Let's get artsy! Call for submissions for February/March '09

We already know our contributors are a creative bunch. Now's your chance to demonstrate just how true that is! For our February/March 2009 issue, we want to see your passion for art revealed. We're doing a special issue on art & love, and we're eager to see what you have to share on either topic.

Check it out, and get ready send your awesome creations our way.

T3: Tips, Techniques and Tutorials
Our hands-on how-to column, "T3," features both cutting-edge techniques from our Creative Team and tips and tutorials from our talented readers. For this issue, we'll give special consideration to submissions featuring artistic techniques or treatments or seasonal (especially Valentine's Day) themes.

Here's what we're looking for:
Tips. Have you found a great way to use layer blending modes? A quick fix for less-than-perfect photos? Send us your tips of 50 words or fewer on any digital scrapbooking subject, along with a layout or project that illustrates the tip in action.

Techniques. Busy scrapbookers are always looking for ways to make scrapbooking quicker and easier. Send us your time- and stress-saving tricks, along with a layout or project that shows how you've used them to create.

Tutorials. Send us your projects featuring intermediate- to advanced-level techniques, along with complete instructions for achieving the look. (Check out the step-by-step tutorials in any recent issue of Digital Scrapbooking to see what we're looking for.)

Submissions are due no later than August 27. You can submit using our handy-dandy online form.

As always, thanks so much for sharing your work with us!

And the winners are...

Thanks to everyone (40 people!) who entered our Mini Albums in an Evening special issue giveaway! I used random.org to generate the two winning entry numbers, and they are:

#4: Erin
#25: DJOlsen

Congratulations to our winners! I'll be in touch today to arrange sending you your prize.

Thanks again to everyone who played. Look for more cool giveaways soon here at the Digital Scrapbooking blog.

Blog Giveaway! Mini Albums in an Evening

Mini is big! Cute little albums, from pinky-size to palm-size, are a fun, creative and FAST way to share your memories. And Simple Scrapbooks' new special issue, Mini Albums in an Evening, offers 58 ways to do just that. It's got projects for travel, holidays, baby, pets, school... you name it, there's an idea here for scrapbooking it.

Because the book's focus is on techniques and shortcuts, not specific products, it's easy to adapt any of these ideas to work with digital tools. Check out Candice Palmer's album that packs details of eight birthday celebrations into a single book. Or follow Angie Lucas' lead and create a coffee table-worthy celebration of the people you love with odds and ends left over from other projects.

I got a copy of this issue in the mail last week and I'm already inspired... so inspired I might even sit down and scrapbook! (Shhh! Don't tell anyone!) Plus, I've got TWO additional copies to share with Digital Scrapbooking readers. Just leave a comment on this post with your name and a comment telling what you'd like to scrap in a mini-album, and I'll randomly select two names as winners. Get your entry in no later than midnight Pacific time on Tuesday, August 5 for consideration.

Find out more about Mini Albums in an Evening or order a copy today at Simple Scrapbooks' online shop. Good luck, and happy scrapping!

Hurry up, Tuesday!

We've been tapping our fingers and biting our tongues... and now the Digital Scrapbooking team is thrilled to announce that our brand-new, guaranteed-awesome website will be open for business this Tuesday, July 8, 2008.

Along with our partner magazines Creating Keepsakes, Simple Scrapbooks and Paper Crafts, we're launching a new, bigger and better site where you can learn from others, share your own work and enjoy the excitement and energy of a rapidly growing community. Post your own layouts for feedback and praise... share your thoughts via your own personal blog... build new friendships by establishing in and participating in your own groups. Get immediate notification when we're looking for new submissions or launching a new contest. Plus, enjoy up-to-the-minute access to expert advice, ideas and special features from Digital Scrapbooking magazine. This beta release will get better and more useful every day as you and thousands of other readers join us to build a new DigitalScrapbooking.com.

Come join the fun--we can't wait to see you there. Check out the beta version today (and look for the all-new DigitalScrapbooking.com soon).

