Saturday, April 26, 2008

Pooh's Playful Spot

This is a very cute quick page I got off eBay. I guess eBay has cracked down on Disney digital stuff because after I bought it the listing--and several others I was watching--was removed. I'm still looking for some Disney Princess stuff. I have some cute pics of Jaden with Ariel and Cinderella. I don't know if it's even out there since everything is licensed.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

The wonder of page templates...



I want to show you the difference between my first attempt at digital scrapbooking a page on my own.........................................Then how much better this page looks using a digital template. Makes a huge difference, huh?

Thursday, April 17, 2008

More Fun Vacation Layouts









I am getting a little more daring. I changed the alligator paper color on the first layout. On the second one, I adjusted the hue saturation because the colors were a little bright for my taste. Both page templates are from Scrap Girls. The alligator paper on the first layout is a free download that was created by Shelley Rae for Scrapbook-Bytes for National Scrapbook Day 2005. The snake is from the Zoo Stickers collection from Scrap Girls. The paper on the second layout is from the Zoo Kit I purchased from Scrap Girls.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Scrollwork Complementary Page




This is the first of my 2-page Scrollwork template layout. Let me just tell you that rounding corners in PSE 6.0 is no small task but I'm glad I learned it.

Scrollwork Template...ooh la la


Look at this beautiful page I made using one of the the Scrollwork templates from Scrap Girls. It took me less than 20 minutes to create!

Can you say Page Templates?

I am in love with Page Templates. While I love quick pages (already completed layouts), sometimes you spend more time searching for what you need when you could have just created it yourself. Page Templates make it fast and easy to create a page that is still your own.

I have spent the last couple days downloading (free and purchased) page templates. I have over 30 of them on my computer. Today I organized them into folders by the number of photos on a page or 2-page spread. This is sort like how Becky Higgins organizes her sketches in her first "Sketches" book. It's how I start a layout much of the time.

Also, while in this process, I realized that Jessica Sprague had mentioned Digital Page Templates in the April edition of CK. How did I miss that? Anyways, she has a tutorial on the CK website on how to use the templates along with some free samples created by Jen Caputo. I think I've pretty much mastered them. It really is quite simple. Just remember the command "Ctrl+G" (or Alt, hover, click--that's how Jessica does it).

Off to play with my new page templates...

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Wowee!

I'm so excited!!! Okay so I've been trying to find a way to "shortcut" digital scrapbook since I started this journey and I'm so excited to say:

  • Quick pages
  • Ploppers

Oh and I "found" Scrapbookbytes.com tonight. I have heard of them but never visited. I have stumbled upon something wonderful. Off to do some more research...

Friday, April 11, 2008

Still Researching...

Okay, so I know I haven't created anything lately but I feel like I have a grasp on the basics of Photoshop Elements 6.0

Yay me! (as London Tipton would say--I have a six-year-old so of course we keep up with the Disney Channel, but if you don't understand this, it's okay.)

I'm still doing some research and learning as much as I can. I recently purchased Computer Tricks for Scrapbooking 2 by Jessica Sprague and I have to say that I love her teaching style. The book-a-zine (as they are called) is packed with tons of 3-step simple tutorials on how to do things like:

  • Blend a photo into digital paper.
  • Rotate the letters of a title to fit around a circular shape.
  • Place a semi-transparent punched embellishment over a photo.
  • Customize the colors of digital patterned paper.
  • Use a digital corner rounder.
  • Create a custom brush from any image (including stamps!)
  • Create a shaped photo collage.
  • Overlap photo edges with digital patterned paper and digital rub-ons.
  • Create a layout using a digital template.
  • and much more!!!

The first challenge I want to tackle is to create a layout using a digital template. I've seen lots of these I like. The hardest part of scrapbooking for me is coming up with a creative basic layout with which to start. I never have a problem choosing colors, paper, or embellishments but I think using these templates as a springboard will help me be happier with what I have created and create faster.

Thanks Jessica for such a great book!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

2-Page Layouts



Been working on finishing up some 2-page spreads. This is the Refresh kit from Scrap Girls.

Another 2nd page finished. This is the Surf's Up kit from FreeDigitalScrapbooking.com

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

April Desktop


If you would like one of these, go to http://www.theshabbyprincess.com/ and click on BLOG. Love it! Too cute!