Did you know that Earth Day is a worldwide phenomenon celebrated on April 22 each year by more than a billion people? (You read that right - a billion people!) No matter where you live, though, Earth Day is a chance to celebrate this wonderful orb we call home. After a rough winter here in the U.S., we are practically giddy to see Mother Nature starting to show off again. So we decided to celebrate Earth Day by considering all the amazing things the earth can grow, and we want you to go outside and find out what's growing in your corner of the earth - Right Now! For our Southern Hemisphere Scrap Girls, we want you to think outside the gardening box. You may not have blooms and buds to photograph, but even going into winter, nature has a unique beauty that is worth capturing and chronicling.
All this year, we want to help you document the "Right Now" version of who you are. What do you like, where do you go, and what's capturing your attention? Once a month, we'll present you with a Right Now challenge that will help you capture these moments. Complete all 12 layouts and you'll have a great mosaic of who you are this year!
Limited Time Freebie!
To celebrate the earth's amazing bounty, designer Emily Abramson has created a wonderful add-on product for you. Her beautiful Brush Set: Grownis free with your purchase of her Grown Collection Biggie.
The Brush Set and Collection combined are perfect for gardeners and foodies alike. We've got Emily's collection specially priced at 20% off, and the brush set is a newsletter exclusive - available for two days only! So pick up both these delights while they are ripe - today and tomorrow only!
We asked our Creative Team to grab their cameras and run outside to see what's growing where they live. These Right Now layouts create beautiful, intimate portraits of a little moment in time.
"For the last two years, we have had the privilege of watching a hummingbird build her nest, lay and incubate her eggs, and raise her babies right on the edge of a wind chime outside our kitchen window! When you think about "What's Growing," don't just think about the plant life in the garden but also about the wildlife as well! Whether you're in the city or more rural, what kinds of treasures can you find right outside your window?" -Amy
"While out for a walk with Ava, I noticed my tulips are just starting to poke up through the grass. It has been such a long winter that the sight of them sent me running inside for my camera! I will try to take photos of them as they grow and flower; but for now, those tulips are all that’s growing in my cold neck of the woods!" -Shannon
"I ran across some beautiful cherry tomato plants while shopping a few weeks ago and couldn’t resist buying one. Once I got it home, I decided to keep a visual diary of its (hopefully) abundant growth. My favorite aspect of digital photography is that you can take tons of photos without the cost of film or developing. Every couple of days at different times, I go out and photograph my tomato plant. It has been great practice for me. I am learning to watch the lighting, have actually taken my camera off its automatic settings, and learned tons about focus. The plant is very patient and doesn’t wiggle or decide it’s bored before I get the perfect shot (like my kiddos tend to do). Practice really does make perfect, even if that practice results in 500 photos of a cherry tomato plant!" -Melanie
We have a whole week of Challenges that will really grow on you! We hope you'll take some time to look around your part of the planet and recognize the things you love about it!
Upload your layouts to the Scrap Girls Gallery to be entered into our weekly prize drawing!
You can find all the details for this week's challenges on our Forum.
View last week's winning layouts, and see a full schedule of this week's challenges on our blog.
