Photoshop - WOW!

I was really blown away by the "Introduction to Photoshop" session I attended at Scrapbookers Paradise on Friday. The large south location of SP has recently opened a new "Fusion" digital scrapbooking area for the public to use with 12 brand new computers all loaded with up to the minute software to create some amazing layouts! WOW!

So, this past weekend when SP held it's annual Camp Croppin' at the nearby Carriage House Inn, some of the sessions spilled over into the store (which by the way was open until 11:00pm...I love late night shopping!) and Alisha Shaw from Digital Scrapbook Memories came over to teach the introductory class. She was great & knowledgeable, and she really made everything I had been confused about in Photoshop a lot easier to understand. She walked us throught the confusing world of layers, and we made our first layout right then during the class. When I got home, I practiced some more, and I think I may be getting the hang of it! Here are the two layouts I made that night with Photoshop:

"High up in the Sky" by Noreen Smith. 12 x 12 digital layout. PSE6 software; The Garden kit by Digital Scrapbook Memories; Stereofidelic and Tahoma fonts.

"Fearless" by Noreen Smith. 12 x 12 digital layout. PSE6 software; Moody Blues free kit from Scrapgirls.com; Comic Sans ms font.

I think I will mainly use Creative Memories StoryBook Creator plus software for most of the digital layouts I do...as I mentioned before it just seems more intuitive to me. But I will continue to practice using Photoshop so I can help others with it if needed. It also does have some amazing capabilites that I would like to learn how to use.I guess it just reinforces that it's never too late to learn something new...take a risk, take a class, take a leap of faith! You can do it!

On another note...you may have noticed a change to the look of my blog. It's been changed to "match" the new Sharing Memories website I am working on! I am excited about the website and I hope to have it go online within the next month. Until then, I will (try to) keep my blog up to date and filled with some good stuff for you!

Happy Scrapping...

Noreen

New Layouts

Wow...two posts in one day! I must be trying to make up for not posting for over a month!


Anyway, I had some time tonight to finish off a few digital layouts I have been working on and so I thought I'd post them!

"All Mine", by Noreen Smith. 12 x 12 layout, CM StoryBook Creator Plus software and Everyday Kit

"Blue", by Noreen Smith. 12 x 12 layout, CM StoryBook Creator Plus Software; Shabby Princess Promise Kit

"N" by Noreen Smith. 12 x 12 layout, CM StoryBook Creator Plus Software and Shabby Cottage Kit

I'd love to hear what you think about these layouts, especially as I am still so new to digital. I am doing a lot of single page spreads in digital, whereas I do mostly 2 page spreads in my traditional scrapbooks. I will post a couple of traditional 2 page spreads from HALLOWEEN '07 in the next couple of days.

Happy Scrapping!

Noreen

Back in the saddle

Sorry for not posting for so long...I have continued to have health issues with this pregnancy that have taken a physical and mental toll on me. After lots of tests and Doctor's visits, my Doc finally has said enough is enough and has ordered me of work permanently until baby is born. This is a good thing (obviously it helps my health and that of baby) but a bit sad in that I am permanently leaving a school that I have really enjoyed working at for the past two and half years. But, since my deareast wish is to be a SAHM/WAHM after this second baby is born, I have to keep my focus looking ahead and not behind.

SO...in the time I have been off I have been researching more and more about how my passion and knowledge for scrapbooking can become a viable and fulfilling business. I have some great ideas gleaned from the web and from talking to trusted confidantes. I am going to continue my Creative Memories business, because I truly believe that they offer the best quality and variety of scrapbooking albums and products AND the best options for beginner digital scrapbookers (more on that later in this posting!) More so, I feel they are by far the best, most reliable and integrity driven direct sales scrapbooking out there (witness the demise of yet another direct sales company "Top Line Creations" just last week!).

What I am going to do is ADD to my business - I am working on building a scrapbooking website that hopefully will become one of your favorites! It will have lots of info on scrapbooking trends, styles, products, techniques and tips, and I hope to build a large gallery of layouts and sample projects to provide you lots of inspiration. I also want to offer more education opportunities (after all, that's what I do best!) in the form of online courses, as well as in-person classes. A colleague and I are working on securing a more permanent and regular home for our workshops/crops and hope to involve a wider variety of consultants and paper crafters. And, I will also be accepting commissioned albums - scrapbooking for those who don't want to do it themselves. I am really excited by and looking forward to these new aspects of my business.

So, as the old saying goes,"When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window" is very true...although my pregnancy complications have prematurely ended my traditional career in education for me, it has also presented me with opportunitites I never expected.

