Scraps Of Mind

Scrapbooking Techniques and Tips - Blend Your Own Backgrounds

One of the joys of Digital Scrapbooking is the mileage you can get out of your digital scrapbook elements. Not only do you have the luxury of being able to use the same element over and over again on many different layouts, but you can also change it’s size and colour as well, to vary the look.

But one of my favourite techniques is blending.

By blending two or more papers together, for example, you create a completely different look that’s totally unique to you. As someone who is not a designer, I find this a huge buzz and I highly recommend it to all digital scrapbookers. And the beaut thing is…it couldn’t be easier to do. Here’s how (the instructions are for Photoshop Elements but the principles will work in any good photo editing software):

1. First open a new file to create your layout on.
2. Then select two or three digital papers from your stash. I usually use papers from the same kit but there’s no reason why you can’t select from different kits. Just keep track so you can give the appropriate credits when you upload your layout to the Internet.
3. Drag the paper/background files onto the file you created. You will notice they are all sitting in separate layers in your layers pallet on the right of your window (see the red { in the screen shot on the right).
4. Now you start playing. At the top left of your Layers Pallet there’s a little menu bar which reads Normal. Click on the arrow symbol beside it and the full menu of blending modes will open up (see green arrow on the screen shot).
5. Scroll up and down the menu playing with the options until you find an effect you like. Also play with the Opacity percentages in the box to the right of the Blending menu.

It’s a lot of fun creating your own papers like this and I think it really highlights the scope for creativity in digital scrapbooking.The layout Gelati Days was created by blending three papers from the gorgeous Renew Collection by Shalae Tippetts of Scrap Girls. I used an Overlay mode on the striped paper on the top and adjusted the opacity of that paper and of the pink paper below so a bit of the flowered paper shows through.

As I said earlier, this is one of my favourite digital scrapbooking techniques. I also use it with photos to create some funky effects. Try it yourself. You’ll be amazed at the results you can get.

Other related posts:

Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed
Traditional vs Digital Scrapbooking
Have you ever done a Scrapbook Layout Makeover?