{scraps of jacki's life}

photoshoot continued...

as promised yesterday, here are some more photos from the photoshoot:

there were some gorgeous photos.

and, because some of you were wondering, i was also there:

funny though. my photos weren't so gorgeous...

...but i have issues!

the photographer, amelia, is available in the east rand, and pretoria.

she really brought everyone's inner model out.

next, i'll show some of the group shots!

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

photoshoot friday...

on friday my friend amelia came, and we had a photoshoot here at the shop.

amelia is a photographer. she came with a ton of props.

we had so much fun, and it shows in the photos..

here are just a fraction of the photos she took.

i'll post some more tomorrow.

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

photoshop tutorial : aging your photos

it is probably ridiculous, to take a perfectly fine, recent, good quality photo, and make it look aged and distressed. i mean, other people take their really old photos, and refresh them to make them look 'newer' and better.. but i have always been a little different.

to me, photoshop is also an expression of my creativity. so although i love 'normal' photos, i also really enjoy the creative process that is photoshop.

sometimes i like to open a photo in photoshop, and just play around with it. that is the best way to learn anything anyway. and this is something i discovered while playing.

i will show you what i do. this is not the 'right' way, or even the best way. it is just the way i played and experimented and stumbled to create this:

this is carli. this photo was taken 80 years ago end of last year. she is unwrapping christmas gifts. it actually looked like this:

 

it is cute this way too.

here we go:

open a photo that you want to experiment with in photoshop. i use photoshop elements 6, but any version should work similarly. do basic crops and edits. i like to save the image at this stage, before i work on it further, so i have the 'original but improved' version.

when i save an image, i like to be specific with the name. i will call the one with the basic edits something like 'carli'. then i might change to sepia, and save it as 'carli sepia'. then i might add a frame, and call it 'carli sepia frame', and so forth. it just makes it easier for me to find the right photo when i need it, especially if i didn't like a specific edit. sometimes i call it 'carli a' and then 'carli b', 'carli c' etc. each save has a further edit.

now, open a new layer. decide if you want to change your photo to black and white, or to sepia. play with both, if you don't like it, go back a step or delete the layer, and try the other.

 

that little brown apple is the button you click on to change to sepia, then click on 'apply' just below the apple. 

see, sepia! just below the 'apply' button, is a button that says 'opacity'. if you click on it, a slider appears. move the slider about, play with it and see what happens. a few of the colors from the photo below will start showing through. i like that it is a little pinker, a little warmer.

being pinker and warmer is always good...

i moved my slider to 80%, but you do what you like. if you are completely happy with the effect, then right click on the little photo to the right again, and click on 'flatten image'. if you want, you can save here.

remember that it works exactly the same in black and white.

now, let's play a little further.

when you have flattened your layers, you will have one sepia photo sitting in your editor, and no other layers.

 

now, right click on the layers, and select 'duplicate layer'. now you have 2 identical photos sitting above each other in the layer area. find the opacity slider, and start moving it down. you will not notice much difference, until you use the little eye icon next to the bottom layer, and switch that layer off. now you will see that the top layer is becoming transparent.

 

play around with the opacity slider, until you are happy with the effect. you can right click on the layers, select 'flatten layers' to see what it will look like, and if you are not satisfied, click on edit - unflatten layers, and your layers will pop up again, and you can play some more.

 

you see, it creates a beautifully soft effect.

a beautifully soft effect is quite flattering. i wish i could do that in the mirror in the mornings...

for a list of digital elements used in this post and elsewhere on this blog, look here.

please leave me a comment if you like this, or don't like this, or have something to add. thanks.

you can see my other photoshop tutorials here.

this post was linked to by scrapscene and photoshop pack

 

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

16 things about me...

i saw these '16 things' lists on ali edwards' blog, and also at helen's. it looked like a fun way to string some random blabbering together. so, here goes:

1. i went over to amelia (my next door neighbor who you met in this post) last night. she wants to take her photography further, and i needed a victim sucker guinea pig to practice my photoshop class on, so i got in my car, and drove to her house - what? it was night and i live in the country, our properties are big and there is electric fencing in between. so i drive. the entire 150 meters - and after a cup of coffee we left her husband to watch WWE Raw in peace, and got to work.
   
