THE PARTY’S BEEN EXTENDED!!!!

Yep - there are a few more hours to party, finish challenges, make comments in the gallery [lovin’ all the Gallery Love that’s there!], and participate in our game.

The new ending time for RAKabration 5 is at 12:00 NOON EST on Tuesday. [I can’t figure that out for all the time zones, but suffice to say for me it ends at 9 AM PST ]

So, get over to the RAKabration thread … and finish our celebration with a great finish!!!

Yep, go to RAKScraps for RAKabration 5 - happening NOW!

We’ve got challenges, we’ve got prizes, we’ve got - well, you just gotta go and SEE what we’ve got - besides a lot of fun. Come help us celebration “5″ years of RAKs!

RAKScraps is turning 5 and there’s a party!

Please join us Friday, 6 Nov (6am EST) through 9 Nov (6pm EST) for games, challenges, and loads of prizes and fun!!

Hope to see you all there!

Here are some highlights:

It’s with heavy heart that we announce the passing of Dawn Boggs, known at RAKScraps as momoid. She was “The Queen of the Games.” For more information about Dawn, please see the Newsletter. We’ve started a memorial thread in the Games section.

In Dawn’s memory, we are dedicating RAKabration 5 to her. The festivities commence November 6th at 6am (EST) and cease November 9th at 6pm (EST). Please check the forums and this blog for more information.

There are many favourite challenges this month, but did you know that there are impromptu challenges too? Check the challenge forum for more information.

Once again we have two great sponsors - Di Hickman and K-Joi Studios. Check the newsletter for their wonderful gifts. Don’t forget to also read the reviews!

Our RAKScrap File Challenge is hosted by Snackpackgu and it’s clustering. If you’ve never done a cluster, this challenge is a reason to try. And if you’re a cluster master, participate to give others inspiration! To find more information, see the November RAKFile Challenge thread.

Our tutorial is by Barbara Eastwick - and it’s on how to Register for the RAKCenter.

Our member spotlight is on JIC Creations [Jody] and Scrapper09 [Jemima]. Please check out their interviews in the Newsletter. Don’t forget to join Scrapper09 in the November Member Spotlight challenge.

Amy Teets

Cari Lopez:

Sandra Covert:

She made it seem really easy and I was becoming enthused with her excitement about patterned papers - until I looked at the layout included in the article. The layout’s picture was of a girl, wearing pink, with her back to the camera running in a field. The field was mostly green grass with a few yellow flowers in the distance. The background paper pattern was black and white [a near solid black with light white spread-out dots]; the secondary paper was hot pink with white flowers, the third paper was green with yellow lines.

To be honest, I didn’t get it … the pink, green, and yellow I got … kinda, but they were different tones than what was in the photo. But black being the dominant colour with the white dots? Maybe to make the photo pop? And while the striped paper worked with the photo, I kept thinking “stripes with polka dots?” My eye was drawn to the hot pink and black combination [which was rather striking], but the other paper seemed like an after thought; it just didn’t quite fit with the brightness of the other patterns.

I felt a bit frustrated - at the comments from readers about how “easy” she made the process seem, at the layouts they posted based upon her information [”see how improved this is thanks to you!”], and my seemingly thickness at “getting it” from her description.

I’d like to use more patterned papers - in fact, I’d like to feel comfortable using multiple patterned papers in a single layout. I feel like the “ah ha!” moment is just out of my grasp. I just need the one little piece to make it all connect and work …

Then again, maybe not … maybe I can just look through the RAKScraps gallery, admire those who can effectively combine patterns together, and slowly work at getting better at that myself.

[My son stated that “fear of patterns” isn’t quite right for the title of this; I must agree with him, but I like the alliteration.]

Amy Teets

Clara Wallace:

DeDe Smith:

Sandra Covert:

Jan Hosford:

If you have seen the RAKScraps gallery - HAVE YOU LEFT A COMMENT RECENTLY? If you have, thank you. If you haven’t, why not? There are some images that have 14 viewings, but no comments. If you take the time to look at a LO, can you please leave a comment? Even if the comment is “nice layout” or “like the colours” or “like the white space” it’ll be appreciated by the layout’s creator.

While we know that no RAKCentre points are accrued from the gallery, why not spread some karma - and take time to “leave some gallery love” to those who have put inspiration into the gallery for you to look at, admire, and possibly be inspired by? Besides, when you post a LO, odds are that someone you’ve left a comment for will comment on your LO. That’s spreading the good karma - and happy feelings.

So, come on - spread the gallery love. Our gallery needs it.

Thank you - the RAKScraps Gallery

• Our 5th RAKabration is coming up next month! It’s our birthday, but you’re the one to get the presents! It’ll be a weekend party, starting 6 NOV. We’ll have more information coming soon, but mark your calendars and prepare for a fun weekend of prizes, challenges, games, and fun!
• The RAKScrps October Free Mega Monthly Kit will be available from 15 - 31 OCT. You can only get it through the RAKCenter, so sign up if you haven’t already. It’s free and fun!
• Another call going out for RAKScraps members to consider being on our Creative Team. It’s a great way to meet people and help the digiscrapping community. Contact admin@RAKScraps.com for more information.
• The RAKScraps Quick Page Club offers their free quick pages from 1 - 14 OCT in the RAKCenter. Another great reason to sign up for the RAKCenter, eh?
• Check out our challenges this month - there are a number of great ones! The quote challenge this month has quotes for “Hope in Adversity.” The scrap from the heart challenge this month is about “seasons of your life” with one of my favourite quotes [turned into the song “Turn, Turn, Turn” by The Byrds]] and a favourite song by Journey.
• We’ve got two great sponsors this month - DeDe Smith and Jan Hosford. Both have great free kits in the Newsletter. Don’t forget that if you do a layout with their kits and post them in the appropriate sponsor gallery, you may get a participation prize. That’s two kits for doing one layout! So what are you waiting for?
• The RAKFile Challenge this month is scraplifting another’s layout from the gallery. Sounds easy, until you realize that we’ve got MANY layouts in the gallery. Choosing just one to scraplift may be a problem! The directions for the challenge can be found in both the newsletter and in the forum.
• Our tutorial is the last part of PSE7 Selection Tools by Melinda Staley. Even if you don’t use PSE7 for your layouts, the overall tutorial on this section is interesting and can be applied to other programs.
• Our spotlight interviews this month are on PatricaD [Patricia] and Bastet [Justina]. Learn more about them [including something they have in common, besides a love for scrapping?] and then participate in Shannon’s Scrapper’s Spotlight Challenge featuring Bastet.
• Don’t forget to check out the new releases by ScrapWow - there are some great kits there! Thanks, ladies, for your great creations!

Amy’s New Products

DeDe Smith

Designs by Shelle

Di Hickman

Dianne Rigdon

Julie Mead

TFL!!

Amy