Journaling reads: "Friday 3 May 2013 was a *no school* day. There seems to be far too many of those in my humble opinion. I didn’t want E and L sitting around the house consumed by technology, and so when the opportunity arose to do a little volunteer work at a local farm, we jumped at it. Well, if the truth be known the girls did. The boys not so much. Eric took the day off to join us. We had anticipated working with the animals but planted some trees and built some fences instead. Sometimes things don’t quite work out as you expect but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them and find the good in helping others."
I used a Artsy Layered Template No. 98 for this layout (coming to the store on Friday) with the addition of the MultiCircle Frames. I seem to be gravitating a LOT toward those lately.
I also used the new 12 X 12 Flower Overlays No. 1 but not in the manner you might expect. Instead of placing one overlay on my page as designed, I used two different overlays partially visible while overlapping the edges of layout. The red lines below indicate the placement of both overlays.
The top right overlay was recolored to dark grey with Normal blending mode applied while the bottom left overlay was recolored to purple with a Vivid Light blend mode. The visible harsh edge of the latter was muted by the careful placement of a line of stitching while the solid edge of the other overlay layer was erased with brushes from ArtPlay Palette Inflorescence.
Another technique you might consider when using Edge Overlays.
NewART is now available in the aA store. Each of the 5 individual digital products is discounted by 20% or available as a collection at 37% off through Friday May 10, 2013 at 9am EST.
ArtsyKardz and Project 365/Life digital supplies, except those included in MidWeek Release 24 April 2013, will also be discounted by 30% from Friday May 3, 2013 through Monday May 6, 2013 at 9am EST.
It's a great time to stock up on your FotoInspired/Project Life supplies, or maybe try them out for the first time. Get lots of tips and trick on how I have been using them each week, and in my Tandem Scrapbooking project, here.
Here's a run-down of the happenings in the aA store this weekend:
Wishing you a fabulous day of memory making and scrapbooking throughout the weekend.
I used my Project 365/Life design with slight modification to tackle my Tandem Scrapbooking 2005 month in review page. Specifically, I switched out a couple of the masks and replaced the large square frame on the right page with a frame from FotoInspired Frames No. 2.
Click on the images for complete supply list and better view of the pages.
FotoInspired Week 17 was created using digital products from the FotoInspired No. 2 series. This template design is now available as FotoInspired DoubleTemplate No. 11 in the aA store and is my iNSD special offer for a limited time.
Orientation of Photos. This week I want to talk about the dimensions of photos, in terms of landscape and portrait photos, as well cropping them to make them work with the FotoInspired templates.
You likely take a variety of photos in both landscape and portrait photos, and if you are like me, you select your photos for your weekly pages based on content as opposed to orientation.
Some photos can be easily cropped to squares without loss of detail. Similarly, you can also clip portrait-style photos to landscape-orientated masks and vice versa. That said, how do you handle photos that need to remain in their current orientation when working with the FotoInspired Templates?
I use 2 successful methods:
Mask Substitution. Switch out an existing mask for 2 or more smaller masks. For example, a portrait mask can be exchanged for 2 smaller landscape masks. One of the masks can accommodate a photo while the other mask can be used as a filler for a transfer, ArtsyKardz or paper.
ArtsyKardz. Clip a photo to one of the layers in an ArtsyKardz. For example, if I'm working with a portrait-orientated photo and need to clip it to a square mask without cropping out any detail, I look for a 6 X 6 ArtsyKardz with a portrait orientated mask . This allows me to have the best of both worlds in retaining the dimensions of my original photo when adding a little artsy flair to my pages.
Once again the versatlie ArtsyKardz strikes again!
Layouts from the AnnaTeam. More Project 365/Life/52 inspiration from some members of the aA team. Click on the layouts for complete supply lists and to learn more about their process.
MidWeek Release. 8 NewART digital products are now available in the aAStore. These products are 30% off in lieu of the upcoming iNSD celebrations (see full details below) and will remain in effect until Wednesday May 8, 2013 at 9am EST.
