Help Me FlourishAnswers to your digi questions

Summer Time!Our featured designer shares her exclusive new summer time kit!

Father's Day FeatureOur gallery's best!

June'sInspirationSummer time gallery picks to inspire your summer break scrapping!

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We welcome your feature-worthy layouts and ideas for articles. Please send your submissions and suggestions to: flourish.msa@gmail.comIf you would like assistance with your subscription to Flourish, please email to: flourish.msa@gmail.comAdvertising Inquiries can be sent: flourish.msa@gmail.com

OWNERSTraci MurphyGina Miller

EDITORIALManaging Editors

Traci MurphyGina Miller

EditorJoy Kuoha

DESIGNJoy Kuoha

STAFF WRITERSGina Miller

Traci MurphyJoy Kuoha

GUEST WRITERS

Lori MartinChristine Kane

ADVERTISINGLori Martin

HELP ME FLOURISH COLUMNBy Yours Truly

INTERVIEW WITH FEATURED DESIGNERFaith True of Faith True OriginalsBy Traci Murphy

ExCLUSIVE FREE DOWNLOADGet your “Castaway” KitFor Flourish Subscribers Only

INTERVIEW WITH FEATURED SCRAPPERJenni Cremata (sportay24)By Traci Murphy

FATHER’S DAY TRIBUTEBy Lori Martin

CRANK UP YOUR CREATIVITYBy Christine Kane GALLERY PICKSJune’s Inspiration: Summer Time

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16cover layout: Soak up the Sun by kv2avcreditS: StripS n’ pieceS templateS vol 3, vintage Summer and vintage Summer Wordart - extraS by Wm[2] deSignS

Font iS KingthingS trypeWriter

Issue 12: June 2010

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Dear Flourish,How can I keep up with all the new digital scrapping styles I see in the gallery? It seems like the look of layouts are always changing and I’m not sure how to keep up? HELP!

Thanks - Confused

Dear Confused,There sure are a lot of different styles of layouts in the gallery lately! One thing I have noticed over the years is that digi layouts have gone from the “paper” look to a fantasy” look, and have covered a variety of styles in between. Styles are purely an expression of the layout artist.

Many paper scrappers like to make their digi layouts look like they were made with traditional paper supplies, and that look has been around since the beginning of digital scrapping.

The graphic style is often used with layouts that have lots of photos and minimal elements. This style is popular with the graphic designers in our digi world.

The fantasy look is one of the latest trends to become popular over the last year with magical extractions and clever shadowing effects. You can find many great tutorials online for extracting photos and making realistic shadows.

Another popular style is the Art Journal look. Often these layouts are a mix of artful elements, backgrounds and journaling. This style rarely includes a photo, but this makes it very intriguing!

Remember that each scrapper has their favorite style and whatever yours is what matters. Each style has it’s own beauty and makes our gallery stand out.

My advice is to pick a style for each layout as you go and don’t get stuck creating your layouts in only one style. You could even be a trend starter and create a new style that others will fall in love with! Go for it!

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR...

Summer is here and the warm weather will keep us outdoors for the next few

months. Enjoying the sun, beach, pool, and sporting events will keep our

cameras full and our creativity at it’s peak. Summertime is the favorite time of

year at our house, and my favorite time to capture my family in action.

Check out the fabulous exclusive kit from our featured designer, Faith True.

Your layouts are sure to be the hit of your summer with its beach style elements

and whimsical papers giving your summer layouts the perfect look.

If you are feeling a little less creative this month, be sure to read our guest

writer’s article about cranking up your creativity.

Don’t forget that Father’s Day is just around the corner - charge up your camera

and grab some great shots of your dads enjoying their special day.

If you are like me, you will be attending a few graduations this month. We are

celebrating our last graduate next week as he walks in front with all the honor

grads this year, and we are so very proud. I already have my kit ready to scrap

this momentous event.

Make this summer the best one yet and fill your days with photos, scrapping

and lazy days of relaxing!

Joy

Joy Kuoha is a graphic designer, writer, and amateur photographer. She has 5 amazing children and 3 adorable grandchildren. She is also addicted to chocolate, facebook, and scrabble. When she is not sitting in front of her computer, you can find her in the garden cutting roses or at the beach soaking up the sun.

Would you like to ask our experts a question? Let us know what you want to read more about by sending us your questions, interests and ideas for future articles and features. Email us at helpmeflourish@gmail.com. Selected interests and ideas will be featured in future issues. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

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Find Faith . . .

Designer at Scrap Orchard

Faith’s fabulous style is funky and fresh, a little bit of bohemia all wrapped up in gorgeous! When browsing her shop at Scrap Orchard, you will find everything from kits to photo actions. We asked Faith a few questions about herself, and this is what she had to say...

