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Photos, Stories and Scrapbooking

Ferns

By

On April 14, 2019

In Scrapbooking

While I am preparing for an upcoming event in May, I found time to create this page with Anna’s new release, ArtPlay Palette Moira, using photos of ferns taken in the conservatory at Lauritzen Gardens. I do wish I could grow these outside the way I did in California.

I often use an artsy paper and/or a template as a basis for creating unique looking pages for my photographs. For this page, I used artsy paper 1 from ArtPlay Palette Moira as a starting point for the page design with my fern photo. I simply added the brushes, overlays and transfers I wanted to use to a solid paper. Artsy papers are excellent patterns for good design. 

Mask Photo
  • Place photo on Solid Paper #5 from ArtPlay Palette Moira.
  • Add inverted layer mask to original copy by pressing option and clicking on the mask icon at the bottom of the layers panel
  • Select an AnnaBlendz Artsy brush and stamp with white as the foreground color on the black mask to reveal the photo.
  • Duplicate the photo and mask layers twice and adjust the blend mode of each photo layer.

Note: On my page the bottom photo layer is on Normal blend mode at 40% opacity. The second layer is on Color Burn at 100% opacity. The top layer is on Linear Light at 40% opacity.

Build Background 

Below the masked photo layers, add two copies of a brush, a transfer and an overlay.

  • Just above Solid Paper #5, stamp Brush #1 on a new blank layer on the left side.
  • On the right side, add another new blank layer and stamp Brush #1 angling it differently.
  • Place Transfer #1 above the brush layers and align it with the top edge of the paper.
  • Above the transfer, place Splatter Overlay #1 along the bottom right edge of the fern photo.

Note: Brushes, overlays and transfers are included in ArtPlay Palette Moira.

Add Small Frames

Initially I dragged the group of small frames from Artsy Layered Template No. 289 above the blended photo layers. I then used that arrangement as a guide for placing the frames from Postage Frames No. 2.

  • Open the .psd file of Postage Frame #6 from Postage Frames No. 2 and drag on to layout.
  • Duplicate the .psd file four times.
  • Reduce the file size so that it just large enough to cover the template frames. There will be a difference in the width.
  • Slant and adjust positioning of the frames, masks and drop shadows to follow the positioning of the template frames.
  • Clip detail fern photos to the masks masks.

Note: My photos were all adjusted in Lightroom before exporting to Photoshop.

Define Edges and Add Depth

In the screenshot above, there is an unfinished gap at the bottom of the ferns on the right. It needs a more defined edge. Brushes and overlays help close gaps and finish photo edges. Glows add depth and light to a page.

  • Stamp Brush #6 from ArtPlay Palette Moira on a new blank layer in black above the blended photo layers.
  • Above that layer, stamp Different Stroke #17 from Different Strokes No. 12 on a new blank layer. Duplicate the stroke to darken appearance. Blend mode is Normal at 100%.
  • On the right edge, place Stain Overlay #1. On the left just below the frames, place Overlay #1. Both pieces are part of ArtPlay Palette Moira.
  • Add FotoGlow #5 from WarmGlows No. 8 and change the blend mode to Linear Burn at 100%. Duplicate the glow and place to balance the light.
Finish

Adding details creates interest and a finished look to a page.

Next time that you sit down to create a page, spend a little time analyzing the way Anna Aspnes designs her artsy papers and then experiment by manipulating the brushes, transfers and overlays from an artplay palette in order to create something unique. Let me know how it goes.

Parties

By

On March 25, 2019

In Scrapbooking

Creating a book based on events fifty years ago has its challenges. For example, I don’t have photos from the first two showers given in my honor. I have the dates and names, but I can’t remember many of the details. Maybe that’s why I treasure the photos that I do have because they help me remember. There is no way I will forget the crepe paper dress that my mother and mother-in-law created for me. For one thing, I can’t believe that two mothers would shorten the hemline that much in 1968.

I am getting close to finishing my anniversary project, so I am looking for ways to simplify my process to keep the momentum going. For this two page spread, I combined two templates from WaterColor Template Album No. 8, substituting the small frames from another album on the right side.

Components From Template

Place the layers of template template 13 from WaterColor Template Album No. 8 on the left and template 5 on the right. Change the alignment of the second text box of template 13 to match the top text box. Rearrange the frames, deleting one to accommodate photos. On the right, delete the small frames.

Note: I included the stitching from the templates, moving it as needed. I added a 20px white stroke to each frame for consistency throughout my book project. I also reduced the size of all template layers to 85%% instead of 100%.

