2014 Scrapbooking Kickoff ... joining Challenges | update 2

If you've been reading my blog for the past few weeks, you know I'm doing the Month of Challenges over at The Lilypad.

Here's the original Blog Post.

Super excited to report that I am all caught up once again! Today is Day 20 ... yes, that means I have completed 20 pages this month. (actually I've done a few more because I've also finished up the monthly January challenges as well... 7 challenges that run each & every month. but more on that another day.)

Here's Day 13 Shadow Technique

Valorie Wibbens & Lauren Reid | Twinkle PP

Valorie Wibbens & Karla Dudley | The Good Stuff

Valorie Wibbens | Sprinkles V 17, Project Care

Just Jaimee | Dec StoryTeller 13

Laurie Ann HGD | Baked With Love, Happy Camper (Alpha)

One Little Bird | Memory Collector

Pink Reptile Designs | Our Life

Rachel Young | Daycation

Designs by Lili | Template Pack 2

 Day 14 | List: 14 Things in 2014

Amy Martin | Topography Freebie 1 Template

The Lilypad Designers | Blessed & Lucky Collab (all the papers are from this kit)

Kaye Winiecki | H is for Happy

Laurie Ann HGD | Fortitude Basics, Stardust Basics, Capturing Fall, Baked With Love

CD Muckosky | Markerific Alpha

Valorie Wibbens | Project Care

Little Butterfly Wings | Twenty Four Seven, Destination Adventure

Pink Reptile Designs | Cleaning Bug, Dinner Date, Stamp It

Just Jaimee | FB Painted Border

After 5 Designers | Optimistic Collab

 Day 15 | Paper to Digi

 Here's the card by Adrienne over at Studio Calico that I used as my inspiration for my digi LO.

Valorie Wibbens | Sprinkles V14

Allison Pennington | Capturing Fall

Amy Wolff | Our Life, That\'s Life

Amy Martin | That\'s Life, Blanc Stitches

Paislee Press | Outdoorsy JCs, Capturing Fall

Pink Reptile Designs | Capturing Fall, True to Yourself, I Kissed a Frog, Boho Bliss (staple), Cleaning BUg, Lucky in Love, Falala Elements, Simple Things

Rachel Young | Where Love Is Solids, Ultimate Vacation, Take a Walk

Just Jaimee | Dec \'13 Storyteller

Jaque Larsen | Hoppy Birthday

Valorie Wibbens & Lauren Reid |Twinkle Papers, Project Care

 Day 16 | Inspiration #2 (I took the color scheme as my inspiration for my page below)

The Lilypad Designers | Blessed & Lucky Collab, Together Collab

Pink Reptile Designs | Destination Adventure, Boho Bliss, Falala

Pink Reptile Designs & River Rose | Scraparazzi

Little Butterfly Wings | Destination Adventure, Twenty Four Seven

Amy Wolff | Destination Adventure, Messy Edges 1

Valorie Wibbens & Lauren Reid | Twinkle Papers

Sara Gleason | Our Life Template

Day 17 | Recent Photo

Amy Martin | Capturing Fall Collab Template

Valorie Wibbens | Capturing Fall, Sprinkles V17

CD Muckosky | Makerific

Just Jaimee | FB Painted Border

Day 18 | Year in Review

 Valorie Wibbens | My Gallery, Sprinkles V 14 & 17, Project Care

CD Muckosky | Markerific

The Lilypad Designers | Blessed & Lucky Collab

 Day 19 | Flowers

Paislee Press | Press Plate No 30

The Lilypad Designers | Blessed & Lucky Collab

Pink Reptile Designs | I Believe in Miracles

Day 20 | Pimp my Page (quickpage)

MOC Pimp My Page Template

Rachel Young | Take  a Walk

Allison Pennington | Deestination Adventure

Amy Martin | DSD Messy Edges

A lot of these pages were fun, because I don't usually do such busy & bright chaotic pages. Can't wait to see what new challenges lie ahead! TFL. 

2014 Scrapbooking Kickoff ... joining Challenges | update 1

So last week, I mentioned the Month of Challenges over at The Lilypad.

