Digital Scrapbooking Freebies

Designer Spotlight: August 2022

August 4, 2022 by Jan

Magical Scraps Galore

The year is just winging by, isn’t it? It was my great pleasure to chat with Marina, aka Magical Scraps Galore, over a cold drink recently. It’s her turn in the GingerScraps Designer Spotlight so let’s get to know her better.

J: Let’s start with the bread-and-butter stuff. How long have you been designing?

M: I’ve been designing for 11 years now!

J: That’s a long time in the digi-world. What made you decide to design?

M: I started creating my own digital papers and embellishments for scrapping our second trip to Disney World, since the digital offerings were very limited back then. It didn’t take long to realize that scrapbook design was my passion, and I started participating in the design challenges hosted by MouseScrappers. I opened my first shop in 2013 and I’ve been part of the wonderful GingerScraps family since 2014.

J: There’s nothing better than creating exactly what you want but can’t find. What tools do you use to create your designs?

M: I use Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate and ArtRage.

J: Kudos to you for blending all those platforms! I have enough trouble with just one. Can you describe your design workplace?

M: I design in my studio at home, with my two cats sleeping by my computer or on my lap. Sometimes they like to sleep ON my computer and they mess with my designs, LOL! I have to be very careful!

J: Too funny! My dogs see me pick up my laptop and go somewhere else. What kinds of things motivate and inspire you as a designer? I mean, other than Disney… 😉

M: My main motivation and inspiration are my kids and my trips around the world.

J: Those two things seem to be the launch pads for many of the designers I’ve chatted with. What is your favorite kit currently in your GS store and why?

M: It’s hard to pick just one, that’s mean, it’s like choosing your favorite child, LOL … I have several kits that I love, especially my travel collection, but one of my favorite kits is Magical Memories, it’s all about my happy place and it’s a reminder of all the magical moments I spent there with my family.

J: That’s how I feel about Ireland. I’d move there if I could! If you were given a super power, what would you like it to be?

M: Teleportation, so I can travel anywhere in no time and with no jet lag!

J: Wouldn’t that be amazing?! I used to wish I could teleport home from work after my 12 hour night shifts. Have you ever met anyone who’s famous?

M: Yes, I met Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films)

J: I’m not much of a HP fan, but I know who he is. That must have been a special moment. You clearly enjoy things that relate or appeal to children. What did you want to be when you were small?

M: I wanted to be a flight attendant or a rock star.

J: I can’t sing or play an instrument so I never dreamed of being a rock star, but I did want to be a flight attendant for awhile. They work pretty hard and put up with a lot. I think my sarcastic evil twin would take over and I’d be fired. If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

M: Warning: Crazy cat lady!! LOL! I’m a huge cat lover, and if my family would let me, I’d have 10 cats or more!

J: Ooh. That would be overwhelming to me. I have enough trouble keeping track of two dogs. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with me; I’m just going to fill our readers in on all the awesome August goodies you’re a part of before I finish up.

Of course, Marina is hosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge this month. She’s also the Daily Download Diva for August, so make sure you look for the links here every day or two. (Links are active for 5 days, so you can condense your time:effort if you want to.) If you don’t have time or miss some pieces, the kit will be for sale next month in the Shop. AND… Marina is permanent host of the monthly Surprise Challenge! If all of that isn’t enough, she’s offering a lovely coupon that’s good for the whole month. Be sure to check all of this out. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Creative Style, Daily Download, Digital Scrapbooking, Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, Feature Designer, GingerBread Ladies Tagged With: Designer Spotlight

Tutorial Tuesday (Photoshop Elements)

July 26, 2022 by Jan

Quick Trick: Transparent Titles

PDF Version : https://bit.ly/3oHPCP7

If it’s Quick Trick Tuesday, this must be Belgium. I mean, this must be the last Tuesday in July. (Lame joke for the Boomer set… it’s a riff on the title of a 1969 movie with Suzanne Pleshette. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) RESET RESET RESET! Today’s Quick Trick is truly quick, max only 5 simple steps. Check it out! My layout is built on a Seatrout Scraps template with GingerBread Ladies‘ Sunny Days collab.

This technique comes with two rules. For best results, choose a font that’s relatively simple but substantial, with smooth, unfussy lines. I used this month’s Challenge font, Garlic Shrimp, in my sample. Other good choices would be Impact, Comic Sans (if you must), Alef, Arial, Lucida, basically most of the system fonts pre-installed on your computer, or any purchased/free sans serif font. 9A lot of the Kimberly Geswein fonts would be perfect!) But having said that, don’t be afraid to try fonts you like – it won’t be that big a time suck. The second rule it that you must type your title in white.

Next, click on Styles at the bottom of the Layers Panel and choose Bevels from the drop-down menu.

Choose one of the Bevel Styles. You’ll see how it looks instantly so it you don’t love it, CTRL/CMD>Z it and try another. I like Simple Emboss for this. The default size for Bevels is 21 pixels, but don’t stress about that.

