{scraps of jacki's life}

just a quickie...

i'm a little sleepy, i'm having a friday afternoon energy crash, i just want to get home and do nothing at all...

anyway, i just popped in to tell you that you can download this awesome free digital kit by summer here.

and as soon as i regain some energy, i will pick a winner from this giveaway. in the meantime, you can still comment, and qualify for the prize.

and check out the well-deserved praise blog-friend and south african girl candice is getting over at two peas.

if you are a reader of this blog, and you are on facebook, then you can click here to follow this blog, or in the 'follow this blog on facebook'  link in the right sidebar. this is not a separate blog, it is just a little group or community of people who follow this blog. it asks nothing further of you, but it is great for me to know who you are, that's all! it reminds me of the friends i have, in those 'nobody loves me' moments.

what, you don't have those moments?

if you have your own blog, you can link it on facebook here. it all part of networking... and if you are not my facebook friend yet, you can meet me here. i don't throw pigs or send drinks, i promise! 

every time i re-read this post, i find more silly typos. i cannot concentrate. so, i'm leaving for now.

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

digital elements used on this blog...

i use lots of digital images all over this site, and sometimes it is difficult to link the credits with every element. also, i often download elements, and then i cannot remember where they came from.

so, i wanted to create a post that has links in it, that you can follow. it is so much easier when it is all in one place. i will add to it when i download new stuff. and when i use something specific, i will create a link to this post.

the digital stuff i use come mainly from the following sites:

scrapgirls - you can also subscribe to their free newsletter for lots of tips, tutorials and freebies

twolittlepixels - i bought frames here

shabby princess - you can even buy blog banners and blogwear. see some downloads here

jessica sprague - for this grunge mask, and the tutorial

allie hoopes - for this grunge mask, and the tutorial

summertime designs - free stuff like this

shutterfly - also some downloads here and this awesome collection here

two peas in a bucket also has digital elements

cute frames from junosplace and scrapshana

'weekend' word art by ali edwards

dream trip castle dreams mini kit by seebee

thanks to all these sites, for all the wonderful stuff to play with!

and, if you are the creator of anything on this site, and you don't like how i have used it, or you want me to credit you personally, please let me know, i will gladly make changes. i admire your skill, and resolve to be better with the credit in the future.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

20 000...

i'm so excited!

today, my hit counter passed 20 000 hits, since i started this blog on 14 september 2007. wow! wow! wow!

first i would like to thank GOD, without HIM i would not be here. i would also like to thank you, who reads this. THANK YOU! then i would like to thank my parents, my man, and my kids at home. i would also like to thank my grade 11 computer-science teacher. thanks to my internet service provider, m-web, and my blog service provider, typepad, and my hit-stats provider, sitemeter. i would also like to thank...

ok, so i have been watching all the award ceremonies on tv, including the golden globe awards yesterday.

where was i?

oh yes. to celebrate, i will do a RAK.

so, if you comment on this blogpost between now and sunday 18 january, you will be entered in a random draw. and you can win.

there will be 3 winners. you can choose, i will either send you 30 butterflies, like these, and these, no matter where you live. or i will edit 3 of your photos for you, like i did here and here.

also, if you mention this giveaway on your blog, and leave a comment with a link to that post here in the comments, i will enter you in a seperate draw, where you can win butterflies AND a photo-edit.

so, click on the word 'comment' that appears under this, and every post, and send me some love! (you can read more about leaving a comment here).

 

this is a digital layout i scrapped of jomien. she is my friend's daughter. the photo was taken by rina. the paper and embellishments i used are from shabby princess. the border around the photo is from jessica sprague.

