This past week marked my daughter’s first day of Kindergarten and also our first week of homeschooling. Two very big firsts for our family!

Credits: Kit is “A New Day” by Sweet Shoppe Designs, the lined paper is from Misty Cato‘s “School Girl” kit, ABC border is from Quirky Twerp’s “Little Classroom Borders” (FREE), Template is by ChrissyW.

In my previous post, I had a tutorial on one way to achieve rounded corners on the photos in your digital scrapbook layouts. Today I would like to give a few scrapbook layout examples that use rounded corners not only on the photos themselves but also on papers or a grouping of papers. This is a trick I use often on my own layouts. Sometimes it is nice to not be so square.

Credits: Scraplift of a layout by Denise Gormish found here, Kit is Kristen Cronin Barrow and Scrapkitchen Designs – A Mother’s Love

Credits: Kit and QP are both FREEBIES designed by me and available for download on my Digital Scrapbook Freebies Page.

Credits: Kit is “Just Us Girls” by RK Designs

Back when I was a paper-scrapper, one of my favorite tools was my corner punch which I used to make rounded corners on my photos. If you were to take a look at those old layouts, I am sure it would be easy to spot just when that tool was purchased, as I began to use that thing all the time on pretty much every photo.

I still like the look of rounded corners on my digital scrapbook layouts, although I don’t think I go as crazy overboard as I did back then.

Here is how to get a rounded corner on your digital photos using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.

1. To start off, I move the photo onto my scrapbook layout so that I do not change my original file.



2. Select your Custom Shape Tool (Keyboard shortcut is Ctrl-U on a PC or Command-U on a Mac) and then select the Rounded Rectangle Tool option.
3. Change the radius to the value you want for your rounded corners. For this example, I am using 150px. Generally, the larger the number the more rounded your corners will be. I also have “Create New Shape Layer marked” in case yours does not default to that option.



4. Click and drag with your mouse to create the rectangle size that you desire. After releasing your mouse, you will have a new layer on top with your rectangle shape. In a later step, we will be using this new layer/shape as our clipping mask in the same way you would clip a photo or paper to a digital scrapbook template’s layer.



5. Using the Move tool, reposition the rounded rectangle over your photo (if needed). You can also resize the width or height of your rectangle at this time (if needed). You might find it helpful to reduce the opacity of your new “Shape” layer so that you can see your photo underneath when doing your repositioning or resizing.



6. Change the opacity of the shape layer back to 100% if you changed it in the previous step. (Important!)
7. In your layers palette, move the “Shape” layer to be directly BELOW your photo that you want the rounded corners on.



8. Select your photo layer in the layers palette to make it the active layer.
9. Now you are going to “clip” your photo to the Shape layer. For Photoshop Elements users, this is a CTRL-G (Command-G on a Mac). For Photoshop CS users, this is a CTRL-Alt-G (Command-Option-G on a Mac). Or alternately you can go to your Layer menu and choose “Create Clipping Mask”.
10. You now have a photo with beautifully rounded corners. You can merge the photo layer and the shape layers together if you desire.

These instructions can also be used to create a complimentary paper matte for your rounded-corner photo.

You can really get creative with your rounded corners in your digital scrapbook layouts. I will have an example in an upcoming future post.

I attended the last portion of the DigiScrapMap chat tonight that Hummie puts together and I am glad I did. I came away feeling so encouraged! I have been feeling bad about neglecting my little blog these days but her words of encouragement were enough to light a fire underneath me to get another template created.

It is a simple layout/template but it does have room for quite a few photos.

Here is the layout I used to create the template.

To download the template, please click on the image below. You will be brought to my download page containing all of my available scrapbook freebies.

I ran across an awesome idea for a Father’s Day card at C.R.@.F.T (Creating really awesome free things) and I just had to copy it for my card to Greg this Father’s Day. I really like how it turned out. I did my best to layout and design the card as if it were an actual Google search. Of course I did it digitally and then printed it out.

Here is the front of the card:

Then you flip the card over for your search results:

In the “Sponsored Links” section I hand wrote a personal message to Greg after printing the card out.

I have another free digital scrapbook template for you. Looks like I am averaging one a month. Sad. I really need to pick up the pace with my own scrapping so I can create more templates too. Now if only some more inspiration would come my way!

Here is the layout I used to create the template.

Credits: Kit is “Simple Pleasures” by Sweet Shoppe Designs

To download the template, please click on the image below. You will be brought to my download page containing all of my available scrapbook freebies.

