{scraps of jacki's life}

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

feedback on my word for 2008...

this year my word was 'grow'. i thought i would review it today, to see how i did. the italic words are direct quotes from the post i did about it on 2 january 2008.

remember, as 'grow' is a verb, i am grading the process, and not the end result.

i want to grow my creativity. i want to scrap more, and create more in other ways too.

i didn't scrap nearly as much as i should/could/wanted to. there always seems to be so much else to do, and so the scrapbooking  seems to take a back seat. so i give myself a D.

however, i did grow creatively in other ways. in blog writing and design, in photography, in photoshop and in digital scrapbooking. in those respects i grew a lot! the end results can still be improved, but in terms of the process, the learning curve, the growth, i give myself an A.

i need to grow in simplicity. i need to de-clutter my life even more. this will go a long way in decreasing some of the stress in my life. 

i did do some work here, but not nearly enough. i did put some actions in place, and i also learned to make some peace with projects that turned out to be very long-term. but here i give myself a C.

i wish to grow my inspiration. i will try to inspire others by sharing my passions, ideas and talents. i will also continue to seek out people who are positive, passionate and inspiring to me. 

not too bad. it is difficult to be inspiring if you are not feeling very inspired yourself, but i have started teaching workshops again, and i have done quite a few tutorials on my blog. i have found lots of inspiring people though, most of those in the blogosphere, where inspiration from the world's most talented is but a mouse-click away! so i give myself a B.

i have to to grow my shop. i need to get more customers, grow in turnover and in numbers of customers.

well, here i have failed. badly. but, it was not my fault... the declining world economy, and south africa's huge increase in food and fuel prices and very high interest rates has left very little extra money in my client's pockets. we are all feeling the pinch! so, an F here. *sigh!*

i will continue to grow spiritually. i know that GOD has a plan for my life, and for 2008, and i want to feel HIM at work in and through me.

this of course is a constant challenge. no matter how much i grow spiritually, it is never enough. maybe a C+?

i hope to grow the blog, both in the quality of the content, and in readership. i want to work on writing with the poetry and vulnerability of kelly rae roberts. i want to be as passionate as donna. i want to be as inspiring as wilna. i want to share ideas as freely as leah. i want to be as chatty as heidi. i want to be as disciplined as annette. and i want to be inspiring, and funny, and generous, as all the other blogs i visit regularly. and i hope more of my visitors will comment. hint, hint!

well, here i did well. this was my best subject, in a manner of speaking. i could probably look back and say that 2008 was the year of the blog, for me. once again, in the end result is always room for growth, but as far as the process goes, i give myself an A+

on 31 december 2007 i had had 579 total hits, and today (31 december 2008) i have had 19 182 total hits. so 18 603 hits in 2008. but if you consider that it took me to mid-march to get my first 1000 hits, i didn't do too badly from there on. from september 2007 to end february 2008 i had a total of 675 hits, and in march 2008 i had 667 hits. you can see the statistics and highlights of this blog here. and i am so thankful to all of you for this.

i strive to grow as a mother. i love francois and sean, and they need me to be the best mother i can be. they are the blessings in my life, and i need to show them this.

i love to grow as a supporting, happy, loving partner for mike, who is the most amazing man, and the best friend and supportive partner a girl could ever want, and who makes me happier than i ever thought possible.

these 2 are also the kind of things were one needs to work constantly on growth. unfortunately, as the economy worsened, i needed to put in longer hours in the shop. and my stress levels increased. the man also had a very demanding job that kept him going for long hours. these factors are not very conducive to family bliss. a C here. not too great!

i dream to grow as a friend.  there are so many wonderful people in my life, who are the sunbeams that brighten my days, the supports that help me carry the load, the fertilizer that help me grow. i need to love them more, to hug them tighter, to phone/sms them often, compliment them every time, and thank them constantly for their unwavering love.

once again, long working hours do not help in this respect. and between work and family/home life, there was way too little time for friendship. i am so appreciative of the friends who know and understand and forgive this, and who come to the shop to visit me. thanks! a C here too. maybe a C-.

i try to grow in positivity. in south africa today there is sooo much negativity! i will try to have and spread more hope, more love, more passion, more friendliness.

i did try. this was probably the most difficult year to be positive in, in south africa. we had a lot going against us. on the financial and political front there was a lot of drama and turmoil, and with electricity and telephone problems (my shop had been without a working telephone line for 11 months so far, and no end in sight), crime, uncertainty, a declining currency, and growing pessimism and huge emigration, it has been hard work. i started the year off low. now i'm better. or just numb. it is not great, but taking the tough times in consideration, i give myself a B-. 

did i do well? no. not at all. but it was a very difficult year. and i did have some growth. so, all in all i passed. i go on to 2009. i'm sure things can only get better...

did you have a word? what was it? how did you do? do you have a word for 2009 yet? tell me, i'd really love to know.