ArtsyKardz. 4 New sets of ArtsyKardz to coordinate with ArtPlay Palette Living Well delivered in .jpg and the popular layered .psd format for use in digital and traditional scrapbooking as well as Project Life. I'm using these into my own Project 365 this year.
Please note that the 12 X 12 ArtsyKardz are essentially artsy
backgrounds in layered .psd format. You won't necessarily use these in
your Project 365/Life pages but they make great launch pad for all your
other artsy pages.
Instructions and inspiration for using both the .jpg and .psd version of these Kardz can also be found in the following posts:
The latest FotoInspired DoublePage template is available in the store for purchase, but is also offered FREE with a purchase of $10.01 or more from now until Friday May 10, 2013 at 9am EST.
ArtSale. There will be 10 hand-selected AnnaProducts featured in the on sale category of the aA store discounted by 30% through Friday May 3rd, 2013, 9am EST.
iNSD Sale Details. Saturday is International Digital Scrapbooking Day and scrapbookers around the world will be celebrating! I'm joining in on the fun with a Free With Purchase Special Offer.
All ArtsyKardz and Project 365/Life digital supplies, except those included in MidWeek Release 24 April 2013, will also be discounted by 30% from Friday May 3, 2013 through Monday May 6, 2013 at 9am EST. The exceptions will remain at 20% off and in the On Sale category through Monday May 6, 2013 in fairness to those that purchased items from that release last week.
Joanie says, "I cherish each and every old family photograph I have. When I sit down to scrap one of these heritage photos, I hope to find the best way to showcase it, and really make it shine. Many of these old photographs are faded and discolored, and often have other flaws that make them a challenge."
The original photograph in this layout was dull and included a large shadow of the photographer so the photograph was blended to minimize this flaw, while the addition of blending modes accentuated the the best parts of the image.
Layer the Background | Layer 4 background papers, applying various blend modes with differing opacities, to achieve the soft and subtly patterned base. Overlap 2 ArtsyKardz in PSD format and add a drop shadow to the base layer of each Kard.
Extraction | The photo was edited both prior to and after placement on the layout. The first decision is where to best place the photo. Reduce the opacity of the image to allow visibility of the underlying layers and move the image around the page to determine best position. You can also manipulate the individual layers of the ArtsyKardz and resize as desired.
Duplicate the photo layer and increase the opacity value of the copy layer to 100%. Hold down the ALT button on your keyboard, and click the Add Vecto Mask button, located at the bottom of the Layers palette (Photoshop) or top of the Layers panel (Photoshop Elements 11). This adds a white thumb nail to the photo layer in the Layers palette/panel and masks the visibility of the photo.
Click on the layer mask thumbnail in the layers palette which activates the mask. Select the Paint Brush tool from the Tools palette/panel and select a soft round brush from Photoshop/Elements default brush selection. Ensure the Foreground color is WHITE and the background color is BLACK. Begin painting o the mask to reveal areas of the image using the underlying image with reduced opacity as a guide for the painting. Start with a brush opacity of about 60%, but vary it as desired be while painting in the photo. For example, areas such as the little boy’s suit, will require lower opacity levels than those for the facial features which require more details.
Experiment with .psd format of ArtsyKardz | Make any desired modifications to the ArtsyKardz in terms of turning off the visibility, moving, recoloring or adjusting the blend mode of any layer. For example, the dark vertical line on the left Kard was changed to a soft brown, and also moved along with the bit of blended floral lace, to the left edge of the Kard. The words “embrace LIFE" on the right side of Kard were moved to mask the dark shadow of the photographer. Delete the reduced opacity photo layer that was used as a guide.
Blending Modes | Apply the Darken blend mode to the photo layer which allows underlying color, texture and the WordArt from the Kardz, as well as the background paper, to show through the masked image. Duplicate the layer, select the duplicate layer, and change the blend mode to Linear Light at 40% opacity to brighten the image.
Note that, you can also experiment with each of the masked layers by painting some areas in on one layer, and erasing areas from the other. Various blend modes may also be applied to yield different results. It is quite typical to have 4 or 5 copy layers of the same photo, each with different areas masked, opacities or blend modes applied.