Here's the Blog Post. And here's a little excerpt from that post (with the links & some details):

I think the mother of all challenges right now is The Lilypad's Month Of Challenges. Each day in January, there is a new challenge posted. If you complete the challenges (all challenges are due Feb 2, so you do not have to have them completed the day they are posted) you earn $20 credit to the TLP store. Plus you'll have 31 pages done once Feb rolls around! Pretty cool. GO HERE to see the challenge information.

I'm happy to report I'm caught up ... through Day 12. That's almost half-way! 

Day 7 | Word Art as Title

'Tis The Season

Gina Miller | Snippies V1: Winter Wishes

Valorie Wibbens | Project Care, Capturing Fall

Little Butterfly Wings | Black & White JC Add on

Paislee Press | Capturing Fall

Laurie Ann HGD | Stardust Basics

Allison Pennington | Destination Adventure

Kaye Winiecki | H is for Happy

Jacque Larsen | Very Merry

Day 8 | Watercolor Technique

Simple Life

Pink Reptile Designs & Lynn Marie | BohoBliss Collab

Pink Reptile Designs | Lucky in Love, I Believe in Miracles, Capturing Fall, Simple Things, True to Yourself

Rachel Young | Love You Good, Capturing Fall, Love and Grace

*Watercolor Brush Set 2 by Fudge Graphics

Day 9 | Do-Over  (re-do an old layout)

Sweet Girl

Pink Reptile Designs & Lynn Marie | Boho Bliss Collab

Pink Reptile Designs | I Believe in Miracles, Lucky in Love

Amy Wolff | Destination Adventure

Allison Pennington | Capturing Fall, Our Life

Day 10 | Word of the Year ( One Little Word, #OLW )

One Little Word 2014 | Present

Just Jaimee | Dec StoryTeller, iNSD Doodleborder

One Little Bird | Going Places, Memory Collector

Valorie Wibbens | Sunkissed

Day 11 | Simple Template

MOC Day 11 | Simple Template

 Valorie Wibbens | Sprinkles V17 & V14, Legacy 

Valorie Wibbens & Karla Dudley | The Good Stuff Collab 

Valorie Wibbens &  Jenn Barrett | SunKissed Collab 

One Little Bird | Rise & Shine 

Racheal Young | Where Love is Solids, Love You Good Solids 

Pink Reptile Design & RIver Rose | Scraparazzi Collab 

Pink Reptile Designs | I Believe in Miracles 

Valorie Wibbens | Topography MOC Freebie Template

Day 12 | Combine 2 Templates

The Fedora

Pink Reptile Designs & River Rose | Scraparazzi Collab

Amy Martin | MOC 2014 Challenge Freebie

I'm thrilled that I have 12 layouts done already for the year! Are you participating? If so, leave me a comment ... I'd love to go see your pages too! 

 

"Dividing" a Photo into 4 Pockets Digitally ... a Photoshop Tutorial

Hello. A reader left a comment asking how I digitally "divided" my focal photo into 4 different pockets on my Project Life page. Maybe some of you new to working with project life templates and/or digital scrapbooking are wondering how to do this as well.

 product credits:

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Floral Theme Pack

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Midnight Edition Paper Pack 2

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Template U

little details: 

Creashens | Hello Flairs, Fling Elements (floral bouquet), Krafternoon Delight Elements (bow)

The Ardent Sparrow | Brand New Boy and Girl Kits (buttons)

It's super easy!

I am using Photoshop CC, but it's basically the same method in Photoshop Elements.

So you start with a template. The template I am using is Digital Project Life Template U. (link above)

Here I have the template opened in Photoshop and I've added the photo I want "divided" into 4 pockets. I've sized it and placed it exactly where I want it. In the Layers Palette, the photo is placed above the pockets that it will be "divided" into.

Now, since I know I want this photo to appear in four pockets, I simply duplicate the file 3x (so I have four copies total). Command J (on a Mac) or Control J (on a PC) is the easiest way to duplicate the layers. You can also go up to EDIT and choose Duplicate (3x).

