Artistic Musings

Almost a teenager ...

[Click here to see layout and credits.]

Summer Spice ...

[Click here to visit this layout. Credits: Simple Sets #22, Missing You kit, by [ksharonkdesigns] at pickleberrypop. Fonts: Passions Conflict ROB, Century Gothic.]

Aren't I glad I have a beautiful niece to photograph? I have a new simple set in the pickleberrypop shoppe this weekend, and I've used it to scrap some more photos from Katie's end of school formal function. Here is what the new simple set looks like ...

[You can find Simple Sets #22 here at pickleberrypop.]

Here's another layout of my beautiful niece, using ... yes, this week's freebie!

[Click here to visit this layout. Credits: Summer Spice freebie, staple from Stationery Plus 1, by [ksharonkdesigns] at pickleberrypop. Fonts: Dobkin, Century Gothic.]

Here is the freebie ...

[Thank you for your interest, but this freebie has expired.]

Enjoy, don't forget to say Hi! if you download it, and remember the 'rules' in the Terms of Use file. This freebie is NOT to be hosted on other sites and shared there. Please visit my blog to download the freebie! :) Some digiscrappers have been downloading the freebies, recolouring them, and then selling them. This is not allowed ... please read my Terms of Use carefully, they are very specific. Play by the rules, and the freebies will continue!!! :)

This freebie will be up for three days. And then we move on to the next freebie ... and don't forget, you can shop for old ex-freebies here! Have a great weekend!

All washed up ...

[Click here to see layout. Credits: Credits: Paper, grid and tag from Good Things #31 - Day Trip minikit, staple from Small Packages - Stationery Plus 1, paper edges from Pink Kisses kit. Fonts: CK Classic, Century Gothic.]

She's baaaaak! :)

[Click here to visit this layout. Credits: Paper from Plum Yum Papers by Lisa Whitney Designs, at ScrapArtist. Ribbon by JanaM Designs. Notepaper from Grunge City, frame from Frames 1 by [ksharonkdesigns] at pickleberrypop. My stitching. Fonts: Times New Roman, Milk & Cereal.]

She's back, with a load of very smelly washing, an even more disgustingly-smelling teddy bear, a bag of presents, a flashcard full of photos, and very, very tired. She's asleep now, after a shower, I might add ... and looks like she might stay asleep for some time to come!!!

Lisa has a beautiful new paper pack out ... check this out!

[You can find it at ScrapArtist, here ... ]

CT eyecandy ...

[You can find Shen's layout here ... ]

[You can find Carol's layout here ... ]

[You can find Jodie's layout here ... ]

[You can find Cassie's layout here ... ]

[You can find Alissa's layout here ... ]

[You can find Doris' layout here ... ]

[You can find Kim's layout here ... ]

[You can find Lynn's layout here ... ]

[You can find LeeAndra's layout here ... ]

[You can find Cheryl's layout here ... ]

[You can find Dinah's layout here ... ]

[You can find Suzanne's layout here ... ]

[You can find Jessie's layout here ... ]

Baby magic ...

 

[Click here to visit this layout. Credits: Kit: Missing You by [ksharonkdesigns] at pickleberrypop. Font: Pharmacy, Arial, DJB Mandy.]

Isn't this a special photo? Annette very kindly trusted me with baby Holli's photo, so I had fun this afternoon scrapping it. :)

Sugar 'n' Spice ...

[Click here to see layout.]

Shhhh! Lil one sleeping ... isn't she a cutie? Not mine, a friend's little girl here. I've used Tracy Ann's pretty frame from Frippery Pink, and the paper is from Perfect Day Papers 1. Don't forget Tracy Ann's opening special is still on ...

And while I am on the 'enabling' trail, lol ... I've had a couple of people emailing me to ask if my Unadorned freebie is available for sale? It is, and you can pick it up here ... along with other exfreebies, here at my blog shoppe. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the latest 'freebee re-releases'!

China conversation ...

[Click here to see layout. Credits: Paper from Perfect Day Papers 2. My frame, stitch and tape. Font: DJB Mandy.]

More Tracy Ann goodness ... isn't this paper purty? You can find it here.

We wandered down to the coast again, with the intention of having brunch at the beach, but halfway down, I remembered the Swell Festival, and we forgot brunch, and explored the festival instead. Here are some photos from our adventure ...

