~ We have a surprise to announce. After months working on getting a new look set up for RAKScraps, the upgrade is just about ready to be released. The Newsletter header is just a hint of what's to come!

~ We wish to let everyone know that our RAKScraps Blog is now live! Each day of the week belongs to a different RAKScraps CT Team, and they will give you the latest from their group! So be sure to check the blog and read what's happening at RAKScraps!

Monday: Events Team will let you know about current Challenges, Chats and Events.

Tuesday: Sponsor Team will share news about the Designer Highlight Sponsors. There's always lots going on in the Sponsor Forum!

Wednesday: Newsletter Team will give you the latest news, and even introduce some new topics of interest.

Thursday: Moderator Team will let you know about any pressing issues at RAKScraps, how you can help us eliminate spammers, and keep our boards friendly and clean.

Friday: Elements Team will share previews of their CT RAKS, and let you know about the Mega Kit.

Weekend Update will be written by the staff and will highlight the week in review as well as giving some sneak previews to upcoming events.

~ The entire August Mega Kit will be available from the 15th of the month until the end of the month. The August Mega Add-On Kit will be available from the 15th of August at the ScrapWow.com Store.

~ And speaking of the August Mega Kit... RAKScraps is happy to announce a new Mega Kit Guest Designer Program. We would like to thank Dianne Rigdon as our first Guest! She has also graciously agreed to be a Guest Designer for our August Mega Kit. And Traci Murphy, one of Sponsor Designers this month, is also a Guest Designer for the August Mega Kit. Thank you, Traci!

~ We have many opportunities for Designers to participate at RAKScraps. If you would like to sign up to be a Mega Kit Guest Designer or are interested in any of our other Promotional Opportunities, please email us at: Admin@RAKScraps.com

~ The Quick Page Challenge (also known as the "Exchange Club") is offering their Quick Pages to the members of RAKScraps starting on the 1st of every month!! This has been extremely successful, as thousands of our Members have come in to enjoy these Quick Pages. Please remember that the RAKScraps July Mega Add-On Kit is still available and it coordinates with the July Quick Page Challenge sets. The preview above only had room to feature some of the Quick Pages - there are even more! You can use your Quick Pages in the RAKFile Challenge this month.

~ The Members Mega Kit Challenge is now located within the Scrap RAKS Forum with the new Quick Page Challenge. There are a lot of wonderful gifts for you in there - but you'll need to be logged in to see them. July's Challenge runs through August 14th. August's Challenge will run from August 15th - September 14th.

~ The RAKFile Challenge is a Special Event every month. It will be a different challenge hosted by a different member of the CT. So you'll want to check and see what's being created this month! Barbara is hosting a "Use Your Quick Pages Challenge."

~ Bunchie brings us a August Posting Challenge - with a fun new twist! Just post in now with your current post count and start posting! You'll want to read the Challenge, too, though, the new twist is featured there! Remember - leaving "Love" in the Gallery is a great way to get your post count up, too!

• Remember - the Designer Highlight Sponsors will be hosting a Newsletter Gift Challenge. Just use their Newsletter Gift to create a layout, and enter it in their Gallery!

• Shelly brings us a great Mega Kit Challenge. Here you'll use the July Mega Kit and July Mega Add-On Kit to create your own layouts. We love seeing what you create! (July 15- August 14)
  

• Candace brings us a wonderful Sketch Challenge this month! (now running August 1-August 31)
  
  
• Find creative ways to add journaling to your layouts - this month in Angela's Journaling Challenge. This challenge now starts on the 1st!
  
  
• Remember, after you read about our Highlighted Member - in the Member's Spotlight - you can join in the Spotlight Challenge with Shannon. This month is featuring Beverly (bthiels)!

• Lady Jane brings us a muscial way to enjoy scrapbooking - with the Lyrics Challenge.
  

• Enableem has a great idea for her Ad Challenge. (August 1 - August 31)

• Bunchie Introduces a new ScrapTherapy Challenge! She offers inspirational quotes and philosophy to help you use Scrapping for the Spirit. The new challenge is this month's "Featured Challenge" - so please read more about it there!
  

• Candace is creating a new calendar page every month in the Calendar Challenge.
  
  
• And there are so many more Challenges at RAKScraps - please join in the fun!

Kim Christensen has a special treat for our readers. Click on this link to
download a Mini Kit just for you.