Just a note: the kit I used on my example layout is a freebie by Sweet Shoppe Designs. I am not sure how long it will be available but, as of tonight, it looks like it is still available for download at Donna Downey’s blog if you are interested. Here is a preview of the kit:

I just love when I stumble across something that makes my life simpler or easier. In this case, it is a Photoshop feature that I was unaware of until recently.

I am in the process of scanning and editing my old baby photos from the late 1970s. The photos are pretty well stuck in their photo albums, making it difficult (if not impossible) to remove them without causing any damage. So instead of removing them, I have been scanning the entire page. This leaves me with a scan like this to work with:

I was then cropping each photo individually from the original scan and doing a Save As to begin my edits. Then, thanks to a Google search, I came across this quick automation feature in Photoshop. (I am using Photoshop CS3.)

1. With the original scan of multiple photos open, go to File/Automate/Crop and Straighten Photos
2. That’s it! Photoshop will automatically detect, crop, and straighten the photos from your scan. A new file is created for each of the cropped photos. (Please note that these new files are not saved to your computer until you manually do so.)

I have to say it does a pretty good job on the scans I have used it on so far. Here is a screen shot of the new files that were created from my original scan.

I am told that Photoshop Elements has a similar feature under the Image menu called “Divide Scanned Photos.”

I have another free digital scrapbook template for you. Here is the layout I used to create the template.

Credits: Kit is “Sunshine of my Life” by ScrapKitchen Designs, Journal Strips are by Shabby Princess (recolored by me)

I have decided to start including an “example” layout as a part of the preview with my templates. I have noticed some other designers doing this and I think it is helpful to see what others have done with the layout. Having a visual really gets me inspired on those days where I am feeling very uninspired (which happens more often than I’d like). Hopefully you will find this helpful too. You can click on the image to be brought to my download page containing all of my available scrapbook freebies.

I have fallen in love with 2-page templates. I think I may have to start creating some more of these. I love being able to finish 2 matching pages in one sitting.

Here is the original layout. It is of our little Breezy girl, who recently had to spend a night in the hospital for RSV. After a couple weeks on oxygen, we are glad she seems to be fully healed.

Credits: Alpha – Striped Alphas by Dharamsala Designs, Background Paper – Warm Woolen Mitten by Three Paper Peonie, Flowers – Recess by Heather Roselli

And now for your free template download. You can click on the image to be brought to my download page containing all of my available scrapbook freebies.

I have another freebie template ready for download. Finally!!

Here is the layout it was created from.

This layout was inspired by a beautiful page created by Rebecca Cooper – the original can be found here.

Additional Layout Credits:

• “Rub a Dub” kit by Kristen Cronin-Barrow
• Alpha is “Basic Acrylic” by Delicious Scraps
• Doodles by Kate Hadfield

And here is the template. You can click on the image to be brought to a page of all of my freebies available for download.

Sometimes I find myself sitting at my computer all evening, willing myself to come up with a scrapbook layout and coming up with nothing. This could be in part to my addiction to Facebook and reading blogs too.

To get out of my scrapbooking rut, I decided to try using a sketch/challenge over at Ella Publishing. It seemed to do the trick, as I was able to get another layout completed tonight. Hooray!

This is my Breezy girl at 8 weeks. She is really starting to interact and socialize with us more and just seeing her smile makes me smile too. I get a thrill of happiness every time I pick her up and hold her close.

Credits: Layout based on sketch by Donna Jannuzzi found at Ella Publishing; papers from “So Sweet” kit by Zoe Pearn; hearts and sparkles from “Happiness” kit by Three Paper Peonies.

I think you can still get Zoe Pearn’s “So Sweet” kit for free by subscribing to her newsletter here.

I saw someone post a layout of pictures in a calendar format and I fell in love with it instantly. My mind began thinking on how I could make a template for it when I saw that she had linked up a template that she had purchased and used to make the layout. I went out and bought the template pack that night and I have to say that it is fabulous! Everything is on its own layer so it is very easy to customize.

Here is what I did with the template.

Credits: Template by Misty Cato “Month in Review 2010 Calendar Templates”, Papers by Martine McKnight “Winter Wonderland”, Snowmen by Digital Anemona “Christmas Gift”

I enjoyed making this layout so much that it almost makes me wish February would hurry up and get over so I can start on my February month in review layout.

