Recoloring Items

As I was creating this layout, I found myself recoloring things here and there so they would match just perfectly. In fact, I do this all the time! So I thought I would use this as an example of just how easy it is to do this, and how versatile it makes any digital paper or embellishment.

First I chose this alpha (from the "Enjoy the Journey" kit at scrapmatters.com). Once I got it opened I realized it was a bit too orange-y:

(before)

So, working on my my alphabet layer, I from the drop down menus at the top of my screen, I just selected Enhance>Adjust Color>Adjust Hue/Saturation. In the new window there are three things you can adjust, Hue, Saturation, and Lightness. For this one I just bumped Hue slider a bit to the left until I got the results I wanted, then hit OK to make the change permanent. Easy!

(after)

Next I adjusted the color of this bird - just slightly - because I thought it looked a little too pink.

(before)

This one was a bit trickier because I ONLY wanted the pink parts of the bird to change. To select just those parts I use my Magic Wand Tool. This should be in your tool box (on the left of your workspace) in Photoshop Elements and it looks, well, like a magic wand! ;) Your little arrow will turn into a magic wand icon and you can click on any area and it will automatically select the whole area that is like the little spot you clicked on. So, for example, with this bird I clicked on the wing and it only selected the wing that was lighter pink. The tiny part on the edge of the wing wasn't included in my first selection, but when I clicked on that part, it added to the selection. So I just kept clicking on all the areas I wanted recolored until it was all selected. (You can tell what is selected because it's outlined with "marching ants".) Then I go Enhance>Adjust Color>Adjust Hue/Saturation. For this one I just bumbed my hue up a little bit!

(after)

This next one I did with some help from the Magic Wand tool as well. I decided I wanted the blue button to be red. (This little element is from the "April Morning" freebie at Peppermint Creative).

(before)

So I just clicked all over my button with my Magic Wand until it was all selected. Then, as before, Enhance>Adjust>Adjust Hue/Saturation. This time, since the color change was more drastice, I played with all three options. I moved the Hue quite a bit, bumped up the Saturation, and slid the Lightness slider down just a bit. Sometimes it takes a while, but just experiment with the sliders and you can usually get the color you are looking for! Once you do, just click OK. :)


Just another trick that makes digital scrapbook so VERSATILE! Seriously, you could make almost any element from any kit fit into your color scheme. Or, you could be picky like me and just adjust things a teeny tiny bit so they match just perfectly~ ! Let me know if you have any questions!

xoxo,

Two Page "How To"

I love a two page layout when I'm scrapbooking a lot of photos. I usually do these for big event pages, like holiday gatherings or birthdays. To make this in photoshop, I start by opening a new canvas that is 24x12 inches. Then I put it all together, always making sure that I don't put someone's face or important journaling right in the center, where the page will be cut.



Before printing, I actually crop and save it into two separate pages. I select my crop tool and set it to 12x12 inches, the size of one page. I click and drag from the top left corner, and hit enter to crop. Then I save it, usually giving it a name and then the number 1 (in this case my file name was celebrate_independence1). After the left side has been saved with the new name, I then go Edit>Undo (or hit Ctrl+z... love those keyboard shortcuts) so that my whole layout is showing again. I repeat the cropping process but this time click and drag from the top right corner, so that I can save the right half of my page. I name this one the layout title with the number 2 and save it. This way, I can have them printed separately and I don't have to worry about doing a huge print or trying to cut it myself. Here's a look at the cropped versions:




{background paper from "Color My World" freebie by Krystal Hartley; cloud/bird labels from "Tweet Tweet" freebie by RetroDiva Designs; "celebrate" wordart from MSA Birthday collab kit by Dianne Rigdon; cardboard arrow&button from "April Morning" freebie by Miss Mint; red alpha from "Enjoy the Journey" by Dirty Feet Designs; glitter stars from "America Kit" by Redju Designs; blue journaling block from MSA Birthday collab kit by Emily Merritt; "Father Nelson" and "Pea Righton" fonts}

I also recolored some of the elements on this page, so look for a post coming soon about that!

xoxo,

A Little Love

I *love* Valentine's Day. I'm normally not a huge fan of pinks and reds but when I see all the Valentine decor in the stores I go nuts - seriously, it's one of my favorite holidays! I decided to test out the new printer by creating some hearts using digital scrapbook paper, printing, cutting, and turning it into some love for my windows. Here's what I did:

I started with this heart (found on the Back to School CD collection from Digital Scrapbook Memories):



Then I selected various digital scrapbook papers from my stash - I used my ACDSee Photo Manager program, which is what I use to organize all of my stuff, and searched for "pink", "red", and "purple" to find papers that would work for this. (It has taken me hours to go through everything and tag it, but it's so worth it! It makes it so easy to find just what you are looking for.)

