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Flourish is the monthly newsletter of My Scrapbook Art (myscrapbookart.com)
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Sketch Break!Learn how to become friends with templates and sketches!
PINCH YOUR PENNIES:Photography on a budget
Tips and tricks on busting photography myths
March'sInspiration
Mischieveous gallery picks to inspire seasonal layouts.
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We welcome your feature-worthy layouts and ideas for articles. Please send your submissions and suggestions to: [email protected] you would like assistance with your subscription to Flourish, please email to: [email protected] Inquiries can be sent: [email protected]
OWNERSTraci MurphyGina Miller
EDITORIALManaging Editors
Traci MurphyGina Miller
EditorJoy Kuoha
DESIGNJoy Kuoha
WRITERSGina Miller
Traci MurphyJoy Kuoha
PROOF READERSErika R. Alvarez
ADVERTISINGJulie Barrilball
INTERVIEW WITH FEATURED DESIGNERAaron from Sir Scrapalot DesignsBy Traci Murphy
ExclUSIVE FREE DoWNloADGet your “lucky” KitFor Flourish Subscribers only
SKETcH BREAKBy Gina Miller, co-owner of MSATemplates to the rescue!
PINcH YoUR PENNIES: Photography on a budgetBy, Emily Powers, Guest writer
ADVERTISER INDEx
GAllERY PIcKSMarch’s Inspiration: Mischief!
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16cover layout: Spring by zojinkaCredits: -”spring in the air” by tiramisu design
Issue 9: March 2010
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What about scrapbookinginterests you? We are excited to announce the “Help me Flourish” column: an opportunity for us as a newsletter to hear from all of you. let us know what you want to read more about by sending us your interests and ideas for future articles and features. Email us at [email protected]. Selected interests and ideas will be featured in future issues.
We are looking forward to hearing from you all!
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Find Aaron . . . Aaron of Sir Scrapalot DesignsDesigner at Polkadot Plum
Aaron is unique among digital scrapbook designers... he is one of only a handful of men in this niche! Aaron has such a great style and has over 70 products for sale in his shop at Polkadot Plum. Here’s what Aaron had to say.....
Store: Polkadot PlumDesign blogNewsletterFacebookTwitter
By Traci Murphy
Q. If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be? A. A duck...cute to look at, seemingly nice...until you make it angry. Then, it’s all over.
Q. What is your favorite color?
A. Orange is my favorite color. It’s bright, happy, and sometimes agressive and brash. I like that it can be both things without apology.
Q. Why are manhole covers round? A. Because manoles are round.
Featured Designer
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Store: Polkadot PlumDesign blogNewsletterFacebookTwitter
Q. What is your favorite drink? A. I bleed beer and diet pepsi...
Q. What is the last book you read?
A. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max
Q. If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be? A. The way I see it...If I could trade places with ANY Vampire, I’d be all set....Vampires get all the girls these days.
Q. What is your favorite movie? A. Elf, all year round.
Featured Designer (continued)
Page 6 My Scrapbook Art Featured Designer (continued)
Q. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
A. Stopping time...I could always use a bit more of that.
Q. If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have? A. Honey Mustard (goes back to that orange thing)
Q. What did you want to be when you were little? A. I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember.
Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself? A. Not particularly, LOL.
Q. And the basic, how did you get into digital scrapbooking and designing?
A. I started paper scrapping in the summer of 2008, in an effort to find a hobby that would keep me occupied and from surfing the internet mindlessly every night. Within a week’s time, I had discovered digi scrapping, and was hooked. I started designing soon after, at the urging of some of my digi friends. I opened up shop in early December of 2008.
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Just forthe valued subscribers of
We want to express our appreciation to
Aaron of Sir Scrapalotfor sharing this beautiful kit,
“lucky”.
Featured Designer (continued)
click below to download
“Lucky”
ElementsPapers
Page 8 My Scrapbook Art Featured Designer (continued)
Layouts made with Sir Scrapalot’s “Lucky” kit. Here’s to a fantastic March!!
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Did you ever sit to scrap... feel that artistic urge... and... nothing.
It can go two ways: 1) you want to create something but you
don’t know exactly what that something is or 2) you have a
million ideas running through your mind but you don’t know
where to even begin. Enter the brilliance of a sketch template.
Maybe you’ve used them for ages. Maybe you have never
downloaded one because you don’t understand how to use
them or worse, you feel they’re taking the easy way out. If
that’s your line of thinking, let me give you a gentle little
shake and say “No, no, no & no!”
Sketch templates can be a wonderful way to get those
creative juices flowing and give your layout a jumpstart. You
can use the template as-is but more times than not, I bet
you find yourself using them as a solid starting point with
lots of little tweaks and personal touches added throughout
the creating process.
I have lots of favorite template designers. If I’m not creating
them myself, I enjoy checking out what my tried & true
Sketch Breakby, Gina Miller
Gina’s layout
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favorite sketch lines have to offer as well as designer’s lines that may
be new to me. One can never have too many great templates to work
with (or so I tell myself!)
