Photo Editing: Frame-ups and Special Effects - Day 3

Todays lesson was all about a technique you can use to create a cool hand-tinted special effect for photos you'd like to add a soft, antique feel to. It was about Adjustment layers and Blending Modes. I had never head of these before doing the course.

As well as adding an antique effect to photos the projects also built on the previous days lessons and included adding a frame and where appropriate some soft glowy stars with a brush.

Here's some of my photos before and after. The photos probably weren't the best for this lesson but I liked the effect anyway.

Photo Editing: Frame-ups and Special Effects - Day 2

Todays lesson was all about using brushes. The only brushes I've ever used have been to brush my hair with or occasionally the floor! LOL. My finished photo.



Nothing spectacular but the video tutorials are so easy to understand that I'm really chuffed that I managed this. I keep thinking of all sorts of possibilities and ways of using brushes on my photos in the future. I'm really enjoying the course and finding it surprisingly easy.

I then found some more brushes on the the net and had a play around and came up with these

Photo Editing: Frame-ups and Special Effects - Day 1

A few weeks ago I signed up for one of Jessica Sprague's online courses. Today her course entitled "Photo Editing: Frame-ups and Special Effects" began. The two week course promises to show how to use cool Photoshop techniques such as brushes, masks, frames, and special effects with layers and if the first lesson is anything to go by I'm going to enjoy it.

Todays lesson was all about adding PNG frames and word art to photos. Having been shown in the video tutorial how to do this, I can't believe how easy it is and I will certainly be doing this more in the future. This was my first effort using the free frames and word art supplied as part of the course. I know the colours probably aren't ideal for the colours of my photo but as a first attempt I'm happy with it.

And then I thought I would have a go with some of the digital frames I already had. I had downloaded some previously from various online stores but never really got to grips with them and on the odd occasion I had used them I had printed them onto a trasparency and used them as an overlay on my photos. So much easier to actually add them to the photo before printing.

Hello Blog

Sorry! I have neglected my blog lately. I can't believe three challenges have been posted on Mojo Holder since I last updated this blog.

On 19th June the team lifted a layout by Laura Price Fiore. Laura's layout was Christmas themed whilst mine used photos of Lara messing around with my old guitar. Here's Laura's layout, followed by mine.

On 26th June, Nancy van den Berg kindly let us use one of her layouts. My friend Lynn first showed me some of Nancy's layouts and ever since I have been a huge fan and have followed her blog for sometime. He layout was a gorgeous baby themed layout. Mine used photos once again of Lara, this time in the snow.

And finally, tonight the design team lifted a layout by Edleen Maryam. Edleen's layout was lovely but I really struggled to come up with a layout this week. I left it far too late in the week to create my layout but after going to the dentist on Monday and having to have a tooth out , I really didn't feel up to scrapping for a few days. Then the hot, hot, HOT weather we have had this week hasn't helped. With temperatures in the upper 20 degrees I think my Mojo became dehydrated, or maybe it decided to go somewhere cooler. Eventually I managed to put together a layout this morning. I'm not that pleased with it but perhaps it will grow on me.

Here's Edleen's layout, followed by mine.

I used some photos on my layout that we took at Westward Ho!, Devon last summer. We have got in the habit when we go out as a family of taking group photos with the cameras self timer. These photos were taken on the beach with the camera perched on an upturned bucket! The only problem with not looking through the viewfinder of the camera is that I can't always tell if everyone is, shall we say "behaving themselves", when the photo is taken! In these photo Christopher was pulling stupid faces and sticking his fingers in his ears, Steven was either sticking his tongue out or biting Lara's bum (!) and even Wayne joined in by lifting Lara upside down in one of the photos! Ho hum!

Don't forget to have a look at the Mojo Holder blog. As well as being able to see all the design teams layouts there are brilliant sketches on the site prepared by Sarah.

Another week has passed and so tonight is Mojo Holder Challenge night. Inspiration for Challenge #113 is a layout by the fabulous Frances Sylvia. Frances layout has a clean and fresh look and I love it!

On my layout I used photos I took last June of Steven in a tree at Wrest Park and papers from the Fancy Pants Daily Grind range and Primas My Mommy & Me range. The boys rarely pose for photographs but when they do, Steven in particular really shines. I loved the photos and have wanted to scrap them for sometime.

Here's Frances layout, followed by mine:

Lara, really seems to be developing her creative gene at the moment. She is always drawing, sticking or colouring. One day she asked if she could do some cross stitch. Apparently she had done some at school and wanted to do more. So I gave her a small piece of aida and some thread and away she went. She sat for most of the day sewing small neat rows of crosses. This week she found that scrap of aida and has added a few more crosses. I wanted to remember her first taste of sewing so put together this layout. My friend Dierdre kindly let me use her Autumn Leaves Freestyle stamps for the title which were perfect.

Last night's Mojo Holder challenge #112 was to use a layout by Danielle Flanders as inspiration. Danielle is a published scrapbooker and is on numerous design teams including Pink Paislee an Melissa Frances.

Danielle's layout used papers by Pink Paislee whilst I used mainly papers by My Little Shoebox.

Another weeks past and so tonight was Mojo Challenge night. Tonight we challenged vistors to the blog to scraplift a fab layout by Nicole Stark. Nicole is an American scrapper who has had layouts published in Cantata Books, Scrapbook Trends, Blue Media Designs, Leisure Arts, and Memory Makers Magazine. She currently does design work for Imaginisce, Dream Street Paper, and Sweet Pea Scraps kit club. Here's Nicole's layout, followed by mine. I used some photos from the summer of 2006 taken in Lynmouth, Devon and papers from BasicGrey's Granola range.

