Entering A Challenge at RAKScraps

There are a few steps for entering in a Challenge at RAKScraps, but once learned, it will be second nature.  You may already be familiar with several of these steps, and putting them together isn't difficult.  You may find yourself at a Challenge by clicking on one of the Challenge Links from the Home Page, the RAKScraps Blog, or the Newsletter, or click on the Challenge from the Forum.

Once in the current Challenge Thread, you'll want to read all of the Challenge requirements for that Challenge.  For example, for the Mega Kit Challenge, there are oftentimes requirements to use items from three or more designers for your layout.  You'll want to be sure to meet the requirements when entering your layout.  

If the Challenge you are entering only requires a posted response (no layout) then to enter, you'd only need to "Post Reply" to the Challenge Thread.  For example, the Posting Challenge is a monthly challenge where Members post in on or near the 1st of the month with their current number of posts.  Then they post as often as they can in that month (posting love in the Gallery is a great to add to your post count!), and then the hostess of the challenge (Bunchie) tallies the post counts and awards the prizes.  To learn how to Post A Reply - Please view this Tutorial:  Replying To A Post 

To enter a Challenge where it is requested that you post a link to your entry (layout in the Gallery), there are a few other things to keep in mind.  First you would read the challenge requirements and then create a layout that meant those requirements.  Save your layout in your software at 100 kB or less.  Then upload your layout to that Challenge's Gallery.  There is usually a link to that Gallery from the Challenge thread in the Forum.  For directions on how to upload your layout to the Gallery, please view this Tutorial:  Uploading A Layout To The Gallery

Now you'll want to Reply to the Challenge thread and let them know you're entering the Challenge.  In the Forum, navigate back to that Challenge, click on Post Reply, and let people know that you have created a layout for this Challenge.  You will also want to paste the link to your layout in the Gallery.  To find and copy the link (URL of your layout), please view the latter information in this Tutorial:  Uploading A Layout To The Gallery

Once you have copied the URL of your layout, hit Ctrl + V, and the link to your layout will be pasted in your reply.  Click "Submit Reply".   That's it!  We hope you will participate in many many more challenges to come!

Just as an added bit of information, if you wish to create what is known as a "pretty link" for your layout,  it can be done with this one extra step.  (For example, the text links for the "Uploading A Layout To The Gallery" above are examples of a "pretty link" - rather than "http://www.rakscraps.com/tutorials/uploading-a-layout-to-the-gallery.php) 

Instead of pasting your link directly into your reply, you would type in a text link - a word or phrase that would display, but then would be linked to your layout.  Highlight that word or phrase and then click on the small icon above the text box - it is an icon with the picture of Earth with a chain link.  A hyperlink menu box will appear, and you would paste your Gallery layout link in there.  (Earth icon shown in figure below) Click "Okay" on the hyperlink text box and then "Submit Reply" at the bottom of your reply box.