Digital Piracy

As I write this, I am still so incredibly irritated. I have spent the most part of the day dealing with thieves.

Every once in a while, I spend a little time searching the Internet... I blog hop a little, then I Google my name, or any other identifying factor. It's always interesting to see what comes up. For the most part it's always pleasant... I get a glimpse of the layouts done with my kits etc. Today I found a big ring of Pirates, giving my stuff away. I had heard that Digital Piracy was rampant in the last few months. I guess since I didn't see my own stuff being pirated, I didn't feel the extent of it.

I like to think that the majority of Digital Piracy is based on ignorance. Perhaps the person never read the Terms of Use. So, I thought I would take the time to post my Terms of Use for all to see and discuss them, so as to eliminate any confusion.

Joanna Cinnamon / My Digital Addiction Terms of Use

1. Copyrights to all designs belong to the original creator, Joanna Cinnamon with all rights reserved. Distribution of these in any fashion will be in violation of international copyright laws. Graphic designs are for personal use only. This means you cannot share them with your best friend, with a Yahoo Group, on a blog or anywhere else. Designers put a lot of time and money into their craft and the maintenance of a website. Money is often made through website traffic. If you would like your friend to have a copy of a product, send them directly to the site. It's that simple.

2. You may post layouts to websites or scrapbooking magazines that include any portion of the graphics, altered or not, providing you give proper credit and reference back to http://MyDigitalAddiction.blogspot.com/. You cannot make "Quick Pages" or templates and give them away on your blog. That is considered altering and is a violoation of these terms.

3. These graphics may not be used commercially without written permission from the owner. You cannot sell my products, altered or not, or use them in any way to obtain a profit.

4. Altering a graphic is permissable, however you many not then claim them as your own.

It's that simple, folks. Please respect these Terms if you download my products. Just because they are free does not mean the copyright is!!! Please refer to Jen Strange's blog for more information on Digital Piracy.

Autism Awareness Collaboration Kit

I am really proud to be a part of a collaboration effort between over 15 designers to create an enormously huge Autism Awareness Kit. It is yours for a donation of any amount you choose!

Here is my contribution:

If you would like to donate, go to AutismSpeaks.org (or click HERE). We are grateful for any donation size whatsoever, however, if you donate over $5, you will receive an exclusive Add-On! Once you've donated, send your receipt to XandraMartinDesigns@yahoo.com to receive the links and password.

Pink Hibiscus

Whoo-Hoo! I've just released a brand new kit! It's called Pink Hibiscus. It's all bright and feminine and perfect for Spring! Gotta love it. I actually made it quite a while ago and had it for sale in my other store for some time. But I've gotten so many requests to bring it here, that I couldn't refuse, so here it is! LOL! You can click on the preview to be taken to the Download section of My Digital Addiction.

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I even made a layout with it (this was a while ago, too, but hey!) of my cutie little niece, Jaida. Now I've made it into a Quick Page that is also available in the download section of My Digital Addiction, or at the end of this post! Enjoy!

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A Fresh New Look

Good Morning! How do you like my new blog design? I thought I would freshen it up for Spring. Kinda like Spring cleaning. I can also get more information on it, so it should be a little more useful to all of us. Stay tuned as I get it customized and running smoothly...

A Place of Inspiration

As Designers we are often asked where do we get our inspiration from. So, in honor of Earth Day 2008, I thought I would talk about one of the places that I get my greatest inspiration. Of all the beautiful places on our planet, I particularily love botanical gardens, arboretums and nature centers. Maybe it's because of my complete ineptitude at gardening, maybe it's my admiration of beauty or maybe it's the just simple enjoyment of nature at it's best. Either way, I make an effort to go to such a place at least once a year. I take my camera and try to get a year's worth of pictures to scrap and design with!

One such a place is the Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center located in Orange, Texas. This is a beautiful 252 acre haven displaying a combination of gardens and nature. The botanical gardens are alive with exquisite flowers, plants, insects and animals, each with their own distinct characteristics. There is a Nature Center, giving visitors the chance to see, explore and learn about the east Texas wetland ecosystem. Amoung other things, you can find a state-of-the-art bird blind, a tree over 1000 years old, greenhouses and sculpture gardens.

