Red Rock Canyon Inspired Papers 1

When we were out at Red Rock Canyon for Christmas I decided to take some pictures of the awesome rock formations and the unique textures, colors and striations that were in the rocks.  If you have never been there, it is truly an amazing place! 

I took several of my pictures and have turned them into fun 12x12 papers.  I love doing this kind of stuff and am happy that I have found a way to share it with everyone!

You can download them from Google's Picasa Web Albums by clicking below:

Red Rock Canyon_306 Downloads

This set has 12 papers at 3600x3600 pixels and 300 pixels per inch.  *These are free to use for personal use; please contact me if you would like to use them commercially.   

Here are two of the pages at a reduced size:

Zazzle Necklace Product Review

Zazzle Necklace Product Review

I love to get good deals, and recently I got a good deal from Zazzle. They were having their big “Friday Four Hour Blowout Sale” before Christmas, which included 50% off necklaces. I decided to take advantage of the sale to get some Christmas gifts. I ordered four necklaces; one for me, one for my mom, and matching ones for my daughter and her friend.

Here are some details about Zazzle's necklaces:

• Sterling silver plated charms available in two shapes:
  
  • Round - 1.44" in diameter
  • Square - 1.38" x 1.38"
• 18" sterling silver plate chain with 3" extender and lobster claw clasp
• Vibrant, full-color printing
• Comes in a black felt gift bag
• 100% satisfaction guaranteed

The necklaces are normally $29.95. Half off that is really a great price. I was quite happy with them. It is definitely a solid product that appears will stand the test of time. The chain that comes with it isn’t all that great, but it will be really easy to use any type of chain. I think the necklace is a bit big, however if you have the right outfit it will work perfect. I was happy to get my necklaces at half price, but I do think you get a product worthy of the full price.

If you visit Till Tales Designs a lot, you might know that I love Zazzle. I think their website is easy to use and have always been happy with their service and their product quality. So it should be no surprise that I recommend Zazzle. I definitely recommend their necklace product, but I do warn that you should consider the size of it before ordering.

In summary, I give Zazzle's necklace two thumbs up and recommend them for their quality product. Check them out by going to Zazzle.com! You can make a completely custom necklace from scratch or use an existing design on their site to customize. Here are just a few samples of the hundreds that you can customize for yourself:

Custom Photo Necklace by pmcustomgifts
View more Baby photo Necklaces

Zebra Pattern Customizable Photo by heartlocked
Make personalized silver necklaces

Decorative Letter J Monogram Initial Personalized by cutencomfy
More Initial Necklaces

My Holiday Card for 2011

I'm not sure why I didn't post this before Christmas!  This is the card I sent out this year to all my friends and family.  Every year I look forward to and enjoy making a holiday card and this year was the most fun! 

When I make my cards, I do the complete design on my own computer first using a standard size (this year it was 5x7").  When I'm finished, I shop around on the internet to find the cheapest place to have them printed.  This year is was Ink Garden; in the past it has been Zazzle, Uprint, Vistaprint, and Mpix.com, to name a few.  Once I find the place to print them, I sometimes will use their online services to add the text.  This is what I did this year.  I find that if you use the online services of whichever company to add the text the cards tend to turn out nicer and the text is crisper. 

What do you do for your holiday cards?  Head over to my Facebook Fan Page and post your cards - I'd love to see them!!

Free Templates and Designer Packs at My Memories!

If you need something new and something fun, and something FREE, make sure you check out the Free goodies on the MyMemories.com website! There is some FUN stuff to grab!  All you need is a free account with them.  Click Here!!  Here are a few examples of the many free items they have:

These work perfectly with the My Memories Suite software.  If you don't have your software yet, go to MyMemories.com and use Coupon Code STMMMS42069 to get $10 off!

Merry Christmas 2011!

Merry Christmas everyone!  We had a great day today.  I thought I would throw together some quick scrap pages to share:

These are pages made using the My Memories Suite Software.  I simply grabbed the free templates that come with the software and made a few changes!  It literally took less than five minutes! 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well!

If you aren't using My Memories Suite yet, click below to get it now; use coupon code STMMMS42069 to get $10 off!

Code:  STMMMS42069

10% off All Zazzle Products!

Right now through December 24 you can get 10% off on all products at Zazzle!  Use the coupon code HAPPYHOLIDAY when checking out!  Click here!

Use this offer to print your custom 12x12 scrapbook pages or any other type of customized project.  Use the templates I posted previously (click here to view) to make a holiday keepsake!  The possibilites are endless at Zazzle for creating the special product you want!

PAMFKMT5BMYC

Christmas Scrapbook Templates 2011

These are two scrapbook pages I put together that I thought I would share with you.  They are .png images so you should be able to put them in whatever digital scrapbook program you use and place your pictures behind the template. 

