Scraplift for Fun with Tracey of Clever Monkey Graphics!

 

Tracey from Clever Monkey Graphics here to bring a new article to my Blog Series. Today’s 

focus is “USE YOUR STASH”. You may have noticed the store is taking on a little bit of a new 

look as we designers work on updating all our previews. I’m loving the new look and loving how 

easily customers can now see the basic terms of use with kits. But I digress, as I worked my 

way through my store I kept coming on products that my creative team had used once but with 

the plethora of new kits coming their way, they didn’t go back to these products again after they 

were done their initial layouts.  My team did go back to use old kits (combo packs) but not 

embellishment packs. Embellishment packs are often easy to incorporate time and again into 

layouts.

Digital Geometry Stamps
Stamp Alpha
Wood Frames No1

So I highlighted these products to my creative team and told them they were fine to use them 
with current layouts including what they had been making with my new releases Spring Floral 
and Postage Stamp Frames.

 

Here are a few results of my reminding my own creative team that these exist:

Susie used both the Wood Frames No.1 and the Stamp Alpha along with Spring Floral.

Amanda added the Wood Frames No.1 and the Digital Geometry Stamps 
to Spring Floral and Postage Stamp Frames.

Susie uses the Digital Geometry Stamps with Spring Floral and another 
frame from her stash to create this wonderful page.

I took on the challenge myself & adjusted a layout adding the wood frames, 
the stamp alpha, and the digital geometry stamps.

   
The Digital Geometry Stamps add texture, balance, and interest to pages. Fill in a spot that is  
too plain. The pack is filled with all sorts of stamp allowing it to be used in all sorts of layouts.

The Stamp Alpha which came with a heavier paint version and a lighter paint version is narrow 
which allows you to easily add larger words and adds a crafty, artsy, even organic feel to your 
layouts.

The Wood Frames No.1 must be my most under-utilized product. They come with a certain 
amount of shadow all in place though you can add your own on top of that. There are highlights 
and shadows on the frames themselves which makes them simply spectacular! The pack 
contains a large variety of shapes and styles. I call these wood frames but they really look like 
wood paper that has been cut out and bent a bit where tabs go over your photos.

So this was just a sampling spurred on by my pointing things out to my team. Don’t hesitate to 
dig into your digi stash to find a flower you want, or an arrow, or the perfect frame. Sometimes 
layouts made by picking and choosing items from a bunch of kits are the best!

Let me show you one last amazing example of using your stash… this layout by my creative 
team member Cindy grabbed from a large variety of my kits - how fun is this!!!

  

In ending I have a coupon code for you. In order to use the coupon you will need $10 worth of 
my products in your cart and then the coupon will give you 20% off. Coupon ends on April 30th.

Coupon Code:  TMTM20

See you all next month - and meanwhile watch for exciting new releases coming for DSD in 
May.

Designer Tip from Perline Design

 

If you don’t have an easy to use program to scrap your memories, MyMemoriesSuite9 is for you !

To get a $10 discount, use my unique

coupon code STMMMS66552

Click here to get it 

If you didn’t read the first part of this lesson, you can click here to see it.

Create your first layer with MMS9 (part 2) 

Welcome back for the second part of this lesson.

Open your software My Memories Suite 9

As you have already created an album, MMS9 shows it.

Click on your album to open it.

If you created other albums, you can find the one you are looking for by clicking on the button OPEN

Let's begin to work now.

We'll add the picture in your layout. There are different possibilities to do that.

Click on the picture, drag and drag onto the frame.

As the size of the picture is different from the size of the frame, a box "photo editor" opens:

You can move the picture so that the part you want to see fir the square. Click and drag.

Then, click ok

The picture inserted in the layout.

Double click on the second picture.

It's directly inserted in the layout, but it's not placed at the right place, even if you have selected the frame.

Click and drag it onto the frame.

MMS9 place the picture in the middle of the frame.

 

What do you have to do if you want to see the entire picture?

You have to change the size of the frame so that it fits the picture!

We'll use this one that time:

 

Let's try.

• Click on the third frame.
• As the elements, the frame is rounded with small squares that will enable you to modify it's size.
• You can click and drag on one of the middle squares to change the height or the width of the frame.
• In this case, the frame has to be higher.

Now, you can add the picture using one of the methods I showed you:

Place the higher picture in the middle
A frame is an element and it can be change it the same way.

