Scrapping by Design

Winter is in full swing, at least in my corner of the globe. As any scrapbooker knows, winter (or any other season) means an opportunity for photographs and photographs mean an opportunity to do more scrapbooking.

However, winter photography has its challenges. Blue snow is one of them.   A family member sent me the picture above. It was taken on a bright, sunny day with brilliant blue skies and glittering white snow.  You can see from the picture that the result was problematic. The snow is very, very blue.

In the picture to the right, I have corrected the blue snow and made it much whiter. I did this using my favorite photo editing software, which is Adobe Photoshop CS. You could do the same with Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 . Undoubtedly you could do the same with various other software applications, but I am personally familiar only with the Adobe family.

There are various ways you could correct the snow with Phosohop. I used the Image Menu — Adjustments– Hue and Saturation.

However, in my view, prevention is preferable to correction after the fact.

In most cases, the occurrence of blue snow can be avoided by a camera adjustment before taking the picture. The problem is caused by the extreme contrast between snow and ski — a contrast that affects the camera’s white balance.  If your digital camera has a setting for Beach or Snow, then try that and see what a difference it makes. If there is no such setting, or if there is and it still doesn’t offer the color you want, then the solution is to adjust the white balance manually. Your camera undoubtedly has an adjustment that allows you to do this, and the camera’s manual will tell you how.

If you’re new to digital photography, you might want to check out Beginners Guide to Digital Photography.

If you have some experience with a digital camera already, and you’re ready to move to the next level, then you might like to visit Digital Photography: Beyond the Basics.

Happy Snapping!

Yesterday, I showed a video demonstrating how to make this 3D pop-up ball that you can make into a photo cube.

The second challenge is obtaining suitable photographs to attach to the photo cube. One way would be to cut shaped pieces out of your prints.  In my view, this would rarely work to your satisfaction since photos tend to be much larger than this small ball.

The better way, at least in my opinion, would be to resize and reshape your photos in an image editing program. I used Adobe Photoshop CS4, but the more affordable Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 would work in much the same way. Undoubtedly you could use many photo editing programs, but my instructions are specific to Adobe Photoshop CS. For others, you will need to figure out how to do the same things.

The first thing you do is either save the two shapes below in your own computer so you can open them in your image editing software program and use them as templates, OR scan your own two pieces into your computer and use them instead.

	To save these images, right click your mouse in the image. This brings up a menu with several options. Choose Save Image As, and save the file to your own computer.

When I made my first photo cube, I didn’t realize that that the top and bottom part of the ball are reversed shapes, so foolishly I printed out 12 pieces that were all the same shape. Talk about wasting glossy photo paper and ink!

Now that you have the two shapes, open them in your software application. I will say Photoshop CS from now on for the sake of simplicity. Make a copy of the two templates. Work with the copy and save the original.

1. The first step is to check and possibly change the resolution of the templates. If you are using my pictures, the resolution is 72 pixels per inch (or ppi), which is suitable to display on the web but not suitable for printing. If you scanned your pieces, the resolution will be different depending on how you have set your scanner. You need to decide what resolution you intend to use to print your photographs. A resolution of 350 pixels per inch is the minimum number I suggest, but even higher is better. I used 350 ppi.

Change the template resolution to 350 ppi (or whatever res you are planning to use). To do this in Photoshop, refer to the Image menu at the top of the screen, and go to Image Size. A window opens. In this window, be sure to put a check mark beside Scale Style, Constrain Proportions and Resample Image. When you have the three check marks, put 350 in the Resolution box and adjust the right side of that box to read Pixels Per Inch. Click Ok. The template is resized. Save it to be sure you don’t lose your work. To see it as it will appear when printed, to go the View menu and select Print Size.

2. Open the photo that you want to use. Chances are good that you will only want to use a small part of this photo, perhaps a face. In your ToolBox, select the Rectangular Marquee Tool. Draw a selection around the part of your photo you want to use. When that part is selected, copy the selection to your clipboard (Control-C). Then , go to the File menu and open a new file. It will open at the size and resolution of the image in your clipboard. Paste (Control-V) the selection in the new file.

