Hello! And welcome to our Digital Scrapbooking challenges here at SCS. I'm Nicole, your hostess, and I'm super excited to be here! It's my goal to bring you a challenge each week that will inspire you and help you get your favorite memories into your books. I try to keep things simple enough for anyone who's brand new to digi, but still have a challenge that's challenging enough to interest those of you who are veteran digi scrappers!
For a listing of ALL Digital Challenges, check in here:
DGC Master List
Here's week's challenge!
The Challenge: DGC061 - B&W Pizazz
Here is my layout:
"Laundry Day"
- This week we will be using Black & White photos on our layouts and also learning about actions! I want you to start by gathering
at least one photo for your layout. You will need to convert your photo to B&W (see below for a handful of tips on how to do that).
- Now you'll need to pick one shade--black or white--and
use a black or a white piece of paper on your layout. I used a white wooden paper for my layout here.
- And lastly,
frame your photo (or photos)! I used two different frames for my layout here and I tilted one to the left a few degrees. Get creative!
Get Your Gold Stars:
- Try using more than one photo on your page, but have only one be B&W!
- Remember my first challenge (to add
Layer Upon Layer)? Try using that idea on a much smaller scale and layer a set of elements together! On my page here, I layered several small snippets of paper together with some ribbon and trim.
Tips & Tricks:
- A very cool feature of Photoshop is the ability to use Actions. Actions are simply "recorded steps" taken by someone else. All you have to do is click a button and Photoshop will take care of the rest. It's very handy, especially when used to process a photo! Many people offer free Photoshop Actions! My favorite free set is from the Pioneer Woman and you can pick them up here:
For CS2 and Up and
For PSE. Installing them in Photoshop is easy! With the more recent versions, you just had to double click on the file and Photoshop will do the rest. In older versions (CS2, for example) you have to install them while in Photoshop through the Actions menu (the Load Actions option).
- What if you aren't using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements? Well, you could try a few tricks. You could simply Desaturate your photo. But that will sometimes create a very flat image. If you have the ability to change your blending mode, try duplicating the layer and setting it to Soft Light anywhere from a 20% to a 50% opacity. Play around and see how that looks! You could also try adding a Sepia photo filter to add a little touch of color to your image.
- Wondering how to get small snippets of paper on to your page? I like to use the Shape Tool! Typically what I do is I select the Rectangle Tool and make myself a little box right on my page. I will then create a Clipping Mask (that's where your top layer "clips" to the layer below so that it takes on it's shape) by placing my patterned paper on top of the shape. I like using the Shape Tool because if you decide you need to make your paper strip bigger, all you need to do use the Transform Tool and move things around! So easy. You can even apply a Style to a Shape layer, so I will usually add a drop shadow right to my shape--and poof! Instant, adjustable paper strip!
- Don't even know where to begin with digi scrapping? Check out this lens on Squidoo for some tips on
Getting Started with Digital Scrapbooking.
The Fine Print:
Here is all your need to know info:
SBC's Information Thread
You can view all submissions for this challenge here:
DGC061 Gallery
To add your page to this gallery, just add
DGC061 to your keywords. Please also add
SBC11AUG in the keywords. This makes it easier for us to search and find your layouts.
Please remember to come back and post a link in this thread so we won’t miss seeing your work! And be sure to leave a little love for others when they leave love for you.
Happy scrapping!
DGC061 - B&W Pizazz - 08/09/11
