February '09 Freestyle Challenge

[Toiny]

Getting a bright & early start here... this month I want to see some style in those LO's! Get a little more intimate with your software, push some extra buttons & add a little pizazz all your own. There's a little freebie on my blog to help you get started. It includes a "blank" frame that you can stylize with either your software presets, or purchased styles, and a set of two .asl files to help with engraving.

Take a look at the PB to see what I mean... I used my BeMine engraving style (free on my blog) to "write" on the candied hearts:

Btw, there is a blank heart in the PB... in case y'all aren't jumping for joy at my choice of words LOL. I also used "puffy sticker" styles to fluff up my piggies, it was a little more complicated and not quite as straightforward, but styles help me tremendously daily. I encourage all of you to explore your styles palettes this month and show me what you've got!

Btw, there is a little "help" file included with my blog freebie. Unfortunately, it is photoshop specific and my apologies to my faithful psp particpants. Click on my blog or the preview below to find the freebie:

[allwright1]

Your pb this month is too adorable! Love the flying piggy! :eek:Just turning on my pse6 for me is getting adventureous! I'll have to try really hard this month to complete your challenge... cross your fingers!

[Toiny]

Yay Karin! I'm glad you are going to give it a shot... let me poke around a little this week & see what I can come up with for PSE, to make it easier to use styles.

I can't wait to see what comes out of this challenge.

[kimberkatt]

Hey Karin, if you need help w/ PSE let me know! I use PSE5 and the .asl files work perfectly!

Big thanks to Toiny for the freebies!! I love playing around w/ styles!

[ConnieS]

Hi,
I am back. I started my first challenge because of you, Piggy! I made it thru, so I came back for more.
Ok, I put the asl from you and the abr file from Scrapping Cop in my PSE7 folder. I am not sure I understand what to do for the challenge, but once I see others put pic's up, maybe that will help me. I know how to just plain write on top of stuff, but I don't think thats what you want.
Looking forward to seeing what everyone does.
I think I know how to take the plain frame and put a paper into it, is that part of the challenge? I will go and play for a bit.
Thanks. I am learning as I go.
ConnieS

[ConnieS]

hi,
oh, i got it!! i thinks. the frame, i papered it with last months paper and then i tried to find your style, but couldn't. but i have been clicking on the little buttons? on that darn screen and nothing ever happened. then silly me, i clicked apply, you know its tiny and down in the corner! I made a scalloped frame all by myself!! wow, I wondered how ya all did that. oh neat...
i am tickled pink!! thats what those buttons (effects) are for! wow...
Thanks Piggy, again! I just learned something!!
I did put those two files in there but they are not coming up.
connie

[tallgirl]

I'm not sure if I did what I was supposed to do, but I used the frame and your
style for engraving.
Here's my LO http://www.stoneaccentsstudioforum.c...hp?photo=32199

[Toiny]

Connie! You get a gold star for perserverance, WOW! It sounds like you have it figured out? If not, ask me a question & I'll find the answer. Photoshop, even as elements, has so many amazing tools I'm always discovering new tricks I love. I'm hoping to share some here with this challenge.

I can't wait to see what you end up with.

~Toiny

[Toiny]

Woooohooooo! See, I imagined people either using my engraving styles to "write" on the hearts, or use the preset photoshop styles to make a funky frame w/my template... and here you are combining the two in ways I hadn't foreseen. That's what I love about these challenges!

Um, I have to go upload my pb to 4share but I will pm your pb to you later today. Thank you so much for a wonderful challenge LO!

~Toiny

Originally Posted by tallgirl

I'm not sure if I did what I was supposed to do, but I used the frame and your
style for engraving.
Here's my LO http://www.stoneaccentsstudioforum.c...hp?photo=32199

[ConnieS]

oh, well. I can't get past the scalloped edge on the frame. I look and look but I cant find the style? or the brush. I figured out the with the style you change the frame (did that! , and the brush has something to do with text. But, i am stuck. I will play a bit more with it. I take it, I can use the hearts?
thanks,
ConnieS

[ConnieS]

hi,
I did the writing using a brush-spatter & crosshatch. ok, I kinda get what the brush does. I really like changing the frame. So, this is what I came up with. Its not my entry, as I have not done the 'challenge' part. This is ok. I just wanted to try. Will have to learn a bit more. But, I was kinda proud of my frame and I wanted you all to see it. I put it in my album which is public, so I hope you can see it. its here:

http://www.stoneaccentsstudioforum.c...php?albumid=45

Thanks,
connieS

Ps the little picture is for my son.

