I Heart {ippity} keep it simple

Quick post here!

This is my card for the I Heart {ippity} blog today.

I am entering it in the Unity Opportunity Challenge.

The theme is Clean & Simple.

Actually this is quite hard for me to do.  This card felt very unfinished to me, but I stopped and left it clean and simple.

I used the stamp set called:

Thankful for you.

I used all Authentique Paper products.

The paper is from the 2 lines called UNCOMMON and GLOWING and unlikely combination, but it works!

So there you have it a very simple card.

Be sure to go over to the I Heart {ippity} blog and see what the other designers have made for you to look at!

Here is the link:

Wednesday Wowzers!

Have a great day and do look at the sets and check the prices!

The stamps are divine and the prices are very low for such fun, great quality stamps!

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It all started with this little guy…..

Once upon a time…there was a little ADORABLE alien, that I found online.

I was making some cards for THE RONDALD MCDONALD HOUSE for boys, and I happened upon this little guy.  I found him on my Jamie Lane’s blog, BITS OF PAPER.

The alien is based on a drawing by Jamie’s sister.  Her  blog is called ART BY J. M. RUSH, oh please treat yourself and look at her art!!

Here is the original  NON, CUT FILE alien!!

Here is the card I created, with this alien of Jamie and her sisters.

Here is the ALIEN!!

I think I must have read on Jamie’s blog…if we use the file..she’d love to see what we did with it.  So, for some reason, I took a picture of it and sent it to her.

At that point..I was only creating sporadically, I had not blog…no time, etc.  Jamie really liked the card and we got to emailing back and forth and really, she IS the reason, I have a blog.

Maybe she saw some potential or something in my little ALIEN card or something, but she has been a true inspiration and mentor to me in this BLOG world.

She has given me leads, advice, ideas and let’s not forget, she has given my my all time FAVORITE paper punch in the world.

We did a trade of sorts…and this is one of the things she sent me, along with some of the most fabulous and fun products ever, have I said thank you Jamie, I mean thank you, enough, yet?  I don’t think so.

Jamie creates for lots of wonderful companies..to name a few…

• Creative Charms
• Glue Dots
• Momenta
• PK Glitz
• ScrapbookPal.com
• Scrap Tales
• Scrap Within Reach
• Design Team Details

I am certain this list will continue to grow, she is so talented.

You can look at the wonderful assortment of freebie patterns Jamie has on her blog.  Once again the link is http://jamielanedesigns.blogspot.com/

Her files are located in the RIGHT HAND COLUMN and are under the title;  Free SCAL & SVG Files

I had asked for ideas on things to see on my blog, Jamie mentioned she’d like for me to show the process of how I edit some of my pictures.  So today, let me give you a brief overview on my favorite things to use in  Photoshop Elements.  Todays subject..two ADORABLE little kids that belong to a really wonderful person!

Here is a BEFORE PICTURE!!

Really, there is not a lot to do to this, this is a WONDERFUL picture!  But..we can still play right?

With this one, I just did some basic adjustments.

I saved this one as GLOW, so I must have diffused some glow on this one. 🙂

This one, here I applied a TTV frame to and also I mimicked an action that I love from Paint Shop Pro called the GLAMOR effect.

 

This one, I did a lot to.  It is fun and would be a great picture for a special occasion or scrapbook page.

 

Here is my Final…and my favorite.  I will attempt to tell you how (the recipe) for this one.

 

With this, I started with my original photo, and immediately duplicated the layers of this photo 2 times.

The 1st layer (the 1st copy – not the origianl background layer) I applied a Gaussian blur to this layer.

The 2nd layer (again not the background layer) I applied a blending layer called Color Burn and left it at 100%.

Next I applied my TTV frame.

I sized it to where I wanted it to fit the picture and dropped my opacity down to 21%.

I this duplicated that layer (set at 21%) and set that layer’s opacity to 13%.

Lastly I duplicated that layer (set at 13%) and set that layer’s opacity to 2%.

I have noticed that when I start editing pictures, I never or rarely take the same path twice.  It is all about playing.  You never copy or save over your original, so there is really nothing to lose!

Today’s FREEBIE, in honor of JAMIE, will be and EDITED picture of your choice by me.

I will take you picture and do these kind of effect to them and send you back your files to print or use digitally.

Remember it has to be a high quality pixel picture and not 72 dpi or something like that.

Please visit Jamie and if you do let her know that Jeannie sent you over!