Now, on to some fun stuff...

I think I already mentioned how much I am loving digital? Well, recently I was inspired to use CM's StoryBook Creator Plus software to create some 4x6 photo cards. YES, CARDS! Imagine never being at the mercy of the big photo developers again in choosing from only a handful of designs that don't really "match" your photo for the holidays. Imagine only paying for a regular sized photo (maybe 0.12 to 0.18 cents?) instead of up to 0.99 cents per photo card! Imagine never again buying "store-bought" invitations for kids birthdays or showers etc. It was a bit mind boggling to say the least to think of how many ways I could use these little gems. SO, I whipped up 6 different ones to just give you an idea of what you can do. It literally took me about 5 minutes per card, and now I can send them off to any photo developer (like Wal-Mart or Costco) and have professional looking cards done quick, easy and CHEAP! I am planning on doing up some more of these for my upcoming retreat, Mother's Day and of course, as baby announcements!

Here they are:






And finally today, the teacher becomes the student. I am really looking forward to attending a session on learning how to use Photoshop Elements. A LSS Scrapbookers Paradise is offering classes and I figured I should know how to use this software so I can have more knowledge when comparing it to CM'S StoryBook Creator Plus. My session is this weekend, so I'll let you know how it goes next week.

Have a great day...Happy Scrapping!
Noreen

Down but not out!

I am once again out of commission...I can't believe it but I had a fall coming out of our garage the other day and have re-injured my ribs AND banged up my knee pretty good. Baby is OK thankfully, but once again I am in a fair amount of pain and can't do much of anything. So I have once again been indulging in reading scrapbooking books and mags while propped up on my couch! Here's a few tidbits I thought would share...

I had purchased Stacy Julian's (founding editor of Simple Scrapbooks) book The Big Picture and finally was able to read it! I love the way Stacy organizes her albums...something I really needed help with! I am a very chronological scrapbooker, and sometimes when I make a layout I wonder where it should go! Stacy has a really flexible system that I think I am going to adopt...adding more albums but having more flexibility as to what goes in them. She also encourages us to be creative, to not get bogged down by guilt (as in not being "Caught up") and to stay motivated and enjoying our fabulous hobby! Great read altogether and I can see me going back to it time and time again.

I also purchased Cathy Zielske's book Clean and Simple Scrapbooking which was also a bit of a revelation. While her style is much simpler than even mine is, I really like the way she approaches scrapbooking. With her background as a photographer and graphic designer, her pages are all about the photos and the story. Love it! Although I enjoy looking at highly decorated and embellished pages, the things that I really want to see on a page are clear, crisp photos and words that describe the moments behind them - the stories, the feelings, the memories. And Cathy does this beautifully! In the book she covers basic elements and principles of design (a subject close to my own heart!), gives photo tips that will improve anyones photography, and gives really clear examples of working with typography (text) on a computer so you can journal and scrap your layouts quickly and easily. I highly recommend it!

Next on my wish list:

Photo Freedom by Stacy Julian
Clean and Simple Scrapbooking: The Sequel by Cathy Zielske
Best of Becky Higgins' Sketches by Becky Higgins

And I can't forget Creative Memories own magazine Lasting Moments. It's a great publication that comes out 6 times and year and focuses exclusively on CM products. You can get all the news on the latest products (like the new 12x12 and 8x8 TRUE size products...YAY!!!) and see lots more ideas on how to use your favorites in fresh new ways...including digital tips. You can subscribe to Lasting Moments for only $29.97/year CAD on my website - click here to find out more...you'll be glad you did, because as a thank you for subscribing, CM will send you a bonus freebie with your first issue and I will be offering you 15% off your next CM order! You can't go wrong!

So, lots of ideas and inspiration all around! Watch my blog over the next few days for some new layouts and project ideas! And If you have read any great scrapbooking books and want to share your opinion or tips or tricks, I'd love to hear from you!

Happy scrapping!
Noreen

Survey Says...

I have posted a brief survey to attempt to find out what would be the best way to help my Creative Memories customers. I hope to find out what types of products and projects you like, how I can best assist you and what types of events to schedule to give you opportunities to work on and complete your albums. Once you answer the 7 questions at the very bottom of my blog, leave me a comment connected to this posting with your name/email or phone number in it. Everyone who takes the survey and leaves a comment will be entered into a draw for a gift of FREE Creative Memories product on March 15th!

I look forward to hearing from you! Thanks and good luck!

Noreen

Under a Buck!

I had a great weekend!

