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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
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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.
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