For my very first template column, I am going to be showing you
some amazing layouts using a Valorie Wibbens’ Topography template.
Template #32 to be exact. In the future, I intend to share a mixture of
single-photo templates, perhaps some geared toward a week in Project
365, specialty holiday templates, etc. I picked this template for my first
column because I know a multi-photo layout can be challenging to
some. I want to show you that it doesn’t have to be. Also, this template
has so many little scattered paper bits that if you follow it, you’re going
to end up with one very cool layout!
Eryn’s layout
Tiki’s layout Claire’s layout
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I really liked this sketch because it gives you a lot of options are
far as photo placement. You could really put them anywhere you
wanted. Same with the journaling. Check out how this group of
artists put Topography 32 to good use (and feel free to click on
their work for a list of credits).
I hope you have fun using this layout and look forward to seeing
what you create!
Happy scrappin’!
Gina
Leslie’s layout
Jenni’s layout
Katrina’s layout
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Pinch Your Pennies: Photographyon a BudgetBy, Emily Powers
With the economic slump, most of us are tightening our budgetary belts and kicking the disposable income fat to the curb. While we’d all like to have a few more dollars in our pockets, learning to simplify—to reduce, reuse and recycle—is as invigorating as a long, sweaty workout. The process can be a bit painful, but the results are well worth the effort. Don’t let your wallet keep you from taking better photos.
Myth No. 1: I need top-of-the-line, fancy schmancy equipment to be a great photographer.
Not true. I’ve had the same SLR camera (a Canon 20D) for three years. Would I like to upgrade? Sure. I drool over the B&H catalog when it comes in the mail, but my equipment doesn’t define me. Lighting, post-processing, exposure, and creative composition are just as important as my camera body and lenses. Get the most out of what you’ve got by studying your camera manual and foraging online for free tutorials, tips and tricks.
Myth No. 2: In order to snap a jaw dropping, WOW photo, the location has to be perfect.
Explore your community with new eyes. See that weathered, abandoned barn? Oh, look at that way the light filters into that tiny alley and hits the ivy covered walls! I wonder if we could take a few pictures inside that adorable boutique bakery; let’s go ask! The way that lonely, two-lane road snakes through the hills is so poetic. Did you know there was a park tucked in behind that neighborhood? Look at those brightly painted murals on the side of that building. That sign is hilarious!
Photo dates are a free and fun way to grow as a photographer. Your community is an oyster; there are pearls hiding in the most unassuming, ordinary places. Grab your camera, head out solo and capture the world around you. Want to experiment with modern portraiture? Invite a significant other, child or friend to model for you. I like to occasionally schedule a photo date with another camera enthusiast and take turns photographing each other’s families; that way I’m in a picture once in awhile too!
Go on a photo date each month and your skills will dramatically improve as you wade outside of your comfort zone and photograph new people, places and things in new ways. Classes, books and workshops are helpful, but they cost money and nothing compares to self-discovery; get out there and engage the craft!
Myth No. 3: I have to print every photo I take!
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Most of us seem to be on one side of the coin or the other. I let photos sit on my hard drive for months, years even, before shipping them off to the printer. More often it seems people head to their local box store’s one-hour-photo and print off a bunch of 4”x6” pictures that eventually end up in a random album or junk drawer.
Print thoughtfully. On my digital scrapbooking layouts, I try to incorporate more than one photo on a page so my printing pennies stretch further.
Similarly, I often use storyboards as wall art so that I can get more than one photo on a single print.
An economical way to organize and display many photos is to create a stylish, coffee table, photo book.
Many of the online digital photo printing sites offer free prints, discounts and coupons. Sign up for their newsletters or special offer emails so you stay abreast of the latest deals and get the most bang for your buck.
Taking better photos is within your reach and your budget. Four years ago, I didn’t know what an aperture was or how to desaturate an image in Photoshop. A little sweat
equity and a whole lot of curiosity go along way.
PINCH YOUR PENNIES TIPS:
1. If you can’t afford to fork out a bundle for Photoshop, give Gimp a try! Gimp is free photo editing software available at www.gimp.org.
2. Shop for photo date props at secondhand stores, flea markets and garage sales.
3. Download free Photoshop Actions or Lightroom Presets at www.deviantart.com.
4. Instead of purchasing a pricey macro lens, get a less expensive extension tube to add macro capability to your current camera set-up.
5. Check out www.digital-photography-school.com for free tips on how to get the most out of your digital camera.
PINCH YOUR PENNIES ASSIGNMENT:
Pull out your calendar and schedule a photo date! Brainstorm a list of possible locations, models and props. When you get back from your first photo date, create a storyboard to document your adventure. Print your artwork and hang it on the wall or resize the storyboard to
fit in an album or photo book.
Emily is a freelance photographer, artist and writer.
She lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, daughter
and three dogs. She loves to read, sip iced tea and
wear ponytails and flip-flops.
Visit Emily’s blog HERE!
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AdvertisersPlease take the time to support our wonderful advertisers!
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Featured layouts found in the My Scrapbook Art Gallery.
InspIratIon: Mischiefclick on graphics for credit info.
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