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

thankful thursdays: bff's

 

this is una:

she is very artistic. she undervalues herself, she never realises how special she is. she is kind and generous. she takes the bad with the good, and she is always ready to help with anything.

here is charlotte:

she knows how to keep her head up in difficult times. she is quiet, reserved. she is very musical, and appreciates the finer things in life.

theunise is the mother of our group:

 

she is a bit of a drama queen. she is incredibly interesting, and is well read and cultured. she knows many famous people. she loves to debate and she is a deep thinker.

meet antoinette:

 

she is the lady. she is refined and cultural. she is a hostess of note, and believes in doing things right. she uses her good china every day, and loves and appreciates nature.

here is hettie:

 

she has a wonderful dry sense of humor. and she has lots of common sense. she can put people in their place and things in perspective. she has a quiet strength and she is loyal beyond measure.

this is lucia:

 

she is the youngest. she is full of fun, and calls a spade a spade. she is very creative, and has a naughty sense of humor. kids and animals and creativity are her passion.

missing from this post is my dear friend anne. she was not here in november, when these photos were taken. she is going through a difficult time. she is colorful and funny and spontaneous and interesting. she is positive and generous. she is warm and lovable and special.

this represents hettie and theunise so well:

i truly love these girls. they have been my friends for almost 20 years (gosh, that makes me feel old!) and they have been a joy for all that time. our little group has lost a few members along the way, and we have been through some interesting times together. you can see a photoshoot we did and post about them here.

today i'm thankful for great friends. what are you thankful for?

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

blogging

people have asked me in the past to help them set up a blog. because typepad charges a fee, and blogger is free, they normally want blogger. but i have no experience with blogger.

so, i created a practice blog in blogger. it is called just jacki. i am not planning to blog there at this time, but i do want to use it as a place where i can experiment with blog headers and so on. maybe someday i can use it for a class, or a seperate blog.

in the meantime, i am having fun playing with my digital scrapbooking stash, to create the kind of banner that my typepad package does not allow me.

does blogger have page statistics? typepad keeps cool stats, with daily hits, and where they come from. 

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

bye bye butterflies...

see these butterflies? they are getting ready to fly far, far away, across the atlantic ocean, all the way to the USA.

beth saw these butterflies in this post, and asked me to send her some. it took a while, because they had to first come out of their little eggs. but, they are ready, and will be leaving shortly. because they are young butterflies, and their wings are made of paper, they will be flying by airmail...

*edited to add: i mailed them this morning (sat), beth. they should board the plane on tuesday or wednesday, provided their passports are in order.i don't know when they will get to your house, they might take the scenic route. i hope they don't gat airsick on the way...*

i could not log on to the internet this morning, so i closed microsoft explorer, and gave firefox a try. my son francois has been nagging me for ages. so far, so good. which one do you use?

unfortunately, i will not be going to the scrappink event after all, as there was no space for me! ha! they are gonna miss me! *sigh*! i was so looking forward to sitting down and scrapping. oh well, next time maybe..

i have been designing a business card for myself, using my still new digital scrapbooking skills. i love how it came out!

now i have to find someone who will print them for me.

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

free online class with jessica sprague

this looks great! i'm in...

 

you can find more info here.

love, jacki

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

photoshop tutorial - how to make eyes 'pop'

i have lots of admin to do, so i thought it would be the perfect time to write another tutorial... anything to avoid 'work'.

this time i will show you how to make eyes 'pop' in photoshop. it makes eyes look bright and beautiful and lively. it puts a twinkle in your eyes, if you will... i use photoshop elements 6, but this will work in any photoshop. this follows directly on the tutorial on how to create a softened or dreamy-looking photo. i started using this extra step after i wrote that tutorial, but it is really great if you use it in conjunction with those steps. you can use it on it's own too.

the warning label was a digital freebie by valerie randall at scrapgirls.

first this disclaimer: all tricks seen on this page are done by trained professionals. please do not try this at home...  not! i am NOT a trained professional, i am not even a untrained professional. or a trained unprofessional. i am no expert, i just love playing with photoshop, and i am always looking for new ways to make my photos look better. ok? and you are welcome to try this at home. or at work. or in a coffee shop. or wherever. that is the whole point...

lets start where we ended with the first tutorial:

the festival vintage frame is from shabby princess.

they look identical at first glance, but look again at the eyes. see how the eyes 'pop' in the right hand photo? i will show you how to do this.

open your photo in photoshop, and do basic edits. you can follow the steps as described in the tutorial on how to create a softened photo, but this is optional. i did. now, right-click on the little thumb-nail of your photo on the right side of your screen, and 'create duplicate layer'. when it asks you for a name, call it 'eyes' or something that will make it easier for you to know what you did where.

with the 'eyes' layer selected, use your lasso tool, as shown by the pink arrow, and draw a shape around the whole eye. don't worry too much about how precise it is. when you have the 'marching ants' around the eye area, it is automatically selected.

