Free, Awesome, POP Photoshop Elements Filters

I use a relatively inexpensive Canon Cybershot, 5.1 megapixels set on “standard” with no flash most of the time.  It’s hard to get used to staying still enough, but once you get used to it, almost every photo captures better light than if you use a flash.

So, I’m addicted to this process.  I’m saving some of my photos that weren’t so good due to lighting, and I love that.

First, I got rid of that weird pole in the background.

Then, I usually add contrast, increase brightness.

This time, I useda “Brown Coffee Shop” brown filter that let me do these things in the process from the list of free filters I posted yesterday (here it is:Flickr: Discussing Actions to download…Free! in Adobe Photoshop.)

I then deleted the face and flowers from that effect, sharpened the flowers, and blurred the lower trees in the background.

Then, I worked on brighting the eyes.

I like both of these, and will next work on graininess I see in the arms on enlargements, and some smoothing.

It’s fun to see an “okay” precious photo go to a photo that makes me look again:

Nope, her eyes aren’t that blue.  In fact, they are more hazel, but they were disappearing in the light on this photo and I wanted a “pop”, so I went for it.  Eyes require a steady hand with the lasso tool and some experimentation with the “unsharpen” feature, which actually seems to “sharpen”…I don’t make the names, I just use the tools!

I also used “color adjustment” and moved the sliders for color, shadow, and all the other sliders until it looked cool--yeah, it’s highly technical. That’s what they pay me for…or not.

———————

I’m totally addicted to taking photos…here’s some reasons why, other than the obvious enjoyment factor:

1. It’s a cheap way for me to enter into “moments” and try to remember the precious ones.
2. Photos keep me thankful.  I look back at these moments and remember those moods I loved in my kids: cooperative, playful, excited.  I love the moments, not just the photos.
3. I have a very bad memory.  Taking photos helps me track years, months, and “where it all went”.  I snap hundreds of photos a week.  And I delete vicariously.
4. They save me money at professional photography studios.  {You can say that again!}

My Camera:  I use a relatively inexpensive Canon Cybershot, 5.1 megapixels set on “standard” with no flash most of the time.  It’s hard to get used to staying still enough, but once you get used to it, almost every photo captures better light than if you use a flash.  I LOVE that it fits right into my purse pocket, on the outside, so I can grap it quickly to capture moments.  It’s the spontaneous fun that is the best to catch, whether we are on a walk, an outting, or a spontaneous date at a restaurant.  I love those sparkly smiles that happen when life happens.  I just bet God has that kind of photoalbum of us, too.

Best PSE Actions–FREE!

PSE Actions are orders of operations that use “hidden” tools, or less easily found tools in photoshop, putting them all together and creating a sequence of operations automatically applied to a photo if you select the action.

Ever have a week that just drains you?  I’m there, friends! Still enjoying life and thankful, but just totally wiped out from a lot of transition points clashing with lots of people all around me. Still have an big unspoken I’m requesting prayer for.  I’ll update when things resolve.

Anyhoo, here’s a fun thing I worked on yesterday as my reward for all the chores.

Man!  Did anybody else’s chore list, like DOUBLE when school started?  I was thinking I’d get a break, but I’m totally worn out.  Whacking two hours off my day to drop off and pick up kids is a prayerful consideration on my part, I must say, but right now…enjoying the connection with the kids too much to change it.

Okay, so some unrelated play-time for the mom today, fooling with one photo as a reward for getting all my work done:

Photo one.  Uncorrected.

Photo two, add contrast.

Optiverve Labs filter overlay.

Selected flowers.

Erased circle of flowers to show original layer of flowers after they got too washed out with the filter.

Increased contrast and saturation to make them pop against the romance lighting of the dress.

Couple days later, looked at it.  My normal workflow didn’t work.

Didn’t like the destruction of the background, or the arm so dark.  Researched, tried again.

Back to original.  Can’t find a solution to keep destruction from happening.

Found Flickr: Discussing Actions to download…Free! in Adobe Photoshop .

Downloaded “alabaster portrait filter”for free.

I really like the romance, but don’t like the lack of contrast of the flowers it created (above).

Selected flowers, erased down to middle layer, added contrast and correction to original layer, and some to new layer to sharpen the arm a bit, though I like the lighter arm above some, too, and may go back to that, I don’t know.

Contrast added to get the arm a little more focused, dress is clear, background looked good, blurred the bottom background to eliminate the harsh yellow from sunlight on pines in the background.

Got back to the original pink color lost when contrast was added prior.