 

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking 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

photographing a puppy...

i'm posting early today, because i'm going to try and fix my computer, to save it from the worm/virus. so who knows, you might never hear from me again....

first: i need one or 2 volunteers. i want to write another photoshop tutorial, but i need someone who is prepared to let me use her 'before' pics on my blog. if i use them, i will email you the 'after' photos. you can see here and here the kind of things i do. send me an email or a comment to tell me you want in, and we will see from there.

just to prove that my tutorial skills are amazing, i thought i would do a tutorial on how to photograph a puppy.

you take a fiesty, sassy, active puppy, called snowy. you add a brilliant, internationally known photographer.

ok, so the photographer was on strike. or something. so that left me.

 

what does 'an internationally known photographer' mean anyway? i'm a photographer. my sister carla lives in melbourne, australia, and she knows me. so does my friend elsa in dharhan, saudi arabia. does that make me an internationally known photographer? i think so...

 

anyway, this is my domain, and i may call myself internationally known, if i want. internationally known. internationally known, internationally known...

what do you mean you hope the computer worm eats this blog? the international readers will miss this high-quality, intellectually stimulating stuff!

 

stand still puppy! smile! you are going on an internationally known blogger's blog.

 

did you just say you don't give a rat's ass bum? that's not nice! and we don't use langauge like that here on this blog! that word slipped out, but i managed to bleep it just in time, so nobody noticed. you almost made this blog PG10!

 

now we get to the point of this tutorial: persistance. if you keep snapping away, you may eventually get a good photo of the very cute little puppy. don't say i never teach you anything!

*edited to add: my therapist just called. she is adding 'delusions of grandeur' to her diagnosis...*

 

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

5 minute chocolate cake

here we are. the post that is going to get me a recipe book deal....

or not.

this is a recipe for a 5-minute chocolate cake. i found it some time ago on dizzy dee's blog. i have made it a few times when the sweet cravings struck in the middle of the night. while i'm scrapping.

it is not the best chocolate cake in the world. it is not the most nutritional chocolate cake in the world. but is is quick, it uses ingredients that you have in your cupboard, and it is easy, and fast, and makes a big single serving or two smallish servings. it is great for those sweet cravings that hit at the most inconvenient times.

so: if you want organic, balanced, low GI, featherlight, go find jamie oliver. if you want quick and nasty, easy and convenient, then hey, you are in the right place! welcome friend!

and, these photos are not professional (it's hard to tell, i know). the food was not glazed with olive oil, and sprayed with hairspray, and backlit, and airbrushed. in fact, the photos are out of focus, as the photographer's camera batteries were flat. and she was tired. and in a huge hurry to get to the chocolate cake. she has been fired. she was not worth the money she was paid for the photoshoot.

the point of this long and rambling disclaimer is this: i don't want to be bombarded with critical comments. you get what you pay for. and you are paying nothing.

1 tablespoon=15ml. i don't know what that is in american.

take a large coffee mug. in it measure 4 tablespoons cake flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons cocoa (not hot chocolate powder).

add 1 egg, and mix with a spoon.

 

here is the oil i used. sunflower oil.

i see a lot of you shudder. what you put in yours is up to you.

 

add 3 tablespoons milk and 3 tablespoons oil.

 

mix well. oh, these photos are just brilliant...

 

put the mug in the microwave. i put it on a plate, because as soon as i turn my back, everything always boils over in my microwave. i'm sure yours is better behaved. i used a mug that says 'coffee'. i don't have one that says 'chocolate cake'. maybe i should look for one that says 'hot chocolate'.

 

i'm sure jamie oliver's mug would have matched the saucer. microwave for 3 minutes at full power. (1000 watt. whatever that means).

 

mine came out still a little moist on the top, as you can see from this high-quality photo. that's fine. 'a little moist' is almost always better than 'a little dry'. doncha think?

 

turn it out on a plate.

