Showing posts with label Photoshop brushes. Show all posts

My Best Tips for Setting Up PSE For Scrapbooking

 


Hello everyone!  Does anyone else get a little excited when Adobe release a new version of Photoshop Elements is released?  I've had mine sitting on my scrapping desk since last November.  It took me awhile after the holidays ended to get it installed on my laptop.   

I've been wanting to show everyone how I optimize the Photoshop Elements Photo Editor (i.e. the workspace) for digital scrapbooking.  It takes about 15 minutes or so to get things set up, and then PSE can really go to work for you.  I made a video showing the process, because writing it all out and telling you is not the same as showing you.  Here's the video for you to watch if you wish: 



As outlined in the video,  actions, layer styles, and brushes will add greatly increase your power to create artsy and more realistic pages.  It's so much fun to create a page with realistic drop shadows, artistic photo effects, and layer styles that can transform your page embellishments.  Below are lists of my favorite actions, layer styles, websites that offer free brushes.  Try them out and enjoy!


Favorite Photoshop Actions
Check out the CoffeeShop Blog for a whole 
slew of actions: http://www.thecoffeeshopblog.com/p/images-of-all-of-actions.html
 Lilypad Store Actions
WendyZine Actions   (her actions are great for so many things that are hard to do in PSE)
Paint the Moon Actions




Favorite Paid Layer Styles
Mommyish Layer Styles
Layer Styles by Meagan's Creations at the Digital Press
NBK Designs Layer Styles 
Scrapgirls Store Styles  


Photoshop Brushes
Check any of the above listed digital scrapbooking shops, or your favorite digital scrapbooking supplies store



Alright guys...get your PSE editor set up, download some actions, layer styles, and brushes and get to it!




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Using the iPad Pro + Apple Pencil as a Pen Tablet for Digital Scrapbookers











My husband recently gifted me with a new 9.7 in. iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil to go with it.  At first, I wasn't sure what the heck I'd do with the pencil...I didn't know if I'd do more with it than use it to click around with as I navigated between apps on my iPad.

One night, he and I were talking about my old Wacom Bamboo Tablet, and I was wondering if I could still find drivers for it, since it's getting to be an older device now.  We started talking about the idea of me using my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil as a pen tablet...I just needed an app to enable that functionality.

He had used an app called Duet at work, and thought it would be a good one for me to try, so I gave it a go.  It worked pretty well, as you can see from the the video demo I linked for you above.  I'm also kind of intrigued by Astropad, which I'm trying to decide if I want to buy or not, so that may be an option for some of you if you choose not go with Duet.

It took me a little longer this time to get this video ready, because I had a bit of trouble with the Apple Pencil, as it was giving me serious writer's cramp.  I also wasn't sure which angle to set my iPad at to be used most comfortably.

In the end, I decided to lay the iPad down flat, and used a couple of accessories with the iPad to help make the experience more comfortable, and now using it is a snap.  Granted, this set up only works with Apple Devices as far as I know, but if you have these goodies on hand anyway, you are all set and have a pen tablet at the ready the next time you want to scrap with one!



Let me know what you think of the video, and if you think you'll try using your iPad Pro as a pen tablet...I'd love to get your input on how the experience went for you.

Aside from my MacBook, iPad and Apple Pencil, here is a list of the supplies I used in my video:

Mudder Tablet Drawing Artist Glove

Ztylus Apple Pencil Case

Summer Mini Template:  unfortunately, it's discontinued.  But, here is a link to Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's stencil page on Scrapbooking.com  There are a few face stencils on this page your could easily use instead: Julie's templates at Scrapbook.com

Procreate App

Beep Beep Digital kit by Jen Allyson: Discontinued.  Here is another very similar Digital kit on the same theme by Kim Jensen at the Lilypad: City Streets Elements kit  
and City Streets Papers

I think that is everything --- so if any of you have questions, comments or constructive feedback, feel free to holler!  I know I've probably forgotten some things I wanted to include in the video, so ask away if you have further questions.

Thanks for stopping by today!

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Using Photoshop Brushes on a Layout


You guys wanna see how easy and fun it is to use brushes on a digital scrapbook page?  If so, then I have a helpful video for you on how to do just that.  It's a follow up of my previous one, where I demonstrated how to either load or install brushes.

To create this page, I used Mye De Leon's Fleeting kit, which is so fun and pretty:


http://www.snapclicksupply.com/fleeting-complete-kit


I also used this add on brush kit of hers to demo using brushes to create part of a title:


http://www.snapclicksupply.com/fleeting-stamps

And, last but not least, I also incorporated some of these fun tapes from this coordinating add on kit:


http://www.snapclicksupply.com/fleeting-washi-tapes/

All three of these great kits can be found at the Snap Click Supply Online Store, if you are interested in picking up these kits or any others. 

Here's the video, if you like it and wouldn't mind, then give it a thumbs up on YouTube and subscribe to my channel.  I would love to have you as followers: 





Also, as a thank you for watching my video and visiting my blog, I have a free template download for you.  I recreated the bones of my layout into templates --- there's one in 8.5 x 11 and another in the 12 x 12 size. 




 Grab the Free Templates Download Here.

Link for the font I used: Always in My Heart

Thanks again, for taking time to be here.  Have a wonderful day!!

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Video: Loading vs. Installing Brushes



Here's a video on my thoughts about installing and loading brushes, as well as the advantages to each method.

I hope you guys enjoy watching this --- I think Photoshop Brushes don't get all the love they deserve.  You can do so many cool things with them, and you are limited only by your imagination!  Here are some of my favorite ways to use brushes in PSE:

 Painty splats made with brushes can be awesome and unique ways to ground a photo, and it's nice variety from using standard photo mats.




Another fun use is to to ink or paint up the edges of a patterned or solid paper, like I did here with the aqua cardstock: 


Brushes can also add fun texture to a page that needs that little extra "something to make a page feel finished.  On this "Speed Racer" page,  I used a brush that looks like tire tread marks to reinforce the theme of the page.




In a few more days, I will have a video that will talk you through the process of creating a new layout using brushes, and it will show you how fun and easy they are to work with.

Let me know what you think of the video and/or this post.

I appreciate you stopping by and have a great day!
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