From Till Tales Downloads

From Till Tales Downloads

Click the each image above to download the files. 

Note:  These images are 3600x3600 (12in x 12in) at 300 pixels per inch.

Color Accent a Photo

If you have ever wanted to know how to color accent a photo, then this tutorial is for you!  Below is the tutorial text.  Click here if you want the full "Color Accent a Photo Tutorial" with accompanying pictures and screen shots. 

Color Accent a Photo Tutorial

This tutorial uses Corel Paint Shop Pro X4

1. Open the file you wish to modify.  Save this as a new file so that you preserve the original one.   For this tutorial, I will be using a picture of my daughter. 
2. Right click on the Layer Palate and pick Duplicate.  Alternately, go to the menu and choose Layers → Duplicate. 
3. Click Home on the Learning Center Palate**.  Click Effects then choose “Convert to Black and White”.    Alternately, you can click on the menu:  Effects  → Photo Effects  → Black and White Film.  At this point, the default settings should be adequate for changing the image to black and white.  You can always play around with the settings if you want to try for a different look.  You can also try some of the other effects such as Sepia to make unique and different image types.  Trying out different looks can be fun.  Use your creativity! 
4. At this point you have a black and white copy on top of the color copy of your image.  All you need to do is erase the parts of the black and white image that you want to show as color.  You can use both the Eraser tool and Background Eraser tool from the toolbar.  
5. Once you are finished and happy with your image, save the file as a .jpg file.  If you think you may want to come back to the file later and make additional changes, also save the file as a .pspimage file.  This way the layers you created will not compress and you can continue editing where you left off. 

Notes:

**To show the Learning Center Palate, Click Help → Learning Center. 

Before

After

For a printer friendly version click here.

Red and Green Christmas Papers and Extras

This holiday season I've been stressed about what the future holds for the economy in Las Vegas and for my family.  I've decided that I just need to let it go and focus on things that make me happy.  Playing on the computer, specifically with Corel Paintshop Pro, it one of my favorite things.  I created a few new scrapbook papers with a couple of crazy trees, some stars, and some text "Merry Christmas".   You can download them for free by clicking below:

Till Tales Downloads

Merry Christmas and Happy Scrapping!

What is a .png File?

What is a .png File?  (printer friendly version click here)

I'm surprised to find out that a lot of people don't know what a .png file is, especially if you are into photo editing or digital scrapbooking.  Here is a technical definition:

"The PNG format (pronounced "PING") was designed to replace the antiquated GIF format, and to some extent, the TIFF format. It utilizes lossless compression, meaning no image data is lost when saving or viewing the image. It is a universal format... ...does not have any patent restrictions and can be read and written freely by software developers and webmasters alike." (see entire text here)

My simple definition is a little different, as applied to digital scrapbooking and photo editing:  a .png file is one where the image stays exactly how you made it when you save it; most importantly is if you have an image that includes transparent areas behind it, the transparent areas do not become white when you save the file. 

Here is an example:

Here I started in Corel PaintShop Pro X4with a new image.  I added a single flower.  The area behind the flower is blank, or transparent (as indicated by the gray/white checkboxes).  If I want this area to stay completely transparent behind the flower, I save it as a .png file.  This way I can use the flower like it is clip art; I can put it on another picture, use it in a word document, etc. 

Here I have taken the flower and put it on a black patterned background:

If I hadn't saved the flower as a .png file, and instead as a .jpg file, this is what would have happened when putting the flower on the black background:

When saving the flower image as a .jpg, the transparent area behind the flower is filled with white automatically. 

From this simple example, you should be able to tell that using .png files are a key way to create awesome digital images and scrapbook embellishments!  You can also create great graphics to use in reports or any type of print you need. 

Here is an example of how I use .png files to create digital scrapbook pages:

For this page, I scanned in my daughter's ski pass on the computer.  I then opened it in Corel PaintShop Pro X4 and erased all the white background around the card and purple cord, then saved it as a .png.  This is a simple and easy way to add tangible items to a scrapbook page! 

For a printer friendly version click here.

$10 Off My Memories Suite Software!

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my favorite digital scrapbooking software is My Memories Suite.  Right now you can get $10 off with my personal code.  Click the banner below and use code STMMMS42069! 

Scrapbooking Title, Quotes, Themes and More!

Last week I posted a product that is great for giving you ideas for different scrapbook layouts.  This week I have a product that is great for finding the right words to put on your pages!