Clip Photos to Masks and Stains

Duplicate the focal photo on the left and clip it to the fotoblendz mask and one of the stains. Adjust exposure using Camera Raw Filter within Photoshop and add a Soft Light adjustment layer at 100% opacity. Repeat with the photo on the right, duplicating and clipping the copies to six stains included in the template.

Clip Photos to Small Frames

On the left, resize and clip three photos to the small frames. Add adjustment layers as needed. On the right, place the small frames from template 6 of Travel Album No. 2, reducing the size to 85%. Adjust the positioning of the thread. Clip small photos to the frames and add adjustment layers as needed.

Add Artsy Transfers and Stains

Below the fotoblendz mask and small frames on the right, place overlay 1, transfer 2 and transfer 6 from ArtPlay Palette Glance, reducing the size to 85%. On the left, place stain overlay from ArtPlay MiniPalette Opacus, transfer 3 from ArtPlay MiniPalette Honor, 7 layers from Artsy Transfers Summery and two copies of overlay 1 (Linear Burn blend mode) from ArtPlay MiniPalette Honor.

Two Buttons

Place a yellow gold button from ArtPlay Palette Glance on the right and tack down with thread 2 from ButtonThreadz No. 2. Place a pink button from ArtPlay Palette Infatuated on the left along with thread 6 from ButtonThreadz No. 1.

I am within three pages of finishing this project. Using templates to create the basic design and switching out small frames or fotoblendz masks will help me maintain my momentum. Although Anna Aspnes provides information about this technique in her earlier project classes, I recommend two of her most recent classes, Artsy Doubles and AA Project 2018, for detailed instructions on what I have shared in this post.

Poetry

By

On March 8, 2019

In Photography, Scrapbooking

There is still snow here, piles of snow, so much that I haven’t seen the lawn in weeks. Thus I found the color in Anna’s new ArtPlay Palette Melic very appealing as I long for spring and the tulips that will bloom in April. Below I explain my process for creating this page.

First, place solid paper 3 on a new blank 12×12 inch document.

Extract three tulip blooms with the Quick Selection Tool, arrange and give each a shadow.

Note: I adjusted the color a little by applying a Hue and Saturation Adjustment to each bloom.

Place transfer 3 and transfer 1 from ArtPlay Palette Melic above the paper. Change the blend mode of both transfers to Linear Burn. Attach a layer mask to transfer 1 to hide parts of the transfer.

Stamp brush 7 and 4 from ArtPlay Palette Melic in a red orange on Normal blend mode on new blank layers just above the transfers. Tilt as needed to create the effect of stems extending from blooms.

Arrange three of the stitching .png files from MultiMedia Melic No. 1 below the blooms as well as a splatter and piece of lace. Roughly align the stitching with the brush lines

Drag one .psd leaf file from ArtPlay Palette Melic and place above the stitching. Adjust the position of the shadow included with the leaves. Place a second leaf file, rotate and reduce its size.

Finish the page with beaded word art from Melic WordART Mix No. 1 and a thread from ArtPlay Mini Palette Breeze. On the left, place a button and splatter from MultiMedia Melic No. 1.

That’s it, so simple!

A Quiet Place

By

On February 22, 2019

In Photography, Scrapbooking

The Pope-Baldwin Estates at the Tallac Historic Site in South Lake Tahoe offer a glimpse into the luxurious lifestyle of wealthy society people who summered at Lake Tahoe at the turn of the 20th Century. After years of neglect, the estate buildings were beginning to deteriorate and restoration work was started in the early 1980s when the government purchased the property. The dock in this photo replaced the original boat dock and pier.

I began this layout working with just the photo. I duplicated the original three times. I gave the second copy a watercolor effect in Topaz Studio. Above that I placed a copy of the original photo on Soft Light blend mode at 100%.

To each copy I attached an inverted layer mask. I brought back the photo with an AnnaBlendz Artsy Brush as well as brush 11 and 13 from ArtPlay Palette Milieu.

Next, I placed artsy paper 5 from ArtPlay Palette Milieu below the photo layers. Above the photo layers, I placed another copy of paper 5 and changed the blend mode to Linear Burn at 75% opacity. Above the boats on the right, I placed transfer 2 from ArtPlay Palette Milieu. Finally, I created a composite of the original photo layers.

I then grouped my original photo layers and turned off that group. Using just my composite, I reduced it’s size to about 90% and clipped it to mask 3 from FotoBlendz Overlays No. 14.