{on the top menu bar, click on 'select', as shown by the green arrow. on the drop-down menu select 'modify', as shown by the red arrow, and then 'expand' as shown by the yellow arrow. in the menu box, fill in 'expand by 2 pixels'. this makes your selected area a little bigger.} this whole step is optional, if you are happy with how you selected the area.

now click on 'enhance' in the top menu bar, and then on 'auto sharpen'. only the selected area will sharpen, in this case the eye. you could click on 'auto sharpen' more than once, if you want, you can decide when the result is what you want. the point is that it is subtle and natural, you don't want your loved one to look high or feverish... if you sharpened too many times, you can click on 'edit' and the 'undo adjust sharpness', and it will undo that step. just play around until you are happy. remember to do the other eye as well (duh). just repeat the steps.

if, at any stage you want to start over, click on 'edit' and 'revert', and it will take you back to your original photo, or 'delete layer' to delete whatever you did on this layer.

this is anika. my sister paula's daughter. here she is in a pensive mood...

the frame is a floral frame by michelle coleman that you can download here.

and here is carla, my 'baby' sis:

and after the eyes trick:

the frame is the festival scalloped frame from shabby princess.

you see, subtle. yet interesting. please let me know if you like this?

you can see my other photoshop, scrapbooking and papercrafting tutorials here.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, gauteng, south africa

this post got linked to: paxton prints, photoshop-pack (on 8 november 08 this post has had 1211 hits from here alone!), image insider, 2x del.ico.us, bild och foto, scrapscene, capturedinthemomentphotography

sean's school photos, and a linky-day keeps work-blues at bay... what?...

i made this layout last week, after being inspired by a layout by the amazing, the talented, the nicest melani. i used those boring school photos. i love the way the 2 pattern papers (queen of hearts and 7 gypsies) go together! this is the kind of layout that the shop-owner in me does not approve of. it has very little 'product' on it. only paper, mainly. not a big sales booster. also, notice that although it is a school layout, it has no school embellishments/paper etc. but i am enjoying it, it makes my eyes happy.. edited to add: i taught this layout in our workshop today (saturday), and although everyone's layout was different, they were all beautiful!  that is what makes scrapbooking so rewarding!

blogging in bed again. thought i'd have a linky day, to keep you from your work, and so avoiding those work-day blues. it sure beats solitaire... remember to open an excel spreadsheet in another window, so you can switch to it quickly when the boss walks by... just my contribution to the productivity in your office. remember when tetris came out? it seems like a million years ago. at the time, it was said that it was invented in russia, to decrease productivity in the west. i think it worked, too...

i have found 2 new blogs that i would like to kick of my 'blog of the moment' feature with. i enjoyed visiting them: my marrakesh is about a woman who is living in morocco. also, i enjoyed 37 days, that asks the question, what if you had 37 days left to live? the third blog that i'd like to highlight, is one i have been visiting often, for quite a few months, and is in my blogroll. yet, christine middlekamp is always worth a visit. there is so much scrapbooking inspiration there, and real life, too. tell me what you think of these blogs, i'd love to know!

next, go to jessica sprague. she is an awesome source of photoshop-inspiration. see her tutorial for making your photos 'pop'. also, i found a link on her blog to a photography article on 5 ways to hold your veiwer's attention. in fact, the website that the article is on, beyond megapixels, is a good site to visit if you are a photography fan.

then, if you have taken the digital photo, and photoshopped it, then you can digitally scrap it by using the free digital scrapbook kit you can find on that great site shutterfly.

if you have not done so, visit the south african scrapbook convention's website, and book. on the booking form, where they say 'group' tell glenda you are with scrappin times, and she will put you in our group. it really is a great event. and glenda is great too...

tomorrow is madiba - nelson mandela's  90th birthday.

i have not forgotton about the brillante weblog award. i will pass it on soon, i promise! in the meantime, please nominate any blog you read and love. i would like to make it democratic.

if you follow any of these links, leave a comment to tell me what you liked. also, on those blogs, leave a comment and tell them jacki sent you. comments are good. comments are what bloggers blog for. bloggers loooove comments. i know i do. don't know how to comment? just look directly below this post. there you will find the word 'comment'. just click on the word, and it will take you to a comment form. easy! even blondes from benoni can do it...

