layout contest

The Groove August 2012

August 1, 2012 By karin

In the Groove

There are still a few great weeks of summer left and we plan to hold on for as long as we can! We’ve included some bright, summery layouts for you to enjoy such as tin tin’s awesome beach layout above (love how the layout looks perfectly sandy!). Michelle McCoy’s cute summer freebie mini kit will be perfect for your pages, and we’re also highlighting some fun kits from the store that will add some color and punch. Read on for more details!

You’ll also find a terrific profile on designer Michelle McCoy along with some of her layouts made by Scrapbook MAX! members. And don’t forget to look for a discount on this month’s featured kits!

Scrapbook MAX! Designer Profile

Meet Michelle McCoy, a Scrapbook MAX! Digital Kit Designer, and very active challenge host – often with multiple challenges on the go! Besides her creativity and great freebies and kits, Michelle is known for her friendly, helpful personality, her courage, and her ability to make everyone feel at home! Learn more about Michelle in the profile below and get a super-cute freebie when you participate in her challenge. Thanks for sharing, Michelle! 🙂

I’m thrilled to be the featured designer of the month and to be a part of the SBM community. My name is Michelle McCoy and I’m a single mom of two wonderful sons. I’m no longer able to work due to many medical conditions. I’m a Diabetic who recently had my right leg amputated. I also have heart disease, neuropathy, a rare skin disease and a kidney disease that requires me to be on Dialysis 3x a week to stay alive. It has changed my life, and I am grateful to have so much love, support, encouragement and positive thoughts from family, friends and from the scrapping community.

I got involved with digital scrap-booking while searching for a birthday card to print and came across Scrapbook MAX!. It looked interesting, so I went to the website, loved the community and the software! I’ve been hooked ever since and have been designing for almost 5 years now as Crafty Scraps. I am always trying to inspire others, whether they are first time scrappers or scrappers that have been creating beautiful things for years! My favorite kits are any with my snowmen in it! In my free time, I like to write poetry, relax with my kids and spend time with my furball – Boo Bear.

Here is a collage of a few of my favorite layouts made by the SBM community, using my kits:

LOs I like — Michelle's Favorite Layouts

Great collage – trust Michelle to get this creative! 😉 – and beautiful layouts Lori, Jana, Sandrine and Linda!
– The Groove Editors

The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge

Each month a designer shares a freebie with Groove Readers and challenges you do to something fun with it! Find Michelle’s “turtle-themed” freebie and “sticker” challenge here!

Note: The challenge takes place in the forums here. But because Michelle included two mini-tutorials, we thought we’d include it here, too. Feel free to use Michelle’s tips in any layouts you are working on!

August 2012 Freebie Challenge hosted by Michelle McCoy
(To participate in the challenge, click here.)

Instructions:

*Download my freebie kit.

*Use one of the papers in the download on your layout.

*Add a title on your page making it look like a sticker. You can do this by adding a Caption (Object > Caption), and clicking on the Advanced tab in the Caption Properties box. Here you can adjust the outline. By making the outline white and very large (I adjusted the outline size to 30.9) your caption looks like a sticker. Here is a visual aid to help!:

Click on the above image to enlarge.

*Bring in another background from the my mini kit into your work space as a Paper Scrap or a Photo.

* Change colors if needed

* Now, change the shape from your shapes folder using these instructions:

Using a shape and shadow — Shapes and Shadows

Click on the above image to enlarge.

*You can use anything else on your page to finish it up.

*Upload your page to the gallery, then here in the post.

* Thank you for playing!!!

– Michelle

Get a Discount on Featured Scrapbooking Kits

Love the style of Michelle’s freebie and the kits showcased in her cute collage above? You can get 10% off of four of Michelle’s kits this month (pictured below) available in the Featured Content section of our store! All you need to do is add the kits to your cart, and use the coupon discount code MMC-AUG. Applies only to the kits found in the Featured Content section of our store, new orders only. Offer expires August 31, 2012.

New Releases in the Scrapbook MAX! Kit and Templates Store

Great new kits are added to the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store each month. Below is just a small sample of some of new kits recently added to the store by various designers:

Summer Love

Is there anything more romantic than a beach wedding? We fell in love with fonzzy’s beach wedding layout, especially her use of the gorgeous blue background. Its color said “the sea” and also contrasted beautifully with the lighter tones of the beach and bride’s gown. Gorgeous!