2. i left there at about 01h45, got to bed at after 2, and then i couldn't fall asleep. my head was buzzing, full of ideas. 'what if i tried this, i should change that, i'm sure that will be a great idea'... when i eventually fell asleep, i was happily dreaming of teaching photoshop to large classes in fancy venues with powerpoint presentations running on audio visual thingy-ma-jiggies. and i was using a laser pointer. that has always been my dream, to use a laser-pointer. for something other than playing 'catch the dot' on the walls with my kids...
3. so, this morning, now that i can actually start working on those brilliant ideas, i'm exhausted. my eyes feel like they have sand in them, my head fells heavy, and instead of thinking of all those wonderful ideas, my battered brain cells can think of nothing but coffee... lots of coffee... thank goodness for spell-checkers, because you should have seen what the first draft of this post looked like!
   
4. anyway, the point of this blabbering is to tell you that i'm excited. and i'm thinking/planning/dreaming. and that my posts have points.
5. i have found a few sites about photography that i need to study further. you might not be interested, but i want to look at them lots more over the next few days, and i need a place to put the links so i can easily find them later. so here they are. you can follow the links if you like. or not. if you do, you might just bump into me wandering around in there... coffeeteaphotography, cliff mautner
6. and my favorite photography place to visit is pioneerwoman photography. read this post for an interesting idea.
7. you see? my posts have points. lots of them. they just don't always make sense. and they don't always gel well together. that is why this list thing is a great idea.
8. this post and this one and this one had me laughing out loud today. you might as well just read the whole blogs while you are there. and while you are surfing, go see what donna downey has done here. with fabric. after you are finished on my blog, of course. ...you cannot leave now... i'm still talking... hey, come back... how rude!...
9. oh yes. this list is supposed to be about me, and where i am now. i forgot.
10. i have a serious affliction. i lose hours a day. almost every day. time gone. forever. unproductive. it is called internet-itis. the symptoms are: facebook. blogs. photoshop sites. scrapbooking heavens. wilna. google reader. my own blog. email. photography gaze-in-awe-fests. time, and brain cells get sucked in and swallowed up by that big black cyber-hole. bad for productivity. but oh-so-much-fun!
11. i have five more points to fill. darn! and i have nothing intelectually stimulating to say. like that has stopped me before.
12. :-)
13. after wearing contact lenses for 12/15 years, i have just got glasses. today. and since the medical aid will not pay for glasses and contacts in the same 2 year cycle, i will have to wear them permanently. if i can got used to them.
14. my son francois has just gone to register for his second honors degree. he studied BA (Economics and Politics), and then did his honors in economics last year. for the cv. but international politics have always been his passion. and now he is going to study what he really enjoys. he plans to study for many more years. anything to avoid working for a living...
15. i have not done any paper scrapbooking since mid-november. that is the longest that i have not scrapped since i started. but i have been creating a little scrapping corner in the shop to work in. i will post about it soon.
16. liza is teaching this awesome project on saturday 31 january. booking is essential. in fact, book now to avoid the stampede. it is different. it is unique. it is great!

it's a tea tray! with glass in it! (hence the reflective glare and the difficulty getting the lighting right) and it fits a 12x12 single page layout. so you can change the layout if you wish, or you can keep it just the way it is. isn't that so cool?