anyway, i'd better get out of bed, and get ready to go to work. i finished another scrapbook layout last night. seems i got my mojo back!

love, jacki

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, south africa

great free digital kit, and random, disjointed and meaningless ramblings...

i had a makeover! do you like my new look? i wish i could custom-make my own banner - i would use my newly aquired digital scrapbooking skills, as i have been practising on the banners i made for the statistics and highlights and tutorials posts. and i would make a new look every month or so. but the difference in price for the blog package that allows me to do that is quite big, and the rand/dollar exchange rate is very steep! this little blog does not make any money, so it will just have to wait... in the meantime, i will look out for nice new blog templates to use.

of course, if you have been thinking of setting up a blog, and don't have time to learn everything that i already know, i could help you by setting up your blog for you, for a fee. then i could use that to upgrade to the better package. you don't need to be near me, you could be on the other side of the world, it can all be done by email. is that a good idea?

 

i saw this free kit somewhere last week, and then couldn't remember where. fortunately, annette featured it on her blog. thanks for the reminder, doll!

you can find this gorgeous free 'wonderful' digital kit on creating keepsakes site.

it is really worth downloading. you will see many of it's elements popping up on my blog soon!

a previous free kit from michelle, 'renewal', is still one of my favourites. i found it on shutterfly, along with many other digital freebies.

for those of you who were asking about the man, who was in hospital for a few hours for some tests earlier this week. the doctor says he has ulcerative colitis, an inflammation of the intestine. we are thankful to GOD that it is a treatable condition, and not something more serious. he is fine.

some days i cannot think of anything to write on this blog. i open it, check my stats, read comments, then open the 'compose new post' screen and stare at it blankly, waiting for inspiration that does not come. the little voices in my head (yeah, those..) tell me that nobody cares about what i have to say, and what is so interesting about my little life anyway? i had that last week. then, this week, i have so much to say. i have about 4/5 posts ready to upload, in addition to the ones i have posted already. i have been busy! making the summary of this blog for the statistics and highlights post was good for me, it really reminded me of how far i have come, and how much i have learned. i guess it is like scrapbooking, sometimes you just cannot seem to be able to do anything, and other times you produce those masterpieces like you are a factory worker. don't you just love it when that layout almost scraps itself? well sometimes this blog almost writes itself too, and that feels sooo good!

anyway, i feel another post coming up, but that one you will only see next week. and rene, um, i am getting tired of staring at your deserted little corner of the www. how about a little update? i miss you girl, and come over to visit you, and you not there...

love, jacki

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, south africa

 

the man

i found a great tutorial on jessica spraugue's website. it is about how to make the grungy frame i used, and includes the free frame/mask. you can find it here.

the man has been cranky, and difficult to live with lately. does your man get like this too? i decided to make this softened photo of him. moody and scratchy around the edges. 'cause that's a good description of him at the moment...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, south africa

photoshop elements tutorial - how to create a softened or dreamy photo

this tutorial will show you how to create a softer look for a photo. it is especially nice for a portrait, but can be used for any photo. i work in elements 6, but it will be similar in CS.

this little guy is eduard. he is my brother andre's son. he is almost 8 years old, and he is quite a serious little man, a deep thinker and philosopher.

open photoshop in editor mode, and open a portrait photo of your choice. i chose little eduard. do any cropping and basic edits you need to do.

now: first you need to create a duplicate layer to work on. there are a few ways to do this, i click on CTRL-J. you can call this layer 'soften' (by clicking on the name and typing the new one), so you know which one i'm referring to. make sure this layer is selected.

in the top menu, click 'FILTER' then 'BLUR' then 'GAUSSIAN BLUR'.

enter a value for the blur radius. i chose about 9, but you can experiment with what works here. when you click ok, you will see the photo becomes very blurry. this is fine, we will fix this. you can see how blurred mine is below.

those of you who saw my previous photoshop tutorial - did you see i figured out how to show you a screen shot? i really did find a tutorial on the internet about it...  you can find information about everything on the www!

