Scrapburbia

Digital Monday

 

This layout is another check in the "for" check box of digital scrapping. There is no way I could make this layout traditionally without planning ahead and getting small pictures printed, not that I couldn't and I am going to try to remember to make some smaller photos the next time I'm printing pictures so i can make this, I really do like it!

Normally I retouch and crop my photos so the make a really nice 4"x6" or bigger... if I were to cut them down to 2" I would certainly exclude some important details. Now, back in the day of film that would be a whole different story, I had a bazillion pictures that could have been cut to 2" and still had too much open space :) Glory hallelujah for Digital Cameras!   

I have an action in Photoshop that I created to make anything look like sanded chipboard... which is what I tend to use on my digital titles instead of buying alphabets, then I can use any font I want. You know, now that I think about, maybe being able to use any font I want just makes it harder, I tend to do better making something good out of a few things rather than having endless choices...

I've got LOTS to do today... so this is just going to be a short and sweet post.

Have a lovely Monday!

Digital Monday...eer, Tuesday :)

Alrighty friends... I started this blog with really the best of intentions...

The idea'r was that I needed/wanted to scrapbook more often, and in doing so I found very little 2-page inspiration out there. I decided I'd scrapbook anyway... and share it here, and so, indeed I have.

I made a few simple rules

First: All layouts must be 12"x12" two-page layouts. Which I do believe I've done...with one teeny little exception here.

Second: I am only using 4"x6" photos or smaller... cause I am not enough of a planner to make enlargments and do not have the patience to wait to have them made when I have an idea for a page... besides, 4"X6" photos are faster, less expensive and you can fit way more on a page. Now, that isn't to say that I don't EVER enlarge ANY pictures, because I do... I usually enlarge my favorites and stick them in frames, I do scrap them every once in a while.

And Third: I added a whole bunch of wild crazy stuff like "Same, Only Different.", "Just Wondering..." AND "Digital Monday"

Well... it's that last one, "Digital Monday," that has gotten me into a little trouble with myself.

As it turns out, I don't like the rules I've created when it comes to digital scrapping.  

I mean, isn't the whole point of digital scrapping that you don't have to print pictures, cut paper and clean up after yourself?

 Yes, it is... and I found that when being a rule-abiding citizen, I wasn't enjoying digital scrapbooking.

At all.

So starting today I am forgetting my rules, throwing caution to the wind and getting crazy in Photoshop.

TA-DA!!!

Pretty out of control huh? I mean seriously... those are 5"x5" photos and a 5"x7"

I am such a rebel.

Alright, so maybe it'll take me a little time and experimenting to really let my hair down... but I am totally cool with taking my time these days.

BTW, the digi supplies I used are found right here, at Little Dreamer Designs.

Arrrggg... It be Digital Monday Matey!

Alright, time for a little technical talk here, see the small green stripes? The paper I used actually had a white background but I used my blending layers to change it up a little, and make it blend with the background. Your BLENDING MODES are found here, on the layers palette...

 

Oooh, see there's the paper with a white background.  If you've never played with blending modes, try this: Open two "pattern papers" (make sure they have different colors and/or patterns), drag one over to the other so they are on the same file. With the top layer selected, scroll through the blending modes... 

Cool huh?

There really is no rhyme or reason to what they do, and different colors together can do some crazy things. For instance, check out the Scenic Route Home Page, lots of blending modes there! 

Alright... on with the layout...

 

I realize now that I am seeing the sketch, it really looks a lot more complicated than it is, so i made another without all the froo-froo stuff... (FYI, all the froo-froo stuff is by Sande Krieger, found at  Two Peas In A Bucket.)

Aaah, there... that makes a little more sense. I modified a sketch from a class I taught last year at conventions, called "Mix it up, Boy," it's a traditional layout using all Scenic Route of course.

This can be a pretty quick layout... two 6"x12" strips of coordinating patterns and two 1"x12" matching stripes and voilà... ta-done!

Have a lovely Monday!

Sarah

Digital Monday

I am still getting the hang of digital scrapping...I'm not finding embellishments that really float my boat. The extras on this page are really some of the few that I really loved.

I found Labels, Brads, and borders all by Sande Krieger at  www.twopeasinabucket.com

And, these fun Bingo Cards from Kenner Road also at TwoPeas.

I also love these papers and frames by Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals.

Where do you find digital "extras" that you really love?

Digital Monday

WARNING... ADORABLE baby ahead... proceed with caution!

 

I found this little hat on clearance for $5, I'd been wanting to get a cute little hat for Christopher just so I could take his picture in it and there are a lot out there, but I couldn't justify $20 or more just for a picture. But I tell you what, after seeing how they turned out I would have spent a whole lot more! 

The window in our front room has great light for most of the day, but the mornings are perfect. On the morning these were taken I put Christopher standing on the couch (I was next to him the whole time), facing the window and snapped away. It was snowing, and there were cars passing by so he was having a blast and completely ignoring me! It's so rare when photo shoots actually go BETTER than you expected... it made my whole day. I know I'm a dork... I've learned to live with it.

I am not really sure the Sketch does this layout justice... the texture of the papers is what makes the layout really great...in my humble opinion.

Well, wait a minute I take that back... the baby in the photos is what makes the layout great (in my not so humble opinion) 

And, as a side note, this layout would be really difficult to achieve with traditional scrapbooking. You just can't find papers with that much texture and character that are acid free, not to mention they'd be in an antique shop and cost a fortune. I do suppose you could print your photos with a white border then distress them... but would you do that? I know I wouldn't.

Grid paper is found here at Designer Digitals.

The frames are here and here, also at Designer Digitals.

The Solid Green background is here at The Digichick.

The Crumpled paper is here(SKU118) at mscraps.com

The "ring" element and duct tape are here(SKU111), and the flowers are here(SKU191) also at mscraps.com

Happy Monday! I hope you get a chance to do something creative!

-Sarah

Digital Monday

While Photoshop is second nature to me, I have to admit I haven't done a lot of digital scrapbooking over the last few years... well other than digital layouts for packaging and catalogs. I spent enough time in front of my computer "working" that I really enjoyed being in my scrap-room surrounded by pretty papers, stickers and stuff when It was time to scrapbook.

While I love the touch, feel, mixing and matching of colors and papers, sorting and looking through photos and having something to stick in an album... digital scrapping has some major appeal as well.

For one, I don't have to wait to get printed pictures in order to scrapbook them. And of course there are just as many BEAUTIFUL options for digital product, though the embellishments can be far more "lumpy" (do we still use that word or did it disappear with eyelets?) and it doesn't matter at all! PLUS... I don't have to clean up between projects! The number one reason I like digital scrapbooking is because it's so fast- I get the instant high of mixing colors and patterns--- without the fear of cutting something wrong. Not that I intend to ever give up traditional scrapbooking, but I really love having both options.

Why do you, or don't you scrapbook digitally? Have you ever tried Hybrid?

  I am going to stick with the two-page layouts, even in digital (for the most part...).  I may eventually print them out and I'll want them to fit into my albums along with my traditional layouts. 

The digital products from this Kit are all from Memory Scraps, though from several different kits.

I dream of Poppies - Black script,flowers

New Beginnings  - grey, poppies

Worn Overlays - frame

Serendipity  - yellow

Font - Purple Boxers, which you can find in several places on the web.

Happy Scrapping! See you soon!