Posts from — May 2010

Digital Corner Rounder tutorial

By Carole House

Have you ever wondered how to create the look of using a corner rounder on your digital layouts?

Here is a simple way to create that look.   Start out by creating a new file using Photoshop Elements 8 with a transparent background.

Open a photo or digital paper to work with.  Drag the photo or paper to the new file window and resize it for your layout.   Then select the rounded rectangle tool on the left side of the screen.  At the top type 100 next to radius.   That is the setting that works best for me.  You can change that to suit your needs.  Then draw the rectangle to fit your photo or paper.

Make sure to bring your photo forward so that it is above the rectangle you created. I centered my photo right over the top of my rectangle.   Then on the keyboard press command G (for a Mac) control G for (for Windows).

You should now have a photo with rounded corners.   Next you want to go to the layers palette and right click, then click on merge visible.  This combines the layers into one layer.  Now you are able to drag your photo or paper to your layout.

I love using this technique.  You can also create one or several rounded rectangle-clipping masks of various sizes to use on digital paper.  I did that so I could create several rounded rectangles using a variety of papers for a layout.   I just open the paper, drag them over to the rounded rectangles and press control G (for Windows) or command G (for Mac) and it cuts the paper just like a corner rounder would do.

Here is a layout I created using the rounded rectangle tool in Photoshop Elements 8.

Layout by Carole House: Little Man basic kit

Both of Kaisercraft’s new ranges are absolutely perfect for making children’s cards! They are packed full of cute little birds and bugs in their leafy habitats and they are so easy to cut out and layer to make a gorgeous card that is perfect for any little girl or boy. Today we have a card to share with you using each of these collections.

I made this birthday card for a 5 year old girl using the Hey Birdie collection. I decided to turn one of the trees on its side so it looked like a branch and I drew a couple of clouds freehand which I then cut out and applied my greeting to.

“Happy Birthday Card” by Christine Rumley – Hey Birdie 6×6 Paper Pad, Kaisercard EF001 – White, RB811 Birthday Cards Rub-ons.

Nikki used the Jungle Bug collection to make this sweet card:

Birthday Wishes by Nikki Antonello - Jungle Bug 6×6 Paper Pad, Birthday Rubon Sentiment, Ribbon from Embellishment pack and Organza ribbon.

No one does beyond the page items like Kaisercrafts. All the beyond the page are made of MDF so they are sturdy and will stand the test of time.

When I first saw this occasion planner I was going to make an organiser for my daughter who will soon be leaving home to go to university. I thought of pages to help her to keep track of her finances, including pocket pages where she could keep receipts, pages to keep track of her assignments and pages to to keep track of social activities. But somehow, once I got going, her organiser turned into a place for me to keep track of scrapping ideas and techniques!! I wonder how that happened?

Pam Thorburn- Kaisercrafts Occasion Planner, 'Hey Birdie' papers, felt embellishments, 6x6 paper pad, organza ribbon, chipboard alphabet, letter stickers, rhinestones, ink, acrylic paint. Spellbinders Nestabilities circle scallop die. Martha Stewart border punch.

I often come across great ideas which I then forget about, so I’m hoping to keep a collection of these ideas in this organiser.
To make my file folder, firstly I painted all the edges in acrylic paint. When that was dry I added patterned paper. I use a dry permanent roller adhesive to adhere the paper. I’ve kept the inside of the folder free of embellishments to make inserting pages easier. The Hey Birdie paper has some great journalling blocks which are perfect for using with the small adhesive letters, and makes for a focal point on the front cover, and the organza ribbobs used on the book rings adds some softness to the cover.

For the longest time, I have admired Christine’s beautiful layouts and her gorgeous individual style of scrapping.  I largely scrap in a 12×12 format, but have often been tempted to make the switch to the smaller 81/2 x11″ size.  So with that in mind, who better to seek inspiration from, than the Master herself . I decided to challenge myself and create a layout inspired very much by Christine’s style……well I thought I’d try…..

The idea was to use the Jungle Bug paper collection and include three photos.  Here’s what I’ve created…

Messy yoghurt magnet by Nikki Antonello – Jungle Bug papers, Paper pad, Coloured rubons, Type Alpha rubons, Black and White rubons, White twine from KC packaging tag.

I chose three landscape photos and cropped them in close to Joshua’s face.  His expressions and the sheer delight in being covered with yoghurt was just priceless. 

 Christine made this layout, also using three 2×3″ landscape oriented photos. She says “I was inspired by the Jungle Bug range to finally scrap these photos from early last year of my son playing with slaters in our yard. I love to document my the funny little things my children say on my scrapbook pages”.

“Slater Boy” by Christine Rumley – Jungle Bug paper collection, Die-cut tag, Clear Stamps, Cream and Powder Blue Alpha stickers, Chipboard alphabet.

 So, next time you’re in  need of a little inspiration, why not simply play with a different  style or size of your layout.  As the saying goes…..”Change IS as good as a holiday”……hmmmmm!

Kaisercraft has just added two new gorgeous products to their ranges - specialty die-cut papers and packs of organza ribbon.  I love the soft, tactile feel that the organza ribbon adds to a project, and the scalloped die-cut papers look fantastic without having to spend lots of time cutting and punching! Last week Tanya used the Jungle Bug die-cut paper to create this gorgeous page, and today Nikki and I have both used the die-cut paper that co-ordinates with the Hey Birdie collection to create these layouts:

“Five and a Half” by Christine Rumley – Hey Birdie Paper Collection, Specialty Paper, Organza Ribbon Pack – Green, White Alpha Stickers and Chipboard Alphabet, Foam Adhesive Dots.

I cut the die-cut paper up and used only a portion of it on this page about my daughter. The circular element works really well to move the viewers eye around the page between the title, photo and journalling. I stretched the organza ribbon across the botton of my page and attached it with staples. I tied the knot in the ribbon on the right side of the page to add some interest and to help balance the page visually with the trees on the left side.

Nikki has used her die-cut paper and ribbon in a different way.

“I decided to use the diecut paper as a whole piece and adhere it to a contrasting background to create this layout of my daughter.  Here is my layout…….

enjoy by Nikki Antonello -  Hey Birdie Paper Collection, Paper Pad, Organza ribbon, Rhinestones, Alphabet stickers and Foam dots.

I used some of the gorgeous new Organza ribbon to create some cute little pink flowers to embellish my page with a pretty handmade touch.  These ribbons are perfect for making this particular flower as they are a perfect size and lovely and soft….making it easy to manipulate the ribbon.  Here’s a closer look…

And while it’s not Tuesday……again (lol) here’s a little tip on how to make these super easy flowers.

1. Cut a length of ribbon – approximately 15 – 20 cm in length.

2. Create a loose running stitch along the edge of the ribbon and once at the opposite end, pull to gather.

3. Join the ends together and there you have it!

The organza ribbons come in so many scrumptious colours, you’re sure to find one that matches your next project!