Category Archives: How to’s

Photoshop Tutorial

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A Quick Photoshop Tutorial about Blending Modes
Level: Beginners

I have discovered about blending modes more than a year after I started designing. It was mind blowing for me because I didn’t know that it existed. Even my scrapping style has changed. Before, what I will do is change the opacity of my object to have a little transparency. It was okay but it looked flat. I was looking for more. So, today, I will show you the blending modes that are frequently used when scrapping. These are Multiply, Screen, Overlay and Soft Light.
You can download the things that we will need here. It consists of a paper and an element.

Are you ready? Let’s start!

 
The Blending Modes is located at the upper left corner of your Layer tabs. It is in its default mode “Normal”


1. Open a new document.
2. Open also the paper and element freebie for this tutorial.
3. Drag the paper first on to your new document and then your element. Your paper will be automatically named as Layer 1 and on top of it is the element as Layer 2.

4. Just for easy reference I renamed Layer 1 to ’Paper’ and Layer 2 to ‘Element’. If you want to do this too, just right click on the layer that you want to rename and click ‘Layer Properties’. A new window will open and you can now specify a new name for your layer.

5. You have to be on your ‘Element’ layer so you need to click on the layer ‘Element’. Then click on the little arrow right beside the text ‘Normal’. You will now see a drop down menu listing all the different Blending Modes. Just click on Overlay and….

Tadaaaa!!! You just blended your element to your paper. Its pretty easy and very quick huh? Now, you can experiment on the other blending modes. You can also play with the opacity and even duplicate or resize your element and move it around for different effects.

Basically we are finish with the quick tutorial. But if you want to learn what is the difference of Multiply, Screen, Overlay and Soft Light, please read further…


As you can see, when you click on the little arrow beside ‘Normal’ you will see all the list of the Blending Modes and they are grouped into six:

For this tutorial we will only tackle the ones that are most widely used in scrapping.

Darkening Modes
The Darkening Modes makes your object appear darker. In this group, I use Multiply the most. What it does is it multiplies the dark areas twice producing a darker image and the light areas unchanged.

Lightening Modes

The Lightening Modes makes your object appear lighter. In this group, I use Screen the most. Basically it is the opposite of Multiply. It brightens the base layer with the blend layer.
Contrast Modes
The Contrast Modes makes your object appear lighter and darker at the same time. In this group, I use Overlay and Soft Light the most. Overlay intensifies the dark areas and highlights more the light while Soft Light is very much like Overlay but it is more subtle.

Here is a glimpse of the blending modes together.

Remember, you can always mix and match, you can blend a picture on paper, paper on paper, a wordart on a photo, an overlay on a wordart, the possibilities are endless! Have fun with experimenting all the blending modes and you’ll be amazed with the effects that it can give to your layout.


Did you find this tutorial helpful? Send your comments and suggestions to feifeistuff {at} gmail {dot} com. If you have some layouts done regarding this tutorial or any additional tips, you can send it through my email or you can post it on fei-fei’s stuff facebook fan page.

Enjoy Scrapping!

a scrapping challenge for me

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After my vacation almost two weeks ago, I went through my stash of digi scrap supplies to look for elements that I will use for my pages. I noticed that all my printed papers were just there, sitting so pretty  and has never been used. Usually I will try to work on it but at the middle of my scrapping I’ll realize that it is not flowing smoothly. So, I would to start again and just get a solid color paper for my background.
And now, after impeding myself to grow as a scrapper, I challenged myself that I will get out of the box and be versatile when it comes to scrapping. From now on, I will use printed papers on my pages. It was not easy for me I tell you. The first layout I did, I changed it three times. I had to step away from my computer to refresh my mind. Nevertheless, after a few days of so much effort, I was able to scrap these…
 Spirited
credits:
- Spline frames by fei-fei’s stuff
- Morning Breeze kit by Kitty Designs
everything at Oscraps


