Hey everyone! Sorry I’m late with the winners! I went to bed early last night and forgot to email Ellie the results. Thank you SO much for all your wonderful comments. I’m still reading through all of them … it’s just so wonderful to remember the good things, isn’t it?

Since I released 3 new products this week, I decided to have 3 winners!

Winner of Serendipity … #15! Congrats Pam!

Winner of Lucky You Alpha … #37! Congrats Leeann H!

Winner of Hybrid Birthday Goodie Box … #5! Congrats Erin!

Pam, Leeann, and Erin — please send me an email at suzyqscraps AT gmail DOT com to claim your prize.

Thanks again for being fans and leaving comments on my blog. Keep your eyes peeled for next week’s sneak peek — it’s a super duper cute collab, and I’ll be giving one away to one of you!

Hey all Ellie here with this weeks new releases! SuzyQ Scraps really has something for everyone this week – hybrid artists, alpha addicts (like me!) and of course another AWESOME kit!! All of these are 20% off until March 18th & I’ve got some inspiration to show you from the fabulous QTs!

Now I know I usually announce the lucky peeps that have won this weeks new release(s) but unfortunately you’re going to have to wait just a lil’ bit loger today as our wonderful SuzyQ is not very well So someone will be back on here asap to let you know who the lucky fans are.

So until next time – happy scrapping!

Digital images often get a kinda muddy appearance, and this a method to sharpen up your pictures and make them look crisp. Here’s a before/after shot to show you the difference defogging can make.

I first learned about this technique in a photo challenge at SSD a long time ago, but I found this video by Bonnie Creevy that explains how to do it very nicely. (Note: If you use Elements, you will find the Unsharp Mask by following this path: Edit>Unsharp Mask. The settings are the same.)

How to Defog Your Photos

Feel free to adjust the settings to your liking. As Bonnie says in the video, the settings she provides are the most typical settings. But you can adjust them, especially when you’re trying to sharpen up a blurry picture.

And an additional tip from me. I defog as a final step after I’ve completed my entire layout — just so that I don’t question whether or not I already defogged and do it again. So once I’ve done all my shadows and everything, I defog my pictures, save the file, and then save a web-friendly version so I can post my layouts in galleries. (I do all of my photo editing once I’ve started a layout — like cropping and adjusting levels on my pictures — which leaves my originals intact.)

Hope you find this tutorial helpful!

P.S. Tips & Tricks have been officially moved to Thursdays, switching places with the Sneak Peek posts. You still have time to entire the drawings to win one of my new releases this week — check Tuesday’s post.

Meg here with a spotlight on one of our QT’s, Mel!

Mel took the time to answer some of my questions:

1. Your screen name? KSCroppyChick
2. Are you married/have children/pets? I have been married to Tod for almost 14 years, we have 3 kids; 10 yo Quentin, 7 yo Tyler, and 4 yo Teanna. We also have a shih tzu named Nitro
3. Where is home for you? A small town outside of Wichita, Kansas; now, though thanks to my husband’s job; there have been several little Kansas towns that have been home in the last 14 years.
4. Snacks…Salty or Sweet? Depends on my mood, activity, or cravings, usually chocolate, gummy bears, pretzels, or dill pickle sunflower seeds when scrapping!
5. Beverage of choice? Diet Pepsi with Vanilla, Diet, Dr. Pepper, or Iced Tea usually, sometimes I am boring and go for water!!
6. PC or Mac? PC, I want to be a Mac Girl, but compromise means I am a PC Girl!
7. How long have you been digi-scrapping? I started digi scrapping about 5 years ago. After keeping scrapbooks all my life, and loving playing with paper; I swore that I wouldn’t go digi, I resisted it for a while, but here I am.
8. How did you get in to digi-scrapping? I was on the design team of a paper scrapping site, and during an event at the site, we had a digi challenge. I created my first layout then. I wasn’t very  impressed and didn’t do another layout for months. About a year later, my mother in law asked me to create a gift album for her mom, I decided that with the time constraints I had, it would make more sense to do it digitally. 5 years later, I do more digital layouts than paper layouts.
9. What is your favorite Suzy Q Scraps kit? I can’t really say that I have a favorite kit; if I had to pick, I would say that it would be the Journey 365 because of the versatility. Of the themed kits, I would probably say Roughin’ It since my family spends many summer hours at the lake!
10. Do you have any other hobbies besides digi-scrapping (are there other hobbies)? When I am not scrapping (either digitally or paper), I enjoy cooking and baking, reading, photography, camping, hanging out with friends, spending time with my family. Most of the activities still have some scrapping thoughts attached since I am always taking pictures!
11. What is the most challenging part of scrapbooking for you? Stopping and going to bed at night! I scrap throughout the day when time and kids allow, but in the evening I scrap while Tod watches TV and I don’t usually want to stop, I tend to stay up WAY too late!!
12. What are your favorite movies/TV shows? I am not a huge TV and movie watcher, but my can’t miss TV includes True Blood and American Idol. My favorite movies are mostly older than me; Gone With The Wind, The Wizard Of Oz, and Grease are among my favorites. I also enjoy a good chick flick, or 80’s flick when the movie mood strikes!
13. What is something unique about you? Honestly I can’t think of anything, how sad is that? I was raised hanging out on my grandparent’s dairy farm and at their bait shop and fish ponds. Girly girl that I am, I can clean a fish and milk a cow with the best of them!

