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Photos, Stories and Scrapbooking

Honeymoon

By

On August 29, 2018

In Scrapbooking

Bill’s brother handcuffed us together as we left the church following our wedding, but his dad unlocked the cuffs on the way to the airport to catch our flight to San Francisco for a short honeymoon. We only had a few days before I began my first teaching assignment at Langdon Elementary. I didn’t capture many photos on our trip; I can’t remember what kind of camera I used. However, I will have my Fuji X-T2 when we return to San Francisco in a few weeks.

To create the right side of this layout, I clipped solid paper 1 from ArtPlay Palette Riant to both sides of the template that I received in Anna’s class, Heritage Live. On the right edge, I placed the layers of frame 1 from UrbanThreadz FotoBlendz Frames No. 2.

Next, I clipped my photo to the fotoblendz mask included in the psd file. I used a brush to darken parts to reveal more of my photo. I extracted myself from the photo and gave the extraction a custom shadow. I also duplicated the entire photo twice, one on Screen blend mode at 50% and the other on Soft Light at 50%.

Note: I blended my legs into the mask to disguise the way my feet were cut off in the original photo.

I placed the frames from template 10 of WaterColor Template Album No. 7 on my page and adjusted the placement of one frame to accommodate one of my photos.

Note The thread and text boxes was included in the template. The button is from ArtPlay Palette Riant.

After adjusting the position of the frame grouping, I clipped my photos to the frames. I adjusted the exposure by duplicating the photo copies and changing the blend modes to Screen or Soft Light.

Below the group of frames, I placed most of the layers of psd file 3 from Artsy Transfers Riant, adjusting the position of the layers to line up with the top frame.

Below the circular frame, I placed transfers 3 and 7 from ArtPlay Palette Riant.

Note: I adjusted the yellow in transfer 7 with a Hue and Saturation adjustment layer after I rotated it. I had already created the textbox on the left before adding the transfers so all I needed to do was adjust its position.

My friend, Adryane, is going to help us recreate a couple of these photos for the opposing page of this layout when we are in San Francisco. We are really looking forward to our trip.

The Boat

By

On August 23, 2018

In Scrapbooking

In the spring of 1971, we bought a 21 foot inboard outboard Gulf Stream. Why would two teachers who lived in a tiny apartment need a boat? I guess a boat sounded like a fun thing to have for our summers. We hooked the boat to our yellow Plymouth Duster and set off for Lake Havasu, Isabella, Folsom and Orville. Despite the fact that owning a boat turned out to be a bit more complicated than we anticipated, there is no denying that the boat was a great value for the time we owned it. We made some wonderful memories with friends. However, all good things come to an end. By the end of the summer I was pregnant with our son. We sold the boat for a downpayment on our first home.

To create this page I clipped solid paper 3 from ArtPlay Palette Mountain High to the template’s large masks before dragging the layers of templates 7 and 8 from WaterColor Template Album No. 4 on to my page.

Note: I chose the square shape of the fotoblendz masks from template 7 because they suited the 3.5×3.5 snapshots so common in the 1970s. I duplicated one frame on the right instead of using the longer framed mask included in the template.

However, because I wanted to include as much of the square photo as possible, I added overlay 2 from FotoBlendz Overlays No. 7 below the template’s mask on the right to square the mask shape more.

I then clipped copies of the photo to the two masks and stains below.

Note: I extended the photo by blending in an edge on a separate layer in order to get rid of the trapped space in the template.

I clipped two additional photos to the fotoblendz masks on the left as well as the stains below that were included in the template.

I clipped my photos to the small framed masks, adjusting the exposure and look by duplicating copies and changing the blend mode.

Next, I placed overlay 1 and 2 from ArtPlay Palette Coastline below the fotoblendz masks and stains on the left. On the right, I rotated overlay 2 and placed it below the fotoblendz masks and stains.

Finally, I added layers of psd file 5 from Artsy Transfers Coastline on the left. I used the same layered psd file on the right, but rotated it and moved some layers.

Writing our story was the last step in creating this page. Oh what memories we have made together.

Family

By

On August 16, 2018

In Scrapbooking

“Strive to capture the heartbeat of love in this family: preserve and transplant it into the hearts of its members both present and future,” my grandfather said. His children, including my father, reflected that love of family and it’s history. That is what I wanted to capture with these two pages.

First, I extracted my parents from a photo with the Quick Selection tool using a layer mask and gave the masked result a shadow.

Note: I used the Clone Stamp tool on solid paper 4 from ArtPlay Palette Bravura so that I could erase the transfer on the paper to create a background for both pages.