NOTE: It is important that the photo copies all stay exactly where they are on the page. Do not move or shift them. You'll see why in a minute.

So, above, you can see my Layers ... and there are four copies of my photo. It doesn't look like anything has happened because the photos are all sitting on top of each other.



Now (see below) ... without moving the photos at all on the page ... you are going to drag (IN THE LAYERS PALETTE) each photo copy above each pocket that the photo needs to appear in. So each photo layer sits on top of each pocket layer. 

Here (below), you can see my 4 photo copies all nicely placed above the four pockets they will ultimately show in.

Now, move your cursor onto the space (IN THE LAYERS PALETTE) between the photo and the pocket. Click while holding down the ALT(on a MAC)/OPTION(on a PC) key. Your cursor will change into a bent arrow with a rectangle. The photo is now "clipped" to the pocket layer.

Once the photo is "clipped" to the pocket you will see your photo layer indented in your Layers Palette with a bent arrow.

Do this "ALT/OPTION click" to each of the other Photo copies. See my little black arrows below. I have 4 photos "clipped" to the pockets below them.

NOTE: Make sure the photo lies on top of the pocket it should appear in!

And that's it! The photo is digitally "divided" into 4 pockets. Now go finish your awesome PL page!



SOME TIPS and HELPFUL HINTS:

If you need to move the image around ... say a face ended up in the space between the pockets (like the example above) ...

in your Layers Palette, click all four photos at once. To do this, you click one photo and then Command click (on a MAC) or Control click (on a PC) to select the other three photos.

Make sure your move tool is selected, and then you can just drag the image around on the page until it looks good. Having all 4 photo layers selected, means that all four of them move together as if they were ONE photo. This gives you that "divided" look.

You can also re-size the photos by click/dragging any of the corners. If in Photoshop, make sure to hold down SHIFT to constrain the photo dimensions. I believe Photoshop Elements does this automatically.

It's a good idea to Lock your four photo layers together. This makes sure they all move together and that one does not accidently get shifted around. See below ... just click the Link Layers Icon at the bottom of your Layers Palette (while you have all your photo layers selected).

Once locked, each layer will have a little Chain Link Icon next to it. If you do not want them locked, simply click the Link Layers Button again to remove this feature.

That's it. I hope you give this a try. It's such a fun way to make one really great photo pop on your PL pages! Feel free to leave a comment linking me up to any page you create using this technique! I'd love to see your work! :)

xoxo- jenn

2014 Scrapbooking Kickoff ... joining Challenges

I'm trying to get my digital scrapbooking into full gear, early this year. I've been cruising around the various hangouts ... looking for fun challenges to participate in.

I think the mother of all challenges right now is The Lilypad's Month Of Challenges. Each day in January, there is a new challenge posted. If you complete the challenges (all challenges are due Feb 2, so you do not have to have them completed the day they are posted) you earn $20 credit to the TLP store. Plus you'll have 31 pages done once Feb rolls around! Pretty cool. GO HERE to see the challenge information.

Last year I tried and only made it to like Day 5. Embarassing.

Today is Day 7 and I already have my page started, so I'm off to a great start.

Here's my pages so far ...

Day 1 | Blind Scrap (following a specific set of instructions)

Family Matters
One Little Bird | Going Places, Page Kraft
Rachel Young | Funky Junky Family Tree, Daycation 

Day 2 | Art Journaling

Hello 2014
Pink Reptile Designs | True To Yourself, Destination Adventure, Simple Things, That's Life, I Believe in Miracles
Little Butterfly Wings | Destination Adventure
Rachel Young | Take a Walk
Amy Wolff | Our Life 

Day 3 | Technique (brush across layers) 

The Great Outdoors
Amy Martin | Templates: They Once Were V4
Paislee Press | Outdoorsy Papers & Elements

Day 4 | Double Page Spread (I posted this PL spread yesterday)