That Smile
credits:
- Pic booth frames by fei-fei’s stuff
- Storyteller kit collab by Paislee press and One little bird
everything at Oscraps


Swim
credits:
- Correspondence kit collab by Paislee press and Leora Sanford at Catscrap

Milestone
credits:
- Apothecary frames by Paislee press
- What do you see? kit by One little bird
everything at Oscraps

Ok, I am no expert in scrapping but I want to share to you what I learned when using printed papers

1. If you are a beginner, better to use printed papers from the same kit because they are coordinated already.
2. When choosing 2 or more papers, make sure that it highlights each other. For example, if your first choice of paper has small and detailed prints the other one must have big prints or if your first choice of paper is dark, the other one should be light.
3. Put shadows on your papers and elements to make it pop or more visible. This really makes a big difference.
4. Use a thick frame to highlight your pictures better.
5. If you are worried that your journaling would not be readable, you can use a journal tag or use a thick font. You can even add a big solid colored title and place it under your journal to highlight it more.
6. If you are having a difficult time on where to start, don’t be shy to use a layered template.
7. Experiment and practice. Its digital so don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

I hope I was able to help a bit and inspired you to try out another style of scrapping. If you want to do this challenge for yourself too, here is a set of two layered templates that might help you kick-off your scrapping. You can download this at Oscraps for free! Enjoy and don’t forget to share your scrap pages!

Define Yourself

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Thank you so much for all the positive response to my challenge over at Oscraps. So far, every layout is just unbelievably creative! I like seeing and discovering new things that you can create from my stuff. Thanks again for participating and keep ‘em coming!!!
Anyhwo, I’ll just share with you a layout that I made. If you are having some difficulties with this challenge, let me share with you some tips on how I did mine.


1 – Pick out a picture that you have been wanting to use but you haven’t because there’s just too much clutter at the background. The brush strokes will sort of disguise this a bit. Put brush strokes not just at the back of your main picture but at the front as well. Don’t be afraid of covering some parts of the picture. This could make it look more “artsy.” This is your opportunity to hide those unwanted clutter at the background.

2 – Not sure where to place your picture? Try placing it at the center of your layout. Then you can spread your elements from there. With this way, you can easily balance your page.

3 – Does your layout looks too flat? Put some realistic elements in it like flowers, buttons, stitches. You’ll be amazed on how these give a great impact.

4 – I myself is not a good writer. I struggle with journaling so, what I do is I find myself a good title or a word art.

5 – If the mojo is still not working then try using a template. It’s a heaven sent!

I hope these tips helped you in some ways. If you finish a layout for this challenge, don’t forget to post it at Oscraps gallery under Spotlight Challenge. Who knows? Just by participapting you can have a chance of winning a 10$ GC to my store! For more info about my Spotlight Challenge click HERE.

credits for the layout
from Oscraps
-Different Strokes by Fei-fei’s Stuff (freebie on my spotlight)
-Pastelaria by Fei-fei’s Stuff
-Life+Sprinkles II by TaylorMade Designs
-Date Me 2 by Paislee Press
-Fresh Wild Flowers by Create Wings and Paint the Moon
from We Are Storytellers
-Philosophie by Paislee Press
from Pixel Canvas
-She’s A Doll by Vinnie Pearce

The Power of Liquify

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Did you ever have any photos that you like but there were some imperfections in it that you don’t like to show? I do!!! I have tons of it! But, bless Photoshop for they have this power called “liquify.” Note: I don’t do this to all my pictures. Believe me, I don’t. *wink*wink*
So, I’ll teach you a very easy trick in Photoshop to do this super fast liposuction! Hehe! Ready?
Open your picture. Now, I really like this pic because I love Fei’s super happy face. But, I don’t like the little chubbiness on my arms. I thought ‘Hey, it’s not a crime to lie a bit.’

