Look Around

While it may seem silly to take a picture of the top of a garbage bag or half-melted candle, these pictures can still evoke strong memories in the future.

Can you remember when garbage bags didn't have the tie handles? I can. I remember the straps with serrated edges that you tied them shut with. I use to use them to make icicles for the Christmas tree. But you can't find them today.

Shampoos that fall in and out of favor. The changes they make. Tiny grape tomatoes that were rarely seen in days gone by and now fill the grocery stores. Will they still be here in 20 or 30 years? Or will they be replaced by something smaller?

We need to document our daily lives as well as the important days. Sometimes it is the small things we are going to want to show later in life and they may no longer be available.

Template by Jennifer; Hopeful (subscriber exclusive) by Spinkydink Designs;
Kraft Again Alpha by Etc. by Danyale; Font: Century Gothic

Don't be afraid

to use a lot of a bright color. Especially if it brings out a spot of color in a photo (Brindel's orange shirt). It also compliments Nuke's brown shirt, while the matting is nearly the same color as Milady's shirt. And because of the dark walls behind my subjects the pictures really stand out against the brilliant orange paper.

Sweet & Sour (c)Armina Designs
Template by Kitty Designs; Font: Century Gothic

Historically correct?

One of the things we need to be including in our scrapbooking is information about our ancestors. For years I thought our great grandmother immigrated from Sweden. Now it appears it was her father that immigrated and she was born in Mississippi. But that may be incorrect as well. So far no documentation has arisen giving support to either claim.

Use your scrapbooking to lay down the ground work for genealogy enthusiasts. Include who told you what. And should you never be able to locate that document, whoever takes up your mantle may be able to do so and without having to start from scratch.

I think I may start digging through all the Bug's research and using that as a basis for some scrapbooking pages to make into a book.

Captivated (c)Silvia Romeo & Etc. by Danyale
Template from Ideas for Scrapbookers;

What to journal

When your a scrapping several pages about one event, you may find that you have run out of things to say. Like in my Georgia aquarium series. On a couple of pages, I will be "journaling" about some of the sea life we had seen. On this page I wrote about the sea urchins Indy was posing next to. Their life, what they ate, their enemies, etc.

If it is landscape pages, find out information about the place. Population, how it was named and why, what it produces, and so it goes on. As you look back in the years to come, this will add interest to your memories.

Squid Ink (c) Late Night Scraps & Creations by Rachel;
Template by Mye De Leon; Fonts: Century Gothic; Forte

Long past? Your past

In your eagerness to scrap those moments of your current life; don't forget to take the time to scrap those past moments. Old flames, best friends long gone. While they may not still be in your life, they were once a part of it and contributed to who you became. Make sure to include some journaling. Your children and grandchildren will appreciate seeing you as you once were and knowing what you thought.

See You Tonight (c)She's Full of Scrap
Template by Lindsay Jane; Font: Century Gothic; Forte

It's all in the background work

Sometimes you just want something a little different. In Mode of Operation we used the blending modes on text; in Show me the way, on maps to be used in the background. You can also use it with photos, as seen below.

This works especially well with photos that didn't turn out just as you wanted them too. Those that are a little blurry. Wasn't the case here, but it worked for the challenge was I was doing that required using one photo, two times.

Now is your chance to try something a little different. Give it a go and then let me know how it turned out.

Template-Chris Greiser; Lovely ©A+Designs; Word art ©LorieM Designs

Bug's Week 1 of January

Getting a template from "In the Making Design", I did not add any papers or embellishments... yet... Will do it after I finish the month of January.  Here is Week 1 of my household:

template: Inthemaking_P365templateI

Text still needs to be added besides just the dates. It also needs to be lined up.  But it is a start.  Finally... a week late.  I have some work to do on a program brochure but hopefully I can finish week 2 this weekend!  How are you doing on your 365 project?

A photo manipulation

that's really kind of neat, especially if there is something or someone within the photo that you want everyone to focus on. Pinoy7 has a lot of photo manipulation tutorials for Paintshop Pro but I think my favorite has to be "The Photo Within".

