PSE Shortcut Keys and FREE Daily Download

The  iNSD sale at   Digitals’ is continuing through the 8th!  So don’t miss it!

Be sure to grab the FREE Daily Download that continues through the 11th!  The sale in MY Store will continue through the 11th!

For those who have missed some or all of the FREE Daily Downloads since April 28th, I also have the kit in the store. It is 30% off during my Featured Designer spot through May 11th. You can click on the preview to grab it.

PSE Shortcuts

In the busy environments that we all live in, it is helpful to be able to use shortcuts to speed things up and make those minutes and hours last longer!    It’s the same when it comes to scrapping!  The more shortcuts you can utilize, the more time you create to enjoy your craft!

I have a list of shortcuts I use all the time while creating and scrapping in my Photoshop Elements program.  Some of these shortcuts are carried over from the word processing programs, so some of them you will already know.  You just have to remember to use them while creating your scrapbook pages, too!

So, I hope you find these useful!  Once you learn them, you will wonder how you ever got along without them!  Also, I believe for the MAC person, instead of the Ctrl key, you use the Command key (???).

Thanks for stopping by Today!  Now you can scrap those memories a little quicker! 

Hybrid Chalkboard and FREE Daily Download!

Welcome back!  I have got the cutest hybrid project for you today!  As I mentioned yesterday, as you met my CTMs, Lori does wonderful hybrid projects and she has one for you today!  I hope you enjoy it!

I know you don’t want to miss today’s FREE Daily Download, either!

Lori used my “Springtime is Mine!” kit to make her chalkboard project.  Wait til you read about how she made the 3D flower, too!  You are gonna HAVE to try it!

Thanks for stopping by Today!  Enjoy reading the following hybrid tut from Lori!

Hybrid Chalkboard

by Lori Imel

1. First I measured the chalk board (I picked it up at a thrift store). Then I put those dimensions in photoshop (or whatever program you use). Open the new image at 300 ppi to match the kit size. I did both outside and inside the framed area.

2. Then I started arranging the flourishes, etc in the corners. See image, for example.

3. Open a “new” image – paper size. Take the items from the 1st image and arrange them on this new paper. Do not overlap and leave room to cut around these edges. (So I would not have white edges showing, I used the dropper tool and “stroke” to place a color edge around each item. Then if I did not cut away all the excess – it blends well into the item. On large items that do not have a lot of intricate detail – this is NOT needed).I also took Vicky’s tag (round circle with a fancy edge) and filled up the page with these (I had extras).

Prep work in graphics program

4. Print on cardstock (use a good printing mode). Then carefully cut out each item. I have found that “cutter bee” scissors are fantastic – you need sharp scissors with a very fine tip to cut out small detail well.

5. Take your flowers and leaves etc and give them dimension. I take a crochet hook, or pen and “curl” the items. Sometimes I will curl from different directions. The idea is to make it look more “real”

6. Those tags I added (3D flowers)…. I took them and cut between each area that goes in (depression between bumps) – cut towards the middle but you want to leave a significant amount of space in the middle. The first one I did 1 inch, 2nd a little more, and 3rd one even more – but not so that it would break apart….. I also used 1/4 of a yellow post it note and cut along the long edge about 1/8″ strips, but leaving about 1/4″ edge along the top edge – to make a fringe.

Take the 1st tag piece and curl the petals down (curling from the white side – non-printed side). Do this with each tag piece. Then I used tacky glue in the center (printed side) and placed the next tag piece in the middle section. I had 3 layers of tag pieces (petals). Adjust them so that the top layers do not have cuts in the same places. The top layer I actually squeezed a bit more up (think of a flower starting to bloom). Then I added the “stamin” – yellow post it note to the middle of the top layer. I also put the “butterfly) on my flower.

7. Arrange the items on your chalk board – use your 1st image as a guide. I use double sided tape – mounting tape – puffy tape…. you want it to be dimensional….. When working with hybrid – look at real items. How do they look? Look at the distances (drop shadows), different heights….. This is when your paper projects really begin to look so real….

Here’s the finished product. Enjoy!!!

Finished Project

Please share with the buttons below this post.

Creating Realistic Shadows in Photoshop & PSE

Shadows are arguably the most significant aspect in making your scrapbook layout look realistic. Here is a tutorial series by Sherry Saunders and Cilenia Curtis, that we ran in our newsletter on adding realistic shadows to your elements and papers using several different methods.

Creating Realistic Shadows Part 1 (PDF file)
Creating Realistic Shadows Part 2 (PDF file)
Creating Shadows/Layering (PDF file)
Warping Shadows in PS & PSE (PDF file)

How to recolor multiple colors on a single element tutorial

ok, I have given in to the world of video sharing! lol  I was just going to make a post with the how to do this, but thought, “Why not just record it as I do it?”  So I did.  I hope I did this right as I have never used YouTube before, so cross your fingers!

PSE can do this also. The only difference is you go to “Enhance” in the top menu and then to “Adjust Color” and then to “Replace Color”. Then work everything else the same way.

In case the video doesn’t embed correctly, here is a Link to it on my blog. And here is the YouTube link too.  Still learning how all this video stuff works so bear with me. lol

And as I said, don’t ever be afraid to ask me something if you don’t know it.