The Shangri La Gardens and Nature Center is the first project in Texas to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's Platinum certification for LEED®-NC, indicating the design and construction of Shangri La meets the highest "green" standards. These gardens proudly boast of being one of the most earth-friendly projects in the world. With the mission of improving and enriching the quality of life in Southeast Texas as well as encouraging and assisting with education, this private foundation is special retreat for those looking for peace, tranquility and maybe just a reminder of the beauty of nature that still exists.

UGH! I'm Failing!

ACK! I am totally failing on our Biggest Loser contest at work... at first I was winning with the hightest percentage of weight lost. Now I'm in 3rd place! The worst part is, it's a Doctor who is currently in the winning position! A Doctor does not need to win the money pot! So I simply cannot let that happen! I'd been diligently doing the sensible calorie counting and exercising, but this is not working fast enough to win. So I'm going to go to the old faithful rapid-response-low-carb-hideous-headache-torture-fest. By noon today on the first day, I've already got the low-carb headache. I'm going to have to lock myself up when my boyfriend gets home... Just to avoid snarling at anybody! LOL!

Just a quick heads up: before it's too late (if you haven't already) be sure to check out Bon Scrapatit Designs's Blog. (I love her blog theme, it's so original!) She's giving away a pretty fabulous kit called "Saturday in the Park" for a limited time, and you don't want to miss this! It's perfect for summer! Here's a partial preview she has up. Click on it to get to her blog and have a great rest of the weekend!

Contest with FinGad

I am secretly obsessed with investing. I think it's the biggest shame in the world that we are not taught anything about finances in school. That being said, I am always searching for ways to increase my knowlege of this subject. I found a new site where investors review strategies with other investors. If you would like to Win $1000 with FinGad check out their site. They are currently running a contest that will reward the person who has the most virtual money at the end of the month. It's a fun way to learn about investing and share strategies with others. Read the rules and conditions to join.

The Wonderful World of "White Space"

We've all seen this style... I watch the talented ladies who can pull it off with a sense of wonder and awe (and maybe more than a little jealousy!). White space makes for the most striking layouts, drawing the eye immediately to the center of attention. They are usually sparce, but in these cases, less if definitively more! Here are a few layouts by some ladies I absolutely admire:

The first set is from one of my favorite blogs, Fei-Fei's Stuff. Every single on of this girl's layouts are beautiful. Stunning simplicity with photographs that show the sweetest mother-daughter bond of love.

Another white space scrapper I admire is Deb Sterchen - just look at her gallery - it's dripping in talent! Each layout is a masterpiece!

Vinnie Pierce has an incredible knack for creating gorgeous layouts with one simple image and very few elements. The muted colors and pictures convey an intimacy that almost makes you feel like you're sneaking a peek into her family's life.

Ok, finally, because I can't resist one more, is Zatul Saliza. Here's her gallery, one of my favorites, which is just brimming with happy, bright, exciting layouts!

Paper of the Month Pack

I've spent the entire day with my dearest boyfriend looking for an office chair. Mine bit the dust and so I told him that's what I would like for my birthday, which is coming up in the next week. I know how much he HATES shopping, but he dedicated the entire day to trying to find just the right chair with me. So sweet!

Well, now I am back at home, without a chair. SOOOOO frustrating! Does anyone have a brillant suggestion as to where to find a nice office chair? The closest we got was this Trump Office chair at Staples:

The only problem was when I finally made my decision (after 2 visits) the little sales guy tells us that they're out of stock. Could you not put a "Sold" sign on it or something, then?! I was so irritated at that after spending so much time on it! I hate when stores disrespect your time like that! UGH!

So on to something a little more pleasant. I made these papers the other day for a book I'm scrapping. It's a series of 12 papers, each with a month of the year on it. They are available for FREE, as always, at MyDigitalAddiction.com.