Overall, I think it’s better:

Before, and After

Conclusion: Though there are some limits to PhotoShop Elements.  It gets a lot done.  Learning to download, install, and use filters (about a 30 minute-1 hour process), can over-ride some of the destructive tendencies inherent to the programs basic tools.

Note: not all filters work in PSE.  Some note that, others don’t.  I downloaded about eight to my file in the last few days, have found about three I will kee that work well, or I’ll ask questions.  Some filters call for PS files I don’t have, and there is a crazy “play” button I still can’t find that would make some work.

Again, this Flickr group has good stuff on it to weed through where I found the best ones.  That link is:

Flickr: Discussing Actions to download…Free! in Adobe Photoshop …

I also found one I will use from deviantart.com and will look around more there, perhaps.

Leave me a comment if you find some you like, and a link to your work where you used it.

Also, I’ll update this post with some that have worked for me as I go back through them, and perhaps some that don’t, or fixes to them…apparently “fixes” are out there for some actions to make them compatible.

Installing Actions: (For PSE 5.0, load filters into C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\5.0\Photo Creations\special effects\photo effects\My Effects [this last folder is one you create for all your downloaded effects to go into...find it in the program by clicking photo effects, the three circles, then scrolling down the right hand menu until you see "my effects"]

Creating Thumbnails:  Getting these to work takes a little more expertise.  First, convert any .png files to .psd (photoshop files) by opening them in Photoshop Elements and saving them as a Photoshop file.

Then, create a thumbs.psd folder in the same folder where all the .atn files and the .psd files are (see linkage above).  Open the thumbs file.  Create layers with each of the photoshop thumbnails.  You want them to correspond to the list you get when you open your actions above.  The list will start with the bottom file layer being the first action in the set, the next layer needing to be the next action to it’s right, and so on.

Save the thumbs file when you get done.  Delete all the photoshop individual thumbnails…only save the thumbs file with them all stacked.

Finally, close all files and photoshop and reboot…it will take photoshop a while to reload all the actions and thumbnails in order…check them for accuracy and adjust as needed.

Create any thumbnails needed and insert as placeholders, or leave blank layers to see if that would work.

I hope you find this helpful!

Tips for Using Photoshop Elements

 

Before…and Afters

Worth it?  I think so!  I’ll tell you how.

DIRTY LENS:  SOLVED!

First, I’m using Photoshop Elements 5.0. 

The photo setup:  very impromtu.  My son walked up to me, leaned over, into me, and looked up at me.  I loved the moment more than the photo itself.  But, there were a few problems with it being a “keeper”.

• pink on my shirt
• sunlight only highlighted my chronically dirty lens (note chin, forehead, and my shirt)
• dark winter purple under eyes

WINTER EYES:  SOLVED!

First, I created a new layer by duplicating the photo, and used the “healing tool” and smooth around his dark eyes and to deal with camera lens spots. 

NOTE:  Duplicate each layer and you never do anything “destructive” to your original photo.

At the end:  save as a photoshop .psf file, save as a .jpg file.  finally, “Save for Web”…at a 425Xproportional size(save these in a FOR WEB) file so that you don’t get them all mixed up.  That way, your “full size” pics are this size:

GET RID OF THE DISTRACTING PINK SHIRT!   (& EXTRA LIGHTING FOR EYES)

How:  for pink shirt–I duplicated the photo into another new layer of it’s own, and used the “magic” tool to select my pink shirt.  I went to the toolbar and used Enhance|Adjust Color|Color Variations and kept adding colors until I liked it.  Red did the trick.

On this layer, I should have duplicated the layer again before each step, but didn’t. 

How:  for eyes– I selected his eyes (circle tool, hold shift key down to select second eye and work on both at the same time so that the effect are the same!), and did “Enhance|unsharp mask”.  I often use the magic tool to select only the “lit” areas of the eye, and moved the contrast slider to get a little more brightness to his eyes if that isn’t enough “life” added to them.  Eyes are…delicate and changes need to be subtle to keep from making people look like zombies…as most of us have done early on!

SUBTLE PROBLEMS…SOLVED!  (found another lens spots above the eye)

How:  for dirty lens spot.  I duplicated the layer again, and removes some purple around his eyelid.

 

EXTRA UMPH. 

How:  to use filters — (one approach of many)  I duplicated the layer and applied a downloaded free effect from OptikVerve Labs.  I’m not sure which one.  I just went through their list until I found one that I liked.

After that, his lips were too pale,  I used the magic took brush on them, and applied a bit more color, as I did before on the shirt.

This was the effect I wanted. 

If I choose to go backward a step at a time, each of these layers are saved on my .pdf file.  I can print or send any of the versions I want to use for various purposes.  If I make a mistake, I just delete that layer and go to the last good one I was working on.

I could have stopped before this stage, but this is exactly what I had in mind…a dreamy, sleepy, magical  effect . 

You want to do adjustements for lighting contrast, and photo fixes and save the filters for last, though they can make the most dramatic impact.  Also, it’s generally a good idea to do “unsharpen” as a last step.  Just on the eyes, you can do it earlier.  I usually AlWAYS apply “Enhance|Auto Smart Fix”.  If I don’t like it, or it’s too extreme (you can change the % you want it to change things…just do Control Z to “undo what you last did”.

How:  (another filter)  For my header use, the pink and red casts worked with the other other colors.  But, for printing, I may not want such an effect.  I just went back on and fooled with the photo, backing up one step (before the optiVerve filters were applied)

I removed a few freckles right new the eye, because I awnt to accentuate them without taking away from the eyes.  Just a personal artistic choice.  Them, I applied another filter, this time “Mountain” was a good choice.  But, it left a color to his skin lacking in that “cool outdoor feel” I wanted to keep.  So, I used Enhance|Adjust for Skin Tones, and used the dropper tool to get to a more pink skin tone.  This is really helpful if you have totally incompatible skin tones in photos…one can be adjusted slighty…such as in a tan bride and a rather pale groom.  

How:  — skin coloring adjustment.  A little more crisp on this approach.  Not as dreamy, but still good in it’s own right. 

On this view, I’d probably work on the whites of the eyes a bit more.  They color filter brought out some veining in the whites of the yes I don’t like.  I took the “clone” tool.  Selected a bit of the white of the eye I liked, then duplicated that through the red portions.  I didn’t want to overdo and take out some fo the needed border and shadowing needed to keep it natural.  I went “too far” a couple times, and just selected Control Z to take it back to the point where it was helpful, not destructive in change. 

What do you think?

To teach yourself, take this, print it, and try some of these tricks one step at a time.  You can’t hurt anything working in layers, and you learn each time you try.  Remeber, save as a .psf file, then individual .jpg effect you like will “flatten” the image so that you have an individual picture to share and print.  Reduce the size with “Save for Web” with a width of no larger than 435 for most blogs.

Until next time! 

Maggie

Frosty the Snowman– by the fireplace!

It’s not often a red-headed little boy cuddles in Mom’s lap to read to her!  I was lovin’ it.  

Sweet transformation little voices take when they are reading.  I’ll bet Mommy and Daddy voices do the same: probably why little ones love to be read to so much, too!

I Created My Own Handwriting FREE! to Celebrate Thanksgiving

I’ve been wanting to try this for a long time and will still play with my 30 Day Trial of FontCreator 5.6 to try to accomplish several of my own fonts I can use, including my signature.  It’s not all that difficult, but tedius and time consuming. 

I found the tutorial wich came with the program to be quite inadequate to learn to function in the program.  But, after doing the full alphabet, I found an online tut to help with the symbols and number imports.  Up until then, I was having to save each character to an individual file, then import it in.  UGH.  Turns out, you can copy and paste, you just have to be on the correct screen to do so.  Glory!

My Tutorial and Tips:  

I used a combination of a flatbed scanner set to high resolution, a felt tip Micron 02 Black Pen, a writing guide found on-line (just to keep letters to scale and separate from each other).  I would like to try writing again on a pad rather than on the table to smooth out some marks, as recommended, but I forgot.  I sort of like the pen look.  I’d also like to use a light box and a slant guide.  I’m not that picky, but it just saves some time later trying to get letters to match up correctly.  Writing individually, it’s hard to remember if you are writing up-right, as in print, as opposed to the slant of cursive. 

Most cursive hands on-line slant to the left, rather than correctly, to the right, and that bugs me, so I don’t use most of them.  They need A BEKA curriculm, obviously. 

I learned a few tips I’ll share for those interested in trying this for fun sometime when you have 7-8 hours to kill.  {Llike I do, but I really wanted to try it.  I’ll begin my cooking this afternoon, and fortunately, am not expecting company…nobody needs clean laundry for school!  YEAH!  It was worth celebrating.  Did I mention I have a passion for letters?  Yes, I know, it’s a little lame.  I just love lettering, always have.  Doodling in front of the TV for hours was my past-time as a kid, when I wasn’t learning to cross-stitch.  I was totally born in the wrong century.

