November 22, 2007
Share your Favourite Scrapbooking Ideas
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One of the most popular categories on Scraps of Mind is the Scrapbooking Techniques and Tips category. No surprise really. We’re all mad keen (dare I say, addicted) scrapbookers and so we all have an avid interest in ideas and tips that we can use to incorporate in our scrapbooking and help us to improve.
A recent comment from Heather on my How to Make a Photo Collage Layout post:
“Nice tutorial but much easier to use the filter and extract tool with magic highlighter in CS2 Adobe Photoshop”
got me thinking.
We all have our own favourite tips or techniques which we’ve found work well for us. And each of us have different ways of doing things in our different software packages. I use Photoshop Elements and I know that the way I do things in PSE is different to the way they might be done in CS Photoshop or PSP or GIMP.
In fact there are many ways to be right in PSE alone. Often a similar result will be obtained by someone else using a different method. I just talk about the way I do things and the way I find easiest.
So what about the rest of you guys. Do you have some favourite tips and techniques you would like to share? Remember it doesn’t have to be the only way to do something or the ‘right’ way but just the way you do it and the way you find easiest.
I thought it would be really cool to share some of your favourite tips with all the Scraps of Mind readers. Particularly if you use software packages other than Photoshop Elements (although your PSE tips are warmly welcomed too), because a lot of readers don’t use PSE and it would be good to share some tips for other software packages.
What do you think? Let’s get a bit of community sharing happening here.
Put your fave scrapbook ideas (no matter how tiny) in a comment below and let’s share the scrapbooking knowledge around. Oh, and don’t forget to say which software you use as well.
And make sure you tune in tomorrow because I have a big announcement coming up that I’m very excited about.
Other related posts:
How to Make a Photo Collage Layout
Blending your own Scrapbook Backgrounds
Madison Avenue Scrapbooking - scrapbook idea using advertisements
Stumble it!
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9 Responses to “Share your Favourite Scrapbooking Ideas”
Great idea,
Sometimes I learn more from snippets than whole tutorials, and some tips I’ve picked up along the way have been wonderful.
I’m still very much in the learning process of using Photoshop CS2
Just discovered the magic eraser today and can see myself having lots of fun with this. Too early for me to post any tips on it but if anyone has this programme, I really recommend just playing around with this tool.
Will have a think and come back with some tips.
best wishes
Heather
By Heather on Nov 23, 2007
Just had a thought………………for those who don’t have any software for creating collages, it might be worthwhile downloading Picasa. You can upload your photos to albums there and there is a feature to create collage. It is not sophisticated (you cannot edit what you create) and very hit and miss but it does blend photos together nicely. I had lots of fun just playing around with different photos and creating fun collages.
It is free too.
Heather
By Heather on Nov 23, 2007
Thanks for jumping in and being the first Heather. I use Picasa all the time to sort through my photo and scrapbooking Supplies folders. But I hadn’t thought of using it for photo collages. Thanks a lot for that tip.
By karooch on Nov 23, 2007
Here’s a little known technique that can be used in Photoshop for spacing things evenly around a circle:
You can use the Step and Repeat function in Photoshop to do this. You use the shape tool to draw out a circle on a layer to use as reference. Place two guidelines at the center to mark the center of the circle. Place one of the objects (that you want to go around the circle) on the circle. Figure out how many objects you want around your circle and then divide this into 360 degrees. This will give you the angle of rotation. Eg. 360/20 objects = 18 degrees for rotation
Next, use the shortcut Alt+Control+T to enter Free Transform. Click on the little target in the very centre of the transform box and click and drag it to the centre of your circle (where the two guidelines cross). On the Options Bar, enter the degree of rotation that you figured out earlier. Click on the checkmark on the Options Bar to lock in this duplication/transformation.
Now, the fun part! Use the shortcut Control+Shift+Alt+T as many times as needed to place your object around your circle.
Once I found out about this method, I use it all the time! You don’t have to use this just on a circle. This Step-and_Repeat technique can be used anytime you want to duplicate something and reposition it.
Unfortunately, this method will NOT work in Photoshop Elements unless they have updated this method in PE6. It would not work in PE5 though you can do the first part, just not the entire step and repeat.
By DreamScrapper on Nov 24, 2007
That sounds like a really knacky trick Dreamscrapper. I’m just so annoyed that it’s not available in PSE4. But I’m going to be upgrading to 6 at Christmas so hopefully I’ll be able to use it in that version.
By karooch on Nov 24, 2007
You might want to check with Hummie http://blog.hummiesworld.com/ - she has already upgraded to PE6 but I’m not sure if she knows this trick.
By DreamScrapper on Nov 24, 2007
The way I managed mine was to first pull the pictures onto the layout; marquee around the photos about 25-30 pixels away from the part that I wanted to use. Set the feather anywhere between 75 and 150; invert and delete. This will work in PS and PSP. But you need to make sure the background or background photo is similar in color. (to give credit where credit is due though, it was one of the tips I picked up 10 years ago from one of the photoshop seminars I had to attend).
By Tink on Nov 24, 2007
Several favourite tips of mine in Gimp that might not be possible in Photoshop in any version, at least as far as I know.
First create a template so that you open your working area with specific dimensions and specific resolution. The template name will be a file with no name. No room for size problems or resolution problems, you will always be asked if there’s a problem with either resolution or you’ll notice a size problem.
Second, open anything you’re going to use in your layout as a layer. You go to the menu and simply and directly choose the option “Open as a layer”. The name of the open file will not affect your working file so if by mistake when you’re working click on Save, you will always be asked to name your file and you will never by accident modify or lose your scrapbooking supplies or photos. You can also directly open the file on another window, but this way your element or paper is always centred in your canvas and your screen is always uncluttered most of the time.
Third install the plugging that makes you able to install Photoshop compatible pluggings, you can find interesting pluggings that will give you the chance to use similar extraction tools as the “Filter Extraction Tool” in CS2. Extractions would be very nice and crisp and they will no look pixelated or rough.
Fourth and last one that it occurs to me right now, this one is for any program, use YouTube to search for tutorials. You might not find Scrapbooking tutorials there, digital or traditional, or at least not too many. But you sure are going to find lots of image editing tutorials in almost any program and in English.
Right now I’m preparing a Playlist with a collection of Gimp tutorials I have found in YouTube. They are not in the best order right now but I think they’re nicely chosen. Of course there’s plenty of room for comment on that. They can be found in the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=3D59FAF7B91888FD
you can make a search there and you will find tons of tutorials on any program.
Thanks for the idea, it’s terrific and I’m sure it will be very helpful for all scrappers and best wishes. :O)
By Olga on Nov 24, 2007
I’m loving all this tip sharing. It’s amazing how many little gems you can pich up from reading about different people do things. And it’s especially to great to get some Gimp tips because you don’t see them very often.
By karooch on Nov 25, 2007