Here are some of Mel’s layouts.  Aren’t they amazing?  Click each image to see layout credits.

In honor of Mel’s awesome layouts, Suzy has created a free template inspired by her So Sweet layout.  Click the image or link below to download!

DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE FREEBIE

The possibilities are endless with this template, as shown by the QT’s!

Have fun with your new template everyone, and thank you for the inspiration, Mel!

Are you feeling lucky today? You should!! SuzyQ Scraps has two lucky products coming to her store at Scrap Orchard this week!!! I have the sneaks to show you!!!
First up is this great digi scrapbooking kit!!!

Next an alpha pack!!

Check out what our CT made this week!!!

Don’t forget when these hit the store on Friday, they are 20% off. Most important, let us see who is lucky!!! I want you to leave a comment on something lucky that has happened to you!!! You’ll be entered into a drawing to win one of this week’s new releases from SuzyQ Scraps. Want more chances to win? Share this post on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter, then come back here and leave another comment letting us know where you shared it. (Comments must be posted by 9 pm Eastern Thursday night.) SuzyQ Scraps will be drawing a winner for each kit!!! Good luck. I hope you’re lucky!!!

(Just a minor note … I’m posting the Digi World Wednesday post today, even though it’s Monday … we’ll have a QT spotlight and free template for you on Wednesday. )

Get Well Soon Mailbox created by fabulous hybrid artist Andrea, a member of my CT.
Visit her blog, Playing with Paper — you won’t be disappointed.

Ok, back to the somewhat irregular program! I’m in the process of dabbling into some hybrid projects. This is a somewhat scary venture for me, as the whole reason I do digital is because my paper scrapbooks lack any sort of beauty. So I’m a bit afraid that my hybrid projects may follow the path of my paper scrapbooks. Despite my fear, I am going to push forward and give paper, scissors, & glue an honest try. I have 2 personal projects I’m working on — one is a simple card, and the other is my 10 Things album I didn’t finish (ok, barely even started) for February’s portfolio at SSD. I know I can’t complete it to earn points, but I am determined to complete it for myself. I promise I’ll post both on my blog at some point in the (hopefully near) future — even if they turn out ugly.

I decided that I’m probably not alone in my hybrid fears … and maybe some of you would find some hybrid resources helpful. Or maybe you are AWESOME at hybrid like some of my CT members and have some suggestions for resources. So, here’s a quick list that I’ve compiled. If you know of any more, link me up in the comments and I’ll check them out, and maybe even add them to my Resources page. (All of the links below will be added to my Resources page by the end of the week.)

All About Hybrid

What Is Hybrid? (Jessica Sprague)
Hybrid Scrapbooking 101 (Scrapbook Ideas)
Hybrid Help (The Daily Digi)
Hybrid How-Tos Master List (Sweet Shoppe Designs forum)
Adhesives (Andrea on the Sweet Shoppe Designs blog)

Other Sources of Hybrid Inspiration and Help

Hybrid Chatter (Sweet Shoppe Designs forum)
Hybrid Help blog category (The Daily Digi)

Some Galleries with Hybrid Inspiration:

DigiScrapAddicts
My Scrapbook Art
Scrap Orchard
Sweet Shoppe Designs
The Digi Chick

And with those lists, I will now leave you to (hopefully) finish up a hybrid printable for release this Friday. Please leave me comments with suggestions for future hybrid posts, and of course links to hybrid resources if you have them.