Test drive this tutorial and see what you think. I used it on one of my daughter's wedding pages and then again here for the view we had of a Sunset Cruise at Key West.

Snow Days

You live in a warm to moderate climate, i.e. Florida. Not much chance of snow. Okay, maybe , once in 10 years if you live in NW Florida. But you realize you have all those cool winter, snowy kits that you really want to make use of.

What we are going to do here is add snow to a photo. Now granted I am not the best at making snow, though I will give it a try. Start by adding a new layer and painting in the areas that you wish to apply ground snow to appear in. It doesn’t have to be perfect. If a little of the ground shows through , that’s fine.

Control+a; control+f; control+shift+f. Layers>New Raster layout. Flood fill with white (html #ffffff).

Effects>Texture>Sidewalk.

Delete painted layer. Lower opacity on snow layer to about 81. Layers>Merge>Merge All.

Layers>Add New Raster Layer. Flood fill with bright color.

Adjust>Add/Remove Noise>Add Noise.

Check Preview on Image & Gaussian. Uncheck monochrome. Noise percentage is variable according to how much snow you want falling.

View>Zoom In (to about 400). Choose magic wand. Noise: add; Match Mode: color; Tolerance: 1*; Use All Layers, Contiguous and Anti-Alias: unchecked; Feather: 0. With magic wand click on the bright color you flood filled layer with (not on noise). Delete. *The higher the noise percentage, the higher the tolerance needs to be.

Control+d. Adjust>Hue and Saturation>Hue/Saturation/Lightness.

Hue: 0; Lightness: 0; Saturation: -100.

Duplicate layer. Effects>Distortion Effects>Wind.

Wind direction and Strength is variable according to your picture.

Adjust the opacity of the two snow layers. Layers>Merge>Merge All.

Finished product:

Still Kicking

In fact, I have been kicking and screaming for a while now.  Now if I could just find something else besides the punching bag to kick and the kids to scream at!  I hope you all had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I was busy buying some kits that were on sale at so many different businesses.  Now I have to get in gear to start using them!  In fact, I was changing my karate layout.  Remember that?  The one in particular I am talking about it posted HERE. 

Because I wanted to change it to an 8x8 book instead of an 8 1/2 x 11... I had to do some modifications.  At the same time, I actually changed a lot more.  Here is the page as an 8x8:

template: awp_template15 modified
paper, elements: orient blogtrain

You'll have to let me know which one you prefer.  I'm still playing with the elements.  I keep changing them every time I look at the page.  I think the coins are going to go away and some fortune cookies may appear.  What do you think?

Gift Box Galore

There are so many places you can get patterns for gift boxes.  I was looking for something specific and I found it... In fact, it has 36 different patterns from book boxes to bon bon to cake slices.  Wow.  If you need something quick and are fairly good at figuring stuff out yourself, here is the link for you:

Box Templates

Hope it helps you get those last minute gifts wrapped!

Christmas Crafts

Around here, today is the last day of school before the holiday vacation. I know my sister, the Bug, is going to be looking for something to keep those little hands busy and inexpensive ways to decorate.

ScrapMatters has a tutorial on making a cute little ornament. It reminded me of the ones my son use to make for me out of Christmas cards. The hobby store here at that time carried a liquid glass product that I would paint over them. Leaving them shiny and well protected from the elements, including water. I have not been able to find it since, but have seen that Michaels, Wal-mart, Dick Blick, etc., carry a two part epoxy resin that does a similar job (according to what I read. I haven't tried it yet). If you do, I suggest you read Crafty Jenny's tips.

Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs, Mari Koegelenberg, Pamela Donnis and Melissa Wilson put together a 12 Days Blog Hop (great ideas for keeping the kids entertained the week before Christmas)

1. Cash Envelope
2. Advent Calendar
3. Pretty Peppermint Bark
4. Vintage Gift Tags
5. Sugar Scrub
6. Hands and Feet Reindeer
7. Filled Glass Ornament (I have dozens of clear glass ornaments. Now wishing I had used them. As I looked at this tutorial I got to thinking how cool it would be to put the year's memories on the strips (before cutting them apart). Then painting the year on the outside of the ornament. A unique little time capsule only to be opened when it breaks.)