3. You must now change the size and resolution to fit into the template. Using the same procedure that you used earlier, open the Image Size window and change the resolution to 350 ppi, or whatever you are using. In the part that says document size, change the width and height to approximately the same size as the template. The template is 2.4 inches by 2 inches. Your photo can be a little larger than the template, but it should not be smaller. Click OK. Change the view to Print Size as you did before.

3. Copy Selection to Clipboard. With this new file active, go to the Select menu and choose Select All. Then, copy (Control-C) this to your clipboard.

4. Paste the Selection into the Pink Template. Activate the Template by clicking on it. Using the ToolBox, select the magic wand tool. Click it in the pink part of the template. This will select the pink part but not the white. With the pink selected, go to the Edit menu and choose Paste Into. Voila! Your picture appears INSIDE the pink selection. It may be off kilter, however. To rearrange it, select the tool that you use for moving things. I don’t know the name of it but it appears directly beside the Marquee tool. It has a small triangle with an X underneath it. Move the image around inside the shape until it is positioned to your satisfaction.

If you are dissatisfied with your image, you may need to repeat the steps using a different selection from your picture.

5. Save your Image for Printing. When satisfied, refer to the file menu and save your file as a JPEG or jpg.

6. Repeat this procedure another five times with five different pictures. To remove the previous photo from the pink template, I refer to the History window. I delete the history from the entry that says Paste Into. This gives me the original template with its pink middle, ready go work again.

7. Repeat the same procedure with the reverse template, creating six files for printing.

Color Tip: Should you want to print your pictures in black and white instead of in color, you simply go to Image->Mode-Grayscale. Alternatively, your printer may have a function that allows you to print color images in black and white. Use whichever is simpler for you.

Printing Tip: If you have Ms Office on your computer, you should have a software application called MS Publisher. I open a blank page in MS Publisher, then insert my 12 pictures for printing. You can move them around on the page to be sure you aren’t wasting expensive glossy photo paper. Print when you have your pictures arranged on the Publisher page.

And this is how I modified and printed my digital photos for the photo cube.

Anyone wanting some beautiful images for St. Patrick’s Day art work, you’ll do well to check out The Original Printables Holiday Countdown, published by artist Lisa Vollrath.

Lisa has some terms and conditions, but those terms are more than reasonable. She asks only that you post a link in your blog or on a forum or email group in exchange for downloading the graphics. Also, the graphics are for personal use only, and cannot be used on a project you intend to sell.

I intend to edit these images using Photoshop CS or Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 and use them in one or two St. Patrick’s Day projects. No doubt I’ll post pictures and possibly a video of what I make.

This is the title page of the Flower Power Scrapbook Album that I wrote about yesterday.

I attempted to make the layout resemble a window box with flowers.

The flower photos were edited in Adobe Photoshop . I used pictures of miscellaneous flower beds and shaped them into flower shapes using the software.

The background wall is scrapbook paper, with a window opening cut from it. The “curtains” are made from the soft  paper (forget the name) that tears into lovely shapes or bunches out to resemble fabric.

The window box is shaped from paper with a cork texture and held into place with large eyelets.  The layer of “foliage” along the top of the window box is made from green scrapbook paper that I crumpled and then ironed.

The title, Flower Power is simply gold stickers.

Like I say, this layout was made close to ten years ago and represents my earlier attempts at scrapbooking.  I rather like it, nevertheless.

Scrapbookers and paper crafters are often surprised to know that they can make their own stickers using a digital image, a software application such as MS Word or MS Publisher, and pre-purchased labels such as the popular Avery brand.

I made these stickers in MS Word using a photograph of a “dragon” greeting card that I made with embossing paste, glitter and a brass template.

I find it easier to lay out these stickers in MS Publisher, but I am providing the instructions for MS Word because more people use it then Publisher.

I used MS Word 2002. Other versions may have slight differences so you may need to experiment a bit.

1. Open MS Word and go to the menu item Tools>Letters and Mailings>Envelopes and Letters>Labels

2. Once you have clicked on Labels, select options to determine the size label you want to use.  If you are using an Avery label, you will of course base this on the size of that label.