go to 'layers' on the layers palette. see there to the left of my arrow? did you also see that i figured out how to make arrows? so cool! man, i'm lovin' this... there where it says 'normal', click on that and a drop-down menu appears. click on 'screen'. with the 'soften' layer still selected, change the opacity by using the slider, to a level that makes you happy. i used about 80%. better? better!

now, find the little picture of a circle that has is dark and half light.  a menu will appear.

click on 'brightness/contrast'. on the little screen that appears, experiment with the slider till you are happy. i made my 'brightness' about 12 and the 'contrast' about 26, but once again, see what works for you.

change the order of the layers by clicking your mouse over the little photo, and dragging it below the 'adjustment layer', so it is in the order shown. then, on the top menu, click on 'layer', 'group with previous layer'. this means that the edits you do are only linked to that layer, and not all layers.

when you are happy with the way your photo looks, you can flatten the layers by right-clicking on one of the layers and selecting 'flatten image' from the menu. at this stage i like to add a frame, but this is up to you.

the rough edge around the photo is a frame from the festival range from shabbyprincess, called vintage frame.  and the frame around my gran's photo is from there too, called swirlyframe.

this is my gran, jaco sparrius. i'm hoping that when i'm 92, my granddaughter will use windows vista '58, and photoshop elements 29, to soften my photos that she took with her 98gigapixel camera that enhances all blemishes and scars...

of course, i'm also hoping that by then the makers of viagra will have a pill that keeps your skin firm for 24-48 hours, and that loreal will have a age re-perfect contour firming collagen and protein cream that has jane fonda still looking 60 at the age of 180, and the instant-slim-and-sexy-without-diet-or-excercise-pill has finally come on the market.

 

the frame is from scrapgirls, called old photo frames.

for both my and my gran's photos i chose a slightly higher blur radius, about 10 or so. i thought we needed a little more blurring to soften the effects of aging on our skins. either that, or more age-reperfect cream... at the 'brightness/contrast' step when editing my grandmother's photo, i actually decreased the brightness to a negative level, as it was way too bright. you need to experiment with your levels, as each photo is different.

you know, it is no wonder we have poor self-image. if this is what i can do on my home computer with a entrylevel photo editing software package, can you think what they do with the photos they take for magazine adverts. and we think those looks are the norm? they are edited to the max, creating perfection that is impossible to live up to!

please tell me if this tutorial worked for you, and if you got a glitch, please tell me, so i can fix it? thank you!

there is a photoshop tutorial that follows on this one: how to make eyes 'pop'.

you can also read my other photoshop tutorial: how to download and use a decorative frame on your photos.

you can find other photoshop, papercraft and scrapbooking tutorials here.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbook shop, benoni, south africa

this post was linked to by: scrapscene, photoshop pack, paxton prints

generations

i did some more digital scrapbooking yesterday. every time i try, i learn a little more. about digital scrapbooking, and about photoshop.

my mother and my son are actually the best of friends, and they love to go out together. they go to movies, art movies, museums and the theater.  francois is very mature for his age, and my mom is very young for her age, so they don't seem to be from different generations at all.

most of what i used was from the 'dinner party' range, a freebie from shabby princess. the frame around the photos is also from them, from the 'festival' range. the tag is from shutterfly, from michelle coleman's 'renewal' range. the font is my own handwriting that was made into a computer font by allie hoopes. you can read all about it here.

all the digital scrapbooking kits i have at this time are freebies. i am still new at this, and didn't want to rush out and spend money on stuff i might not use, so it is nice to be able to use the freebies. i do have my eye on some things i have to buy, but even those are under $8.

a lot of people have been asking what the point is with digital scrapbooking, especially someone tactile like me, who is really only happy when there is glue under my nails, and ink on my fingers. but i find it difficult to scrap in the shop, as there are too many distractions and interruptions. so, playing around on my computer is easier. and, i am learning lots about photoshop at the same time. also, by printing frames on my photos, or embellishments that i cannot find elsewhere, i can add to my paper scrapping. then, i could use it for those photos i might put on my blog, but never actually scrap. and finally, it gives so many design options. i could make really cool business cards and pamphlets and invitations and blog pages, etc, with the elements and skills i got with digital scrapping. besides, i was not really doing anything productive between 9pm and midnight, so i have all this time for yet another addiction...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop, benoni, south africa

digital scrapbooking - my new addiction...