Next, I placed the overlay from ArtPlay Palette Bravura and blended into the background another photo of my father. I changed the blend mode to Overlay blend mode at 60%.

I then placed a small frame from a template from WaterColor Template Album No. 7 to the left of my dad and clipped a photo of my dad with his siblings to the mask. Below the frame I placed a splatter and stain from the template.

I then positioned the layers of file 3 from MultiMedia Flowers No. 5 below my mother. To ground my parents, I also added file 6 from UrbanStitchez No. 1.

To finish the right side, I wrote my journaling in the textbox included in the template and added a title.

After placing the same solid paper on the left side, I dragged the layers of template 4 from WaterColor Template Album No. 7 onto the page. I clipped a photo to the templates’s fotoblendz mask and adjusted the focal photo by clipping duplicated copies to the original: black and white at 90%, Screen blend mode at 30% and Soft Light at 100%. I switched out one frame by duplicating the top one to accommodate my photos.

Note: I adjusted the size and position of the lower two text boxes.

I clipped my photos to the small frame masks. I added a button from the artplay palette.

Note: I initially adjusted these photos in Lightroom but added a duplicate copy of each and changed the blend mode to Soft Light.

Below the frames, I placed most of the layers of the layers of transfer 5 from Artsy Transfers Bravura.

Note: The splatter is part of the template.

Finally, I added the quote from my grandfather. I thought the word family summarizes what was most important in my dad’s family.

Extractions with Old Photos

By

On August 1, 2018

In Scrapbooking

My grandmother, the little girl on the far left, died in 1952 from a stroke at the age of 52. The small photo of me and my sister on the right is the only photo that I have with my grandparents. We moved to California not long after my Grandmother Irene died. Although I didn’t see my grandfather often, I have a few photos and memories for which I am grateful.

I love the effect of partially extracting the people from an old photo. That way I can change a background and add shadows to the people to create depth on my pages. That was my first step for this page, extracting the people from both photos.

Note: I didn’t have a lot of space with which to work in the photo on the left, so I blurred part with brushes on the layer mask. I duplicated each photo and changed the blend mode of the duplicated photos to soft light to increase the contrast.

Next I clipped the photo of my grandfather on the right to overlay 5 from FotoBlendz Overlays No. 12. On the left, I used overlay 1 from the same package. I will add a different background, i.e. artsy paper or artsy transfers to create a background within the mask/overlays.

To fill the black areas, I positioned artsy paper 2 from ArtPlay Palette Fernweh between the photo and mask on the right. On the left, I placed most of the layers of psd transfer 5 from ArtsyTransfers Fernweh between the photo and the overlay.

I continued to build the background on both sides. To the right, I added the layers of transfer 5 from ArtsyTransfers Fernweh. To the left, I positioned the psd layers of files 3 and 5 from the same set.

Note: When I work with Anna’s transfer layers, I often move them around, add layer masks to hide parts of a layer I don’t want or delete layers.

Once I had finished the background for each photo, I placed the small frames and thread from Hipster Plume Template Album No. 1 on the right. I clipped my photos to the frame masks. Below the frames, I added file 4 from MultiMedia Branches No. 10, reducing the size and adjusting the position. On the left, behind my grandmother, I placed file 1 from MultiMedia Branches No. 1o. I reduced the size of those layers, added masks so that the layers didn’t interfere with the photo and changed the position of other layers, i.e. the button. Finally, I added wrote my journaling and a title.

Although these pages took time, I enjoyed every minute.

Let’s Not Forget

By

On July 25, 2018

In Scrapbooking

At the moment, we are dealing with a sewer backup that flooded our daughter’s basement and the reconstruction entailed. So I am very grateful that I already have a plan for this project. As I explained last week, I am using a template provided in Anna’s Heritage Live class. In addition, I am using fotoblendz overlays and masks, artsy transfers and frames from templates.

I had already clipped the solid paper 3 from ArtPlay Palette Elysium to both masks. I placed overlay 3 from FotoBlendz Overlays No. 12 on the right side and clipped my focal photo to it. I reduced the size of both the photo and mask.

Note: I darkened parts with a brush directly on the mask and lightened other parts on a layer mask once I knew where I was going to place the text.

I then placed the frames from template 16 of Hipster Plume Template Album No. 1.

Note: I am selecting the frames based on the design I want with the mask I use. That way I don’t have to make adjustments, although I did reduce the size of the frames just a little.

I clipped my photos to the masks.

Note: Because I am clipping everything to the page mask, I cannot use adjustment layers on my photos as I normally do because those layers affect the entire page. So I am duplicating some photos to apply a blend mode like soft light for example.

I created the title and list subtitle.