 

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

i have been tagged...

by toni from chick-chat. funny how we can have friends on the other side of the world, that we will probably never meet...

toni was so nice. she said this about me: jacki is a very talented writer/Photoshopper/scrapper/all-rounder whose blog is always entertaining. thanks toni!

anyway, the tag works like this:
1. navigate to where you keep your pictures, select the 6th folder, and the 6th picture in that folder.
2. Then post it on your blog with an explanation of the story behind the picture
3. tag 6 other people to do the same, and make sure you let them know about it.

the photo:

the story:

in december the man and i popped in to say hi to our friends who also happen to be our neighbors, amelia and jannie. amelia and i get along well, we have scrapbooking and photography (amongst other things) in common, and our men also get along well (they have drinking beer in common :-)).

anyway, amelia and jannie's 2 children both got married within a month of each other, in november and december 2008. amelia was showing me their wedding photos on her computer. and the photos made my photoshoppin' fingers itch...

amelia cut me a disk with some of the photos, and i had a wonderful time playing around.

this photo is of amelia and jannie's daughter sheynelle and her new hubby morne. it just happened to be photo# 6 of folder #6.

it's good thing it wasn't that very unflattering one of me taken by my son... phew!

the tags:

chantal

melani

nicky

marcia

francois

clive

i have tagged some people outside my usual circle, and some new bloggers, and some new blog-friends. GO!

as you may have gathered from my sporadic posting over the last week or 2, i have been a little distracted. i have been thinking. ouch!

i have a few projects up my sleeve. first is valentine's day. every year i wake up to all the 'celebrations' a little late, this year i'm planning ahead.

next is a photoshop class. a 'real life' one. 4 classes, 3 hours each, commencing in march. i'm doing it properly, i'm planning and thinking and writing it down. the cost will be R400 for the course, and i will give you good value for your money. are you interested?

then, later, in a few weeks/months time, i want to convert the photoshop course into an online one. this needs a little more planning and research, so it will take a little longer to come to pass. amongst others, i need to figure out how i can receive online payments, as south africans cannot receive payments through paypal. any ideas?

would you like a course like that?

i am also editing photos for clients.

there is one more project/ambition/plan in my mind, but that will have to wait a little longer. i cannot do everything at once.

i am telling you all this, and i am saying it out loud, so i don't chicken out. i'm good at thinking and planning and dreaming, but i'm not so good at doing, taking risks, putting myself out there. maybe a fear of failure? but i have to do something, as my laptop is in hospital, and will cost a fortune to fix. a fortune i don't have, and i must earn soon.

i will announce the winner of my RAK that i posted here tomorrow, so you have a few hours to comment if you still want to be in the draw.

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

is it cheating?

is it cheating when i use photoshop?

or is it important to photoshop your photos?

is it that i'm not keeping it real?

or is photography art?

do i have to show you what i see?

or may i show you what i feel about what i see?

am i changing reality?

or am i improving it?

am i cheating when i photoshop my photos?

or am i seeing life through rose-tinted glasses?

all these photos were taken by my sister carla. and they were all 'fixed' or 'improved' by me, by boosting the brightness, increasing the contrast, and sharpening the image. some changes are subtle. some are more drastic.

sometimes people react with a little shudder when i mention editing a photo in photoshop. most of these people take their photography seriously. as though photoshopping a photo somehow detracts from the quality of the photo, or the skill of the photographer.

taking a good photo is still the most important factor in the end result. a good natural photo will always be better than a bad photoshopped photo. but sometimes the contributing factors are not perfect. the light is just not right. the subject is not co-operative. there is no time to fiddle with the settings on your camera. you only have one opportunity to take that photo. the weather is overcast. the background is awful. you know, LIFE happens.

so, i believe in editing my photos. i believe in improving the weather and light conditions. i believe in removing or softening the distracting background. i believe in softening or sharpening. i feel that photography is an art, and that i am allowed to show you what i feel, rather than just what i see.

there is nothing like capturing that perfect shot, that beautiful moment, that awesome look. but even if it is good, i like to add my artistic touch to it, by editing it so it just feels right to me.

so, what do you believe? do you think photoshop is cheating?

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking 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: liza

liza gave me this photo to edit:

that is her and her husband, dirk. it is a beautiful photo to start off with, so it almost didn't need any editing. not that that has ever stopped me...

she should know by now, if you stand still long enough near me, you will be edited and blogged...

liza works here in the shop on monday mornings. she does the books.

and she sells people stuff they didn't know they needed.