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1. Pick your Lasso Tool.
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2. Make a rough circle around the part you like to ‘liquify.’
3. Then go to ‘Filter’ and choose Liquify.

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4. Adjust your settings on the right side.
Brush Size: 400-500
Brush Density: 40-50
Brush Pressure: 5-10 (make it very low so you’ll have more control of your brush)
5. Make some little strokes going inside. Of course you don’t want to go the opposite direction or you’ll just make it bigger :) If you made a mistake or you’re not satisfied just click “restore all” under the ‘Reconstruct Options’ and everything will go back to the original picture.

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6. And that’s it!! A very fast, cheap and non-surgical liposuction in less than 5 minutes. Now, don’t forget the other arm! Just do the same and you are done!

Here is a zoom out comparison.

I hope you understood my little tutorial. But, always remember, beauty inside is what matters most :) Have a great day!

How I make my layouts

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Hi Sinta! I will have my wedding album printed and bound by Shutterfly. I’m still finishing 3 more books of Fei. The cost of shipping going here to Dubai is costly so I gather first everything and have them printed by batch. :)
If you still want to k now more about Shutterfly you can go to their website or visit Liz’s blog. She has some useful tips to share you and also a coupon from Shutterfly that you can use for your photobooks!
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A request from Suzanne… She asked me if I can write something about how I make my layouts…here it is…
This is a step by step process on how I make my layouts. It’s different for every people. I really can’t dictate what you should do and not do but I will show you how I work and hopefully it gives you an idea and some helpful tips.

My style is eclectic but usually I’m a white space scrapper. I like to give breathing space to my layouts. Sometimes I like putting a theme to it but most of the time I just go with the flow.
For this one I’ll be doing the Oscraps challenge – April showers bring May Flowers. Not only this is great for beginners but it gives you already some ideas on what to scrap. There are guidelines already for you to follow so you will not lose track of what you are doing. To check the guidelines for the challenge, you can go to the Oscraps Spotlight challenge forum. (they have some great prizes too for the winners of this challenge! so don’t forget to post your layouts at the Designer Spotlight Challenge gallery)

Step 1 – I choose my picture. I chose a pic of me and Fei when we were in Manila. This is one of the best vacation I had so its memorable to me.

Tip: Take many pictures of your loved ones. Even on ordinary days. I like to scrap little things like the smile of my daughter, her height, shoe size, how many days old she is. The ideas are endless!

Step 2 – I choose a frame to go along with my pic. I used the Mailing Label Frames Vol.2 by Paislee Press and TaylorMade Designs. And then I arrange them accordingly. I like it being a bit messy, gathered closely together and fun reflecting the colors and the mood of the pic.

Step 3 – I add my flower elements – Prettyful Petals by Blythe Evans and the flowers from the New Growth Kit. I arranged them vertically like they are growing. I made them small so it would not overpower the pictures. I used stitches to represent the stems.
Step 4 – I added a strip of dark paper under the pictures to highlight it more and put some subtle brush works from the Ink + Blot Vol. 3 kit & Zippy Hippy Kit by Queen of Quirk and Paislee Press

Step 5 – I choose my background paper. For this one I chose a very light blue paper with some delicate flower prints from the Fashion District II Paper pack by Queen of Quirk.

Step 6 – Lastly, I add my title from NinaScraps Say it Simple Vol.2, I added some little journaling too and the date. (don’t forget to date – I am guilty with this one!)

And that’s it! I’m finish! Im quite happy with the outcome actually :)

tip: for those who are still new to digital scrapbooking, you might feel overwhelmed with all the kits that you have. My advise is to use one Digital kit for your layout. Stick to that one first and im sure you’ll have a well thought and coordinated page :)
I hope i gave you some enlightenment :) If you still have any questions you can just email me or leave a comment here. For those who are starting to Digi Scrap and want to learn the basics of making a layout with photoshop you can go to Amanda’s blog and she has some very insightful tutorials for you!
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freebie part… A simple wordart for you!