Painting with Layer Styles
Thursday, January 17, 2013

IN TODAY'S ISSUE:

• What's New in the Boutique
• Tips From The Pros
• Scrap Girls Club
• ScrapSimple Club
• Designer Freebie
• What's Happening at Scrap Girls

Painting with Layer Styles

Tutorial created using Photoshop CS5 with Windows 7

Layer styles are so much fun to use when digitally scrapbooking. A fun technique to get custom looks from layer styles is painting with them. I'll show you how to take an ordinary shape and customize it with layer styles to make it something that is uniquely you!

So let's get started:

Open a new 12x12-inch, 300-dpi transparent document. Select the Custom Shape Tool from the Tools Palette and choose a shape. (I am using a slide from ScrapSimple Tools - Shapes: Build A Flower 6302 by Syndee Nuckles.) Hold down the Shift key while you drag your mouse across your document. I am making my shape very large so what I'm doing can be seen easily in this tutorial, but you will want to create your shape at the size you intend to use it on your layout or other project.

I need to rasterize my shape before continuing to work with it. To do this, go to Layer> Rasterize> Shape, or right-click on the layer and choose "Rasterize Layer." (In Photoshop Elements, choose Layer> Simplify Layer.)

Now I am going to fill my slide with patterned paper. Open the digital paper of your choice. I am using a paper from Super 7 Spread: Sweet Life by Syndee Nuckles. Drag it on top of the document your shape is in. In the Layers Palette, make sure that your paper layer is above your shape layer and that your paper layer is selected.

Next, we will create a clipping mask. If you are unsure of the shortcut for creating a clipping mask for your program and version, you can go to Layer> Create Clipping Mask, and this will show you the shortcut you can use in the future when using clipping mask. Your shape should now be filled with your paper. You can move the paper around to get the pattern where you want it and you can even resize if you need to.

We are almost ready to start "painting" with our Styles. I'm going to show you several different Scrap Girls ScrapSimple Tools Styles for this tutorial so you can see some of the possibilities. Each new style that I want to use will require me to create a new layer.

So, the first thing I will do now is go to the Layers Palette and make sure my paper layer is selected, then click on the "Create New Layer" icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette.

I'm going to name this layer Puff Paint. To do this, double-click on the name next to the layer, and type in the new name and then hit Enter.

Now comes the fun part - you get to start painting on your styles. First, I chose a basic round brush - the size 32 brush, but the size you choose will depend on the size of your project. On the Puff Paint layer, I painted with the brush where I wanted to apply my style.

Now, simply go to your Styles and apply a new style to this layer; for this example, I chose Puff Paint 2, the white color.

I wanted to add more to my flower, so I added a touch of glitter. (Who doesn't love glitter?!) Again, you will create a new layer and rename it, so you'll remember what is on that layer. I named mine "glitter."

Grab your brush again and paint on where you want to apply your style. Keep in mind, these lines do not have to be perfect. After I painted on my lines, I used Amanda Fraijo-Tobin's ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Everyday Glitters His 6401 Biggie to add a green glitter to the leaves.

Once you have applied your style, you may decide that you want to adjust your painted area some or add more to it. To do this very simply, choose the layer for the style you want to adjust, make that the active layer, and take your brush and continue painting. As you do this, you'll see instead of the basic black strokes of the brush, your glitter will now start appearing, and you can now add more to your shape or even thicken up your original lines.

After you have finished painting on your styles and are happy with it, I suggest to first save your files as a PSD file. That way, you can go back and make changes in the future. You will also want to save the file as a PNG so you can use it on your layout.

Following these basic steps and just playing around with styles you have, you'll find there's an endless amount of possibilities that you can create to get custom embellishments.

Layout by Angie Briggs
larger view

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Shapes: Build A Flower 6302, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Everyday Glitters His 6401 Biggie and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Everyday Glitters Hers 6401 Biggie are also available.

Article written by Angie Briggs

Layout by Marlene Peacock
larger view

Designer Freebie by Marlene Peacock coordinates
with her Dated Destinations Paper Mini

Today's freebie designed by Marlene Peacock

* There is a "free download" button on the details page for each gift. You don't need to put them in your shopping cart unless you are shopping for other items. Also note that if you are slow reading your newsletter, you may find this freebie has already been retired, as the freebies are only available as gifts for about two newsletter cycles.

