Picklemama Report
by Annette (fazzbech)

Well, what a month May is turning out to be!

Firstly, on May 3, scrapbookers from all over the world celebrated *Inter*National Scrapbooking Day. To celebrate, our designers were host to many sales and special offers in the Pop Shop, and our wonderful customers took up so much of what was on offer that our poor server couldn't handle it as well as it usually does! So with a bit of downtime over the Mother's Day weekend, we moved to a brand new, bigger and faster server, so that we are now ready once again to handle anything you throw at us!

We still have a fabulous desktop wallpaper available in store to celebrate scrapbooking, absolutely free, not even a coupon needed! So make sure you snap that up if you haven't already!

May 11 was Mother's Day, and PBP hopes that Mum's everywhere had a wonderful, relaxing day. Make sure you scrap about it and preserve your memories!

Scrapbooking Memories is one of Australia's (if not the) biggest scrapbooking magazine, and in the next issue which is due to hit the stands on May 30, Pickleberrypop will be featured! Make sure you grab your copy, trust me, you do not want to miss this! 

May Pop Deals!
Click on the images to grab your bargains!
For two days only, as a special newsletter promotion the following items are on sale at 25% off!

Designer Spotlight 


E-lena Designs joined the PBP team a few months ago and she has been busy filling up her section of the pop shop with some wonderfully unique items. 

How long have you been scrapping?
I've been scrapping for four years.

What software do you use?
I actually use several different tools to create my designs. Mainly Photoshop CS, but I also create some of my elements using Blender 3D Content Creation Suite. I also use and love my Wacom Intuos tablet device, Canon 30D camera and my digital scanner.

What are your scrapping goals?
To create beautiful designs for everyone and especially to scrap and save all the unforgettable moments in my life.

Tell us a bit about yourself?
I live in Russia, so please excuse my English! My husband and I are bringing up our wonderful son together. I have some hobbies: scrapbooking, photography and CS design.
 
What is your favourite product that you have designed and why?
Mostly I like to make different elements for photos -
frames, ribbons, buttons, backgrounds, papers, flowers and so on. Right now I'm working on a new wonderful kit that I like very much!

Here are just a few of e-lena Designs'  wonderful items. You can find more here in the pop shop

Style Horizon Project - Feature Writer Chris!
by Chris Turnbull

As much as I love all styles it’s a pretty simple call for me; it’s “My Style”! I know there is lots of talk about styles but I choose to ignore it for the simple fact it confuses so many people. There is so much I love about scrapping in all its forms, simple and neat, fantasy or magical, grungy and messy, loads of white space or cluttered and even graphic.

For me though, I am eclectic and full-on, I love grunge, I love layers (and lots of them!), and generally use different designer’s goodies in the one layout. So I love to just get in there and enjoy scrapping without worrying about the style I am creating. After all that in itself is not important, however the layout and the story behind it, is.

For me each photo is a story and I tell it the best way I can. At times all I need is the photo, the right papers and elements, and the story comes together without too much, if any journaling. Other times the photo tells a different story and a layout is done based on the journaling alone.

Whichever way it happens, layer upon layer of digital goodies is used until every page is finished, each story is told, and another amazing layout is created and lovingly placed in an album for all to treasure.

Thanks so much Chris for sharing your style with us. Click on the images for credits and to find out more. You can see more of Chris's great layouts in her gallery.

Get creative with the Pickleheads!
Click on the images for a closer look and credits
Take a look at what our fabulous Creative Team has been up to!

Top Pickle Quotes
Last month we shared with you our favourite fonts that we composed during our last chat. This month it's our favourite quotes! So if you are looking for the perfect quote to finish that perfect layout, maybe you will find it here.

