Scrap Skills: Double Pages

Have you ever noticed how some people make digital scrapbooking pages routinely as double page spreads while others stick to single page layouts? Most people have a preference, it seems, for one way or the other. I must admit, I am a single page scrapper, but I like the challenge of creating a double page layout once in a while. Chelle’s talented team members have made some fabulous examples of double page layouts to show us how great it can be.

Melissa is a talented scrapper who makes double pages effortlessly, it seems. I’ve seen many of her doubles, and I’ve noticed that she always has a nice flow from the left side to the right. Take a look at this example: Four-Months_zps20806b80 She has a horizontal line of elements and photos flowing from the dinosaurs on the left all the way across to the pterodactyl on the upper right corner of the right page. She also has the title on one side and the journaling balancing out the other side. I love how she framed one of the cute photos of her sweet baby with a circle frame. It really bring attention to his fabulously bright expressive eyes.

Jenn also has a terrific double page for us. When I can get beyond my extreme jealousy for the fact that her putt-putt golf pictures were taken on a cruise ship, I can see that she has used the banner to literally tie the two pages together. I am naturally drawn to follow the flow of the photos, from the top left down and then across the page following the title and banner to the right side to more great photos. I love the clusters of golf tees and the ribbon on the right, and her photos make me want to find that ship and schedule a trip. It looks like it was tons of fun! puttputtfull

Finally, Leslie has a double page spread of her recent renovation project. I’m sure she could make several more pages to tell the complete story of her kitchen remodel. She used Chelle’s Under Construction kit and her In the Pocket Pages to make this well-designed layout.

kitchen-reno1

Here’s a closer look at some of the goodies they used to make these fabulous pages. cc_prehistoric_preview_2postcc_holeinone_kitcc_inpocket_bundle-01 cc_underconstruction_preview_2post

by_Cheryl

Perfect Pairs: About A Boy & Vrooom! | Digital Scrapbooking Kit Combinations

Hello ladies! Glad you’re stopping by.  Can you imagine the fun you can have creating layouts of your little guy? I was at a church meeting last Saturday. I had taken a Manhattan Toy truck with me. Zion (my nephew) who is almost 3 played with it for a time, but then his 15th month old sister Tanzi, got her hands on the truck. She had so much fun taking it apart and putting it back together.  What could be more perfect? But… as my story said, don’t forget those little ladies in your life who like to “Drive.”

As you might have guessed, this month we challenged the team to make digital scrapbooking layouts using Vrooom! & About A Boy. Let me show you the products Chelle has designed using those 2 kits. I’ve linked them up for you below.

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Now for the big reveal on the team’s LO’s. Erica’s (stanworth) tells of taking her her little boy to a church function where he could learn about go-carts. Dad drove him around. Just before leaving, Everett jumped on himself, smiled, and started making those driving noises that all kids are born with!

Erica

Teri (ta_merkins) reminisces about how her life has changed since she got her “Little Man.” Great clusters!

Teri (ta_merkins)
Last we have Kayla (keepscrappin), her layout is all about daughter’s driving experiences. The large photo really pulls you in and I can almost feel the wind streaming out behind her while she drives the “convertible.”
Kayla (keepscrappin)
On your marks! Get Set! Go!
Go directly to your computer, look through your photos, and make your layouts. I bet you’ll be surprised at how many different ways you can use these 2 kits. Go for it, the checkered flag just might be waved at you!
I’ll be back soon with more digital scrapbooking inspiration.
Hugs!

Gallery Standouts | Digital Scrapbooking Inspiration

Hello Everyone! I’ve been exploring on the new pin gallery at Scrap Orchard and I have some layouts to share. I hope these digital scrapbooking layouts give you some great inspiration.

First Up is ChocoChoco.  She did some pretty intricate clustering and it really made you focus on her cat. The kitty kibble and embroidery are a great addition. She used “Here Kitty Kitty.”

(by Karen)#cc #chelle #honeybeeHere Kitty Kitty and Rainbow Collections by Chelle's Creations - Inspiring Layouts

Shazabess provided this creative layout. Love that big orange arrow. A fun idea for showing a child through a period of time.  Awesome clustering and I adore the title, “Hatties.” She used About A Boy.

About a Boy by Chelle's CreationsTemplate by Fiddle Dee Dee Designs#SB2013 #chelle #fiddledeedee - shazzabess Layouts

Carrie1977 used some lovely papers to create this LO about her wedding. Love the Tag.  I really like the way she added the elements in. They all work well together to make this LO a lovely reflection of her special day. She used Love Grows.

Fuss Free: I Must Damask You by Fiddle-Dee-Dee / Love Grows Bundle by Chelle's Creations#honebee #so #fiddledeedee #chelle fdd_ffIMDY cc_lovegrows_buncle - Honeybee Layouts

Thought I’d show you the previews to the product(s) used in these layouts. I also hooked you up with links to the market. Just click on the image.

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Can’t wait to see what you create! I’ll be watching the gallery to see what you post.

Hugs!

 

Tutorial: High Pass Sharpening for Softening

Tutorial: High Pass Sharpening for Softening

 

Hello Hello on this last day of February!  I can’t believe it’s almost over already (yes, I repeat this in December too!) The time flies, and most times I wish for a pause button, and there are a few that I wish for a fast forward option!  It’s Jenn here, aka jk703, to bring you a quick and easy tutorial to soften things up!  I know when I have some pictures, I feel a bit exposed and stark. Well, when I feel this about the way a picture looks, I like to soften it up. For this tutorial, we are using the High Pass Filter to soften skin… Here we go…

1. Open an copy of your image, and create a duplicate layer. Here is my son, Colin.

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2. Change the Blend Mode to Overlay. Your image may become super saturated and bright.

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3. On the Menu Bar, Choose Filter > Other > High Pass.

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4. Move the slider to about 9-10 pixels. Your image will get really really sharp.

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5. Press Command + I (I like Igloo) or Control on a PC. This will Inverse the sharpness and make it super soft. So, your image will get a changed color appearance, and softening.

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6. Press and hold the Option Key (Alt on a PC). Click on the Add a Mask on the bottom of the Layers Palette (the square with a circle button). You should get a black mask box next to the overlay layer.

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7. Click on the black mask in the layer – you will see slight edgers around the corners to know you chose that box. (See above image, check out the corners of the black mask box).

8. Click on the Brush Tool. Use a white, soft, round brush, and change the opacity to around 40-50%.

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9. Brush on the masked layer and you will soften the skin.

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My after picture is just a tad softer than my original. It’s softens his skin just a little, while giving a little more sharpness to his hair and features.

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ok… Here goes. This is awesome for up close and personal face shots. Many people take “selfies,” which are pictures of themselves… and depending on the camera, this can be a super sharp picture of you. I wanted to show an up close and personal pic that I took of me… so… gulp, here is my before and after. The skin is the biggest change, and really makes me feel as if my bumpy skin, blemishes and wrinkles are a little less obvious.

Before:

BeforeSoft1

After:

BeforeSoft2

Here is what my co-CT members came up with for my tutorial!  They are pretty awesome!

Jennifer (jmljensen) used this before and after shot for her layout!  Isn’t it gorgeous?!

Jennifer Before After

She used Chelle’s Indian Summer to create this beautiful layout!  I love the title work and big cluster!

Jennifer

Leslie (lab130) used her nephew as her adorable subject. Here is the before….

original

and the after…

softening

Here is her page… Leslie used Chelle’s Blessings Kit and the wonderful Watercolor Brushes for this masterpiece!

Graham-2

That’s today’s tutorial!  Thanks for stopping by, and we hope you come back again!

by_Jenn

Favorite Family Phrases | Digital Scrapbooking Words on Wednesday

Hi Fellow Scrappers!  Does your family have a favorite saying…maybe it’s a movie quote…or a phrase from an inside joke. Those sayings make great words for your digital scrapbooking layouts for your scrapbooks. Digital scrapbooking family phrases will add to the overall historical value of the scrapbook pages your create. It will also add laughter and much humor. Let me show you what I mean.
Roxana (roxanamdm)
Roxana gave us her top phrases from a Mommy’s point of view. I think Mom’s everywhere can “feel” these phrases. Put on your shoes, order all your toys, eat all your food, are you listening to me, & pick up all your Legos. She used Oh Snap! & Traveler Snips Alpha (Part of the Traveler Collection).

