scrapbook freebies

The Groove April 2012

April 1, 2012 By karin

In the Groove

Enjoy the April issue of The Groove jam-packed with scrapper profiles, a tutorial, freebies, store discounts, challenge details, the chance to get a custom kit designed just for you…and more!

Top layout by Kaye.

Meet Scrapbook MAX! Designer Amanda Wittenborn

Welcome, Amanda – a new and already super busy designer!- to the Scrapbook MAX! Design Team. Get to know Amanda in the profile she has shared below (and enjoy some freebies that she’s shared, too!).

My name is Amanda Wittenborn and I have been designing digital scrapbook kits since January of 2011. I have been crafty and creative my whole life, and knew that “someday” I wanted to design my own papers and elements to meet the needs I had as a scrapper. So I decided to give it a try, and I am hooked! I tend to design kits that go with what is going on in my kids lives at the moment. So you will see a new movie kit coming out from me, since we just took my youngest to see his first movie! Many of my kits are kid themed since my kids are my favorite subject to scrap! I have 2 little boys, age 6 and 2 and a wonderful hubby I have been married to for almost 10 years. Besides designing digital scrapbook kits I also teach private piano lessons.

Some of Amanda’s favorite kits:

Timeless Kit – I was actually inspired by the floral patterns in the paper, and put together this amazing color scheme to go with them perfectly. I packed this kit with tons of texture and beautiful floral pieces. It has a vintage/heritage feel to it, I have been told the papers look like vintage wall paper. I just love how this kit blossomed and turned out!

Woodland Winter Kit – This is one of my most favorite kits I have made. I just had this fun idea to use woodland animals, but in a winter setting. Think of winter getaways and how quiet it can be during a snowfall, that’s what this kit make me think of.

Thanks for sharing, Amanda! For those of you looking for more creations by Amanda, check out her category in the Scrapbook MAX! Store. PLUS! Find a freebie from Amanda and discount on her featured kits just a little further on in this issue of The Groove!

Scrapbook Tutorial with Carena Scott: Linking Frames

Below is a wonderful tutorial on how to link frames in Scrapbook MAX!, generously shared by creative Scrapbook MAX! Designer Carena Scott. You’re sure to use this useful technique over and over again in your pages!

Hint: To view the steps at a larger size, just click on them – and flip through them by clicking on the “next” arrows that appear when you mouse over the right side of the image.

For more scrapbook tutorials and freebie kits that are Scrapbook MAX! compatible, check out Carena’s blog.

To see Carena’s beautiful selection of kits, see Carena’s category in the store.

Heritage Layout Inspiration

Heritage pages are not only beautiful, they tell such a rich story. Get inspired by Scrapbook MAX! community member Kaye’s lovely scrapbook pages (the first one is the layout featured at the top of this issue) and her story below!

From Kaye:

Don’t you agree that there is a certain charm about old black and white, and sepia photos? I look at them and my imagination takes me to all sorts of places, and I wonder what the story behind the picture is.

Letha, another Scrapbook MAX! community member, has showcased lots of beautiful scrap pages using her family’s dated photos here on the forums. It inspired me to go through my parents old photos to see what gems I could find. There were so many! I decided then and there that I was going to restore what I could and make photo books for any of the family that wanted them so that these wonderful old photos could be seen.

A layout from Kaye’s heritage project.

A layout by Letha that helped inspire Kaye’s ongoing heritage project.

The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge

Movie-Night-Freebie — Movie Night Freebie

Each month a designer shares a freebie with Groove Readers and challenges you do to something fun with it! Find Amanda Wittenborn’s “Movie Night” freebie and fun movie-themed challenge here!

April 2012 Featured Kits

Are you loving Amanda’s Groove Challenge Freebie? Looking for kits with her signature style? Here’s a few for your list, all found in our Featured Content section of the store! You can save 10% off by adding any of these four featured kits to your cart and typing in the coupon code APR-AMW at checkout. Offer is valid on new orders only from the Featured Content section – expires April 30, 2012.

April 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:

April Challenge Schedule

April 1-31, 2012 – The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge (Amanda Wittenborn)

April 1-31, 2012 – Designer Monthly Challenge (KapiColors)

April 15-31, 2012 – Mid-Month Challenge “From Boring To Beautiful” (Deanne Gow-Smith – approximate start date is the 15th)
From Deanne – Participants will get a bland “boring” one-color kit to work with. The goal is to transform it into “beautiful” using JUST ONE additional color. Any embies may be added but 1 color only to be added…

Have Deanne Turn Your Idea Into a Custom Kit!