Project Life Weeks 48 & 49

Valorie Wibbens | Project Care JC, Good Stuff, Sunkissed
Paislee Press | Outdoorsy Elements, Labeled Frames & Clipping Masks, Be Merry, Is It Friday Yet?, Capturing Fall
One Little Bird | Memory Collector Elements, Papers, & JCs, Trail Blazer Elements & JCs, Rise & Shine, Capturing Fall
Michelle Godin | Capturing Fall
Pink Reptile Designs | Simple Things, Capturing Fall
Lilypad Designers | Together Collab
Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Templates A & D

Day 5 | Book Cover Inspiration

Hiking Mohonk
Amy Martin | Shaped Up V2 Triangles (altered)
Amy Martin | Need More Stitching 5
Paislee Press | Outdoorsy Elements & Papers
Paislee Press & Amy Martin | A Midwinter's Flight (brad) 

... and the Book Cover I was inspired by

Day 6 | Freestyle Clusters

Dad & Emma
Laurie Ann HGD | Just Because, Fortitude Basics, Stardust Basics
Amy Martin | They Once Were V4, Need More Stitches 5
One Little Bird | Memory Collector Papers

Think I can make it to Day 31? We'll see. Wish me Luck!

Memory Keeping Monday ... Hello January 2014

Happy New Year. It's exciting to be starting a fresh new year.

But, Wow. This morning was tough.

Just dropped the kids off at the bus stop. It has been two full weeks since they last attended school. They were scheduled to go back to school on Thursday, Jan 3rd ... but the winter storm closed school for an additional 2 days. So after such a long break, this morning was really tough ... waking up in the dark, trying to get back into our routine.

The girl said, weary-eyed, over her bowl of cereal, "I hope they don't expect too much today".

And that's pretty much how I feel. But I do have a full day ahead of me, lots going on, appointment, errands, orders to complete; and a meeting tonight at 7pm. It will be a long Monday for sure.

I did some Memory Keeping over the last few days ... here's what I have to share. My PL is almost done for 2013.

Week 47

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Squared Away Template 14

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Just Add Color

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Midnight  

Valorie Wibbens | Project Care JC, Good Stuff, Sunkissed
Paislee Press | Outdoorsy Elements, Labeled Frames & Clipping Masks, Be Merry, Is It Friday Yet?, Capturing Fall
One Little Bird | Memory Collector Elements, Papers, & JCs, Trail Blazer Elements & JCs, Rise & Shine, Capturing Fall
Michelle Godin | Capturing Fall
Pink Reptile Designs | Simple Things, Capturing Fall
Lilypad Designers | Together Collab
Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Templates A & D 

A closer look at Week 48.

 A closer look at Week 49.

Memory Keeping Monday ... Digital Project Life Weeks 45 & 46

Hello. We are covered in snow this Monday morning. It snowed for over 24 hours this weekend and dumped at least 10 inches on us. Our first big snow storm of the winter season. It was really cold too, but we braved the icy temps to play outside for a little while.

I of course had my camera and was busy taking pictures while the kids and dogs played. They still love playing in the snow. Love that!

Catching up on Project Life pages with DigitalProjectLife.com's new Squared Away Templates. Here's my Week 45 page with Template 8.

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Squared Away Template 4 Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Just Add Color Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Midnight Katie Pertiet | Twine Banner Template No. 2 Rachael Scraps | Pearl Button Gennifer Bursett | Love You More (mint button) Mye De Leon | The Good Stuff This Week (ampersand) HGD Laurie Ann | Happy Camper (black button) Just Jaimee | Your Life (wood heart) - See more at: http://www.myscrapbookart.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=667863&ppuser=8435#sthash.2KKMGl2U.dpuf

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Squared Away Template 4

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Just Add Color

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Midnight
Katie Pertiet | Twine Banner Template No. 2
Rachael Scraps | Pearl Button
Gennifer Bursett | Love You More (mint button)
Mye De Leon | The Good Stuff This Week (ampersand)
HGD Laurie Ann | Happy Camper (black button)
Just Jaimee | Your Life (wood heart)

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Squared Away Template 4 Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Just Add Color Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Midnight Katie Pertiet | Twine Banner Template No. 2 Rachael Scraps | Pearl Button Gennifer Bursett | Love You More (mint button) Mye De Leon | The Good Stuff This Week (ampersand) HGD Laurie Ann | Happy Camper (black button) Just Jaimee | Your Life (wood heart) - See more at: http://www.myscrapbookart.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=667863&ppuser=8435#sthash.2KKMGl2U.dpuf

And my Week 46 page with Template 10.

