Photo Storify

Photos, Stories and Scrapbooking

Inhale Exhale

By

On June 2, 2021

In Photography, Scrapbooking

I finally felt like venturing out with my camera to inhale the sweet smell of my beautiful peonies and cut some to bring inside. I feel like I’m breathing again, inhaling and exhaling: gardening, swimming and walking without as much arthritis pain in my spine. It’s especially nice to have a little more energy to get back to creating again.

It’s fitting I think that my first layout after an extended hiatus showcases my beloved Sarah Bernhardt peonies. They are the first to bloom in my garden. This layout uses my favorite creations by Anna, Artsy Transfers, to color a background sketch, create a visual triangle of color and build depth on a layout.

Build Background
  1. Place solid paper 2 from ArtPlay Palette Aubade.
  2. Create a black and white sketch using the Photocopy Filter. Duplicate. Change the blend mode of both sketch layers to Linear Burn.
  3. Extract one bloom using the Magic Wand Tool, blend mode Normal at 100%. Extract again using a soft round brush to include the shadow from the photograph. Change the blend mode to Multiply at 85% opacity.
Place Transfers from ArtPlay Palette Aubade.
  1. Below the extraction place Transfer 2 from the ArtPlay Palette Audade. Change the blend mode to Multiply at 50% opacity. Add a Hue and Saturation Layer to adjust the color to blend with the photo extraction.
  2. Place Splatters 1 and Gold Paint.
  3. Place Transfer 2.
Create a Visual Triangle of Color with Artsy Transfers
  1. Place all the layers of file 1 from Artsy Transfers Romance below the sketch layers.
  2. To create the visual triangle of color place a another set of layers from file 1 below the first set. Using the Transform Tool, select and flip the layers horizontally. Then adjust their position and delete layers as necessary. Use a layer mask to hide parts so that the two sides look different.
Continue Building Background Depth with Artsy Transfers
  1. Place the layers of Artsy Transfer Romance 3 just above the paper. Delete the cream paint layers, an art stroke and floral transfer. Adjust position of layers and blend modes as desired.
  2. Place a copy of the Pink Paint from ArtPlay Palette Romance just above the sketch layers. Change the blend mode to Multiply at 50% opacity.
  3. Place a second copy of the Pink Paint just above the solid paper. Change the blend mode to Linear Burn at 100%.
Embellish
  1. Place the net and shadow from ArtPlay Palette Aubade below the extraction.
  2. Place the string and shadow from the same palette above the extraction.

For additional ideas for using Artsy Transfers see a recent post by team member Michelle James, 7 Ways to Use Artsy Transfers. Anna’s combinations of shape, texture, transfers and color in Artsy Transfers are my favorite of Anna’s designs because they are so versatile.

Goldenrod

By

On November 17, 2020

In Photography, Scrapbooking

Every September, masses of Goldenrod flowers cover the twenty-four acreas of unplowed Stolley Prairie. The blooms last only a few weeks, but what a beautiful scene while in bloom. Stolley’s father encouraged him to preserve a patch of land from his farm saying that he “had kept it as a prairie because you only plow a prairie once. Then it’s no longer a prairie.” The purchase agreement stipulated that it would remain a prairie in perpetuity.

The effect of a sea of yellow is beautiful, but one photo doesn’t show all the striking detail in a prairie scene. Had I just created a one photo page instead of including some of the details I saw on my walk, the viewer would not have seen the Monarch butterflies attracted to Goldenrod when they are blooming. They would not have seen the flowers in detail. The detail photos clipped to the template enhance this page.

