Another Clustering Tip and a Sneak Peek

Sue asked if I could explain more about what I meant by triangle placement, so here is a pretty good example. When you start to build your cluster, keep a general triangle shape in mind, or while you're practicing, you could even place a shape in your document and delete it later. Looking at this cluster, you will notice I started out with (3) ferns for the 'bones'. I then added the ribbon bow and (5) assorted flowers. A scattering of the purple flowers added between the ferns and the main flower elements adds the finishing touch. I hope this helps, I'm not very good at writing tuts, so if ya'll have any more questions just give me a holler!

This little cluster was created using items from Kimbob's Spring CU collab Bag with Bunny. You can get it here DSV or here DSO At only $6.00 for $43.00 worth of stuff, it's one danged good deal!

MWAH!!! Vicki

A Little Tut on Makin' Paper & Folded Edges

I received a very sweet request from Elsie to please share how I make my old looking papers and the folded & torn edges. For papers I almost exclusively use overlays from Kim Broedelet. The choices she has are amazing! I am really partial to the crinkles, woodsy, grungy and paint stroked overlays. I also use her "Age It Quick" to make the random holes in papers. She has a new folded and torn template that I used on the "Raining Cats & Dogs" page. Check out her store here: Kim's Store. It's super easy, create a new 12" x 12" document @ 300 dpi, fill it with the color of your choice, open the overlay and drag it on top of the color layer. Then scroll through the blend modes to get different looks. Layer up several overlays and blending modes to get all sorts of looks. Merge visible and save as a jpeg.
As to the folded and torn edges, I use actions from Atomic Cupcake for general paper tears and crumples, get them here: http://www.atomiccupcake.com/ Lately I have become infatuated with folded edges. The ones that I have been using and am most impressed with are the creation of Gunhilde Storeide http://www.storeide.se/gunhild/velkommen.htm She offers them as a gift to you, be sure to say thanks and tell her I sent you! Once you have made your fab new paper, create a duplicate layer and just copy and paste your choice of edge onto it, position as you like. Be sure the edge is the top layer. I usually stretch it just a tiny bit to make sure it goes all the way over the paper. With your edge layer active, click on the paper area with the magic wand. Make the paper layer active and hit delete. Activate the edge layer, apply your drop shadow, and choose a blend mode. I like overlay, luminousity, soft light and sometimes multiply. Then crop down if desired and save as a png file. If anyone has problems or has more questions, feel free to shoot me a bubble mail @ txbubbles@gmail.com .

A New Trick!

I learned this WOW technique from Jessica Sprague's PhotoShop Friday's. It really makes the colors pop! You can find the whole article here: http://spraguelab.squarespace.com/ It's the post called Photo Shazam! Here is the easy peasy version. Open your photo. Make a duplicate layer. Close original. Make two more duplicate layers. Name the top layer "screen", the middle layer "overlay". Now for the fun part! Make the middle layer (overlay) active, and change the blend mode to...you guessed it, overlay. Then make the screen layer active and change the blend mode to "screen". Play around with the opacity of both layers till you are pleased with the look. Try screen @ 44% and overlay @ 65%. Sometimes I like overlay @ 100%, and use the screen layer to tone it down just a bit. When I get it lookin' good I merge the layers and save as "original name-edit". I always keep my original version untouched. Try this, it's really cool!

To Sue: I checked the new link for Built Tough 2 (Tuckered Out) and I was able to download, try again, and if you still have trouble email me, we will figure something out.
To Sarah: Please email me with your secret blogger trick!
My email addy is in my profile, but just to make it easy for ya'll, it is txbubbles@gmail.com
I have several projects in the works, including the July Color kit, so stay tuned!

Mr. Mojo is on vacation and Drop Shadow tips

I was playing with Janni's new kit "Mother's Keepsakes" last night. Mr. Mojo must be on vacation, because he sure wasn't at my house! LOL!!! While working with this great lace doily it did occur to me that since there have been several questions about drop shadows, this would be perfect for a short lesson on using shadows with this type of item. The first example is with no shadow. It looks flat. The next pic is with the default (21/21) low drop shadow applied. See how it appears to float? Third is with the drop shadow changed to 10/10. Looks much better, doesn't it? But we are going to make it look real! Once you have your item in place, go ahead and apply a low drop shadow. With the layer active, click on the little sun. Change the size and distance, I usually start with 10/10 and adjust if necessary. Now see the little black box? Click on it to bring up the color box. You want to choose a shade deeper than your background paper. Play with clicking on different areas till you find the perfect look! I chose a deep rose color.
Flat, flat, flat.

