How does your garden grow? Take September’s Groove challenge, and get this gorgeous mini-kit by Scrapbook MAX! kit designer Kristi Cakebread. Find all the details here!

September (2-14) 2010 Designer Challenge

This month, challenge host Diana Carmichael is challenging YOU to challenge each other! Don’t worry – she gets your creative juices flowing with some simple guidelines, some ideas, and a color palette. Get all the fun details here. And word to the wise – Diana says there will be something special for those who participate…

Weekly Scrapbooking Challenge (Week of September 5)

This week – just in time for back to school – Michelle McCoy is challenging you to “study your alphabet!” From Michelle: “This challenge will be fun…We are going to focus on a creative TITLE, by adding patterns and an outline to make it look like alphabet stickers…Very easy to do!” Find all the details here.

Plus, all participants will get the free kit pictured here just for participating – woo-hoo!

MerryMum – Twins Layout (week of August 1-7)

In The Groove

Happy September, everyone! This month’s Groove-y theme is “Hot off the Press!”.  We’re featuring our five-or-so favorite layouts posted in the gallery in August  – one for each week (plus a bonus)!  We started above with MerryMum’s lovely heritage layout featuring twins, from last month’s Groove challenge. Thanks for making it a difficult task to choose – hope everyone enjoys seeing some of the terrific stuff posted last month showcased here in The Groove.

And in case all this inspires you to devote more time to scrapping, which it’s sure to do, we are having a “Back 2 Scrap” sale in the digital kits and templates store! This month, when you spend $5 or more on kits and templates, you will save an amazing 20% off your order! As a Groove reader, you’re among the very first to know – find all the details below!

We’ve got your favorites too – inspiration, a great freebie and challenge from designer Kristi Cakebread, and some of the latest releases in the store. It’s that time again – time to get into the scrapbooking groove!

Whimsical Nature Layout

We fell in love with celtic-mom68′s ode to dragonflies in this stunning, fantasy-filled layout. It looks just like a scene from a favorite storybook fairytale. This is our layout pick for to showcase for the week of August 8-14  – beautifully done!

celtic-mom68 – Dragonfly Layout

Love Is …  A Layout

irma’s instincts to make this amazing photo the focus of the layout are spot-on. You get lost in this beautiful child’s innocent eyes, drawn in by the fantastic frame. Understated colors add to the elegance. Our fave layout for August 15-21!

irma-  Love Is Layout

Huge “Back 2 Scrap” Sale in the Store! -Save 20%

Now is the time to stock up on digital kits and templates to scrap all those summer photos, and photos  you’re sure to take in the exciting months to come. That’s because until September 30, 2010, you can save 20% off your entire order!

Simply spend a minimum of $5 in the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Kits and Templates Store.  Be sure to type in the code BACK2SCRAP exactly as shown in the coupon code field before you checkout. You’ll get a whopping 20% off your order – sweet!

It’s time to treat yourself and dive into a new scrapbooking adventure. What are you waiting for? Let’s go shopping!

Note: Coupon code BACK2SCRAP must be typed in the coupon code field exactly as shown. Applies to new orders only and cannot be combined with any other offers. Minimum purchase of $5 and valid in the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Kits and Templates Store only. Expires September 30, 2010.

Tantalizing Textures

The textures in stmac’s layout are – well- tantalizing! Take a close look at the photos and the embellishments. The crackled effect gives a delicate, time-worn look to the layout, suggestive of antiques and precious memories – things worth saving. Beautiful photos, too. Our pick for the stellar layout of August 22-28.

stmac- Marly Layout

The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge

Garden Mini-Kit by designer Kristi Cakebread

Each month, a designer offers a great freebie mini-kit and issues a challenge based on that kit. All you need to do is download the freebie, create a layout that steps up to the challenge, upload it to the Groove challenge and post a link to your layout in a reply to the challenge thread!

This month, designer Kristi Cakebread has shared a  fresh gardening-themed kit (great colors!) perfect for scrapping any photos that speak of love, tenderness, and gentle pride.

