It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year….

Sing along with me! Yes, the kids are going back to school and you can get back on your regular schedule. I remember those days! I always loved taking my daughter back to school shopping and I have never outgrown the love of all those cool new supplies. I love seeing the store aisles packed with crayons, binders, pencils, pens, notebooks and big economy size packs of paper!! Ahhh, it makes me want to go shopping!!

I love September! It is just far enough down the road from January and close enough to December to let you feel you have time yet to fulfill your New Year's Resolutions and up the road enough to let you think you will actually get your Christmas gift shopping done and all of those hand made crafts completed ahead of schedule this year!

One of the fun things about this computer age is the amount of gift giving, ordering and creating that we can do right here with our mouse in hand! I was looking through all of the Creatables here on the site last night and saw so many different uses for them. Some of them really lend themselves to creating storybooks and comic book type gifts for the young kids, calendars for family members, frames and borders for your favorite photos to present to parents and of course images to add to those scrapbook pages for yourself and your family. I have used them to create spiral bound signs for office staff that tell where they may be found when away from their desks, one page calendars and one year spiral bound calendars. Some of the photo realistic work makes great posters to present to co-workers.

As I write this I am packing my bag to attend CKU in Utah. I hope while I’m there to visit with a member or two of the pcCrafter gang! It is my fun time to regroup and recharge and enjoy being with other folks who love our hobby!

Last month I did some very simple pages using poetry with our Creatables. I heard from some of you that you are going to try choosing snippets of verse on your pages to illustrate your photos. Don’t worry about trying to use an entire poem or song if a few words strike a chord and say what you want to express. Use a few lines and create a special look by changing font and font size in the midst of the quote.

Let’s get started now and created some pages with our computer, imagination and our Creatables!

Project 1: Blue Ribbon Kid

My friend Suzy was so kind to lend me her son (well, at least photos of him) to use
in this month’s projects!

1. After creating a new custom sized 12 x 12 page, I added a shape and filled it
   with blue.
2. I used effects and adjusted the effects to the texture I desired in Digital Image Pro.
3. I chose the Blue Ribbon and the title from Fun at the Fair by Nan Edwards.
4. I added various words using a number of different fonts and then used the transparency effect to blend them into the page a bit.
5. I added the photo and framed it in Digital Image Pro (DIP).
6. I added shadows to each item to add depth.
   

Project 2: JEREMY!

A different approach with the same photo of our handsome friend Jeremy.

1. I created a landscape page this time and created two brown mats to which I added the cement effects texture using the effects in Digital Image Pro.
2. I added the bamboo strip to the top of the right hand mat and added an image from Slumber Party by Carolee Jones to peek over the top.
3. I added shadows to each of the images and the mats and added embossing to the title and to the image art. I chose subtle emboss in DIP.
4. I cut out the photo of Jeremy and pasted him back on top of the original and added a shadow.
   

Project 3: GRANDMOTHER

1. I created a new page in Digital Image Pro and added a shape which I filled with color.
2. I added various words on the page and then made them transparent.
3. I added the rose from Already in Spring by Carolee Jones and made the red ones almost transparent while changing the others to antique and then embossing them to add interest at the corners. I added shadows to each item.
4. I used the Dry paint effect to change the photo a bit and add LOVE to the glasses of Alison’s grammy.
5. I used the same background for the right side of the layout and added a poem.
   

Project 4: CUDDLY BUGS

1. I created a new page and added the denim plaid from the Backgrounds Creatable by Gina Jane Johnson. I changed the color in DIP by adjusting the hue and saturation options.
2. I added the photo and a mat.
3. I added the lettering, copied and pasted one on top of the other.
4. I used the cement effect and then the emboss effect to change the look of the lettering.
5. I added shadows to each item to add depth.
6. I added the little poem and the bugs from the Baby Buggies Creatable by Tammy DeYoung.
   





 

Project 5: CREATIVE LETTERING

1. Choose a text style that allows itself to be filled with color or photo. I added a gold fill.
2. I then copied the words, cut it and pasted it as the bottom layer and filled it with black.
3. I then used the effects and chose emboss.
4. To add more depth I used the chrome effect and then blended the gold on top using the transparent tool.
   

Project 6: WHAT IS IT?

1. I went out today to take a photo for you. Below are the various things I did with it.
2. Some of these versions of the flower will make great backgrounds for pages and others will make great cards, bookmarks, calendar pages, etc. Some will be nice to illustrate a poem or create craft project.
3. Choose one of these effects and use it in some way.

These are a few simple ways to create some fun and unique pages. The amount of effects you use can add even more character and more of your individual style.

Take some time to experiment and have fun with your text and with your photos. Look at a photo from a different perspective. Think of different things a photo could be.

And your assignment if you should you desire to accept it:

1. Resolve to enjoy life and bring enjoyment and happiness to others.
2. Determine not to sweat the small stuff.
3. Listen to your elders.
4. Be a responsible elder.
5. Decide each day to be happy!
6. Do something creative each day.
7. Hug someone!
8. Meet me back here next month!

* If you read last month's article please understand that any changes to poetry should be done with the permission of the author. I always agree to minor changes of gender if it doesn't change the meaning of the poem. But sometimes a minor change will disrupt the flow and feeling of a poem and some poets have reminded me that they do not agree to any changes in their work and all poets do require their name to be listed as author.

Hugs,
Thena