New Kit: Say You, Say Me by Roseytoes Designs and Girl Boy Girl Designs

This new kit called, Say You, Say Me, is a collaboration by Roseytoes Designs and Girl Boy Girl Designs.  It is really a wonderful kit!  The colors work for both boys and girls and everything else in between.  I was drawn to the green and gray colors of this kit so I used those two colors as the focus for my layout.

{Your Smile}

Say You, Say Me is available at Funky Playground Designs and Scrappity-Doo-Dah.

Font used is called Jane Austin from dafont.com.

I woke up this morning delighted to learn that my layout was a Gallery Stand Out (GSO) at Scrappity-Doo-Dah.  You can see it here. 

Joined Roseytoes Designs And Template Challenge Layout At Digiridoo Scraps

More good news!  I have just joined the creative team at Roseytoes Designs!  Ryan is the designer and her style is very cute and fun.  I can't wait to start creating with her designs!  You can view her shop at Funky Playground Designs and Scrappity-Doo-Dah.

August Template Challenge at Digiridoo Scraps:

{Captured}

Since finishing up the Iron Scrapper Challenge at Scrap Orchard.  I have not had the same digital scrapping energy as before.  I didn't win anything but I did truly enjoy the challenge.  I also created my very first 2 page layout.  I thought it would be pretty easy but it actually took some time playing around to get the two pages to look like one seamless page.  You can view it here (it's a snow theme...which was well needed in this summer heat).  

I created the layout above just in time for the August Template Challenge Poll at Digiridoo Scraps.  Normally, at the beginning of every month, I go through my list of digital scrap forums to find challenges I'd like to participate in.  I usually pick a few from different forums.  Some of my favorites are:  Scrap Orchard, Scrapbook Graphics, Funky Playground, Divine Digital and Digiridoo Scraps.  Recently, I've added Oscraps to my list.  There was a photo challenge that I really wanted to participate in (I can't remember which forum it was).  It was about capturing a building from a different angle.  I had an idea of capturing the beautiful stained glass interior of a Catholic church (I first saw it about 4 years ago and have been in awe ever since), but with my youngest getting ready for preschool and my oldest already in school but with a semi-hectic schedule, I was running around way too much.  I still plan to capture that beauty one of these days.  I need to get a hair cut too and I'm already planning for it the first day my youngest is in preschool.

I really enjoy template challenges.  It makes the laying of elements and photos so much easier but more often, I think it allows the mind to focus on a good story to tell, photo(s), and kit.   The template used for the layout above is by Scrap-a-holic Designs.  The kit used is called Bloom & Grow by Dana's Footprint Designs.  The font for "Captured" is called Wedding Nightmares, found at dafont.com.  The journaling font is called Academy Engraved, and is part of PS CS4.

I hope to be more inspired in the next coming weeks.

Friday Freebie: Flowers And Leaves

Today's Friday Freebie are flowers and leaves.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Enjoy your weekend!  I should have some layouts posted over the weekend.

Wedding Card

I created this wedding card for husband's coworker.  Inside the card reads:

Wishing you many wonderful years ahead.

Congratulations on your wedding!

Here is the card printed.  I forgot to adjust the lighting on the camera correctly so I had to use heavy photoshop on it.  The background design does show up on the actual card.

I used the following in the making:

Elements and papers from: Kimberly Schlehann, Willow Grace Designs, and Royanna Lea Fritschann.  All elements and papers were free.  You can find these designer's free products as well as their shops at divinedigital.com.  Font is, Selfish, from dafont.com.

New Kit: Peccadilloes by Creations By Tinamarie

Creations By Tinamarie has a new kit called, Peccadilloes at Oscraps.com. It's a gorgeous and fun kit of soft yellows, greens, and grays.

Here is a layout I created with this kit:

{Burp}

Friday Freebie: Late Summer Mini Kit

I decided to make Friday's a freebie day.  This means, every Friday, I'll share a freebie.

I've been doodling on Illustrator and came up with four designs for papers.  After I designed the papers, I decided to also add a few elements and thus, came up with this mini kit I call, Late Summer.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

Joined Creative Team at Creations By Tinamarie + Camera Corner Challenge at Oscraps

Great news!  I am now also creating for Creations By Tinamarie.  I simply adore her design style and colors.  Tina sells her designs at Oscraps.com.  She also has a blog here.

Since signing up at Oscraps.com, I've been drawn to the Camera Corner challenge.  I liked the theme for the August challenge and decided to participate.  A great thing about Oscraps is that they offer really awesome freebies.  Go here to see what I mean.  I downloaded a couple of items to use for my layout for the challenge.  Here's my layout:

Kit used: Prego by Maya de Groot.  Frame by Joanne Brisebois.  Both the kit and the frame were freebies.  Font is called Made With B from dafont.com.

The original photo used for the challenge can be found here.

How To Make Rounded Corners On A Photo Using Photoshop CS4

If you've ever wanted to achieve rounded corners in your photos, follow the step-by-step instructions below.  This is what a rounded corner photo looks like:

There are many ways to achieve rounded corners.  This is one way to do it.  It's the method I've used since I've started digital scrapbooking.  I used a different method before that but it was a keyboard shortcut method and for the life of me, I can't remember what the steps were.  Anyway, here is the tutorial:

1. Open your photo in Photoshop.  The photo I'm using for this tutorial is a macro shot of a sage bush from the front yard of my house.