There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Love is like a pair of socks, you gotta have two and they've gotta match ~ Unknown

I'm not scared of dying I just don't want too ~ Unknown

If it’s going to 'rain', wear a 'raincoat'! ~ Unknown

Nothing in life is free and some people pay more than others ~Unknown

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. ~Kahlil Gibran

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Walk beside me and be my friend ~ Albert Camus

You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last-minute panic! ~ Unknown

You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. ~ derekjw203

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I've bought a big bat.
I'm all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
~ Dr. Seuss

A butterfly in the wind, a child is like a butterfly in the wind.
Some can fly higher than others, but each one flies the best it can.
Why compare one against the other, each one is different.
Each one is special, each one is beautiful.
~ Unknown

Maybe step one is compatibility.
I'm not talking about the kind of chemistry that flames out with the first hint of stress; I mean the kind that deepens, sweetens, and strengthens into genuine intimacy. The kind that sustains people through kids and carpools, stomach flus and mortgage payments.
~ Oprah Winfrey

Who was the first guy that looked at a cow and said "I think that I'll drink whatever comes out of those things when I squeeze them”?
~ Calvin and Hobbes

A little bit of Pop Goss...
If you are in Australia, make sure you grab a copy of Scrapbooking Memories Magazine that comes out May 30 (Vol. 10, No. 2). Look for Pickleberrypop's feature article for a wonderful offer!

Last month we hinted about Double Pickle Pops, but now you can check them out for real in store! Some of our talented designers have teamed up to bring you some gobsmacking collab kits!

PBP welcomes scarletheels as our Guest CT member for May. We'd also like to welcome kirstiegai who was also May's guest, but is now a new permanent CT member!

Congratulations to our Picklejar Grand Prize winners for our joint event with Gotta Pixel! Andreya won a $15.00 gift certificate to the Pickleberrypop shop, mikelinz won a $10.00 certificate, and texaskelley won a $5.00 certificate!

Do you have some gossip to share? An announcement to make perhaps? Something you'd like to share with the PBP members? If so then please PM katef in the forums and we may be able to include your gossip in the next issue of PopMail!

Free Desktop Wallpaper!
This month's desktop wallpaper is designed by Natalie Bird  using her About a Boy kit. Add it to your shopping cart, click View cart, and use the coupon code NB-0608dw to get it free! Click the image for further details.

Stand outs
Here are some other layouts that caught our eye whilst browsing the gallery. Click on the images for credits and a closer look.
Keep uploading your layouts to the gallery you never know when you might see yours highlighted here!

Published Pickleheads!
Congratulations to the following PBP members who have had layouts published in magazines this month.

Digital Scrapbooking
Lee - front cover!!!!!
Mela x2

For Keeps 
kirstiegai x2
Mela x2

You can see these great layouts here in the forums if you haven't seen them in the mags! So head on over and congratulate all the pickleheads who have been published this month!

If you have had your layout published then please let us know so we can add you to our list of famous pickleheads!

You know you're addicted... Vol 2!
 You know you are addicted to the internet when...

1. You just tried to enter your password on the microwave.
2. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
3. You text your son to let him know it's time to eat. He e-mails you back from his bedroom, "What's for dinner?"
4. Your daughter sells Girl Scout Cookies via her web site.
5. You chat several times a day with a stranger from South Africa, but you haven't spoken with your next door neighbour yet this year.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your mobile phone to see if anyone is home.
7. Every commercial on television has a website address at the bottom of the screen.
8. The concept of using real money, instead of credit or debit, to make a purchase is foreign to you.
9. Your reason for not staying in touch with family is that they do not have e-mail addresses.
10. You hear most of your jokes via e-mail instead of in person.
11. You get an extra phone line so you can get phone calls.
12. You turn off your modem and get this awful feeling, as if you just pulled the plug on a loved one.
13. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.
14. You wake up at 2am to go to the bathroom and check your e-mail on your way back to bed.
15. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. :)
16. You're reading this.
17. Even worse; you're going to send it to someone else.

Pat's Picks!
A selection of Pat's favourite layouts from the last Pickle jar challenge!