Call for submissions for December/January issue

Phew! Is it summer where you live yet? For our friends along the Eastern Seaboard, this call may offer some much-welcome relief from triple-digit temperatures. We're thinking of all things wintry, now... so crank up the air conditioning, throw some carols on the stereo and get ready to share your best work with us!

All submissions are due no later than June 30, and you can submit your layouts via our online form and your tips directly via e-mail.

Do you have a blog, or do you participate in an online message board? Please feel free to spread the word there. We're always looking for fresh faces to feature in the pages of Digital Scrapbooking! And, if you want to make sure you know when we've posted new calls for submissions, just click the RSS button in your URL toolbar (it should look like an orange and white square). You'll get the latest information delivered straight to your desktop.


Time- and Money-Stretching Tips
With tight-packed schedules and thin-stretched budgets, scrapbooking can seem like an unaffordable luxury. But digital scrapbooking gives you the opportunity to save both money and time while still preserving your family's memories.Do you have a great way to economize on printer ink? A super-fast way to edit a batch of photos? Send us your tips for getting layouts done faster or cheaper. Please note that this is not a call for layouts--we're looking for tips only. Payment is $25 per published tip, and submissions are due no later than June 30. Send your tips via e-mail, rather than with our online submission form. Please include the word Tips in your message subject.

T3: Tips, Techniques and Tutorials
Our hands-on how-to column, "T3," features both cutting-edge techniques from our Creative Team and tips and tutorials from our talented readers. For this issue, we'll give special consideration to submissions featuring winter holiday themes and time- or money-saving ideas.

Here's what we're looking for:
Tips. Have you found a great way to use layer blending modes? A quick fix for less-than-perfect photos? Send us your tips of 50 words or fewer on any digital scrapbooking subject, along with a layout or project that illustrates the tip in action.

Techniques. Busy scrapbookers are always looking for ways to make scrapbooking quicker and easier. Send us your time- and stress-saving tricks, along with a layout or project that shows how you've used them to create.

Tutorials. Send us your projects featuring intermediate- to advanced-level techniques, along with complete instructions for achieving the look. (Check out the step-by-step tutorials in our February/March "Kick It Up" column for an idea of what we're looking for.) Submissions are due no later than June 30.

Heartfelt, Handmade Gifts
Have you used digital tools and techniques to make special, memorable gifts for family members or friends? We'd love to see what you've created. From mini albums to photo mugs, share your creative gift ideas with us. Submit low-resolution photos of the project (no more than 100K each) no later than June 30.

Are You Cover Material?
We're looking for simply amazing reader layouts to feature on our cover. For consideration, layout should have the following:

• a single large, well-composed photo of one (or, at the most, two) subjects, preferably making eye contact with the camera
• "only with digital" techniques combined with a clean overall design
  
• legible title and minimal journaling
  
• seasonal focus—for this issue, we'll be looking for outdoor winter shots, featuring winter clothing and activities.
  

Please submit no more than three layouts to this call. Submissions are due no later than June 30.

Submission deadline extended to May 5

We've heard from several readers that they'd like a few more days to get their submissions for our October/November issue in. Since we always like to have as many top-quality submissions as possible to choose from, we've decided to go ahead and extend the deadline to Monday, May 5.

So put the finishing touches on those family-, food- and fall-related projects and get them to us via our Web submission form by next Monday. We can't wait to see what you've got to share!

ACD Systems: Help us build better scrapbooking software

ACD Systems, makers of popular Photo Editor software, is looking for feedback from photographers and scrapbookers on their newest edition, ACDSee Photo Editor 2008.

This new edition includes scrapper-friendly upgrades such as templates from popular digital designers, a "trim to shape" feature that makes it quick and easy to add photos to templates, easier loading of brushes and brush sets and more.

Download the beta software today... give it a try... and let ACDSee know what you think. (And send us some of your creations, too! We're always excited to see work created with a variety of software programs.)

To get started, check out ACD System's site or the vibrant community of ACDSee-using digital scrapbookers at digiscrapinfo.com.