i had sooo much fun this morning. i did my first real digital scrapbooking! i downloaded a few free digital kits this week, and now i got to play with them:

the couple are mariska and ian. mariska is my cousin. all the digital goodies are from shabby princess, the promise collection, except the frame around the photo, that is from shutterfly, michelle coleman, renewal. did you see there are even staples in there?

i must say, my eye does miss the inking around the edges of the paper, and the sanding of the edges of the photo. and i miss having ink under my fingernails. but i did have fun. i do need to ask, if i don't have a blog, what do i do with this now?

as i mentioned before, i am part of typepad's beta team. we have been testing all sorts of new features for a few weeks, to iron out the bugs. so, if you are a blogger with typepad, you will be getting these features within the next few days. there are a few improvements, and they are quite easy to use. enjoy them!

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop

photoshop elements tutorial: how to download and use a frame on your photos

i use photoshop elements 6, but i'm sure it is very similar in CS2 and 3.

let me say this from the start: i'm by no means an expert. i have had photoshop for a few weeks only, and i'm still very much a beginner. there are lots of amazing free tutorials on how to edit your photos on the web, so i would much rather point you that way for advice way better than mine. but i did not find any tips on putting a cute frame around my photos, and that is one of the things that i was really wanting to do when i decided to buy photoshop. so let's learn this together:

lets start with the cast of characters:

one is wonderful and gorgeous and cute, and the other is carli... carli is the daughter of my sister, paula. i did some editing on the photo of carli, softening some of the background a little. make sure that your photo is cropped and edited the way you like it. that is for cleverer people than i to explain. head on over to digiscrap 101, if you want to know more about that. the frame is part of a digital scrapbooking kit that was free.

i always open the tutorial i'm using in one window, and photoshop in another. then i can switch between windows, and try the steps myself, till i have got it. so, we will all wait a few minutes while you go off, make that quick cup of coffee, close the office door, and open photoshop. remember to open a spreadsheet in a third window, so if the boss comes by, you can switch to that...

back yet? comfortable? ready? ok, here we go:

on your desktop, you open a new folder, and call it 'downloads'. i always have that, and download everything in there, so it is easier to find afterward. we are all going to visit a website called shutterfly. it's like a little field trip. let's all synchronize our watches, and meet back here in, say, 15 minutes time. but wait! before you go, let me tell you what to do when you get there.

you just have to click on the red word 'shutterfly', and it will magically open a window, and you can follow the breadcrumbs. spend a few minutes looking around. then click on the place in the sidebar that says 'digital scrapbooking freebies'. you scroll down to a place that says 'Thank you Michelle Coleman : What an Inspiration! (or, you can just click on this link, and it will take you straight there. it's a shortcut...). 

see  'download 1.zip' etc? you can download all three, but the frame is in download1, i think. right click on that, and choose 'save target as'. choose to download it in your 'downloads' file. when it is finished, you have to unzip it. because you have to give credit to the designer when you use the product, and rightly so, i always rename the file, and mention the name of the website, designer and product, so it is easy for me to remember later who to credit. in this case my file is now called 'shutterfly, michelle coleman, renewal 3'.

when you have done all this, click on the 'downloads' folder, and check if it is all there, and what the filename of the frame is. (MCO DecoFrame). then go do some work for a few hours, to keep the boss happy.

open photoshop. just so we are all on the same page (get it? the same page? ok, sorry...), go to organiser mode. find a nice photo. you will not have a photo of carli. at least, i hope not, unless you are paula. and even paula will not have this photo of carli, as i took it. i digress...

with the photo open, click on 'fix' and then 'full edit'. while i'm doing this, my anti-virus software is running it's weekly full scan, so the computer is sooo slooow. you'll just have to be patient. like me. patient is my middle name. the editor mode will open with your photo, like this: 

 well now, that photo is just awful! please excuse me for a few hours while i go look for a tutorial on doing tutorials...

it will just have to do. you can't just leave a bunch of people sitting in front of their computers, reading this, and go off to figure it out. it's my homework for next time.

