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Community > Articles & Projects > Thena's Article
Thena's Article
Thena Smith
Thena Smith

Time MARCHes On

March is special in our family because of not only St. Paddy’s Day but it is my hubby’s birthday! He has already gotten his birthday present (at Christmas). It was a much needed replacement for his camera.

Hubby has always been the best photographer in the family while I have probably been the most prolific! I am the one who took photos whether with a vintage Brownie or a Digital SLR. It did not matter to me; I just loved to take photos. When I was a teen with my first camera, it took forever to get them back from the drugstore and then I began mailing them off for developing. I was so happy when they began the next day processing and then I was thrilled when they began the one-hour photo developing sections in various drugstores, department stores, etc. I would rush back in 59 minutes to check on my photos!

That is the way it was with my love of all things digital! I remember when I first heard about pcCrafter and I still have those very first CD’s and downloadables. I could hardly wait from month to month until the next ones came out. It is still that way on the message board here. The ladies wait up until the new Creatables are posted and then chat about how they will use them. You will have to drop in on “Sketti” night. Now, don’t tell them that I told you the secret password, but that is the clue that they are waiting for the midnight posting of the product!

Let’s have some fun! We will do another quick art project or two using simple shapes and share some projects with art from our fabulous and talented (fabulously talented) pcCrafter artists. Ready?

Project 1: March Comes in Like a Lion

And we are ready this year because we are going to draw our own little lion using simple shapes and a Digital Image Pro.

  1. Add the circle shape for the lion’s face.
  2. Add the trapezoid for his body. Use the distort tool a little for shape.
  3. Add a circle shape behind the body and elongate it a bit.
  4. Add distorted circle shape from DIP for Mane and pomp for tail.
  5. Add oblong shape for ears and use distortion on them.
  6. Draw simple features for face.
  7. Draw a rectangular shape and distort it for the tail.
  8. Feet and toes are the circle shape. Use triangle for nails.
*If you have any of the Adobe Programs you can get a plug in from Alienskin that can add a fur effect to your lion.
Project 4
click image for larger preview
Project 2: Bubble Gum Fun

Thank you Cheri for the wonderful photo!

  1. Follow the examples on the illustration page and use the shapes to create the gumball machine.
  2. After you combine the shapes, use the gradient fill and dodge/burn effects to add shape.
  3. Use the bevel effect for the look used on the template page.
Project 4
Project 2a: Layout
  1. Use the gumballs you created for previous project to make a stamp. Stamp them over the page. *In Adobe software, create a pattern and fill the page with gumballs.
  2. Use newly created paper as background. Add solid color as mat and bevel the gumballs to add texture to the mat.
  3. Add your photo on mat and add gumball machine on top.
  4. Add PC Balloon Font and use bevel effect (downloaded from Medhi from internet.)
Project 3

Project 3: Fun with Backgrounds Debbie Mumm’s No Sweat

Sometimes we love a pattern or color but feel that the particular photo or subject we have in mind might be over powered by the brightness. There are a variety of ways to soften our favorites and use them with those photos.

  1. Chose a brightly colored background paper such as the plaid from Debbie Mumm's No Sweat and soften it with an effect and punch it up with a texture.
  2. I used an effect from Digital Image Pro (DIP).
  3. I added a poem from Board Smartz by Thena Smith. (This page could be used in a classroom to teach about lions or about self-defense.)
  4. You can also choose a background that is a bit too large for your photo and use the distort tool in DIP to make it into a repeating smaller pattern.
Project 3
click image for larger preview
Project 4: Look Around You
  1. I used the background from Debbie Mumm's No Sweat and changed the hue/saturation to make it blend with the greenery in photo.
  2. I added photos and used the distort tool and shadows to give the photos a bit of oomph.
  3. For the long photo I used the drop shadow and erased it all except at the corners where I wanted it to pull away from the paper background.
Project 4

Project 5: Best Friends

Tina Ledbetter has an adorable Creatable, Hug a Friend.

  1. Create new page at 300 dpi.
  2. Add photo and frame with color.
  3. Add imageart and use bevel, then add shadow in DIP.
Project 5
Well, there you have it! Some things for you to create on your own and some fun ways to use what our talented artists have readied for you! Have fun and meet me back here next month.

As usual, here are your assignments if you should decide to accept them:

  1. Decide to enjoy each day and try your best to make the day enjoyable for those you love.
  2. Be a bit kinder than you have to be.
  3. Don’t listen to negative people.
  4. Be a positive person.
  5. Hug someone!
  6. Meet me back here next month!

Hugs,
Thena
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