The last step is to ascertain whether underlying layers are causing distraction of details in the masked image, such as the chevron pattern showing through the facial features. Create a new blank layer beaneath the photo layers and paint on this layer with a light neutral color to hide these distractions. This technique was also repeated to soften the area where the edge of the card and the card shadows left a visible line.
Create Depth | Darken the area around the ArtsyKards by adding 2 FotoBlendz and changing their color, blend mode and opacity. An additional ArtsyKard is added behind the 2 existing ArtsyKardz and enlarged to cover most of the lower right portion of the page. The background (base) layer of this ArtsyKard is turned off and some of the remaining Kard elements are moved around and manipulated by re-coloring and/or blending.
Using An Overlay | Add a text overlay, modify the color and blend mode, before masking out all but the bottom third of this overlay. Add the Hipster Plumes in the area above the ArtsyKardz, changing their color, blend mode and opacity, to create a subtle appearance.
Embellish | Elements and WordArt are added. The versatility of the ArtsyKardz PSD files provides the option to take the doily element from the ArtsyKard and enlarge it until it reaches the right edge of the paper. Names and the date are added to the corner of the ArtsyKard on the right.
Finishing Touches | Add the SkinnyLined Overlay and the Tree brush, the latter of which mimics the tree in the photograph. Finish with the FotoGlow which is added directly under the Hipster Plumes. Manipulate both the color and opacity to enhance the Hipster Plumes.
Joanie adds, "If you have yet to play around with masking and blend modes, I do hope this tutorial gets you started. It is so fun to play around with Photoshop, and amazing what it can do for a layout".
For credits, please view Joanie's layout here in the Oscraps Gallery.
At the beginning of the year, in my 2013 Intentions post, I pledged to do a 365 Project that involved taking a photo each day throughout year 2013, of or about me. I named this project Project 365 | Just Me.
April officially ends on Wednesday and so it's time for my monthly update on the JustMe project.
I have taken 21 photos as of today, and if I stay on track for the remainder of the month, I'll have missed 7 days in total. Most of these days occurred in the first half of the month, and if I'm honest, this shaky start prompted me to get through the rest.
Again, it was just a matter of paying attention and being aware that I was slowly falling off the wagon. Falling has definitely become easier, as has getting up again. I'm also getting a bit braver with some of my shots with less concern about whether I think I look good or not. It's all a matter of practice.
My focus and momentum is coming from the body of work created in placing all these individual shots together as well as the lessons I'm learning as a memory keeper and human being. There does not have to be an all or nothing approach to every project. There is much grey area in amongst the black and white. Sometimes what you can and are doing is enough. Perhaps it's a lesson that we are all enough.
One notable observation about my process is procrastination. I don't plan my shots in advance. They are very random and spur-of-moment. Quite often, however, the thought of taking a photo is pushed aside by the sheer busy nature of my life. I miss the moment, often the best photo opportunity of the day, and end up not taking a photo at all because I simply don't think about it again.
I'm wondering if I'm really that busy to take the photo or if I'm procrastinating because I'm uncertain as to whether I can devote enough time to the process in order to capture the best photo possible? This month there were 7 missed moments through waiting. It's another good reminder to *do it now* for another oportunity may never come.
NewART is now available in the aA store. Each of the 5 individual digital products is discounted by 20% or available as a collection at 42% off through Friday May 2, 2013 at 9am EST.
I usually create a Tandem Layout using the same layout, but it's been a busy week and so this was one of those projects that had to give. If there's time at the weekend, I'll get it done, otherwise there will always be next week to pick it up again. I'm OK with doing what I can and letting the rest go.
Making It Fast. I was pretty crunched for time when it came to my FotoInspired layout this week. I usually like to get it started over the weekend when the events are fresh in my mind. This approach also allows me to work on my page a little each day, breaking down the overall process into much smaller and easier steps.
