Scrapbook Dimensions Magazine

by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

I’m a big fan of creating my own embellishments. But sometimes I’m short on time and just want something that looks handmade. That’s why I love this technique. I am going to show you how to create a digital template that you can use over and over and over again!

1. Open a new 12×12 file (File>New) in Photoshop.

2. Choose the “Rectangle Tool.”

3. Use the “Rectangle Tool” to draw rectangles of various sizes. You will want to change the colors (to various shades of gray) simply so that you can see all the layers. Keep going until the entire page is filled.

4. You now need to change all those vector shapes to regular shapes. From the Layers menu, choose Rasterize>All Layers.

5. Save your new layered template! It’s important to do it now so that you don’t mess it up with the next few steps. You just did all of that work and want to have it around for a long time!

6. Drag patterned paper into your template. Place it just over the layer you want to cover in patterned paper. Here is a screenshot of the Layers Palette:

6. Choose “Create Clipping Mask” from the “Layer” menu.

This will make it so that the paper “sticks” to only the one shape it’s over, like so:

7. If you like it, merge those two layers together (Layer>MergeDown) to make it permanent.

8. Continuing adding patterned paper until you’re satisfied with the area you’ve filled.

You can see here that I’ve only covered one part of the template. I’m doing a small embellishment, so there’s no reason to cover the entire thing.

9. Flatten the entire template (Layer>Flatten Image) so that you can cut out the embellishment shape you want.

10. Use any method you want to cut out whatever shape you’d like. I chose a leaf from Photoshop’s existing menu of shapes.

11. Print your new patchwork embellishment out and use it on your layout!

Here’s my layout using several of the patchwork leaves:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Popularity: 4% [?]

These are handy little cards to give people your blog address (or email) with.

Instructions:

1. Make a 4 X 6 document in Photoshop.

2. Add pictures and text to the document. Make sure the photos are business card sized (3.5 X 2).

3. Save the file as a jpeg and send it to a photo printer, such as Kodak.com.

4. Once you get your photos, cut them out. You could also put traditional elements on them!

Have Fun,
Bre Wiebe

Popularity: 5% [?]

by Chere Nordstrand (Dream Team)

I LOVE doing this, probably one of my most favorite digital tricks and it’s super simple! You can do this one of two ways. You can make each individual letter it’s own sticker OR you can type the word you want and turn the entire thing into a sticker. I will show you both ways.

Here’s how for each individual letter:

Open a New Document the approximate size you want your letter sticker. Mine is 2.5″x2.5″ at 300 dpi with a transparent background.

Type a letter in whatever color and font you desire, my font size is 150 pt. Now we need to make a new layer underneath this layer. Hold down Ctrl (PC) / Cmd (Mac) and then click on Create New Layer in your layer palette. This will create a new blank layer just beneath your letter font.
Now select the letter layer and select the Magic Tool wand and click the empty area AROUND your letter by clicking on the background.

Then Shift + Ctrl(PC)/CMD(Mac) + I and marching ants will appear ONLY around your Letter.

Go to Select > Modify > Expand > 15 Pixels > Ok. Now you will notice that the marching ants just got bigger around your letter.

Click on the blank layer beneath your letter. In your color palette you need to select the color that you want on the outside of your letter, preferably white if you want to make it look like a sticker but you can make it whatever you want. With the blank layer still selected in your layer palette type Alt + Delete to fill the layer. You will now have a border around your letter. Merge Visible and then you can drag and drop it onto your project.

For making and entire word into a sticker you would complete the exact same steps above except that you type out your entire word instead of the individual letters.

Note: I changed the background color so it would be easier to see that there is white around the letters.

So the next time you’re in a crunch and don’t have an alpha that fits, go through your fonts and make your own!

Popularity: 12% [?]

1. Start with a vintage postcard, you can buy one at a vintage shop or online.
2. Print out a digital element of any kind. (Note: I used one from Rhonna Farrer’s Versaille Kit for Scrapbook Dimensions).
3. Once your digital element is printed, cut it out and glue it to your postcard.
4. Attach as many traditional elements as you want.
5. And you have a beautiful hybrid postcard!

~Bre Wiebe

Popularity: 16% [?]