         

Some layouts ...

[Click here to see layout. Credits: Paper and tab from Missing You kit, staple from Stationery Plus 1, frame from Small Packages - Frames 2, by [ksharonkdesigns] at pickleberrypop. Font: Milk & Cereal, Myriad Pro.]

[Click here to see layout. Credits: Simple Sets #21 by [ksharonkdesigns]. Font: LoveLetter TW.]

TADA ...

YES! YES! YES! Tracy Ann Digital Art is here ... you can find her brand new shoppe and fabulous sale happening here ...

[Click here to see layout and credits.]

This is created with one of the new fabulous products that Tracy Ann has made for the grand opening ... it is called Perfect Day Papers 2, and you can find it on sale here.

Take two ...

... this being the second post tonight, as Typepad ate the first one!!!

New kit, freebie ... have a great weekend!!! Ok, I did have a little more to say before, but it has all disappeared into cyberspace, and I'm too tired to be creative all over again, rotflol! Haven't even got a layout to share, as I was out all afternoon at a photoshoot ... will share photos in a day or two.

[Click here to see Missing You, at pickleberrypop.]

[Thank you for your interest but this freebie has expired.]

Enjoy, don't forget to say Hi! if you download it, and remember the 'rules' in the Terms of Use file. This freebie is NOT to be hosted on other sites and shared there. Please visit my blog to download the freebie! :) Some digiscrappers have been downloading the freebies, recolouring them, and then selling them. This is not allowed ... please read my Terms of Use carefully, they are very specific. Play by the rules, and the freebies will continue!!! :)

This freebie will be up for a week, or until the download links expire. And then we move on to the next freebie ... and don't forget, you can shop for old ex-freebies here! Have a great weekend!

Did you miss out ...

... on one of my lolly bags? Well, the 'lollies' are up for sale at pickleberrypop now. Here is a looksee at the contents of the bag, and a link, if you want to check them out.

[You can find Cherish Paper Pack here ... ]

[You can find Simple Sets #21 here ... ]

[You can find Stationery Plus 1 here ... ]

[You can find Lil Memory QuickAlbum here ... ]

[You can find Notepapers 3 here ... ]

[You can find Alpha 1 here ... ]

Girlie update ...

[Click here to see layout. Credits: Paper from Cherish Paper Pack, xstitch (recoloured) from Simple Joys kit, notecard from Stationery Plus 1, frame from Small Packages - Frames 1, by [ksharonkdesigns] at pickleberrypop. My DYMO tape. Fonts: aka Frivolity, Century Gothic.]

Just in case you are wondering, our lil world traveller is just fine. She is in Shuzou, China, about 100 kms west of Shanghai, on an orchestra tour, for 11 days. She gets back a week from today ...

My greatest fear, naturally, is that she is 8,000 kms away, and I can't get to her if I need to ... and my DH promised there wouldn't be a natural disaster, lol, and of course, China is being lashed by a typhoon at the moment.

The super typhoon called Wipha that the east coast of China was expecting yesterday (the biggest in a decade!) weakened and changed direction, which was a great relief for this worried mum! Tash has spent the day at home quietly with her host family, as the days' activities were cancelled because of the impending typhoon ... she is staying with her host family with another girl her age in the orchestra, and there is an older high school girl in the family too.

When I texted her at eight (her time) yesterday morning, Tash was still in bed, and the girls were eating Chinese chocolate biscuits! Seems we have a new addiction, lol. She rang last night and was very chirpy and happy. Giving her a mobile phone to take with her (with global roaming!) was the best thing we ever did. We can text her any time, and she rings every night.

The orchestra had a meal at a restaurant Tuesday, and Tashy tucked into what she thought was a delicious pasta dish, long white strands in a grey gravy, which she enjoyed muchly. She had a second helping, and then found out she had been eating eel!!! She sounded pretty unimpressed tonight, I was totally revolted by the idea, as I don't even like seafood. (Eel is sorta related to sea food, I guess.) DH was telling me how the leader of the orchestra had inadvertently had a serving of roosters' testicles, so I guess it could be worse!!!

So apart from missing her lots more than I thought I would, all things are good. She is safe, happy, and having an adventure ... but she better believe she is never EVER leaving home again, not till she is married with three kids, rotflol. It is just all too worrying ...

