Welcome back to another issue of PhotoImpact International's newsletter!  Our board is dressed for Easter... and Spring... begging the forebearance of those of us in the Southern hemisphere!  But do take a look; it's so pretty!

There are three, count 'em three, contests for the season.  The contest winners will all be determined by voting, so sharpen up your virtual crayons and come join in the fun—and help determine the winners, too!  The contests will run through Easter Sunday midnight (GMT).  (There are also activities in the forums, read about those below.)

There is the annual Easter Egg Hunt, where you'll go around to various members' sites collecting zip files, then use your creativity to come up with a unique image with the entire collection.  Billie and Spirit are giving a prize of two Visual Arts Academy classes, or one two-semester class.

Then there's the Mug/Mousepad contest to create an Easter design that you would like on a mousepad or coffee cup.  First prize there is a copy of PhotoImpact X3 provided by VAA, but if you don't win that and get second or third place instead, you'll see your image on your very own mousepad (gifted by Suzie) or mug (from those nice pholks at PhotoImpact International).

Last but of course not least, is the Card contest.  This is always a popular contest and its prize is a VAA class, again donated by Billie and Spirit.

The "Featured Forum" scheme showcases a different forum every month.  Create whatever you want in that forum for the month it is featured, as long as it stays with the theme of the forum.  Participants will be given a number; the lucky number drawn will receive a PI-I Certificate and the entry will be featured in the sideboxes on the main board for the entire next month.
The FOTM for March was DPO and we extend congratulations and a round of applause to the winner, Tammy!
The Forum of the Month for April is Camera Club.

• The TOW has a new name and a bit of a change in its focus.  You may have noticed; it's Triple Tutorial of the Week and you'll find the TOW just as you know it, plus tutorials written for other programs that you can convert to do in PI or you can use PSP.  Wendy has made one of her adorable kits to use as a basis for an Easter activity; be sure to go look.

• We have a new moderator at the Animation Station, so please give a warm PI-I welcome to Tammy.  She has hit the ground running with a series of tutorials with kits.  You'll find those in a pinned post called Weekly Activities.

• The Filter Forum has an Easter activity and it's wide open—create an Easter image featuring the use of filters.  You'll need a sense of adventure for this one!

• The Camera Club forum would like everyone to enter the Forum of the Month of April competition by posting their favourite photo on the forum.  It doesn't have to be a work of art—just something that you like or something that you would like to show everyone.

Announcing the return of an old favorite: PhotoImpact International Cooks!  The site is updated, there are a few new categories (with room for more), and you can find out how to share your favorites by clicking on the Submit button.  Note that your recipe card can be as simple or as fancy as you like, but please make it legible so we can actually try out your recipe :-)

We have a fun new section of the board, called Community Connections.  Check it out!  You'll find a stationery exchange for both Outlook Express and Incredimail.  Sparrow has expanded her Creationz site to include a venue for sharing of those stats, if the artist wishes.

The VAA Studios store is linked there, too.  This is cool; you can have your artwork made into a mousepad, or a totebag, an apron... there are lots of possibilities!  Part of the proceeds goes back to PI-I and its affiliates.

Remember that PI-I Supporters get six months free webhosting with their subscription.  This is a great way to try out having your very own space on the 'Net.  Should you decide to keep it, VAA-sites has reasonably-priced packages for your consideration.  Part of the proceeds supports PI-I!

The PhotoImpact International Tutorial Database continues to grow.  Looking for a tutorial?  You may search by keyword, author, or even program as there is a nice selection of tuts for PSP.

That PI-I has its own Chat Room?  You'll see a link in one of the sideboxes on the board.  Click on the link there and you'll see the Chat Rooms themselves—the Lounge, Scrapbooking, where there are regularly-scheduled chats, and Tech, particularly helpful for real-time help!

That Visual Arts Academy has a new class next semester, beginning in May?  It's MaryLou's More HTML and CSS Intro.  Those of you who have taken her first two classes are anxiously awaiting this—and now it's here.  It's a continuation of those two and will address more advanced HTML coding and get you started on CSS.  Registration is open now and if you're interested in the May semester, VAA suggests that you sign up soon as this class may fill early.

We love our sponsors!  Some have given us special discounts and offers; be sure to check the PI-I Sponsors forum to find these great deals.

• Visual Arts Academy, host of that wonderful resource, Community, where there is a favorite page, one with the buttons and websites of friends of the PhotoImpact community.  If your button is not there, please send it to either Bear or Sparrow along with the URL to which is should be linked.

• FM Tile Tools

• Corel

• Redfield Plugins

• Diard Software

• The Plugin Site

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
~ Robert Brault

Happy PI'ing!
The PhotoImpact International Team

PhotoImpact International Bulletin Board