Review by Pat Bowman

Note: Review written using Adobe Photoshop CS3.

OK, I admit it. I’m an embellishment junkie! I can’t imagine doing a layout without them. When I paper scrapped, I had a whole collection of every kind of embellishment imaginable – ribbons, brads, tags, frames, jewels, charms, etc. The same holds true for my digital collection.

Our designers do a beautiful job with their collections and they always include a variety of embellishments. But, sometimes you might want a matching bow that just isn’t there, or a round tag when there are only square tags, or... you fill in the blank. However, this is the beauty of digital scrapping. Here at Scrap Girls, we have ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates. So, if there isn’t a particular embellishment in the kit, we can make our own!

I’m going to use Keri Schueller’s Legacy Collection Biggie for my layout. When you are working with Embellishment Templates, I would advise you to always duplicate the files you are using and close the originals, so that you don’t accidentally make a change to your original template files.

 

First, I want a torn paper in my layout, so I’m going to use one of Dinny Miller’s ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Torn Edges. I open up both of the PNG files: "DMI_SSEmb_Torn_angled_bottom.png" and "DMI_SSEmb_Torn_angled_top.png".

 

I select my Move Tool and then hold down the Shift key while I drag and drop the "DMI_SSEmb_Torn_angled_top.png" onto the "DMI_SSEmb_Torn_angled_bottom.png". By pressing the Shift key when I drag the file, it will be dropped right onto the correct position.

 

Next, I drag the "KSC_Legacy_12x12_Diamonds-Burned.jpg" on top of this and create a clipping mask by right-clicking on the paper layer and selecting "Create Clipping Mask" from the pop-up menu. I then merge the paper down by right-clicking again on the paper layer and selecting "Merge Down" from the pop-up menu.

 

Well, I don’t think my torn edge should be black, so I will change it to white. I select the bottom layer and then select Image> Adjustments> Invert from the menu. At this point, I am happy with the result and I merge the two layers together and drag this onto my background paper.

I’m using an old photo for this layout. I choose to use one of Theresa Kavouras’ ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates - Photo Folds 2 for this because I like the aged look it will give me. I’m going to use the Right Fold Template. I begin by opening the four files from the folder and duplicate them.

 

From left to right, the files are named "TKA_SS_EmbTmp_PhotoFolds2_RtFld_1-Base.png", "TKA_SS_EmbTmp_PhotoFolds2_RtFld_2-Border.png", "TKA_SS_EmbTmp_PhotoFolds2_RtFld_3-Shadow.png" and "TKA_SS_EmbTmp_PhotoFolds2_RtFld_4-Fold.png".

 

Do you see a pattern here? The pattern is "RtFld_1", "RtFld_2", "RtFld_3" and "RtFld_4". This is how you will know in what order to stack them to create your embellishment. So, we will begin with "TKA_SS_EmbTmp_PhotoFolds2_RtFld_1-Base.png" and then move the "TKA_SS_EmbTmp_PhotoFolds2_RtFld_2-Border.png" on top of it. Again, remember to hold down Shift and drag with your Move Tool to align the layers.

 

Next, using the same method we will drag the "TKA_SS_EmbTmp_PhotoFolds2_RtFld_3-Shadow.png" on top of this.

 

And finally, we will drag the "TKA_SS_EmbTmp_PhotoFolds2_RtFld_4-Fold.png" on top of this.

 

Typically, once I have assembled all of the layers for an embellishment template, I will then save it in the same folder as a PSD layered file so that I don’t have to recreate this the next time I want to use it. I usually rename the layers too, as shown here.

 

Now, I am ready to drag my photo onto the “base” layer and create a clipping mask.

To move this photo onto my layout, I do a Ctrl+A (Copy All) then Shift+Ctrl+C (Copy Merged) and finally, Ctrl+V (Paste) into my layout.

 

I decide that I want to add a bow to this layout, but Keri’s Legacy Collection does not contain a bow. No problem – I’ll just make one using Shalae Tippetts’ ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Extra - Bows. I chose "silk_1".

 

I want to make my bow a deep teal color. I create a blank layer above the bow layer and fill it with a nice, teal color. Then, I create a clipping mask with the teal layer and I end up with this.

 

Well, that doesn’t look very realistic, does it? I want to retain the texture and highlights of the bow, so the next thing I have to do is experiment with various Blend Modes in Photoshop. I chose to use the "Overlay" Blend Mode.

Now, that’s more like it.

There are many methods of recoloring bows. Shalae includes very detailed instructions with the templates on other methods of recoloring the bows and even how to add a patterned paper to the bows, if you like.

I encourage you to look at all of the ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates in the boutique. You will be amazed at all of the cool embellishments you can make for your layouts – and just maybe, you’ll become an embellishment junkie, too!

Layout by Pat Bowman
larger view

	Note: Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Torn Edges, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Photo Folds 2, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Extra - Bows and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Chipboard Distressed 4104 Mini are also available.

Pat Bowman lives with her husband of 12 years in the Cleveland, Ohio area. She has been scrapbooking digitally for over three years and loves being a member of the Scrap Girls Layout Design Team. Working full-time as a systems engineer for a global process automation firm, she travels frequently, but is able to take her scrapbooking with her on a laptop computer. Pat is also a serious hobby photographer and uses a Nikon D50 Digital SLR.