DHD Mad March Memories

Check out the Design House Digital blog for links to a blog hop filled with tips and techniques for digital scrapbooking, lots of chances to win prizes and downloadable freebies.

Speed Scrap

Did my first speed scrap tonight.  Only it wasn't too speedy when the computer kept locking up and I was using PSE 2.0!  Layout instructions from Wendy Tunison, most stuff from Laitha's Designs: Attic Treasures, and Industrious, some from SNP collab: Bohemian Rhapsody, and A Saxon Creation: Vintage Rose.

Photoshop Techniques aligning/distributing

Learned how to use align and distribute to straighten up elements and alphas...pretty self-explanatory, but at least the tutorials always give lots of hints and tips.  I ended up removing my title so I could put a background text layer for a challenge instead.
I used the Happy Place Pack from Fly Pixel Studios again.  The alpha I used was from SNP's Heidi Ho.

more Photoshop

This week we learned to do overlays and feathering (to blend the edge of the photo into the paper it's overlaid on.)  I love it!  I've been wondering how they did that...  I still have issues with clustering...never can find the right elements to combine.  I think that's because I'm trying to stay within one kit when I'd really like my files sorted by type and color: staple copper, staple silver, staple back copper, etc.  Oh well, I guess I'd better learn to be a designer and change the digiscrap world--maybe next week.

I used Scraps 'n' Pieces Thankful Hearts and Bohemian Rhapsody blogtrains.

PhotoBookGirl's My Publisher Giveaway

A great new chance to win!  One $100 and 12 $25 gift certificates for My Publisher photobooks.  I want to win, so be sure to enter if you're not interested--so you can give it to me. :)

beginning photoshop, continued

Here are the rest of my projects for the Beginning Photoshop class--I should've posted them before the next class, but oh well...

This lesson taught us how to use Quick Pages.  We wanted to take some pictures of my kids with my grandpa, since who knows when we'll ever see him again, but Simon was way more interested in Grandpa's stuff! (used Happy Place QP from Fly Pixel Studios)

This lesson was about "strokes," which are colored outlines you can use on (I guess) just about anything.  If you stroke an element with white, it'll come out looking like a sticker.  We also learned how to "clip" a background paper to the text  and had to practice changing the color of a picture to sepia or black & white.  (used Oogy Boogy Pack from Just So Scrappy)

I know I look awful in these pictures, but Nate is so funny with his puppy dog eyes and his mouth getting wider and closer to the straw, that I just had to scrap 'em!

Photoshop Techniques

I've moved on to the next class and am loving the new skills I'm learning to use in Photoshop.  Maybe someday I can actually get all those photos into scrapbooks this way.  I'd love to try my own designs, too, once I get more comfortable with stuff (and a computer that doesn't hang up!)  Here's what I've been learning in the techniques class so far:  this week was "threading" (a fancy way of combining separate images into looking like real 3D compositions, instead of printed on top of each other)

On this one I threaded the ribbon through the frame, and tangled the cord around my title letters.  (used kits from Scraps 'n' Pieces: Heidi Ho and Thankful Hearts blogtrain; Keystone Scraps: Key to Happiness)

For this one I used the Keystone Scraps: Key to Happiness and SNP: Bohemian Rhapsody.  I threaded the leaf, ribbon, tag, and twine onto the clothespin (it already had the petals), and the ring onto the key.  I layered three pieces to make the flower, too.

The photo is of a cross in South Dakota that a man made of old tools and metal parts all welded together.  It is huge and really cool close up!

Here's the first week's lesson on using templates.  (used template from By Christin for the February Template Challenge at SNP, Queenwild Scraps: It's My Party, and Amy Dane Designs: I Am a Survivor)