Last night Mojo Holder challenged visitors to scraplift a LO by May Marix Marte. I used a photo taken a few years ago at Colchester Zoo and some just as old BasicGrey papers. Here's May's LO followed by mine.

Seems ages since I up dated this blog. I'm afraid I've neglected it a it in favour of my 365 blog but I promise I'll try and be a better blogger in future.

On May 1st the Mojoholder challenge #107 was to scraplift a lovely LO by the author and scrap artist Sherry Steveson. I really, REALLY loved Sherry's LO and hope my lift of Lara on Christmas Day morning did it justice.

The following week on May 8th, Australian scrapbooker Chris Miller provided us with a LO to lift. Chris has been widely published in the Australian scrapbooking magazines and is a former member of the Chatterbox design team. Chris' LO was another multi photo LO and I used some photos taken at RHS Rosemore in Devon last summer.

Tonight, challenge #108 featured a LO by Lizzy Wurman. Lizzy lives in Chile and is on the Cottage Arts.net design team. I used a photo of Steven taken recently at Wrest Park on my LO.

I promised that I would post some more LO from my weekend away last month. This LO of Lara used papers fromTeressa Collins' Crush Collection. I created the photo collage using one fo the free collage templates from BHG Scrapbooks etc website ( I love that magazine!).

Weekend Scrapping

Got back yesterday from a great weekend away scrapping with a fantastic group of friends from UKScrappers - lynncooper, anita m, doogle007, JayC, Sophiesmum, linda f, Jillybeans, Gilly and me. This years 'Blossom Babes & Friends Get Together' was just as good as previous years and we spent the whole weekend laughing, larking-around, chatting, eating (lots of eating!!!), drinking and of course scrapping. In total the nine of us created 96 layouts.

The weather was gorgeous most of the time - sunny and bright, and I took loads of photos. Here are a few.

Oops just realised Jill isn't in any of those photos. I think she must have been taking the group shots and so isn't in them.

I'll show you my layouts when I get around to scanning them, but here's one for starters. Its based on a layout by Sarah Moore (sarahlm on 2ps). I had never made the round paper flowers before, despite seeing them on other people's layouts, but I was really pleased how they came out.

Last night challenge #106 was a scraplift of a layout by the talented Bernadette Henderson. Bernadette has just finished her term as a Fashionista at SIStv and is a talented stamper as well as a brilliant scrapbooker. Here are Bernadette and my layouts. My layout features photos of my son Steven - he was 11 last week.

Apologies to readers of my blog. I never seem to have much to blog about and this week is no exception. School Easter holidays are upon us and so with the children at home there hasn't been much time for crafting this week. I have put together a layout for Mojo Holder which will go live tomorrow evening. Last weeks challenge was to lift a layout by Rachelle MacIver. Here's Rachelle's layout and my version.





Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with this weeks Mojo Holder Challenge.

Last night Kimberley Garofolo Neddo kindly allowed the Mojo Holder DT to use her layout as inspiration. Kimberley is a much published scrapbooker and a member of the Sassafras design team. I struggled with my version of Kimberleys LO and am still not entirely happy with it. Here are the two LOs:

Last night the Mojo DT scraplifted a layout by Tammy Tutterow. Tammy is an American scrapper who has worked with some of the big names in scrapbooking - BasicGrey, Pink Paislee, Provo Craft, Sweetwater, Prima, and Glitz Designs. Her layout was absolutely gorgeous and incorporated 7 photos. Check out her blog it is truly inspiring. Here's Tammy's layout and mine.

Last weekend I went to my regular crop at Stamp Addicts. As well as the above layout I also created two more.

The first used some of the gorgeous My Little Shoebox papers. It involved lots of handcutting to create embelishments from some of the paper and I used photos taken last year of Lara helping to water the flowers in the garden. I used a collage template downloaded from the BHG Scrapbooks etc website to make a grid of photos.

The second layout was so simple. I took lots of photos of the house and garden when it snowed in February as part of the 365 A Photo a Day project and wanted to make a layout of them. I used some BasicGrey paper and placed a printed transparency on top. I used some really cool Prima Galaxy Stars to embelish plus some silver coloured ribbon, a few brads, a charm and a tag. So simple but I wanted to keep the focus on the photos. I used another collage template from BHG Scrapbooks etc on this layout too

Well I think that's all for now. Hopefully be back again next week.

Comic Relief - Red Nose Day

I'm watching the Comic Relief's Red Nose Day programmes whilst I make this post. LOL at Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and friends doing Mama Mia. To mark the occasion I decorated some cakes for us to munch while we watch and yummy they are too.

Tonight the Mojo Holder DT scraplifted Marla Kress. Marla is a fabulous photographer as well as an inspiring scrapbooker. Marla's LO was very bright and funky - mine was more subdued.

Another week gone by and nothing really to blog about! So, as usual I'll just show you the LO I did for Mojo Holder this week. For challenge #101 the DT took inspiration from a really fabulous layout by Jill Godon. I loved the LO we took inspiration from but really struggled to produce a LO I was happy with which surprised me because the style of Jill's LO is probably very similar to my own style - very clean and uncluttered and so I didn;t think scraplifting it would be a problem. Boy was I wrong! Not 100% pleased with it but perhaps it will grow on me.