The Digital Scrapbook Place
N e w s l e t t e r
 

A Letter from Team Digital
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Mum, Mother... by any other name it is still as sweet. Sweet issuing from the lips of our own little ones or in reference to our own mothers.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said: Youth fades, love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; a mother's secret hope outlives them all.

And isn't that the truth? As mothers ourselves we now know the all incasing love that our mothers have felt for us all of these years.

May brings us again to that special day of celebration of these wonderful women: Mother's Day. This Mother's Day I give you a challenge. Scrap your mom. Or scrap yourself from the viewpoint of your child. Interview your mother or interview your child by asking questions about yourself.

The most precious memories in life revolve around childhood. Our own childhood, our children's, our grandchildren's. And central to all is the mother.

So, remember mom this May- scrap her. Tell her how much you love her and make sure she always knows!

Tina Chambers
Senior Designer/DSU Instructor

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National Scrapbook Day
Come join DSP Saturday May 5th for National Scrapbook Day! We'll be hosting crops all day long - check out the schedule here. And, of course, the DSP store is celebrating with a sale - 25% off all Downloadables in the Downloads category.

New Kids on the Block 8
Are you a New Kid when it comes to digital scrapping and DSP?

It's not too late to join the New Kids contest! We run 3 one-week challenges. You have the chance to post your layout, get comments and suggestions, and post again as many times as you like before moving your final version to the judging gallery. You can find the Round 1 rules here - deadline is midnight ET Monday May 7th.

New to DSP?
Posting your first layout in May?? Then be sure to check out the First Layout in May Challenge!! Post a link to your first layout and you could win!! 

Are your new to DSP? New to digital scrapbooking?  Then there's a great place for you to start and find the answers to any questions you may have about getting around DSP!! Come to the "New to DSP Chat" on May 22nd at 10pm EST.  The chat is hosted by DSP Designers Elizabeth Weaver (Z) and Beth Nixon (Bethy). They'll answer any questions you may have about getting around the site, point out some wonderful tutorials, and tell you the best ways to jump in and get scrapping! The chat ends up with a link to a kit created just for our new members!  So, come, chat, meet some other new members, and get a freebie!  More information here.

Club Digital
Are you a member of the club?
Ever wished for a monthly fix of the best digital scrapbook products money can buy delivered direct to your inbox? Well now you can have it. Club Digital is the hottest club in town.

Member Spotlight
The May 2007 Spotlight is Ann, better known as the3chickens! Ann is one of our most challenge prolific members and a fantastic asset to the DSP community. Her enthusiasm, her participation, and her fantastic style inspire us all! Be sure to check out her Scraplift the Spotlight challenge and scraplift one of her many creative layouts! 

Ann is a talented scrapper and her gallery will give you lots of new and fun ideas!  You can read more about her here.

Congratulations Ann! You are a true scrapping inspiration!

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Featured Designer: Meryl Bartho

May is traditionally the Month to honour our Mothers - unsung heroes of self-sacrifice and hard work, givers of love, hugs, kisses and Band-Aids.

Mothers' mothers (and fathers!) are Grannies, who certainly deserve to be honoured too. Here at DSP we have our own group of Grannies - a large and ever expanding group of extremely talkative ladies who I felt deserved special honour this month having just celebrated their First Birthday!

The Granny thread started off, innocently enough, with a posting by kaybutler@mweb. (proudly South African……!), which she felt would interest all Grannies - well it did, and gradually they gathered, post after post..... as I type the thread has exceeded 8,000 posts, prompting Margie to tell them firmly that if their thread crashes the site, they, the Grannies will have to sweep up the pieces :) They diligently keeping track of each "member's" health issues, highs and lows, whenever a member goes awol or is in any way troubled, warm, loving, huggy red threads pull tighter, as laid down in the ancient Chinese legend:

There is an invisible red thread that connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. Although the thread may stretch or tangle, it will never break.

When talk of the Anaheim Members' Lap Top Crop began, several Grannies announced their intention to attend, sadly many knew that for them it would be impossible. The suggestion was made, by Lauraloub, I believe, to make Flat Grannies of themselves, basing the idea from the book, Flat Stanley, the boy who was flattened by a falling dresser, which enabled his parents to mail him faround the world for adventures. Flat Grannies were made, posted in the Gallery and printed out, carefully trimmed and packed for the trip by JaeDee. Once they arrived at the crop they were set up at the Granny's table, were served chocolates, zebra cakes and pizza, posed for photographs having just as much fun as any other member – the next day FormbyGirl too them on a visit to Disney. Since Anaheim, the Flatties as they are affectionately known have become extremely well traveled , and have their very own Grannies Web page! I will be taking them to visit the unbelievably beautiful Namibia in late June – and so exciting, we have every hope that kaybutler@mweb, not just her flattie, but her roundie AND her dh will be joining us for the trip as well J.