[redaztecmom]

This is the first time I have ever really made an element totally from scratch. How fun! I made a frame using an Atomic Cupcake action to cut scallops and a glittery pink layer style that I downloaded but have no idea who to credit. Then I ran an acrylic action (also from Atomic Cupcake) on my shape and placed that on top of my pink layer and adjusted the opacity down to see the pink underneath. This gave me a puffy pink frame. Neat! Here is my layout:



http://www.stoneaccentsstudioforum.c...3&limit=recent

Candy

[Toiny]

Candy! Wonderful, wonderful frame. Excellent job, and kudos for using a whole bunch of techniques. PM'ing your PB next... enjoy your new Piggy scraps LOL.

~Toiny

[AJR65]

here is my LO http://www.stoneaccentsstudioforum.c...410&ppuser=717

[Jan Merkley]

Okay! Here is my layout for February's challenge. I made the frame using one of the papers from your Family Tree kit and engraved the layout title on it. I enjoyed doing this challenge. Thanks!

http://www.stoneaccentsstudioforum.c...1&limit=recent

[texasblu]

Ok, I am really not getting this challenge. I thought we were supposed to just learn some new things about our software? I learned how to make a photo look old complete with scratches and things (had no idea what a gradient tool was) and scrapped it (along with how to change some hues and things) and then I saw that everyone was creating elements. Is that what I was supposed to do instead? I don't have photoshop or any of the other fancy programs - just using plain ole paint.net which you can do some really neat things with, but is limiting to those kinds of files that you're talking about. I can't open the files at all, so I can't use the frame.

[littlespooky]

here is minehttp://www.stoneaccentsstudioforum.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32695&ppuser=2779

[Toiny]

Excellent ladies! I've pm'd your pb's to you, have fun with it (I sure did making it LOL). I really enjoy seeing the extra OOMPF to the layouts as y'all work outside of the box and add some new twists to your layouts. I hope y'all are enjoying the challenge as much as I am seeing the results.

[Toiny]

I did a little reading on paint.net and .png files are supported and should work. It doesn't look like styles are supported though. As far as the challenge goes, the challenge was indeed to add "style" and by style I did mean using an element (such as a frame) and adding style to change the look-n-feel.

However, if your program of choice doesn't allow for that kind of manipulation, thinking outside of the box to alter an element for your challenge layout is certainly acceptable! It sounds like you are learning a new technique and that is what I'm after. My goal is to get people more skilled with their software to 1) make their digi-scrapping more enjoyable and less frustrating; and 2) to add that extra "Wow" factor to your layouts.

Sounds like you are on your way! So, please, share your results with us & let me oooh & aaah.

Smooches,

~Toiny
Piggyscraps

Originally Posted by texasblu

Ok, I am really not getting this challenge. I thought we were supposed to just learn some new things about our software? I learned how to make a photo look old complete with scratches and things (had no idea what a gradient tool was) and scrapped it (along with how to change some hues and things) and then I saw that everyone was creating elements. Is that what I was supposed to do instead? I don't have photoshop or any of the other fancy programs - just using plain ole paint.net which you can do some really neat things with, but is limiting to those kinds of files that you're talking about. I can't open the files at all, so I can't use the frame.

[Amberpony]

Thanks for the little Goodies. I am also a Fan of Deb
For your little challenge I added a Metal Style to the Larger frame that came in Mitsybelle kit. Then I changed the Hue on the cluster frame also from the kit Old Fashioned Love. Then I used your engraving Style on one of the hearts from In Love a Valentine Blog Hop Freebie I grabbed at Mitsybelle Site. I also added a Bevel Style to those Hearts. Of course I always use the Drop Shadow Style. Oh Yea I Beveled the Happy Valentine.

For more fun I used the marque tool and selected the end portion of the Blue bow ribbon and made a layer via copy the I slide it up higher on the ribbon and deleted the ribbon below it, I didn't want. Then I merged my ribbon end onto my ribbon. This way I kept the fun end. :p

The ribbon on the metal frame is just erased where I wanted it to look like it was behind.

OK Windy is ready to move on.

Coffee Time Valentines Day