 

2. In the Layers box, you will see a very small image of that photo and next to it the word, “Background.”  

3. Change that image from “Background” to a layer by right clicking on it with your mouse and selecting “Layer From Background.”

4. A small window will pop-up.  You can leave the name to Layer 0 or change it.  I’m going to leave it.  Leave everything else and click, OK.

5. Your image is now a layer.

6. Go over to your Tools bar and select the Rounded Rectangle Tool.

7. Then, change the Radius to your liking.  Since my photo is pretty large, I’m going to set the Radius to 100 px. 

8. Your mouse arrow should look like a plus sign when you roll it over your photo.  Put the plus sign near the top left corner of your photo and holding your mouse down, drag to the opposite corner.  You should see an outline of the rectangle shape.  Once you release your mouse, the rectangle shape will cover your photo in the color of the foreground color in your Tools bar.  Don't worry about the color because it wont' matter.

9. The rectangle shape is a layer on top of your photo.  Move that layer below your photo by clicking your mouse down and dragging it below the photo layer.  Your layers should look like this now:

10. Now, select the photo layer.

11. Right click on the photo layer and select, “Create Clipping Mask.”

12. Everything outside of the rectangle shape disappears.  The gray and white checkered boxes means that area is transparent.

13. Merge your layers by going to Layer > Merge Visible.

14. Trim the transparent areas by going to Image > Trim.  A small window will pop-up.  Select the first radio button that says, “Transparent Pixels.”  Leave everything else as is and click, OK.

15. This is what your photo will look like:

That's it!

If you plan to post your rounded corner photos on a blog, a website, or create a digital scrapbook layout with it, with a colored background, you will need to save your photo as a PNG file, otherwise, the corner tips will appear white and not transparent.

I hope this was helpful.  Please let me know if any of the steps weren't clear and I will do my best to explain.

Summer Nights Kit by Jennifer Z Designs: $2 At Divine Digital!

Today, Jennifer Z Designs is offering $2 on her new kit called Summer Nights for the Divine Diva Deal Challenge at divinedigital.com.  When you participate in the challenge, you will receive a photo mask set and alpha add-ons for free!

The photos masks and alpha add-ons:

Here are a couple of layouts I created with this kit and a photo mask from the add-on:

 {Kida 9.2008}

{One Sun One Moon}

I like the bright colors of this kit, especially the reds and oranges.  It's a very fun kit that makes me happy.

Beautiful Everyday & Once Upon A Time

Here are a couple more layouts from the kits I downloaded last week from the digiscrapaddits.com designer week 1 challenge.  They have started on the week 2 challenge so if you'd like to see what's being uploaded for free downloads, go here.

This is a mini kit by Lilacs in Bloom called Bloomin Spring.

I was attracted to the pinks, greens, and yellows of this kit. I also adore the owl!  Here are my layouts using this kit:

{Beautiful Every Day}

{Once Upon a Time}

Thanks for stopping by!

Digi Scrap Addict's Designer Challenge With Free Scrapbook Kits

I learned through my designer, Jennifer Z Designs, that digitalscrapaddicts.com was having a designer challenge.  She is participating in the apprentice challenge so I headed over to cheer her on.  When I arrived at digitalscrapaddicts.com, I then learned that all the designers participating were creating beautiful kits for their challenge and offering those kits for free!  I was so happy!  I downloaded quite a few kits and hope to create lots of memories with them.  For the new designer challenge kits, go here.  For established designer challenge kits, go here. 

The first kit I worked with was "Frolic" by Jennifer Z Designs.  It is a beautiful soft kit with the cutest pinks, reds, blues, and whites.  Here is what's in the kit:

These are the layouts I created:

{Kylie 8.2007}

{My, What Lashes You Have!}

Upside Down

{Upside Down}

A little late but here is a layout created for the Make It Snappy (MIS) challenge earlier this week at scraporchard.com.

Kits used: A Little Buggy by Ziggle Designs, Pinky Promise by Laura B, and Pond Play by SuzyQ.  The writing is my own handwriting using a tablet and pen.

August Desktop Challenge

This is my August desktop.  I created it for the August Desktop Challenge at scrapbookgraphics.com.  The theme for my desktop was the 10 year anniversary of husband and my marriage.  This marks a very important part of our life because we struggled so much financially and only within the last few years did things finally turn around for us.  It took hard work and perseverance to finally see the light at the end.  And even then, we weren't so sure how things would be because the economy had begun spiraling down.  I feel very fortunate to have made it to a better place.  I know that it doesn't end here.  The road is still long and winding and I know it will never end but I do know that things are way better now than before and I am thankful for what I have.  The hardships endured have made husband and I wiser.

Kit Used: Studio Collective (Connect). I used pieces from em-ka Designs, Re Kneipp Designs, SussieM, Boutique Cute Doll, Dawn Inkskip, and Flergs.  All designers are at scrapbookgraphics.com.

Dream Big

This layout was created for the Scrap Orchard Fresh Fruit Challenge.  The requirement was to create a layout consisting of a certain number of items.  The numbers were set but the items could be of anything.  I used 10 flowers, 6 buttons, 4 leaf sets, 2 photos, 3 stitch trails, and 7 papers.

Kit Used: Imagination by Designs by Kat
Font: CuttyFruty by dafont.com