now, where was i? oh yes, in editor mode. where it says 'layers', you should see a small photo, and it should say 'background' and be locked. right click on the little photo, and click on 'duplicate layer', to create a new layer. make sure the new layer is highlighted, because this is where you are going to work. if you get this far, then you have full marks for part one. yaay! there is an amazing description of the concept of layers at pioneerwoman's blog. go read it some time. i cannot describe it better than this and this!

click on 'file', 'open'. in the top menu bar, find your downloads folder. and look for the frame. MCO DecoFrame, remember? double click on it. it will open in the editor, above your photo. use your mouse, and move the whole frame block to the right, so you can see the photo and the frame at the same time. use your mouse, click in the middle of the frame, hold the button in, and drag the frame over the photo. let go. it should be sitting there, on the photo, although the size and position may be wrong. we'll fix that. it's amazing what we can fix. close the box with the frame in it.

in the 'layers' box, you will see that there is a new layer, one with the frame in it. make sure this layer is selected. now you will be able to move and resize the frame. while you were moving your mouse around there, did you notice that the little arrow somtines get curved, or rounded? when it does that, you can click there, hold your mouse button down, and rotate the frame, turning the frame upside down. move it around until you are happy. when you are, you can click on the green tick.

with the frame layer still highlighted, you can click where it says 'opacity'. a little slider will appear. slide it till it is as light or as dark as you want it to be. i chose 60%, so it is a little softer. this is what you would have, if you used a photo of carli:

 

oh dear, these photos are downright embarrassing. i blush. so sorry!

actually, i did it on purpose, to show you that i am no expert in photoshop. no self-respecting photoshop expert would EVER let photos like this appear anywhere. only blonds would ever try...

now, i want to show you how to change the color of the frame. but i don't know how to do it myself yet. so, you do some work again, while i go see if i can figure it out...

{she leaves, and fiddles on computer...}

ok, i managed to change the color, but i am convinced that i did it the hard way, so i am not even going to tell you. but, if you want to try, right click on the small picture of the frame in 'layers', and duplicate the layer. then you can experiment with the frame, and if you don't like it, right click on the small photo again, and 'delete layer'.

when you are happy with what you did, right click on the small photo in 'layers', and 'flatten layers'. this will combine all the layers, giving you one. then, you can either close the editor without saving anything, thus losing all your work (some experimental work deserves to be lost...), or click on 'file', 'save as' and make a title that you will be able to find. and voila!  

 

so i just spent half a day writing this tutorial. and, i get to call it 'work'. ha ha! did you like it? i tried to make it as detailed as possible, so that even if you have never worked in photoshop before, you should be able to follow this. please tell me if it works, or if you battled. did i inspire you to try? or did i put you off for ever? should i shut up, and call it a day? yes, i should...

you can also read my other photoshop tutorials: how to create a softened photo and how to make eyes 'pop'.

you can find other photoshop, papercraft and scrapbooking tutorials here.

 
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop

this post was linked to by: scrapscene and photoshop pack, paxton prints

tutorial - download fonts for your computer

My husband lets me buy as much scrapbooking stuff as I can hide...

If you were inspired to journal more by one of my previous posts, and cannot bear to use your own handwriting, then journal on your computer and print it on a piece of cardstock, vellum, or transparancy. I will tell you step by step how to download new fonts from the internet, to use in your documents.

First, you create a new folder on your desktop, and you 'rename' it to 'downloads', or 'fonts'. This makes it easier to find them later.

You can Google the words "free Fonts". You will get lots of websites. Also, you could go to a local website called Scrapkits. There you click on 'Free Stuff". Once you have found the fonts you want to download, you click on the 'download' option. It will then give the option to 'open', 'save' or 'cancel'. Choose 'save'. It will then ask you where, and you will select the folder you created for it. Click on 'save' again. You can then close it all, and download the next. Continue downloading and saving in your folder until you are finished. You can now disconnect from the internet if you want to.

Now you go to 'My Computer', to 'Control Panel', and you open a folder called 'Fonts". You 'drag and drop' or 'copy and paste' the fonts icons out of your new folder, into this folder. This step is very important, as your computer only looks for fonts here.

When you are finished, you can open a new document, and select any of your new fonts. Have fun!

And if you want to comment on this, or any blog entry, click on the word 'comment' below. A little form will appear where you can say hi.

Love,

Jacki