It floats!

Better, but we're gonna make it look real!

Now we are looking good!Hope you can use these little tips. Maybe that sorry so & so Mr. M will show up this weekend and I can have some goodies for you Monday! Have a great weekend!
BTW, for those that requested a feed, you may now sign up for feedblitz down on the left.

8.5 x 11 work around

Today is a special post for the sweet ladies who scrap 8.5 x 11 and have been disappointed that they could not use my designs. Rena sent me the solution that she uses for resizing. I think it's brilliant! I played around with it last night to see how it worked and it's really easy. I've never written a tut before, but here goes!

I did these in landscape style, and we are going to assume you have the corresponding kit.

Open a new blank file H 8.5 W 11

Open the 12 x 12 QP and resize to 8.5 x 8.5

Open the matching background paper

Open a coordinating ribbon

Drag them into the blank file in this order, background paper, QP, ribbon

Position the ribbon to cover where the QP and paper overlap

Pop your pics in under the QP

Use the space for a title, or add some embellies from the kit.

I have done these two for you, let me know what you think! Password is: mysize

Here 'ya go: Blooming Colors QP8.5.zipButterflies Are Free QP8.5.zip Remember your manners!

Tomorrow we will return to our regular broadcast.

BTW, I think Rena is holding out on us, she knows more than she's letting on! Many thanks to you, girlfriend!!!

Texas Accent?

I had a sure enough real Depends moment when I read this!!!
Posted by MeMeJan
Apr 25, 2008 9:45:03 PM
Thank you for sharing. My daughter just recently moved to Texas and my 6-yr old granddaughter is already starting to talk like, like, well....like YOU! Hope she learns to cook Southern like you, too.
Lordy mercy...I was not aware that my accent was so heavy it even comes across when I type! Thank you so much MeMeJan for making my day! (Now I'm gonna go change!) As far as the cooking goes, I learned a lot from my Memaw and my Mom! You just absorb it! LOL!!!

These pages were made using the new kit from Kim Broedelet, "Ordinary Day". http://digital-scrapbooking.org/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78&products_id=1510 At $2.50 this is a steal! Get it quick! In the first LO, I used Kim's "Age It Quick" to make the torn holes in the paper. This is SO terrific! I LOVE how you can make the other paper peek through! Lilly thoroughly enjoyed gnawing on some tasty ribs, and even offered to share!
Wyatt will come anytime Lilly calls. I love the aspect of the second photo! Sometimes I get really lucky! Thought I would pass along a little tip. It may be painfully obvious, but I just discovered it a couple of months ago (after almost 2 years of digi), so here goes. While designing a page, trying to see which elements would work (or not) I would drag them into the LO, then if I didn't like the way it looked, I would delete. You know that little eyeball looking thing in your layers palette? Just click on it and you can make it disappear! When you decide you like the looks of your LO, THEN delete the layers you don't want!

Foofaraw

Hey, better late than never! Yesterday almost did me in, I didn't get to bed till midnight. Everybody say it with me "Damn you, IRS"! ROTFLPIMP!!!! I feel better now! In case you didn't notice, I'm sneakily edging back into girly mode!!! LOL!!! No pink, but swirly and hearts! This was made from an older kit from Anita (Nana's Attic) called "Foofaraw". Don't ask me, I think it means extra stuff, but I could be wrong. I do like the way it sounds, though! Foofaraw!!! LOL!!! I took the flat doodle, added a simple emboss style, and voila!!! it looks like wire! For the journaling spot, I just used one of the papers in the kit, cut it with the cookie cutter, embossed and saved as a png. This is another one of those things I do all the time when I'm trying to match things up and there is nothing in the kit that will work the way I want. Password is: foofoo
The photo is of Matt (The Brat) and Shawna (My Girl) Easter Sunday in their brand new backyard. And notice...no torn paper, I'm trying to keep myself from getting into a rut! It's HARD to not keep doing the same old things over and over. Hey...that's your tip for the day! Every once in awhile, get out of your comfort zone and shake things up a bit!
Here it be: Link Expired Remember your manners!
Now go have fun, and scrap something!

How to make a QP

Quick post to answer a couple of questions. I will post your QP later this afternoon. To the anonymous people that want the password, first, I can't email you if you don't leave a name or address. Second, the password is in the post.
Kicksmom wants to know how to turn a LO into a QP. It is shamefully easy!!! As I said before, I always save a copy of my LO in full layers, either as a tiff or PSD file. Then I save it as a jpeg @ 300 dpi in a folder called high res. Once you have done these two saves, open up the full layer file. Delete the layers with your photo(s) and journaling text. Now make the layer with your frame active. Take the magic wand and click inside the frame. You should now have the marching ants inside the frame. Go to your layer palette and make the paper layer active, then hit delete. If you have several papers (or elements) stacked up you will need to keep choosing each layer and hitting delete. Once everything is cleared out of the frame and all you can see is the gray check background, save as a png file. That's it! Now your LO is a QP! There are quite a few more tedious things to do if you are going to publish it, I can go into that later if you want. I actually end up saving six versions! Full layer files are BIG. An external HD is a must have! I have a 250 gig and a 500 gig that I use.

Two-Fer-Tuesday

That's right, TWO pages for you today! First up is "Shy Wy". This page was made from the "Built Tough" kit by Anita (Nana's Attic). I made the frame from some leather strips in the kit. I kept this one simple, because I wanted this photo to really take center stage. Since Wyatt was a baby, he has always hammed & cheesed anytime there was a camera around. This is the only photo I have of him acting shy. And yes, it is an act! Password is: shy guy

Here it is: Link Expired Remember your manners!

Next up for your scrapping pleasure will be "Grins & Giggles" created from the kit of the same name by Anita (Nana's Attic). Wyatt was so proud of this big frog he captured. Chloe stood back, but did lend her support! I love how the orange in the paper coordinates with the Cheeto stains on his face! LOL!!! The painted doodle is another example of what adding a simple emboss style does to an element. Password will be: froggy

Get it here: Grins & Giggles QP.zipRemember your manners!

I have had requests for more tips. I'm really racking my poor pained brain here. (Dang this sinus infection! I haven't dork danced in DAYS!) After a while it all kind of becomes second nature and I really don't think about it, I just DO it! You will get to this place too, just keep creating! There is no right or wrong, as long as it pleases you and you are preserving your memories. That said, a couple of things do come to mind. I always save a page as full layers, either as a tiff or a PSD. This way you can go back and change things easily. (Or make a QP from one of your LO"s!!!) Every QP I offer to you is from a LO I have done for one of my books. I can't just create a page. I have to have the photo(s). Repeat after me, "It's all about the pictures". ROTFLPIMP!!! Another thing that I have noticed while cruising the galleries is that so many people get so caught up in the page that not only do they kinda' add the photo as an afterthought, they neglect to add any journaling whatsoever! As I look at one of their pages, I am wondering, who are these people? What was happening? When did it happen? So, my tip for you is, look at your page as if someone else is looking through your scrapbook and you are standing beside them. Are you having to provide a running commentary? Then girlfriend...you need to add some journaling! You don't have to write a novel, just add the facts, at the very least names and a date. Sometimes that is all it takes!

More Tips

Anyone can design knock-out pages! Just keep a few things in mind. The opinions expressed here are mine and mine only. This is how I create. Hey, it works for me! LOL!!! I always start with the photo's I want to scrap. Design your page around them. I can't stress this enough. It's ALL about the pictures, not the papers or elements. Everything on the page should complement the photos. This is the MOST important tip I can give you. Find a couple of designers that you like. I have been a fan of Nana's Attic since day one. Her creations suit my style, that makes it easy to design a page. A couple of my other go-to's are Jannidee,Kim Broedelet, PinkuPixie and Mabelle. Use basic rules of design. If you go back and look at my pages, you will notice I usually use a triangle. Sometimes it may be a kind of woppy triangle, but it is usually there. If you like torn paper, invest in some actions. I LOVE torn paper, (as if you couldn't tell!) and I used to spend untold amounts of time going through all the steps to create it in Photoshop. Atomic Cupcake to the rescue! Tilt stuff, especially photos! Nothing in life is perfect, although I will admit that I am so OCD that I will use the grid to make sure that my stuff is tilted in proportion! Use BIG photos! As I said before, it is supposed to be about the pictures, not the papers or elements. I just have to sigh when I see a beautiful page and this little bitty picture down in the corner. Scrap whatever floats your boat at the moment. Do not get caught up in the chronological time warp. I am still scrapping pages of my boys when they were little (and they are 29 and counting!). Okey dokey, that's all for today! A big ole Texas sized hug to all you wonderful ladies! I would do a dork dance, but it hurts my head! ROTFLPIMP!!!