Birthday Gift Bag

It was Hubby's birthday and an ordinarily wrapped present simply won't do for Scrapper-Wifey. So I chose from my silly collection of stamps and went from this:
To this!

Now, wasn't that fun!

Photshop # 2: How to Crop an Image

Zabeth Tan Gochuico, one talented scrapper, wants to know how to crop pictures in Photoshop so that the image doesn't get distorted.

Ok, let's say you want to crop your picture into a regular 4x6 size. This is what you do.

1. Open your image first. Open a new file (File > New). A dialogue box will pop-up for you to indicate the details of your file. Enter as follows: WIDTH: 6 inches, HEIGHT: 4 and make sure that the resolution is at least 300 dpi, color mode RBG,8 bit.
2. Drage your image into the new file then press Edit>Transform>Scale. It is important that you press down the Shift key as you drag the corner bounding box inward to fit. (or outward if the image is smaller)

3. Once you're satified with your cropping, just press enter.

This is also the key when you do digital scrapping. When you add an element into your "page" sometimes you have to adjust it to a smaller or bigger size. Just remember to hold the shift key down so as not to have a distorted image.

I hope this helps, Zabeth!

T'is the Season for......Christmas Layouts

Don't want to start a panic but are you aware that there are only 32 days to go before Christmas???!!!! Eeeekkk! I haven't started any shopping. Don't even have a list. The decors aren't even up yet. (Bad Mama!)

Oh, but I did have time to make a couple of Xmas layouts for Lasting Impression. (Wink, wink)

This is my first time to use Cosmo Cricket papers and I must say, I found this line absolutely divine! Initially though, I found it intimidating because quite frankly, it just wasn't my style. Well, I'd like to think it came out nicely though.

Thanks, Mia Caniza and Ms. Marian King for lending me your Quickutz dies! They're to die for. Thanks to Ms. Vivian, too!

Dear Santa

Naughty or Nice

Materials Used: Cosmo Cricket Be Good Collection, Be Good Ornament Fashions, Die-cuts: Sizzix (Funky Brush alpha, bread tag), Quickutz Beauty Queen Alpha, chain link, ribbons, blings & gold glitter, Fancy Pants Stamps: From the Garden.

Pictures to Scrap

Last Sunday afternoon, I found my DS in the lanai blowing some bubbles. Btw, don't you welcome the change in the weather? Perfect for kites and bubbles!!! Of course, I quickly snapped some pictures for scrapping before DS gets soaking wet.

Oh, btw, DS here is still in his pj's because he's recuperating from a slight fever..."lagnat laki" only. And the green stuff you see in the background? Yep, those are Christmas decors waiting to be hung. I do the Xmas decors every year, sometimes overlapping it with the Halloween decor. Talk about kitschy style! This year though, I haven't brought myself to doing it. And it's almost December!!!!

Last week, my ever-efficient Yaya (bless her!) brought out from storage boxes & boxes of decor without being told. Hint, hint maybe? Hmmm, talk about subtle. he-hehhhehhe.. I should let them do it this year. Whaddya think?

I Got an Award!

OMG! I'm a superstar? I was tagged by Timi to receive this award. I really appreciate it, dear. Thanks a lot, Timi!

1st Photoshop Tip: Unsharp Mask

To blog or not to blog? While mulling over this question about 2 months back, one important consideration I had was to able to write down something that others may find useful. I didn't just want a showcase for my pictures and layouts or a medium to ventilate my mundane ideas. So I said to myself, why not write down photoshop tips!

Maybe like me, there are some there who find learning photoshop as difficult as learning a foreign language. I actually felt that way when I started in 2005. I was ready to throw in the towel, so to speak. Since I started, I've painstakingly taken notes from various tutorials, both sourced online or from books that I've plucked from a bookstore shelf and daringly released from its precious plastic packaging.

Disclaimer: Please take note that I am not an expert so please put down any raised eyebrows. I am here to share resources that I find useful. These resources shall be mentioned, if my memory does not fail me. You have the option to try out these suggestions, and if you have a better one, please share them with everyone. Let's make our photoshop life an easy walk in the park!

So without further ado, here it is! Ha-hahha... where is it you say? You'll have to catch a link somewhere down the road.

Do you know that there is a Philippine scrapbook e-zine that is absolutely fabulous? It's from Scrappin Mom's, a group of talented & totally dedicated people who looooove scrapbooking. I only have admiration for these people who have unselfishly poured their wonderful talents to help make the Philippine scrapbooking community grow. (catch their story here)

I occasionally write & contribute to the Scrapbytes E-zine and whaddya know? For this month it's a photoshop tip! If you find this tip useful, please write it down or bookmark it. Or else, you can drop by anytime & just check the archive section here. Let me know if you find it useful!

Photoshop Tip # 1 : Unsharp Mask

a. Scott Kelby (The Digital Photography Book, 2007)

For people: Amount: 150%, Radius: 1, Threshhold: 1
Cityscape: Urban photography & Travel: Amount: 65%, Radius: 3, Threshhold: 2
General Everyday Use: Amount: 85%, Radius: 1, Threshhold: 4

b. Bryan Peterson (Understanding Digital Photography, 2005)
Amount: 175%, Radius: 2, Threshhold: 4

c. Ken Rockwell (Ken Rockwell)
Amount: 10%, Radius: 30, Threshhold: 10

Scrapping Travel/Vacation Pics

Have you ever been frus-trated at how best to fit all your nice pic-tures taken during a vacation into just a single or maybe at the most, a double-page spread?

