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"Easter '98" by Janine Buckles
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
I love the soft, muted colors in Mod Bungalow Collection Biggie and really wanted to maintain that look for my layout. The problem was my photograph was very colorful. In order to soften it, I ran the sepia action from ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Vintage PSE 6502 Mini. This worked great, but my photo looked a bit too light, so I clicked Ctrl+U (Enhance> Adjust Color> Adjust Hue/Saturation) and moved the Saturation slider up until the sepia tone was stronger. Now my photograph coordinates perfectly with the papers and embellishments I wanted to use.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop Elements 8
Name of challenge: Easter
"Easter" by Charlene Crowder
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
To make my "Easter" title, I used several layers. First, I typed out the word and simplified the layer. Then, I duplicated the layer. Above the bottom layer of the word, I opened up the Blue Dots Paper from Tints & Tatters Collection Biggie. I clipped the paper (Ctrl+G for PC; Cmd+G for Mac) to that word layer. Then on the top word layer, I applied a style from ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Plastic 6501 Biggie.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop Elements 7
Name of challenge: Easter
Other Ingredients:
"Mommy's Easter Basket" by Jennifer Wight
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
Some of my photos were slightly dark, so I wanted to lighten them up a little bit to match the lighting in the other photos. Thanks to digital photography and digital software programs, this can be done easily. I went to Enhance> Adjust Lighting> Brightness/Contrast. Then I played with the levels to achieve my desired look. I also played with the "Shadow/Highlight" levels under the Adjust Lighting menu. This is a simple way to make your photos look more unified.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop Elements 5
Name of challenge: Easter
"Me, Myself, and I" by Jo Corne
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
To create my headline, I used ScrapSimple Alpha Templates: Heartfelt. I opened the Photoshop files for each letter provided and placed them onto my layout. On each letter base, I used ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Antique Paper 5101 Super Biggie. I linked each letter set, the base, and the flower layer to make it easier to move each letter as one unit. Once I was happy with the positioning of each letter, I linked all the letters together. Finally, on each word, I used ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Butterfly Shadows 6301 Mini for some added depth.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS4
Name of challenge: Create a layout that focuses on you.
"Moment" by Gisele Corrêa Marçal Queiroz
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
I love to add texture to my photos. For that, I like to fully utilize the beautiful papers that come with the collections in our Scrap Girls Boutique. In this layout, I used a paper from the Mod Bungalow Collection Biggie to add texture to my photo. I put the photo on top of the paper and then I changed the Blending Mode to "Overlay." To soften the edges, I used the Eraser Tool with a Grunge Brush and changed the Opacity of the brush to 77%. Remember to play with the possibilities, and test with different papers to find new effects.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS4
Name of challenge: Create a layout that focuses on you.
"Derek's Eggcellent Adventure" by Julie Moberly
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
One of my favorite techniques is to use a template and then change it up just a bit to suit my theme. In this layout, I used Template 3 from ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album Templates: 12x12 Photo Book 3 as the foundation for my layout. I replaced the three bottom photo squares with eggs from Valerie Randall's Assemble Your Own: Easter Eggs Biggie. Then I used a clipping mask to make the photos take the shape of the inner portion of the egg. As a result, my layout showcases the main photo as well as providing supporting photos with the Easter theme.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop Elements 8
Name of challenge: Easter
Journaling: Easter finally arrived! The chilly weather did not slow Derek down on the egg hunt! He searched through grass and dirt, around bushes and trees, in mailboxes and downspouts. He didn't care so much about the grand prize, the coveted "Big Egg" that promised a stash of candy and cash. He just created his very own eggcellent adventure! April 2007
"Kendall Kids" by Amy Flanagan
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
For this spring layout using non-traditional colors, I wanted to pull the sunflower out of the paper from Abstract Expressionism Florals Paper Super Mini. I thought the flowers would look really neat draping over and under the matte that I made from ScrapSimple Tools - Shapes: Brackets 6301. To achieve that effect, I used several layer masks. The first layer mask I made was on the bracket layer. Using the mask, I painted away the bracket shape to expose the flower underneath. Then, a second layer mask was applied to the red paint layer, to further expose the flower that was underneath. The net effect is that the flower petals are lying on top of the mats! The bottom of the layout, where the petals peek under the outer rim of the bracket shape, was created by carefully selecting and painting away only the portions of the bracket shape that would expose the portions of the flower that I wanted to be seen. For a simple way to see where to paint, change the Opacity of the layer you are working on to expose what is underneath. When you are done, change the Opacity back to normal.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS4
Name of challenge: Easter
"Picture Perfect" by Jennifer Labre
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
The challenge for this layout was to use photos in a unique way - to think outside the box. I did just that by extracting my daughter from a regular photo and placing her on top of a photo frame. I think my layout captures attention because it is quite unexpected. Try looking at your photos in a new way. Can the subjects be extracted and placed in a new scene?
Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS4
Name of challenge: Create a layout using photos in a unique way.
Other Ingredients:
"Easter Window" by Elisha Barnett
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
To create the subtle burst on the background paper, I duplicated the yellow Drizzled paper from Abstract Expressionism Collection Biggie so I had two copies with a white background layer below both of them. I brought in a paper template from ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Bursting Offset, placing it between the two yellow papers and clipped the top paper to it. Then I simply lowered the Opacity of the other yellow paper until I saw the effect I liked.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop Elements 6
Name of challenge: Easter
"Easter 2009" by Joann Brown
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Directions for one technique I did on this layout:
When I created my chocolate candies using ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Chocolate Candy 6301, I noticed when I resized the chocolate candies, the proportion of the bevel was off a little bit. Have you ever added a style to an element and just not been very happy with the proportions of it? This is so easy to fix! Simply go to Layer> Layer Style> Scale Effects. By changing the Scale of your style, you can adjust how your style works with your element. I was much happier with the scale of the chocolate style after I adjusted it down a bit.
Software used: Adobe Photoshop CS4
Name of challenge: Easter
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