Did you see that when you change an element, guidelines appear to help you place it correctly?

Add text
To add text to you layout, you must go to the right of the screen. There is the control panel. As we played with the photos, the photos tab in the control panel opened.

To close it, you click here:

 

Now in the control panel, open the Text tab and click on button Add Text.

The program opens a box in the middle of the layout. Type your text. We'll place it correctly later.

Type: You are so beautiful1 Then click outside the box.

Important: if you make a mistake or if you want to change the text, you'll have to DOUBLE-click on the text box.

Place your mouse under the text. The cursor's forum changes! You can click and drag the box where you want. Place it over the tag.

You realize that your text is too small. You have all the tools to improve it in the control panel.

 

Try to make something like this:

 

Add frames to the photos

We'll add the same frame to the the photos.

Select the first picture. As you can see, the program opens the control panel Photos directly.

Click on button Matte (the third one).

A new window opens to let you decide which style of matte you want and it shows you a preview of the result.

You can leave value 4 and white color. You'll play with that alone later. 

Important: if you want to have the same matte for every photo, click ALL photos on this page.

Then, click ok.

This is the result:

 

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: ADD SHADOW TO YOUR ELEMENTS AND PHOTOS

This is something begginers often forget, but shadow is very important to give some real life to your layout.

Select one of the elements you have added to the layout. The Embellishments tab is now opened.

Click on the button Shadow (the second one).

A new window opens to let you decide which style of shadow you want it shows you a preview of the result.

Make some changes if you want and click All embellishments on this page to apply the same shadow to all the elements.

 

 All the elements are shadowed but not the photos.

Select one photo and do the same to add shadows to all photos.

 

CONGRATULATIONS

Your layout is finished. 

It's now more than time to save your work.

• Click on Menu File and choose Save or CTRL + S on the keyboard.

Important:

What you have saved is THE CREATION OF THE LAYOUT. IT is not a JPG file.

Export your layout as a JPG

First of all, you have to delete all the blank pages that we did not use for that exercise.

Select them.

Click on one of them with the right button of your mouse. You get a contextual menu.

 

Click on Delete Page. The program asks you if you are sure. Click Yes.

Now, you can export your layout. Click on in the menu. If the program asks you if you want to save your album, click yes. This screen appears:

We want to export it to jpg, 3600*3600 pixels.

Where do you want to save your layout? Click button CHANGE and choose the right directory. Click SAVE. You come back to this screen.

Click button EXPORT.

Thank you so much for following my designer tip. I'll come back as soon as possible to give you other tips that will help you in your wonderful creations.

Organizing Your Scrap Stuff with MagsGraphics

Hey Scrappy Friends,

This is Mags from MagsGraphics - In today's video, I'm going to talk to you about organizing all of those scrap kits and freebies you've stockpiled as well as how to streamline your folders to make them the most compatible with MyMemories Suite (and really any other software you might use). I'll also share a trick to customizing your browser to direct your downloads various folders of your choice, and I'm going to share my latest kit and a FREEBIE!

Click on the video to watch:


For people who like a written reference, here are the products and websites used in this tutorial:

• My Memories Suite Software (Psst! Save $10 OFF your purchase of this software with the code STMMM90118).
• Extract Now - Free Unzipping Software
• MagsGraphics Blog
• Shop MagsGraphics Products at MyMemories
• Walking On Sunshine Kit - it's 50% OFF right now!

• Walking On Sunshine Freebie - stop by my blog for this!

MyMemories Groups & Pages to join & follow:

• MyMemories Fan Page - for layout share and albums packed with the items on sale by month.
• MyMemories Ads & Sales - sales and promos posted daily
• MyMemories Facebook Page
• MagsGraphics Digital Kits & Keepsakes page
• MagsGraphics Gallery Showcase Group - for layouts, chat, and FREEBIES (there are over 40 Freebies in my group!)

Also - In case you were wondering, the amazing photo that is my laptop wallpaper is of a snowy road in Sweden captured by photographer, Magnus Hindsjö. I LOVE snow - so this way, I get to have a peaceful, snowy scene ALL year around! ♥

Thanks for watching my video! Now be sure to stop by the MagsGraphic Gallery Showcase Group on Facebook to show off your latest layouts! 

MY MYMEMORIES STORE | BLOG

FACEBOOK PAGE | FACEBOOK FAN GROUP | PINTEREST

MyMemories April 2019 Blog Train!