In photoshop, I opened a blank document. Since I have lots of white 8x8 inch cardstock, I set my document to 8x8 inches. I resized my hearts so I could fit four smaller ones on a page, and two large ones one a page. Then I started adding the papers using clipping masks. (For more info on clipping masks, see my tutorial here. It's so easy and I use this trick all the time!)

Then I just printed and cut:



To assemble, all I used was scissors, string, and some glue. Easy as pie!



Also, since this heart isn't exactly symmetrical, I knew that they wouldn't match up when placed back to back. So I printed half one way, then I flipped the heart (in photoshop: Image>Rotate>Flip Layer Horizontal) and printed the other half the other way. You can kind of see the difference here:



Then just glue them together on the string:





And hang!





So although my light magenta ink cartridge is almost empty, I have these pretty little mobiles hanging from all my windows! :) Happy Valentine's Day!

xoxo,

Favorite Technique: Clipping Masks

One of my favorite things about scrapbooking with Photoshop is clipping masks. They are super easy and there are so many possibilities. (If you've ever used a layered template, you know what I'm talking about.) I'll explain what it is first, then give some cool examples of how to use it.

As long as you understand your layers, you can do this. Basically all it means is that you can make one layer (usually a paper) take on the form of another layer (usually a specific shape). Clear as mud? Let's say I have this:

A simple orange star, with a stamped effect:

{orange star from Gina Cabrera's "Lucky Star" kit}

But for whatever reason you like this pattern paper:

{paper from Aja Abney's "My Wish For You" kit}

You can "clip" them together to create this:

To do this, put your star (or whatever it might be) and your paper onto your canvas. You must make sure that the star (or layer you want your paper to be "clipped" to) is just below the paper. Then click on your paper layer (above the star). Simply press Ctrl+G and voila!
Alternatively, you could also go to the top of your screen and click Layer>Group With Previous to achieve the same results.

Here's a layout I recently did where I used this technique in a couple of different ways.



It's a two page layout, you can see them a little better separated:





So, clipping masks. First of all, I used this little circle frame:


{frame from Thanty Borges' "Antique Frames vol. 3" at ScrapKuts}

As you can tell, I duplicated it several times and arranged them around my page, then selected various solid colored papers and clipped them to the frames. I also used clipping masks to create the title for my page. I started with this clear alpha with white painted edges:


{acrylic painted alpha by Kristen Aagard}

Again, I just took a few of the same solid colored papers and clipped them to my different letters. Since this was a clear element, it only took on the parts that were white, which I think is a pretty fun look.

Anyway, these are just a few examples of some fun ways to use clipping masks. Like I said, it is super easy and you can some very fun effects with it! If you try it I'd love to see the results!

{background paper by Michelle Coleman from "Vintage Dreams Retro" kit, journaling tag by Jackie Eckles, circle frames by Thanty Borges, alpha by Kristen Aagard, clipped papers by Amy Teets (red), Kim Crothers (yellow), Melany Violette (green), Michelle Coleman (blue), Miss Mint (orange), flowers and brads from GG Digital Designs, "Pea Luv Holly Wood" and "Century Gothic" fonts}

Creating Realistic Layouts Using Drop Shadows

***The following is my number one tip to anyone learning about digital scrapbooking.***

Take a look at these two layouts:





At first glance they may look the same, but if you look closely can you tell which one looks more realistic? You might notice that the second one has more depth and looks more like a paper scrapbook page would. This is because I applied drop shadows to the photos and most of the embellishments.

In Photoshop Elements you can apply a drop shadow to any layer.

1. Drop shadows are found just above your layers palette, in the section titled "Artwork and Effects". (This is what it is called in PSE 5.0, in other versions it may be called something different but it will be in the same place.) You will notice two drop down menus.
- For the one on the left, select "Layer Styles".
- For the one on the right, select "Drop Shadows".
You should then see six (or so) different boxes that give examples of drop shadows.