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WikiTalk Public Launch

I am a huge fan of innovation. In the last few years, we've all seen the social networking and content aggregation sites grow in number and size. WikiTalk.com takes these two concepts and goes a step further. By dividing the browser window horizontally, WikiTalk allows users to join in any public discussion on any website, right in their own browser. This could actually work really well for Digital Scrapbooking product reviews! Check out the WikiTalk.com Public Launch now (if you're interested in what people are saying about your site) and get in on the fun!

Pondlife Collection

Alright folks! I'm done the "Pondlife" Collection! Some parts of it are here on my blog only, and some parts are in the "Download" section of My Digital Addiction, so you've got to stop by both places to collect it all! I'm going to make it easy for you, though and give you every link right here! So here's a quicky wrap-up for any of you who have missed a part. Click on the preview to be taken to the Download link. Oh, and as usual, THEY'RE ALL FREE!

Before you do, I have a quick request. As you probably noticed, I pay for my site, My Digital Addiction through advertisements on the site and on this blog. For more effective advertising, I need to establish some links with you guys. This will increase my ranking and therefore my ability to choose relevant ads. So! If there are any of you who own a blog or a website and wouldn't mind linking to my blog, I would be so thankful! I'm not even talking about a graphic, just a quick note mentionning my blog with a link to it would be awesome! Also, if you do this, please let me know and I would like to put you in line for our Designer of the Month. Thanks!

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Finally, this is just a little extra stuff I have left over from creating the "Pondlife" Collection. I wasn't too crazy about putting these elements into the kit, because I didn't figure they coordinated too well. So if any of you would like them, here they are:

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Free Electronic Calling Card

I've been seeing this more and more and am starting to wonder if this is the direction of the future... a web service that advertises your business, serving as an electronic calling card. It's like the Internet Yellow or White Pages. From what I've seen, most of them charge you a fee, but MyCityFaces.com is actually completely free! This site is in the beginning stages and is looking to expand their database, so if you're reading this, you have the opportunity to sign up and advertise your business for free. If you do not offer a service, you can use it to find one. The site is very simply and neatly organized. To do a search, you are initially directed to enter your location by metro area. A quick search is followed by the results. The cool thing is that there are pictures and profiles so that you can "meet" the professional before actually "meeting" them! For you Digital Scrapbookers out there, there are spots for pictures, so you could even include samples of your work! There are categories for almost any business you can think of, including Realtors, Plastic Surgeons, Hairstylists and Artists! If you are interested, take a jaunt by and take it look. It's free to sign up!

Pondlife Premade Page

I think I mentionned that I was originally asked to do a frog-themed kit, incorporating in the arrival of a new baby. Cute... but not without a little giggle! Hehe! I'm still putting together the baby part of it, but here's a little something I came up with today. It is in .png format and will also be in the Download section by the end of this week. Have a great day!

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TV Overstocks

I used to work nights. On the nights I didn't work, I would struggle to sleep, laying on the couch, watching infomercials (how I wish I was into Digital Scrapbooking then! Imagine all the designing I would have gotten done!). Now there is a website, TV Overstocks, that features the best As Seen on TV products at overstock prices! Of course, for me it's always the kitchen gadgets that I find the most tempting... there's the popular Swiffer Wetjet and the George Foreman Grill that I use all the time. There are also a bunch of other categories which are facinating... there are Proactiv and Bare Mineral products, the Total Gym and even the Sleep Number Bed! Subscribe to their mailing list for the chance to win money!

Pondlife Stickers

I've got a few days off and the weather is beautiful! Life is wonderful! Today I put together a set of stickers from my newly released "Pondlife" kit. My stickers are about 4" or less and do include custom shadowing. They are here for my blog readers exclusively! Enjoy!

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Canton

We had such a nice, relaxing weekend! I love when I have time off with my boyfriend! This weekend we thought we'd take a break from the usual chore etc and take a drive to Canton, Tx where they hold the biggest swapmeet, called "First Monday Tradedays" in the whole world (or at least it feels like that when you're walking! LOL!) What a bunch of crazy, crazy stuff! Do people actually buy this stuff?!