Oh, and the kit that I was making that this was from?  It’s called Lovely in Lilac and was inspired by Digitals Monthly challenges which I’m a part of and run the Art Journaling Challenge.  I like it so much, that I decided to make a whole kit instead of just a mini kit for the bonus.

This was just an impromptu whim of mine.  Promise, I will learn how to make these better quality as I learn the ins and outs of YouTube.

Have an awesome day!

Embellishing Ideas for your Pages for Visual Design and Focus

Thought since we are focusing on clustering and embellishments this month, we might want to take a look at how these relate to the whole design of a layout too for some basic design principals.

Creating a frame of elements around your photo.

By adding elements clustered at the corner like Aria did here, you are grounding your photo.  Using like colors or repeating elements found in the paper, you are grounding your photo to the background also visually.  Notice how all of these used this technique of creating a cluster of elements to frame and ground their photos.

By clustering your elements AND photo to a corner of the page, you are also creating what we call “white space”.  This “space” is a place for the eyes to rest while looking at a page but it also draws your eyes to photo on the photo itself.

Aidan by Aria

First Grady by Joyce de Jonge

Make a Wish by Jean Ann

You can do this also by filing the whole page like Angie did here.

She is still framing and clustering using embellishments, but by desaturating her photo, it will naturally draw the eye there first and the photo actually becomes the neutral “space”.  Everything added here is being used to “frame” this photo by matting and clustering around it.

She also played a with her title and journaling to create it within this space and this is again, drawing the eyes inward to where she wanted to draw the focus to.

Stand by Angie

In turn you can also try a more linear look and using repetition of photos or elements to ground your embellishments and/or photos to a page.

See how Judy used clustering of elements, note pieces and photo frames here in a vertical orientation.  By doing this, she is drawing the eye inward but grounding them at the same time.

Close to You by judyinsd

Another example of this is from two of my own pages.

Here is this first one we see the linear line creatd by the photos on the left with all the clustered elements and papers tucked under and around them.  The blended photo into the background becomes the resting space but the eyes still want to be led to the main photo and is drawn down to the journaling.

Sharing Curiosity by Cilenia

Again, linear clustering on the left, but now the page has more movement and is being drawn outward into the photos sitting in the “white space” and the bottom right corner with it’s brushwork and element is visually framing it all together.

What do You Want by Cilenia

Now look at another way Beth combined these design principles of using clusters to frame out your photo, clustering your photos and leaving some white space, and using repetition of elements also to frame the photos, and repeating the elements in the corners of the page too, for a whole other type of effect but still visually pleasing.

Make your own Music by mystampin

These are just some of the unique ways you use clustering and embellishments to draw focus and give some visual grounding to your layouts.

While doing your layouts and clustering, keep in mind the types of elements and the layering and don’t forget to adjust your shadows for the different depths created by the layering of embellishments and papers too.  That is what usually will make or break your layout from looking good to looking awesome!

Till next time,

Cilenia

I Didn’t Know PSE Could Do That!

I love to use PhotoShop Elements to scrap and to design, and hopefully, I can surprise you with something new that you can try.

You have an element on your page, but you want it in the direct center. Do ctrl+a, ctrl+c, ctrl+v, and then throw away the layer with the element that isn’t centered.

Do you want to change the size of a layer but keep it in the same location on your page? Hold down the alt key while you pull the corner in or out.  Cool, huh?

Would you like a slightly different perspective to an element or a photo? Play with ctrl+shift, alt+ctrl+shift, alt+ctrl, or just the ctrl key by itself while you move an element (or photo) by the corner. Each of these will tilt the element in a different way, and you can get amazing looks with these controls. Just for fun, you might try making a photo box like this one I made of my 3 kitties. I added a soft shadow shape below it to make it appear to be floating in the air.

Hope you had fun!

Kathryn

Where do I start???

Hello there!!!!  This is Rebecca (aka: Twin Mom Scraps).  I don’t really have a tutorial for you today, but rather a little tip (or the way I do it).
I find myself so busy designing, that I scrap less and less it seems.  So when I finally sit down to scrap a page, I sometimes feel lost and not sure where I should even start.  I know I can’t be the only once that struggles getting a page started, so I just wanted to tell you a few little things that help get my mojo flowing

What am I going to scrap?  First, of course, I look through my photos and see what needs scrapping.  I am a person who loves 3 or more photos on my page.  So I will choose 3 or 4 photos (and probably ditching at least one…unless I really LOVE all of them).

What Kit am I going to use?  This can be a difficult task too, if you don’t have specific-themed pictures.  If I don’t have themed pictures (like Christmas, or other holiday), I might try to find a kit that will bring out the colors of my photos, or match in some way, etc.

OK…so I have my pictures and my kit…now what?
I personally like to work with the pictures first and then fill out the rest of the page (kind of like working from the inside-out, or center of the page and work outward).

So, I place my photos on the canvas…then I pick out my frames, or photo mats.  I frame out my pictures and place them on the page approximately the way I want them.  Then I add all my layers and embellishments and clusters to them.  Oddly, papers are the almost always the very last thing that I add to my pages.

I hope my personal tip might help you organize your next scrap page!  Thanks for taking a minute to read this today

Photography-The Rule of Thirds

I am often asked when others are viewing my photos, “how do you do that,” or “I wish I could take pictures like that.”  Well guess what?  You can!  All it really takes is a little bit of knowledge and thought.  Today I am going to share with you one of the most basic rules (and most well known) of photography, the “Rule of Thirds.”

Now it is totally ok if you just scrunched your forehead and thought, “what in the world is she talking about?”  No worries because I am going to break it down for you.  First the “Rule of Thirds” refers to a grid that looks like this:

Traditional 6”x4” Photo Layout

The basic rule is that the layout of the image is divided into three equal parts horizontally and vertically so that it is actually broken down into 9 parts or quadrants.  The theory is if you place your subject of your photo on one of the four intersecting points of an image it makes it more interesting.

Four Points of Intersection

Here is an example of a recent shot I took unedited.  This is Gambler Dan:

Notice that he is not completely centered?  His neck and chest are aligned with the two left intersecting points of the grid.  This also adds visual “weight” to the image and directs the viewer’s eye right to the horse’s face. This “weight” is balanced by the emptiness on the right side of the image (more on this in an upcoming post).  By having Dan aligned by those two intersecting points he is also aligned with one of the vertical lines.  Pretty cool isn’t it?

This shot would have been much more boring if I had placed him directly in the middle of my frame.  Now, can this rule be broken?  Of course!  There are plenty of times when you can break any rule of photography for a visually stunning image but that comes with time.  This rule can apply to anything from still life to your everyday family snapshots.   Therefore, I encourage you to take your camera out and practice aligning your subjects on one of the points of this grid.  Before long you will not even have to think about this and it will be a normal reflex when you pick up your camera.

And for good measure here is one more example:

Days Gone By

This is actually one of my favorite images as of right now and it has been processed in Photoshop Elements and textures from Shadowhouse Creations, My Four Hens Photography, and Kalediscope.  Once again notice that my subject is not in the center of my image but on one of the intersections of the grid.  By applying this simple rule to your photos you will see a drastic improvement to your work.  Have fun shooting and see how many different ways you can use the “rule of thirds!”

Tip:  Most cameras point & shoot and DSLRs alike have a tool within them that will allow you to visually see this grid through your viewfinder or LCD screen. Refer to your camera’s operation manual for instructions on how to turn this on.

Blending with Masks

by Maddy Fernandez

I am going to show you how to use masks and how easy it is to use them. Now there are many ways to accomplish the same tasks in Photoshop. So I will show you what I do. You may have another method, but that’s OK. Just use what you can glean.

Here is the link to the mask that I will be using: [link] So go ahead and download it and we can start. The mask is placed on a 12X12″ canvas in Photoshop. I am using CS4, btw.

Now open up a new scrapbook size file (12X12″) with a white background layer. If you scrap at a different size, e.g., 8X8″, simply resize the canvas or drag the entire mask onto a new canvas of your choice. Open up your mask and drag it onto your new file. (If you hold the shift key down while dragging it it will automatically center it. Of course it doesn’t matter with the mask file since it already is 12X12″.

Now open up a photo that you would like to use on the mask.  Make sure it is around the same size as the mask and that the faces are well within the borders of the mask. (Of course you can use a smaller photo, just resize it by dragging the transform tools in the corners). Drag the photo onto the mask layer and press Opt+Cmd+G (Alt+Ctrl+G on a PC) to clip the photo on to the mask. You can also right-click on layer in layers window > Create Clipping Mask option.

At this point, you can rotate or resize the photo and drag it so it will fit to your liking.

Important: When editing your photo, make sure you are working on the photo layer:

Now we will edit the edges of the mask to match your photo. While on the photo layer, press B to activate your brush and find a soft brush of your choice. While the brush is selected, press the Option/Alt key to pick colors from the borders of your photo. Set your brush opacity around 89-95% (experiment with it) and start brushing over the edges of the mask on the photo layer. Work slowly and make sure you undo or use your history tool to undo strokes. *Note: It am using a wacom tablet and it’s a lot easier. But you can still do this even if you don’t have a tablet.

When you are satisfied with how it looks, you can select both of the layers (photo layer and mask layer) and link them so they will stay connected. Also, try and rotate the mask and move it around to see what would look best. Try to stay away from putting any focal point dead center. When you have it how you like it, add your background paper(s) and embellishments to spruce it up.

Here is my final layout. Note: I lied. Naaahhh, I actually played around with it some more and you can see it here in my gallery.

Hope you enjoyed this. I used my Sweet & Spicy products (part of the Shall We Tangerine Tango CAKE). They are on sale for $1.50 each for a limited time! I’d like to see what you come up with using the mask. Also, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me.

~Maddy

PS Tutorial – Showing the “Bump” for the Hidden Part of a Paperclip

When using a paperclip in real life, you can see the shape of the hidden part of the clip as a bump or raised area on the top of the paper. Getting this effect with a digital paperclip element on a digital layout is very easy. The following picture shows the end result of the tutorial.