I've only dedicated a whole album to our Hongkong vacation in 2006. That seemed logical since we stayed for 4 days & 3 nights. Besides, we were in Disneyland!!! However, scrapping a whole album for an overnight stay somewhere is illogical to me. I'd end up with more number of pages than days spent in that place! Solution: multi-sized pictures using photoshop for a double-spread layout .

During the semestral break, our family hied off to Subic for some much needed R&R. We arrived there on a Saturday just after lunch. First impression: great weather, beautiful forests, fresh air, fantastic infrustructure, working traffic lights, but where was everyone? I remember it to be a bustling place about 10 years back when Mr. Gordon was still its head. Sadly, I thought it has transformed into a ghost town, with hardly any activity going around. Or maybe they were just all on their lunch breaks.

The highlight of our stay was a trip the next day to the famous Zoobic Adventures. The kids were really excited to see the animals, specially the tigers and crocodiles. Of course, I had to snap soooooo many pictures of everything. Of the gorgeous tigers who daintily picked on the raw chicken through our vehicle's caged windows. Of the regal goat named, Dony(?), who strutted around the petting zoo like he was (and he WAS!) the king of the place. Of the lithe and proud-looking Aetas who obliged us with an outstanding performance. And of course, of the magnificent crocodiles who greedily snapped up all the chicken morsels dangled to them in the air. Oh, and not to forget, pictures of my family enjoying a wonderful & unique experience.

I spent less than P65 to have these printed at 8x10 size. Of course, I chose only the best ones since it would certainly break the bank to include all the pictures. Besides, is there such a thing as a 3 or 4-page layout? I'll just cut up the pictures and lay them out across the page. Maybe tuck in hidden journalling somewhere. Hopefully, it fits.

Hmmm.... would it be tacky if I used animal prints as my patterned paper?

Play Tag

Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged & to read your blog!

I start blogging and I immediately get tagged!! Har-har... I'm quite new to this blogging thingy so how do I do this? Copying the rules was easy enough but I feel a little lazy to think. So as in any game, I'll try to do a short cut. (I hope this counts.) For the Scrapfest 4 held in October 2007, I made a themed mini-album for Scrappinmoms. Aptly titled "I Confess", I guess this will do. For now.

An acetate sheet was used for the cover. I just stamped the title and brushed acrylic paint on the backside.




We all have our idiosyncracies.

Well, here goes nothing.....
1. I am a creature of habit. I like going to the same restaurants & order the same food. My mornings will not be complete if I don't get to sit in the lanai and finish reading the newspaper from cover to cover. I find comfort in the familiar things. There is order & routine in my daily life.

2. I'm no pushover. I've never been afraid to speak my mind, as long as I believe that I'm right & within reason. Not that I resort to temperamental outbursts. It is a desire in me to correct any wrong or fix any imbalance I see in life. Ignoring everyday glitches may be the easy way out for some but NOT for me!

3. I'm a chocoholic! I'll never say no to chocolates.

4. I'm pusong mamon (softie). I am easily moved. Happy endings, sad endings, even soppy commercials make me cry. I'm not naive though. I just enjoy a good cry.... once in a while.



5. I don't do PINK. Give me fuchsia, hot pink, magenta, even old rose instead! Sweet, tweetums baby pink is just not ME.



6. No smoking. Please, not on my hair, not on my clothes, nor on my skin. Spare my lungs, my body. Please, not in my space.



7. I used to hate coffee! Although I'm still not a regular drinker, I certainly can enjoy it now.

Maybe this can cover the rest....

Can a tag end with me? Well, I guess if you read this and you fill like playing this game, go ahead.... Btw, I missed out the alphabet song. Maybe later.

Thanks, Timi!!!

A Sneak Peak

Last week, I got a text message from Vivian Uy of Lasting Impression for an invitation to attend the Grand Opening of her new store on November 17. Of course, scrapper's curiousity got the better of me so I replied, " I have to check it out right away." I got a frazzled answer, "But it's not yet ready! Everything's a mess!" "Oh well, you can't stop me from coming anyway..... (har-har)." Ready or not, here I come.

A few months back, I was totally nodding in agreement as I read Alby's Blog where she mentions someone aptly describing Vivan's store as a scrapper's Disneyland. Boy, oh boy! After visiting Lasting Impression's new place the other day, all I can say is "Baby, you ain't seen nothing yet!

Let me give you just a sneak peak of this awesome place. However, I issue a stern warning which I suggest that you take seriously:

Blogger is not in any way

responsible for any

untoward effect on your

health, sanity or wallet!!!

Enjoy!

This isn't even half of it!!! Honest! Hope to see you all on Saturday, November 17. Activities for the day will be announced soon!

I Got a Visitor Today

Sometimes, our dearly departed manifest themselves as insects, particularly in the form of butterflies or moths, to gently remind those left behind that they are still very much around. At least, that's what the oldies in our family believe.

It was a timely visit to me, specially since the day for remembering our dead relatives had just passed. At first, I thought it was a piece of scrap paper on my working table. But after looking closely & realizing what it actually was, I gingerly picked it up with the nearest piece of paper within reach. That just happened to be an unfinished layout waiting on my display ledge.

Hmmm, noting the flamboyant colors and markings on the moth, I'm thinking that it's got to be my Dad. The thought gave me a nice, warm feeling.

Hope I didn't freak anyone out.