1) My ribs are still sore and achy, but not as painful as before!
2) We had Grayson's third b-day party in our (almost) complete basement!
3) I scrapbooked for the first time in our (almost) complete basement!
4) It was the Family Day holiday here in Alberta, so it was a quiet, relaxing day!


Grayson had a great time at his party. He wanted a Thomas the Tank Engine theme, and he got it...decorations, cake, games, hats and loot bags all with Thomas! We had a few of his friends over and they had a great time running around with lots of room to spread out in. They played a lot in his new playroom - where ALL his toys are now contained in one space (a parent's dream!!) Here are some party pics:

After the party, I had a great time finally spreading out all my scrapbooking stuff! My new table and cabinets have not been assembled and installed yet, so I just used the folding tables that we used for the kids party, but I was thrilled to be able to have all my supplies in one place and actually get some scrapping done! AND, I did a two page spread for UNDER A BUCK! Here it is:

Summer Vacation by Noreen Smith. 12 x 12 double layout. Scenic Route Paper, Creative Memories Paper, Circle punch and Vellum Stickers, Memory Makers Brads, McGill Mini File punch.

Can you believe it? Less than a loonie??? YES-SIR-REE! Last week my LSS (Scrapbookers Paradise) was having a 4 for $1.00 paper sale, so I went to town- I probably bought 50 sheets! And, they had a bunch of other great sales as well - I got chipboard letters, raised embellishments, die cut pages, and a couple of back issues of Digital Scrapbooking and Canadian Scrapbooker magazine all for $40.00! WOW! Michaels was having a 3 for $1.00 sale, but you can't beat .25 per page, can you?! Just shows you that you can be a frugal scrapbooker!

Anyway, when I sat down to get caught up on last summer's holdiay photos, I chose one of the new patterned papers I had purchased and found a few scraps of coordinating solid colored cardstock in my stash. I cut the patterned paper into strips (it was a paper by Scenic Route with a variety of patterns and the three strips of lettering) and positioned them to outline my photos. (PS...I got 9 photos on this layout!) For embellishments, I punched out three circles from the back side of the same piece of paper with my CM Circle punch and added three little brads (Memory Makers) that I already had. I punched a tag with my new McGill file punch (cute, eh?) added two vellum title stickers from CM and finshed off by journaling. So, I figured everything added up to about $1.00 (OK, maybe $1.10!) You can really stre-e-e-tch your supplies when you don't wallpaper the entire background, and using your tools to make custom embellishments from patterned paper really saves $ (and time trying to finding matching items.) I love it! And I especially love the picture in the bottom right hand corner of my Grayson standing in the back of our Jeep warming up after his watery adventures! That's the beauty of scrapbooking, eh? The pictures and stories help capture those moments you want to relive again and again!

Have a great week, and I'd love to hear your comments...

Noreen

Digital fun

So, I have been out of commission again for a week now - I cracked some ribs last week while having a coughing fit! The Doctor says this is not uncommon in pregnant women as the ribcage is already stretched. I don't know how I manage these things. And, to make matters worse, I had just gone back to work the week before! Sheesh!

Anyway, I still can't do too much physically, but I can sit at my computer propped up with lots of pillows, so I took advantage of this unexpected "found" time and really got into my digital scrapbooking. I learned to use Creative Memories new Storybook Creator + software and I just completed a couple of cute holiday layouts:

(Edited...sorry I had to temporarily remove these LO's as I have submmitted them for publication June 8-08.)

Learning the software was really easy and intuitive. I also have Adobe Photoshop Elements 6, but even though I have a little bit of Graphic Design background using Corel Draw, I will still need to take a tutorial on PSP6 and play around with it a little more. I didn't know if I would like digital scrapbooking, because I really love touching and working with paper and embellishments etc., but I think after doing just a couple of layouts, I think I might be hooked! I can see so many advantages of using digital:

• you can buy a kit once and use/re-use it forever
• it's very portable - if you use a laptop, you can digi-scrap anywhere
• there's no need to haul out lots of supplies (this is great because my basement studio STILL isn't done, although the carpet is being installed as we speak!) and no clean-up
• you can get a lot done in a short period of time, leave it, then come back to it
• you can get lots of cool effects with photos or embellishments
• it's lots of fun to share by emailing or by posting

I am also working on an 8x8 Storybook using the CM software, so I will post that when it is finished. I'd love to hear your comments on my layouts!

Have a great day,

Noreen

PS...I can't tell you how excited I was to see a comment posted on my blog by Wendy Smedley!!! I feel like I've just met a scrapbooking celebrity! Thanks Wendy...you made my day!