

Willy Wonka… I think our country would be far more tasty and hopefully we’d all get a personal oompa loompa as part of his campaign promise! 

He would get MY vote!

Lastly, after a long day, what is your favorite drink ( anything from coffee to juice to soda to a glass of wine)?

Water with Lemon.

Yum!

So now you know, Terra likes to hum and sing, drink water with Lemon and every layout made with her Home kit. You know what that means? It’s Saturday morning, you’re probably still in your jammies (I know I am!) so what’s more awesome than putting your feet up and shopping?! Check out that Home kit, and her other great designs at her shop!

Make sure to join our Friday Night Owls Scrap & Chat too! There’s always lots of chatting, fun and even goodies!

Don’t forget to check back every day for the April Daily Download either!

I hope everyone has a terrific weekend!  I hope the Midwest (I, being a resident myself) doesn’t get too slammed with the forecast of storms, just enough to help the grass turn green and the trees to bud and bloom. 🙂

May your coffee be bottomless, and your slippers fuzzy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking, Product/Designer Spotlight Tagged With: ,
April 9, 2012 by

Congratulations to APoyer for winning LOTW! Her LO is absolutely gorgeous and not to mention adorable! I really love the title and the strip of photos. Click the image to leave her some love or click here to view her entire Gingerscraps Gallery.

You can pick outstanding gallery layouts which become the next LOTW nominee’s by posting in the “Baker’s Best” thread. Check out the rules here.

As always your vote counts so head over the the forum to vote for the next LOTW winner. You can be a LOTW winner too, all you have to do is scrap! Happy Scrapping.

https://gingerscraps.net/gsblog/2012/04/5734/

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking

Team Spotlight: Jill DZines!

April 7, 2012 by

Good morning scrappers! Rise and shine!

Today we’re talking with Jill, designer of Jill DZines.

She is hosting our store grab bag for the month of April. If you spend $10 in the store (NOT hard to do with all our great designers!) you get the grab bag for FREE! Awesome, I know, right?

 

First a little bit about Jill,

I have 2 kiddos – 20 yo daughter, Eliza, and 15yo son, David… both awesome, fantastic kids that make me proud every day.  I also have a wonderful, supportive husband, Paul, who works hard both at work and home – he is a fantastic gardener and we are lucky to have abundant fresh garden-goodies (especially FABulous tomatoes) from about mid-July through November!  (I often wish we lived a bit further south, as Minnesota has a pretty short growing season!)   We also have one pampered-pooch, Ellie, a cockapoo, age 5 (I think?) and one beautiful Siamese-cross kitty, Jasmine, about 13 years old… I hate to think about how old she is because I don’t know what I’m going to do when she goes…she is my favorite pet, EVER, and is almost always in my lap or laying on my stomach if I’m in bed!   I love my pets almost as much as if they were kids!

Besides digi-design, I LOVE reading – and especially love my Kindle.  Also love listening to audio-books while I’m doing anything else.  I am a multi-instrument musician, and have played in several bands over the years, and been professionally recorded on a couple of CDs (as an instrumentalist, not “my own” CD).  I play piano/keyboard (and taught piano for about 13 years), banjo, multiple percussion instruments (bongos, congas, djembe, and any other fun things I get my hands on), and harmonica – blues style.  I haven’t played my banjo in a few years though, so not sure how nimble I would be at that now!

Now THAT is something! Who knew we had such a musician among us?! I think that’s pretty freaking neat!

Lets talk a little bit about your kits.

My first kit was called “Slightly Shabby” (LONG-ago retired!); best-seller ever was “My Favorite Boy” (also retired); and my favorite is probably “Fresh” – which I don’t have in my GS shop, but you can see what it looks like by visiting my blog, as that is the kit I used for my current blog-wear.

I know that my your Artful Blends Papers are my favorite! They are so beautiful!

How did you get into designing? 

Oh that’s easy… as soon as I finally figured out how to digi-scrap, I started learning to make my own stuff, because I love creating and have always had interest in artsy stuff.  

What inspires your designs?

Usually I am most inspired by color-combos, or by wanting a certain kind of kit to scrap my own family photos. I do really like GingerScraps Buffet, because the “thinking” part is all done already – all I have to do is follow the colors and theme – that makes it much easier, IMO!

I love the Buffet too! It’s so neat to see a combination of so many of our designers come together to create a giant mix-n-max collection! This month we have the Happy Hopscotch collection which is so BRIGHT and fun (check out Jill’s gradient papers!)

In one word, Jill, sum up your style.

One word???  Impossible, I think! LOL!   How about “Eclectic”?  😉

What is the one thing you can’t do without when designing: be it music, coffee, quiet, specific software, any one thing you can’t live without!
Illustrator, definitely!   I don’t do a ton of doodles, but I ALWAYS open a new Illustrator file every time I start a kit, because I always have to make something or another in there!
Do you have some advice for aspiring designers?
Learn absolutely everything you can about using your program (I use, prefer, and recommend Adobe Photoshop  and Illustrator).  Do lots of different kinds of step-by-step tutorials, even if they don’t seem to apply to digi-scrapping, because by doing those, and following the steps and directions, you will learn a lot of things about your software that you might not have ever discovered on your own.  Also, spend time experimenting with the different filters and effects in the software before you decide to purchase any additional filters and/or plug-ins.  Chances are you can do the same thing in Photoshop, maybe with just a bit more time and work.
Excellent advice!
Now for a little bit more fun!
If you could time travel to any time, where would you go?
Oh my, hmmm… I’m not sure I would want to live in any time other than now – I’m too spoiled by modern conveniences!
Last month we read Hunger Games for the GingerScraps Book Club, which most of the world is away was made into a HUGE blockbuster movie. What is your favorite book to movie series?
I think that would have to be Lord of the Rings.  Those movies are some of the best-done book-to-movies that I can think of! 
There you have it! Thank you Jill for letting us get to know you just a bit better!
I’m off to refill my cup of coffee and be super lazy today! Hope everyone has a terrific weekend, a very happy Easter  and lots of pictures taken to scrap! I look forward to seeing all those new Easter Layouts! 😉  (and remember, calories don’t count on holidays, so don’t feel guilty about having an extra Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg -or two.. 😉 )

 

 

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking, Product/Designer Spotlight Tagged With: ,

Congratulations to our newest LOTW winner!!

April 2, 2012 by

Congratulations teetopper. You won LOTW with your Perfect Refreshment LO! What a refreshing layout!!  This layout has taken out of bounds scrapping to a new level. It really is a work of art.
Click the image to leave her some love or click here to view her entire Gingerscraps Gallery.

You can pick outstanding gallery layouts which become the next LOTW nominee’s by posting in the “Baker’s Best” thread. Check out the rules here.

As always your vote counts so head over the the forum to vote for the next LOTW winner. You can be a LOTW winner too, all you have to do is scrap! Happy Scrapping.

Filed Under: Layout Of The Week

Team Spotlight: Gingerbread Girl Jill!

March 31, 2012 by

Happy Saturday morning everyone!  Last day of the month here, can you believe it’s April tomorrow?! Craziness! I certainly can’t believe it, time is just zooming by.

 

Today we get to talk Jill! I see her often in the forum and I absolutely love her LO’s.

 

     

Hello there! 
My husband (of 31 years) and I live in rural Northern Illinois. Our son, Jacob, just turned 27 last Sunday. He and our DIL, Amanda, live in Chicago, where Jacob is a chef. They are transitioning out of the city to the Galena, Illinois area. I am super happy that they will be living closer to us! I am an avid photographer, my camera is always setting out on the counter at home – and I take it just about every where we go. We enjoy riding motorcycle in the spring, summer and fall … (I RIDE, I don’t drive! ). 

We’re practically neighbors! I love that GingerScraps is so full of us Midwestern gals! 😉

How long have you been scrapping Jill?

I have been doing digital scrapbooking since 2006 when I happened upon it by accident. I looked up “computer crafts” on the internet and was taken to a digital scrapbook site – and I was hooked!! (Recently started to dabble in hybrid projects as well – I purchased a Silhouette Machine last fall).

What is your FAVORITE single element to scrap with? Something you love to use over and over again?

I’d say my favorite single element to work with is a string or ribbon … something I can add a shadow to. I find that using a string or ribbon can really tie a layout together. (ha! No pun intended! )

What is your favorite subject to scrap?

That’s a tough one. I guess it really depends on the kit I’m using, but I do enjoy scrapping photos from Jacob and Amanda’s wedding … and I like scrapping the pictures I’ve taken during our vacations as well.

My own wedding is definitely my go-to subject. I think eventually I’ll put all the different LO’s together in a mish-mash wedding book! Haha!

What NON-CT designer would you love to work with?

I really love all of LDrag Designs kits! 

What is your most favorite layout you’ve created so far?

This page I created using LDrag Design’s Memorable Moments … I like the way the page is part formal and part grunge (with the cool pink grunge stamp)

And what would be the one you wish you could makeover?

I’d like to have a “redo” on this one. I think it looks okay close up, but somehow it lacks gallery appearance … 

Both are lovely in my opinion!

What is your favorite challenge to accomplish each month? The one you see yourself always getting to first?

I really enjoy the scraplift challenge. I think it is a great way to grow my scrapping creativeness.

If you could create a slogan for DigiScrapping, what would it be?

Wow – tough question! “Digital Scrapbooking … Creating Memories to Last a Lifetime”

Tell us something we don’t know, either about yourself or any one thing in particular that is a fun random factoid.

I am ambidextrous – I write and eat with my left hand, but use my right hand to cut with scissors and to play almost all sports, I also use my mouse with my right hand.

Pretty sure that means you’re extra good at multitasking then! Hehe!

What are you obsessed with?  Can be a book, author, movie, TV show, hobby, anything (except the obvious digiscrapping!)

While I am not a big fan of “country” music, I am a HUGE Keith Urban fan. I have been following him since his early days, before he was popular or well known. I have been to dozens and dozens of concerts … have traveled far and wide to see him. I have met him 3 times and he is super nice – and gives the best (!) hugs ever!! Oh, and my license plate? It reads “URBNFN1”. Maybe a little obsessed … lol.

Love it!

Thank you Jill for taking some time to let us all get to know you a bit better. Everyone should go check out her gallery, leave some love. She has some truly beautiful (and scraplift worthy!) layouts! You can also check out her personal blog here.

I love doing the Team Spotlight because there are just so many awesome designers, gingerbread girls, sugar cookies, wonderful ladies to chat with! Next week we’ll be talking with April’s (Free with $10 purchase) grab bag designer! I’m so excited for a new month to start tomorrow! New monthly challenges, new book for the book club ,which by-the-way everyone should check out! I’ve already read it, it was impossible to put down!

Also, today is the LAST day for the super fantastic Spring Cleaning Sale in the GS Shop! Do NOT miss out on this!

I hope everyone has a TERRIFIC weekend, and a happy April 1st tomorrow!

What are YOU looking forward to this brand new month that awaits us?

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: GingerBread Ladies Tagged With:

LOTW Winner!

March 26, 2012 by

Congratulations to neenee for winning LOTW! What a gorgeous page!! So many clusters and so much to love. It’s perfectly adorable. Click the image to leave her some love or click here to view her entire Gingerscraps Gallery.

This LO was created using What I Like About You by Secret Stash (March guest designer).

You can pick outstanding gallery layouts which become the next LOTW nominee’s by posting in the “Baker’s Best” thread. Check out the rules here.

As always your vote counts so head over the the forum to vote for the next LOTW winner. You can be a LOTW winner too, all you have to do is scrap! Happy Scrapping.

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking

Team Spotlight: Sugar Cookie Michelle

March 24, 2012 by

Good morning everyone!  Happy Hunger Games! (I couldn’t resist! It’s finally here! We went and saw it first thing yesterday, and I LOVED IT!)

Lot’s of exclamations today, despite not getting much sleep (little one is sick) and being so gloomy weather wise.

So lets get to the fun! 🙂

This weeks Team Spotlight is on Michelle, but you may know her as MSPeeler in the forum.  She is CT for so many of our great designers here at GingerScraps.