If you are like me, you have found yourself racking your brain many times over to think of just the right title for your scrapbook pages? Maybe you just need some ideas or guidance in getting the creativity juices going? The 5,000 Scrapbook Titles & Quotes E-book is the biggest and best collection of quality Titles, Phrases, Captions, Quotes, Sayings, and Ideas available on the internet. All of the expressions included in this e-book have been carefully hand selected to be of the highest quality and value.  Click below to buy now!


5,000 Scrapbook Titles & Quotes! - Scrapbooking Resource eBook highlights over 5,000 fun Titles, Phrases, Captions, Quotes, Sayings & Ideas! FREE Double Bonus!

Scrapbooking Ideas

Do you ever get a creative block when you are scrapbooking?  I've found an answer for you!  Check out this product:

Get Your 500 Scrapbooking
Sketches Now... Click here!

With 500 sketches to choose from, you'll never run out of new and creative designs. This is a great buy for digital or traditional scrapbookers.  Click the link above to get it now!

Digital Scrapbooking Part 2

In Digital Scrapbooking Part 1 I discussed a few reasons why I love to do digital vs. traditional scrapbooking using scrapbooking software. In this post I’ll be giving some opinions on ways to “do digital scrapbooking”.

If you aren’t that into scrapbooking but want to create some books to keep as memoirs, then there are easy sites that will work great for you. Sites such as shutterfly, snapfish, kodakgallery, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart are just a few of the many sites that have easy to use photobook creation. You can upload your photos, choose a theme for your book, and even have the book automatically made for you if you want. These sites make it easy to edit your book but have some limitations on creating fully customized pages. See the links at the bottom of this post for some great articles on this subject.

If you are an avid traditional scrapbooker and want to go digital, the at home software or websites such as Picaboo, ArtsCow, mpix, and mixbook are sites that will be more suited to you. They offer more advanced options and flexibility for custom creations. There are also companies such as Creative Memories and Heritage Makers that have consultants and special memberships to help you along the way.

If you haven’t already started digital scrapbooking and want to, then check out all the sites listed above and see what one will suit your needs the best. Ask around to see if anyone has actual hard copy books from any of the sites for you to see firsthand. It may take some time and research, but it will be worth it for getting the product you want! When looking for the right site to make your scrapbook online, be sure to consider these things:

• book size – not all sites offer the same book sizes, such as 12”x12” or 11”x8.5”
• minimum number of pages per book
• cost for additional pages
• backgrounds available
• embellishments available
• picture layouts
• amount of pictures per page
• flexibility in adding and arranging text

If you have used software on your computer, such as My Memories Suite or Photoshop, to create your scrapbook, what do you do once you create your pages and want to print them out? You can print out individual pages on your own computer or through any photo printing site, or you can upload all your pages to any photo book making site and print them out as a book. Which photo book site is the best one? It is all a matter of opinion and preferences. These sites have some excellent reviews to take into consideration:

 

The Great Photo Book Round-Up Review: Who Makes the Best Photo Books?  In this article the author actually had the same photo book printed from 12 different book building sites. It is a great in-depth review and has some awesome information.

 

Photo Book Service Reviews  This site lists nine photo book companies side by side so you can compare everything from quality ratings to number of pages in a book to type of paper used in the book.

 

Happy digital scrapping!

Digital Scrapbooking Part 1

I love to scrapbook, but face it, there isn't enough time in the day for it!  I've turned to digital scrapbooking.  It is a great way to scrapbook for anyone who has a little bit of computer know-how.  My personal preference is to use the program "My Memories Suite".  There are lots of programs out there though.  Check out this link (click here) to get some other ideas of software available. 

Why do I love to digital scrapbook?  Here are just a few reasons:

• More flexibility for sizes and shapes of photos
• No sorting through digital photo files to decide what ones to print out and use.  No printing of photos required!!
• Journaling is easier to include, faster, and much more flexible.
• If you are scrapbooking for kids, you can copy finished pages and customize them for each child rather than spending time making new pages for each child.  This is especially great for vacation scrapbook pages. 
• Scanning items (such as ticket stubs, report cards, birthday cards, award ribbons) makes including those items possible in the digital world. 
• Sharing of digital pages is completely easy and possible.  When was the last time you emailed your best friend the awesome scrapbook page you just made of your girls' weekend trip? Or posted it to Facebook?

My Memories Suite and many other of the scrapbooking software come with a large amount of background papers and embellishments.  There are quite a few sites out there on the web that sell digital scrapbook kits and some that even have ones for free.  If you are good at using Photoshop, Corel PaintShop Pro X4, or similar programs, you can even create your own digital kits and digital art for your scrapbook pages.  Look for future posts here with some of those free sites!

Get our copy of My Memories Suite software with my $10 coupon code:  STMMMS42069  Click below:

Coupon Code:  STMMMS42069