3. Select New Document. A window opens with a label template.

4. Using your photo editing software, resize an image to the size of the labels that you have decided to use. Save it to your disk.

5. Click inside one of the label templates, then go to the menu item Insert>Picture>from File

6. Navigate to the picture you want, select it and click Okay. Your picture appears in the label box.

7. Right click on the picture to active a menu. Select Format Picture. chose Layout and select Tight.  Small handles now appear around the picture. This makes it easy for you to position it in the label box as desired, and also to stretch or shrink it somewhat if it is not the exact size of the layout box.

8. Click on your picture. Is you are using a Windows computer, use the keyboard command of Control-C to copy the image to the clipboard, then paste it (Control-V) into each remaining box. Mac users use Command-C to copy and Command-V to paste.

9. Print your labels.

If you have a Xyron crafting machine, you can print your labels onto card stock or any other paper then run them through the Xyron rather than using Avery or other labels.

If you are choosing to use Avery labels, their web site contains free downloadable templates that work in MS Word, Publisher, and in various other programs.

Imagine the possibilities here.

With this technique, you could make your own Christmas stickers for your envelopes or wrapped packages,  make stickers for use in your paper crafting projects, make small images of your favorite scrapbook layouts or greeting cards and convert them into mailing labels, or almost anything else that comes to mind.

Following along with more photo editing tips for scrapbookers (or for anyone else, for that matter), how about some digital dentistry to make your radiant smile even more radiant?    Even if your teeth are beautifully white in real life, they can appear yellowish in a photograph, especially if you were photographed in incandescent light.

It’s a simple matter to remove the yellow tones using your photo editing software. I expect any good graphics program could accomplish this task. The following instructions apply to Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Photoshop Elements 6

Here the the step by step instructions:

1. Open your photograph in your image editing software.

2. If necessary, zoom in to get a better view of the teeth.

3. Refer to your Tool Kit (or is it Tool Box?) and activate the Polygonal Lasso Tool.

4. Using this tool, select the teeth or any part of the teeth that you want to color correct.

5. While the teeth are selected, to to the Image Menu and choose Adjustments>Hue Saturation. An edit box appears.

6. In this edit box, select “Yellow.” Drag the saturation marker to the left to desaturate the selected area. Desaturate as much as appears beneficial.

7 Drag the lightness marker to the right to lighten the selected area (ie teeth).  Lighten as much as is beneficial to the picture.

8.  Click Okay to save.

Remember that the change is a subtle one. You want to avoid creating a look that screams “digitally altered.”

You can use this technique to remove an unwanted color cast from any part of a picture — or from the entire picture.

Digital photo manipulation is a valuable skill to scrapbook enthusiasts. This particular tip represents the most painless dentistry you will ever have.

Okay, so we all know that the camera adds five pounds, right? Therefore, its not really “cheating” to use photo editing software to remove the five pounds that really aren’t there in the first, place, right?

At least, that’s the way I see it.

The top picture is a “duck” taken at Vancouver’s Annual Sea Festival. We can all agree that the duck could stand to lose a few from his belly. in the bottom picture, I have taken several pounds off the duck’s belly. He now has a definitely slimmer look.

Sure, he could stand to lose more than that, but we have to keep this believable. I mean, let’s face it. If I knock thirty pounds off my hips, people are going to know its a fake. If I restrain myself and just remove a few, it’ll pass inspection.

So if you also would like to remove the five that the camera added, this is how to do it in Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Photoshop Elements 6

1. Open your photo in your software editing program.

2. Create a duplicate layer.

3. Working on the copy layer, activate the Polygonal Lasso Tool and select the area that you want to shrink. Be sure that the selection is closed completely.

4. Go to Edit>Transform>Distort. This puts a “box” with draggable handles around the selected area. With your mouse, select one of the corner handles and drag the selection to “shrink” the area you want to be smaller. When you are at the size you want, hit the Enter key.

5. Using the clone stamp, color in the areas where the larger image used to be. Voila!  You are suddenly sleek and trim.

If only it were this easy in real life.  Photo editing software is so much faster than Jenny Craig.