The Designer Highlight Forum will now Feature a Special Challenge. Use this Mini Kit in a layout and upload to the Kim Christensen Gallery! There will be a Prize awarded to a lucky participant at the end of the month.

RAKScraps Creative Team Members say:

Kim Christensen - Starz Papers & Elements
"I enjoyed using the Starz paper and elements too. This kit will absolutely work for a wide range of layouts with its grunged neutrals and naturals papers. The elements include many office-style tabs and folder frames (they work great on their own or layered with the papers) intermixed with a true variety of other elements including paint strokes in different colours, scatter swirls, stitches, grungy stars in multiple colours and shapes (that happen to layer and give a cast shadow effect), circular name/date/place stamps, notepaper, and a number of naturalist hemp wraps (my personal fave). This is a kit that will live in my stash; so much to use here, there and everywhere!." - Angela M

Kim Christensen – Au Contraire: "Gorgeous Colours! This kit is just beautiful! There is a mix of light and dark and such a great assortment of elements, I wanted to use them all! You will be able to use this kit for any kind of page you want to make." - Jen

Kim Christensen - Be Yourself
"This is another kit with great colours. I like the grid and orange papers a lot, though all the papers in this kit work well together. The elements are useful and although I don't use photo turns a lot, I did like that the feel of those matched the feel of the kit. I must add that my favourite items are the "word" ones - paper, rectangle, and flowers." - Dara

Come read more about Kim Christensen in this Forum, and see layouts created with Kim Christensen kits in her Gallery!

Your Challenge, if you choose to accept it: 

Each month the RAKScraps Creative Team will be featuring a new challenge to be introduced in the RAKFile Newsletter. This month Barbara (RAKScrapsBarbara) is bringing us a "Use Your Quick Pages Challenge".

This Challenge is changing from a monthly challenge to a special RAKFile Challenge, and will no longer be a regular challenge.

Your Layouts should use:
Any Quick Page, including those available in the Quick Page Exchange Club.

Participants will receive a Coordinating Challenge Mini-Kit Prize - using the Prize Color Palette for August.

Upload your layout to the RAKFile Challenge Gallery.  Don't forget to post on the RAKFile Challenge Forum and link to your layout! This RAKFile Newsletter Challenge will run from August 1 - 31.

How to Make a Quick Page (QP) from a Layered Layout File in PhotoShop Elements

By Melinda Staley

1. Open your layered layout file.
2. Select the photo layer that you want to delete from the page.
3. Ctrl-click on the thumbnail of the layer in the layers palette. [Fig 1 and 2]

You will see a ‘marching ants’ outline around the edge of your photo now. This is the area that has been selected. Any changes you make to the layers now will occur inside the selection outline and not affect the rest of the layer.
4. Turn off the visibility on the photo layer by clicking on the eye icon of the layer in the layers palette. [Fig 3 and 4]

5. Click on a layer BELOW the photo layer to select it. [Fig 5]

And hit the delete key. Or, you can use Ctrl+X or go to the Edit menu and choose 'Cut' from the drop down menu. [Fig 6]

The area within the marching ants will be deleted, leaving a blank space where the photo would be.

6. Repeat step 5 on all of the layers below your photo layer one by one.
If your bottom layer is labeled 'background', then you will not be able to remove the photo area until you have turned it into a layer. Right-click on the layer and choose ‘Layer From Background.’ [Fig 7]

7. When you have removed all layer portions below the photo space you will see the gray checkboard background that indicates transparency. Save your file as a png to preserve the transparent window. [Fig 8, 9 and 10]

 

One other thing to consider- if a layer has a shadow style associated with it, when you remove a portion of it the shadow will automatically fall on the new cut out area too. [Fig 11]

It looks better to simplify the layer- right-click on the layer in the layers palette and choose 'simplify' from the menu [Fig 12]

before you remove the photo area so that there aren't extra shadows falling in the frame area that wouldn't normally be there. [Fig 13]

Now, the shadow is only seen on the outside of the scalloped mat and not in the middle. When you place a photo behind the QP, it will look like it is on top of the mat and not behind it.

Credits for digital LO used in the tutorial: Bursting Forth by Dianne Rigdon at scrapbookgraphics.com; Square Matties by Corina Nielsen at FunkyPlaygroudDesigns.com; fonts: CK Becky.