Last month’s ‘Custom Kit’ by Deanne Gow-Smith

From Deanne:

If you have an idea for a kit that you would like me to consider designing, all you have to do is email me at [email protected] by April 10, 2012 with your request for a specific KIT theme. Add lots of details of what you would like to see in it: colours, type of embellishments, wordart, etc. I will select one of suggestions I receive, and create a custom designed KIT and a TEMPLATE for the winner.

Just for participating and emailing me your request and suggestions, you will receive 1 x FREE KIT valued around $5.00.

Note: THE WINNER of the custom-designed kit is invited to post a layout that they make with this kit in the Scrapbook MAX! gallery. We’d love to feature it and the story behind your request in an upcoming issue of The Groove!

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

The Groove March 2012

March 1, 2012 By karin

In the Groove

We have lots of exciting things for you in The Groove this month (including some cool “green” layouts to celebrate the month of March)! You’ll find a special spotlight on popular Scrapbook MAX! designer Deanne Gow-Smith! Deanne shares her scrapbooking story, talks about a few of her favorite layouts from Scrapbook MAX! members, and invites you to inspire her next kit design (with free kits just for making a suggestion!) More details are below!

We’ve got the scoop on two exciting and creative month-long challenges, hosted by Sandrine Boarqueiro-Verdun and Carena Scott. And you’ll also find a discount coupon to use in the store!

Scrapper Spotlight: Deanne Gow-Smith

Meet Deanne Gow-Smith, a longtime member of our Scrapbook MAX! Design Team. Below, she shares some of her story, and what she loves about Scrapbook MAX!.

Hello Fellow Scrapbook MAX!-er’s and Groove readers, Let me introduce myself to those of you that don’t yet know me. My name is Deanne Gow-Smith, a.k.a Moonbeam. I’ve been around Scrapbook MAX! so long I’m part of the furniture! 🙂

The day I discovered Digital Scrapbooking 6 years ago literally changed my life. Before I knew it, I became a designer at Scrapbook MAX!, and now that’s what I do! I’m not a computer whiz, but Scrapbook MAX! software is so unbelievably easy to use and yet so great in what it does, I LOVE it! In fact when I recently opened my own Online Scrapbook store I had quite a few requests from other scrapbooking software companies to feature their products on my website. They GAVE me FREE downloads of their software to try, so I could review them and possibly promote them on my site. I did try them and they were very good! BUT – guess what? They didn’t compare at all to my dear “Max” ( my affectionate name for Scrapbook MAX!)

In my opinion, with this incredible program, the online community and support, and the learning challenges, anyone can become a great scrapper. For those who haven’t ever posted their pages in the Scrapbook MAX! gallery yet – c’mon! We’d love to see what you’ve done. From a designer’s point of view, it never ceases to amaze me how with just one kit, 20 people can create 20 different layouts.

Don’t YOU love looking at the Gallery? I get so much inspiration from seeing what everyone does there. Take a look, and don’t forget to post your own work and get in on the fun!

– Deanne

We asked Deanne to share her favorite layouts recently posted in the Scrapbook MAX! Gallery, and what she liked about them!

I loved this layout by Cheespiece. Why? I felt cold looking at it! I love the softness, the muted frame and the way there are so many complimenting fonts … and that photo! Now I forget the cold – that face melts hearts.

Really – how cute can you get? It appeals to me also because I live on a farm, too – a Beef cattle farm. Hope you’re not going to eat him, Kimmyann!! 🙂

The photos in Carena’s page match the layout so beautifully. I love the skewed frame at the top – it adds interest. The page has a gorgeous soft background paper with just a couple of touches of flower clusters and a few scatterings of petals – plus plenty of ” whitespace”. A lovely layout!

Have Deanne Turn Your Idea Into a Custom Kit!

Last month’s ‘Custom Kit’ by Deanne Gow-Smith

From Deanne:

If you have an idea for a kit that you would like me to consider designing, all you have to do is email me at [email protected] by March 10, 2012 with your request for a specific KIT theme. Add lots of details of what you would like to see in it: colours, type of embellishments, wordart, etc. I will select one of suggestions I receive, and create a custom designed KIT and a TEMPLATE for the winner.

Just for participating and emailing me your request and suggestions, you will receive 1 x FREE KIT valued around $5.00.

The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge

KapiScrap-Fun-City-Preview — KapiScrap-Fun-City-Challenge

This month, designer Sandrine Boarqueiro-Verdun is challenging you to use this bright, fun kit and flex your creativity with Ribbon Text, Masks, and more! You’ll be challenged to make not one but TWO layouts! Get involved to learn, have fun, and end up with a pair of incredible pages!

Visit the challenge thread in the Challenge and Contests Forum to find all the details and this colorful freebie kit.

March 2012 Featured Kits

Are you loving Sandrine’s Groove Challenge Freebie? Looking for kits with her signature style? Here’s a few for your list, all found in our Featured Content section of the store! You can save 10% off by adding any of these four featured kits to your cart and typing in the coupon code MAR-SAB at checkout. Offer is valid on new orders only from the Featured Content section – expires March 31, 2012.

March 2012 Designer Challenge – Hosted by Carena Scott

March-Siggy-Challenge-by-Carena — Carena - Siggy Challenge

For this month’s designer challenge we are going to make our own ‘forum siggy’! The challenge is to use a heart shape, leaves and flowers plus any other embellishments you desire. Also, you’ll be asked to include a quote of your choice along with your forum name or real name if you wish. Background must be white – so it blends in with the forum.

You can upload a larger version into the challenge gallery to show us just like a layout but to place it into your forum signature like your challenge buttons you will need to size to 300 by 100 pixels maximum or similar so it doesn’t take up too large an area.

More details will be in the forum challenge area. Come and join the fun – brought to you by Carena’s Designs.

– Carena Scott

March 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:

March Challenge Schedule

March 1-31, 2012 – The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge (KapiColors)

March 1-31, 2012 – Designer Monthly Challenge (Carena Scott)

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

Happy March, from The Groove!

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

The Groove September 2011

September 1, 2011 By karin

In the Groove

For many of us, we’re soaking up the last rays of sunshine before autumn begins. But no matter where in the world you live, who doesn’t appreciate the beauty of the outdoors? This month we’re featuring layouts with gorgeous “outside” photos. Get inspired to get outside and snap some pics – no flash required! 🙂

We’ve got HUGE news – about a SUPER SALE in the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store. Read on for all the exciting details!

You’ll also enjoy an incredible freebie and challenge from our friend KapiScrap and Art. You’ve seen lovely layouts by KapiColors in the forums and gallery! Find this and more in The Groove!

Summer Treats

This “outdoor” layout came from last month’s Groove Freebie Challenge, with a summer freebie from designer Katie Castillo. We love the elegant presentation of this page that draws your eyes to the photos – on a hot day the frozen treats are a welcome sight, too! Great job, Letha!

SUPER SALE in the Store! Stock up and Save 20%

This month, when you spend a minimum of $10 in the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store, you can save 20% off your order! Just fill up your cart, and type in the code SUPERSALE exactly as shown in the coupon code field before you checkout. You’ll get a whopping 20% off your order.

This is a great time to stock up on your “digital scrap supplies” for the year. Browse the store for gorgeous designs on all the themes you can dream of: birthday, Christmas, boy, girl, pets, travel, “every day”, and so much more! Don’t wait, check out our selection of thousands of digital kits and templates, by some of the top designers in the industry!

Note: Coupon code SUPERSALE 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 $10 – valid in the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store only. Expires September 30, 2011.

The Groove Monthly Freebie Challenge

Each month, we feature a great freebie mini-kit and a fun challenge. 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, a lovely freebie (showpage above) and summer-y challenge is hosted by KapiScrap and Art. For all of the details, please check out the September 2011 freebie challenge thread here.

The Great (Imaginary) Outdoors!

The outdoor “landscape” may be whimsical, but this layout still shouts “summertime”! We love the extraction, and the adorable embies, to say nothing of the layout’s photo subject – so sweet! Lovely work from tin tin.

NEW RELEASES! – Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates

Great new kits are added to the Scrapbook MAX! Digital Scrapbooking Kits and Templates Store each month. And remember – all through September 2011, you can save 20% on orders of $10 or more (see above for all the details!).

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

Autumn Crunch Kit – Carena Scott

See Red Kit – Kirsten Smit

Vintage Treasury Elements – Monja Wessel

Harmony Template – Siobhan Kite

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

scrapbook freebies

The Groove April 2012

In the Groove