The Challenge:
Gardening is about tending to something with tender loving care, and watching it blossom. This month, we’re challenging you to pick a photo of something you are proud to have tended with love  – could be a person, an achievement, or anything that fits this idea.  Make two layouts with this photo using the mini-kit: one using any combination of the elements “as is”, and in the next, re-color the elements you choose to closely match the main colors in your photo. The layouts can be identical (except for color) or completely different, but the photo or photos should be the same. Have fun!

Find the challenge thread and freebie here!

September 2010 Featured Kits

Looking for kits with Kristi’s signature style? Here’s a few for your list, and a coupon to use, too! Below are September’s featured kits, all by Kristi Cakebread.

Be sure to use the coupon code BACK2SCRAP to get 20% off your order (minimum purchase $5). Simply add any of the  Featured Kits below to your cart in the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store until September 2010, and type in the coupon code BACK2SCRAP exactly as show, to receive your 20% off discount (Applies to new orders only).

Kristi Cakebread – Southview Template

Kristi Cakebread – Smiles and Giggles Template

Krist Cakebread – Nobody Knows It But Me Kit

Krist Cakebread – Nobody Knows It But Me Kit

Filled with Grace-ful Laughter

We loved the breezy feeling of simplicity in TheFreeSpirit’s lovely layout. It truly captures the innocence of a child’s smile. I mean  – just look at that adorable face! The color combination is particularly soothing and has us breathing a sigh of contentment. Our pick for the week of August 29-31.

TheFreeSpirit – Grace Layout

Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store
**NEW RELEASES!**

Great new kits are added to the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store each month. Be sure to stop by and check out our awesome selection of embellishment kits and template sets, professionally-designed to work with Scrapbook MAX! digital scrapbooking software.

**REMEMBER: This month you can get 20% off on orders of $5 or more by using the coupon code BACK2SCRAP. See above for the full details!**

Below is a small sample of some of new kits recently added to the store by various designers:

Michelle McCoy – Summer Smiles Kit

Siobhan Kit – Dolly Template

Deanne Gow-Smith – Youth Comes But Once Kit

Another August Favorite….

Sassy – Best Friends Layout

Watch for the next issue of The Groove, coming October 1, 2010!

Have a photo that you’d love to scrap but have no idea where to start? Designer and weekly challenge host Michelle McCoy has your solution – let someone else do it! (Meanwhile, you’ll be scrapping their “unscrappable” photo!). Find all the details in the Scrappin’ Challenge 27 thread here.

All participants get the lovely kit pictured from Michelle to use to make their layout!

Using the layout Fiona has posted as a guide and inspiration, create a layout for your own photos. You must also use the COLOURS or THEME of the photos in your layout. Find all the fun challenge details here!

This week’s Weekly Challenge from Michelle McCoy:

“I decided we are going to have fun with Titles…your choices are in a Text file in your download (found in the challenge thread)…Please make sure your page shows the title you picked and scrapped about…Only use the mini kit provided….YOU CAN make new things from items in the mini and YOU MAY change colors…Post your layout in our gallery under the right category and then post it here for all to see…At the end of the week, ALL participants will get a freebie from me and a Challenge Flair!”

This sounds like fun! The image in this post is of the cool goodies you get just for participating (WOW!). To get in on the fun and join the challenge, please click here.

This month, Fiona Storey is treating you to a gorgeous heritage freebies, and challenging you to scrap a layout using photos that date prior to the 1970s.  Journey to the past…

Check out the full challenge details and get in on the fun here.

August 2010 Designer Challenge (August 1-14)

This month’s designer challenge is hosted by none other than our favorite “Granny” – designer Esther Barry! This month, she’s intriguing us with this challenge description: “Why not play a game and have fun with circles at the same time.”  Tantalizing freebies are also part and parcel of the challenge – come on and try it out in this thread!

ValerieElaine – Canada Layout from July monthly challenge

Scrapbook Challenge Mania!

The Scrapbook MAX! community is your go-to place for tips, techniques, and help with digital scrapbooking.

It’s also where you’ll find tons of scrapbooking challenges every month (weekly, monthly, mid-monthly  – sometimes more!), featuring fun, freebies, and friendly encouragement. This month in The Groove, we’re featuring layouts from recent challenges to show you just how fun they can be  – and the amazing results!

To check out the latest challenges and jump on in, please visit out Challenges and Contest thread. To read about what’s going on right now “at a glance”, check out our Freebie and Contests page on our website. Come back often as new challenges are added all the time!

Weekly Challenge Fun

Michelle McCoy has been filling the community with weekly challenges, and they’re great! Her recent two-part challenge was lots of fun (Scrappin’ Challenge 25) – first, participants had to pick 3 numbers. Then, Michelle posted a numbered list with challenge requirements – whatever numbers you picked, these were the requirements you had to include in your layout . So if you picked 1, 3 and 7 you had to:

1. Put your title sideways
3. Use 20 Brads or more
7. Use a metal accent/embellishment

Totally fun! Here’s a couple of the challenge layouts that were made.

dillie – Weekly Scrapbook Challenge Layout

lindaathome – Weekly Scrapbook Challenge Layout

Check out the rest of the weekly challenge results here!

Monthly Challenge

We have a host of hosts among our fabulous design team – designers who generously take the time to come up with super creative challenge ideas, and coach us all along. A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO YOU ALL  – SHOOOOUUUUUTTTT!!!

Last month, three designers  – Diana Carmichael, Tina Sudweeks, and Michelle McCoy – teamed up to bring you July’s challenge. You got to download freebies from each designer, then using one freebie from each of them, you were to make a page celebrating your national pride. Mid-month, folks were then challenged to recolor their layouts – awesome!

kimmyann – Freedom Layout

pixie – God Bless USA Layout

Check out the rest of the monthly challenge results here!

How do I participate in a Scrapbook MAX! community challenge?

It’s fun and easy  – just follow these steps!

1. Log in to the Scrapbook MAX! Community forums (if you aren’t a member yet, click on Register at the top right hand part of the page and follow the steps – it’s fast, free, and secure!)

2. Go to the Challenges and Contest forum and see what’s happening!

3. Click on one of the latest challenge threads in the Challenges and Contests forum.

4. The first post in the thread will give you the challenge’s specific requirements. If there is a freebie to use for the challenge, it will be attached to this post. Download the kit or template if there is one from this post.

5. Make your page within the time frame required by the challenge, and post it in your Member Gallery. You can then post a reply to the thread including a link to your image.

6. If you have any questions, other friendly challenge participants, challenge hosts, and moderators will be glad to help!

**Ten Reasons to Take a Scrapbooking Challenge!**

There are so many reasons to take the fun scrapbooking challenges
offered in our community. We’re listing ten below – in no particular order – but we bet you’ll find there are dozens more!

1. They’re fun and friendly.

2. You’ll learn new scrapbooking techniques.

3. You’ll find out how to use cool and exciting features in Scrapbook MAX! software.

4. You’ll get inspired by layouts posted by other members, and by comments made about your contributions!

5. Some of the top digital designers in the biz run these challenges – you can benefit from their experience and creativity!

6. There are often gorgeous freebies to use for the challenges, and sometimes even prizes just for participating!

7. You might find yourself scrapping a layout in a totally unexpected way – and loving it!

8. They’re a great way to get out a scrapping rut if you find yourself in one.

9. You’ll meet friends who share your passion.

10. You’ll find encouragement to scrap to the best of your abilities (sky’s the limit!)

The Groove Freebie Challenge!

Memento challenge mini-kit by Fiona Storey

Speaking of challenges, here’s one to enter today! Each month, a featured designer offers a great freebie mini-kit and issues a challenge based on that kit.

All you need to do is download the freebie, create a layout that steps up to the challenge, upload it to the Groove challenge and post a link to your layout in a reply to the challenge thread!

This month, designer Fiona Storey has shared a “memorable” kit perfect for scrapping heritage photos!

Fiona’s Challenge:

Using at least ONE background and FOUR items from the mini kit you are to Scrap your heritage photos. Photos MUST be taken prior to 1970, and your page must have something on it that depicts the date, be that a title, numbers or an item that depicts the era.

Find the challenge thread and freebie here!

August 2010 Featured Kits

Looking for kits with Fiona’s signature style? Here’s a few for your list, and a coupon to use, too! Below are August’s featured kits, all by Fiona Storey.