I duplicated my composite and clipped it to mask 2 from Coastline FotoBlendz No. 1. I reduced the size of mask 1 from FotoBlendz Overlays No. 14 vertically to 60% and increased the horizontal size to 115%. I duplicated my composite one more time and clipped it to mask 1.

Note: Above the composite copies clipped to masks, I added two adjustment layers: one on Screen blend mode at 30% and another on Soft Light at 100%.

Just above solid paper 2 from ArtPlay Palette Milieu, I placed transfer 5. Above the transfer I added an adjustment layer on Soft Light at 100%. I also adjusted the color of the rounded area on the left with a Hue and Saturation layer and an inverted mask so that the changes would only affect that part.

To embellish my page, I placed all the layers of file 2 from MultiMedia Milieu No. 1. I turned off the grass frame and its shadow. Instead, I placed the branch from MultiMedia Branches No. 10 and its shadow as well as the thread. I adjusted the color of the branch with a color overlay.

With word art from WordART Mix Milieu No. 1 and brush 6 and some splatter brushes stamped on new blank layers, my page was finished.

Blooming Marvelous

By

On February 8, 2019

In Photography, Scrapbooking

I am finally experiencing some California sunshine. It’s mostly been a cold and rainy week so I haven’t been out with my camera as much as I would have liked. My sister and I did stop at Roger’s Gardens yesterday; I’m helping her learn how to use her camera, especially how to blur the background in her photos. I captured some beautiful blue hydrangeas, a favorite flower of mine.

I began this page by placing a photo on a new blank 12×12 document in Photoshop. I duplicated the photo twice. The bottom layer is the original on Normal blend mode at 100%. The second layer I took into Topaz Studio and gave it a sketchy look. I changed the blend mode to Hard Light at 100%. The top photo layer I also took into Topaz Studio and gave it a graphic look and changed the blend mode to Normal at 40%. I linked all the layers.

Next, I placed fotoblendz 1 from Sirenic FotoBlendz No. 1 on my page. I clipped the three photo layers to the fotoblendz mask.

I turned on solid paper 3 from ArtPlay Palette Sirenic.

Note: I had already decided that I was going to use this paper from the ArtPlay Palette.

Just above the paper but below the photo layers, I placed transfer 2 from ArtPlay Palette Sirenic on Normal blend mode at 100% opacity. Above the photo layers, I placed the same transfer, rotated it and changed the blend mode to Multiply at 100%. I added a layer mask to hide part of the transfer. I also placed the gold paint from ArtPlay Palette Sirenic.

Finally, I stamped a brush from ArtPlay Palette Sirenic on the left, placed the layers of file 2 from MultiMedia Sirenic No. 1 on the right and added the word art file from Love WordART Mix No. 2.

It’s a simple page, but a good reminder of some of the beauty I saw during my week in California. Now I’ve got to get back to helping my sister organize her photos.

Fifty Years Later

By

On January 31, 2019

In Photography, Scrapbooking

It seems like yesterday, not fifty years ago, that we honeymooned in San Francisco. We didn’t stay at the same hotel, the American Motor Lodge, but instead chose Hotel Zoe Fisherman’s Wharf this time, with its ultra modern decor. I hoped we would be able to replicate some of the photos from 1968 on this trip as we remembered our honeymoon.

We searched for the Fisherman’s Wharf sign and finally found a man who recognized it in copy of the photo where I sat. He told us it had been removed a long time ago. Even though we couldn’t access the balcony at the top of Ghiradelli Square, we found the sign at the top of the building. We posed on Pier 39, a tourist trap or a Pokemon player’s dream, depending on your perspective.

For the focal photo, I used frame set 3 from UrbanThreadz FotoBlendz Frames No. 2 in order to tie the two pages together. The photo I clipped to the mask is actually a blended composite so that I could have the entire heart behind us.

I chose the frames, threads and text box from template 10 in Travel Album No. 2 to accommodate the photos I wanted to include on my page. I reduced the size to 85%, before clipping my photos to the masks and adding adjustment layers.

Note: Because I am reducing the size of frames, masks and shadows from different templates, I am deleting the frames and giving each mask a stroke style of 20px so that all frames are consistent throughout my book.

I placed transfer 3 from ArtPlay Palete Riant just above the paper as well as layers from files 3 and 4 of Artsy Transfers Riant.

Note: I added a Hue and Saturation Layer to adjust the color of two layers.

Finally, I tucked a button from ArtPlay MiniPalette Blithe under the threads above the frames.