 

1. Your name and the reason you chose your RAKScraps screen name? (OK, so some of them are obvious)

My name is Angela. I chose AngelaUK as my screen name, as I like to use my name; it’s personal and part of me. I added the UK so folks now where I live, it’s not uncommon for words to mean something completely different to me than to my American friends. So I guess it’s a kind of an excuse if I type something awkward, or just plain nonsense.


2. What graphics program do you use the most? 

I don’t scrap with a graphics program; I use a Desktop Publishing Package called PagePlus created by Serif. I find that it’s so much quicker and easier using a DTP than a graphics package for scrapping with - even dd can use it. For advanced stuff (e.g. cut-outs, photo and element editing) and kit creating I use 2 other co-ordinating packages from the same Serif Suite – DrawPlus & PhotoPlus.


3. What inspires you to do a layout or kit creation?  

Inspiration for me comes from my family, and art therapy. I use colours, images and textures as a way of expressing how I feel. Some of my kits are the results of my scrap-therapy; others are inspired by the activities of my children.

For scrapping, I use a lot of sketches, and find that challenges are a great springboard for my creativity. But the main source of inspiration for each page is the activity/event I’m scrapping about and my husband’s fantastic photos.

4. How long have you been designing?   

I’ve been scrapping for 2 ½ years now, and kit designing for a year. I started making my own elements etc using the tutorials in the RAKFile, and the RSU. Enableem ran the Members Kit Challenge back then, and encouraged and supported my early efforts at making stuff.

5. What's your favorite tip for new digital scrapbookers?

Use software that is quick to learn and easy to use – that way you spend more time scrapping and less time trying to figure stuff out.

6. What do you think is your best work?

Help! I’m useless and answering these questions. When I was asked this question on applying to join the team 1½ years ago I gave friends a link to my gallery and got them to choose for me.

7. What was the hardest thing to make a layout for and why?

The hardest layouts for me were the pages for my Son’s Memorial Album. They were therapeutic but I shed loads of tears doing them. It also took a lot of effort and heartache to get started, but some folk here at RAKScraps gave me the encouragement I needed to get going – Thanks Gals.

8. What is your position at RAKscraps?

I am a member of the RAKScraps Events Team, helping with the general events planning and running challenges. I run the monthly Journaling Challenge. And I’m part of the Elements Team, we create the monthly Megakit, random RAKs and Prizes for Participating in RAKScraps Events.

9. What brought you to RAKscraps? What do you love the most about us?

I found a link to RAKScraps on a ‘my favourite places sidebar’ at a digi-scrapbooking store shortly after I started scrapping. What do I love about RAKScraps? It’s super friendly, a great place to learn and make mistakes. Everyone is actively encouraged and supported as much they want to be. I love that it’s a place where the members are the community, and I’m very privileged to be involved in creating that place.

10. Tell us about your family and job outside the home, if any.

 
I’ve been married to the world’s best man for over 11 years now, he loves all the things I hate doing like grocery shopping so we have a great working partnership. And his cooking experiments are to live for!

I’m a stay at home mum to 3 fabulous children. My eldest is wonderfully creative and starts school in September – where does the time go? My youngest at 2 months is currently in my arms complaining that mummy is typing on the computer instead of walking about. In the middle I have my very physical, and affectionate little boy. My gallery is full of layouts about them and their exploits.

Before motherhood I was a Structural Engineer, a job I was more than happy to quit because of the stress levels. Now I’m not sure if it was that stressful after all – fulltime motherhood is much more demanding.

1. What is your real name and why did you pick your screen name?

Gosh, now the truth about how un-creative I am comes out.  My real name is Beverly Thiels.  I couldn't think of anything catchy when I began in the scrapping world and had to give a user name so I thought:  If I use my real initial and last name, then when I forget who I am, if I can get to a scrapping site, I can figure out what my name is.  I'm getting up in years, you know, so I have to start thinking of safeguards. 

2. What graphics program do you use?

The first program I ever used was Print Shop.  With it, I made lots of photo collages for my literacy students and for my granddaughter.  I received a copy of Photoshop Elements with a scanner I bought; I finally learned how to improve photos a little with that program.  As I got into the digital scrapping world, I wanted to know more about Photoshop Elements.  After admitting defeat, I ran across a video tutorial at Scrappers Guide for learning Photoshop Elements, then my scrapping took off!  I graduated to PhotoshopCS2 a couple of years ago and I love it.