Clip Photos to Template Masks
  • Place Solid Paper 2 from ArtPlay Palette Daffodil on a new 12×12 blank document.
  • Open template 2 from Stitched Template Album No. 1.
  • Reduce size of all layers and place on left.
  • Clip photos to masks.
  • Place one of the text boxes included with the template to the right of the photos.
Use Artsy Transfers to Frame Template
  • Open file 3 of Artsy Transfers Daffodil.
  • Place below template layers and group them.
  • Adjust position so that the white layer lines up along the left edges.
Use Artsy Transfers to Create Depth Around Template
  • Place layers of file 5 from Artsy Transfers Daffodil above the group of file 3. Turn off stain and adjust positions.
  • Duplicate layers of file 3 and place below. Invert and adjust position.
  • Place layers of file 2 from Artsy Transfers Daffodil on the right side. Turn off layers as needed and adjust position.
  • Place the yellow and green stains from Artsy Transfers file 4. Adjust position of stains.
Embellish

H.H.Bennett

By

On September 8, 2020

In Photography, Scrapbooking

In 1865 H. H. Bennett began a career as a photographyer — and Wisconsin Dells would never be the same. By combining mechanical skills with an inherent love of nature, Bennett was able to produce technically amazing, aesthetically mesmerizing landscape and personal portrait photographs. His images were so compelling that they sparked a tourist influx and helped foster the growth of one of Wisconsin’s most beloved tourist destinations.

After Bennett’s death in 1908, his family kept his vision alive. His widow Eva was 44 and had two young daughters. She kept the studio going using the techniques Bennett taught her and passed that knowledge to her children, Miriam and Ruth. During the 1950s the family created a museum in the studio Bennett ran. The family preserved and displayed Bennett’s original equipment, negatives and prints.

This layout combines a sketch technique with which I’ve been practicing and something different than how I normally create with Anna’s FotoInspired templates.

FotoInspired Template
  • Clip photos to masks of template 6, FotoInspired Template Pack 2P.
  • Add Adjustment layers to turn the majority of the photos to black and white.
  • Reduce the size of all layers to about 35%.
  • Create a composite of all the layers.
  • Frame the composite with psd frame 2 from ArtPlay Palette For the Record.
  • Clip composite of file 2 from ArtsyKardz Embers MultiPack above the photo composite. Change the blend mode to Color Burn.

Note: I deleted the layers with all the photos clipped to the template layers by accident.

Fill Background with a Sketch
  • Resize the sketch to fit the page.
  • Clip copies of sketch to png masks 2 and 6 from Ember FotoBlendz No. 1.
  • Above the masked copies clip Artsy Papers 1 and 2 from ArtPlay Palette Ember to the top sketch. Change the blend mode to Color Burn.
  • Then clip composites of files 1 and 4 from Artsy Transfers Embers on Color Burn.
  • Next clip copy of the photo on Color Burn at 60% opacity to the sketch.
  • Place another copy of the photo and clip a composite of transfer 6, both on Color Burn at 50%.

Note: I experimented with different blend modes, positions and opacities to colorize my sketch with paper and transfers.

Embellish

Position layers of file 1 from MultiMedia Branches No. 17 above the frame.

This is a wonderful little museum for those who love photography.

Pomeranian Please

By

On August 30, 2020

In Scrapbooking

With Kate in second grade now and me at home, it isn’t easy to stay in touch. I try to message or Facetime with her everyday just to see what’s happening. We had a longer conversation than usual on Wednesday which continued on Friday. Poor baby, she wanted a dog for her birthday, a little Pomeranian.

Design to Accommodate Story
  • Place the dialogue of messaging with Kate on the left.
  • Place layers of file 4 from Embers FotoBlendz No. 1 on the right for a photo.
  • Position journaling below photo on the right.

Note: I changed screenshots of dialogue from my iPhone to black and white in Lightroom before cutting and pasting them together. I then created a composite and added a Hue and Saturation Layer to give the screenshots a warmer look. I changed the blend mode to Linear Burn.

Clip Photo to FotoBlendz Layers
Background
  • Place Solid Paper 2 from ArtPlay Palette Embers. Reduce the opacity to 50%.
  • Below the Solid Paper 2, place solid paper 1 at 100%.
  • Above both papers, place Transfer 1 from ArtPlay Palette Embers. Mask as needed to ensure photo is clearly visible.
Embellish

Back to School

By

On August 20, 2020

In Photography, Scrapbooking

Kate and I walked to school this morning. As she reached out her hand to hold mine, she talked about hoping her bestfriend, Gabriella, was in her class. There were no noisy lines of kids standing behind teachers holding signs. I reminded her to wear her mask and to wash her hands often as she waved and walked through the door.