Be sure to use the coupon code FST-AUG to get 10% off any of the four featured kits. Simply add any of the  Featured Kits below to your cart in the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store until August 31, 2010, and type in the coupon code FST-AUG , to receive your 10% off discount (be sure to type in the code FST-AUG  exactly as shown. Applies to new orders only).

Fiona Storey -Magical Memories Template

Fiona Storey -Cherished Moments Kit

Fiona Storey -Peaceful Spirit Template

Fiona Storey -Little Man Kit

Mid-Month Challenge

Just when you thought we’d surely exhausted how many challenges we could offer, enter the mid-month challenge! The first by Fiona Storey was “sketchy” – in a good way! Here were the details for July’s mid-month challenge – you all did GREAT!:

1) Using the sketch given in the first post as inspiration create your version of the layout
2) you MUST use at least ONE colour from the pallette attached (attached to first post)
3) ALL pages must be uploaded to the gallery and the link/image posted in this thread
4) Challenge runs for TWO weeks & ends Saturday 31st July 2010

Here are a couple of offerings submitted mid-month challenge-istas – superb!

mh51- mid-month challenge layout

ksd_24_f- mid-month challenge layout

Check out the rest of the mid-month challenge results here!

The Groove’s July Challenge

Last but not least, we at The Groove bring you a challenge every month, including an awesome freebie by a Scrapbook MAX! digital kit designer! Last month, Deanne Gow-Smith was up to bat, and she challenged us to crop up her freebie elements to layout a cool page. Super creative, and ya gotta love a freebie, too!

daydreamer- Groove Challenge Layout

scrappyaggie48- Groove Challenge Layout

Check out the rest of the Groove’s July challenge results here.

Once again a huge…

!!THANK YOU!!

…to the fabulous designers who bring you challenges in the Scrapbook MAX! community every single month! Get in on the challenge fun, and be sure to check out our amazing kits and templates by our stellar design team in the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Kits and Templates Store!

Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store

**NEW RELEASES!**

Great new kits are added to the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store each month. Be sure to stop by and check out our awesome selection of embellishment kits and template sets, professionally-designed to work with Scrapbook MAX! digital scrapbooking software.

Below is a small sample of some of new kits recently added to the store by various designers:

Deanne Gow-Smith – Polka Dot Parade Kit

Kristi Cakebread – Southview Kit

Siobhan Kite – Pink Dreamer Kit

Watch for next month’s issue of The Groove – coming out September 1,  2010!

Get ready for a two-part, two week challenge hosted by Scrapbook MAX! designer Michelle McCoy! Here’s the first part of the challenge: “Ok here is what you need to do…I am going to give you all until this Friday to pick 3 numbers between 1-10….Post your three numbers here for all of us to see…On Saturday, I will post what you need to do to make your layout using the numbers you picked….” – Michelle

All participants get a free kit as a prize – (see the yummy preview image!) Click here to get all the challenge details.

Deanne Gow-Smith

July 2010 Monthly Challenge Designer Deanne Gow-Smith hosts this month’s Groove Freebie challenge, and is encouraging you to crop creatively! Using the beautiful freebie embellishments that Deanne has provided, create a layout. Here’s the challenge – don’t use any of the embellishments “whole” – you must figure out a way to crop them in a way that complements your page. Get all the freebie and all the challenge details here

July 2010 Monthly Designer Challenge

Attention all digi scrappers: you must check this out – the July Designer Challenge is brought to you by not one, not two, but THREE of our illustrious Scrapbook MAX! designers! The challenge is to celebrate the love of your country, whichever wonderful one it may be…and Diana Carmichael, Michelle McCoy, and Tina Sudweeks are supplying freebies to help!

Here’s the challenge from our three “partners-in-crop”:

1. Download Michelle’s, Tina’s and Diana’s freebies kits… we will each be posting them separately, so watch for them!
2. Use at least ONE item from EACH of our kits (that means 1 from Michelle, 1 from Tina and 1 from Diana), but of course use more if you want… and then…
3. Scrap a page about what you are PROUD of in the country where YOU live, OR, if you are in the USA, scrap a July 4th page!
4. Upload your pages to the Design Team Challenges gallery AND THEN copy/paste the image link in this thread for all of us to enjoy! (That’s the “linked image” code under your uploaded layout.)

Click here to find more designer challenge details and the above-mentioned freebies!