I did think, though, that this would be a great place to come and take pictures... the personalities and characters there were very diverse and interesting. And think of all the vintage-type items that you could use in your designs!

Age-Defying Skin Care

As a woman of a "certain age" I am always interested in hearing what other women are doing to maintain their youthful appearance. Growing up, I was never exposed to any sort of beauty regimen or skin care routine... probably because my mother was (and still is!) so naturally beautiful she never used any products! Of course, I'm different. I don't get the comments she constantly got - "Oh your skin is just radiating! What do you use?" I figure I'm normal. She's not. LOL!

For those of us who are normal, there is an Age Defying Complete Skin care Solution that is designed to help reduce the effects of aging, fine lines and wrinkles on our skin, while at the same time infusing it with the natural glow that is so typical of my mother's skin!

As a convenience this product is being offered by Borba as a part of their Auto-Ship Program. They will automatically ship at your specified intervals and will even include a free sample with each order. No contract, no strings... just a handy little way to continue to receive your favorite products! Check out Borba's revolutionary products today! And don't forget to sign up for the Auto-Ship Program when you order!

"Pondlife" is Here!

Yay! I had a reasonable day at work and so wasn't too exhausted to work on getting "Pondlife" into the "store." So here it is! Hop over to the Download section and snag it ~ as always, IT'S FREE!!! The alphas are also in the Download section now as well. Click on the preview to get there.

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Pondlife Frame

Whoo-Hoo! I'm done my new kit, "Pondlife!" I'm one of those designers who are excruciatingly slow at designing. Kits take me forever, so it's always a little celebration for me when I actually finish one. It's uploading to my "store" now, so it will be available soon... as soon as I have a day off to finish the details, so check back! Meanwhile here's a little frame that I didn't put in the kit. Have a great weekend!

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Pondlife Alpha Part 2

Here's the second part, guys! Thanks for all of the great feedback! I hope to have the entire kit done soon...

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Tornado!

I haven't blogged much in the last week... I have been working my "real job" a little more than usual. Yesterday it was finally my day off and I was thinking I'd get all kinds of stuff done here. Until work called in desperation. So I ended up going in and having the craziest day ever! Right in the middle of the day, and in the middle of an epidural placement, tornado sirens start going off! I look out the window and see ominous looking clouds, some partially descended to the ground. Great. When this happens we are required to take all of the patients into the hall. Needless to say, that wasn't going to happen with a foot-long needle sticking out of my patient's back! But the tornado passed without event and things continued on... business as usual.

Until I got home. I was afraid I might have some shingles blown off the roof or maybe the fence would be broken like before, but that was all fine. However, my lawn furniture set was scattered all over the entire yard and the cushions and umbrella were nowhere to be found! I drove around the neighbourhood trying to find them, to no avail... too weird. So now I have got to buy some new Outdoor Chair Cushions and a matching umbrella before summer gets started! You've got to have a functional patio set for summer, right?! I didn't have one the year before and every morning I wished I did so that I could sit out and enjoy the weather.

Thank God for the internet! I found this site, that does has all - outdoor furniture cushions, chair cushions, bench pads, seat pads, chaise lounge cushions and umbrellas. They will even customizes the cushions to whatever size, shape and fabric you like! There's an umbrella, similar to what I had, which you can also customize by chosing the fabric you want. Very cool.

Pondlife Alpha Part 1

A week or so ago I received a request from Kittie for a kit with frogs, but that also incorporated in something to do with a new baby arrival. Interesting combination! LOL! I happened to have a semi-finished kit with the frog part in my files, so I decided I would get to work on that for Kittie. I'm still working on it (Kittie, I think I'll do the baby part as an add-on), but I thought I would drop little pieces of it off here, along the way. There are several alphabets in the kit, here's a couple to start. Please note: only the Alphas are included - but it's all coming later, and of course it will all be FREE!

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