Now, change the Blend Mode for the text layer to Multiply. The Blend Mode picker is at the top left of the Layers Panel, as shown.

And it really is THAT easy! but…

Last, completely optionally, if you think you want to adjust the Bevel, double-click on the fx icon on the text layer as shown below. When the control panel opens make sure the lighting angle is the same as for the rest of the layout. It’ll really look weird if it isn’t. And then use the slider to make the Bevel bigger or smaller. I made mine a bit smaller. And that’s it!

Wondering about that “Version #1”?

Just for fun, I rearranged my papers to see how I’d like it.

And again…

Which version did I decide was the one I liked most? (There was a Version #4, but it was so awful I rejected it immediately.) You’ll have to check the Gallery tomorrow!

PDF Version : https://bit.ly/3oHPCP7

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Creative Style, Digital Scrapbooking, Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, Fantastic Fonts, Tutorials Tagged With: Tutorial Tuesday

Tutorial Tuesday (Individual Style)

July 19, 2022 by Jan

Challenge Spotlight: Daily Download

PDF Version : https://bit.ly/3zE9jwD

GingerScraps is, without a doubt, the most generous digital scrapping store on the web. There are SO MANY freebies!!! The monthly Daily Download is just one of them. Each day for the entire month, pieces of a FREE kit are provided to readers on the GingerScraps Blog (right here!) so by the end of the month, you have a whole kit. (Don’t worry, If you missed a few days’ DLs, the kit will be available for purchase in the GS Store later.) But it gets even better… the following month, that same free kit is the basis for a GingerScraps Daily Download Challenge. For the month of July 2022, the kit in question is CarolW Designs‘s Way to Grow (linked to the bundle).

It looks to me like Carol‘s kit was a huge hit with our scrappers. There are 20 layouts in the Daily Download Gallery already and there are still 12 days in the month! Let’s check them out – in random order. (Each layout is linked to the Gallery via the scrapper’s user name so you can drop in a little praise for the ones you like best.)

Our first sample is from willow. I love all the white space here. She’s taken only a small handful of the elements in the kit and created a beautiful, calm layout.

I like how chigirl has melded some grunge via her choice of papers and paint splatters with the flowery prettiness of the elements into this loveliness.

wendeeds has pulled colour from her photos and used coordinating elements and papers to create her fun Date Night layout.

I salute the dedication of people like makeyesup who create a new themed desktop for their computer every month!

202207 Calendar

How sweet is this? PixyGirl has used the Artsy Bits from the bundle to create a secret garden with a delightful little person in it.

This layout by NHSoxGirl is another gorgeous white space layout with a sparing use of elements. When you don’t have photos that work well with a kit, but you’re dying to use it anyway, you can always convert a fave photo into black and white.

Lucky for hiddenartist, she had a perfect photo! Her clusters and shadowing are top-drawer.

This layout from Danissa makes good use of the Artsy Bits and one of the grungy Edges in the bundle combined with a lovely cluster.

Sweetpea2020 lets the papers do the heavy lifting here. The stitching adds an earthy touch.

Look at how Alasandra has clustered these flowers so the kitty seems to be sniffing one. Beautiful!

The paper strips tie all of roxana‘s photos together and the clusters enhance them, leading the eye from photo to photo.

The vintage feel of this layout from kabrak1207 is quite pleasing. I’m such a sucker for old photos…

But then… bagheertje pops up with this brand-new photo of a brand-new human showcased by a lovely, grungy but extremely simple layout.

The kit’s palette seems tailor-made for this chipmunk’s portrait and bumblebeee has framed it exquisitely with papers.

For another delectable white space layout, look no farther! The photo dhariana chose pulls colour from the kit, her choice of background paper makes it pop, and her brush use enhances the overall image. Spectacular!

LidiaG has created another grungy-gorgeous-great-white-space layout here. The large cluster draws the viewer right to the eyes of that sweet child in the photo.

I’m at a loss for words when I look at this layout from Jill. She’s skillfully clustered the elements in a natural arrangement, and divided the photo over two frames in such a way that it’s the focus. There’s a lot going on, but in the BEST way!

Every picture tells a story, but sometimes it needs a little support from the wings. AJsRandom explains and balances her photo in a minimalist layout full of movement.

in her layout, wvsandy has created a beautiful frame for her prayer, and I’m pretty sure she’s used every element in the basic kit but the flair, bead spill and bottle cap.

Last but not least, alta2014 has pulled from various parts of the bundle to create a lovely, soft layout that enhances her photo. The messy stitching adds a nice casual touch.

Are you enjoying the monthly Individual Style/Challenge Spotlight posts? I find myself inspired every time I write one. Seeing how others interpret a challenge and use a defined set of tools so creatively really gets my mojo motor revving. Time to get some scrappin’ done!