I'm getting a little bit nervous ...

... about posting Tracy Ann layouts and kits on my blog. Everytime I do, someone on my creative team is inspired to buy her stuff, creates fantastic layouts and ends up on her team, rotflol!! I think four of us are lucky enough to work with Tracy Ann's beautiful kits! Seriously, I'm soooo pleased we can all be part of her team ... it is a blast working with the yummy stuff. Here is a layout using an older kit called Something Sparkly.

[Click here to see layout and credits.]

I am just soooo much in love with these pretty stars and star trails ... so easy to work with and adds something extra special to your layout. This is what Something Sparkly looks like ...

You can find this at Tracy Ann's blog ... enjoy!

Sightseeing ...

Today I visited a local flower festival ... flowers weren't so hot this year, probably something to do with the drought and rain last night, but dessert was yummy! I belong to the school that believes that dessert is the main course of the meal, and if you are still hungry after dessert, there is always seconds ... of dessert! So on day trips, much to the bemusement (and resignation) of my friends, I start and finish with dessert. So here it is, documented for posterity's sake!

Flowers? Oh yes, perhaps some flowers too?

   

Must away ... while I was out photographing flowers and eating dessert, the ironing basket didn't iron, fold and put itself away in the cupboards! :)

Feeling sad ...

[Click here to see layout. Credits: Papers, staple and flower from Unadorned freebie, frame from Small Packages - Frames 1, by [ksharonkdesigns] at pickleberrypop. My stitching. Fonts: Cooper std, Arial, CK Classical.]

My baby is going to China for eleven days, and I feel as if a big piece of my heart has torn away, gone to the airport and left the country. I know she will have a fabulous time, but I am missing her. :(

Some ruff stuff ...

[Click here to see layout. Credits: Day Trip freebie by [ksharonkdesigns]. Clip from School Daze by [ksharonkdesigns] at pickleberrypop. Font: Century Gothic.]

One of my lovely customers emailed me to say how she loved the Lil Memories QuickAlbum that was in my Lolly Bag, but she also said how much she would like a 'boy' quickpage or two, so here you go ... This week's new shoppe stuff is Ruff Stuff QuickPage, a set of eight 6in x 6in quickpages, in png format. All you need to do is to slip your photos behind the photo frames, and to add journaling and elements to put your personal touch on the album. And just quietly, there are NOT just for boys, as I have scrapped my girl with some of the pages. And if you are wondering why the pages are 6in x 6in, they are intended to be little brag books, just create, print, pop into a 6x6 album, and hand out to impressed family and friends!

[Click here to visit the Ruff Stuff QuickAlbum at pickleberrypop.]

Should you purchase the kit, which is a special introductory price of AUD$4 over the weekend, you might like to grab this week's freebie! I'm offering up for grabs two more 'boy' pages, 6in x 6in, which co-ordinate beautifully with the other pages in the Ruff Stuff QuickAlbum.

[Thank you for your interest, but this freebie has expired.]

Enjoy, don't forget to say Hi! if you download it, and remember the 'rules' in the Terms of Use file. This freebie is NOT to be hosted on other sites and shared there. Please visit my blog to download the freebie! :) Some digiscrappers have been downloading the freebies, recolouring them, and then selling them. This is not allowed ... please read my Terms of Use carefully, they are very specific. Play by the rules, and the freebies will continue!!! :)

Just a reminder ... Each freebie will be up for a week, or until the download links expire. And then we move on to the next freebie ...

Don't forget, the Lolly Bags are only available for two more days. And check out the link at the top of this page to shoppe at my lil blog shoppe. Happy weekend, everyone, and as always, more next time!

It's my turn ... :)

  ... to post on the TAD Girls blog, so I thought I would share here!

We all agree, I'm sure, that Tracy Ann creates the most gorgeous stuff! And every now and then I am totally impressed by digiscrappers who use her beautiful product in extra creative ways! As I was wandering thru galleries this week, I came across some stunners that I just had to share ...

[Click here to see Annie's layout and credits ... ]

Annie has used Tracy Ann's folded Photo Mats on her photo, and doesn't it make the page special. I love the colour combo here, the neutral background with the splashes of red, blue and green ... totally eye-catching!

