photoshop

How to Digital Scrapbook with a Template in Photoshop

July 5, 2018 by Ramona Leave a Comment

THIS TUTORIAL IS FOR DIGITAL SCRAPPERS, CRAFTERS, AND ANYONE INTERESTED IN USING A DIGITAL TEMPLATE TO CREATE A DIGITAL SCRAPBOOK LAYOUT! GRAB A FREE MINI KIT FROM THE LIBRAR AND THE TEMPLATE TO TRY THE TECHNIQUE FOR YOURSELF.

Scrapping with a template is a great way to save time and get a layout started. When I first switched from paper to digital scrapping, I saw templates everywhere and I couldn’t imagine how someone used one. I was a paper scrapper and had been for years. This meant that I was a pro at cutting shapes and frames and finding stickers to make my pages. It was a little hard for me to wrap my head around what it meant to “clip” a paper to a shape. It seemed too easy! But gradually, as I learned to scrapbook on my computer and find how easy it really was to clip and move and shadow these shapes, I fell in love with templates! I also love making them!

Let’s get started.

If you are using Adobe Photoshop to scrapbook, this tutorial is perfect for you. It can also be used similarly with other programs, but the clipping may look a little different. You can google the steps for your program to see how to use a clipping mask.

Here is the template I’m using today. It is available as a free download in my Resource Library.

Open the template in Photoshop. You’ll find in the download there is a PSD file (this is a native Adobe product and can only be used in Photoshop programs), a TIFF file which will work in most programs that allow layered files and PNG which is an image for each layer. They are in order and you can start with the biggest piece and build each one, adding one at a time. This is for programs like Canva that don’t open a layered file.

I like to start at the bottom and using the Place Feature I place a paper from a digital kit. It can be plain or patterned and this one will fill the whole space so there is no need to clip or merge or shadow. It just sits over the background layer of the template.

Now we’ll move on to the next layer. In this case, it is a scatter. You can either replace it with a scatter from the kit you’re working with or paints work really well too. It is completely up to you! I’m going to use paints for mine:

Next, we move to the next layer which is a large rectangle shape at the bottom of the cluster. I use the place feature to pull in this plain paper and then right click on it in the layer palette and choose the option to “Create Clipping Mask”.

I continue to pull different papers (some plain and some patterned) on to each layer and clip it. I do this all the way up until I come to the layer with the leaf. And you’ll notice that they all have shadows. I just use the drop shadow that came with the template and I don’t have to take the time to shadow anything:

For the layers that have leaves and/or flowers, I simply replace them with leaves/flowers from the kit. AND here is my digital hack for getting the same shadow on them as is on the papers (to save me time!). I hold down the Alt/Option key and drag the little fx from the last paper layer up to the new leaf layer. This copies the layer style from below on to this new layer! So quick and easy!

To complete, I continue using these techniques to add the rest of the papers/elements/photo. I also usually add a few of my own extra favorites from the kit I’m working with and here is my final layout:

Ready to try it yourself?

Fill out the form below, if you are new here, to get access to my Free Resource Library. Find a template and a mini kit and scrap a photo!

If you like this tutorial, you might also like this one, The Three R’s of Templates:

WANT TO REMEMBER THIS PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL? SAVE THIS PIN TO YOUR FAVORITE DIGITAL SCRAPBOOK OR CRAFT BOARD!

Using the Place Feature in Photoshop

July 1, 2018 by Ramona 1 Comment

I was scrapping with photoshop for several years before I found this great little feature! I love it and know you will too (if you aren’t already using it!) It’s a great way to pull in papers and elements on to your current working document. It also works the same in Photoshop Elements. Let’s face it, any tip to make the process go quicker or lessen the steps, is great!

I even have a cute mini kit for you to use as you try out this technique. This kit is all about cleaning (which is totally not my favorite thing!) But read on to the end to see how you can snag this to use! You’ll find it, along with lots of other great scrap tools in my Free Resource Library.

Once you have the mini downloaded, and unzipped, Click on File>>Open and navigate to the mini, it will look something like this:

Choose a background paper. Open it in photoshop. To open the next thing we’d like to add, simply go to File>>Place:

Navigate to the folder you want to choose from, perhaps the element folder and choose an item:

As you can see, it places the item you chose in the center of your page. You are then able to reject it if it isn’t what you wanted, or click the check mark to accept it.

Now you are able to move this around and put it wherever you like. Let’s add a few items at once and move them into place:

If you reach this point and realize that you’d like an item under the others, you simply look to your layer palette and rearrange your layers:

And rearrange the item in the order you’d like it. Now you can move them into place.

This also works with bringing in photos and anything else you’d like to bring in. It’s a quick and easy way to add in your elements. If you are using a new version of Photoshop, it will be called “Place Linked” that I use. What this means is that if you pull in a photo and then later open that same photo and make edits, it will automatically change it out. If your layout is merged and saved, it won’t, but if you have it saved as a layer and edit anything on the layout, it keeps it linked and will automatically switch it! Here is my completed layout:

If you would like to scrap a layout using this mini kit or any other mini in my Free Resource Library, you can do so by filling out the form below! With access to my Free Resource Library also comes a weekly newsletter with updates!

If you love to digital scrapbook and are looking for some inspiration to get you motivated, join my 30 Day Email Course:

In this course, I help you outline, plan, gather and scrap a family scrapbook to be enjoyed for many years to come! The course is Free and you’ll get the first email, with the first set of instructions the day after you sign up! If you have an album you’ve been wanting to scrap but not sure where to begin, this course is for you! Click to sign up today!

WANT TO REMEMBER THIS? SAVE THE USING THE PLACE FEATURE IN PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL TO YOUR FAVORITE DIY PINTEREST BOARD!

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Common Shortcuts for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements

March 15, 2018 by Ramona Leave a Comment

I love using shortcuts when I’m scrapbooking!

They shave off seconds here and there and make everything go smoother! In today’s lesson, I share some common ones that are used often and are the same in both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Whether it is moving elements around or moving your workspace to better see part of it, these shortcuts will be used over and over again!

Here is the video where I walk through the shortcuts and show them in action:

Here is the list of shortcuts:

h: hand tool
v: move tool
t: text tool
l: lasso tool
m: marquee tool
e: eraser tool
u: custom shape tool
c: crop tool
cmd/ctrl a: select all
cmd/ctrl c: copy
cmd/ctrl v: paste

Now its your turn to practice and give them a try! Grab today’s free mini or a different one from the Resource Library!

Here is today’s mini:

Remember, if you’ve been here before, just click on the library button and enter the password! If you are brand new, quickly fill out the form below and follow the instructions to access lots of freebies!

If you love to digital scrapbook and are looking for some inspiration to get you motivated, join my 30 Day Email Course:

And if you want to save this for later or share with a friend, feel free to pin the image below to Pinterest!

How to Blend a Background Photo

February 8, 2018 by Ramona 6 Comments

Blending a photo into the background of your layout is a great way to tell your story and add interest to your page! It can be subtle and doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I often prefer landscape photos for this although I have seen stunning blended backgrounds out of people photos as well! Experiment and try different things! I even have a free mini for you to try it out with!

Whether you are digital scrapping in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements or really any program, this is an easy technique. It mostly involves the opacity slider and a big fuzzy brush! I explain more in the video, but before we get started: