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LUCKY DRAW WINNERS
Find out last issue's Lucky Draw winners and see their winnings. You can be a winner too! Enter this issue contest in Featured Designer page.
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STORE INTERVIEW
Read TDS interview with store owner and what she has to offer to the scrapbook industry and list of its top selling products.
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TDS CHOICE LAYOUTS
Get inspired by TDS chosen layouts this issue. Follow the style and create one for yourself.
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HOT TOPIC
Look beyond scrapbooking just as a hobby. Interesting topic each issue to share, laugh and enjoy.
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FREEBIES & SAMPLERS
See what our contributors have for you this issue. Sign up to download each freebie featured.
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*STORE EVENT
Pickleberrypop is celebrating our 2nd Birthday. It's time to party! Check out this special event prepared for you.
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ARTICLES
This section includes Inspirations & Ideas, Hybrid Projects, Budget Layouts, Photo Book and Scrapper World.
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OPINIONS
This section includes Product Reviews and letters to the newspapers.
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CLASSIFIED HOME
Find the latest bargains, sales, discount coupons, new products, and scrap challenges. Scrapbook services and vacancies included.
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RETAILER LISTINGS
Crafts Resource Center with comprehensive directory of stores and product listing for your crafting needs.
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SCRAPPER AVENUE
One page web presence showing individual crafts and services. Visit this section for more extensive coverage of advertisers.
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Tracey Monette
Digital Scrapbook Designer
Clever Monkey Graphics
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My Inspiring 'Monkey'
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interview by Claus-Dieter
and Alice Koh
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We had very poor oversea telephone connection but that didn't deter us from having an inspiring conversation with designer Tracey Monette of Clever Monkey Graphics. Read about her styles and how she gets her inspiration. Laugh at the common things designers seem to share to get their creativty onto their products. |
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TheDailyScrapper:
Your designs are labeled under "Clever Monkey Graphics". How did you get that name?
Clever Monkey Graphics:
The name came up when I was thinking out a company name for my graphic design business about five or more years ago. I was really thinking of my daughter being a little clever monkey. She is 8 years old now. At the time I actually was not even involved in digital scrapbooking.
TheDailyScrapper:
How long have you been designing?
Clever Monkey Graphics:
I think I have been doing digital designing for 2 years.
TheDailyScrapper:
What makes you start doing digital scrapbook designing?
Clever Monkey Graphics:
I am a graphic designer to begin with. When the prices of printing a layout came down, I decided to do a scrapbooking of my daughter on the computer. I never liked cleaning up after myself when I paper scrapped.
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Tracey, husband and daughter |
It was just very natural for me to look at what people were creating and for me to want to do it myself.
TheDailyScrapper:
Were you familiar with computer and the technologies involved when you decided to venture into digital scrapbooking?
Clever Monkey Graphics:
I was already very familiar. I had gone back to school for graphic design on the computer in my mid thirties. So I was very familiar with the programs that one would use to do this kind of designing. But it turns out doing digital designs has increased my skills in photoshop |
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so, so much - it is a great learning experience.
TheDailyScrapper:
I notice a lot of doodles in your design. Is this something that comes naturally for you as well?
Clever Monkey Graphics:
Doodles was just something else that I've decided to have fun doing because I've seen them around and hesitated buying them because I knew I could draw them. They are something I've done naturally all my life. So I started drawing one day and discovered that the talent to draw, while rusty, still existed! I haven't really done too many doodles as yet. I certainly discovered there was a lot more work to creating doodles than I first suspected as I got into it.
TheDailyScrapper:
Do you use a digital pen for drawing?
Clever Monkey Graphics:
I have found it very hard to master the digital pen while having to keep my eyes on the monitor. So I draw with a pencil and then scan that in; try to clean up the lines with Photoshop or Illustrator and then color it in. Doodles actually take a lot of steps to create! But soon I’ll be doing it on a Wacom Cintiq monitor which I am purchasing. You can literally draw it on the monitor itself. So much more intuitive and natural. I'm very excited about this upcoming purchase!
TheDailyScrapper:
How do you market your products?
Clever Monkey Graphics:
I sell at Scrapbook-Elements. I put out ads when I release things at DigiShopTalk. I have a creative team who create and post layouts and I send messages to Yahoo Groups. I tend to be very low key on how I advertise.
TheDailyScrapper:
Would you consider what you do a hobby or a real income profession?
Clever Monkey Graphics:
I would like it to be a real income because it is my favorite thing to do, but right now I would call it a hobby income. My digital designing income makes a significant change to our household income allowing me to stay home for my daughter during her elementary school years. But my real income comes from my web design and print design work. I freelance to smaller companies and individuals that need someone to do a smaller websites, etc. I have several websites which I have designing now on the web. I've been moving more toward doing web work than doing print work which I have been doing a few years ago. I keep my flexibility to be a mommy by being able to pick and choose my clients.
TheDailyScrapper:
What inspire you as a designer?
Clever Monkey Graphics:
Everything! It can be an outfit my daughter put on. It can be a flower in the garden. It might be a stroll through Etsy shops. It can be a color ....
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Quirky Farm is jam packed with fun! The previews are not able to show the full size of elements nor was I able to show you all the elements. I've included an alpha, on one sheet with plenty of space to get a rectangular marquee around the letters to use them in your layouts. The 3rd in my "quirky" series, this set combines items with realistic textures with very graphic items and plenty of items set on acetate again. It's the quirky combo that makes it so much fun to work with. Thanks to the request of Danesa here at Scrapbook-Elements, I've included an old wooden outhouse.
All elements and papers are created at 300dpi and saved as png or jpg files. Most shadows do not extend off their elements allowing you the final say in how to shadow your page.
Now that you know what is Tracey's favorite product, what is yours? Visit Tracey Monette's store and check out what is your favorite.
Send TDS a mail and include the name and url link of YOUR FAVORITE product in her store. You might just win that product in a lucky draw. Please note that collaborative kit, North Americana is not eligible for the draw.
Deadline:
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
3 lucky winners will be announced in the next
publication. Look for it in this section next week.
LUCKY DRAW CANDIDATES:
01) Katherine L.
02) Tant Eva
03) Barb M.
04) Maikku
05) Barbara M
06) Candice S.
07) Janice S.A.
08) Susie P.
09) Elizabeth M.
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