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How To… Use the New Blend Modes in Digital Scrapbook Artist 2
Posted on January 31st, 2010 by admin.
Categories: Scrapbook Ad, Scrapbook Articles, Scrapbook Tips, Training.
How To…
Use the New Blend Modes in Digital Scrapbook Artist 2
With Valentine’s Day approaching and birthdays occurring throughout the year, we thought we’d show you how to use the new blend mode feature on your homemade greetings cards. Blend modes define how two objects or layers interact with each other and by using them you can achieve stunning results quickly and with ease.
The card below was made using Digital Scrapbook Artist 2 and we are going to complete it by applying blend modes to the two photos. We have used the same photo twice to show you how different blend modes affect the same object depending on what it is blended with.
1. Click on the top photo and then select the Luminosity blend mode (the blend modes are located in the Color tab). The picture will take on the color of the layer below; in this case, it’s pink.
2. Click on the second photo and select the Hard Light blend mode. The photo will take on the texture of the background making it look like the photo is actually printed on the material.
Blend modes are a powerful design tool and can be used in many ways to make your creations look fantastic.
Learn to scrapbook totally for FREE:
The greatest FREE digital scrapbook gift… EVER!
www.ComputerScrapbookTraining.com
Popularity: unranked [?]
Turn Holiday Cards into Treasured Keepsakes
Posted on December 18th, 2009 by admin.
Categories: Scrapbook Articles, Scrapbook Tips, Site Information, Training.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Scrapbook Training Mid Month News…
Posted on October 21st, 2009 by wwaddell.
Categories: Scrapbook Articles, Scrapbook Tips, Site Information, Training.
Hello Scrapbook Friend,
You are going to love this!
Before I get to all the new free digital scrapbook / stationery content, let me briefly cover all the new stuff Kathy has added to the members area AND the stuff you need to get now, before it GOES AWAY!
First, Kathy will be replacing the entire animal category for Soft Expressions and Printable Pastels. These will be replaced with totally new papers in our newer .png format. That starts happening the 1st of November, so get any of the old papers you want now
Next, Kathy is going to totally remove all the mini 4×6 pages starting 1 Nov, 2009. They are in the old .gif format which no longer meets our high standards of quality artwork. She'll replace them eventually, but that will be some time down the road. Again, if you want any of the mini 4×6 card/scrapbook templates, get them now in your members area.
Lastly…
Kathy will be removing all the old gif landscapes papers at the end of the month along with all the Scrapbook of a Lifetime templates. She will begin adding new high quality .png format landscape papers in their place for all our members.
Kathy has already removed the old .gif formatted alphabet sets and replaced them with the new high quality .png format. Download your new Autumn and Halloween alphabets now in the Hi-Resolution Elements area of your members area.
Now, for all the new FREE Content News
REALLY BIG NEWS:
We are replacing all the FREE Computer Scrapbooking 101 Mini-Course Scrapbook Template Paper Downloads with the new High Quality .PNG formatted pages. The only templates not replaced are the couple that are used in the course itself. We'll get to updating the actual course and it's samples soon.
Look for then new and improved free scrapbook sample templates to be there by the 25th of October, 2009 at: www.ComputerScrapbookTraining.com.
Kathy has also just added:
- 3 New Summer Digital Stationery Downloads
- 5 New Artistic Digital Stationery Paper Downloads
- 5 New Floral Themed Stationery Digital Page Downloads
Get them now at: www.Free-Stationery.com
That's it for the middle of October. I can't wait to tell you what's coming the end of the month.
Wes
Popularity: 1% [?]
Simple Ideas to Entertain the Kids this Summer (Part 2 of 2)
Posted on June 25th, 2009 by wwaddell.
Categories: Digital Photography, Scrapbook Articles, Scrapbook Tips, Training.
2 Simple Ideas to Entertain the Kids this Summer (Part 2 of 2)
By: Wes Waddell
We left off in part 1 with setting up the Digital Mystery Game and providing some basic ground rules and courtesies as needed. We then sent our little spies, detectives and reporters out into their world to gather the data and photo evidence for their first story. Now, it’s time to put on the final touches and to finish up the stories.
Playing the editor:
Your job in the game is not to criticize or take control, but to guide the children in their stories. Yes, the younger they are the more help they’ll need; at least at first. But, you’ll also find that with just a little guidance, it won’t be long and they’ll be almost completing each story on their own.
