Tip: Catching Stray Pixels

Apply a stroke style to your layers before finishing up with a file.

It will make it much easier to spot and delete any stray pixels that you might otherwise miss.

List of things scrappers look for in a good kit

I've been wondering what makes a great digiscrap kit.
What is essential and what is desireable and what do scrappers hate?
So I asked them...

• Papers:
  a mix of plain & patterned papers that co-ordinate well.
  theme-related patterns.
  at least one neutral solid.

• Theme-related elements
  several with real variety (not 4 different versions of the same thing)

• Notions:
  ribbons, ricrac, string, twine, rope, wire.

• Clusterable elements:
  flowers, leaves, twigs, branches, ivy, buttons, swirls, glitter, beads, stars, hearts.

• Frames
  different shapes.

• Fasteners:
  stitching, prongs, clips, brads, staples.

• Wordart

• Journaling:
  blocks or tags

• Alphas:
  good, but not essential.

Other important aspects:

• Elements should be original and unique (especially flowers).

• Flowers should have leaves to go with them.

• Realistic sizing between elements. For example, birds should be smaller than trees.

• Wordart language - offer US & UK spellings, and tell buyers you will gladly offer translated versions if they ask.

• A fantasy theme needs landscape papers and scenery elements.

Taken from this thread at digishoptalk forum

Photoshop flower tutorials

• 3d flower

• Leaves and flowers

• Youtube: flower in PSE

In love with Fur

I just wanted to make a note of the fact that I love the fur effect in this kit.

So I've been looking around for fur brushes & tutorials on how to get the effect, and these are the best I've found by far:

• Furry Text in photoshop - tutorial
• Another furry text tutorial
• Fur brushes  

Will add new finds if and when...

Select all pixels of same / similar colour in paint.NET

This might seem a simple thing, but it's taken me six months (and an accident) to figure out that it can be done.

1. Select the Magic Wand from the Tools Menu (see right)

2. Hold down the SHIFT key while you click on one area of the colour you want to select (let's call it black).


3. Voila!  All areas of black are selected for you to edit.

If you only want to select some of the black areas, then hold down the CTRL key, instead, and click on the areas you want to include in your selection.


And ifyou accidentally click on an area you don't want included, just click on it again to unselect it.

How to create Felt Shapes in PSE

1. Choose flat shape & colour with foreground colour (background colour should be slightly lighter tone)

2. Filters ---> Artistic ---> Filmgrain
Grain: 20.

3. Filters ---> Render --->Fibers
Variance: 6.0
Strength: 1.0
Randomise until happy with results

4. Filters ---> Texture ---> Texturiser
Texture: sandstone
Scaling: 52%
Relief: 2
Light: top left

5. Layer Style Settings
Lighting Angle: 135
Drop Shadow: size 8, distance 8, opacity 75
Bevel: size 9, direction up

See also the following tutorial:
{tutorial here}

Transparent Layers in paint.NET

1.  Select or create the layer you wish to make transparent.

2.  Press F4 to display the Layer Properties window.

3.  From Blending Mode dropdown list, select "Overlay".

4.  Set Opacity at 175, and experiment to get the result you want.