Another Class

Yup, my not that much younger sister and I are taking another class online. This one should be really fun and easy if the first day is any indication. It is by Jessica Sprague who is known in the scrapbooking world as an expert in Photoshop and all the fun things that can be done with this program. The best part is it's free! Yes, free. Isn't she generous?

It is called Photo Editing: Frame-ups and Special Effects. Today she showed us how to place frames over our photos. Free frames can be found all over the internet. Some for sale and some for free. Part of this class includes some free frames. I used one of them on this photo of Jo.




In the next couple of weeks I will post some more of the fun things she teaches us how to do.

I'm Almost Done

torturing you. Yes, it is now week eleven of my twelve week scrapbooking class. I know, you are thinking it will never end but it will never fear. In fact, I am working on my last two layouts and hope to have them done by Monday night. Yes, even I need a break.

This week was all about type. All I am going to say about that is there are a lot of rules.

The first layout shows that using plain old fonts can be interesting. Here is my take on the sketch she gave us to copy.





Layout two is using contrasting type in the title but keeping the main journaling clean and simple.





The last layout is a Real World Color layout. She suggested using hot orange, yellow-orange, gray and light cream.





Later this week I will be posting the last of my class assignments. Do I hear cheering?

Scrapbooking, Week Ten

Yes, people, this class is almost done and you won't have to look at my scrapbook layouts anymore but until then we are now at week ten. It was all about color this week.

For this layout we had to find three photos with similar colors. We then had to find the four major colors in those pictures. Next, narrow those colors down to three and use those colors in our layout. My four color choices were blue, green, yellow and orange. I dropped the orange and went with the remaining three colors. This is a parade I had been at in Ireland. It was by far the most colorful parade I had ever seen.





We had to choose a triadic color scheme for this layout. I choose green and blue and dropped the orange.





For this we just had to pull colors out of a photo and find paper to match. I pulled green and brown out of the photos and went from there.





That's it for Week Ten. I already have two of the assignments done for this week and will be posting them later. Like I said this class is almost done so I am close to being done torturing you.

I'm Falling Behind

Not in actually doing my scrapbook layouts, just in posting them. We start Week Eleven tomorrow and I am posting Week Nine. Where does the time go?

Week Nine and Ten are about elements good design. This week it is element of line. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, I think you get the idea. Having strong lines in your layouts gives unity and helps hold the items on a layout "together".

In this first layout assignment can you see the two strong lines? One an actual line (the horizontal strip) and one implied (the line dividing the left pictures from the right picture)?





Here is the second layout. The two rows of horizontal pictures draw a nice strong line across the pages.





The third layout is a Real World Color layout. We were to use tints of green, white, orange and black. Green and orange are part of a triadic color scheme. Her layout had the picture going horizontally but that didn't work with my photo so I turned it ninety degrees. Not only does this have a triadic color scheme it also has strong vertical lines. I think this is one of my favorite photos of Sarah.



Coming soon, Week Ten.

EMPHASIS, Part Two

Yes, we spending another week on the importance of emphasis in a scrapbooking layout.

This time the idea was to use a very large photo to emphasize its importance. I have been waiting for this week because I knew I was going to use this photo.





My second layout for this week.





Because I am writing this post earlier than normal and leaving tomorrow, I can't show you my Real World Color layout. She won't give the assignment until Saturday and I will be at Sarah's. You will just have to wait for another time. Thanks for taking the time to look at my layouts.

It's All About EMPHASIS

Another week of scrapbooking homework and layouts. This week the emphasis was EMPHASIS. The idea was to make one element on the page really stand out.

Can you tell which photo is being emphasized on this page?





This is a subject I have done before but I love the picture and wanted to use it again. Again, one picture is being emphasized in this layout.





For Real World Color this week she sent us to a website that posts all different kinds of color combinations. We could choose any combination we liked and use it in the sketch she gave us. This is the color combination that I found and really liked.





That's it for week seven. Next, week? You will just have to wait and see.

Let's Be One

Week six of my scrapbooking class was all about unity. Making all the items on the page work together and seem as one united whole as opposed to a chaotic mess. I hope I succeeded.