3. What type of layouts do you like doing the most?

Digital, Digital, Digital - oh, and did I say digital?

4. What do you think is your best layout?

I don't think I have a favorite layout, but among my favorites would have to be Our Christmas Gift:

Our Christmas Gift

5. What inspires you the most when doing a layout?

People and events drive me to scrap.  I want to leave a legacy for my family.  I actually started scrapping after my daughter-in-law was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1999.  My son moved back home with his daughter and I began scrapping to keep memories for her  Later, I wanted to scrap my mom's old pictures to pass the heritage on to my family.  I've found inspiration for the layouts by attending chats, participating in challenges provided by the digiscrapping sites, and in looking through galleries.

6. How long have you been digi-scrapping? Did you ever paper scrap?

I have paper scrapped a little.  Actually, I combined paper and digital to make things like mini-albums  I've done several for family and friends over the past 4 years since I began scrapping.  I started the mini-album phase by making little readers for my granddaughter   But, unless I do a mini-album or calendar, it's digi all the way!

7. Do you use templates (sketches) or your own thing on your layouts?

I used to totally do my own thing as far as layout composition is concerned, but I like templates and sketches now.  And when I say "my own thing" I'm not sure anything is my own.  I think that looking through galleries might just put ideas in your head that you have no idea where they came from!
 
8. What suggestion would you give to a new digi-scrapper?

I had never been in a chat room until I attended my first scrapping chat.  I was lost, but instead of leaving, I lurked and lurked, and one day I figured out how to make a comment.  Wow!   So I would tell new digiscrappers to pick out 2 or 3 digital scrapbooking sites and attend their chats.  People are so friendly and so willing to help;  I have learned much from the tips and links other scrappers provide.  You will make friends and feel like your are a part of this world.  I would tell them to post their layouts, because there is nothing so inspiring as seeing your layouts online and having other scrappers tell you what they like about them.  I would also tell new scrappers to never post a layout on a site without leaving comments on other scrappers' layouts.  I've always made it a practice to leave comments on a minimum of 2 layouts whenever I visit a gallery, more if I have time.  We want to make sure that everyone feels the pat-on-the back we all need for our efforts.  I would tell scrappers to participate in the challenges the sites provide -- you can find so much inspiration this way.  And, finally, I would tell them to enjoy and to share the love.  Oh, and to keep that camera handy!
 
9. Tell us about your family and if you work outside the home.

My two boys are men now; one is a professional student (working on his Ph.D.) and the other is a lab technician, raising his daughter -- now 12, going on 13!  My husband is still employed, although he has reached retirement age; he's in good health and doesn't particularly want to quit his day job.  I was our county's Literacy Director for about 10 years and taught adult literacy classes.  I decided to retire in 2002 to take care of my mother who had Alzheimer’s and my sister who is permanently bedridden and disabled.  Mother passed away  in 2005, but I'm still caring for my sister  Digital scrapping has been a blessing for me since I'm so tied down with caregiving  From time to time, I do graphics projects for our county’s library and just recently completed designing my third  bookmark for them.

10. How long have you been a member at RAKScraps and what do you like the most about our community?

I joined RAKscraps in February 2005 and it has been one of my digital scrapping mainstays.  About 2006 it seems the digital scrapping world exploded, and now there are so many sites to choose from, I can’t keep up with them.  Being a person of habit, (I can't deal with too much change),  I keep coming back to RAKscraps because it’s always been a welcoming community, friendly and helpful.  The challenges, which are provided by a dedicated volunteer staff, give me often needed inspiration.  And RAKscraps tops the list of the generous digital scrapping communities with it's free monthly mega kit. 

REMEMBER - Shannon will be hosting a "Scrapper's Spotlight Challenge" featuring this month's Member Spotlight, Beverly! Come on by and chat with Beverly and Shannon, and look through Beverly's Gallery for inspiration for a Scraplift!

Please come back and check out the RAKScraps August Mega Kit.  It will be released on the 15th of August, and will be available until the 31st. The RAKScraps August Mega Add-On Kit is designed by Di Hickman.

Our September Designer Highlight Sponsors are:

       Kiss This Designs                       Jan Hosford