Tutorial: Recoloring using Mat of the Month Club Papers

This tutorial will show you how to recolor the Mat of the Month papers to match your favorite kits! This tutorial is written for Photoshop Elements.

1. Open your file in Photoshop Elements. You may want to duplicate this file so you don't accidentally save over the original!

2. Insert a new layer (Shift+Ctrl+N) above your paper and fill it with the desired color. 

3. Change the blend mode to color.

4. Your paper will now look like this. Look at the areas that were black. Are they the color you want them? Not yet...they are still too dark. So we have to lighten them. Don't worry about the rest of the paper. We'll worry about that in a minute...

5. Duplicate the color layer and change the blend mode to Screen. (If you want to darken the color, you would set the blend mode to Multiply.)

6. Now to take care of the background because It's quite green. Duplicate your original paper (Ctrl+J) and bring it to the front (top layer).

7. Change the blending mode of this layer to Overlay. Now the background isn't as green as it was!

8. I decided to duplicate the Overlay layer again to see what effects it would have and liked this version better. You can also adjust opacity and other blending modes to see what you like. All done!

9. Here is the same technique (same settings and everything) using the paper with the black background.

Happy recoloring!

A Holiday Trick!

Hi Plum Dumpling fans! Nikki here with a quick tip for making the most of your template collection during the holidays! I love being able to resize templates for my non-12x12 projects, so I thought I'd show you a couple of ways I like to resize in PSE, and a bit of inspiration for resized-template projects.

First, I wanted to turn a 12x12 template into a 4x4 Thanksgiving dinner placecard. I love any project that can be printed cheaply at a 1-hour photo counter! To turn this big template little, I went to Image>Resize>Image Size and changed the dimensions to width 4 and height 4. This kept all the template's layers looking exactly the same, just smaller. (This is also a GREAT trick to make inexpensive 6x6 gift albums... just set the dimensions to 6x6 and make your pages as usual, then arrange four flattened pages on a 12x12 blank canvas to send them off to print!)

I then filled the layers with papers and elements from Pieces of Fall and Indian Summer, and used the Family Gatherings alpha to put a name at the bottom of the placecard. Keep in mind that your layer elements will be much smaller, so you may need to resize your papers as well. I love the "I'm thankful for" wordart/journaling strip, which makes these placecards interactive.... and would also make them a wonderful collection into a tiny mini thankfulness album when Thanksgiving Day is done!

For my second resizing project, I wanted to make a Christmasy card, using only a part of a template. I selected the Crop tool, and set the dimensions on it to 5x7, a standard card size. I clicked on the template and moved the crop box around until the area that I wanted to use was evenly centered in the crop box.

Once I clicked the green checkmark, all the excess of the template disappeared and I was left with a perfect Christmas-photocard-sized template. I used Modern Prairie Girl, Yesterday Today Tomorrow, a button from Black & Blue, and red berry-ish brads from The Open Road to make this merry card front.

I hope these simple tricks will inspire you to stretch your template stash, and help you to create some personalized accessories for the holiday season! Happy scrapping and happy celebrating!

Tutorial: Filling Acrylic Elements

Looking for a way to stretch your scrapping stash and cash? How about filling acrylic pieces to create a completely different look?

This tutorial was from a request from my CT. When they used the grab bag, some of them filled their acrylic pieces with a paper instead of leaving it clear. I thought...what a FUN way to think outside the box. 

Speaking of stretching cash...This example was created using the new alpha available in my grab bag. The grab bag is still on sale at ScrapMatters for only $4.50! hehe...shameless plug!

Let's get started...I've created this tutorial for PSE users. Other programs may have similar features and work arounds.

1. Open your Clearly Oversized Alpha letter (or any other acrylic element).

2. We'll use the Magic Wand Tool. Be sure that the box marked "Continuous" is checked. Click on an area on the outside of the letter.

3. We are going to add the middle of the letter to our selection. While the marching ants are still going around the outside, hold the shift key and click the inside of the "a". When you press the shift key, you should get a little plus sign next to your cursor. This means you are adding to your selection. 

4. Create a new layer under your letter (Layer>New>Layer or Shift+Ctrl+N). Now select the Inverse by choosing Select>Inverse or Shift+Ctrl+I. Then fill the selection with any color. Edit>Fill Selection>Foreground Color

5. Your letter should now look like this.

6. Open a paper and clip it to your filled letter (Layer>Create Clipping Mask or Ctrl+G)

Now you have a perfectly filled letter to add to your LO! Sweet!

Storytelling: Revising Your Journaling - the easy way!

Happy Wednesday everyone! I'm here to show you how I sneak some revisions into my journaling. I know that sounds an awful lot like an English assignment, but never fear! We'll take this one word at a time.

One thing I do know is that when I revise my journaling, I almost ALWAYS like it better the second, third, fourth, etc. time around.

1. I start by choosing my pictures and placing them on my LO.

2. The next thing I do is start with the first draft of my writing. I start writing some very basic things about the event. I try to include the 5 Ws: who, what, where, when, why. I DON'T worry about font or any other little details. I usually choose a basic, readable font in a decent point size (here: Century Gothic, 14pt.).

