A New Sketch Challenge

Hello Bloggers!

Today we'll be sharing Amanda's newest sketch for our monthly contest here at The Shoppe.

Hopefully you will find it useful for those times when Scrapper's Block hits. Sometimes it's nice to have most of the thinking done for you!

Amanda also always makes her own page using the same sketch design as an example to help you out a little bit more. . . .Some people like to have that added visual to get them started.

So . . . here ya go . . . .Have fun!

While we're at it, we thought we'd share last month's Sketch along with the talented lady whose page was voted the winner. Maybe you'll find this one handy, too!

This is Ms. Betty's winning version of the February Sketch . . .If you look closely, you can see that she twisted the sketch one turn to be able to fit her chosen photos on correctly . . . .she's taking home a gift certificate for her work!

If you would like to see more of Amanda's work, you can find her here.

She is also a design team member for Graphic45 Paper and we are honored to have her be part of our shoppe, as well!

The November Sketch Challenge

Hello Everyone . . .

Today is the release of The Shoppe's Monthly Sketch Challenge. This sketch has room for ALOT of photos. We're posting it here, as well, along with a list of instructions that Amanda has put together for reducing your photos so you won't have to crop them.

Remember to submit your pages to The Shoppe for voting by Saturday, November 29th for your chance to win a gift certificate!

OK . . .so here is what Amanda sent me. Hope it helps you guys re-size your photos!

1. Use Adobe Photoshop Elements or any other photo editing program to crop your pictures to size before printing. Then you can plop them all onto an 8 1/2 x 11 file and print them at home. (This is what I do.)

2. Use this free program: http://www.zdnetasia.com/downloads/pc/swinfo/0,39043052,39002838r-39393702s,00.htm. It is certified safe and works great, even with Vista. Select what size you'd like to print and how many images you'd like to fit on that size. Here is a screen print of some of the pictures I've selected (from that same layout) and how it would print. Then you can re-name the file as a .jpg and upload it to your favorite photo developer.

3. If you use a photo developing kiosk you can select to have wallet sizes printed. But you can only get one sheet all the same picture. And who needs 4 wallets of the same picture to scrap? So of course there is the old crop method. Print your pictures and crop them down. This would be especially good for a zoo layout. You know, all those pictures with the teeny tiny animal in the middle. Save the big slots for pictures of the kids (or you!) eating ice cream and a picture of a funny sign.

I hope this helps! There are other options to the old crop method. The computer can really be seen as another scrapbooking tool.

If you're visiting us from afar and would like to receive The Shoppe's emails which include Amanda's monthly sketches, please email us at: thescrapbook@bellsouth.net & put "Sketch Request" in the subject line.

Have a great day!

Meet Amanda . . .

OK . . .we're going to start you off with one of Amanda's Sketches. Use these handy-dandy drawings for inspiration when you've come to a bump in your scrappin' road and are just stuck for an idea.

Amanda J. has been designing a sketch for The Shoppe's monthly contest for the past year or so. For those who don't know about Amanda, she's a very talented lady. She's been published numerous times in magazines such as Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbook Trends, and Scrapbooks, Etc. (just to name a few), she's on the design team for Graphic 45, AND . . . she was also chosen as a runner-up in Creating Keepsakes Scrapbooker of the Year! We're very honored to have her be part of The Shoppe!

Click on her name above and you can check out all her accomplishments! (Hope you have some extra time . . . there's quite a few!)

This sketch was designed just for this year's National Scrapbook Day celebration at The Shoppe. We decided to post it here for you to take advantage of.