Scrappin' without Scraps

Amusing Support

Now, don't get me wrong - we love to help people but sometimes the support messages are just too funny!

Take today for instance:

"i seem to have lost my registration number and i am not even sure whether i used the email address xxxx@yyyy.com or rrrrr@zzzz.com. how stupid am i?
you don't really have to answer the last question but is there any chance you could help find my registration number?"
Our answer:  Sure no problem  And you're not stupid at all.

Some other ones:

"Do you have any suggestions for love songs for my wedding slide show?" 

Our answer: well not really since we don't know what kind of music you like...but you could try typing 'wedding music' into Google and see what comes up.  Or try the Music Lyrics site.

"What kind of a dog is that? Is it friendly?  Does it make a good pet?" 

Our answer: the black one is a Standard Poodle named Sasha, quite friendly, doesn't shed but he is a bit hyper - he has a 10 pound miniature poodle personality in a 50 pound poodle body.  The brown one is a Chocolate Lab named Bailey, is quite friendly but does shed and is very mellow.

"Do you let users send you examples to use in your gallery?" 

Our answer: Yes, indeed.  We'd love it! 

It's Very Quiet Here

Two days ago there was a huge thunderstorm  with amazing lightening.  The really incredible kind that flashes across an unususally dark sky and draws everyone to the windows to watch even if we know we should stay away from the windows. And even if it is a bit scary.  When it started, we all unplugged our computers as we always do and other stuff even if they were on surge protectors.  Good thing...lightening struck nearby. Someone said they saw it hit the pole outside which I'm glad I didn't see.  But it is the reason it is so quiet...our phone line got hit or as the guys term it, fried.  So no phones ringing or faxing machine noise which is actually kind of nice.

The bad news is that somehow it got into the cable and fried some modems.  I never even thought about unplugging from the network and neither did some others so all of us had our network connections burnt,  *sigh*  Lesson learned.  The good thing is that it wasn't as bad as we thought and new cards fixed them all.  Whew!!

But it did remind me that I really really need to be better about backing up.  I would have lost tons of photos and email and documents if the computer had died.  I know they say lightening can't strike twice in the same place but I don't think I'm going to trust my luck!!

D.A.I.S.I.E Company Browser

Take a look....

and a screenshot...

What is it?  See for yourself....  D.A.I.S.I.E Company/FxFoto Browser

The response has been wonderful - we had a late afternoon call from our friends at DAISIE because they were down to the last few copies and the weekend chats hadn't even happened yet!  I did two chats today and it was tons of fun!  :-) Lots of great questions and a very friendly group.

D.A.I.S.I.E Browser

Coming soon...on Friday June 1st...our new product developed with and for D.A.I.S.I.E. Company!!  We can't wait to show you it!

We met Stacey Thomas of D.A.I.S.I.E. Company at CHA-Winter and got to chatting about digital kit organization.  One thing led to another and now there's a new browser for your supplies - Daisie Graphics Browser and you can do layouts with it too!  We're really excited about it! 

You're invited to chat about the new D.A.I.S.I.E Browser on Saturday June 2 from 1 -2 pm EST at the D.A.I.S.I.E website.  Come join us!!  :-)

I'm being published in DSM!!

Exciting news today from Digital Scrapbooking Magazine (DSM)- they want one of my layouts for their Oct/Nov 2007 issue!  Actually I had blogged about this earlier in my Get Published post since they were looking for layouts created with various brands of software - FxFoto wasn't on the list but I guess we fell in the "Any other widely available software you are using for digital scrapbooking" category     :-)

Reading through my little 'Get Published article' about tips I had picked up from a talk by April Anderton - who founded Digital Scrapbooking Magazine - I'm not sure why they chose it.  It does break the rule #3 about journaling since there is a ton of writing which is,of course, hard to read.  Especially if they print it at 3x3 inches! But the colors (rule #5 and 6) do work for the fall and include some blues with browns which is a be different for the fall and it is about a family tradition.  The tradition has nothing to do with the holidays but may be a good fit for a fall issue since we tend to think about tradtions at that time of year.

I'm not much for titles but it does have one (rule #4).  And it does break rule #7 about not using just one kit. It does follow rule #8 about using a special technique - in this LO I re-colored the alpha used for the title to match the papers. And as for rule #1 I can let you decide whether it is an engaging photo or not.  You can find it here by going to My Creations category on the right and scrolling down to find the one titled Traditons - sometimes they have you remove the LO from galleries but the letter didn't say anything about that so I'll keep it up for now...

New FxFoto Kits

At long last....we can announce the new kits for FxFoto Creative!

A note to the myriad of wonderful designers who responded to this call.  We were pleased and bit overwhelmed by your response to this call. The kits were all wonderful which made choosing really hard. I would have loved to take them all but alas, there was a limit.

So without further ado....  [....drum roll....]

Here they are.....