When they first come back, have them explain a little about what they seen, what is on their notes (make sure they take notes… it’s very important later) and how the story unfolds. Make sure that they have a beginning, a middle (the content that matches the title you first gave them) and a finish or ending.
If any of the parts are missing or it doesn’t match the story title, then your guidance as the editor is needed. Ask them questions that lead them to the answers themselves. Ask why a photo is important or what could be added to better tell the complete story. It’ doesn’t have to be perfect, just complete and thought out to the best of their abilities.
If you see them begin to get frustrated, take a snack break or give them a clue that helps them out. Above all, keep it fun or it won’t last long. You’ll also see that their stories and their capabilities will grow as they do more and more of them. You’ll find a healthy helping of praise for what they do will go a long way in motivating them to go farther and do more.
Now, if needed, send them back out to gather the rest of the photo evidence and story notes.
The Final Story:
The fun doesn’t stop when the photos are all taken. Now it’s time for them to draft the storybook scrapbook and show off the stories in a newsletter or website.
No, you don’t have to be a computer wiz to make this work, but if you do know how to assemble a basic web site or to create an online newsletter or blog, then you can show mom & dad or grandma and grandpa what the kids have been up to.
If you don’t know how to put the storybook scrapbooks or newsletters online, then just print the photos on card stock or photo papers and cut them out. Then just get out the glue sticks, colored markers and stickers and let them create the stories the old fashioned way… by hand.
We even take the digital storybook scrapbooks and print them out sometimes and then paste them to a large poster board in newspaper fashion with large photos of the kids by their stories. Frame it in a poster frame and you have some really treasured memories to hang on the wall.
Kids and computers go well together and kids these days are using computers in school as young as 6 years old. You can use any word processing program or digital scrapbook program to insert the photos and add the story text to. Many of them will allow you to save the finished stories as a web page or upload to a blog. My 10 year old granddaughter is able to help her 7 year old sister to create beautiful storybook pages with Microsoft PowerPoint and Word. I showed them how a couple of times and now I only have to help print the final stories after I review them.
That’s it, how far you take the game is up to you. Create a whole summer storybook scrapbook or just have a few wonderful pages to frame and hang on your walls. It’s fun, it keeps them busy and the memories they create are preserved for years to come.
It just doesn’t get any better than that!
Wes Waddell
www.PrincessCrafts.com
www.TwastheNightScrapbook.com
Popularity: 1% [?]
Review of Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist
Posted on May 19th, 2009 by wwaddell.
Categories: Scrapbook Articles, Scrapbook Tips, Training.
Review of Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist
I actually started this review several months ago when Serif first introduced their new Digital Scrapbook Artist software. Unfortunately, due to some issues with the first version and the fact that it doesn’t run on Windows 2000 or older versions of the windows software… things got delayed a bit.
The good news is that with the latest patches now downloaded and installed, Serif now has a great stable working software that is really fun to use.
Here’s what we learned in our extensive testing with the Digital Scrapbook Artist software:
When you first open Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist the program automatically checks for updates and patches. We like that and we also like that you can set the period in-between update checks right from the settings menu. Please, let the program update with any patches as some of them fix things that will hang you up or crash the program. As of 18 May 2009 the program with patches loaded is quite stable and gave us no problems in our quite extensive test of it’s abilities.
We do recommend that you have at least 2 gig of memory in your computer in order to use the higher resolution graphics and settings. We also found that on lower end systems that we couldn’t have other programs running in the background or it slowed down displays and required extra virtual memory. (memory allocated on the hard drive for program use)
Our Initial Impressions:
Kathy and I both like that you can preload elements, backgrounds, templates, frames and other tools from the built in packs. This makes it really easy to have exactly what you need for your new design when you first open a new blank page. I only wish that I could have a way to easily add my own designs and elements to the proper menu’s. We’ll talk a bit more on that in just a minute.
Serif has done a wonderful job with the page set up menu’s. We found it was straight forward and I needed no help finding the button on the top of the screen and the menu’s to set the size and properties just the way I wanted them.
As a matter of fact, to create a great looking page right from the start, I needed no help from the tutorials or built in instructions. If you have never worked with graphics, photo or presentation software before, then you may need some help with the use of layers and frames, but it’s all easy to learn. The help menu’s and tutorials that come with Digital Scrapbook Artist are quite complete and we found them easy to understand even the more complex capabilities of the software.