 

she also teaches scrapbooking workshops on wednesdays and saturdays. 

beautiful, and brains too! and creative! and nice!

 

she is a star! she is worth so much to me in the shop, and especially as a friend. i love you liza! thanks for being such an amazing person. i would not want to have this shop without you...

today i'm thankful for a wonderful colleague and friend. what are you thankful for?

 

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

praying mantis

on sunday sean got a new little friend.

"hey, little friend. nice to meet you!"

"let's see you up close"...

 

"oooh, you are tickling me!"

 

"let's pray together, my friend".

and to prove that i actually do some work around here...

what do you mean scrapbooking isn't work? it is for me - i have a scrapbooking shop.

it was another tough day at the office...

 

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

pappa and mamma

i did a photo shoot of my mom and dad last week.

they came to the shop. we hung a tablecloth as a background. they wanted some 'formal' shots.

i think they came out great.

now i have christmas gifts for my siblings - a cd of all the pics and prints of the above ones, and plenty of good photos to scrap.

 

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

how to remove red eyes with photoshop - it's easy!

this is a little tutorial for beginners, and people who have never got round to mastering the red-eye tool.

i use photoshop elements 6, but it will work the same in other versions.

open the photo you are going to be working on. marni and anika look a little possessed.

 

look for the tool in your left-hand toolbox that looks like this. click on it.

your cursor becomes a little cross. hold the cross over the middle of the red part of the eye, and click. see the red disappear. it's magic! repeat for all eyes, and you will have this:

ok, not exactly this. it would be weird if you had a photo of my nieces. but you get the idea.

you can see my other tutorials here.

 

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

christmas is coming...

 

i edited this photo of marni over the weekend. i'm not sure what i did, i just played. i really like it.

last week i played a little with making christmas cards, but i didn't get far, as i cannot feel the christmas spirit yet. then yesterday i went to a teacher's class (yes, we teachers go to classes too. we also need an inspirational kick in the butt), and we did a christmas layout. there is no more denying it, christmas is coming..

 

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

photoshop trick

i found a little tutorial on allie hoops' blog today. you can download a grungy clipping mask, and use it on a photo. i used it here:

 

because i'm one of those people who believes that if it worked well once, it will work double as well twice, i then put jessica sprague's grunge mask over it:

 

i wish there was a mask we could use to soften the edges of real life. then i would not be so sad today over my dear friend anne's devastating news.

rinse and repeat until you are rougher around the edges than amy winehouse:

 

ok, enough of that. i could keep doing it all morning, but i think you get it...

 

thanks allie!

 

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

makeover...

she will probably kill me for this, because i didn't ask her permission. but since she posted the 'before' pic on her blog herself, and since she is probably shopping up a storm in dubai as this very moment, i thought she would never find out. so all of you, please shhh.... 

this is rachael scholz. she is one of the teachers for the convention this weekend. i used this photo of her (top, left) that she had on her blog, to show you what the 'makeover' looks like that you can win by leaving a comment in the post labelled 'blogging' before monday.

   

 

 

is this 'makeover' something you would like me to do for you? would you pay me for it? if so, how much do you think it's worth? i'm asking, because i am thinking of offering this service. the beauty of it is that you could be anywhere in the world, with email and a paypal account, it can all be done. tell me what you think. i will also use the photos of one volunteer, and make a tutorial that you could follow for free, if you have photoshop. please tell me your thoughts on the subject. also tell me if you agree/disagree with photoshopping photos.

one of my clients said that if i could make her look like a 21 year old again, she would pay me thousands...

it is very hot here in johannesburg at the moment. we are having a heatwave, and temperatures are over 31' C. not unusual in january, but it is still spring!

 

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

tutorial - creative cropping

playing and experimenting with photoshop has really made me feel more adventurous. and there is one thing i have realised - sometimes being unconventional and creative makes for a so much better photo.

{some of you who read this blog regularly will have seen some of these photos before. }

i want to show you some examples of how interesting creative cropping can be. you do not need photoshop for this, any photo editing software can so most of these things.