8. Quick Christmas Cards
9. Wish Baskets
10. Peppermint Reindeer
11. Treat Tent
12. Question Jar
Scrapbook Graphics had a wonderful tutorial for a last minute gift idea: Notecard Boxes.

And while not a Christmas Hybrid project, I found this while browsing and felt that it was an article every scrapper should read: Tips for Great Journaling by Chelle.

Template by Isabel Mendez; Make the Time
(c)Connie Prince; Font(s): Brush455 BT

Trip to Memory Lane

We've all seen them. Those photos which have the essence of the past in a sepia or monotone color and just a splash of an original color. This is how it is done.

Open document. New layer. On new layer, lower opacity and paint those areas you want to keep at the original color.


Control+a, control+f, control+shift+f. Got to selections>save selection>save selection to alpha channel. Control+d.


Click on save.


Delete the painted layer and duplicate the background layer again. Use the Virtual Photography plug-in. Effects>Plug-ins>optickVerve Labs. Choose a b/w filter like old newspaper (or any that is sepia or monotone).


Selections>load from alpha channel.


Make sure replace is checked and then load.


The area that you painted earlier will now have marching ants around it. Make sure the layer you applied the VP to is selected and hit delete on the keyboard.


While it looks fine like this and may be just want you want, you can try lower the opacity on the VP layer to let muted colors of the original layer show through.


Last but not least: Layers>Merge>Merge visible before dragging or copying to your layout.

Template by Tiny Toes Designs; Holiday Sugar Cookies (c) AnDi Designs, BB, Jeanne Marie Scraps,
Jennifer Fox, Little Bitz Dzynz, Mels World, Mikki Livanos, Moon Chylde Creations, Trish H.

Pop goes the

Picture...

Crop your image to desired size and area. Promote to layer (layers>promote background layer). Using rectangle marquee, chose the area around the object you want popped out. Promote to layer. Select background layer again and delete.

Open new layer above the promoted selection, lower opacity and paint the area you want popping out.

Using magic want with tolerance set to about 15 and contiguous unchecked, click on painted layer anywhere but on the painted selection.

Delete painted layer. Then hit delete key on keyboard to erase the areas around the object to pop out.

Go to layers>Merge>Merge Visible.

Increase canvas size (Image>Canvas size) 100 pixels or 1" in each direction. Placement mode should be in the center.

Select background layer. Control+a, Control+f, Control+shift+f. Go to Selections>Modify>Expand. (The number of pixels to expand is going to be relative to the size of the photo.)

I didn't like the rounded corners so I am putting guidelines down where the marquee falls. You are going to want to zoom in and place your cursor over one of the marquee lines to see where it is on the ruler so you can move the guideline there. Once you get a guideline the marquee disappears until it is placed.

Once guidelines are in place, deselect the marquee. Chose the rectangle marquee and pull along the guidelines.

Open new layer and move below background layer. Flood fill with color.

On each layer, add drop shadow. Merge>Merge Visible. Drag to layout.

Template by Bastelzauber; Sea Spray (c)Spinkydink Scraps;
Font(s): Burst My Bubble; jamaistevie

Acceptably Sharp

Ok, Tink mentioned I do depth of field differently than she does... and she is correct.  Mainly because I never thought to ask her before now how she did it.  Let's take this picture to start with and say I want to emphasize car number 7 (the white one).

I would use the Freehand Selection tool:

And draw around the white car like this:

Next I would go to Adjust->Depth of Field:

It would bring up the following screen.  I would adjust the blur or feather edge according to what I want done.  Usually the blur at 5 is good and the feather edge at 2.  Here I wanted to make the other stuff really blurry, so I moved it up to 10.

Pressed ok, then did a Cntrl ->D to get rid of the selection and ended up with something like here:

Mine is not as exact as hers but is something fairly easy to use if you need it.  Which way do you blur your pictures?