In any case, tips.  For the most part, don’t “enter” into your o, n, m, y, i…just start as if writing in “print”.  Then, remember to keep a slant line for italic lettering, and end with a swish, but not overly.  The letters must connect sometimes.  It’s unfortunate that you can’t program an ending letter separate from a connecting letter.  (Somebody take that and run with it…computers are smart enough to figure that out if told, surely.)

I did most the letters by hand, but a few of the unexpected symbols and fractions weren’t on my template.  Rather than re-scanning, I just wrote them by computer mouse and copied them in in the same way as I did the scanned items.

 In PhotoShop, you’ll just select the letter with your box selection tool, then click from the edit menu, “copy”, then open the letter you are working on in FontCreator, and hit “paste”.  Then, you want to drag the letter to the appropriate guides for the letter, and move the guides to fit the size of the letter.  Just drag the dotted vertical lines to do so.  You will have to adjust these guides later for good connections, but try to get close on the first pass. 

Click from the keyboard F5 to see your progress and learn as you go.  You can type there phrases and it will help you see what you need to do to correct.  You can also get there from the menu under Font|Test.

Also, if you don’t like the way a letter has progressed and want a fresh slate, it can be hard to clean everything off by selection at times.  So, go to the letter screen you are working on, then menu|edit|”Make Empty”…then past in a fresh letter and start over.

“Make Empty”…I laugh every time I see that come up (not a level 10 laugh, but a level 2, “inside laugh”.)

So, you then save it occassionally to avoid crashes and that sort of thing.  You install to Windows|Fonts on a PC.  Then, if you don’t like it, want to make changes, and must reinstall, you first really need to close any programs where you’ve tried to use it.  I needed to uninstall and reinstall several times, and eventually had to reboot the computer to convince it that I wasn’t currently using the font.  So, once you uninstall from “Fonts” folder, you can reinstall by selecting from the File menu in FontCreator:  File|Save As, then I just drag that .ttf folder you see there with the name you named it down to my toolbar where my Fonts folder is open.  You have to wait for the Fonts folder to open or it won’t install your font there for you. 

You should have no problems.  It was automatically available to my PhotoShop Elements program without a computer reboot.

Good luck! 

Why You Need to Correct Digital Photos (and Photoshop Elements Tips)

I thought I’d throw up one quick post before I start tackling the pre-holiday house chores (ugh!  I don’t care for that part).  I am planning to scrapbook, as I did last year, through the in-betweens of cold weather and the “to-do” season.  It somehow helps me slow down and enjoy things, remembering family, and what it’s all about. 

Here is the reason I love Photoshop Elements, even if you never use it to create layered files.  By email, you can get PSE 5.0 for $35.00 or so, and I think it’s well worth that to not print bad pictures.   

The difference in these shots?  I clicked “Enhance|Lighting|Render|Levels”…then I slid the dark pointer a little to the right, the middle pointer (for midline contrast, I’m guessing) until I liked it.  I also applied “AutoFix” which I do on a lot of my photos to correct contrast and lighting.  It’s SO easy. 

If I really wanted to overkill, I’d also move the contrast slide slightly sharper, and ALSO end by applying the “Unsharpen” mask button, which I heard you are supposed to do last.  ”Unsharpen”, what does that mean?  Well, it’s really just a way of saying sharpen the unshapened part of the photo to make it all sharper.  Or something.  I just made that up, as I heard someone else do recently somewhere, and I laughed because I’m not sure why you’d say “unsharpen” to sharpen something either.  Sounds like language my kids use when “hot” means “cool” and “bad” means “good”.  

So, there’s your lesson as to why digital snap and shoot photographers need to use digital correction…the same effects can most often be accomplished with any photo-editing software, so USE IT!  Take the time!  You’ll be much more impressed with your photography, and so will everyone else.  People ask me all the time what kind of camera I use, and I just laught because it’s not that technical…it doesn’t have to be.  I’m not a purist with a manual focus.  I just keep the cam in my purse for the times when I want to drink deep and remember something I’d otherwise forget.   

This morning, I went grocery shopping for the Thanksgiving meal today, making four laps around the store to try to remember everything I needed, but it was enjoyable because we chose to actually get  rested Sunday.  I’d been sick too much last week.  It’s amazing how a day of rest and recovery makes you able to slow down on Monday.  I thought I wasn’t going to get “unslow”, which means…out of my snow suit from walking Daisy (meaning, she walks, I don’t), and into the shower.