 

i am just a girl from benoni. i am not a photoshop expert. if you are prepared to figure it all out with me, then you are welcome. if you want a degree in photoshop, then you are at the wrong place...

word art: shabby princess, ronna penner, remember this, part of the express yourself kit

frame: michelle coleman floral frame, part of the 'wonderful' kit

ugh! looking at photos of myself makes me realize 3 things: i HATE photos of myself, age is unmerciful, and i love, love, really love photoshop!

frame: shabby princess scalloped border, part of the 'fesitval' kit.

by doing some really close cropping, you can get rid of that distracting background.

frame: shabby princess shabby borders1 inked border

you can also put the focus an the subject's eyes.

frame: jessica sprague grunge frame

the way i cropped this photo of my mom and my sister, creates an intimacy, a closeness. it also highlights how much they look alike.

this is marni. she is my brother andre's daughter. i want to use this photo of her to show you a magic trick in photoshop.

open your photo. create a new layer. do your basic edits. then, click on 'image' in the overhead menu. on the drop-down menu, choose 'crop'. a highlighted block will appear on your photo, with handles that you can make the block bigger or smaller. but first, under the word 'file' on the overhead menu, find the words 'aspect ratio', as shown by the pink arrow on the photo below. on the drop-down menu, you can choose one of many options. i like to use 'use photo ratio', as this makes the photo easier to print.

when you move your mouse on the handles of the cropping block, you will see that the arrow suddenly changes to a curved arrow. this means that if you click there and hold your mouse button in, you can move the angle of the cropping box, as shown by the green arrow in the above photo. when you are happy with it, you can click on the green arrow to accept it. if you are not happy, you click on the red circle, and try again.

the whole idea is to experiment, to play. crop dramatically. click to accept. look. like it? keep it. don't like it? go to 'edit' in the overhead menu, and click on 'undo crop'. photoshop is so much better than real life, you can do wild, brave, irresponsible, silly things, and just 'undo' afterward. not like real life, where you are stuck with the hangover/baby/crashed car/credit card bill.

frame: shabby princess shabby borders1 inked border

and this one i'm particularly proud of. this is ron, the man's father. i took this photo of him on christmas day 2006.

frame: shabby princess shabby borders1 shabby lines

go on, give it a try. remember, it is all about playing, experimenting, having fun. if you don't like it, you don't save it!

you can find my other photoshop tutorials here.

 

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

this post was featured on paxton prints and photoshop-pack and scrapscene and scrapdiary

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

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

wedding photos

wedding photos are such fun to play with. somehow, they just lend themselves to being edited.

this is monique. she is the daughter of dear old friends of mine, desire and tito. she got married on 7 june. {the swirly frame is the decoframe in the renewal range from michelle coleman at shutterfly. all the other frames are from shabby princess.}

and, of course, here are some of my wedding photos. be kind, they are 22 years old...

 

check out the eighties style dress, and the blue eyeshadow, and ronnie's shiny suit...

ahh, young love...

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking 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

photoshopping carli...

you know when you go to a big church? i mean a catholic church, like the big ones in europe. all marble and wood. it is huge and cool, and empty, and hollow, and just a little creepy and lonely. when you talk, it bounces around the walls and echos, and makes it seem even emptier..

well, this is what this blog has been feeling like. not catholic, but a little hollow and empty. thanks cheryl and ineke, for your hellos. please keep those comments coming! lets make this place seem a little less empty..

i know it has just been photoshop, photoshop, photoshop around here lately, and today is no different. i have been spending every available hour on playing with it. and i feel like i'm starting to get somewhere! i want to teach photoshop and digital scrapping beginners classes in the shop soon, so i'm learning as much as possible. lots of nights i have been taking my laptop to bed, and while the man lies snoring next to me, i spend hours working on it.

today's example is this photo of carli, my sister paula's daughter. during this process i will probably photoshop every member of the family, so your turn might be coming soon.

 

i can now go and print my photo like this, and put it on my page. the frame is in a free kit i downloaded from shutterfly by michelle coleman, called 'renewal'.
this is soooo cool! you like?

maybe i should do a little tutorial on this, seeing i'm the expert and all..

