Open ScrapSimple Embellishment Template: Curvy Stitches2 and select the file named: "VRA_SS_EmbTmplt_CurvyStitches2_Template-Top.png".

 

Select your Magic Wand Tool and click on the black area, a row of "marching ants" will appear around the edges of the black shape.

 

On your hard drive, find a sheet of digital paper you want to use and open it. Pictured is a paper from Valerie Randall's Ochre Winfree Collection (retired).

 

Drag the marching ants from the template onto the paper, aligning the marching ants at the top and sides, then select Edit> Copy or Ctrl+C.

Open a new document (Ctrl+N) with a size of 12 inches by 12 inches and 300 dpi. Paste the paper shape and align it along the tops and sides, if needed.

Save this new file. It will be your new scrapbook page. You can close the black template and the paper, too. You don't need these files open any more.

 

Then, add a layer and drag it under Layer One, the paper template you just made.

Use your Color Picker Tool and select a light blue from the paper in Layer 1 and fill Layer 2 using the Paint Bucket.

 

To add interest to the blue paper, add a texture to give an embossed look. You can use the defaults in your software, or load a new texture. Shown here is "Scrollwork 5" from Mission Embossable: Scrollwork.

 

On Layer 1, add a subtle drop shadow: 90 degrees and 30% black.

Now, let's add the stitching.

Open your stitching folder and select and open these files,
"VRA_SS_EmbTmplt_CurvyStitches2-Cross.png" and
"VRA_SS_EmbTmplt_CurvyStitches2-Cross-holes.png".

 

Drag the "holes" file onto your scrapbook layout, and then the cross stitch file. Position the holes above and below the two papers and then align the cross stitches with the holes.

 

You might need to view your file at the actual pixel size (Ctrl+Alt+0) and use your sliders to move around the page.

 

To make the holes appear as though they puncture the paper, make sure the holes layer is active, then select Layer Style> Inner Shadow. The default of 75% Opacity, 120 degrees light, and a Distance of 5, a Choke of 0 and Size of 5 is often okay, but you can adjust these to see different possibilities.

 

Sometimes, I like to add a stroke of 1 pixel in the center position and of a color near to the paper, in this case, a dark blue.

Finally, I reduce the Opacity of the holes in my Blending area in my Layers Palette to about 80%.

 

Next for the stitching, I go to my Layers Palette and activate the cross stitch layer and select Layer> Color Overlay and choose a color for my stitches. For contrast, I select a golden yellow.

 

Next, add dimension by selecting Bevel and Emboss. A level of about 5 to 7 is ok, but I change my shadow to a brown and my highlight to light yellow.

 

I also want to add texture to resemble thread and I often use the default herringbone texture, but I reduce the size and level or depth of texture so that the beveling isn't flattened out.

 

Depending on the stitch, I will sometimes add a thin stoke of 1 pixel to make it pop, adjusting the Opacity to make it a bit transparent or using the Blend Mode of "Dissolve" instead of "Normal" to add a fuzziness and a tiny, subtle drop shadow with a Distance of 2, a spread of 3 and a Size of 4 or 5.

 

Learning to play with these different effects will enhance your stitching templates and give you many different looks.

Layout by Valerie Randall
larger view

	Note: Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Curvy Stitches2 Biggie, Mission: Embossable Scrollwork Textures are also available.

Tutorial written by Valerie Randall