After school, I called Kate on FaceTime to see how her first day
went. Kate said she sat next to Gabriella in class. “Like right next
to her?” I asked. “No,” Kate responded. “We spread out our arms
and if we could touch fingers we had to move further away.” She
told me she liked PE best because they played games.

Template
Photos
  • Clip photos to masks.
  • Adjust with Adjustment Layers as needed.
  • Convert one photo to black and white with Adjustment Layer.
  • Remove mask below journaling.
MultiMedia Document
  • Place layers of file 3 from MultiMedia Documents No. 2 below the black and white photo.
  • Adjust width to fit the title and journaling block.
  • Turn off layers not needed.
  • Move the UrbanThreadz layer to line up with title.
Cluster
  • Place layers of file 2 of MultiMedia School No. 1 to the side of the journaling.
  • Reduce size of layers to 85%.
  • Turn off thread layer.
  • Above the multimedia leaves, place pencil from ArtPlay Palette Axiom. Recolor and give it a shadow.
  • Place chalkboard from ArtPlay Palette Time. Add name.
  • Place pencil shaving from ArtPlay Palette Studious. Recolor and mask as needed.
Background
  • Place mask 3 from 12×12 Page FotoBlendz No. 2 just above the background layer.
  • Clip two copies of graph paper from ArtPlay Palette Studious to mask. Change the blend mode of the top layer to Hue.

Going to school during a COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t seem to bother Kate at all, not like it bothers me.

To the Moon

By

On August 9, 2020

In Photography

Kate told me the other day that she’s looking forward to going to second grade soon. I know she wants to see her friends again. However, it’s not definitive yet whether she’ll physically attend class or be at home remote learning on her computer. The COVID infection rate here is over eleven percent. I think I’d rather we take a little trip to the moon.

Mask Photo
  • Open photo in Photoshop. Add Black and White Adjustment Layer. Adjust.
  • Create a composite by pressing Command, Option, Shift + E.
  • Using the Elliptical Marquee tool, make a circle around just the faces on the composite.
  • Click add layer mask while still on the photo.
  • Apply layer mask.
Design
  • Place space man from Bonus with this week’s release on solid paper 1 from ArtPlay Palette Twilight Zone.
  • Just below the spacesuit layer, place the small round photo. Adjust size and position. Reduce opacity to 60% to make it look like it’s behind the suit’s face window.
  • Decide where to place title and journaling.
Add MultiMedia
Transfers

Note: I created the title by erasing part of a word art from Twilight WordART Mix No. 1. Next I use Adobe Garamond Pro in different weights and sizes to create the rest.

Superman Needed

By

On July 17, 2020

In Scrapbooking

A small spaceship with a baby inside landed in a fictional town in the American countryside. Named Clark Kent by the couple who found him, the child developed superhuman abilities: incredible strength and impervious skin. His foster parents advised him to use his abilities for the benefit of humanity, and he decided to fight crime as a vigilante. I think that’s just what we need now in this land, a superhero, like Superman, to repair this American mess.

Often I experiment and a page just evolves. That’s the case with this layout. Initially, I was practicing with a sketch technique that I learned from Zwyck, another team member, a technique that she shared several years ago on Anna’s old blog

MultiMedia
Artsy Transfers
  • Below the shadow box, place layers of Artsy Transfers Salute 2 and 5.
  • Adjust the color of the blue layers of file 2 with a Hue and Saturation Adjustment layer.
  • Arrange layers as desired to fill in the background around the shadow box.
Extraction
  • Extract Superman using the Object Selection Tool
  • Add a custom shadow.
  • Below the extraction place the layers of file 1 from Artsy Transfers Salute.
  • Delete the color transfer layer from file 1.