 
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking shop

learning photoshop...

i found this great website through scrapscene, called digiscrap 101. it is a good site to go to if you need help with photoshop. she has these video tutorials, including ones for photoshop elements. you can also download free trial versions of photoshop from there. you can click on Beginning Photoshop Elements Tutorials, and you can choose a beginner tutorial. these are very informative. here you can also find a video tutorial on how to start the basics of digital scrapbooking. there are some great websites where you can buy digital scrapping elements, but i recommend downloading some freebies first, so you can practise on them.

of course, the only REAL way to learn anything, including photoshop, is by playing with it. you can watch 1000 tutorials, but if you do not play around with it yourself, you will get nowhere. i recommend opening a tutorial, video or step by step, and also open your photoshop editor, so you have both windows open at the same time. then you can read the tutorial or watch the video, and pause it when you have learned something new, open up your photoshop window and try doing what they say. if you are unsure, you can read or watch it again, and keep practising until you feel you have it. remember, when you are finished, you can just close photoshop without saving anything, and then you have changed nothing on your computer/photo.

here is my very first scrapping experiment:

 

what did i do? i had downloaded a travel kit by rhonna farrer a while ago. it was free from 2peasinabucket. look on their digital department. then i opened the video tutorial Digiscrap101 - The Basics of Photoshop Elements, and just watched, pausing every so often to play along, and repeating a few steps to make sure i got it. i had to redo it a few times, start over again, but i learned a lot. each thing you see there, each paper, 'stamp', word, ribbon, etc, is a loose item. i fiddled till i kinda got something together. it may not look like much, but it was a fun playing session.

now i have to figure out how to add a photo.

i also found some new digi scrapping sites, where i found more freebies. i will tell you about them later.

 
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES

great-grandmother

 

isn't this beautiful?

liza made this single page. the photo is of her great-grandmother. she used colormates cardstock, rose-petal vellum from worldwin papers, a strip of paper for the swirl from creative imaginations, scallop circle paper from making memories' animal crackers range, and the background paper is from my mind's eye. the flowers we sell loose, and are from different companies. she put the page together in about an hour, and she used a plate from the kitchen for the circle of vellum. inking around the edges when you hand-cut a circle, softens the edges, so you don't see if it is a little uneven.

there is nothing difficult about this page, it is just the combination of colours and papers that make it so striking. you cannot see this on this photo, but she wrote by hand on the red cardstock the name of the beautiful woman from days gone by. what a nice tribute!

just out of interest, i did some photoshopping on the photo of this layout. the original photo as i got it from the camera looks like this:

















photoshop is my friend....

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

photoshopping mom

so, as promised, i photoshopped my mom. as i am new at this software, i used mothers day as an incentive to practice photoshop, using a photo of my mom.

as you see, my mom is beautiful anyway. she certainly does not need any editing. but, since learning is all about practice, here is what i did:

first, i cropped the photo, to place more emphasis on my mother, and to get rid of some of the distracting background.

then i sharpened the color of the photo. the 'improved' photo looks brighter than the original, that one looks a little faded or washed out. the improved colour also brightened her eyes.

then i brightened her teeth. i also used the blurring tool so soften her wrinkles a little. not too much, they add character after all. you can see the effect most on her eye on the left, and on the forehead.
 
the background really bugged me. i used the paintbrush tool to remove part of the burglar bars growing out of her head. the part on the left has blinds behind it, and i was not sure how to remove the bars without making the blinds look funny, so i just darkened the colour of the bars using the paintbrush tool. now it is less distracting.

i'm sure there is a lot i could still do, and a lot i did in the wrong way. some of it happened by accident, so i'm not sure if i could repeat it. but i had fun, and i'm learning and i'm getting more confident. now, if i could just figure out how to use the blurring tool on my face every morning...

what do you think? do you have photoshop? do you use it? does it terrify you? tell me. i love hearing from you!

happy mothersday, mom!

 
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES