Letter From Team Digital - Sharon Topliss

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Upcoming 2008 DSP Crops and Events:

Monthly Crop – repeats first Friday of every month Troy, Ohio

Laptop Crop in Salt Lake City -  Utah on January 17, 2009

Please check here for those interested in any crops that may be happening in your area.

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Here is a wonderful opportunity to ask questions about DSP and digital scrapbooking. Whether it’s a question about navigating the site or how to get started, someone will be on hand to give you the answers. 

Posting Your First Layout:

Are you thinking about posting your first layout? There's a special first layout challenge each months for you. Post your first layout to DSP this month and you may be a random winner for a free page kit!! You'll find all the information here

Welcome to DSP! We know you will love it!

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Some Useful Links:

Blogger

facebook

flickr

myspace

twitter

Club Digital

Each month you receive a wonderful selection of scrapbooking products. Something to suit every style and level of digital scrapper.

You will always receive 2 complete page kits, one plopper or an overlay and an alphabet, some great word art and more - a font and a set of png "stamps" for your scrapping pleasure and don't forget the quick click template included in each club digital pack. 

All this for the incredible price of $5.99 or even less!!! 

That's well over $23 value for such a great price 

The longer you subscribe - the cheaper it becomes and the better value for you!!!!!

Buy a 3 month subscription and go into the draw to be upgraded to a 6 month subscription, by a 6 month and you might win an upgrade to a 12 month subscription, and all those who buy a 12 month subscription will go into the draw for a $30 coupon for the DSP store. 

In addition every month there is an exclusive contest for club digital subscribers with great prizes.

This months selection is packed full of products to get you started on scrapping those Christmas Memories - with 2 kits- one traditional and one funky and bright, a lovely soft winter 3 photo plopper, a Christmas spot Alphabet and some lovely Christmas Day word art along with some great Love themed stamps - a panoramic photo quick click  and an exclusive font.

Here is a selection of layouts created by the DSP designers using this months Club Digital Selection.

Click here to subscribe to Club digital today

Click here to subscribe to Club Digital today!

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It's Shop Time! 

Shop Time Inspiration by Erica

It’s time to SHOP… let’s get those baskets at the ready. 

Christmas Gift Giving

"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving"
Mother Teresa

Today Christmas is a time when we exchange gifts and show that we care about each other.  The tradition of giving gifts in this season owes its origin to the Magi who came from the east of Jerusalem to greet the Babe in the manger with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh but in more recent world history, giving gifts at Christmas dates back to 4th century A.D. – the time of Saint Nicholas (later called Santa Claus). 

Some of us still find it difficult to find the perfect Christmas gift for the special people in our lives. But it doesn’t have to be so hard. There are a wealth of ideas here.
This Lighted Resin Frame has been beautifully hand painted and comes with the added effect of  flashing lights to keep to entranced all through the holiday season and for many years to come. Size 4 x 6” photo frame. Two AA batteries are required for operation.

Set of 3 hand painted Glass Ornaments. 3” x 4 ½” 
Each one comes individually boxes.

"Memories are perhaps the best gifts of all."
Gloria Gaither

Giving personalized gifts brings with it an added, special meaning to that gift, it says to the receiver, a lot of thought, care and love went into creating their gift. These small, personal albums will quickly become treasured possession that will be handed down for generations.

"Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting"
Princess Elizabeth, Asquith Bibesco

Don’t forget our December Club Digital is now in the shop, the designers at DSP are the best there are and you get an awesome deal when subscribing to Club Digital – all your favourite designers delivered direct to your inbox at the beginning of each month, can’t get much better than that.

Happy shopping…

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More than just a date – make a design statement!

Ranked right up there in terms of importance, along with good design and lovely photos, is one small, but key ingredient – the date: that simple little group of numbers that places a treasured memory into a specific time frame and give it context.

I am sure you have at least a couple of old photographs lying around in an album or box (possibly even handed down from a grandparent) that are sadly lacking in details. As you gaze at these treasures you keep wondering why no one bothered to supply the information, even if written softly in pen on the back… Would you really want future generations to look at your scrapbook layouts and think: Who are they? When was the photograph taken?  Perhaps it seemed obvious at the time… like a CHRISTMAS photo, but in a few years time will you remember which Christmas? 

Modern digital cameras automatically store information like the date when a photograph was taken, but don’t for one minute think that anyone is going to scratch through millions of stored digital photographs to try and date one! If a memory is worth keeping on a layout, it is worth supplying that tiny piece of information to go along with it. 

These days the date is no longer a little piece of information, tacked onto the side of a photograph like an after-thought, scrapbooking has taken this functional little piece of information and turned it into a key element on the layout. The date has become a design statement in its own right! 

Match your date to the style of your layout. Then there are dates that can act as embossed layers on a page, little date charms, date tags, and date strips that can be popped into pockets on your layout. 

Circles are an eye-catching design feature, and that style can be continued with circular dates, from the small round stamped or embossed date that can be dropped over a photograph or paper, to words arranged in circles of dates, to large circular date elements. 

Whether your layout is grungy, elegant, graphic or paper styled – there are a multitude of different dates to suit, so you have no excuse not to date!

Layout Credits:
Christmas Jingle
Along these Lines: Years by Tina Chambers
Just Jingle Page Kit (Club Digital December 2008)
Created by Lauren Bavin

Simba
Meryl Bartho's:
Pocket Dates Grungy
Pocket Dates Tumbled (big pocket)
Essential Heritage
Gently Worn
Whos Who in the Zoo Two
Basic Basic Stamped Alphabet

Little frog will you be my prince?
Caramel Kisses by Lauren Bavin
Date Rings Embellishment set by Lauren Bavin

Digi-Scrapper Inspiration by Meg 

RELAX and enjoy your holidays!

 

One of the best aspects of the holiday season is the multitude of photo opportunities.  Unfortunately, one of the most daunting aspects of the holiday season is the multitude of photo opportunities!  Every year, at the end of December, I'm faced with a hard drive full of photos and absolutely no creative energy left with which to showcase them.

 

Last year at this time, I created a board book ahead of time and was able to add my photos and journaling throughout the month.  That was great!  My family has looked through it all year, enjoying the memories.  This year, I didn't get organized enough to do that, so I'm giving myself a break.  Instead of making sure I capture and explain every detail of every event, activity, and tradition, I'm going to relax.  I'll get plenty of photos, no worries there, but I'm not going to stress myself out trying to make a layout for each.  After all, we're supposed to enjoy this season right?

 

So, my plan (and please, feel free to join me): 

I'm going to practice my low light photography skills. 

I'm going to make a great holiday card to share with my family and friends.
I'm going to play with some hybrid techniques and Beyond the Layout products for some last minute gifts.

I'm going to go shopping for when I'm rested and ready to create!

And at the end of the season, I'm going to make a two-page layout spread with just the highlights and favorite photos.

 

And I'm going to relax.  Recharging your creative energy is just as important as recharging your camera batteries, so be sure to take care of yourself and enjoy your holiday season! 

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Be inspired some more - check out the current edition of  Inspiration Station News

You don't have to wait to have a company print canvases for you and ship them. You don't have to spend a small fortune either.
This tutorial will show you how to easily make your own 8x8 canvas wall art IN ONE DAY.

Want to learn how to create your own wall canvas like this?

 

Keep watching for other upcoming events in December...

Contests, Challenges and Chats

Designer Exclusives: Our Designers are the best there are and they are really generous, if you enter one of their challenges you’re more than likely to receive a chat and/or posting bonus just by using their nominated kit for the challenge. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain – like more stash for less bucks with these great challenges. 

Featured Designer:  Erica Belton - Designer  
Erica's Everyday Events
Erica's Designs
Erica's Gallery

Team Letter: Sharon Topliss - Moderator
Sharon's Gallery

Inspiration Station (IS News)
This is a call to all dedicated DSP scrappers to ‘strut your stuff’ and inspire us with your creations. Just choose any or all of the calls for layouts the current month and you could be showcased in our Newsletter or Blog. We have a few rules so check them out and then join in the fun. 

Calls for December (Deadline 12-15-08)
This month’s calls will include:

Color:  Gold
Events: Christmas Layouts
Relationship: Entire family
Style / Trend:  Layouts with bows
CD:  Christmas Assortment Mega Kit
Club Digital:  December 2008

Be inspired some more - check out the current edition of  Inspiration Station News 
Click Here for Previous Issues

Scrap with the DET – Digital Elite Team and DET Alumni
Our past and current Elite group of scrappers have some great challenges going at the moment and you’re sure to get well chosen CC should you need it – learn from the best.

Get it off Auto – Lauren and Jennifer
Weekly How To basics for everyone who wants to learn more about their camera capabilities.

The Grannies
If you’re a Granny or a Granny In Training (GIT) or just a Wannabee, you might like to see what other Grannies are up to, what challenges they have going. There is never a dull moment when you join this happy band of digi scrappers.

2008 Baby Albums – lianne99 (Tara)
You should go see some of these adorable albums of our future digi scrappers – join Tara and all the other mothers in celebrating your little ones life.

DET Boot Camp – Run fortnightly with different leaders
This is great training ground for all DET hopefuls; it’s about honing your skills ready for the next DET Contest. It’s also the place if you just want to gets some really great CC to help you move to your next level of accomplishment.

IOTW - Item of the week – Abby
The Item Of The Week is a priced to sell and generally cost only a few cents so create a LO using only the IOTW and be in the draw to win a free kit.

SNL - Saturday Night Live - MarsOlson & Debbers
This is where anyone can create their own digital scrapbook kits to share with other SNL’ers, from elements and papers to word art.

This is just a small selection of popular challenges that DSP currently has running but be sure to check all of them out here. And we have a special blinkie to place in your signature to always remind you where to find the best scrapbooking challenges on the web. Check the end of the first post in the What's Happening thread for the blinkie code.

Happy Scrapping!

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We are always striving to make our newsletter more interesting and useful. If you have an idea, let us know about it! If it's an article idea, a feature, even something you'd like to write, shout it out to us. So, put your thinking caps on and come up with some new features, article ideas, or something fun you'd like to see in our monthly newsletter. Then email it to comments@dsplace.com. (Please type "Newsletter IDEA" in the subject line of your email.) We can't wait to see your ideas!

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Newsletter Freebie

Exclusively for our newsletter readers, DSP Designer, Erica Belton has created this gorgeous Glitter Jingle Element Set 1.  Grab it here! 

Thanks Erica!

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