Note: I extracted the Superman emblem from another photo of my grandson’s shirt and placed it inside the shadow box.

Flag Sketch

I am close to memorizing Zwyck’s technique. I labeled the layers in the Layers Panel as I worked with a jpeg photo. Once I finished, I created a composite. After I moved the layers to my layout, I extracted the flag from the sky. I changed the shadows to match the direction the flag was blowing.

Light Up the Sky

By

On July 12, 2020

In Photography, Scrapbooking

With the pandemic, I’m not getting out to photograph as much as I have previously. I miss it. So I wrote about a favorite photo of my granddaughter: I remember the joy of seeing you all dressed up, marching across the yard with a little flag in hand. I missed our normal July 4 this year, but I’m hopeful to see you will light up the sky again next year.

Extraction
  • With Object Selection Tool, outline subject from background.
  • With the ants marching around the subject, click layer mask icon.
  • Adjust mask in properties panel and refine directly on the mask with a small round hard brush.
  • Place extraction above framed mask layer from file 2 of MultiMedia Salute No. 1.
Make Changes
Background
  • Place Transfer 6 from ArtPlay Palette Salute above solid paper 1. Blend mode Normal
  • Place Overlay 2. Blend mode Normal.
  • Place Lace from ArtPlay Palette Salute to left of frame.
  • Place Transfer 3 and change the blend mode to Linear Burn. Adjust color of blue with a Hue and Saturation adjustment layer.
  • Add layer mask to Transfer 6 to mask out overlapping parts to keep color as desired.
  • Place text from Salute WordART Mix No. 1 just above the paper. Change to Linear Burn Blend mode at 50% opacity.
Title and Splatters

Etching

By

On July 5, 2020

In Photography, Scrapbooking

My father was color blind, but he collected art: some in color and others like this etching in black and white. The artist, Rodger Stone, etched scenes of Northern California into a brass plate, made numbered prints from the plate and then punched a hole in the brass plate when he finished so that it couldn’t be used again. I have a grouping of framed etchings, including this one, hanging on the wall above the punched brass plate for this etching.I have a grouping of framed etchings, including this one, hanging on the wall above the punched brass plate for this etching.

The new charcoal brushes reminded me of the etching that my dad had given me. I needed to scan the etching to use it on a layout, but I didn’t want to remove the etching from it’s custom framing. I saw a Persnickety blog post recently about scanning with your mobile phone. I followed the instructions. The hard part was finding a place to take the photo without seeing the glare of the glass or a reflection. I took this shot under a table. Try not to laugh. I’m definitely going to try this scanning technique again but on an unframed photo..

Scan and Mask

Note: I masked and sized it to leave just one of the mats around the etching.

Stamp Brushes
Overlay

Place Edge Overlay 2 from ArtPlay Palette Bravura on the right side just above the paper.

Cluster

Note: I adjusted the size of the elements in my cluster.

My dad would be so pleased.

That Time When

By

On June 28, 2020

In Photography, Scrapbooking

It’s that time of year when my Happy Days daylilies bloom. While the blooms don’t last long, massed, the display is beautiful with my Rozanne geraniums. The best feature of daylilies is how easy they are to grow. I cut them to the ground in the fall and they return in the spring. Every four or five years, I divide them.

This layout combines layers from two templates, an extraction and some artsy transfers.

Template
Clip Photos to Fotoblendz Mask and Small Frames
  • Clip large photo to template’s mask and stains.
  • Clip detail photos to small frames.
  • Duplicate the small photo on the left. Use the Object Selection tool to extract and mask.
  • Erase parts of extraction to make it appear as if it is tucked inside the frame.
  • Add a small shadow to the extraction.
Fill in Background
  • Move the fotoblendz mask, stains and tissue paper of template 8 from Special One Template Album No. 1 below the layers of template 12.
  • Place title from template 8 in left corner above tissue paper.
  • Clip another photo to the mask and stain layers and adjust photo position.
Artsy Transfers and Splatters

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