PDF Version : https://bit.ly/3zE9jwD

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Challenge Spotlight, Creative Style, Daily Download, Digital Scrapbooking, Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, GingerBread Ladies, Tutorials Tagged With: Tutorial Tuesday

Tutorial Tuesday (Fonts)

June 14, 2022 by Jan

Celebrating Dads and Grads

PDF VERSION: https://bit.ly/3mRG9nD

This past weekend I was making a Father’s Day card for my dad and birthday cards for my oldest grandson and only granddaughter. Do you think I could find a font I liked for my Father’s Day card? Because I HAD to get the card in the mail, I went with something lackluster and decided I’d find some better options for next time. And while I was at it, I looked for some fonts to celebrate graduations too. All the fonts to come below are free at dafont.com and I’m barely scratching the surface; have a look around and you’ll see. Each font’s name is linked directly to the website for quick-and-easy downloads. Enjoy!

Let’s start with the grads, since a lot of those have already happened. First up is Sports Jersey. It’s pretty generic school-wise, and can easily represent any level of education. I could see it working well with the title echo tutorial.

XII Don’t Mess With Vikings is similar, but narrower and bulkier. It would be easy to echo too!

I like Striped Campus because it reminds me of old-school lettermen’s jackets. Each of the grad fonts are suitable for both titles and journaling.

In a way, Fine College does too. I think these two serif fonts could be echo-able if there’s enough space between the letters and the echoes. I might have to try it. All of these fonts are Father’s-Day-worthy as well.

Now for the Dads… Wrestlemania would be a great title font and is legible enough for journaling. (In our family though, wrestling is more of a gal-thing: my grandmother was a huge fan, while a (female) cousin and her daughters are all champion wrestlers.)

This Glimmer of Light font is so classy and elegant! As you can see, it’s an all-caps font with some swashy letters.

With a hint of western flair, Dakota is masculine without being toxically so. It’s another all-caps font, and is good for both titles and text.

Here’s another classy but masculine font called Baroneys. It’s got a bit of an art deco look to it and zoomed in, there’s some flannel texture too.

I chose this one because it’s so much fun. The Amazing Spider-Man brings Peter Parker to life!

These extra characters can be used for all kinds of things.

If your Dad is the rugged, outdoorsy expert in antiquities type, Indiana Jonas has you covered.

Or… if he’s a gear-head robot master in his early 40s, there’s always Transformers.

Woodcut is for the man who likes camping, fishing or woodworking. There are so many ways this font can be customized too.

And rounding out our baker’s dozen, Sherlock Press is masculine but urbane, like Holmes himself. I think it might lend itself to the echo technique too.

Which one is your favourite? I can’t choose.

Next week will be a Challenge Spotlight tutorial, and your turn to shine.

PDF VERSION: https://bit.ly/3mRG9nD

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Creative Style, Digital Scrapbooking, Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, Fantastic Fonts, Tutorials Tagged With: Tutorial Tuesday

Designer Spotlight: June 2022

June 4, 2022 by Jan

Introducing CarolW Designs

I had a lovely chat with one of GingerScraps‘ newer designers, CarolW (Wen Xin) and would like to share what I learned about her.

Of course, we need to start at the beginning… Thanks for the visit, Carol. How long have you been designing?

C: Starting in 2018, I came to GingerScraps in July 2021.

J: So about 4 years designing, and almost a year with GS. Thanks for sharing your talents with us! What tools do you use when you design?

C: I mainly use Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

J: I’m working really hard at being proficient with Photoshop Elements. Thanks to GingerScraps, I have the opportunity to continually learn new things. But I don’t have the bandwidth right now for multiple platforms. I commend you. Can you tell me what your workspace looks like?

C: My work is mainly done in the study, which is also the place where the cat and dog play. When I work in the study every day, the cat and dog also join me in the study.

J: I bet they can be quite distracting. but in a good way. What motivates and inspires you when you sit down to design (other than your deadline 😉 )?

C: Love. I’m crazy about scrapbook and everything, and when I’m designing it, I’m in a great mood and feel really relaxed. I’m happiest when clients email me and tell me they like my designs.

J: Positive feedback is always so good for the ego, isn’t it? Do you have a favourite kit in the GS store right now?

C: Write a Letter. I’ve always liked light colors. When I was packing my things the other day, I saw a letter written to me by a very good friend many years ago, which reminded me of her. She had passed away because of illness. So when I read that letter, I missed her. So I created this kit.

J: Ooh, I can see your melancholy and sadness over her passing in the vintage look of this kit. Your Creative Team did a beautiful job with it. [Click on the name of the kit for a direct link to the bundle in the shop.] Let’s do an about-face and talk about something fun… If you won the lottery, what would you do?

C: I would buy a big estate in the mountains and live there every day.

J: Wow! That’s pretty much what we did when my husband inherited a large sum of money. Our “estate” isn’t large – it’s actually pretty small – but we have a brand-new house on the side of a mountain and have an incredible view. We’re surrounded by orchards and there’s a winery under construction on the edge of our subdivision. Here’s another fun notion. If time travel was a possibility, would you travel into the past, or the future?