I give the text a home on the page...Have you ever created a super cute LO and then have to work the words in...this way the words are at home and the elements can complement them and not compete with them.

Journaling: Clark was in his first Primary Program at church on Sunday. He was really prepared and even memorized his part. He did such a wonderful job as he got up there to say, "Following Heavenly Father's plan will bring me happiness." We are so proud of him and the fine young boy he is becoming.

3. Now I start adding my papers and trying to get the bones of my LO created. 

4. I keep adding elements and thinking about the story that I'm telling. I usually remember more details as I create my page. I add my shadows. I realize that I have more to say...so I make room!

5. I go back to my journaling and fill in some extra details. I like how the journaling now reflects the cute boy in the main photo and also captures the spirit of the boy in the rest of the photos! He is a funny kid! I decided here to leave the date in as part of the journaling so that it filled the line all the way to the right.

Journaling: Clark was in his first Primary Program at church on Sunday. He was really prepared and even memorized his part. On the way to church, we went over again how he needed to speak slowly and clearly. He said to me, "Mom, everybody wants to hear what I say." I don't think we have to worry about stage fright with this one! He did such a wonderful job as he got up there to say, "Following Heavenly Father's plan will bring me happiness." We gave him a little thumbs up from our seats in the back. He saw us and put his hands up like he just scored a touchdown. He spent the rest of the program picking his nose and squirming in his seat. Just to keep us humble, I suppose! We are so proud of him and the boy he is becoming. 10.16.11

6. I finish up the LO by pulling up the bottom row of pics, adding a title and giving the words a last look over. At the end of creating a LO, I try to remember to proofread for typos. There is nothing that I hate more than having to go back and fix a typo!! Ugh!

Full credits here

And that's it! I try to sneak in a few revisions of my journaling on each LO. I really think that as I go through and revise, the page always improves. Give it a try and see how your journaling improves!

Tuesday Tip: Twirl your Text

Happy Tuesday all! Mary here with another little tip to stretch that Vintage Postcard Creator of yours! This trick works well for twirling any text, but this is how I created the curve for the states and provinces in the Vintage Postcard Creator.

Now you can create postcards with ANY destination or greeting! Awesome.

1. Start by opening a 12x12 canvas. This is important because the size/shape of the canvas will alter the way the twirl filter works. You can test a few out and see what you like!

2. Place all of your letters from the alpha in the middle of your canvas. This is also important because where you place your text will change the way the twirl filter works. Again...trial and error is FUN!! You can see I've placed mine a little right of center.

3. Select all of your layers and merge. (Layers>Merge Down or Ctrl+E)

4. Filter>Distort>Twirl

5. The setting I used was -25 degrees, but play around with it and see what you like!!

6. Now that you have curved text, let's fit it in the postcard. I placed the postcard in the layer above the greeting.

7. I like the longer, skinnier letters, so I squish it using the bounding boxes and NOT keeping proportions constrained. When it fits in the postcard, I click the green check.

8. Now you have a lovely postcard greeting that is ready for the filling!!

Enjoy! Now if only I had a vacation planned to Hawaii...

Vintage Postcard Creator Tutorial (Clipping Masks)

Today I'm going to show you how I create clipping masks to use in scrapbooking. This trick is perfect to use with my new Vintage Postcard Creator. This tutorial will show you how to create a mask so that you can place a different photo in each letter. You can also use this technique to fill odd shaped frames.

This tutorial is created using PSE 8.

1. Open your file. (Be sure to duplicate the file so you don't alter the original!)
2. Choose the Magic Wand Tool from your tool bar (or use keyboard shortcut W). At the top of the screen you will see a menu bar. Be sure that the box marked "contiguous" is checked. This will select everything inside the letter. If left unchecked it will select all of the transparent areas on the file. Click inside the first letter.

3. If you look closely, you will see that the marching ants aren't quite to the end of the letter. You'll want to expand the selection to make sure there aren't empty spots on your finished product. Select > Modify > Expand.

4. I usually choose around 3 or 4 pixels.

5. Look again and you'll see the marching ants cover the entire inside of the letter.

6. Create a new layer by with keyboard shortcuts Shift+Ctrl+N or Edit > Layer > New. Place the new layer under your word layer.

7. Your marching ants are still marching, right? Now you'll want to fill the marching ants selection on this new layer. Do this by choosing Edit > Fill Layer.

8. The color of the clipping mask doesn't matter. I usually just fill it with the Foreground Color.

9. Now you have a letter clipping mask. Go ahead and stop those ants from marching using keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D or Select > Deselect. Place your photo above your newly created clipping mask. You may need to resize your photo.

10. Here's the big finish! Clip your photo to the mask using keyboard shortcut Ctrl+G or Layer > Create Clipping Mask. Ta Da!!

11. Repeat for each layer and enjoy your awesome homemade postcard!!

Want your own Vintage Postcard Creator? Head on over to my shop and check it out!