Heritage Chat
Thursday, January 17th - 9:00 p.m. ET

Do you have boxes of heritage photos just waiting to be restored and scrapped? Are there family stories just waiting for you to write down and preserve? Then this is the crop for you! Join Carla (CRS) at 9 PM ET for the Heritage Crop and Chat and learn ways to use ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Jot It Down Biggie to dress up your journaling for heritage pages. We'll help you get motivated to scrap those heritage photos and record your family stories for future generations to enjoy.

ScrapSimple Club Chat
Monday, January 21st - 8:00 p.m. ET

Stop in to chat about this month's ScrapSimple Club, you don't have to be a club member to chat. Join Shannon (tinkerbell11) and discuss the month's club and how to use ScrapSimple products in general. These products are fun and versatile items to have in your digital arsenal!

High Noon Crop
Wednesday, January 23rd - 12 Noon ET

Join April (April Showers) each Wednesday at 12 Noon ET for the High Noon Crop. All coasts and time zones are welcome! These crops are designed to allow you to work on your own photos and themes, simply giving participants a one hour goal and a fun, new challenge each week.

On January 23rd we will be doing a ScrapSimple challenge! Create a layout using at least one ScrapSimple product. If you haven't used them before, we'll have some great ideas for you in the chat.

Create your layout and upload it to the special High Noon Crop Gallery. You'll be amazed what you can get done in just one hour, but there is no High Noon Sheriff timing you! Hope to see you in the chat room!

Project SG 2013 Chat
Thursday, January 24th - 8:00 p.m. ET

Join Shannon in the chat room for the "Kick Off" Chat of 2013. Get all the details on this year long project to stay up to date with your scrapbooking. You will want stop in to hear about the fantastic prize you have the chance to win by taking part!

January's Forum Game: Jumpstart January!

It's time to kick off the new year with some fun and a focus on scrapbooking! Join us on Scrap Girls Forum for "Jumpstart January!" This is a game and challenge that focuses on taking time to scrapbook regularly despite the little "speedbumps" of life. When the month is over you'll have completed several layouts and been treated to some fun along the way.

A Welcoming Committee Member will post a task each Monday through Saturday from January 1-31. The tasks will be formatted in a LARGE PURPLE FONT for ease of locating them in the game thread as it grows. Some tasks will require message board participation, email responses or gallery posting. Read each daily task carefully to see what is required of you.

Those who complete all the required tasks and submit or post required participation by 11:59 pm (ET) January 31st will be entered in a drawing to win one of three $10 Gift Certificates to the Scrap Girls Boutique! Those who complete all the layouts will be entered in a drawing to win one of two $5 gift certificates. Each person who completes a layout will be entered – once for each completed challenge page - into a drawing for one of three $3 gift certificates.

For complete details, visit the Monthly Forum Games folder on the Scrap Girls Forum.

January Monthly Layout Contest: Our scrapbooks are full of the holidays, birthdays and special events. But what about those little, everyday moments? For the January Layout Contest, we'd love to see your layouts featuring everyday moments or habitual tasks that would otherwise go undocumented. Please post your layouts in the January Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight ET on January 31st and you could one of the two people who will win a $10 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique! Please be sure to list your layout's product credits in the description or under the EXIF Properties.

Club Concepts Layout Contest: Post your new layout using the current club selection (either the Scrap Girls Club or the ScrapSimple Club) in our Scrap Girls Club Members Gallery or the ScrapSimple Club Members' Gallery. Be sure to list all of the Scrap Girls products you used. If your layout is chosen, it will be showcased as a Club Concepts layout winner, and you will win a $5 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

Suggest a Challenge, Win a Prize! Have a great idea for a Gallery layout challenge? Submit it to [email protected]. If your challenge idea is chosen, you will win a prize! Friday will be Customer Challenge Day, so keep an eye out on the Forum calendar. It will be fun to see what YOU come up with for us to do!

Check our Forum calendar if you have any questions about what is happening at Scrap Girls. All event times are given in the Eastern Time Zone unless otherwise noted. Need help converting time zones? Check out the World Clock - Time Zone Converter. (Use 'USA-New York-New York' as the location for the Eastern time zone.)

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