 

i like to cover it in whipped cream. the texture is a little less 'cake' and a little more 'pudding'. eat it straight away, hot and fresh.

 

you see how dedicated i am to this blog? i ate the whole thing. just to test it properly for you...

the other advantage of this recipe is that there is no evidence left afterwards. no baking pans. no mixers. and no empty cake-tin. nobody can prove that i am a greedy piggy. i can pick at my salad leaves in public, and declare that i have no idea why i'm not losing weight. nobody will ever know. it will remain our secret.

 

here is the note i scribbled the recipe on. it will be worth millions some day.

in my dreams.

ps. for a 'real', serious recipe, see these brownies on cathy's blog.

 

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking 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

subscribe to this blog...

being the amazing and internationally acclaimed consumer journalist i am - in my dreams - i will tell you today about something new i've just found. you see sophia, i'm blogging about it, like you asked...

as you all know, i read quite a few blogs. and in the process, i have noticed that people encourage you to 'subscribe to this blog'. now i have never known what this means, and i have never paid it much attention. but last week i decided that it was something i would like to know more about.

i read all about RSS feeds, and let me tell you, it still makes very little sense. then i visited my go-to guy, tibi at lost art of blogging. he claims he is not really an expert, but i have always found his posts well written, and he uses capital letters!, and i have learned a lot about the technicalities of blogging from him. his blog is not nearly as intimidating as some of the expert's are.

i left a bewildered comment there, and he emailed me back! i was very impressed. he explained RSS in more detail. it is very technical.  he also said "I follow about 150-200 blogs daily. Imagine me having to open all of these blogs in my browser each day, just imagine the time I'd waste. With my Google reader it's really easy for me to see if there's a new post, and eventually if there's an update I can read it from there, without having to deal with the hassle of opening the respective blog in my browser. It's all about time management and productivity. Of course there's a lot more reasons for using RSS, but for me 'time' is the most evident one."

what tibi does not even touch on, is the data bundle. most south africans have a data bundle, that should last for the month. data is expensive. so, every time i visit a blog, i download data on my computer, and it all adds up. not having to visit a blog unnecessarily, saves some data too. on dial-up it makes even more sense!

so, i looked at google reader. i had read about it a few times, and when tibi recommended it, i gave it a try. i added some of the blogs i read to it. and i am so impressed! you can add all your blogs in google reader. it keeps them all together. the other advantage of this is that i have all my favorites online, so i can find them on my computer at home, and my computer at the shop. over the next few weeks, i will be transferring all the blogs i like to read there.

i found the easiest way to add a new subscriber is to open the blog in the usual way, get up-to-date with the posts, then copy and paste the blog's URL (address) into the 'add subscription' block. it can find a blog itself if you fill in some keywords, but it is quicker to fill in the URL yourself.

the first time you add a blog, it will show you the last 10 posts. i check that i have read all of them, and then click on 'mark all as read'. then i add another, and mark as read. and so on. i have set it that it only shows the updated blogs. it gives you the amount of posts you have not yet read in brackets. when you click on that, it opens the blog for you.

now, i like to read a blog in context. i like to see the banner, the side bars, and the previous posts. so, i click on the name of the blog, and it takes me to the blog itself. then, when i'm finished, i just go back to the google reader, i click on 'mark all as read' for that blog, and move on to the next.

if you read the blogpost directly in google reader, it does apparently not count as a hit on the blog you are reading. but, if you click on the name of the blog, and it takes you straight to the blog, and then it does count as a hit. in the stats of the blog it will show as a hit from 'www.google.com/reader'.

tibi is right. it saves me tons of time, and that time i could use to read other blogs, that i never had time for. his reading 150-200 blogs probably takes up less time that my 10-30 blogs did. so, much more efficient! during the time i am online, i keep the google reader open, and when someone loads a new blogpost, i see it come up. i find it especially useful to keep track of those blogs that don't update regularly. now i don't have to keep checking in, just to find there is nothing new.

i know that there are other ways to subscribe. there are many places where you can keep track of your blogs. if you use another way, let me know in the comments. i am quite new at this, so there is still lots to learn.

wow, this post has turned out to be one huge infomercial. google, you can send me the cheque now...

you can read follow-up comments about google reader here.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES scrapbooking 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

tutorial - fold an origami box using scrapbook paper

today i will show you step by step how to fold an origami box with your scrapbooking paper. you do not need any glue! it is easier than it looks. i found it in the december 07 issue of creating keepsakes magazine, and i have folded it countless times since then.

you need 2 sheets of paper. THEY HAVE TO BE SQUARE. they can be any size, but for the purposes of this demo, i will use 1 sheet of 'pattern' paper for the lid - 30cmx30cm or 12'x12'. use paper that goes with your theme.

the second sheet of paper, for the bottom, has to be a little smaller. i made mine 29cmx29cm or 11.5'x11.5'.

  put your paper 'nice' side down. fold it in half horizontally.

open it back up, turn the paper 90 degrees, and fold in half again. open up again. you will have a folded cross in the middle as shown.

fold the corners inwards to the middle of the paper. leave them folded in.