Below the fotoblendz overlay, I placed the layers of file 4 from Artsy Transfers Elysium. I added a layer mask to one layer and reduced the opacity of a couple of others so that my text was more readable.

Finally, I finished writing the story in two text boxes that I created. I also added a button from ArtPlay Palette Routine and thread 5 from ButtonThreadz No. 3.

I’m enjoying remembering our stories.

Alexander

By

On July 18, 2018

In Scrapbooking

Anna always packs a lot of information into her classes; last Friday was no exception. Although I want to view the recorded version of Heritage Live, I now have the format, based on a template provided in the class materials, for my anniversary project. I have already changed the first two pages that I had already completed to fit my new format.

I love the white border because it will unify my book no matter what color I use on the pages. This format will also provide more flexibility when it is time for me to publish the book. It took time to rework my original pages, adjusting the text especially, so I am going to begin each page with the template. It will be easier for me.

Bill taught biology and math; sometimes his students brought him critters that he would bring home as pets. While it was nice that our first pet was a good size for our small apartment, I really didn’t want a pet rat. The left side tells two stories: one about Alexander, our pet rat, and the second story about a rosy boa for which I don’t have a photo. However, as you read, you’ll see that the two stories are connected.

I began my page by clipping solid paper 3 from ArtPlay Palette Elysium to each large mask on the template.

Next I placed overlay 4 from FotoBlendz Overlays No. 12 on the left mask and clipped the photo of my husband, Bill, feeding our pet rat with an eye dropper. I masked out the background on the photo and clipped artsy paper 4, placed below the photo, to the overlay. I adjusted parts of the overlay with AnnaBlendz Artsy brushes.

Below the masked photo, I placed transfer 3 from ArtPlay Palette Elysium and the layers of transfer 3 from Artsy Transfers Elysium. I added a layer mask to hide a part of one layer that interfered with the text.

I clipped two photos to the frames from WaterColor Template Album No. 4. The thread was part of the template.

Finally, I added a button, title and wrote my journaling.

While I’ve added a bordered template, I am still using fotoblendz overlays and masks, small frames from template and artsy transfers. My project is not complicated; I like that when I’m attempting to create a book.

Mother

By

On July 6, 2018

In Lightroom, Scrapbooking

Finding the words to express what I feel now and then about my mother is difficult. I don’t think I ever really knew her. I remember the pain in the few stories she shared from her childhood with me. I know I didn’t understand her un-diagnosed Bipolar. She was complicated, always demanding my best, our relationship never intimate. I know that she gave the best she could. I will always be grateful she did. I imagine that everyone has a few difficult stories to tell about family. It’s not that I wanted this to be one of my first pages for my anniversary book, but the color in Anna’s ArtPlay Palette Rougir was perfect for an early color photo of my mother from 1947.

As I did on my first page, I used primarily fotoblendz masks, artsy transfers, brushes and small frames from templates.

I worked with the photo of my mother in Lightroom first to improve the color. After importing it into Photoshop CC, I used the Camera Raw filter to improve it further. The background was dark so I extracted my mother and added a custom shadow. I clipped transfer 2 and solid paper 2 from ArtPlay Palette Rougir to overlay 1 from FotoBlendz Overlays No. 12. Below that I placed the layers of psd file 5 from Artsy Transfers Rougir.

To build depth and interest, I added the notebook from ArtPlay Palette Rougir and pasted photos on it to create the look of a photo album. I added addition transfers, leaves and lace from ArtPlay Palette Rougir as well as the layers of file 1 from MultiMedia Roses No. 1.

On the right side, I began by clipping the original photo to mask 5 from Hipster Plume FotoBlendz No. 7. To the left of the masked photo, I placed transfers 1 and 2 from ArtPlay Palette Rougir and masked out parts as needed with blending brushes.

Note: I used the basic design of template 15 from WaterColor Template Album No. 5 for this page.

I continued to build the background by placing the layers of transfers 1 and 4 from Artsy Transfers Rougir, masking as needed.

Note: My jumpsuit was actually yellow. I recolored it by masking out just my clothing and adding a color overlay to that layer.

Finally, I clipped photos to the small frame masks of template 15 of WaterColor Template Album No. 5 before adding elements from ArtPlay Palette Rougir.

I’m looking forward to hearing how Anna handled her difficult stories in her upcoming class, Heritage Live. Maybe its a good thing that I’ve finished one of the difficult stories early in my project.

First Page

By

On June 20, 2018

In Scrapbooking

I enjoy the challenge and learning involved in digital scrapbooking, especially when I begin a new project, i.e. completing the first page for my 50th Anniversary book. Just the process of experimenting and thinking about this first page helped me to define what I want to do in this book.

