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"Different Colours" by Jo Corne
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
To create my photo with the three different looks, I first duplicated the photo three times. On the top layer I placed Melissa Renfro's ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Lifted Photos Biggie. I clipped the photo to the photo mask and then used Melissa Renfro's ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photo Basics 5001 - "Chocolate with Color" and used a style from her ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Well Loved 5001 on the frame. On the next layer, I placed Melissa's Lifted Photos: Weathered and Worn Embellishment Biggie and clipped the second photo layer to the photo mask. Once again using ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photo Basics 5001 - "Sepia with Color" I gave the photo the look you see here. Each photo layer, including the final layer has Melissa's ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Photo Masks - Downtown clipped to it to give it texture as well.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS4
Name of challenge: Use two or more actions.
Other Ingredients:
Journaling: Being that both of us are not Australian born, it was a wonderful experience to visit Parliament House in Canberra, our nations capital, in January 2009. We toured the inside of the building and got to see where our politicians make the laws that govern this wonderful country of ours. Although we are not Australia born, our children are and we are proud to be Australian citizens and live in this beautiful friendly country.
"Savannah" by Jennifer Wight
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
On this layout I used my Eraser Tool to blend the photo into my background paper. First, I selected my eraser and chose a brush from Melissa Renfo's Brush Set: Downtown. I lowered the opacity slightly (about 75%) and then proceeded to erase the edges of my photo. After I was happy with the effect I lowered the opacity of the picture itself to blend it more into the paper.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0
Name of challenge: Use two or more actions.
Journaling: It is her beauty that captures your attention. It is her personality that captures your heart.
"Grace" by Amy Lemaniak
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
I used Melissa Renfro's ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Well Loved for the basic composition of my layout. These templates are so quick and easy to use because they come with a PSD version of the file with all of the layers intact. So, I dragged my photos and my papers onto my layout, and then used a clipping mask to attach them to their appropriate layers.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS4
Name of challenge: Use two or more actions.
Other Ingredients:
"Get Off My Back!" by Elisha Barnett
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
These photos were taken at night, spontaneously, at my arm's length away, with a flash. I love the expressions on our faces, but the colors were harsh and a lot of skin imperfections showed. To even out the colors and soften and smooth our skin, I used ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photo Basics 5001. With the original photo in a separate document from my layout, I first played the "Chocolate with Color" action. A second document was automatically created with layers I could adjust: my original photo, a sharpening layer, and a chocolate layer (yum!). Then I played the "Smart Glow" action on the first document with my original photo, which created a third document with the original photo and the "Smart Glow" layer on top. I ran ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photos That Pop PSE 1801 on the "Smart Glow" layer to give the colors just the slightest pop. Then I dragged just the "Smart Glow" layer from the third document to the top of the layers of the second document. I adjusted the opacity of the layers until I got the look I wanted, flattened the layers and added the finished photo to my layout. I repeated the steps for each photo, allowing just a bit more color through on the smaller photos.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0
Name of challenge: Use two or more actions.
Journaling: Katie decided that she was going to jump on my back for a ride. I tried bucking her off like a bronco, to no avail. A few bursts from the camera flash did the trick.
"Joy" by Julie Moberly
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
To fade the three photos into the patterned paper blocks on the right side of the page, I first applied the black and white option from Brandy Murry's ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Sketch It PSE 8501 Mini to each photo. I dragged each of the sketched photos onto my layout. Then I resized the photos and clipped them to patterned papers. Finally, I set the Blending Mode to "Hard Light" and the Opacity to 75%.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0
Name of challenge: Use two or more actions.
"Summer Belle" by Amy Flanagan
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
After placing my photo into ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Tiled - Mini, I realized my photos needed a little bit of a frame around them to help them keep the focal point of the layout. Also, the lines on the photo created by the template needed to be a subtle color. So, I took my Shape tool and drew a circle so that it was slightly larger than my photo circle. Then I simplified the layer. Using the same paper as the brown background, I clipped it together using Alt+Click. (If you hold Alt and hover your mouse over the line between the two layers, you will see a double circle icon. That is when you click.) I layered it under the photo mask created by the original template, and now I have a nice frame around my photo with subtle lines running through the picture.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0
Name of challenge: Use two or more actions.
"Caught Me A Beauty" by Christy VanderWall
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
When I ran ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Edge It 5001 for the stitches, the corner stitches didn't quite line up right. Using my Rectangular Marquee Tool, I selected all the stitches on the side of the square that was a little to long. I pressed Ctrl+T to transform the stitches and shrink them all slightly until the corners lined up nicely.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS3
Name of challenge: Use two or more actions.
Other Ingredients:
"Little Me" by Jennifer Labre
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
Often I'll have an idea in my mind of how I want my photos to look on my layout, whether they are black & white, sepia, extreme color, etc. Sometimes, I have no idea what to do with a photo, so I love to play around with actions to see what kinds of looks I can get with a photo. This is what happened here. Before I even began my layout, I played around with the photo using Melissa Renfro's ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photo Basics 5001. I ended up with a very soft, vintage feel, which is perfect for one of my baby photos. The look then dictated the rest of the feel for the layout. So, if you're ever stuck with what to do with a photo, try playing around with some actions. You're bound to get a whole new look!
Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS4
Name of challenge: Use two or more actions.
Other Ingredients:
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