 

leaving the corners folded in, fold the left side and then the right side into the middle. 

folding each side in, open out again, turn the paper 90 degrees, and repeat, until all 4 sides have been folded in.

open 2 corners diagonal to each other, and leave 2 folded in. point the one open corner toward you. lift the 2 sides of the box upwards as shown.

holding the 2 edges up, use your 2 forefingers and coax the corner folds inwards. this will pull the third edge upwards. 

you might have to fiddle a little, sometimes it takes a little trial and error to get it to work. just be patient. fold the top corner into the box.

fold in the last edge the same way.

using the slightly smaller matching paper, fold another box the same way for the bottom. the smaller box will the fit neatly inside the lid.

now you can decorate the box as you like.

wendy lent me her hands in these photos. she does beauty therapy, but she is actually a very talented box-folding assistant.

you can see how i folded several different sized boxes at christmas time here.  and you can see another example here.

if for whatever reason you do not understand these instructions, please email me, or leave a comment, and i will email you back.

also let me know if it did work, and email me photos of what you did with your box!

find more papercrafting, scrapbooking and photoshop tutorials here.

 

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

this post was linked to by: scrapscene

tutorials on this blog

a list of digital elements used on this blog can be found here   

photoshop tutorials:

photoshop tutorial - how to create a softened or dreamy photo

photoshop tutorial - how to download a frame and use it on your photo

photoshop tutorial - how to make eyes 'pop'

tutorial -  cropping your photos in a creative way

 tutorial - how to remove red eye

tutorial - aging your photos

scrapbooking and papercraft tutorials:

scrapbooking tutorial - how to ink/distress the edges of your paper

scrapbooking tutorial - how to make a shakerbox

tutorial - how to cut 3 cards out of one sheet of cardstock

tutorial - how to fold an origami box from scrapbooking paper, without glue

other tutorials:

tutorial - edit your photos before you print them, without photoshop

tutorial - download fonts for your computer

tutorial - make a font for your computer from your own handwriting

 how to use google reader to keep up with your favorite blogs

 how do i leave a comment on a blog?

what i used for the banner:  paper, frame, staples, brads and stitches from the 'something springy' collection by anna aspnes at shutterfly. flower from shabby princess, promise collection. grunge mask from j sprague, grunge frame 1.

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

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 - edit your photos before you print them - without photoshop

today i want to give you a few reasons why you should edit your photos before you print them. or post them on your blog. or email them to the grannies.

almost every day, clients come into the shop with their photos to choose paper. so, i get to see lots of different photos all the time. and i can not understand why people do not take a little extra time and effort to edit those photos before they print them.

this photo of the shop i took in the late afternoon, and there were long shadows. here i just used the 'enhance' button, and voila! see the improvement. it still isn't the best photo, but it is an improvement on the one i took.

the improved photo in this case is the top one, and the bottom one is the original.


 














i use kodak's photo editing software, that comes free with the camera. you can also download it from their website. please tell me if you have a problem with downloading this, i haven't tried it myself. it is not as complicated as photoshop. and it is free, so there is no excuse... it crops, enhances, and can change your photos to black and white, and sepia. you can use any other photo imaging software, there are a few around. of course, if you do use photoshop, you can do so much more. this is just for those of us who do not have photoshop, and according to me, this is the minimum editing you have to do before you print.

















this photo i took of the 'travel' mini book that i posted about recently. i took this photo without the flash. using the 'enhance' button, i got this.



i really just clicked on the button. nothing else.

in south africa, if you go to the kodak photo shop, you can do all these edits on their machines. you just insert your disk, and follow the prompts. this means that you do not have to have the software on your computer, or even have to have access to a computer. and it is very user friendly.

when working on the machines, you can also edit the photos so you get 2-9 photos on one jumbo size. this means that you get photos that are smaller, from half a jumbo to very small ones. this is very useful when you have lots of photos of the same theme, you can scrap them all on one page together.

in these photos of sean, i changed it to black and white, and then cropped.

