Picture Perfect Past

Cup of Joe: Paths for Text

2009-02-03T16:03:00.010-05:00

As promised a short how-to on getting text to follow a path. Long time readers may be thinking, didn't she cover this already? And yes in a way I did. Here's the link to a previous post where I discussed creating blocks of text in custom shapes using the pen tool in PS CS or by importing text paths into Elements. So all that is really different...

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Ode to a Cup of Joe: Digital Chipboard

2009-01-24T14:56:00.009-05:00

This digital scrapbook page is my week four layout for my "Day in the Life" one layout a week 2009 project. [Gosh this project needs a shorter name....ideas anyone?]The page was supposed to be simple and fast, well... The initial idea was: just one photo of my coffee maker on my kitchen counter, some journaling about how much my morning coffee...

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Another Restoration Before & After Story

2009-01-22T11:01:00.009-05:00

The photo above was the only picture of my mom with her parents that she had. It was tiny and in sad condition. All she asked me to do was make a 5x7 copy of it. I decided to restore the picture as well and gave it to her as a present this past Christmas. I also gave her a pancake griddle (which she asked for) but which gift do you think was...

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Stealing time for a Technostamper Challenge

2009-01-20T10:43:00.007-05:00

I didn't find the time to make this card, I stole it. I am being so irresponsible today...teehee. I will be a good girl again once Obama's speech is over. But for now I have the TV on and I am taking a break from the dreaded to-do list. This is an historic day, so perhaps I felt I needed to mark it by taking a step away from my usual. In any case...

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Photoshop, stamping, photos and scrapbooking: Woohoo!

2009-01-14T20:48:00.006-05:00

This scrapbook layout has it all. My own photo "art", if you'll allow me to call it that, stamping, photoshop effects & editing, oh and even some Close to My Heart product as well. And to think I didn't set out to make it this way. All I wanted to do was create a layout about the ice storm we had on January 7th for my 2009 project that I have...

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New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-30T11:24:00.006-05:00

Yes my last post was in September. I won't bore you with the "I've been so busy" stories that we are all too familiar with :-P Fact is I need to learn to say no. I know how just don't know when, lol. Everything seems like a good idea or a worthy cause or like it will be fun. Then I kill myself with the fantasy that I can do it all if only I get...

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Another Great site to share, Blend Modes, Place command, Smart Objects, Rasterize & Layer Masks...Oh my!

2008-09-27T11:41:00.018-04:00

Check out the title on this page! I'm sure some of you would LOVE to know how to do this. Guess what? I followed a tutorial over at Actionfx. The site offers all kinds of layer styles, actions, brushes, tutorials and what have you for photoshop junkies. And this weekend Al Ward is offering a huge discount on an annual membership! So today is a...

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Haven't shared a card in a while....

2008-09-03T21:50:00.004-04:00

...So how's this one? The background for this card features a technique from the June/July 2008 Technique Junkie Newsletter. Pat calls it Al float. When I first saw the name the old science teacher in me immediately thought I was going to do something with aluminum foil floating on water, but it turns out Al is short for Alcohol as in Alcohol...

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Bandanna Layout Share

2008-08-20T19:41:00.009-04:00

Hi all, Tomorrow I pick up a friend at the airport and we check into a hotel for a scrapbooking weekend. I know she has been planning all of her layouts and will be ready to be very productive. I have not even decided what I want to work on and packing, well I still have to start. I haven't been feeling very creative lately which is the reason...

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Planet Photoshop Teaches Crumpled Paper

2008-07-29T15:30:00.008-04:00

Hi :-) I've been meaning to add this fabulous site to my sidebar for some time now. As I absolutely can't believe some of the real high quality tutorials that are available FOR FREE. The Blog is called Planet Photoshop. The blogger is Corey Barker, one of the leading educators in his field and author of many great books. Today I was there and...

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Creating a Custom Photoshop Brush from a Stamped Image

2008-07-09T21:35:00.009-04:00

Hi! As promised in my last post here is the tutorial on how to take a stamped image and use it to create a custom brush in Photoshop. I am using CS3 in the tutorial but this is basically the same in Elements. But first, some art to share. This is a digital page I created using the technique. The shamrocks are a rubber stamp from Hero Arts. In real...

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Wow June is almost over!!

2008-06-23T22:56:00.007-04:00

My goodness it has been over a month since I have posted. Yikes what have I been doing? Working and volunteering seems to have swallowed me whole these last few weeks. Well this is just a quick post to let you all know I'm still thinking about you. Things are beginning to settle back to normal so I will be posting another tutorial soon. I'm...