This week she had a real world color assignment. It was fun Halloween colors. Can you tell from my layout what the colors were?






We left this morning. After 10 hours in the car I am now 4 hours east of Pittsburgh. What's up with that? On to New York City tomorrow. My guess is my free internet is over for a couple of days. I have found the more expensive the hotel the fewer free amenities.

I'm Leaving Again

Yup, I'm hitting the road again. Tuesday we leave for Syracuse for a sales call and start the drive to New York City. We bought a tour and voucher credits for lodging at Catholic Central's auction last year and are finally getting around to using them. We arrive on Wednesday hopefully with some time to walk around before a show Wed night. We are seeing Phantom of the Opera. We have our personal tour Thursday morning, we are going to Ellis Island in the afternoon and then seeing Mama Mia in the evening. Friday on to Philly to meet up with Sarah and Cory. Saturday is the ND/Navy game and Sunday back home. It should be fun.

I got behind posting my layouts for my scrapbooking class so here are the layouts from last week. It was all about space. White space to be exact. Not every space on the page needs to be filled with something. Empty space can be a good thing. Here are my interpretations of the sketches she assigned.













I am going to write up a couple of posts and if I get a chance while I am gone will post them. Otherwise, I will be back in a week.

It's All About Repetition, It's All About Repetition

I almost have all the homework done for week five and I still haven't uploaded my layouts from week four. It was another week of repetition.

These aren't my favorite layouts. For the most part I do like this one. I am especially glad that I had a chance to use these photos. Aren't they the cutest children you have ever seen in your life?





I really like this mini book she had us make. I will be doing this one over and over. Ahh, repetition at its best.

















There was a real world color but I'm not loving it so I'm not posting it.

I have two out of three assignments done for week five and will be posting them later this week. I know you can't wait for that!

Fire Away

This is the last assignment for week three. I am caught up until tomorrow. Sorry it's crooked but I gave up trying to fix it. Note to self, take them straight and then you don't have to worry about trying to straighten them later.

Silly Boys

Well, a layout about my other girl. Guilt is a great motivater.

This was a sketch using the colors of red, gray, and bright green. I think the color scheme really worked for this.





I have one more layout to do today and I will be done for this week.

I'd Thought You'd Like To See

my version of the same sketch that my not that much younger sister used for her "take me fishing" layout. I have a lot to live up to because I thought her layout was incredible.




I am now working on another homework assignment from this week, the real world color sketch. Red, bright green and gray. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what I have come up with for that one, but I will say, it does involve the girl who's nose seems to be out of joint.

It Wasn't Easy But

I managed to get all of my layouts done before the next class. Wow, the stress is going to kill me. Darn those first born tendencies.

Anyway, this week was all about asymetrical balance. Let's just say my not that much younger sister and I agree that this is hard. I'm not sure I get it and it certainly isn't my style. Good thing we get sketches and lots of direction.

My first layout is a many photo design. The best part is I had my photos from Mackinac Island just begging to be used.




Then she has us do a one page asymetrical layout.





On to Real World Color. This week she used the colors of orange, pink and a touch of brown. What better subject than my girls?





New homework tomorrow and I am ready. I believe it is about repetition. Should be interesting and hopefully easier than this week's lesson.

Just Thought You Would Like To Know

Today one of my scrapbooking layouts is featured on Scrapbook & Cards Today blog. If you care to take a look, it is here: http://www.scrapbookandcards.com/blog.html

And if that is too much work you aren't going to get off that easy. Here is the layout they are featuring.





Thanks, Katie, for the picture and the story.

Look At This!

Look what was waiting for me when I came back home from vacation.






And why was I so excited? Because this appeared on page 35 of that magazine.






Yes, I had one of my scrapbooking layouts published in a magazine. It seems like it was the photo that caught their eye. I have to admit it is one of my favorite photos that I have taken of Katie. Needless to say, it was exciting to see it in print. Never fear, dear sister, a copy is on its way to you as I write. Here is the original layout.





I am slowly getting caught up from being gone and hope to have some vacation photos up Sunday night. Well, maybe Monday!