I want to thank my friend Adryane and her husband for helping us replicate some old photos for this page. It was Adryane’s idea to capture some shots holding our wedding photo. What a wonderful day searching for landmarks and remembering!

After a Snowstorm

By

On January 25, 2019

In Photography, Scrapbooking

After a snowstorm earlier this month, a couple out walking their dogs graciously gave me permission to capture them from behind as they walked down a path near my home. I got three shots with my iPhone before they disappeared from view.

There are two steps to creating this page. First, I worked with just the photo in Photoshop following the steps outlined in a post on Anna’s blog, Create an Artsy Sketch Effect, by team member Ulna-May. While I didn’t change the image size as stated in the post, I followed the other instructions, changing opacity and blend modes on two layers. For example, my color layer is on blend mode Pin Light at 100%. I created a composite of all the photo layers.

Next, I moved the sketch composite and original photo on to solid paper 1 from ArtPlay Palette Inkling. I linked the two layers and resized them to fit the 12×12 layout. I duplicated the original photo and gave it a watercolor effect in Topaz Studio. I then used brush 2 from AnnaBlendz Artsy No. 3 on an inverted mask attached to sketch composite to bring back in the photo. I changed the blend mode to Linear Burn. I duplicated the mask and attached it to the watercolor copy, changing the blend mode to Overlay at 100%. Finally, I roughly extracted the couple and used the same brush on the mask to lighten them just a little.

With the photo layers finished, I placed transfer 4 from the artplay palette, reduced the size to 85% and adjusted the exposure with a levels adjustment layer on Overlay at 40%. Just below the man and woman I placed copies of the silver paint included in ArtPlay Palette Inkling. I also placed art stroke 3, erasing the right side.

To finish my page, I placed the psd layers of file 2 from MultiMedia Winter No. 3. I substituted a button from the artplay palette for the blue one included in the file. I added a title from Inkling WordArt Mix No. 1.

Capturing this photo took only a minute, but provided a wonderful afternoon for playing with Anna’s new release.

South Lake Tahoe

By

On January 18, 2019

In Photography, Scrapbooking

We used to rent bicycles for the 3.8 mile ride from Camp Richardson to Spring Creek, the place where we turned around for the ride back. From the bike trail we’d take the road into the Tallic Estates. We walked the paths on the estate this year. We sat on a bench near the boat house where we had sat previously and we battled for a virtual creature, a Rhydon, at one of the Pokemon gyms on the grounds. There were no Pokemon gyms five years ago although I did have an iPhone by then. Below are the details for creating this page.

On the left, I placed layers from Artsy Layered Template No. 283. On the right side, I placed the frames and text boxes from template 7 of Project Template Album No. 3.

I then placed .jpeg mask 3 from Coolth FotoBlendz No. 1 on the left and mask 1 on the right. I clipped a photo to each mask, adjusted the masks to accommodate my photos and extracted us on a separate layers. I gave the extraction layers a shadow.

Next, I clipped additional photos to the small frames and added adjustment layers to the photos.

On the left, I combined layers from the artsy template with five of the layers from transfer 3 of Artsy Transfers Coolth below the masked photo and frames. On the right, I placed six layers from transfer 3 below the lower two frames and 7 layers from transfer 2 below the masked photo.

Note: I adjusted the color of one layer with a Color Overlay to accommodate the colors in my photos.

To finish the page, I placed three copies of the watercolor flower from ArtPlay Palette Coolth, rotating and resizing for variation. I also repeated a button from the ArtPlay palette. I tacked down the button on the left with thread 11 from ButtonThreadz No. 2. The threads on the right were included with the frames in the template.

Note: My title is in the same position as suggested by the template.

While the small photo on the right, taken in 1999, is the earliest photo that I could find at Pope Estates, we began exploring South Lake Tahoe much earlier. It’s been our favorite place to vacation over the years.

Merry Christmas

By

On December 31, 2018

In Scrapbooking

This photo of us sitting on our fireplace has become a tradition on Christmas. I looked back in my photo collection to find exactly when I began asking for a photo with grandchildren on Christmas. The first photo together sitting on the fireplace was in 2013. Five years seems like such a short time to me, but the photos tell the story of how much they have changed. I enjoy these little Christmas moments.

I began this page by placing solid paper 3 from ArtPlay Palette Silver Bells on a new 12×12 inch document. I changed the opacity of the paper to 80% on normal to lighten the color. I then placed transfer 4 from the artplay palette over the same image on the paper to bring the color of that part to full strength.