C: I want to go back in time. I especially want to go back to the time when there were dinosaurs. Or I want to go back to ancient Egypt. I like history very much and I like to study the history of every country.

J: History is fascinating and we could perhaps make our future better if we paid more attention to our past. Did you ever think of becoming a historian, or did you have other dreams for your life when you were growing up?

C: I wanted to be a doctor. But because I was not good at chemistry, I studied liberal arts.

J: I was never good at math or science but I ended up a critical care nurse. If there isn’t a way through, there might be a way around. What one word would your friends and family use to describe you?

C: Very kind.

J: Carol, that’s two words. 🙂 Last question… What celebrity would you like to meet for coffee at Starbucks?

C: Woooo, I love this question!!If I had the chance, I would have coffee with Alexander Skarsgård! I like his TV plays and movies very much.

J: He’s so easy to look at! I can see why you’d like to meet him. Thank you for letting us into your world a little. Enjoy your Spotlight month!

Check out the Designer Spotlight Challenge in the Forum where Carol has a TON of gifts for you!! And before I close this post down, I want to remind you that Carol is also hosting the Daily Download this month. Carol‘s designs are both traditional and fresh; I love the colour palette she chose for her DD kit with lavender, blush pink, ivory and shades of green. Every day for the month of June you can pop over here to the Blog and pick up the day’s piece of the kit; the download links are active for 5 days. But if you’re not able to commit to all that Blog visiting or you miss a few days, the kit will be in the store later in July for purchase. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going shopping.

Tutorial Tuesday (Individual Style)

May 17, 2022 by Jan

Challenge Spotlight: Perfectly Paired

PDF Version: https://bit.ly/3NEtX4Y

Have you given any thought to taking part in the Perfectly Paired challenge brought to us monthly by Dandelion Dust Designs? We’ve already talked about combining two templates into a single creative layout earlier this month, so let’s look at five layouts and see how the scrappers did it. Each layout is linked to the Gallery via the scrapper’s user name, so please check them out and leave them some love. [Editor’s note: Jan had some issues with the Gallery today and might have missed some entries. She blames the two firmware updates her laptop forced this week. Mea culpa!]

First up is this artsy blend from Karen Diamond. For her layout she melded a template from Neia Scraps Artsy You Volume 2 and Jumpstart Designs Caught in the Act: Friendship. Take a minute and see if you can figure out which parts are which.

Next is khoskins‘ layout, where she’s used a template from the GingerBread Ladies’ Fruity Fun and Connie Prince’s Travelogue Hawaii. I think you’ll see instantly how she’s combined them.

Pixel Palette mashed up a template from Kristmess’s Single Page Layered Templates Volume 5 with a Miss Fish template I was unable to find in the Shop, but I have an image for it. You’ll easily see what came from which.

I like how Katherine Woodin melded two templates and still has a clean and tidy layout with lots of white space. She uses one of Connie Prince’s Full Circle Volume 11 templates with a free template from Miss Fish that was part of the A Love for Layout Templates Blog Train in December 2021*.

And last, we have this beauty from glee. The templates she blended came from Miss Fish’s Just the Basics and her 2017 Holiday Swap templates. Both those sets have been retired.

Now that you’ve seen some examples of how this template mash-up game is played, does it make you more confident in your ability to do it? I really hope so! You can really expand your repertoire and your stash.

* So… if you’ve never heard of A Love for Layout Templates, you’ve been missing out! If you’re a Facebook member, you can find the Group with the link above. The Group‘s purpose is to showcase the infinite versatility of templates, as laid out in their Group Rules. Every other month they run a Blog Train or Hop, and each stop has a free template attached. Of course, like with all freebies, there will be some you would never use, and others that just don’t suit your style. But you won’t know if you don’t check it out, and if you only download the ones you love, you still come out ahead!

Next week I’ll be sharing another Quick Trick with you. See you then!!

PDF Version: https://bit.ly/3NEtX4Y

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Challenge Spotlight, Creative Style, Digital Scrapbooking, Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, Tutorials Tagged With: Tutorial Tuesday

Designer Spotlight: May 2022

May 4, 2022 by Jan

Lisa Minor and ScrapChat Designs

Ladies, we’re in luck! This month we have a dynamic duo in the Spotlight!! I’d like to introduce you to Lisa Minor and Jill (aka ScrapChat Designs). I’ve put the coffee on… won’t you join us?

O: It’s so nice to meet you both, We might as well just jump in and get the basics out of the way. How long have each of you been designing?

J: I’ve been designing just a little over a year.

L: It’s been a little over 20 years.

O: Lisa, I had no idea it had been that long already! That’s dedication. Jill, what made you decide to start designing?

J: My decision to design was an impulse. I sat down at my computer and designed a template. It blossomed from there.

O: You’re still at it, so it must have been a good impulse! Can you tell us a bit more about what you use to do your design work, and where you create?