 

Who's ready for some fun? Join the designers at MyMemories on this month's blog train!

You will be directed to each designers store at the MyMemories site. If you have not already done so, you will need to sign up for an account [note: this is a one time sign up and no purchase is necessary].

There is a special link to each designers gift that must be obtained from each designer. That link will take you to their store and their gift.

The new process is:

• visit each designer’s blog or FB posting for their preview & special link
• click on the link provided you will then be taken to their MyMemories store
• place their gift in your shopping cart
• check out when you have all the gifts collected 

 Here is the lineup!

KJDdesigns

Marniejo's House of Scraps

Happy Scrap Arts

Scrap de Yas

PattyB Scraps

ADB Designs

Over the Fence Designs

Snickerdoodle Designs

LLL Creations

PS Digital Memories

WinksArt Graphics

Memory Mosaic

Polka Dot Chicks

Kathryn Estry

PrettyJu Scrap

Songbird Scraps Designs

Becky's Creations

LouiseL

Albums to Remember

Marie H Designs

Elizabeth's Market Cross

Carla's Treasures Designs

Aimee Harrison Designs

QueenBrat Digital Designs

Syrena's Scrap Art

Pat's Scrap

Angel Wing Scraps

Lins Creations

Carolyn's Scrap Creations

Cutie Pie Scrap

Designs by Lisa Minor

Sugar Moon Designs

Shabby Designs

FranB Designs
Caroline B.

Lori Imel Designs

Day Dreams 'n Designs

MagsGraphics

Digi Deborah Designs

Shmooangel Designs

Moore Blessings Digital Design

Tami Miller Designs

Scrapping My Everyday with Memory Mosaic

Hi, my name is Joy.  I am the designer behind, Memory Mosaic here at My Memories.  Welcome to my Blog Series “Scrapping my Everyday”.  I find that it is fairly easy to make special pages for all those big special events in our lives, but when it comes to making a page about our everyday life, or the “mundane” it becomes a bit trickier. This year I lost my Mom, and realized that the photos and the memories that meant the most to me, (while all are very precious) were those that just caught everyday life.  So I want to encourage you to scrap about even the most “mundane” things happening in your life, because in the end, these pieces of your life, will also be part of the beautiful Memory Mosaic you leave behind for your children and families. 

This month, I want you to think about making some pages using those photos you have taken, that aren’t attached to any specific celebration or big event.  I read not long ago that “the most photographed generation would have nothing to show for it in 50 years.” Why?  Because we take tons of photos now, BUT, hardly ever print anything.  Let’s make sure our Grand Children and Great Grand Children have photos to look back on that document our lives.

The beautiful thing about Digital Scrapbooking is that you can use kits you purchase over and over again.  But, if you are like me, often you purchase a kit for a specific event, and then it is hard to “think outside the box” to figure out ways to use that kit for other things.  I am going to share some layouts with you and the kits used, and maybe it will give you some ideas.

In this First layout.  My wonderful Creative Team Member, Barbara, used my “Paradise Island” collection, to create a layout documenting working around her Florida home.  To be honest, when I created this kit, I seriously never thought about it being used for anything but scraping a holiday and vacation photos!  I LOVE how she stretched outside of the box, and came up with this great layout.

 

All kids love to dress up, right?  Here is a cute layout done using my “Hidden Treasures Bundle Pack”.   It highlights a great photo of a little “Pirate”.

 

 

Here is a layout I made using my “Aimee’s Valentine Bundle”.  It was just a layout to highlight “My Loves” at this point in my life.  It had absolutely nothing to do with Valentine’s Day.  Just listing some of my “Blessings”.   

 

Now here are a few other layouts that might give ideas of some more “every day” events or “every day photos” you could scrap.

 

 

 

 

I am hosting 2 challenges on the forum this month.  Check them out under “Pieces of our Lives with Memory Mosaic”

The first one will started April 4 and run all month.  It will be Scrapping your Everyday…  If you post a layout by the end of the month, I will send you a FREEBIE that is given to everyone that participates.

 

The 2^nd challenge, starts April 16 and is my monthly “Sketch Challenge”.  Each month I supply you with a sketch for an idea, and challenge you to scrap about a particular theme.  I also put the links for my blog, where you can grab my Monthly Blog Train Freebie along with all the links for the rest of this month’s train. 

Hope to see your beautiful layouts in my challenge threads, in the My Memories Forum.