Here’s my mommy phrase story: “You Can Do it!” My Mom (Chelle’s Grandma) started dating at age 14 (1945) and engaged at age 15 (1946). She dropped out of high school when she married Dad (1947). Whenever we would come home with a school question or something we needed help with, Mom would always say, “You can do it.” Of course, if Mom thought we could do it, we could. I didn’t find out until years later that she said we could do it, because she didn’t know how to help us because she’d dropped out of high school. Mom went back to finish high school in 1975 (ish) and graduated in 1978. She was 45 when she started and 48-49 when she graduated. It was something my grandparents always wanted her to do.
Karen32 (Karen32)
I love Karen’s “Stiner-isms.” All of our families’ have funny sayings or stories that become sort of  evolve into “Legendary Status.” Karen’s Huggie and funny childhood phrases as our kids learn to speak. Karen used Apple of my Eye Collection.

Here’s another of our family stories. My Dad (Chelle’s Grandpa) was a door-to-door salesman in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho for Fuller Brush and Watkins Companies. When Dad would come home, he would sit down in his recliner and say, “Girls, take off my shoes & socks.” They were not always a pleasant odor. I tried to avoid it. We’ll say about 25 years later, my brother Matt (Chelle’s Uncle) opened a dairy/ice cream store in Rexburg, Idaho.  I was at his house one night when he got home from the store. He walked in, sat down in his recliner and said, “Girls, come take off my shoes and socks!” My sister Barbara and I laughed and laughed. It took Matt a couple of minutes and then he started to laugh also. Silly family stories.
Dad would often get home at night quite hungry and we’d quickly get him is dinner. After he ate a few minutes, he would always say, “That was a great appetizer, now what’s for dinner?”
Jan (quiltymom)

Jan (quiltymom) shares a layout about her Great Grandma and a funny thing she used to do, that became a lifetime activity. Love her clustering. It’s not always easy to do a picture-less layout, but Jan did a super job. I bet all of use have a funny story or memory about our Grandparents. Jan used Traveler Quickies & Autumn Potpourri Alpha.

One last funny for you. Whenever we needed to do a job/chore none of us wanted to do, we would say, “We need to clean Mom’s fridge out, and my me, I mean you.” We still use that a lot. We need to go buy & pay for groceries, and by me, I mean you. It has so many options and uses. {snicker, snicker, giggle, laugh)

I bet you’ll have a hundred funny little stories like this when you think of them. Some of them sentimental, some of them a bit ironic, but still part of what makes you and your family, you. Scrap ’em! They’ll be the funniest of things for your grandchildren or great-grandchildren to read.

Hugs!

 

Gnome Sweet Gnome | Digital Scrapbooking Classics

Do you love gardening, or even just playing in the dirt? Chelle has several digital scrapbooking kits that are perfect for photos of your yard or garden projects, but two of my favorites are Gnome Sweet Gnome and the Gnome Sweet Gnome Add-on. The dirt splatters and little felt gnome statues are just two of the many whimsical elements perfect for gardening pages. Chelle’s team members have been playing with these kits and have some terrific layouts for us.

First, Kayla has a gorgeous page with one of Chelle’s new In the Pocket {Strips} templates and the Gnome Sweet Gnome Collection. Her daughter is a poser and insisted on having her picture taken in their flower garden on her first day of Kindergarten. I think it was a very smart idea, don’t you? And, I love that pink flamingo and the crocheted flower accenting one of the rectangular paper shapes. PrettyPoser_Aug11_web_zps795398e3

Next, Ronnie has a beautiful layout for us in keeping with the theme of these kits. She visited the Dallas Arboretum, which is a must-see when in Dallas, in my opinion. She saw the gorgeous flowers there and took lots of photos of them, but she captured a really cute picture of her son enjoying the grounds there, too. The brown background and the dirt splat with the gnome are used perfectly here. Chelle Creations - Gnome Sweet Gnome<br />
Template - Simple Scrapper Premium Membership

Finally, to show you the versatility of these kits, Lynett used them for a page that is not about gardening. After a day visiting grandparents, her son and his dog fell asleep in the car, and she couldn’t resist snapping some photos of them. They both look so relaxed and peaceful. The cluster of leaves and ribbons across the top, and the dirt splat behind the photos on the bottom are the perfect enhancements to her adorable photos. sleepyboys_zpseece04ab Mel also made a non-themed layout for us. She had a terrific picture of her boys laughing and giggling (yes, boys do that sometimes, and it’s worth catching in a photo!). The angled design of the page and the bright, cheery colors give the whole page a fun and happy look.Laugh-Out-Loud

Here’s a closer look at the two kits in the market. The images are linked. cc_gnomesweetgnome_kitcc_gnomesweetgnomeAO_kit

by_Cheryl