Look for the next issue of The Groove on September 1, 2012!

The Groove June 2012

June 1, 2012 By karin

In the Groove

Another edition of The Groove is here, packed with a scrapper profile, great discounts, freebies, challenges and more!

We’re starting things off with a dazzling layout from Scrapbook MAX! community member Aussie Annette above to get you all inspired. Sometimes its tempting – and absolutely just right – to pack your layouts with color. Other times, one color is just as dramatic. It can really make a statement. Thanks, Annette!

Scrapbook MAX! Designer Profile

Meet Sandrine Boarqueiro-Verdun, a Scrapbook MAX! Digital Kit Designer, frequent challenge host, and very helpful member of our Scrapbook MAX! community! Below, you’ll get to know Sandrine a bit better, enjoy a few of her favorite layouts and comments by those who use her kits in their pages. Plus, she’s sharing an AWESOME freebie and challenge with you! Enjoy – and thanks, Sandrine! 🙂

Hello Dear Groove Readers!

Let me introduce myself to those of you who don’t know me yet. My name is Sandrine aka KapiScrap (or KapiColors). I was born the month of October to the last century (LOL) in Versailles, France. I have been living in the South West of France (in the “cassoulet” country) for more than 12 years.

I created my own company in 2000 at this period. I work in the development and testing (quality) software area. Two years ago I created KapiScrap & Art, which focuses on the digital scrapbooking industry. The organization has three main activities: scrapbooking kits design, resale of Scrapbook MAX! on the French market, and training courses. If memory serves, I discovered digital scrapbooking at the end of 2009.

I’m married and I have two adorable kids: 6 and almost 10. They are, of course, my favorite models, but they are also a great source of inspiration. I’m very lucky as the youngest one loves striking poses for the photos and dressing up, leaving me with plenty of photos for different themes.

Many of my kits are kid themed since my kids are my favorite subject to scrap, and also because I like funny stuff, but not solely. During the day I work on very serious and critical topics, so when I design a kit I like getting swept away in funny characters like Mr. & Mrs. Bunnies in Hoppy Easter, my little Reindeer in Reindeer Village, or the friendly penguin in Winter Fun Penguin Style.

Before starting to draw the items of a kit or creating papers, I think a kit as a *whole*: the style, the pallet, and I list the items. We are two persons designing at KapiScrap, so we also share the tasks as we draw everything from scratch and some items require several hours to be designed; an example is the bat in Witches Brew, or very sophisticated items like the beater in Baking Memories. My colleague (and husband) is a really great designer who has an eye for detail so for the very sophisticated items he is the right person. Some kits like Forever Adorable I & II, Hoppy Easter, Winter Fun Penguin Style though are 100% me, and I always insist that we design everything from scratch, so that means that our kits are unique.

I have loads of ideas for themes… but I don’t always have enough time to design all the kits. That being said,I have asked some members of my CT to describe my “designer” work as they are the best persons to describe my style, as they work with it regularly. My girls Monkey Musing, Tigroune and Tin Tin had this to say:

“Fun, playful, colorful hand drawn elements that scream out are different from everyone else’s work. You don’t use CU items so your items are unique to only your kits. Plus your kits and templates are well thought out. You have an eye for detail which is why your work is refreshing.”

“Each of your kits has its own exclusive items which are very well designed with any detail. Your kits are always very comprehensive. What I definitively love in your kits is that they are unique, you can’t find your items in any other kits, and the quality of each item allows to print any page for a perfect result”.

