This Blog is Closing

Due to rampant spam I've decided to close this blog. The good news is, I've opened a new WordPress blog. Please update your bookmarks and blog readers to the new address.

http://mistycato.wordpress.com/

When you get there you'll find a freebie waiting for you and a new tutorial. I've also updated the Creating Your First Page and Using a Layered Templates tutorial. I'm hoping to add more new and updated ones over time.

This blog will stay open as long as it seems reasonable so people can make use of the existing tutorials.

I hope you will all join me in my new blog home.

Last Call ...

Just a quick reminder that this is the last day to pick up anything in the Going, Going, Gone sale at SSD. Details are in this post.

Excuse Me?

I was thrilled when the ladies over at Scrapbook News and Review asked me to be a featured designer for their Special Edition Double Issue. Scrapbook News and Review (SNR) is a monthly online publication covering card-making, traditional and digital scrapbooking and related crafts. The great thing about their publication is they seek to include all levels and styles of scrapbooking. You'll find both beginner and expert pages/cards through the articles.

You can get a look at their publication free through 8:00pm today. Register in their forums and then click on the 'Magazine' tab to see the content.

I spent some time browing the issue latest night and was inspired to try a page based on one of Debbie Gaydos's sketches. Here is my page.



All of the papers and elements are from a kit I am working on. The fonts are Cookies (title and subtitle), F25 Executive (journaling) and Retro Rock Poster (date stamp).

Going, Going Gone!

The Going, Going, Gone section has over 500 products. Here are direct links to the items I am retiring.

Chatty - personal favorite
One in a Million
One in a Million Quick Pages
Mya's Happy Dance
Garden District
Garden District Quick Pages
Adorable Me
Happy Chappy
My Paper Garden
My Paper Garden Quick Pages
My Paper Garden Combo Pack
Afternoon Stroll
Toadally Cute
Prince Mud Puddle
Wide-Eyed Wonder - Christmas theme
Thursday
Thursday Combo Pack
Thursday Quick Pages
Sunkissed
Autumn in the Air - great for fall
Richer - ideal for Thanksgiving or heritage pages
Imagine That - customer favorite
All American Girl
Going Places Collection
Melon Blossoms
Fish Are Friends
Date Bits 9
Date Bits 10

Using Photo Masks in Photoshop

I've had requests from a few of you asking how to use my Sanded Photo Masks. Below is the process I use to incorporate them into a page. The screen shots and directions are written for PSCS3, but should also apply to PSCS2 and most versions of PSE.

Open a layout (or a blank canvas) and open a photo mask.



With the move tool active, click on the photo mask and drag it onto your layout canvas.



Open a photo and click and drag it onto the layout canvas. Position it on top of the photo mask.



Go to Layer > Create Clipping Mask, or keystroke Shift+Ctrl+G to 'clip' the photo to your photo mask.



With your move tool active, you should see a dotted line and 8 small boxes around the perimeter of your photo. Move and/or resize your photo until the portion you want is visible in the photo mask. For detailed instructions on moving and resizing review the Creating Your First Page in PSE tutorial.



At this point you have applied the photo mask. In my case, some of the distressed areas of the mask cut out too much of my son's face. You can 'fill in' areas of a mask by using a brush on the mask itself.

Optional: Select the photo mask layer from the layers palette. Select the brush tool from the tools palette and choose a round brush.



Click and drag on your canvas any areas in which you want to 'fill in' more photo (in my case, I've filled in around my son's face).



Right click on the photo layer in the layers palette and select Merge Down from the drop down menu.



The photo mask portion is complete. Here is my finished page.


Credits: Background Papers from Deckle Edge Papers, other papers, crab and waves from the Going Places Collection, buttons from ABC and 123, alpha from Cheery Glen, straight stitching from First Glimpse, messy stitches from Bad Sewing Machine IV by Traci Reed, journaling font DJB Emilys

Rainy Days and Mondays

When I was young I swiped a Carpenter's album from my parent's collection and fell in love with their music. When I decided to make a kit inspired by rainy, cloud-covered days, their song Rainy Days and Mondays came immediately to mind.



Life isn't always sunshine and rainbows and this kit is perfect for scrapping the more somber moments of life. However, with unique yet neutral pieces and pops of color it is ideal for all sorts of themes. I used it to scrap our recent outing to the Whatcom Railway. You can see more pages with this set in the sidebar slider.

Freebie - Date Bits 19

Happy Monday. Click on the preview to download the latest set of Date Bits. This link will only be active through Thursday (9/17). After that these will be available in my store at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Ready for 2010?

You're not? Me neither, but you can get one step closer by getting a jumpstart on 2010 calendars. I just released two calendar products at SSD.




If you are ready to print, Shutterfly calendars are 30% off through the end of September.