A busy weekend celebrating Eric's 40th birthday meant that I had to get the whole project done from start to finish within a few hours on Tuesday night. It's not the way I like to get it done, but it's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.
Here are my tips for speeding up the process and busting out a quick FotoInspired layout in a short amount of time:
Edit with Actions. Use Photoshop/Elements actions to edit your photos. No time for experimenting on these types of fast projects with different variations. Pick a set of actions you know you like and batch process them if desired. I like the very affordable actions by My 4 Hens Photography, in particular the Fable and Hippy Dippy Trippy Sets. Tip: Sign up for her NewsLetter and you will be notified of her sales.
Focus on Photos. Keep the focus on the photos rather than the art by simply clipping the images in their quickly edited format to the masks in the FotoInspired templates.
Selective Supplies. Be selective when choosing the digital supplies you will use on your layout. A supply list of 5-10 products is much easier and quicker, both to look through and pull from, than a list of 10-20 products. I like to select a handful of kits, usually my latest release because I have it immediately on hand, and make those products work with my layout.
ArtsyKardz. You will notice that I have used the layered .psd file versions of the ArtsyKardz with photos much less than I have in previous layouts, and chosen instead to adopt a more simple approach of clipping the .jpg file versions to the available masks. In blending just one photo with the layered ArtsyKardz on each side of the spread, I am able to retain the artsy look and feel on with pages without sacrificing too much time.
Simple Embellishment. Adopt a less is more approach by using fewer brushes, transfers and elements on your page. I created a painted background for my images using ArtsyPaint and UrbanStitchezbrushes in keeping with my previous pages but bypassed the FotoGlows and other brushwork to save myself time. The layout is completed with a selection of dimensional elements, all hailing from my most recent ArtPlay Palette Roots.
Journaling. Keep your words concise and to the point. Bullet points prompted by the images in your layout are a quick and easy way to get the details on a page.
It's a matter of prioritizing and getting those elements only on your pages. No-one likes to be rushed but sometimes setting the goal of getting a project done within a specific amount of time can help you get that project completed. I am accountable to you as blog readers, but I am also accountable to myself and my people at home, as the teller of our stories. Ultimately, this is what drives me to get the project done each week.
Layouts from the AnnaTeam. More Project 365/Life/52 inspiration from some members of the aA team. Click on the layouts for complete supply lists and to learn more about their process.
MidWeek Release. 7 NewART digital products are now available in the aAStore. These products are 20% off until Wednesday May 1, 2013 at 9am EST.
ArtsyKardz. 4 New sets of ArtsyKardz to coordinate with ArtPlay Palette Roots delivered in .jpg and the popular layered .psd format for use in digital and traditional scrapbooking as well as Project Life. I'm using these into my own Project 365 this year.
Please note that the 12 X 12 ArtsyKardz are essentially artsy
backgrounds in layered .psd format. You won't necessarily use these in
your Project 365/Life pages but they make great launch pad for all your
other artsy pages.
Instructions and inspiration for using both the .jpg and .psd version of these Kardz can also be found in the following posts:
Product previews below are linked to the respective products in the aA store.
A new set of masks provide a greater variety of clipping masks for your FotoInspired pages.
FotoWallet Album Template No.1J concludes the FotoWallet Album Templates series, providing pages 1 and 20 to the 20-page album, and includes a BONUS photo book CoverSet.
A new FotoInspired DoubleTemplate which supports up to 23 photos.
ArtSale. There will be 10 hand-selected AnnaProducts featured in the on sale category of the aA store discounted by 30% through Friday April 26, 2013, 9am EST.
My latest layout combines a photo from our fairly recent vacation with the story of Ella still hanging on to the idea of the magic in her childhood. The story was the driving force behind the page and the generic photo is more of an embellishment than a key player in the story.
I duplicated the photo both to help maximize the use of my canvas as well as provide emphasis. Two photos of a happy Ella is more emphatic than just one. As the saying goes, "Repetition deepens the impression."
This is a technique I revisit often in my pages as demonstrated in the layouts below. Click on the layout images for more information about each page.