J: Ah those are good questions. I use Photoshop. I also use my handy dandy notebook. I sketch templates all the time. As for the where… We moved to our house late last fall. Between supply chain issues and installations, my office is still not complete. I currently sit at the end of my kitchen table with my laptop with a pretty view of our backyard.

O: How disappointing, Jill! Hopefully the work gets done soon and you can have a dedicated space. Lisa, I haven’t forgotten you. Where do you do your designing?

L: My office is in my kitchen. We actually have 2 home offices, but they don’t have the view that my kitchen does. Our pool has a waterfall, so it’s just great to open the window and hear the flowing water and the birds singing. Our oldest recently built me a custom 10 foot desk for my birthday. I have 2 monitors and all of the office goodies you can think of.

O: Do you have a favourite kit in the store? What makes it your fave?

L: Laugh Once Daily. I love bright and bold colors and I love the versatility of it as well.

J: Mine is Read Me Goodnight. I love it because I designed it for my grandson using all his favorites.

O: Those are both great choices. Are you into sports?

L: Men’s soccer. The view is fabulous.

O: HAHAHAHAHA! Tight buns in shorts. You’re not wrong! But seriously. Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not survive a day without?

J: Before I started designing, I would have said my phone. Now that I’m designing it would be my computer. You cannot do Photoshop on a phone.

L: Coffee!

O: I can relate to all of those. 100%. Tell me Jill, if you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

J: Super weird! I would eat pepper jack cheese, pepperoni and honey nut cheerios.

O: That’s an… interesting… combo. Lisa, what one word would your friends and family use to describe you?

L: Foodie. I love showing gratitude and togetherness through food.

O: But probably not pepper jack cheese, pepperoni and honey nut cheerios, am I right? 😉 So. If you could have one super power, which one would you want?

L: Teleportation of course. Just think of the travel possibilities!

O: I used to wish for that ALL the time when I was walking back to my car after a long shift in the ICU. Blink and I’d be home and getting ready for bed, not driving 10 miles through a blizzard. We know where that got me. Jill, please tell us about your dream vacation, since we’re talking about travel.

J: My perfect vacation would be to Disney World in Florida. I dream about taking my granddaughter, grandson, two sons, their two wives, my youngest daughter and her boyfriend along with my boyfriend. Utrup Party of 10!!

O: That would be an amazing vacation! I’ve been to Disneyland, but when I was in Florida, my group decided to go to Universal on our day off. It was a lot of fun. Lisa, what would you do if you won the lottery?

L: I would by land in the Texas Hill Country and build a giant ranch with side bungalows for all my kids! Then I would take my entire family on a month long vacation to Europe.

O: That would be fantastic too. Has either of you ever met anyone who’s famous?

L: Yes, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, former President George W. Bush, Boomer Esiason, and Chris Collinsworth. My husband’s list is longer, and I’m jealous, he travels a lot.

O: Oh my! You’ve met some interesting people! Jill, if you had a warning label, what would yours say?

J: Warning: This person is fueled by ADHD and coffee!

O: Should we add coffee to your list of essential survival items, then? What did you want to be when you grew up?

J: I wanted to be a teacher. I went back to college at 42 and got my associates. Life had other plans for me before I got to the bachelors degree. Instead, I taught paper scrapbooking for almost 10 years. It was fun and rewarding. It helps me with my designing now.

O: Ah, we were both “mature students”. I started nursing school at 34. Now, last question… since May is pretty much full-on spring in North America and my plan for this week involves all the garden centres – do you have a green thumb? What do you grow?

J: No, but fortunately, I married a man who does.

O: Lucky you! Mine thinks watering my plants means dumping the last of his ice on them. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me!

Before I forget, Lisa has created a beautiful collection that will be the May Daily Download and Jill has provided a free template in the Spotlight thread in the Challenge Forum. You can collect the parts of the Daily Download each day by checking the Blog for the links. They’re also hosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge this month, so check that out in the Forum. Jill‘s store is 25% off for the month and Lisa has a coupon too!

Code: LM_May22
Good for 25% off, one use per customer
Expires: 05/30/2022

Don’t miss out on any of the fun!

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Creative Style, Daily Download, Digital Scrapbooking, Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, Feature Designer Tagged With: Designer Spotlight

Tutorial Tuesday (Photoshop Elements)

April 12, 2022 by Jan

Making Your Own Messy Edges

PDF Version: https://bit.ly/3uGCI7Z

I had a request from Lorri: “Would you consider a tutorial on making custom paper edges? I’ve thought about how I can do this after viewing the rather simple edges using masks against background papers. But as I look at some more recent edges and the increased complexities, it seems that masking alone is not the technique to use (at least alone).” She provided some examples from the fabulous Connie Prince so I’d know what she was talking about. My response? Of COURSE we can do that!! So here we go…

[Before we start, there are lots of screenshots for this, but they’re not all steps in the process. I want these tutorials to be achievable by everyone; visual and verbal instructions along with repetition help the majority of learners, and that’s why there’s always a review. I don’t assume anyone reading my tutorials is an expert at using Elements, so if you ARE an expert, I know you’ll be gracious. 😉 The other thing I want to mention is that any text you see bold and in colour will contain a hyperlink to the source of whatever I’m showing.]