Weekend Getaway by Kim Hill at CG Essentials

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August Shadows by Miriam Lima at Lima Bean Designs

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Colours of Heritage (new and updated!) and First Bell both by Katie Mann at Scrap Outside the Box

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Classique by Gina Miller at Gina Miller Designs

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Amelie by Corina Nielsen at Funky Playground Designs

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Kool Kid by Donna Pelletier at Scrap Outside the Box

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Shabby Baby by Sherrie Piegdon at Pixel Gypsy Designs

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Fantastical by Dianne Rigdon at Shabby Elements and Scrap Artist

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Perfect Pumpkin by Angela Sharrow at Scrap Dish

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Happily Ever After by Christine Smith at The Digi Chick

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and of course Sketch Templates by Jen Caputo at Scrapbook Graphics

Templates Just for FxFoto

Look what just appeared this weekend....templates especially for FxFoto!

Tracy Beck and Cheryl McCain at The Scrapping Garden have made some wonderful sketch templates which are already colored and ready to use. All you have to do is:

1. Click on New
2. Choose Quick Sketch Templates
3. Browse to where you have stored these templates, choose one and click open.
4. Drag and drop papers, click for elements and you're done!

How easy is that?

Thank you Cheryl and Tracy!!  Go see them at The Scrapping Garden.

Here's one I did using a template from the More than One set by Cheryl McCain and Wacky Spring kit by Kim Hill at CG Essentials, font is Staccato 2.

 

Long Lost

Today's mail brought the package above which has long been missing in action.  What struck me was the mailing date - Oct, 2005!

Who knows where it has been. It was originally shipped to South Africa but once it leaves the US, mail cannot be tracked. All we knew was the customer never received it and we shipped a second one. So now it has returned to NH. It certainly looks well traveled.  Too bad it can't talk...

Be Original

I got tagged for the Be Original blog project by Michelle Thompson of Scrapability .  Actually I'm honored she would think of me.  She wrote that she was tagging "some digital designers, some regular readers, some great scrapbookers, great creatives and interesting oddities. "  Hmmm I wonder which category I am in - regular reader I suspect, though being an interesting oddity would be fun...

So here's the scoop.  It all started with a 'Be Original" post on Mohit Singhania's blog.  I've lifted this off Michelle's blog who lifted it off Angie Pedersen's blog - not very original I'm afraid but since it was such an excellent summary I figured there was no reason to reinvent the wheel:

Summing up from Mohit’s original post, here is how it works:

1. In a new blog post, list and write about 5 to 10 methods you use to create original posts.
2. At the start of your post, tell your audience (briefly or at length) what you are doing with the “Be Original” Project and link to the project. 
3. Link/trackback to the blogger who tagged you for “Be Original”
4. Share your “Be Original” methods with your own audience
5. Pick as many bloggers as you want and “tag” them to take part in the fun…
   After all, that is how a meme works (a unit of cultural information transferable from one mind to another.)
6. Sit back and learn from the discussion.

How Do I Come Up with Original Blog Post Ideas?

1. I keep a notepad handy to jot blogging ideas down.  I often get the best ideas when I'm not near my desk and writing them down helps me remember them. So the notebook travels with me. It makes a great reference for those days you just can't think of anything to write about or when you are planning your posts (see #2 below).

2. Plan out my weekly posts.  Yes, I know it sounds a bit obsessive/compulsive but it works.  Often I'm trying to fit blogging into an already tight schedule so knowing what I want to write about makes it much easier.  So on Sunday evening, while I'm updating all the calenders and figuring out who is going where, I make a note on each day of things I might like to blog about.  I also sort of follow a weekly schedule to some extent - every Friday is Studio Friday and I often post tutorials in Thursdays but I don't worry too much about sticking to my plan.  Anything that doesn't get blogged about goes into the blog notes for another time (see  #1 above)

3. Use my Stats.  I'm not really obsessive about checking my stats daily, but they do give me a idea of what posts people are reading. Often the terms they use to do a search are interesting too.  For example, I noticed last fall there were tons of hits on my making holiday cards tutorial.  So I went back and updated it and added a bit of a review on printing options.  I got lots of email  thanking me for the information and lots of people were reading those posts.

4. Mine is a mixture of personal and corporate blog.  Since I work for FxFoto, I get to (sometimes) know things about the scrapbooking world that I can share with other scrapbookers.  Also I try to include a bit of behind the scenes posts; funny things that happen around here, our travels and my view of digital scrapbooking. I try to stay away from pure product hype since this is my own blog and is not owned or paid for by FxFoto.   

5. Mostly I think of myself as a resource so I try to write posts that educate other digiscrappers, particularly those using FxFoto.  For this I use the questions that come across through support, email and in class. I figure that for every one person who asks the question, there are many more who want to know too but haven't asked yet. Tutorials are the biggest part of my blog but I've also accumulated various little pieces of info which I am happy to share.