2. To apply a drop shadow to one of your layers, whether it be text, paper, or embellishment, make sure the layer you want is selected in your layers palette.

3. Now go up to your drop shadows. The only one I ever use is "LOW". You can a) click once and then go down a bit and click "apply", or b) double click on the drop shadow box. Your layer will have gone from this:
(no shadow, no depth)


to this:



But as you can probably tell, this doesn't exactly look realistic either. It makes it look like the star is sort of "floating" above the paper, rather than attached to it. So let's keep playing with it.

4. You will notice in your layers palette that the layer you applied the shadow to now has a small icon on the right side. (In PSE 5.0 it looks like a little white sunburst.) Double click on the little icon.

5. A new window will open that gives you all kinds of options for customizing your shadow. The main thing I focus on is "Distance". You will see it has a slider and a box with a number. The default is 21. I usually change this number to 0. Here's the result:



Now there is a hint of shadow but it looks like the star is now actually glued or attached to the paper. You don't have to set your distance to 0, but it is the number I use 95% of the time. If I ever choose another number, it is usually below 6. But play around with the slider or different numbers to get the effect you like.

Also, there are a few other options you can play with other than distance. You will notice there are sliders for size & opacity as well. I generally don't mess with these, but sometimes I reduce the opacity. Again, just play around until you get what you like. There is also the lighting angle at the top of the window. Sometimes I change this, but as you reduce your distance it doesn't really matter what you lighting angle is, the shadow will look pretty much the same.

Like I said, this is my number one tip for digital scrapbooking. So many digital layouts look so flat, but adding drop shadows gives it that realistic look with depth that you get with traditional scrapbooking.

{Easter layout credits: bird paper, green paper, flowers and bracket frame by Bren Boone, brads from Amy Teets' "Sunporch" kit, kraft paper (cut into strips), alpha, yellow tape & staples by Shabby Princess, chick doodle by Victoria Greenlees, "Love Ya Like A Sister" & "Pea Angedawn" fonts}

Haircut

On a lot of my recent layouts I've been adding a little white border to my pictures. I'm really liking this effect lately. In Photoshop this is called "stroking". It's basically an outline in whatever color and size you want on any of your layers, be they photos, embellishments, or text.

1. First crop your photo and size it how you want it on your page. Make sure you have your photo selected in your layers palette, then go Edit>Stroke (Outline) Selection.

2. From the window that pops open set your pixels to 30. (That's the number I like.)

3. Click on the color box and set it to white if it isn't already. Or pick a different color - whatever you want!

4. Click ok.

Like I said, stroking can also add a cool effect to text or an embellishment. It can make a flat embellishment look like a sticker. Try it!

{everything from Digital Scrapbook Memories "Oh Boy!" CD, "Rough Stuff" kit, "You Are Loved" & "Typewriter" fonts}

Color Spotting Technique

I took a FREE online class I saw advertised on the DSM forum called "Picture Perfect". First off - if anyone's interested, I just have to plug the online classes they offer. They have a beginner class each month to get you started in photoshop, and they have just now started offering some advanced classes. You do have to call a long distance number to get the audio for the class, but it is so worth it. (And if you live in Philly like me, the classes are usually at 9pm and that's when free minutes kick in! Bonus!) You can find out more about the classes here and go to the "Online Classes" section of the forum to find the details.

Anyway, back to the Picture Perfect class. I learned so many COOL new things to try and share, including easy ways to enhance your photos, many different ways to change to black & white, boosting color, changing to sepia, antiquing, and more.

What I'm focusing on in this post is COLOR SPOTTING - how to get one part of a black and white photo to show color, as seen in this layout:



I'm going to explain how to do this but bear with me, I'm not always the best at explaining things, and it's still new to me ;)

1. Open your color photo, and do any editing you like.

2. Create a new adjustment layer. **This was a brand new thing for me** See the little icons at the top of your layers palette? On the far left you should see a small white square that looks like a piece of paper, and next to that is a circle - half black, half white. Click on the circle, and a drop down menu should appear.