Okay. Let’s roll! This technique uses Brushes. or digital stamps. I have a huge collection of brushes from various sources, but I know lots of people don’t so I’ll show you a dozen free sets I’ve curated for you. They’re all from Brusheezy.com and I’ve linked them all for you so if you see something you like, go grab it! First is this set of funky corner brushes.

Corners make the process simpler so here’s another group of swirly ones.

These corners are a bit more classic.

How do you feel about art deco?

Enough corners! Here are some brush strokes.

These grungy brushes might not be specifically suited for edges, but boy, they can add some amazing texture to a layout!

Same for these heavy grungy paints.

When I saw this set I was hooked! One-stop cursive and crackles? YEAH!

I wasn’t sure about these crosshatch scatter brushes, but once I used them, I’m in love.

Splatters are also high on my list of well-loved tools.

And these paint stroke brushes look very promising for messy edging.

If the whole thought of DIY edges is too overwhelming, try these pre-fab edges. You can add some solid colour layer masks or Clip some patterned papers to them to customize them to the kit you’re working with.

Start off with a blank canvas in your favourite layout size. I like 12×12, so that’s what I’ll show. Open some of the elements you’re planning to use for your layout to give you colour-matching capacity.

Review time: To pull a colour from a photo or element, grab your Eye Dropper Tool and zoom in on your colour source. Decide what colour you want for the brush layer and click on the image. See the crosshairs?

Review time #2: Loading Brushes is easy, but if you’ve never done it, it might be a bit intimidating. You’ll need to know where your brushes are kept on your system though. Click on the Brush Tool, then in the Brush Picker, click on the icon that looks like a stack of lines at the upper right corner of the menu. Then click on Load Brushes…

I’m going to go off on a tangent here for a second and tell you what I do with my .abr files. After I’ve extracted the zip file, I rename the .abr file to make it easier to recognize later. A lot of times, Brusheezy files don’t need this step. I’ll use something like Grungy Paint, and if there’s a specific number of brushes in a set, I’ll put that number in the name. Then I Copy the .abr file to the folder Elements uses to hold all the loaded brushes. On a Windows system that’s This PC>OS (C:)>Program Files>Adobe>Photoshop Elements (version)>Presets>Brushes. (It’s not as complicated as it sounds.) Then the brushes are ready to Load. BUT…!!! You don’t have to do any of that. If you’ve got a brush (set) in a designer folder, you can Load right from there. Find the brush set you want to Load and click it.

I like to start my messy edges with a corner brush. That takes a lot of guesswork out of positioning. But each of us will have our own ideas about what we like and how we like it, so I’m only offering guidance here. If you’re not a corner-lover, feel free to skip ahead. This whole process is one of experimenting. Try something. If you don’t like it, Undo [CTRL/CMD>Z] it and try something else.

A word about brushes: Many of them are created with a maximum size of 2500 pixels. If you’re a 12×12 girl like me, they’ll need to be resized after use, so keep that in mind. In the case of corner brushes and 12×12 [3600 pixels x 3600 pixels] canvases, going full-size isn’t going to work. Reminder: putting your brushes on their own layers gives you power!

The next couple of steps are for those who want to have corner brushes in all four corners. Rather than try to wing it and hope for the best, using the brush and adjusting Angle and whatever, just Duplicate the brush layer you’ve already made. Right-click on the layer then choose Duplicate Layer>OK. Or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL/CMD>J.

To create a mirror image of the corner, grab the middle handle on the side of the Bounding Box closest to the edge of the paper and drag it horizontally across itself. That’ll flip it. Use the Tool Options to get the size exactly right by typing -100% in the W: box as shown. Or simply go to the Tool Options and type in the -100% in the W: box and not bother with the dragging.

After you’ve nudged the second corner into its spot, click>SHIFT>click on the two layers. Right-click and choose Merge Layers or CTRL/CMD>E.

Now Duplicate the corners layer again by repeating the steps above.

Only this time grab the middle handle of the top of the Bounding Box and pull vertically. Key in the -100% in the H: box and nudge the second pair of corners into place.

Merge the two layers together for a single layer with all four corners in there. CTRL/CMD>E

This is the brush set I used to create the corners for my messy edges.

I know I’m a broken record. I won’t deny it! If you DON’T put your brushes on their own layer, you can’t make any adjustments to size or orientation without affecting whatever else is on that layer too.

I chose a new colour a bit darker gold that for my corners, and another brush to add to my canvas… on its own layer. This time I’m not going to Duplicate because I want it to look more casual. The corners are my anchors. If you hover your brush over the canvas, you’ll see a preview of what you’ll end up with once you commit. If it doesn’t look the way you want it, you can click on the Brush Settings bar and make adjustments, like the Angle as shown.

