Digital scrapbooking kits from DesignerDigitals are the best way to get started with your first layout since everything coordinates and is designed to work together and guide you to give your page a cohesive look. They provide a great value as the items priced separately would be at a much higher cost. Here are some great examples of scrapbooking kits at DesignerDigitals that currently are available in the store:

Besides the fact that the design work has been done for me, another thing I just love about templates is that most of them contain additional elements to give that finished look to my page. This week’s template choice is by Katie, and it’s chock full of great items, such as stitching holes, journaling strips, stamps, a photo wrap, and a frame. The other neat thing about these elements is that they can all be used on other pages. How cool is that?

Here’s some inspiration for using this template from the Creative Team. Elena used a cute picture of a friend’s daughter and surrounded it with great patterned paper and coordinated elements:

Credits: Indian Summer Solids Paper Pack, http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-scrapbooking/supplies/product_info.php/products_id/5157, Worn Alphabet Edges, A Bit of Grunge No. 2 Paper Pack, All You Need Overlays No. 4, Messy Stitching: Cream, Ready Layered Template, Rubber Wraps No. 1, Stitching Holes Circles Brushes and Stamps, Color Challenge Freebie, 03.15.09 (black flower), Geo Brush Set, Ocean Paper Pack.

Bailey (starlite9711) rotated the template to accommodate her portrait-oriented photo of her son who started Pre-K this year. I love the cut outs and scissors – so appropriate for her page:

Credits: Ready Layered Template, Beadie Discs, Paper Cuts No. 1, Metal Clip Assortment, Crayon Box Felt Alphabet, It’s Elementary: Remix, Colbie Solids Paper Pack, Ariel Solids Paper Pack, School Daze Stickers.

I promise Bailey and I didn’t collaborate, but I also used the same cute cut outs on my page about my Tinker Toy construction worker:

Credits: Ready Layered Template, Plated No. 1, Capped Alphabet: Red, My Family Genealogy Flashcard Words, Paper Cuts No. 1, Snow Kit, Spot Dots No. 5 Paper Pack, Roughed Up Cardstock: Yellow, Dirty Linens Paper Pack, MonoBlendz Confiture Paperie, Stitched by Anna Red No. 1.

I hope you’ll pick up this versatile template during the Thrifty Thursday sale and join in the challenge. Post your pages in the Template Challenge Gallery so we can leave you some love.

It’s a special Thrifty Thursday at DesignerDigitals where we have not only 410 items marked down 30% but a brand new item priced at 99 cents.  These specials only last until 6am EST so don’t miss out!

This week I have a real piece of arty delight for you…. and yes I know,  probably a shock for our conservative scrappers
here it is, this weeks inspiration….

DONT be shocked or put off tho… I’ve wanted to pick this CD artwork for ages. Its a great starting point for heaps of inspiration!

You can take anything, anything at all from it and go from there.. doesnt matter if the end page looks nothing like this or exactly like this. All down to you.

I did manage to bribe convince er…get some CT members to join in
Heres what we did-
the entire team thought this inspiration screamed JANET. So she did indeed rise to the challenge. OH so well

Patricia created a schoolboy page, that I fell in love with. Bet you do too…

Elena created this masterpiece for me. The tucked in elements are so clever. The whole thing is so cheery!

and finally heres my page. Loud, bright, in your face -and thats just Daisy LOL

I hope we have inspired you! Please join in and post your finished pages in our special itunes gallery here.

It’s time for another Simply Inspired Contest!!! Come along as we delve a little deeper into the world of creative design inspiration! Then submit your own creation for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the Designer Digitals store!

We’re turning once again to the amazing world of book covers. I came across this design gem the other day and thought it would be perfect for the contest.

Yum! This just about throws me into inspiration overload! SO many fun things here to jumpstart your next layout! Try taking the overall collage block design and fill each rectangle with a photo, paper, or text. Or use one of the individual book covers as inspiration! You could borrow the idea of filling your title with photos from the book cover Rome, create an illustrated whimsical layout based on the book cover The Pace of the World, or create a fun and colorful brick pattern as featured on the book cover The Girls of Slender Means. Take a closer look at some of the other titles and see what other inspiration you can uncover.

We want to see the creative ways this piece inspires your next layout! Don’t forget to upload it to the Simply Inspired gallery on or before October 5, 2009 to be in the running for a $10 gift certificate to the Designer Digitals store!!! Yay!

And be on the lookout in the Forum for our latest contest winner! It could be you!