3. From the list, click "gradient map."

4. A new window will open, with a black and white rectangle. Click on the the little arrow to the right of the rectangle and select the "black, white" square (third from the left).

5. Click ok. What you have created is a "black & white gradient map". Your photo should now look black & white.

6. Select your brush tool from your toolbox. From your options bar at the top of the screen, select a simple round brush.

7. Make sure your brush color is set on black. To do this go to the little square on the bottom of your toolbox (bottom left corner of your screen.) If the box on top is already black, perfect. If not, click on the box and new window will open. From the color box select a black section and click ok.

8. NOW - click your brush over the areas you want in color. It may be useful to zoom in close so that you can be very precise.
**If you mess up... just change you brush color to white and go back over the areas you want to fix - they will return to black & white. Basically, when you are working on a black & white gradient layer black means "NO (not black & white anymore!)" and white means "YES".

9. Once you have finished working on your gradient map adjustment layer, and your look is complete, merge the two layers. (Hold down your Ctrl key while clicking on both layers. Then right click on the layers and select "merge layers".)

So... I really really hope this makes sense for anyone who wants to try it. If you have any questions please feel free to email me or use the comments. My email address is lynnettelebaron at hotmail dot com, and it's also posted in my sidebar.

Join me for the next DSM advanced class on April 19, also focusing on photo editing! The class will cover things like teeth whitening, taking out distracting things in a background, switching heads (when the kiddos just won't cooperate) and MORE! (Alisha is an amazing teacher.)

{paper by Gina Cabrera's "Virtual Ink" CD, stars by Miss Mint at Peppermint Creative, "Jane Austen" font}

Try This! Enhancing Photos

Wanna know I how transformed the photo on the top to the photo on the bottom?? Of course you do! Photoshop isn't just for scrapping, you know...



So this is the coolest trick EVER. A huge shout to Brooke for sharing it with Jill, and major thanks to Jill for sharing it with me (and the rest of the girls) on the Digital Scrapbook Memories forum.

This tutorial is for Photoshop Elements. Here goes!

1. Open your photo; here's mine:



2. The next thing I do with almost every photo is adjust the lighting levels. You can do this one of two ways. A) Click Enhance>Adjust Lighting>Levels OR B) Click Ctrl+L. Either way you'll get the same window. For more information on how to adjust lighting levels, go here. Here's my photo after adjusting the levels:



3. Okay, so now here's where we start the really cool stuff. Start by right clicking on your background in your layers palette, and click "duplicate layer" and then click "ok" when prompted.

4. With your new layer selected in your layers palette, select "screen" from you blending modes menu. (This menu is found at the top of your layers palette, and it should say "normal" unless you change it.)

5. Now change to opacity; just play around with it until you find what you think looks good. (The opacity is also found at the top of you layers palette, it will say 100% unless you change it. To change it just slide the little arrow back and forth, or type a specific number in the box.)

6. Merge the two layers (background + background copy) together. This will vary depending on what version of Elements you have. In 5.0, hold Ctrl down while clicking both layers. Then right click on the layers and select "Merge Layers".

7. Now - we'll do it all again! (With some slight differences...) So do the same thing as step 3: duplicate your background.

8. Change the blending mode. BUT this time, select "soft light" from the menu.

9. Play with the opacity again.

10. Merge your layers again, and... VOILA! Here is the lovely result:



The moral of the story? Even if you don't have the most amazing camera in the world, you can still have amazing photos! Just one more reason why I *heart* photoshop... sigh...
Here's one more example. (Did I mention I love this trick?)

Discover

I recently learned how to blend a photo into the paper, like so:



It was super easy and I love how it turned out. Here's how:
1. Open you paper and photo, and drag your photo onto your paper.
2. At the top of your layers palette, there is a drop down menu that should say "normal". Pull the menu up and change it to "luminosity".
3. Select your eraser tool. In the options bar (at the top of the screen) you should see a pull down menu where you can select a brush. A fuzzy brush works best for this. Also, I reduced the opacity to about 75%.
4. Once you've selected your eraser brush, size and opacity, just start erasing around the edges to give it the blended look. Voila!

{paper & tag by Corina Nielson, knotted ribbon by Michelle Coleman, date stamp from Digital Scrapbook Memories "Moods" CD, "Father Nelson" & "Lucida Console" fonts}