I’m more or less happy with this, although I think some of the stars extend out too far into the layout. I’ll just Erase some. All four of these star brushes are on one layer, with the corners layer not currently Visible.

For reference purposes.

Now I want to use a paint smear brush. At default settings it’s pretty wide, and that might be too much for my border. So I clicked the Brush Settings bar and this time I adjusted the Roundness of the brush. (Yes, I realize the brush isn’t “round”; I’m making it skinnier.)

Here are four examples of the same brush but with different amounts of “roundness”.

Remember when I mentioned the maximum size of the brush? Well, this paint smear has a max size of 2500 pixels. I’ve used four different brushes from the same set, with their widths adjusted, all on a single layer. Now I can resize the whole layer to fill the canvas edge to edge.

Here’s how the three brush layers look all together. I’m not sure it’s finished, but it’s coming along.

Hmm. Better. But still not there.

I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE this set of brushes! And I think this is just what the doctor ordered.

The messy edge is done! I could use it exactly as-is and it would be great. For those who like a little more oomph, let’s see how adding some Layer Styles looks. I added a green fine Glitter Style to the crosshatch layer. The colour is a little different, but I like it.

To give the dusty rose paint smears a bit of weight and texture I added a Bevel Style. The Simple Sharp Outside Pillow Emboss Bevel makes it look like dried latex paint. But too clumpy.

The Bevel default Size is 21 pixels. By double-clicking on the fx on the layer, I can adjust that. I want just a suggestion of texture here, so I pulled the slider over to 2 pixels and left the Direction Up.

The star scatter got the Chrome Style treatment. It adds some Bevel, some sheen and some colour. The gold is really close to the colour I chose from the flower, so I’m happy.

Here’s a tight shot of the layers with their Styles.

My finished messy edge looks like this. Easy-peasy and so much fun!

Will you try this one? Don’t forget to share your finished work in the Tutorial Tuesday Gallery!!

PDF Version: https://bit.ly/3uGCI7Z

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Creative Style, Digital Scrapbooking, Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, Tutorials Tagged With: Tutorial Tuesday

Tutorial Tuesday (Photoshop Elements)

April 5, 2022 by Jan

Importing a Tear

PDF Version : https://bit.ly/38jCIlt

I’ve been eagerly waiting for an opportunity to share this little trick with you but certain aspects had to fall into place. And now they have. This technique is so easy and rewarding that I think you’ll use it right away…

Have you ever wanted to add a paper tear to your layout but felt overwhelmed by all the steps to get there? Then this one is for you. There’s a way to import a paper tear from a template into a layout-in-progress that only takes a few easy steps and very little time. However, you must have a template with a paper tear on its own layer, or a commercial-use paper tear template. They have their own limitations, and may not give you the look you’re after. So try this.

I started out with this template from Tinci Designs’ Second Chances V.2 collection. I resized all of the layers (except the background paper) to allow for adding a tear.

I was waiting to find a template like this one from CarolW Designs’ Spring Dawn. That tear is moveable!! But how can I move it onto Krizstina’s template?

There are a couple of steps that need doing first. But to start, I found the tear layer in Carol’s template, right-clicked on the layer and chose Duplicate Layer from the dropdown menu.

Now Elements needs to know where to put it. The new menu shows all the files currently open in the Photo Box, and offers the option of creating a New Document. That’s what I’m going to do.

This step is completely optional. I chose to give my new document file a name, Paper Tear Mask, for clarity.

And this is what happens.

But look at that Bounding Box! I was thrilled to see there’s more to the tear that can be used just by Resizing it.

Now to make it useful and not work too hard while I’m at it. I added a new blank layer underneath the tear layer. Just hold down the CTRL/CMD key and click the sheet-of-paper icon at the upper left of the Layers Panel.

Next, I used the Paint Bucket Tool to fill the whole of the blank layer I just created. Pick any colour you like (but not white) for this step.

To turn the coloured part into a Layer Mask so papers can be Clipped to it, I used a hard, round brush within the Eraser Tool to remove the coloured part above the tear. This can be done quickly because as long as I don’t cross over the tear into the lower part of the coloured area, I can just scrub it away.

And that’s it for creating the tear mask! To move it over onto Krizstina’s template, I’m going to Activate both layers by click-shift-clicking on each of them, then right-click to open the dropdown menu to Duplicate Layers…

This time, I’m going to send them onto the Tinci template.

‘MKay. there are the tear and the mask, placed on top of the background paper and underneath the rest of the layers.

I don’t like the tear up there, just to be a non-conformist. So I’ll move it.

And all that’s left is to add the papers. I’ve used North Meets South Studios’ March Daily Download kit, When Life Gives Lemons. (It’s not available in the store yet, but if you weren’t able to collect all of the files last month, don’t worry. It’ll be in the store soon.) I want the woodgrain paper to be my background and the yellow gingham to be a tablecloth, sort of – maybe one of those vinyl ones with the fuzzy background and now it’s torn 😉 . By Clipping the woodgrain paper to the coloured part I added to the tear, that’s what I get. Cool, right?