Have you ever created a digital scrapbook layout and gotten stuck trying to come up with words that adequately describe what you are thinking?  Adding a quote to a layout is a fabulous way to share your feelings about the moment you have captured in a photo.  Sometimes when I’m looking for inspiration to get started on a layout I’ll look for a quote first and when one snags my attention then just the right photo or kit comes to mind.

Take a look at these layouts created by Suzy and the QTs that show you how easy it is to incorporate quotes into a layout.

Now that you’ve had some visual inspiration I have a challenge for you!  Create a layout using a quote and 100% SuzyQ Scraps’ designs, then come back and link us up to your layout before Saturday, Mar. 13th at 11:59 pm Eastern and earn a 25% off coupon to use in SuzyQ Scraps’ store.  That’s not all!  One participant will be randomly chosen to win a $5.00 gift certificate to Suzy’s store!

Don’t have any of SuzyQ’s designs?  Still want to play along?  I know of a way you can get a SuzyQ freebie to use!  Suzy has an add-on freebie available at Log Your Memory, where she’s the guest designer this month.

To make it even easier I am going to give you 10 of my favorite quotes.  You don’t have to use one of these quotes for the challenge but we can always use more inspiration!

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music.  ~William Stafford

Boy, n.: a noise with dirt on it. ~Not Your Average Dictionary

The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child. ~Joe Houldsworth

Love unlocks doors and opens windows that weren’t even there before. ~Mignon McLaughlin

To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world. ~Author Unknown

Families are like fudge — mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown

You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

Remember, if you’re headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns! ~Allison Gappa Bottke

Giving up doesn’t always mean you are weak. Sometimes it means that you are strong enough to let go. ~Author Unknown

Every day is an opportunity to make a new happy ending. ~Author Unknown

I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Until next time — Happy Scrapping!

Luck (or some variation) seems to be the word right now — and is most definitely the theme in a lot of digital scrapbook kits hitting the market, including one coming from me this Friday. But catching a leprechaun has nothing to do with luck — it’s about being cleverer than the leprechaun, so you can catch him and make him give you his pot of gold. If leprechauns actually existed, and I was actually clever enough to catch one and get his gold, this is what I would buy with it:

Kinda selfish, I know. But I’ve wanted a truck most of my life … and I’ve wanted a Chevy Silverado for over 10 years. So if I happened to capture a leprechaun and his stash of gold, I know I would use that unexpected cash to buy me one of these.

What about you? If you could catch a leprechaun and use that gold to buy anything you’ve really wanted, what would you buy?

Have a fun Saturday!

Hey all welcome to another New Release post! This week SuzyQ Scraps has teamed up with Krisitn Aagard to bring you…

That’s right – buy the kit between now and March 11th & not only do you get 20% off, but you also get the quickpages for free!!!

And if you take a visit over to Kristin’s blog you can pick up a FREE quickpage! Click on the image below to go pick it up

And now for some inspiration from the fabulous QTs…

And the lucky lady that has won a free copy of Vroom Zoom Chugga Choo by leaving a comment on here yesterday is….

KRISTINA!!! Congratulations Kristina – please email suzyqscraps AT gmail DOT com to claim your prize!!

I also have news of a small freebie for you! As you may know SuzyQ Scraps is this month’s sponsor at Log Your Memory. Last night she hosted a chat and gave away a freebie template! The template is still available for you to snag in the Log Your Memory forum and if you complete the challenge by Friday night, you’ll get a free alpha!! Here’s the template – click on the image to go to the thread at LYM

Well that’s all the news I have for you this week, I’ll write again next Friday!

Happy scrapping,

Just popping in real quick to let you know you can download this freebie at Log Your Memory:

It’s an add-on to the full kit I created especially for Log Your Memory, which will be available in about a week. Read Today’s Your Lucky Day at Log Your Memory for details on how you can earn downloads to this kit and receive the entire kit for free.

Be sure to join me at the chat tonight at 9 pm Eastern in the Log Your Memory chat room — free template, prizes, and the chance to earn an alpha that coordinates with the add-on and the kit.

And for a chance to win my new release, see the next post!