But, I’m glad I got going, for I went shopping in those golden hours between 8-9 AM when the staff is still friendly, lines are short, the store is pretty empty, and there are even a few Moms with cute preschool babies to smile at you if you are lucky. Ah.

I called my Mom a few times there for recipes and ingredients…who needs a grocery list? 

I came home a little overwhelmed with the items to be put away, took a call, checked email, put stuff away, got a pretty severe naseated headache immediately (what is it with everyone and those lately) when I smelled my less than fresh outdoor fridge, reminding me of other unpleasant chores I have to do this week, and my need for my meds.  And all that called for a nap to top off my almost daily (this season) cocktail of Claritin, Sudafed, Tylenol, and if I really need to feel good, Naproxen also.  I almost got rid of the headache and dreamed some really stupid-weird dreams which forced me back up.

All that to say:  I know it’s a blessing to have a nap.  I don’t know how you ladies work feeling like crud. As bad as the tedioum and monotony and is working at home, and as little as I get done some days, I think I still prefer it to working when we all feel totally rotten, and I’m praying for those of you today who have to “push through” in that area.  I’m not sure I could keep going. 

Blessings and grace to you!  Work on those pics, and let me know how they turn out!

Maggie

Flowers from God: Volume 2, Autumn Video 2007

Well, here it is.  I had to upload it to youtube in a smaller file to fit all the pics in, but it’s still decent.

Nobody expected this after the drought!  Creater God, Lord of all Creation, “woo-ing” us all over again.

This was the song on the radio while I was driving around looking at nature the other day.  Loved snapping photos as it played.

Photos/Video: Maggie

Music:  Phillips, Craig, and Dean “Open the Eyes of My Heart”,  Album:  “Let My Words Be Few”

Photoshop Elements: “Thankful”

This is the John Deere Cake my 12 1/2 year old neice made for our November birthdays!  Wow!  Homeschooling at work, there.   She transported it all the way from Louisville.  What a pro.  She’s made a couple wedding cakes and a picture I saw of one she did for a shower blew me away.  I wish I had a picture of it to show you.

That big ‘ole John Deere was mighty tasty!  That is a girl who knows her audience.  Her aunts and uncles and cousins went nuts.  You can tell we are in farming country!  I think there was only one wheel left!  And, I’m glad she left the box for it…I needed it to put all my cupcakes in today!  She said, “Wow!  This is like the perfect kitchen {lovingly rubbing the big, wide bar ivory laminate counter-top}!  I just LOVE it!  I would have all kinds of room to decorate my cakes here!”  My 30 year old kitchen.  You know what, girlfriend?  I just love it, too!  I love every cut in the dull linoleum floors (don’t have to worry about them), and I love the bar, and I love that all the homemade things people have made for us through the year look right at home here.  I wouldn’t change much about it.  Which is why we haven’t!  We would like knew floors soon, but I so love the big square pattern on it now.  The former owners picked things that last a while in terms of fashion, and I love that.

Back to the point…

I should take a moment to mention that I am my neice’s namesake…she probably takes all the creativity genes after me (we’re only related by marriage, but what does that matter at a time like this?)  Just kidding…her mother is so creative it boggles the mind.  She got me into scrapbooking, somehow, though I vowed I’d NEVER do it when I first met her.  That was before kids, and before I realized I have a need in my life for paper, and history, and journaling things.

Note the look on Uncle’s face taking in the innards of my computer.  I said, “Hey!  I only dust about three times a year…”and I was going to say, …”and the inside of the computer didn’t make the list” when he laughed and said, “Well, I can sure tell!”

Who knew the guests would check for dust INSIDE something screwed together?  You just can’t win for losing!  I’ll bet Martha Stewart doesn’t even dust in there!

Photoshop…How to Grow Stuff “out of the box”

This is a very cool Photoshop tutorial on how to make images grow out of the “frame” of the photo border ONTO the background.   Very cool effect for you photoshop people, irregardless of whether you do the scrapbook thing or not!  (If you are familiar with photoshop, you can learn it in 5 minutes flat!)  I’m still dreaming up my next project where I can use it.  I’ll post a link when I do. 

You’ll find that handy and clear tutorial here  (Click the colored text for linkage).  Check it out!

(Thanks to Jessica Gordon , site owner of scrapbook ideas for sending the image to use here.)

