Template Freebie

As promised here is a free template. If you do not know how to use templates in PSE, check out my tutorial. I used this template to make this layout with a kit called Sisters by Just So Scrappy.

And here is the free template. Click here for direct download.

Nuthouse Scraps Contest - Free Mini Kits

Here is the link to the Week 3 Designer Contest over at Nuthouse Scraps. There was a few really cute ones this week so you may want to check it out. The link goes directly to the gallery this time, because the forum link was a little messy.

Week 3 Submissions

I plan on getting some free templates posted this week so check back to make sure that you do not miss them.

Amanda Creation Store - Grand Opening

I am so excited that Amanda gave me the opportunity to be a part of her CT team. Her "Sweet Monkey" kit (the same one that she let me use to design my blog) was the first digital kit that I ever purchased... from anyone. It is still one of my favorites til this day.

Up until now she has sold her kits directly from her blog and then she emails the links out shortly after purchase. Starting today, she now has her own store with immediate direct downloads. And this weekend only, she is offering a Grand Opening 50% off sale. How awesome is that. So head on over to the store Here and check it out.

Nut House Scraps Free Mini Kits

I recently discovered a digital scrapbook store called Nut House Scraps. They currently having a 4 week designer contest. What does that mean for you? Free mini kits from all of the designers in the contest. You can download these kits by going to the Nut House Scraps Forum under the "Design For Me" Category. I have also included the links for Week 1 and 2 Below.

Nut House Week 1 Submissions

Nut House Week 2 Submissions

Template Freebie

I signed up for a challenge over at Stuff to Scrap and almost missed the submission deadline last night because I have been so busy lately. Thankfully, I remembered in time and I made it to Round 2. Yah! Here was my layout.

I used the kit Snappy by AmyDane Designs. This is a really great kit with nice colors and textures. In case anyone would like the template based on the layout I have included it here. We were given a template to start with but I modified it so much that I do not think anyone would mind if I share it with you. You can pick up the original template for free at the Stuff to Scrap forum.

Download Here

Glad You're My Dad Kit

A-Manda Creation released a new kit yesterday that is perfect for all of those daddy pictures, but it is also great for other moments. In my two coordinating pages below, I used it for both a daddy page and a baby page. While I didn't use them in my layouts, this kit has some really cool tools in it so if you are searching for that then this kit is perfect. I'm really looking forward to using these in the future. You can pick up this kit from Amanda Here.

Speed Scrap & Fresh Kit

I just finished a Speed Scrap over at Stuff to Scrap. The first layout below is from that. The participation prize was a free kit from MDK Scraps out of the store. A Speed Scrap is where the instructor (MDK Scraps in this instance) provides 7 instructions in 1 hour and then you have an additional hour to finish your layout and upload to the gallery and forum. You then receive the designated participation prize. I have received several really nice free full kits this way. I highly recommend it.

I used the kit "Fresh" by Delicious Scraps for this layout. And since I usually make coordinating pages, I went ahead and made page 2 as well. The third page is one I already previously had done. I liked this kit so much that I researched where I picked it up at and lucky for you, it is still free from Delicious Scraps right now. You can pick it up Here for Free from her Store.

Bunny Business & Template Freebies

I just made a few new layouts using a kit called Bunny Business by A-Manda Creation. You can pick this kit up Here for only $1.50. Hard to beat that deal.

While my first impulse was to use this kit for Easter pictures, unfortunately I already have all of my Easter layouts finished. But, thankfully, I had some pictures from back in October that I had not finished yet and were perfect for this kit. I love when I can find ways to use kits other than the obvious ways. I really love the bright colors.

I also made the first two pages into free templates for you. Pick up your freebies Here.

Above & Below Tutorial

Sometimes you want an object to be both above (on top of) and below another object. While this seems impossible, there really is an easy solution. For this tutorial, Object A will be the object that you want in the middle while Object B will be the object that you want to be both on top and below Object A. In the screenshot example, Object A is the rectangle while Object B is the string.

Open both Object A & B. Place Object B on top in your layers palette. Now position it where you want it on your canvas. Duplicate Object B and place the copy below Object A in the layers palette. Now you should have in order from top to bottom: Object B, Object A, and copy of Object B. Activate the top layer (Obj. B). Using your eraser tool, you can now erase the portion that you want to be only below Object A. I recommend that you zoom in and erase the edges that cross over the square first as precisely as possible. Next, you can enlarge the eraser brush to erase the larger portion.