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More on Converting Photos to Stamplike Images

2008-05-16T11:27:00.013-04:00

Remember my post from a few weeks back when I described a simple photoshop technique for converting a photo into an image that looks rubber stamped? Today I'm sharing another cool project using this technique and adding an extra step for more versatility. Here's the photo I began with. Again it is from istockphoto. I love this service I can always...

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Before & After: A Restoration Story

2008-04-30T22:35:00.001-04:00

Let me get a little personal... In 2006 my brother was diagnosed with cancer. His tumor was located in an area where it could not be removed surgically so radiation and chemo were his only treatment options. Because they had to replace surgery rather than enhance it, my brother's treatments were intense and debilitating; his battle was difficult....

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Some Silliness

2008-04-28T00:50:00.004-04:00

You know how we all love to send jokes in our emails? My brother sent this to me yesterday... Well the prose made me giggle but to me there was an obvious missed opportunity on the illustration. So I loaded it into Photoshop and....voila...

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A Cool Photoshop Discovery - "Make" Your Own Landscape Stamp

2008-04-11T19:37:00.016-04:00

Recently I was viewing some of the wonderful artwork on my favorite blogs and egroups, when I came across a card that I wished I could CASE. The trouble was it called for a kind of stamp that I don't own yet (notice the operative word..."yet" lol). So if you know me then you know not having what I need is like throwing me a challenge. It's an...

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Adobe Releases Photoshop Express Beta

2008-04-03T15:36:00.004-04:00

Hi all. If you read my blog because you think you might want to get into Photoshop, then you must check out Adobe's new website. It's a cross between a photo storing site like Photobucket or Picasa and Photoshop "lite". For FREE you can store up to 2GB of photos and link to them from your blog, Facebook or whatever. But the really cool part is...

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April TJNL is Out!

2008-03-29T22:25:00.007-04:00

My April 08 issue of The Technique Junkie Newsletter arrived in my mail today! It is gorgeous and so inspiring. Thanks to a fever of 103, I actually had time to play today. Well not my fever, my thirteen year old's. I was supposed to accompany her to our History Day Competition but this is her second day of running a high fever so I ordered her...

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Another Technostamper Challenge Card and a Free Download!

2008-03-26T11:11:00.009-04:00

This is my favorite Technostamper sketch yet. I don't know why but the arrow really got me energized. Maybe it was because I immediately saw how cool it would be with the Good Times paper collection from Close to my Heart. Or perhaps I was thrilled by the idea of using a photoshop text template for the arrow. In any case when I was done I couldn't...

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Playing With New Toys

2008-03-22T14:09:00.003-04:00

Where does inspiration come from? If you are me the answer is anywhere and everywhere. For today’s card it was a combination of my weekly trip to Stop & Shop and my desire to play with some of my new toys. Yes those Cuttlebug folders and dies were beckoning, as were the new markers, papers and scallop punch from Stampin Up! And then all the...

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Sketch Challenge and a Hybrid Card

2008-03-10T21:45:00.012-04:00

It's been over a week since I've posted. Needless to say I've been busy. But it is a happy busy. I was in Mystic, CT with my business two weekends ago and I am still working on fulfilling orders. If any of my Mystic customers are reading, thanks for a very successful weekend! And don't forget you can still place orders with me via email or with my...

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Technostamper Challenge #6

2008-02-25T18:12:00.009-05:00

It's Monday, that means it's time for another Technostamper Sketch Challenge. I hope you are having as much fun with these as I am. Be sure to check Mary Jo's blog for a link to all the other players. I really enjoyed making today's card. In part because I got to use my just arrived Cuttlebug! Thanks Mom & Dad for the birthday present :-)...

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Shaped Text Blocks and Blog Freebie!

2008-02-19T10:52:00.010-05:00

The original photo in this layout was a 5x7. It lives in a frame in my living room because I love it so. The photographer who gave me this picture captured my daughter just as she was going over one of her very first little jumps. It was a beautiful Fall day, the colors on the trees behind her made a lovely backdrop. It wasn't until I scanned it...

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Technostamper Sketch Challenge #5

2008-02-18T16:59:00.004-05:00

Once again I am playing along with the Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge from Technostamper. Today's card will go to a neighbor who is expecting twins. I hope she likes it and I hope you do too! DP: Doodlebug Designs Stamps: Image: Marcella K; alphas: CTMH Ribbon is from a big box I bought at Costco a year ago

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HP offers Free Online Scrapbooking Class

2008-02-13T09:44:00.003-05:00

Enrollment is open now through March 1st for a FREE online class in hybrid scrapbooking offered by Hewlett Packard. Here's the link to the course description page. I've taken an online course with them, they are very well done and totally geared to the beginner. They go over all the basics, plus there is a class forum for further discussion of...

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