Now, if you’d like to do this technique again sometime, you can Save your work As a .psd or .tiff file and reuse it again and again. By having all that coloured area, you can pretty much put the tear anywhere!

This is my finished layout, photos courtesy of Pixabay.

Last week I forgot to mention that Ginger-the-Magnificent has created a special Gallery where layouts you’ve created with these tutorials can be shared. You asked, she answered!! I’ll be swinging by every so often to check it out and leave some love.

PDF Version : https://bit.ly/38jCIlt

Filed Under: Be Inspired, Behind the Scrapbook, Creative Style, Daily Download, Digital Scrapbooking, Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, Tutorials Tagged With: Tutorial Tuesday

Designer Spotlight: April 2022

April 4, 2022 by Jan

It’s Miss Fish!

Oops! I meant to share my conversation with Juli, aka Miss Fish, with you over the weekend but I fell down a genealogical rabbit hole and spent the weekend reading barely legible military service records looking for proof of a hitherto-unknown marriage in 1915. ( I was successful!) Of course, that opened up a bunch more avenues for research. It’s like a snowball rolling downhill. But I digress again. Let’s get to know Juli. (Since we have the same initials, for clarity I’ll be “O” today.”)

O: Thanks for chatting with me, Juli. Let’s get the mundane stuff out of the way first. Can you describe your work space?

J: I have several workstations. I have a laptop that I move around. I have a desk area in the bookcase of our family room where I spend most of my time designing while my husband watches TV. That way we can talk. I also have a hook-up in my home office and when I have to travel for my full-time job I work from the hotel at night with an extra portable monitor to make it easier.

O: Holy cow! How many hats do you wear?? Don’t answer that. It’ll make me feel really lazy. What motivates you when you’re designing?

J: I am inspired by designs that I would use myself to document our travels. I’m also inspired by ideas I get from my Creative Team and my customers.

O: Admirable! I love to scrap my travel photos… I’m sure the Sugar Cookies are very sick of Ireland by now. What one word would people who know you well use to describe you?

J: Kind. I am a people pleaser and I always try to make everyone feel well taken care of and loved.

O: Hmm. I bet your Enneagram is 9. And what a segué into asking you what you’d do if you won the lottery.

J: Is it bad that I already have this planned out? I would quit my full-time job and travel full time between houses all across the globe. I would spend my days exploring and taking photos and my night making travel albums. That would be heaven!!

O: Is it bad? NO! Especially when you’d do something so life-changing with the money. In a perfect world, I’d do something similar. Okay, time for the really stupid question of the convo… Are you more likely to sing, or to dance in the shower? (I have a HUGE shower in my bathroom, big enough to have a party in, so this question comes from that.)

J: Sing and badly. I’d probably slip and kill myself if I tried to dance in the shower.

O: I understand! But nobody can hear me dancing. The neighbours would complain if I sang. Now, if time travel was a thing, would you go back into the past, or ahead into the future?

J: I would want to go back to the early 1900’s just to experience life as it was so I had a better understanding of the history that created America and the cities I’ve visited.

O: I’d be happy if I could make more than one stop. I’d tell my younger self a few things that would change the future. But I’d love to go back to maybe 1930 and visit my Swedish great-grandmother, about whom I know only basic facts. She would be around the age I am now, and would have so many stories to tell. But let’s move on. What colours are your most, and least, favourites?

J: My most favorite color is blue. I always want to buy blue shirts when I’m shopping for casual wear. My least favorite color is orange. I only like certain shades more in the coral range.

O: I’m with you on the orange! I don’t love it at all. Yellow is a close second. You can bet if there are flowers of either colour in my garden, somebody else planted them. Are you a sports fan?

J: I love to watch American football and I often listen to games while I’m designing.

O: I’m glad you clarified without me asking if you meant FOOTBALL or FUTBALL. I don’t enjoy soccer at all. What did you want to be when you grew up?

J: When I was small I wanted to be a teacher. Probably so I could tell everyone what to do. I liked being the boss (still do!)

O: I can relate. One of the things I really loved about nursing was the opportunity to explain what was happening with my patients to their parents. It’s the only way they can make good choices for their kids. The boss part was what drew me to critical care, where nurses have a lot of autonomy. And there I go again, back to you. Aside from necessities, what’s one thing you couldn’t live without?

J: My cell phone! I use it non-stop to communicate with my kids, work, my husband plus it’s the best way to check in with my fans and my Creative Team while I’m at work.

O: Uh. Necessity!! I know you’re busy with all the jobs you have so I won’t keep you any longer. Thanks for the visit!

Ladies, Juli has put her entire store on sale at 30% off, from April 3rd to the 30th! If there’s a template set (or 6) in her store that you’ve been eyeing up, now’s the time. In addition to this sale, she’s also providing the Daily Download this month and hosting the Designer Spotlight Challenge. You don’t want to miss a minute!

See you all again soon! (Tomorrow. I have a nifty trick for y’all!!)