Leave a comment and on next MONDAY’s post, I will announce the winner!  Send you friend over and they mention your name..you get an EXTRA ENTRY!

• Leave a comment = One Entry
• Send a Friend = One Entry
• Follow my Blog = One Entry
• Visit Jamie and leave a comment = One Entry
• Fiskateer’s post your Fiskateer Number in comment = One Entry

Be sure to let me know HOW MANY entries you qualify for and what photo technique is your favorite.

 

Lastly, Jamie gave me some wonderful tips on things to make with SHRINK FILM.  Remember SHRINKY DINKS???

GRAFIX ARTS’s is re-releasing their BLACK shrink film.  I had so much fun playing around with this stuff.  Let me show you some things I made using this film.

Be sure to check out BOTH SMILE BOX videos as they are of different projects using that FABULOUS film.  You can purchase from GRAFIX here:

Thanks for letting me introduce Jamie to you…I hope you have enjoyed my TRIBUTE of sorts, to her!!

JAMIE..YOU ARE THE BEST!!!

 

A free photo slideshow by Smilebox

 

 

 

Free slideshow design customized with Smilebox

Are you READY??

It is had to fathom that Thanksgiving is in what? Four days?  Yikes.  I hope you will still visit me on the bloggy here!  Tomorrow late I will post my 2nd installment of PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE ME!!  Tomorrow I will introduce you to Jamie!  Talk about a talented one!! Wait till you meet here!!

This is a quick post for me new buddies over at PAPER ISSUES.  This is a new Team I am with and they have such a FUN, FUN blog.  Go visit.  You will get so much inspiration there.

I have made a Thanksgiving themed card..well because it is in FOUR DAYS!!!  I have used one of my Favorite Person’s Digi Stamp.  Therese Travis is the artist on this.  Be sure to visit her blog at http://theresetravis.net/.

You can also find the link to her Etsy store to buy some of her FABULOUS digi’s for yourself!!

So, my new buds at PAPER ISSUES..here is a little something for you!!

Ok..for this evening..THAT’S A WRAP!!  I know you will miss me..BUT, I will be back tomorrow!!

Blessings to all…Therese..thank you again for allowing me create with you sensational art!!  I do adore you!!

ROYGBIV, I love you!!

I have to tell you, seeing the colors of the rainbow all lined up, makes me giddy.  I mean I feel a surge of happiness just looking at something based on the simple colors of a rainbow.  I entered a swap for some ATC cards.  I needed to create the cards based something that is ME!  I have NEVER done these before..so I just made mine like a mini card.  I found a wonderful phrase to go with my design and of course, I added some POLKA DOTS and voilà, here is my finished project!

I found this wonderful product on ETSY.  I think the commercial name for them is DEW DROPS.  They make any project sparkle and add a little pizzaz.  I have tried to take a close up so you can see them.

You can really see the 3D effect on this one.  Such a happy project!

Can you believe I made 20 of those?  They were A LOT of work.  All the scraps are sewn first, then I sewed all the flower/button accessories, added sparkle, dew drops and polka dots!!  Lots of love in these.  I really enjoyed making them!

In the next few days I can reveal my PK GLITZ design team projects, I have to wait for them to post them, then I can show you!!  I also have to show you another finished project, the one I was calling the “MANTEL PROJECT”  It is done..pictures soon!!  Let me know how you like the ATC’s!!!!

Practical Scrappers: Another Design Team ENTRY for me!

This card I am entering in the Practical Scrappers open call for a Design Team member. I have to submit one project today and then I need to get a Scrapbook page done by Monday and get that submitted too. I only need to enter one of their challenges, but I want to do two, maybe to DOUBLE my chances? Who knows! Any how the challenges was to show how I used a BORDER PUNCH in a project.

The BORDER PUNCH I have used is Martha Stewart’s SCALLOP WITH 2 DOTS EDGE PUNCH. I have used it all over. I have layered my Dress cutout with it. I have layered my background with it and I have used it on the card edge. I have also used a Stampin’ Up! SCALLOP border also.

What makes this card different is that I have used the holes in the punch to weave strips of paper in and out of to create a very nice effect. Can you see it?

Let me know how you like the card and hey if I get enough responses, I will randomly pick a winner to send this card to for your use! Good Luck and please leave your comments!

Happy 4th, Bless our Country and our Servicemen who protect our freedom!!

Here is a close up:

Here is an even closer up!