 

the cropping function is the one i use the most. i crop out all the distracting background.



then you can really play around. the only way to get comfortable and confident with the process is to play with it. if you save a separate copy of your original pic, then there is no reason not to experiment. at the machines in the shop, the edits are not saved on your disk, so if you do not like the results of your edits, you can just start over.

  

you can also take all those older photos that you have, that have lots of background and just the little person in the middle, scan them, and crop them. then re-print them in jumbo size. now the person is nice and full size in the photo.

i found a website called picnik, where you can do all sorts of edits. it is easy to use, you don't have to download anything, and it's free. you can also play, without worrying that you will 'damage' your original.

oooh, i just loooove photos of myself...

 

and this is what happens if you go mad on their site and click on everything, and play around. it aint perfect, but hey, it was my first attempt! great fun! i even whitened my teeth, and removed blemishes. now, if i could just find a way to do that to the 'real' me every morning.

 

for the amount of money and time you spend on your scrap page, surely spending some extra money and time on printing better photos to use on that page makes sense?

taking better photos in the first place, is of course also very important. for that i have to refer you to annette scholtz, as she is the photography and photoshop expert.

do you edit your photos? what software do you use? tell me.

you can find more photoshop, papercrafting and scrapbooking tutorials here.


 
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES

this post was linked to by: scrapscene

scrapbooking tutorial - how to make a shakerbox

  
stephanie, one of our clients, attended a class by liza recently, and she made the round shakerbox we use in these photos.

you can put anything in a shakerbox, but, as you can tell from the name, it will move around inside the 'box'. so, use beads, small embellishments, sand, coins, keys. i even used my son's baby teeth!

  

a shakerbox can have any shape. stephanie made a round one. you need a base - it will be visible so use something that goes with your theme, a piece of transparency, and something for the top 'frame'. also, you need some foamcore or foamtape to raise the top part. ink, paint and distress as you want. you can tie a ribbon around the top frame.

cut the foamcore, if you are using this, in the desired shape. this lifts the 2 layers, creating a 'pocket' between them. ink too, if desired.

 
turn the top 'frame' upside down. place the transparency down over it. stick it down properly. remember when sticking a shakerbox together, do not leave any gaps at all, as the contents of the box can slip through the gap. if you are making a box to contain fine beads and sand, be extra careful to stick every little millimetre down.

using the foam tape or foamcore, stick this to the upside down frame, hiding it behind the frame so you cannot see it from above through the transparency. trim till neat. remember, the transparency comes between the frame and the foam.

place the base down, arrange the contents on top, and place the raised frame over it. don't stick yet. check that it is raised enough for the contents to move around freely inside. if it is too low, add more foam, if it fits, ink the sides of the foam to make it blend into your colour scheme, and stick it down properly, once again checking that there are no gaps.

pick up the box, and shake it about, checking that nothing slips out. then use it where you want it.

remember, you are making the whole shakerbox seperately first, before you stick it onto your layout. if something goes wrong, you can re-do it, until you are happy. so relax and experiment!

 
the 'scrappin times' shakerbox was made by liza. she used a sizzex machine to cut out the letters from cardstock, and then used the negative to make the shakerbox.

if you are unsure of anything, contact me, and i will gladly help you.

you can find another example of a shakerbox here. and here.

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

 
jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES

this post was linked to by: scrapscene

scrapbooking tutorial - how to ink/distress the edges of your paper

this is my 99th post!

today i'm posting my first mini-tutorial. people who come to workshops in my shop, know how to do this, but there are many people who read this blog, who don't have access to workshops. so, this one is for you!

you can use any ink. we like to use fluid chalk, from colorbox, but it really doesn't matter. ink stays wetter for longer than fluid chalk, so if you are going to emboss, or do some technique, then maybe you should use ink. but for the purposes of inking the edges of paper as shown today, it doesn't matter which you use.

i like to hold the paper still, and move the ink pad. to create a narrow, more subtle, sharper edge, you hold the ink pad almost up straight against the edge of the paper, as shown. we use this when we want a subtle effect, or if there is a large contrast between the colour of the ink and the paper, or if you are new at this and a little nervous. you can see on the photo what the result is.