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Squared Away Template 10

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Just Add Color

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Midnight
Gennifer Bursett | Anchored (polaroid frames)

One Little Bird | Memory Collector (heart sticker & brad)

Thanks for looking. xoxo Jenn

Digital pages with templates

Happy Friday! I am so glad it is Friday. It seems like this was the longest week. The recent ending of Daylight Savings, with the darker & shorter days is starting to take its toll on me. I'm no adjusting easily. My least favorite part of the week days has been simply getting out of bed, It's cold and dark, and I find myself hitting snooze more than usual. Not good when you have two kids to wake up and get off to school on time. We are really looking forward to Thanksgiving recess.

My big project this week has been trying to get organized with my Gallery Wall. I took it down over two years ago, to have our home painted ... and well, it never went back up. I wanted to switch out some photos and relocate it ... and so it kind of went on the back burner of my To Do List.

This layout, with Crystal Livesay's newest template release (collab with Little Green Frog Designs) Starlight Star Bright, shows a peek into what's going on with that Gallery Wall Project.

Crystal Livesay | Starlight Star Bright Templates

One Little Bird | Memory Collector

Karah Fredricks | Capturing Fall

HGD by Laurie Ann | Capturing Fall

HGD by Laurie Ann | Just Because

Allison Pennington | Capturing Fall

Amy Wolff | Capturing Fall

Just Jamiee | Owl Family Word Mix 

Kaye Winiecki | Capturing Fall

And the second layout with Crystal's templates is this page about my son's new sport: Crew. 

Crystal Livesay | Starlight Star Bright Templates

One Little Bird | Trailblazer

One Little Bird |  Memory Collector

Amy Martin | Blanc Stitches 

Paislee Press | Outdoorsy Elements

Karla Dudley | A Lifetime Elements

That's it for me for this week. Enjoy your weekend & thanks for looking! 

Memory Keeping Monday ... Just Add Color | Project Life

So excited to share today's Digital Project Life news with you. The Just Add Color kit has been released in digital format and let me tell you it has everything: stickers, filler cards in four different sizes, new Squared Away Templates and those amazing overlays that Kerri Bradford created that were sold out on HSN in a heartbeat!

Here's my page for Week 44. How cute are all these little pockets and bits & pieces. These little pockets would be so perfect for your Instagram photos too!

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Just Add Color Edition
Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Photo Overlays
Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Squared Away 1 Template
Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Midnight Paper Pack 2

Here's a peek at the Just Add Color Full Collection:

And a peek at those hot Photo Overlays:

As always with Digital Project Life new releases ... they are on sale for the entire week!

Memory Keeping Monday ...

Happy Veterans Day ... the kids are off from school and we are home taking it easy after a big, busy weekend of organizing and cleaning. There are so many charities and clothing drives this month ... we are taking the opportunity to really go through things in the basement, the garage, the storage area and our cluttered closets ... to reduce and recycle by way of donations. A great feeling all around, but tiring too. Today is going to be all about little projects and taking it easy.

Since today is Monday ... that means new release day over at DigitalProjectLife.com. The coral kit is new in the shop this week and on sale. It is so versatile, so Project Life perfect ... seriously there is a journal card in there for everything and anything ... and lots of beautiful colors too! I was partial to the watercolor-y cards and couldn't refrain from using them on this page:

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Coral Edition

Becky Higgins Digital Project Life | Template A

other details: Karla Dudley | A Lifetime Elements

Crystal Livesay | Choose Hope Template (Charity Collab ScrapStacks)

Creashens | Hello, Fling, Summered, Krafternoon Delight, Kaleidoscope
Celeste Knight | Sherbet Watercolor Papers
Gennifer Bursett | Anchored Elements
Mommish | Just Me, Enjoy The Everyday
The Ardent Sparrow | Brand New Girl & Boy

Thank you for looking!