 I would like to share with you a quick and easy Hybrid card, that would perk up anyone’s day.  This card can be made in just a few minutes,

or make several and keep on hand to send out to your friends.

First, create a 5X5 square card in your editing program, print and adhere to cardstock paper.  Print butterfly on a seperate sheet of photo paper,

trim and adhere to card with glue dot to add dimension.  Next, use a fine tipped pen to doodle around the edges of your card and then finish by

tying strips of ribbon into a bow.

Supplies;

Digital: Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0; JanaM: Party of Life kit: paper, butterfly, swirl, felt flower

Traditional Supplies:  Bazzill: cardstock, ThermoWeb: glue dot; Other: ribbon unknown

Popularity: 18% [?]

by Chere Nordstrand (Dream Team)

I’m sure you’ve all probably seen those quickpage mini albums in digital stores that look like all the popular paper albums that you can buy such as the Basic Grey tag albums, Cosmo Cricket albums, Piggy Tales, etc. You can make these yourself. It’s easy and a great way to make an album in a flash!

I think most scanners have the inside lid as white, since I was using a black chipboard piece this made the scanning easy. Depending on the color of your chipboard you may have to put a contrasting piece of colored paper onto of your chipboard to scan it in. For example…if you have white chipboard, just lay a piece of black paper over the top while scanning.

For this album I’m using Cosmo Cricket’s Kate’s Blackboard mini album.

Take one piece of your chipboard mini album scan it into your computer. In Photoshop Elements open up your scanned image.

The next step you can do a couple different ways. The first way would be to use the Magic Wand tool (this is the way I did mine) and just click anywhere on the black area. You will see “marching ants” around the outside edge.

The other way to do it is to use the Magnetic Lasso tool and go around the outside edge until you’ve gone all the way around and you see the “marching ants”.

Now Ctrl+C to Copy and then Ctrl + N to create a New Blank File. Photoshop Elements will automatically create a new file in which your copied image will fit perfectly into, just make sure the background is transparent and 300 dpi, then click on OK. If you want to make the new file bigger you can. Now Ctrl + P and your image will appear in the new document onto the transparent background.

Make sure you rotate the album page to get the “hole” where your ring will go where you want it before adding your digital elements. You will need to rotate this back and forth if you have front and back pages in the album.

Now you can use this as your mask for your album. Open up a digital paper, resize it down to just bigger than your album then drag and drop it onto your album page. Then Ctrl+G to make the paper take the shape of the album. Then add elements and photos, print it out, cut it out and adhere it to your chipboard album then add any other embellishments.

I am going camping next week so I wanted to pre-make this album so that all I have to do when I return is plop the photos in and print out the pages. So the album is not completely finished yet but close. Here’s just a few images of how I designed it using the Happy Camper kit from {we are} story tellers !

Popularity: 21% [?]

Since a lot of you out there don’t have Photoshop, I thought I’d share a digital scrapbooking technique that you can do in Microsoft Word (which most people have). Before we begin, I will mention that I’m on a Mac. So, if you’re on a PC and get confused, let me know and I’ll try to help you out as best I can. You will need a computer with Microsoft Word, photo paper, and a color printer.

STEP ONE: Open a new document in Microsoft Word (File>New Blank Document).

STEP TWO: Make sure that you have the drawing tool bar open. Go to View>Toolbars and make sure that “Drawing” is checked off.

STEP THREE: Create a Text Box. Click on the Text Box icon. It looks like the letter “A” with a cursor. Using your mouse click in your document and then drag your mouse and release to create a text box.

STEP FOUR: Insert your photo by clicking on the “Insert Picture” icon. It looks like a photograph of mountains or hills or something. When you click on it, you will be able to choose any photo from your computer. Choose the one you want and hit “okay.”

STEP FIVE: We need to resize our photo. Use your mouse to click on your photo. In the formatting palette (if you don’t see it View>Toolbars>Formatting) the “Size, Rotation, and Ordering” section will flip open and you can resize your photo to fit your needs.

STEP SIX: Staying in the formatting palette, we are going to get rid of that outline around the text box. Click on the text box. Then, under “Colors, Weights, and Fills” choose “No Line” from the drop down menu.

STEP SEVEN: Following the same steps you used for the photo, you are going to import a digital embellishment.