Beth Moore’s Columbia Commission (An Artistic Interpretation)

(Click Each Post Title to View Artwork)

Below is a piece of worship art I created which was featured on Living Proof Ministries Blog delivered by Beth Moore in her Commission at the end of the Columbia LPM Conference.   I appreciated the opportunity to get my hands on the words for a while, as they pulled me out of a tough day.  I appreciate permission to post it as a remembrance of the life changing words, and the opportunity to have it featured on Beth and Amanda’s Blog…they made my week.

“Divine special effects”…those three words have changed my whole life and view of grace and mercy!

.

This work was created with Free Internet Tools:  fonts Japanese Fol Brushes/ Lam Sets.

Thanks for all the great feedback, comments, and emails.   All Beth’s students are so much fun!

Due to copyrights, “Beth Moore’s Columbia Commission:  An Artistic Interpretation” is not available for print.

If you post to blogs, please link back to this post so that credits to stay attached using this link:  (Beth Moore’s Columbia Commissioning:  An Artistic Interpretation) or the following HTML code in a widget box if you prefer it in sidebar size:

<a href=”http://5purposedriven.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/beth-moores-columbia-commissioning-an-artistic-interpretation/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa146/Magnanimity/ColumbiaCommissionProof.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Beth Moore’s Columbia Commission:  An Aristic Interpretation”></a>

Blessings to you and yours!

Thanks for dropping by!

~Maggie

The Altar

 Brushes: beautiful cloud 7491, JS Sculley & Japenese [sic] Foliage

   Layout:  SkEtCh IT Lines to Design

The Gate

In honor of  Called to Fish‘s Proverbs study.  Today, she wrote on God’s thoughts of thoughtless versus purposeful living–  Proverbs 5.  

 

My Creative Copywrite (Photography & Layout)

 

Winter–Stay a While Longer!

Red’s fever rose to 103.6 today.  Finally got it down.  Whew.  I saved a Motrin dose for bedtime, so surely that will get us a peaceful night. 

On the upside…I made my first paper tonight!  Poor seque, I realize.   

Fun to start from scratch and build.  Now, I’m seeing the Photoshop advantage.  Wow.

(I played after I got tired of watching the conjoined twins on The Learning Channel with my two boys, both feverish…can you imagine learning to drive with two heads?!)  Started checking out the “PS brushes” did that came in my free digital download kits.   Oh yeah, I’m likin’ the brushes! 

As I saw this paper taking shape, I remembered this pic I took last winter.  The barn stands across the road from our house. 

Here was my train of thought:  MY FIRST EASTER JONQUIL BLOOMED TODAY AND STILL NO SNOW!!!!!!  Yup.  A jonquil.  Go figure!  It’s not been THAT warm!  Right outside my garage.  It mocks me every time I pull in…No Snow, No snow, ha, ha, ha, ha!  In a little sing song tune.  Not that I’m bitter, nope, not bitter.

This layout took about an hour, almost as fun as sledding (though I’m still holding out!–   They say maybe Sunday!  We’ll all be over colds by then, I’m sure.) 

(Credit to this freebie-producing folk– 

Free Snow and Sparkle and Grunge Brushes : 

www.photoshopbrushes.com/www.sheishido.biz )

Check ‘em out.

PSE Christmas Layout Ideas

I used a background from the disk/book combo Digital Designs for Scrapbooking by Renee Pearson–an EXCELLENT book for beginners to learn to use layers.

I didn’t want to “box in” the pics with a traditional square frame, so I used the blur frame tool.  I added a “soft-edge frame” to the pics after cropping them to allow the background to bleed through.

I added Text using a “Text effect” to make the text pop off the page more.  

The next picture is a “matching pair”  (I now do all my layouts in two page pairs…I like the visual symmetry).  This is a matching background, but I flipped the page and inverted it to add visual interest as I didn’t want it to look like the same page.

To accomplish this, I first the backgroun paper with a full sized pic of a portion of my finished tree.  Next, I superimposed  pictures of the kids in with blurred frames again.  I decreased the opacity of the tree layerwith the slider to allow some of the original paper background to show through.

I pasted the text box back over the top of the tree by cut and paste ( I think) to keep the text on top.

The “soft” frame got rid of harsh edged pics on a pretty background like this one.  This is my favorite digi-effect for holiday pictures.  Enjoy!  Let me know if you try it!  Send me your link in the comment box!  I’d love to see it!

Other PSE Articles You Might Like: here and here

Also, my new scrapbooking blog dedicated solely to all things scrapbooking Record Keeper.  Right now, Christmas cards!