I had a chance to get some scrapping done yesterday, so I have another template that I would love to give away.

There is a download for the 12×12 PSD file as well as a separate download for the PNG files if you use a program other than Photoshop. You can click on the preview to be brought to my download page that contains all of my available digital scrapbook freebies.

If you need inspiration, here are the two layouts I put together which were what I created the template from.

Credits: Rub A Dub Kit by Kristen Cronin-Barrow

Wow, I think this is the longest time I have ever gone without a post on here in quite awhile. I guess I will use our new daughter as my excuse. Bree is now 5 weeks old. Born just a few days before Christmas, she was a wonderful gift!

After she was born, I realized that I still haven’t scrapped most of Adrianna’s baby photos yet. Rather than stressing about all the layouts I will have yet to do, now times two, I recognized that digital scrapbooking can help me simplify my scrapping in that I can make ONE general layout for a baby event (for daughter #1) and simply use that layout as a template to quickly make a second layout with photos of daughter #2. I can also easily clip papers and embellishments from a different kit to the layers of the original layout as well. This should be a huge time-saver for me, since coming up with the layout design idea is usually what takes me the longest when making a page.

So here is the same baby event (getting ready to head to the hospital to deliver) for both daughters. Same general design, two separate layouts created from one original PSD file.

Layout #1                                          Layout #2

Credits: Inspiration for the layout from this page by Eva Kipler; Ribbon by Dani Alencar ”On this day” kit; Kit on layout #1 and flowers by Paislee Press “On this day”; Kit on layout #2 by Jennifer Barrette “Chilled”

And of course I made a template out of my layout so it can save you some time too.

There is a download for the 12×12 PSD file as well as a separate download for the PNG files if you use a program other than Photoshop. You can click on the preview to be brought to my download page containing all of my available digital scrapbook freebies.

I recently borrowed some old photo albums from my parents. In particular, I was interested in perusing through my baby pictures since we are expecting a baby soon and it is fun to compare baby pictures. I was amazed (and very saddened) at how yellow/red the pictures were. Aren’t just the photos of your parents and grandparents supposed to be discolored? Man, talk about making me suddenly feel old! These pictures are only 32 years old (from the late 1970s).

They were in an magnetic photo album popular during that time (the kind with the sticky pages and plastic overlays). As many scrapbookers are aware, older albums are often not acid-free or lignin-free. Acid-free and lignin-free means that the item (in this case, the album pages) has gone through a process to make sure it won’t discolor or deteriorate the photos.

So I decided that I needed to get on the ball and scan in all my photos ASAP. I may not be able to reverse the damage already done, but at least I can capture them before further damage happens. And I can do some manipulation with Photoshop to help with some of the coloration.

But I found that my photos were stuck TIGHT. I have seen a few tips online on how to remove them (including freezing the album overnight, hairdrying the pictures, manipulating unwaxed dental floss underneath the photos, and using a product called UNDO), but I haven’t tried any of these yet. In the interest of saving time, I decided to cut out each entire page and then scan each page in. I scanned them in at 600 PPI.

After scanning, I am importing the scanned pages into Photoshop and cropping around each photo and creating PSD files out of each (so I don’t mess with the original scanned file). Then, I am making repairs to the photos using Photoshop’s clone stamp tool and patch tool to help with any perfections on the photo that happened due to age or the scanning process. I also am using the Variations, AutoLevels, and AutoColor options (all found under Image/Adjustments) to help bring some color variation back to the photos. I do each change on a separate layer so I can mess with opacity and play with the different options to find the best one.

I am sure a professional could do a much more thorough and impressive re-coloration, but I have hundreds of photos to do so fast and easy is the route I am taking. I will be keeping the original scans in case I want to revisit any of the pictures’ restoration in the future. The nice thing about getting these scanned in is that they are captured “as is” and the digital file will not deteriorate even if the original photo continues to do so.

Do you have any fast and easy tips for recoloring old yellow/red photos? I would love to hear any suggestions!

My original scans are on the left with the modified/repaired photo on the right. These are of me at 1-2 months old.

So my encouragement to you is to scan in your old photos as soon as you can, even if you don’t have time to make edits or repairs to those scans now. You won’t regret your proactive prevention of your precious photos’ further discoloration and damage since you will have a digital copy that will be saved for later repair. You can bet that I asked my mom to bring me some more albums on their next visit so I can continue scanning my valuable memories in.