• Create a new Text Box.
• Insert your digital frame or embellishment.
• Get rid of the outline

Many, many digital elements are available for free or a few dollars all over the internet. But, because I love you, here’s the one I used (designed by me just for you).

ETA: Thanks, Cheryl, for pointing out the spelling mistake! I guess I should stop doing things late at night! I fixed it and the link above should lead to a properly spelled overlay!

STEP EIGHT: We want our frame to be transparent over the photo, so in the “Formatting Palette” under “Colors, Weights, and Fills” choose “No Fill” from the drop down menu.

Click on the digital element and do this. And then click on the text box and do this.

STEP NINE: Click on the text box that is around your digital element and use your mouse to drag it over the photo. Then, just click on the corners of the digital element and drag to resize it to fit your photo!

STEP TEN: All that’s left is to print your fabulous new photo! Use it as you wish!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. It’s part of a challenge I posted over at My Kits & Pieces as part of their online crop. As always, let me know if you have any questions!

Popularity: 34% [?]

This is a fun and easy way to share your style!Print out any digital design on transfer paper. Follow the instructions in the box and then you’ll be wearing your art! I used Avery Iron-on Transfers. I just left mine after I ironed it on but the sky’s the limit…you could add some hand stitching, buttons, bling…whatever your heart desires! Have fun!

~Bre

Popularity: 24% [?]

by Gina Lideros (Dream Team)

For today’s tutorial,  I’m going to be working with Rhonna Farrer’s Versaille kit.  This kit is available for free

to suscribers of  Scrapbook Dimensions Magazine in our current issue Volume 2 Issue 2 

If you are  not a suscriber but wish to be one you can purchase a suscription at http://www.scrapbookdimensions.com/

Have you ever purchased a digital kit and wished that the papers came in a different color?  Or maybe you would like to customize

your paper to match a photo or digital element.  This is a fairly easy technique that should give you tons of versatility for many projects

to come. 

First in Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 open your digital patterned paper.   To change the colors of your paper go to Enhance > Adjust Color >

Adjust Hue/Saturation.  

In the Hue/ Saturation  Dialog box slide the Hue and Saturation sliders until you get your desired effect, then click okay.

Save your paper if you wish to use it for another project.  Print and add to your digital or Hybrid project.

*Note: altering personal use items is ok as long as you still give credit to the original designer and it is for a page

that you only intend to have for personal use and not sale*

Credits:

Digital:Versaille Kit: created by Rhonna Farrer http://www.rhonnadesigns.com/ papers, frame, word art; Spring Frippery kit: brushes 

created by Rhonna Farrer http://www.rhonnadesigns.com/;

Katie Pertiet: border template;

Traditional: Prima: flowers, say it in crystals jewels

Popularity: 32% [?]

Chere Nordstrand (Dream Team)

I needed to make a birthday card so this is what I have for you today! It’s a peek-a-boo card. Peek-a-Boo because the title of the card is hidden behind the little froggy. They are super fun to make and easy.

1. In Photoshop Elements, open a New Document 8.5×11, 300 dpi, transparent. Open up a paper that you want to use for the background of your card. Re-size the digital paper down to 7″x 7″ and then drag and drop it onto your New Document. Open up the elements and layer them onto the background, adding layer drop shadows to all elements. I chose to put the title of my card on the front of the frog with another frog of the same size covering it up. So I will need 2 frogs. I typed “Hoppy Birthday” it to fit on one frog and then positioned the frog with the title on his belly onto the background. Position the other frog just below your background to cut out when you print out this page.

2. Print out the page. Cut out the card background. Cut out the extra frog. When cutting out the frog be sure to leave a little tab at the bottom (as shown).

3. With your background laying on a flat surface, lay your cut out frog on top of the other frog on the front of the background. Make a little slit in the background with a craft knife, enough to fit the tab of the bottom of the extra frog.

Bend the sides of the tabs on the frog inward and slip into the slit. When the tab is in fold the tabs back to secure.

Make sure the two frogs are lined up with each other. Fold the extra frog down so that you can read the title of the card.

4. Glue the entire background onto cardstock base and your done.

Credits: Emily Powers & Kasia Sikorska - Puddle Jumper at WeAreStoryTellers.com

Font: 2p’s Vineyard

Bazzill Cardstock

Popularity: 33% [?]