I’m Michelle (29). I’m married to Dave and we will be celebrating 10 years in April 2012, if you do the math, we got married when I was 19 & still going strong.  We have 2 beautiful children, Priscilla (5) and Luke (3). We also have 1 dog, Zoe, a Siberian Husky (1 yr), and 1 cat, Yoko, a grumpy ol cat (8 yr). Our other dog, my first furbaby, Chino passed away in March 2011 of this year at the age of 8, he would have turned 9 last May  I am a stay at home mom now, but before I decided to stay home, I worked at a Veterinary Hospital for nearly 8 years.

Aww, my pup’s birthday is in May. He’ll be 5. We’ll have to have a doggy toast to Chino. 🙂

She shared some lovely pictures of her beautiful family.

 

How long have you been scrapping?

I have been playing with Photoshop since 2002, but not digital scrapbooking till 2010. I started out making “siggies” for my mommy board, and decided to branch out for some challenges on this forum and got engulfed in fun!

What is your favorite element to scrap with?

Oh gosh! I don’t normally reuse elements, as I dont normally mix/match kits for layouts with the exception of the awesome Buffet items! I’d have to say Marie H’s shadow styles.

I’d ask you your favorite designer, but you’re on so many CT teams, that I’m sure it’d be hard for you to choose! So how about your favorite NON CT designer? Or even what other designer would you LOVE to work with?

LOL! Well, I would absolutely love to work with Jen Yurko. 

Which do you think is your very best (favorite) LO (can be old or new)?

I think my very favorite layout would be this one. I just love it’s simplicity in colors and the small framed/unframed clustered photos.

I absolutely love it! The muted colors, and the clusters too. Of course baby pictures make everything perfect. 🙂

How about the one you wish you could makeover?

I’m just REALLY not happy with this one. It’s not the kit or pictures… it’s just over clustered I think! I will probably re-do it soon!

What’s your favorite challenge during each month, the one you always tend to finish first?
I always finish the Template challenges first. I love having a template to go with, releives the “stress” factor 

You’re not alone there! I love doing the templates too (now that I had some help figuring out just HOW to do a template! 🙂 ).

What’s your favorite subject to scrap?

MY KIDS! Hands down.

If you could create a slogan for DigiScrapping, what would it be?

Oh gosh! Way to put me on the spot, haha! Probably “Visual Memories to Share”

Tell us something we don’t know, either about yourself or any one thing in particular that is a fun random factoid you know.

I met my husband on AOL back in 1997, when I was only 14 ½. He was 19, and we were just friends… for the next 5 years. When I turned 19, I came to visit him 500 miles away, and instantly felt the connection… it really was love at first sight. We married 4 months later and the rest is history!!

I love little stories like that!

What are you obsessed with?(besides digiscrap 😛 ) Can be a book, author, movie, TV show, hobby, anything. Something you just LOVE and totally geek out over all the time any time!
The Beatles! I just really, really love them. Grew up listening to them with my Daddy, and I just have fabulous memories  Their music is an instant calm for me.

So there you have it, Michelle in a nutshell! (I’m such a poet, LOL!)  Here is a link to her gallery. Go check out her BEAUTIFUL layouts and leave some love.

Before I leave you all today, I’ve got to share with you this AMAZING sale going on in the GS shop

I checked out the goods last night, and am definitely filling up my cart. It’s crazy awesomeness! Stock up on great kits before they are gone forever!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! May your coffee cups be bottomless and your children’s naps last all afternoon. 😉

 

 

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking Tagged With:

Announcing our next LOTW winner!

March 20, 2012 by

Congratulations to swastinadia for winning LOTW! Her layout is absolutely stunning. Great choice of colors and composition. Click the image to leave her some love or click here to view her entire Gingerscraps Gallery.

Her gorgeous LO was creating using Work of He{ART} by our guest designer, Secret Stash.

You can pick outstanding gallery layouts which become the next LOTW nominee’s by posting in the “Baker’s Best” thread. Check out the rules here.

As always your vote counts so head over the the forum to vote for the next LOTW winner. You can be a LOTW winner too, all you have to do is scrap! Happy Scrapping.

Filed Under: Digital Scrapbooking
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