6. I read a lot and I get lots of ideas from the news, other bloggers, forums, and websites. I also subscribe to lots of newsletters and use online news alerts ( Yahoo ).  Lastly there is Bloglines and Feedblitz to keep track of blogs. I do a tour of various blogs and websites every day, using bloglines. Sharing a news story can make a good post, either with or without commentary. So can purely informative things like a new store opening or new website. I tend to stay away from controversy or drama.  That's not a corporate policy or anything - it's just me - I tend to be able to see both sides and don't really want to get involved.  Sometimes I'll sum up a particular problem or respond to someone's post but I always try to give both sides of the issue. 

7. I like to share projects and things I have done like layouts etc. Since I was never a paper scrapbooker and most of my crafting experience has been with fabric and fibers, sometimes...well...sometimes they are sort of a mess because I don't know what the heck I am doing. And I often share my non-scrapbooking things too like photography, knitting and recipes.

8. Kids - always a good source for a post.  And I know some of my most faithful readers are friends and family ( Hi Jeanne!).

Tag, You Are It!

I am going to tag a couple of people - Mary Canavan, Kim Hill, Jennifer Pebbles, Kim Guymon , Michelle Geller,and Latharia

Ok I'm going to sit back and learn now! I've gotten some great ideas already!

Get Published!

Have you ever wanted to get your layouts published in a magazine?  Here's a golden opportunity, especially for those of you that use FxFoto!

Digital Scrapbooking Magazine is looking for layouts done with various software for its next issue.  The due date is April 16th so you have to act fast!

Here are the details, copied from the Simple Scrapbooks website:

" Digital scrapbookers have a huge variety of programs to choose from for crating layouts and projects.  We'd like to see what you're doing with eh software tools you have available.  Submit you layout along with the following information:

• how long you've been scrapbooking digitally
• the name of the program you use, and how long you've been working with it
• your favorite feature of this program
• step-by-step instructions for achieving any special effect or technique featured in your layout.

Submissions are due no later than Monday April 16.  "

You can find all the details in the Digital Scrapbooking Magazine - Software Roundup Call   We're not specifically on the list but fall under the "Any other widely available software you are using for digital scrapbooking" category!  Let's show them what FxFoto and you can do!!

So a few tips for getting published that I picked up from April Anderton who is the founder of Digital Scrapbooking Magazine.  She gave a talk on getting published at the first Digital Scrapbooking Convention in Pennsylvania and I still have the notes!!  (Can you say pack rat?)  I'm no expert since I've only been published once but let me pass these on to you.

1. Engaging photos - you want the photos to be interesting and pique our interest enough to stop and take a closer look.  Having a subject who makes eye contact with the reader is good and usually one big photo is better than many photos on one page. She showed us two photos of a lighthouse - one with light beam showing and one without - to show that sometimes it is the small things in a photo that can make a big difference.
2. Remember that your layout will be smaller on the magazine page than in real life.  So think about how it will look at 4x4 inches or less.  In particular patterned papers may be a problem.  Sometimes small patterns disappear at a small size and sometimes large bold patterns take over the layout.  You can easily print your FxFoto LO at various sizes and see what it looks like.
3. Unless it is an article about journaling, make yours 2-3 sentences only.  It won't be readable otherwise.
4. Most magazines like titles (even if you don't). It draws the reader in to look at the LO.
5. Color - think about when the article will appear and use colors for that season.  April pointed out that although you may have the perfect LO about family for the July issue, she wouldn't take it if it was in Christmas colors.  But if you redid it in summer colors then it might make it.  Of course, if it were a Christmas in July article then it would be fine.
6. A second point on color - sometimes it pays to be just a wee bit different.  The example she used here was winter LOs - they all seem to be white and blue and if you did one with a slightly unusual color, say pink, she might take that just to liven up the color scheme.
7. Don't just use one kit - mix and match.
8. Feature a special technique, but not lots of them.  Having something cool the magazine can point out gives them a reason to include your LO. But there isn't usually space for a huge dissertation on everything you did so keep it simple.
9. Don't forget to include everything they need.  Read and reread the submission call to make sure you are sending it the right size.  For this call it has to be under 100K so use the medium size in FxFoto when you are uploading (and if you need help email me at susan.white@triscape.com) Make sure you have your name, phone number, email address, address and list of credits.  They have deadlines and are way too busy to go searching around for your information. So if you don't have it right there, you will just get passed over. And if your file is too big, it may never even get there ( it gets automatically deleted to prevent server crashes).  They will contact you if they need a bigger file later. So check and double check before hitting send.
10. Send the right file type - be sure you send it as the file type they want.  In this case, they want a JPEG so be sure you don't send a collage file.  Click on Save and then choose Save Image As and it will save as a JPEG.

I hope these help you!  Please feel free to email me if you have any questions - I'm happy to help - seswhite@gmail.com    And please please let me know if your LO gets picked!!  Wouldn't that be cool?