In honour of the Grannies First birthday I have made a Granny Red Thread Kit and Add-On and in keeping with the red theme, I have a cute, Red Felt Alpha Freebie to download! (See the newsletter freebie at the bottom of the page.)

Even if you are not a Granny, do pop by the Granny Thread and say Hi – you are guaranteed a hearty welcome J

Meryl Bartho
Senior Designer
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We have another great line up of classes for June! If you would like to register for any of these classes, click here!

DSU110 – Adobe Photoshop: Introduction to Digital Scrapbooking

DSU160 – Adobe Photoshop Elements: Introduction to Digital Scrapbooking

DSU195– Introduction to Creating WordArt (2-week class)

DSU211/311– Adobe Photoshop: Creating Digital Elements for Beginners and Advanced Users (self-paced)

DSU250– Adobe Photoshop: Photo Correction (Pre-requisite- DSU 110 or similar experience)

DSU261 – Adobe Photoshop Elements: Creating Digital Elements for Beginners (Pre-requisite- DSU 160 or similar experience)

DSU290– Exploring Digital Design Styles

Be sure to visit our classes page for more information regarding these classes and our other great classes at DSU!

We would love to hear your suggestions on future classes! Send your suggestions and comments to me at dsu@digitalscrapbookplace.com.

We’re also looking for qualified DSU instructors! If you would be interested in teaching, please contact me for more information.

Amber, Dean of DSU
dsu@digitalscrapbookplace.com
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Challenges/Contests/Events
Check our Calendar of Events and the Events & Activities Links thread for a complete list of all events and challenges. Here are a just a few of our exciting Challenges!

The All for One with Linda Challenge is a weekly challenge/chat hosted by designer Linda Rechtin on Wednesdays, 9:00pm ET. Every week Linda gives out a chat freebie, and assigns a featured kit for the week. In the chat there's loads of fun with talk of everything from upcoming kits and scrapbooking, to chocolate! Members have one week from the date of the chat, midnight, to purchase and create a layout using the featured kit and then post it in the All for One with Linda Gallery. After that, she sends a PM with a posting bonus to all participants! This way, members end up with all three items - All for One price! Be sure to check out the All for One with Linda forum for the latest featured kit and freebie previews, along with some great inspirations in her gallery.

Becky's Affirmation challenges This month will be affirmation month. Everyone needs a little mental "pick-me-up" now and then, and that's what these challenges will be for.

DET Bootcamp
Join in to stretch your scrapping skills in a friendly, supportive atmosphere. (Come join even if you don't plan to enter the DET contest - the Bootcamp is open to all!)

Our Heritage Chat with Meryl at 10.00p.m. every Wednesday, join us to work on your Heritage album – each week we have a new challenge and award a page kit voucher as a prize.

Tea for Two & Two for Tea with Meryl at 11.00 a.m every Thursday – each week we tackle a different scrapbooking technique, and your prize is a sneak preview of Meryl’s latest products.

Join in the Fields of Dreams Overlay Challenge hosted by René Bross (May 2- 7). Use either one of the Fields Of Dreams Overlay sets and any backpack by René Bross and get the matching "Fields Of Dreams" Page Kit for FREE!

René's super fun Virtual Bingo Chat just got Super Sized!! Come play Super Bonus Bingo in the chat room May 11th at 10PM EST and win even more! Check René's Challenges and Chats thread for details!

DSP Designers Elizabeth Weaver and Beth Nixon will start a new challenge for Props and Prompts with Z and Bethy on May 8th. The challenge starts off with a chat on May 8th at 10pm EST. Join in and get a fun spring themed mini-kit chat bonus! Then check out the challenge for even more fun. For May, featured kits are Beadlum by Beth Nixon and two new Jewel a Day packs featuring oversized emerald cut jewel packs in both warm and cool tones by Elizabeth Weaver. Use any of the featured items and there is a fantastic posting bonus of a new Plopper Plus designed for this challenge. See what the talk is about with this inventive new product! Check out the forum for all the details!

The Beginnings with Bethy challenge starts out May with a dual challenge. Starting May 4th, DSP Designer, Beth Nixon, will be featuring two kits. The Yicky Icky page kit is bug-filled and perfect for your boys or anyone that likes to explore the outside world in all it's creepy crawly glory! On the other hand, if you have a photo that's just too pretty not to scrap, then check out Pretty As A Picture! (Both kits will be available in the DSP store starting May 4th.) Use either (or both) of the featured kits for the challenge and you will get their coordinating add-ons as posting bonuses! Check out the Beginnings with Bethy forum for the latest challenge details and jump on in! Challenges are open to everyone and are lots of fun!

Time, Time and Time Again Challenge - Challenge: Do a layout with either time/clocks/watches/time words/time quotes as a part of your layout. Added Bonus: Ann-Maree's looking for a quality layout to make it into DSP Hall of Fame. IF your layout is chosen from this challenge and placed into the DSP Hall of Fame you will receive 1xDSP Voucher Page Kit.

Lasting Momentos Done Quick - Mini Albums Challenges. Want to get a mini album done quick!!!! These make wonderful presents printed and placed in an album!!!! Challenge: Use one of the many Instant Albums (any size) found in the DSP store to create an lasting momento. Enter as many times as you wish!!!! View the many beautiful instant albums here in the DSP store.

Font Product Sample 8 Challenges Here is a challenge that will end up helping many!!!! One by one we will be working our way thru the DSP Store Fonts. Ever been stuck to know what font to use when - A powerful font choice in your layouts can make all the difference!!! Challenge: Create a Font Product Sample using the Font Product Sample Template. Brief instructions for using the template are included in the download zip file.
This challenge the nominated font is: DSP Shindig

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Plopper Plus
Have you seen the amazing new product at DSP? Plopper Plus!

What is a Plopper Plus?!

Do you enjoy the convenience of Ploppers but want to “switch it up a little” every now and then? You will love the Plopper Plus! Modeled after the popular Quick Click Templates, this product will give you the convenience of the pre-designed layout and the flexibility of the quick click by giving you predesigned layers to stack allowing you “tweak” Plopper Plus to your desired look.

The hard work is done...you won't have to think about placement of your photos or accent papers because we have carefully designed these ready made layouts for you! Scrapbooking just got a turbo boost with this intuitive product and now you can get MORE pages done!

Plopper Plus products include multiple pieces (12x12 JPG and PNG files*). All you need to do is stack all the numbered layers in order, add in your photos by filling in the shapes (easy instructions are included)! This product is very flexible and can be used many times; just change the photos and move the elements and photos around!!, a whole new layout in no time at all.

*PNG Files are transparent files and are compatible with many software programs.

Check out the amazing array of Plopper Plus Products Here.

Ann-Maree's Plopper Plus Bonanza Challenge: Do a layout using one of the new Plopper Plus products.

Items Of The Week (IOTW)
Each week a new item goes on sale for only 99 cents. Check out the IOTW challenge starting each Sunday. Buy the kit, use it to make a layout, post it to the IOTW gallery and the designer will have different prizes for you! It could be a posting bonus, a random drawing, chances at a free fonting, you never know! Check it out this week!

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What's New in the DSP Store?

Watch for our upcoming sales! National Scrapbook Day (May 3-6) and Mother’s Day Special (May 11-14)
Bling Word Art Bling Word Art - Downloadable	Scraps of Fun - Bling Scraps of Fun -Bling -Downloadable
	Photo Flashlight Keychain These Flashlight Keychains merge form and function into a very stylish and useful photo keychain. Each holds one 1-3/8 x 1-3/4” photo with an easy snap-in lens and features replaceable batteries.
Glass Photo Coaster Set Dress up any desk, counter top, or table setting with this attractive photo coaster set. Designed to display your favorite 2 x 3” photo, each coaster features high quality beveled glass screened with a black border and each has soft non-skid pads. The four piece set includes a solid wood centerpiece holder for convenient storage.
	Stainless Steel Travel Mug Take your drink on the road in style. Our new insulated 16 oz. travel mug features stainless steel accents, a non-skid pad and frames a favorite 6 x 4” photo. The optional panel holds a 3-5/8 x 4” photo or personalized insert. Or make a 9-5/8 x 4” scrapbook layout! Assembly is easy with the screw off bottom and each mug comes individually boxed.
Multi-Photo Clock This unique Multi-Photo Clock holds 12 - 2” x 2” photos to form a photo keepsake collage. Use photos only or pieces of layout or page kits. The photos insert easily with a snap-in lens and the clock can be wall mounted or stand by itself. Available in black with two "AA" batteries required (not included).
	Photo Desk Clock These attractive desk clocks feature a snap-in lens for your photo or layout and sleek black styling. The perfect addition to any desk or mantel.

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The Newsletter Desktop Calendar Plopper
A newsletter exclusive! Specially designed ploppers for your computer desktop. This month's offering is by Kristen Skold from our featured designer Meryl Bartho's Black Pearl page kit which can be also be found on the Scraps of Fun- Bling!! CD.

Download your choice here:
1024x768 or 800x600

And just like any of our ploppers, put your photo on a layer underneath the desktop plopper. Angle and size it as you please, add journaling, and save it as a jpg. Then update your desktop wallpaper background by browsing to your new image! Voilà! Favorite photos matched with this month's calendar to help keep you up-to-date all month! Look for a new one each month in our newsletter!!
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