On the left, I placed transfers 2 and 8 from ArtPlay Palette Silver Bells to build a background for my photos.

I then placed two of the frames from ArtPlay Mini Palette Milestone above the transfers and enlarged them 25% vertically to accommodate my photos. I recreated the white frames with a 20px white stroke positioned inside the rectangular shape mask shape. I clipped the two photos to the frames and added the date each was captured.

Note: I gave the photos a black and white look in Topaz Studio.

I then placed the red heart, evergreen and word art from file 1 of MultiMedia Frames No. 5. I added a silver color overlay to the word Love at 100% on Color blend mode at 100%.

Finally, I added journaling.

I didn’t even notice until now that the kids are in about the same position this year as they were in 2013. I didn’t plan it: I just wanted to continue the tradition one more year.

Organizing for Projects with Lightroom

By

On December 28, 2018

In Lightroom

Creating artsy digital pages with photos and Anna Aspnes’ designs requires organization, especially for book projects. I use Lightroom to organize and edit my photos before exporting them to Photoshop for use on my digital scrapbook pages or the pages I create for books. I share below how I organize for my projects within Lightroom, but keep in mind that there are lots of ways to organize in Lightroom. Below are a few highlights of my system.

Import Photos into Lightroom

  1. Select Copy photos from camera to external hard drive at the top of the import screen. Select move photos for scans or photos located on your hard drive.
  2. Check the boxes for building Smart Previews and don’t import suspected duplicates in File Handling panel.
  3. Rename files using the File Name Editor based on date.

Note: My photos are currently stored on an external 4TB LaCie Rugged Mini. Renaming photos to their capture date and putting them in folders by year is the system that I started with in 2010 when I began using Lightroom. See the sample at the bottom of the File Renaming panel. Save the steps you use for importing your photos as a preset in the drop down menu at the bottom of the screen to speed up the process.

Add Smart Previews to Photos Stored on an External Drive

  1. Build Smart Preview upon import.
  2. Or build after by going to the Library drop down menu, selecting Previews and then “Build Smart Previews”.
  3. The small rectangle on the top right side of each photo grid indicates that a smart preview was build.

Note: When I stored my photos on my internal SSD drive, I didn’t need to build smart previews. Although it will take extra time to build smart previews when importing photos, those previews make it possible to tag, label and edit photos when the external drive is not connected. The information added to the catalog will write to the photos when the external drive is reconnected. All edits are non-destructive, meaning the original copy is not changed.

Develop a System for Adding Keywords to Photos

  1. Add keywords to photos after importing them. Use the shift key to select those needing the same keyword.
  2. Choose from a Keyword Set; sets are created with keywords most frequently used, i.e. immediate family.
  3. Or choose from Keyword List, a list in the panel on the left that might include for example, bokeh, lights, tree, etc. under Christmas.

Note: Adding keywords is a quick task now because I began using them in 2010, long before my photo collection was so large. Keywords are written to both jpeg and raw photo files. With time, I’ve refined my list, grouping them for ease of use. Lightroom rewrites keywords to your photos when you rearrange their hierarchy and saves any edits made in the Develop Module.

Use Filters to Find Photos for Pages

  1. Access filters by pressing the slash key in the Library module. Create filter presets with the most used criteria, i.e. date, keyword, flag, camera
  2. Search for photos to use on layouts by keyword and whether flagged.

Note: I searched for the photos that I used on the Christmas page for my anniversary book project by choosing specific dates and Christmas keywords. Once I located them, I flagged the ones I thought I would use by pressing P for pick. Those are the ones that I edited before exporting to Photoshop.

Add Digital Pages to Lightroom Catalog

  1. Save pages created in Photoshop to folders on an external drive.
  2. Import, (choose Add on the Import screen), pages and check the box for “Build Smart Previews, but do not rename the layouts.
  3. Add keywords to imported pages.

Note: My catalog also includes the pages that I am creating for my anniversary book project as well as the pages that I’ve created for other book projects. Each project is saved to a different folder.

Lightroom is a catalog of my collection of more than 100,000 photos and the layouts that I’ve created. It includes not only photos from several cameras but also scans of old negatives and photos. Having a database system like Lightroom for naming and storing photos, adding keywords and searching my photo collection allows me to focus on my creative process, combining my photos with Anna’s designs on artsy pages. Once a system is set up, maintenance is easy. Think of it as a habit that becomes easier with practice.

Note: If you have a photographer’s subscription through Adobe, you have access to Photoshop, Lightroom and Bridge. A number of free training videos are available through Adobe.

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