if you want the inking/distressing to be more visible, you change the angle of the ink pad, so that it is flatter against the paper. you make smudges that go deeper into the paper, as shown.

you can also rub the ink pad over the surface of the paper, to distress it. this makes it look older and rougher.

 
the whole idea is to experiment with it. take a scrap of paper, and play around. if you want to buy just one ink to start off with, i suggest you get a brown one, as this goes with any colour scheme. you can also use the little ink pads on your stamps, by rubbing the ink over the stamp pad to cover it with the ink.

why do we ink the edges? it creates interest, it creates contrast, it softens the edges, it hides rough or less that straight edges, it gives it an aged look. most of us who ink, ink the edges of almost everything. just take a look at the layouts i have posted in the past, and you will see.

you could also scrunch the paper up in a ball, and pat the paper all over with the ink pad. open up and scrunch again, and ink again. repeat until you get the desired effect. then flatten the paper out, and use. you could iron it first, to get it flatter, if you wish.
 
remember that you should store your all your inks and chalks upside-down, as gravity draws the ink to the surface of the pad, where you need it to be. if you have lots of inks in your kit, you could wet your finger with the ink, and 'stamp' the bottom of the ink pad with it. then you can see the colours at a glance, without having to turn them all over. maybe the ink manufacturers should redesign the packaging so that they are stored upside down automatically?

tell me if you ink, and if you use ink in interesting ways. also tell me if you learned something, or if you would like me to show you anything else.

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

love, jacki

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES

this post was linked to by: scrapscene, scraprio

Card Posistioning Systems #57

i made these cards last night. i used sketch #57 from card positioning systems

 

i find that i don't want to use the cards that i have made, so if i make a few that are the same, then a least i use some of them. also, making 2 or more of the same goes quite quickly. i will pop these in my card tin, to use later. 

i used white treasures cardstock, the red scollop is from bazzill, and the blue 'happy birthday' paper is from pebbles. the birthday charms are part of a pack from making memories.

i figured out how to cut one sheet of 12x12' / 30x30cm cardstock to make 3 cards.

cut off the barcode strip, if there is one. measure 20cm or 8' from the top of the page, and cut across. fold the narrow piece of paper in half, so you have one card. the bigger piece you cut in half again from top to bottom as shown, and fold both pieces in half, to make 2 cards. the resulting cards are all about 10x15cm or 4x6'. you can cut some sheets of cardstock in different colours this way, and keep the 'blanks' ready for when you need to make a card. of course, if you use your scraps to make cards, then the size of your card will be according to the size of your scrap.

as there are people who read this blog who do not have access to scrapbooking classes, i have planned a few 'tutorials' to post in the next few weeks. i will show you how to make a shaker box, and how to fold an origami box. i'll even show you how to ink/distress. would you like that? let me know. also, if there is something you would like me to teach you, tell me, and i'll see what i can do.

jacki janse van rensburg - SCRAPPIN TIMES

this post was featured by: card posistioning systems

how cool is this?

ok, this is also cool:

but i really meant this:

want to know where i got that? ok, i'll tell you. you go to allie hoopes. in the right hand column of her blog you will find 2 places to click. on 'free fonts' you can find lots and lots of free fonts. including mine, and my friend ineke's. don't download them and use them to write cheques. the account has no money anyway... while you are there, read her blog. she's nice!

if you want your own handwriting as a font, you click on 'make your own font'. duh! here she explains it all. it is really simple, a blonde from benoni can do it! there is a place where you download a form. you print it, and fill in the blocks with your handwriting. and your hubby's, his cheque account may have some money in it... do not make the same mistake i made and use a too thin pen. i have to 'bold' the writing before i can use it. use a pen that is slightly thicker and darker than a normal pen. maybe a thicker tipped journaling pen. do a few practise runs first. then you scan this form at at least 300dpi. in .jpg, .gif or .bmp. she also explains this. then you attach it to a email, send it to her, and she will send you one in a day or 2. BUT, first you have to pay, of course. a whole $5. about R24 or so, depending on the rate of exchange. on her website is a place where you click to pay. you need to create a paypal account. this is easier that it sounds. don't let this step scare you, just follow the instructions. you pay using your credit card.

if you do it, let me know the result. i'd love to hear your comments. also, don't hesitate to ask me, or allie, if you don't understand something. have fun!

SCRAPPIN TIMES / scrappintimes

this post was linked to by: kwebbel

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