Forever Adorable II

“I love that you have a lot of papers and shapes that can really make someone use their imagination, and I love that your kits are bilingual, I think that is one of the features that makes you stand out. Also you are not afraid of colors in your kits. Your templates are real original with the circle shapes…”

Thanks, Sandrine for sharing your designer story and for sharing lovely images and comments on your work! It was great to get to know a bit more about the person behind the beautiful digital scrapbooking kit and template designs!
– The Groove Editors

A couple of Sandrine’s favorite layouts (with her favorite models!):

Get a Discount on Featured Scrapbooking Kits

Love this kit and the three kits showcased in Sandrine’s profile above? They are the feature kits in our store all month long, and you can get them for 10% off! All you need to do is add them to your cart, and use the coupon discount code SAB-JUN. Applies only to the kits found in the Featured Content section of our store, new orders only. Offer expires June 30, 2012

The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge

KapiScrap-Sweet-Springtime — Sweet Springtime

Each month a designer shares a freebie with Groove Readers and challenges you do to something fun with it! Find Sandrine’s “Sweet Springtime” freebie and challenge here!

June 2012 Challenges

There’s always something going on in the Scrapbook MAX! Challenges and Contests Forum! Here’s what to keep your eyes open for:

June Challenge Schedule

June 1-30, 2012 – The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge (Sandrine a.k.a. KapiColors)

June 1-30, 2012 – Designer Monthly Challenge

June 15-31, 2012 – Mid-Month Challenge (Deanne Gow-Smith – approximate start date is the 15th)

New Releases in the Scrapbook MAX! Kit and Templates Store

Great new kits are added to the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store each month.

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

Fiona Storey – Sentimental Punk:

Katie Castillo – My Birthday Boy Cluster Frames:

Deanne Gow-Smith – Laura Jane:

Shades of Purple

Another almost-all-purple layout, this one from Scrapbook MAX! member Tigroune. While using one color can make a dramatic statement, it can also convey sweet simplicity and the perfect backdrop for a great photo like this one. Purple-licious!

Look for the next issue of The Groove on July 1, 2012!

The Groove July 2011

July 1, 2011 By karin

stangergirls - 4th of July — 4th of July

In the Groove

Happy Canada Day and 4th of July, and a big hooray for wherever you call home! July is a month of fun and celebration, and we hope you’ll enjoy kicking it off with The Groove!

In this issue, you’ll find layouts celebrating the spirit of “home”. You’ll also be challenged to make a home-town pride layout of your own, and be eligible to win one of three Mega Expansion Packs for Scrapbook MAX! 2.0!

Read on for news on the latest digital scrapbooking kits, and for fun scrapbooking inspiration!

O, Canada!

Canada Day is celebrated on July 1. This year, Canada is 144 years young! Here are two gorgeous red-and-white layouts. ValerieElaine gets into the spirit with a fireworks display, and Marion displays gifts she received from Canadian friends made in our very own Scrapbook MAX! community – how cool is that?

4th of July – “Take Two!”

Happy 235, USA! Whether you’re celebrating with a town parade, a barbecue, or a gathering with family and friends, we hope you enjoy this special day! Does the layout below look familiar? Check out stangergirls’ 4th of July layout featured at the top of the newsletter and the second one below. She shows us how you can take the same favorite photo and use it in a completely different way, still getting spectacular results. It’s all about getting creative (and using a photo as many times as you want is the advantage of going digi!). Gorgeous!

Groove Layout Challenge – Spectacular Prizes!

July is a month of fun, celebrations and home-town pride! That’s why The Groove is challenging you to make a layout celebrating wherever it is you come from (Nanna Susie’s Parade layout above is great inspiration!)!

What makes your city, town or country special? Get creative, and make a layout to show off your special place. Then, post your layout in the Challenge Thread here (visit the thread for posting instructions).

Now here’s the super fun part – the names of three challenge participants will be drawn at random and each of these winners will get the Scrapbook MAX! 2.0 Mega Expansion Pack of their choice! (Please note that Mega Expansion Packs require Scrapbook MAX! 2.0 software to work). You heard right – you can win a Mega Expansion Pack just for participating in this fun challenge!

What’s a Scrapbook MAX! 2.0 Expansion Pack? So glad you asked! 🙂

An Expansion Pack is a set of awesome digital scrapbooking kits and coordinating templates pack made by some of the top designers in the industry, exclusively for Scrapbook MAX! 2.0. We currently have 8 different packs available (and counting!), including themes such as Birthday, Christmas, Baby, Family Heritage, and more! Each pack comes with at least 10 premium digital scrapbooking kits and 10 premium templates. You get over $100 worth of items in each pack, for only $19.95 per pack!

Learn more about our Expansion Pack collection – collect them all today!

NEW RELEASES! – Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates!

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:

Get Siobahn’s Pansy Pink Template today!

Get Monja’s Tropical Island Kit today!

Get Carena’s Aussie Kit today!

Get Deanne’s Jaded Blue Kit today!

Look for next month’s issue of The Groove on August 1, 2011!

The Groove December 2010

December 1, 2010 By karin

In the Groove

‘Tis the season, and this month we’re decking The Groove in Red, Gold, and Green! You’ll love the layouts made by our talented Scrapbook MAX! community members reflecting these rich colours. We begin above with an absolutely adorable “red” layout above by lindaathome – it warms the heart! Plus, we’re showcasing kits and templates from our store that reflect the holiday hues.

Below, you’ll also find a Christmas freebie (and friendly challenge!) from Scrapbook MAX! kit designer Diana Carmichael, perfect for scrapping Christmas past, present and future! Plus, there’s a discount coupon to use on 4 of Diana’s featured kits.

Get into the Christmas Spirit with The Groove!

Regal Red Layouts

Vivid red is the colour of holly, Christmas ribbons, and the perfect contrasting colour to set off Christmas greens. Memphisfran uses crimson red in all its glory below to showcase amazing photos. Beautiful!

Looking for a fun Christmas kit that features spectacular, vivid reds? Check out this Christmas kit from Scrapbook MAX! kit designer Katie Castillo!

Glittering Gold

The richness and shine of this precious metal tone adds instant elegance to a layout. We love the use of gold by nannybernie to mark a very special occasion – and just look at the happiness that shines from the photo, too!

Looking for a Christmas kit that glitters with golden-tones? Check out this Christmas kit from Scrapbook MAX! kit designer Siobhan Kite!

The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge

The Freebie:

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 category in the gallery, and post a link to your layout in a reply to the challenge thread!

This month, Scrapbook MAX! kit designer Diana Carmichael has shared a delightful Christmas-themed mini-kit with plenty of sparkle (see preview image above)!

The Challenge:

Challenge: Using at least three (3) items – or all of them – from the freebie kit, make a page with a snowy, frosty winter theme!

Find the challenge thread here!

December 2010 Featured Kits

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

Be sure to use the coupon code DCA-DEC 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 December 31, 2010, and type in the coupon code DCA-DEC , to receive your 10% off discount.

You’ll find all four kits in the Featured Content section of the store. (Be sure to type in the code DCA-DEC exactly as shown. Applies to new orders only)

Gorgeous Green

Green is the colour of Christmas trees and wreaths, and the colour of life even in the wintry days of December! We love this tribute to nature – and the colour green – by Aussie Annette.

Looking for a Christmas kit showcasing fresh greens? Check out this Christmas kit from Scrapbook MAX! kit designer Michelle McCoy!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, from The Groove! “See you next year” on January 1, 2011!

The Groove November 2010

November 1, 2010 By Scrapbook MAX

In the Groove

This month, our theme is “Those Beautiful Blues”. Who says that the blues have to be sad? Not the fab scrappers in our community! We know you’ll enjoy and get inspired by the gorgeous blue-toned layouts featured this month – from deep, inky indigos to powder blues, you’re sure to fall in love with blue all over again!

We’ve also got a fun feature story about two Scrapbook MAX! -ers meeting in person, and of course the ever-popular monthly freebie challenge hosted this month by Katie Castillo (with a 10% coupon to use in the store!). Read all the details below.

Happy Scrapping!

Babies in Blues

We love the different moods created by different shades of blue. The deep blue has an intensity that draws you in, while the pale blue suggests dreamland. Well done, ladies!

Purple’s Like Blue, Too!

We love the purpley blue magic in this layout. So soothing and elegant! The border made of greenery really makes everything “pop”!

Thanks You Breast Cancer Challenge Participant!

Last month, we held a one-week challenge to raise money in support of breast cancer research. Participants were asked to donate whatever they could to help this great cause…and your generosity was absolutely amazing!

Over the course of that one week, you helped us raise over $1500!! We are thrilled with the results and couldn’t have done it without your generosity. A HUGE thanks to all who participated.

WAY TO GO!!

Scrapbook MAX! Special: Scrapbook MAX! Friends Get Together In Person!

…and it almost didn’t happen, as you’ll discover by reading the journal text in this great layout (click on the layout to enlarge it)! Read how dedicated Scrapbook MAX!-ers Michelle and Maureen decided to meet when they realized they’d be in the same location. They enjoyed putting real faces to names, and we just loved to hear about it. Scrapbooking really does bring people together!

The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge

The Freebie:

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, Scrapbook MAX! kit designer Katie Castillo has shared a lovely 5 x 7 page based on her Applelicious line of designs (see sample images).

The Challenge:

Make 3 layouts with Katie’s freebie page. For the first page, pop in the perfect photos, but don’t change anything else (you can add journaling if you wish). For the second page, using the same photos, rearrange the embellishments and other elements to layout the page in a different way. For your third page, choose new photos, and alter the colors of the page (you can rearrange the items on this one or leave Katie’s layout intact).

Find the challenge thread here!

November 2010 Featured Kits

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

Be sure to use the coupon code KCS-NOV 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 November 30, 2010, and type in the coupon code KCS-NOV , to receive your 10% off discount.

You’ll find all four kits in the Featured Content section of the store. (Be sure to type in the code KCS-NOV exactly as shown. Applies to new orders only)

Blues in Twos

Two more fabulous blue-toned layouts to cap off this special colour-themed issue of The Groove. Sassy’s takes inspiration from the soothing waves, and makes us feel like dangling our toes in the water. Melissa was inspired by the blue eyes of the star of her layout, using gorgeous moody shades.

Look for next month’s issue of The Groove on December 1, 2o1o!

The Groove October 2010

October 1, 2010 By karin

MaggieMae – Jack-O-Lantern Layout

In the Groove

October is the traditional month of jack-o-lanterns, bags of candy, and scary stories. But digi scrappers have another tradition – making layouts of their own adorable ghosties! This issue, enjoy some of our favorite Halloween-themed layouts by Scrapbook MAX!-ers featuring charming boys and ghouls…um…girls. (We’re looking forward to seeing new Halloween layouts in the gallery later in the month, too!)

Read on (if you dare!) to find a spooky challenge and freebie from Siobhan Kite (we think you’ll find it’s very “gourd”). There’s also a discount coupon for some of Siobhan’s not-at-all-scary kits in the store (in fact, they’re just plain gorgeous!).

Happy Scrapping, and Happy Halloween!

Boo-tiful Layouts!

Have you ever seen a cuter skeleton or more adorable little tiger? These layouts capture the fun of Halloween (look at that skeleton in lemonaded6363’s layout beam from ear to ear!). We also love how the little images in ScrapBug’s layout tell a whole story of a first Halloween – where our Halloween baby goes from being not-so-sure, to happy, to asleep!

lemonade 6363 – Halloween Layout 2008

ScrapBug- Halloween Layout

Halloween Humour!

These are just awesome photos! From the fun striped tights of a spunky witch in WendyG’s layout, to the hilariously unexpected duckling photo (what a great get-up!) in LadyTrish’s page, you had us laughing so hard, we didn’t hear the trick-or-treaters at the door!

WendyG- Witch With Striped Tights Layout

LadyTrish- Cute Little Duckling Layout

The Groove’s Monthly Freebie Challenge!

Halloween-themed freebie kit by Scrapbook MAX! digital kit designer Siobhan Kite

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 Siobhan Kite has shared a spooky Halloween-themed kit (elements in blacks, oranges, and a balancing charcoal grey – very nice!). Get ready to make some “hauntingly” beautiful pages!

Siobhan’s Challenge:

USING ONLY THESE ELEMENTS, CREATE A LAYOUT. WHEN ADDING A PHOTO, GO TO THE ADVANCED TAB ON THE PROPERTIES BOX AND MANIPULATE THE COLORS TO CREATE A SUPER CREEPY DISPLAY.

Find the challenge thread here!

October 2010 Featured Kits

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

Be sure to use the coupon code SKI-OCT 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 October 31, 2010, and type in the coupon code SKI-OCT , to receive your 10% off discount (be sure to type in the code SKI-OCT exactly as shown. Applies to new orders only).