Scrap Orchard Shop

Design blog

Newsletter

FacebookBy Traci Murphy

Q. What would I find in your refrigerator right now?A. Plenty of fruits for my daily smoothies and lunch items for my husband.

Q. What is your favorite color?A. All of them. How can you expect me to choose? Have you ever SEEN my kits? LOL.

Q. What is your favorite drink?A. Coffee hands down. I’d swim in it if that was possible and if it wouldn’t make me sticky.

Featured Designer

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Q. What is the last book you read?A. Teacher Man by Frank McCourt.

Q. If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be?A. I’d love to be a character like Letty Alsworthy in the Deception of the Emerald Ring by Laura Willig. I love the untraditional romanticism of the story and the traditional kind of woman she was. She was average looking and she becomes the desirable affection of the man who despised her and her likewise to him. She falls deep in love with him. Yes, it sounds crazy, but I’m a romantic at heart!

Q. What is your favorite song?A. I have a lot of favorites! It’s like choosing a favorite color, I can’t! My favorite style is Praise and Worship.

Q. What did you want to be when you were little?A. A nurse, but that was before blood made me weak and I never liked needles. There was no getting past that.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?A. I’m a short gal, only 5’1” and I married a very tall man. He’s 6’4” If you see us walking around it’s a funny sight. However, I forgive my husband for being so tall ;)

Q. Can you tell us about your creative process?A. I start off with a theme, then a swatch usually based on versions of primary colors. My process just expands as I work. I start off with little momentum and my ideas build up as I design.

Featured Designer (continued)

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Q. How did you get into digital scrapbooking and designing?A. I started as a paper scrapper and never imagined I would want to go digi. I realized I can’t afford anything so I started designing. I’ve come a LONG, LONG way! My first designs consisted of basic patterns like stripes and plaids and dots. That’s all I knew how to make.

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Just forthe valued subscribers of

We want to express our appreciation to

Faith True of Faith True Originals for sharing this beautiful kit,

“Castaway!”

Featured Designer (continued)

Click below to download

“Castaway”

AlphaElementsPapers

Page 8 My Scrapbook Art Featured Designer (continued)

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FUN QUESTIONS...Q. What is your favorite article of clothing from your closet?

A. My Aeropostale jeans

Q. Do you have any other hobbies aside from scrapbooking?

A. Actually, this is the first hobby I have ever had! So, no, not really.

Featured Scrapper:Jenni Cremata (sportay24)

Q. Last movie you saw in the theater was...?

A. New Moon

Q. You’re obsessed with...?

A. Scrapping, reading and yes, Farmville

Q. Be honest- are you a crazy Twilight fan like the rest of us? If so, Team Edward or Team Jacob?

A. Luckily, that phase has pretty much passed :) I do still love the books but I’m glad that I am no longer obsessed! I’m definitely team Edward ;)

Supply List: Amy Martin: Springtime Plains, Gina Miller: Spring Whimsy & Spring Whimsy Paper Pack, Designs by Lili: Sweet Notes & Paint It Up!

Supply List: Fizzy Pop Designs: Sidekicks Pack No. 9, Dilo: love me, Photos of my family taken by: Gina Carter

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Q. What type of car do you drive?

A. Honda Odyssey, my awesome racing van :)

Q. Do you play Lotto?

A. I do, sometimes…we pull together at work

Q. Color of your manicure right now……

A. Um, well, how about nail color? I probably get a manicure 1 or 2 times per year…but, my pedicure is a frosty taupe :)

Supply List: first kiss collab by: Kaye Winiecki and Valorie Wibbens, Kate Hadfield: Hand-Sewn Stitches and Messy Staples (retired), Photo of my son and me taken by: Gina Carter

Get to know Jenn!I am a working Mom of 3 boys, Ryan & Justin just turned 8 and Zachary, my crazy redhead, is 5 and rocking kindergarten :) My husband Ron is an architect/construction manager and we live in South Florida. I’ve been digital scrapping for about 3 years, I think and although I’m a super busy Mom, I scrap as often as I can :) I also love to read, if you saw my book collection, you would think that I was a teenage boy :) (well, accept for

the Sookie books and those Twilight ones) I have been known to sneak out to my car during my lunch hour to read. My Scrap Process: Typically, I pick a kit, very much a kit scrapper, I also love to use templates. My first CT was for a mostly template designer, so it’s just my scrapping roots :) Then, I pick my papers, my photo(s) and elements last. I have to shadow as I go along otherwise I feel like it looks bad :( I usually add too many elements and then begin to pick stuff off until I’m done. For the most part, I’m a very slow scrapper. I rarely will even finish a page in one day. Not that it actually takes me that long, it’s just I don’t have that much time to sit and scrap. So, I scrap in little sessions :) I try to scrap a little each day but I would say that I definitely scrap some every other day.