Before:

After:

That is it. Now you have an object both below and above another object.

Hope you enjoy.

Lemonade Stand Kit & Template Freebie

From the first time that I saw this kit, I could not wait til I got to play with it. It is called Lemonade Stand by A-manda Creation and you can find it Here.

This kit is great for all summer time pictures even those not dealing directly with lemonade. I can picture this kit being used for those hot summer festivals, backyard play, splish splash pool play, and of course any lemonade moments. Personally, its been a while (relative term) since I had a little mini photo shoot with my sweet girl, so I mixed up a batch of lemonade and took some cute pics. There were so many cute ones that it was hard deciding which ones to use for the layouts.

I have also made a template of the second page for you to use with your own pictures. It looks like this

Note: This template is 11.95x11.95 inches. If your printing dimensions vary slightly from this, you can simply adjust your canvas size.

To download click Here.

How to Use Templates in PSE Tutorial and a Free Template

We will be using the template that I used to make this layout for this tutorial. I used the kit "Love Birds" by Just so Scrappy in my layout.

 

Here is the template.

To download this template and a copy of this tutorial click Here.

Note: All my templates are 11.95 x 11.95 because this is the print size for the printer vendor that I use. If your print size varies, you can resize the canvas by going to: Image – Resize – Canvas Size.

Using templates in digital scrapbooking is a great time saver while preserving your creative freedom. Think of a template as a jump start. The template has shapes placed on the page as suggestions where to place photos, papers, and sometimes even elements. The key word is “suggestions”. You are not locked down to the current placements, and are free to move them around, resize, or delete any of the shapes at your smallest whim. Once these are all in place, you can then proceed to the fun part of “decorating” your page with all of your fun elements.

This tutorial will walk you through this simple process. If you have not already read my tutorial on Using Clipping Masks in PSE, I would do that now before you get started here.

Open your template file (the PSD file type) in PSE. You will notice in your Layer Box that each layer has a shape, and if the template creator is nice, each layer will have a label of its suggested purpose (ex. Photo, paper, etc).

Now, open the pictures and papers that you would like to use. Move them one at a time into your main working canvas by dragging and dropping (remember in some versions of PSE, you can’t drag from the “bin”, but must double click on the object in the “bin” to bring it up in the work area and then drag from one canvas to the other.

In this example, I picked the paper that will be the largest angled paper background. It will save you some time if you go ahead and click on the shape in the Layer Box that you will be clipping it to, so that when you bring your object, in this case paper, into the working canvas, it will automatically be immediately above the shape. Now position the paper where it is completely covering the shape in the window screen (working canvas). 

Make sure your paper is the active layer in the Layer box and press Ctrl G. (You can also press Alt, hover between the paper and shape in the layer box until your cursor turns into a little wing object and then click, but Ctrl G seems so much easier to me). I go for simple. You can adjust the position and size using the corner brackets (just like normal).

Now repeat this process for every layer. 

Once you have all layers clipped, I recommend linking each set (shape and linked object) so that if you want to move the around, then you can move them together. You can always unlink, if you want to modify just one.

Now, the fun part. Open any additional elements that you wish to use to decorate your page. You can move them between the layers depending on if you would like them “on top” or “below” particular layers. It is usually best to have some of both.

Hope you enjoy.

June Blog Trains

I know there are some of you out there that are trying to decide if you want to make the leap into digital scrapbooking. Lucky for you there are a good many resources for free that you can use before you commit fully to it and decide to start buying kits. One of those opportunities are blog trains. Basically, a blog train is where a group of designers have joined forces, decided on a blog theme, and each blog designer creates a few elements, papers, or other freebies for that theme and color pallette. So if you go to each blog participating, you can download a freebie that will then coordinate with all of the other freebies you collect from the other blogs. At the end, you end with a free mega kit, and throughout the way you can see blogs that may have other items of interest that you may decide to follow/subscribe or bookmark. A couple blog trains that I follow started today (some put there stuff up yesterday so you may have to scroll down on their blog to find it).

Stuff to Scrap (STS) Blog Train: The theme is "Bouncin' Beach Balls". Here is a link to one of the girls in the train. From her blog you can find a list of each of the other blogs participating. Just click on each and start snagging your goodies.

STS Blog Train


The other one is The Blog Train. The theme is "Monkeys".

The Blog Train

Hope you enjoy finding all your goodies!