After initially completing the right side of the two page spread, I decided that I would focus on our stories using old photos clipped to fotoblendz masks and adding artsy transfers for depth. Simple enough, right? Rule number one, always do double page spreads at the same time. I didn’t, thinking I was only experimenting with an idea. As a result I had trouble with the balance when I began creating the left side to coordinate with my page on the right.

Note: The solid paper is from ArtPlay Palette Lateritious. I explain how I created the right side in a previous post.

For consistency with the right, I first clipped a photo to overlay 1 from FotoBlendz Overlays No. 12.

Then I added the frames and text boxes of file 5 from Project Template Album No. 3. Below the frames, I stamped brush 7 from Spackle Textured No. 8 on a new blank layer.

For interest on the left, I used the same psd transfer from Artsy Transfers Lateritious that I had used on the other side, reducing the size and deleting layers. I also placed transfer 4 from ArtPlay Palette Lateritious below the frames.  Just above the transfer layers, I combined layers from two different psd files from MultiMedia Suns No. 1. I stamped brush 4 from Bunny Rabbits No. 1 on a new blank layer to the left of the black and white photo. It is on normal blend mode at 100%.

It’s at this point that I realized I had a problem with balance. The left side was too heavy because it carried more weight with the frames and the black and white photo.

However, when I added two additional frames on the right side, the page looked more balanced.

I finished my double page spread with a button from ArtPlay Palette Delight below the thread included with the frames.

Now I have a tentative plan for my anniversary project which involves combining the stories with our old photos. I’m going to use primarily fotoblendz masks, artsy transfers, brushes and small frames from templates. Will my plan change as I work on this project? Probably, projects tend to take on a mind of their own. I’m looking forward to Anna’s heritage class in July. Right now, I’m trying to figure out which story I want to write next.

A Hunting Together We Went

By

On June 13, 2018

In Scrapbooking

On Monday I signed up for Anna’s course, The Art of Heritage. The challenge of creating a cohesive book without a template using my favorite products appeals to me. I have a great deal of information about my husband’s family as well as my own from genealogy books, but I don’t have a lot of old family photos. However rather than cover that history, I thought that I might create a book about my fifty years of history with the man I married on September 7, 1968. I could culminate the project with photos from the anniversary trip we’ve planned as a celebration.

We definitely have a history together. One day, I went out hunting with Bill and his college friend. They gave me a gun to carry. As we were eating lunch this afternoon, I asked Bill why he gave me the gun.

This is the photo that our friend captured with an old Instamatic. I worked on it in Lightroom, exported it to Photoshop CC and added an adjustment layer on overlay blend mode at 70%. I placed it above solid paper 1 from ArtPlay Palette Lateritious.

To give it an artsy look, I clipped it to overlay 3 from FotoBlendz Overlays No. 12.

Note: I enlarged the 3.5 x 3.5 photo about 20% and reduced the size of the overlay to accommodate the photo.

Below the photo and overlay, I placed the layers of transfer 3 from Artsy Transfers Lateritious. I used only six of the layers to support my photo.

Note: Artsy Transfers are one of my favorite products by Anna. I am seriously considering using them throughout this book.

I wrote my journaling, added a yellow button, a thread from UrbanThreadz No. 16 and a title.

When I asked Bill why he gave me that gun to carry. He responded, “to keep you feeling like you were with us. Good grief, that was 50 years ago.”

“Not quite,” I replied.

Remember These Moments

By

On June 6, 2018

In Photography, Scrapbooking

I captured the focal photos on Kate’s last day of preschool, the day she told me that I don’t need to miss her when she goes to school next year because she can still spend the night with me. For this page I decided to combine the photos I captured that afternoon in the park with other photos that tell some of her preschool story. Some of them I scanned from a little picture book that her teacher had created for each child and other photos, I had captured with my camera. With Anna’s new Hipster Plume Template Album No. 3, creating a two page spread documenting preschool memories couldn’t be simpler.

Place template 4 on the left and template 5 on the right.

Note: I replaced one square frame on the right with a copy of the smaller square frame.

Clip photos to fotoblendz masks and add Adjustment Layers as needed.

Note: As I have previously explained, I use Adjustment Layers rather than duplicating a photo and changing it’s blend mode. I also used a brush on the masks to darken areas to accommodate the photos I used.

Duplicate photos and clip to stains. At the bottom of the Layers Panel, place a photo across the page gutter. Add an inverted mask and brush back in enough to extend the scene.

Clip photos to small masks and adjust as needed.

Note: I blurred the faces of the other children in two of the photos.

Add title and blue buttons.

That’s it! The hardest part was deciding which pictures I wanted to include and what I to write.

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