To make a comparison of Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist with the other programs out there… here’s what we think:
Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist falls right in the middle of the pack for ease of use and capabilities. Scrapbook Max by Indigo Rose is easier to use and let’s you easily export your finished digital scrapbook/cards to Pictures, Video CD/DVD presentations and PDF files so you can share them with your friends and family. Scrapbook Max also lets you create templates with click and insert photo spots built in. Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist on the other hand lets you do more with your pages such as better object rotation with less pixilation and smoother transitions. Digital Scrapbook Artist also has more filters and special effects than Scrapbook Max.
On the high end, Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist is not as capable as PaintShop Pro or Adobe Photoshop… but then it won’t take you years to learn to use Digital Scrapbook Artist like it can the other high end photo editing packages mentioned above.
In short, if you are computer challenged or have kids that will be using the program (like my 10 year old granddaughter) then you probably need Scrapbook Max. If you are going to create professional designs or work with photos that require a lot of modifications, then you’ll probably be wanting one of the advanced photo editing software packages like PaintShop Pro or PhotoShop.
If you are looking for a program to use to create digital scrapbook pages and still be able to enhance and make common changes to your photos and/or you also want to use some of the better special effects tools out there… then Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist is just exactly what you are looking for. It’s easy, but still advanced enough with the tools you need to create really professional looking scrapbook pages, digital cards and photo prints.
Here’s the really short list of flaws as we see it for Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist:
- The only way to easily add items to the left menu of embellishments, backgrounds, frames, etc. is to put them in the Photos tab. The photos tab is the only one who’s add button lets you select from outside the installed tool/content packs.
- We would like to see all the add buttons have the capability to browse the whole computer to add elements, backgrounds, frames and other elements.
- Other option would be a tool that lets us create or add to a default Artist Pack.
- The thumbnail images that are created on the Photo tab when you add your elements and photos there don’t show the transparent areas (everything is white), but the transparent PNG areas work normally when dragged onto the page. Minor I know… but needed to mention it anyway.
- This program does have some of the high end tools and capabilities of the high end graphics packages. Because of this, you really need to have a computer that has at least 2 Gig of memory and 4 Gig would be even better. Without the extra memory, look for the program to be a bit sluggish and it could even lock up on you.
That’s it! Serif has done a wonderful job and has put out what’s been missing from the digital scrapbook community for several years now… a middle of the road scrapbook software that goes beyond beginner yet isn’t so hard to use that it takes a masters degree in graphics design to use it.
Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist is a very solid capable program that is going to become very popular with a lot of people around the world. I know I’m a fan already.
Wes Waddell
www.ComputerScrapbookTraining.com – The Greatest FREE Digital Scrapbook Gift… EVER!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Bishop Ludden Jr Sr High School Scrapbook Project
Posted on May 1st, 2009 by admin.
Categories: Scrapbook Articles, Scrapbook Tips, Training.
Hi Kathy,
I teach at Bishop Ludden Jr Sr High School. Each “house” (homeroom) has been assigned the project of creating a “house” scrapbook. I am the technology teacher and would like to come up with a way that the students ( grades 7-12 – 400+) could create their pages online and then print them and put them in the scrapbooks. The younger students in grades 7 and 8 LOVE to play cut and paste, but my sophomores, juniors and seniors need help with ideas and creativity!
Soooooo – I am not a scrapbooker – I am a “techie” and would love to give the kids a site where they can put their own photos, scripts, etc and then we could have the pages printed. Can you solve my dilemma?
I am guessing that this might be an annual activity! We have 36 “houses” looking for project help and a budget – although slim – to work with!
Mary Lou Connors
Bishop Ludden Jr Sr High School
Syracuse NY
————————————————————————————
Hi Mary Lour,
Not a problem. You can use our FREE Digital Scrapbooking 101 course and lessons to get the kids started. The software, course and a good sample of templates are all included at no cost (FREE) what so ever. Just go to:
www.ComputerScrapbookTraining.com
to sign up and set up your account for free.
If you need more ideas and samples, we provide our memberships to schools – One membership for the entire school to use. If you are interested, just drop me another line and we can go into details on how you can make that happen.
Happy Scrappin’
Kathy Waddell
Popularity: unranked [?]