Jenn’s Gallery at My Scrapbook Art

Jenn’s Facebook Page

Q. Shoe size?

A. 9.5, which is big considering I’m only about 5’2” HAHA!

Q. What’s your current FB status update?

A. I believe this is the same as this past Sunday when I wished my boys a happy birthday :) They just turned 8 (OMG!)

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By Lori Martin

June is a month for celebration; kids celebrating getting out of school for the summer, graduations, and of course June 20th is Father’s Day. In celebration of Father’s Day, we would like to share with you some great quotes and titles to help you get those father layouts started, along with some wonderful layouts from our gallery for inspiration.

• “Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad.” -- Anne Geddes

• “A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be.” – Unknown

• “I don’t care how poor a man is; if he has family, he’s rich.” ~ M*A*S*H, Colonel Potter

• My Fingers May Be Small, But I Can Still Wrap Daddy Around Them

• My Heart Belongs To Daddy

• In My Daddy’s Arms

• A Father Is Someone You Look Up To No Matter How Tall You Grow

• A Girls/Boys First Hero is his Daddy

• A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty

• A father’s love warms the heart of his children forever

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My #1 Way to Crank Up Your Creativity (Even if You’re Not Creative)

By Christine Kane

“If you had to give me just ONE tip for being more creative, what would that be?”

I get asked this question a lot - usually by someone who wants a quick fix so she can finally write that book she’s been putting off all her life - or so she can suddenly “FEEL” creative. My answer is often disappointing.

But before we get to that, let me tell you about my dog...

Creativity Lessons of the Four-Legged Variety When I found my dog, she’d been badly abused. I was walking on a gravel road, and she was watching me from a mound of dirt in an old churchyard where she’d been dumped. She started to follow me. Each time I turned around, she’d stop dead in her tracks.

When I tried to walk toward her, she’d tuck her tail under her butt and slink away from me. But when I just continued along my way, she followed me. She eventually got closer and closer. Ultimately she followed me

home. (Now, she never lets me out of her sight!) This is how I experience Creativity. If I try to turn around and catch it, it turns away. Living Creative is not about willing it or grabbing it. In fact, Creativity rarely takes to announcements like, “Today I’m gonna be Creative! I’m gonna write a novel!”

Creativity is a process. It’s a way of being . It is a habit . It can’t be forced, but it can be cultivated and allowed .

Can You Risk Being Unimpressive? Most of my “creativity tips” are unimpressive to the average observer. In fact, they are so simple, that I often disappoint the person who wants a quick fix.

That’s because most people pretend that Creativity (with a capital C) is something special. They make Creativity a BIG DEAL because, by doing so, they keep it safely out of reach . It then requires nothing of them, except to occasionally utter the phrase, “Oh, I’m not Creative!”

Don’t let this be you! Begin to incorporate the habits of creativity into your everyday “unimpressive” life. Here’s a place to start!

The #1 Crank-Your-Creativity Habit: The Tiny Spiral Notebook • Get some tiny spiral-bound notebooks. • Carry one in your car. Carry one in your purse. Bring one

along in your back pocket. Keep one next to your bed. • Songwriters call them Hook Books . It’s a place to write down

lyric ideas, especially the “hooky” song titles. • You don’t have to be a songwriter - or even a writer - to use

this tool.

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Here’s why: We all have great ideas . We all hear funny comments worth remembering. We all notice breath-taking moments. Most of us, however, never take the time to acknowledge them!

When we actually take time to jot them down in our tiny notebooks, then we’re honoring these ideas and these moments. We are essentially telling our subconscious mind that our creativity matters enough to take action on it. And we’re letting it know that it’s no big deal . Our subconscious mind gets the message, and begins its work of noticing new things and generating new ideas .

When we keep a tiny notebook, we are training our minds to Attract Ideas . Each time we put an idea or a moment on paper, it’s like shouting “Yes!” to our Creativity.

For now, it doesn’t matter if we DO anything with the note or the hook or the idea. It’s easy for your logical brain to step in and say “Yea but will it pay the bills? Will it lead to a novel?” (In other words, will it be a BIG DEAL?)

Maybe.

But there are some definite things that this practice will do: 1 - It will teach you how to be an “Idea Magnet.” 2 - It will show you there are many solutions inside of you. 3 - It will train you to recognize what delights you and brings you

joy. 4 - It will build your relationship to your Creative Self.

People are constantly asking me, “How do you write so much? How did you learn to just write?”

This is exactly how I do it! I write down my ideas when I have them!

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this tip. Over time, you’ll begin to feel the profound effects it has on your life.

And you won’t even mind how unimpressive you are! :-)

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her ‘LiveCreative’ weekly ezine with more than 11,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at http://www.christinekane.com/ .

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Featured Layouts found in the My Scrapbook Art Gallery.

INSPIRATION: Summer TimeClick on graphics for credit info.

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INSPIRATION: Summer Time