[Click here to see Saxon's layout and credits ... ]

[Click here to see Mela's layout ... ]

The photo catches my attention first, but then ... I see the pretty trail of flowers and corner detail ... makes one want to go find a river and play!

Hope you enjoyed visiting these special pages ...

CT eye-candy ... :)

[See Jodie's layout here ...]

[See LeeAndra's layout here ... ]

[See Lynn's layout here ...]

[See Alissa's layout here ... ]

[See Carol's layout here ... ]

[See Cheryl's layout here ... ]

[See Kim's layout here ... ]

[See Jessie's layout here ... ]

[See Kelly's layout here ... ]

[See Shen's layout here ... ]

Happy birthday to pickleberrypop ...

Yes, the sale is over ... but the fun continues. Click here to pick your [ksharonkdesigns] lolly bag packed with over 100 mbs of digital goodness for only AUD$2.50!!! For a VERY short time only ... enjoy, won't you? :)

Unadorned ...

[Click here to see layout. Credits: Unadorned freebie, by [ksharonkdesigns]. Fonts: CK Classic, Arial.]

Something short and sweet tonight. It's been a long, hard week, and I'm tired! :)

[Thank you for your interest, but this freebie has well and truly expired! :) ... ]

Enjoy, don't forget to say Hi! if you download it, and remember the 'rules' in the Terms of Use file. This freebie is NOT to be hosted on other sites and shared there. Please visit my blog to download the freebie! :) Some digiscrappers have been downloading the freebies, recolouring them, and then selling them. This is not allowed ... please read my Terms of Use carefully, they are very specific. Play by the rules, and the freebies will continue!!! :)

Just a reminder ... Each freebie will be up for a week, or until the download links expire. And then we move on to the next freebie ... Happy weekend, everyone, and as always, more next time!

Don't forget ...

Only THREE days left ... but here's a lil secret ... there will be something special happening in the shoppe verrrrrry soon! ;)

PSCS# Minitut: converting psd files into tiff files ... :)

First of all … why? Why would we want to convert psd files to tiff files? This is what Jen Caputo says in a DST forum … ‘Save your layouts as tiffs instead of psds, you'll save yourself at least 50% of the disk space. You sacrifice NO quality when saving as a tiff, it's just shrunken down, but remember, the compression it uses is lossless, so when you open it back up everything expands right back to where it was before.’ Anyone who uses Photoshop should use layered TIFFs instead of PSDs.’ So basically, you save heaps of space on your harddrive … and who doesn’t want to do that???

Now doesn’t that sound like fun? The thing is, I created over 1,000 layouts last year, and the thought of opening up and resaving ALL those layouts was almost overwhelming. But WAIT … there is good news. I can show you how to get Photoshop to do all the work for you. I am using PSCS3, but there is no reason why you couldn’t try this with other versions. Of course, test your procedure on a copy of your files, just in case something nasty happens. You don’t want to lose your layouts and files while playing …

First thing we need to do is to create a little action. Now, don’t run away and leave me. If I can do this, anyone can!!!

1. Open a psd document, a layout that you want to convert to a tiff file.
2. Open your actions palette and click on the little button at the right hand side of the palette to open the options. Choose New Action.
3. Give it a name, like ‘psd to tiff’, leave it in the default actions, and click on Record.

4. Then simply click on File, Save as … save your psd file as a tiff file. These are the options you need to select …

Very Important … then click on Stop (a little square) at the bottom of the palettes menu, to stop the action recording.

Now comes the fun bit. You have automated the ‘converting a psd file to a tiff file’ bit … now we are going to ask Photoshop to do a whole folder of the ‘psd files to tiff files’ all at once, in one go. You set it running, and then you go have a cup of coffee and a Tim Tam, and when you come back with it, all the work is done. Magic!!!

This is how you do it … Open PS CS3, and click on the Bridge icon, top right of your screen, in the top tool bar.  It looks like a little folder with a magnifying glass that turns red and says Go to Bridge when you hold your mouse over it.

Locate the folder with your psd files in it. Select all the files … Control/A. Then go to Tools, Photoshop, Batch. You need to change Action: psd to tiff (or whatever you called it.) Destination: click on Choose, and select where you want the new tiff files to end up.

Then click on OK, and go make your coffee. When you come back, you will find your new tiff files in the folder you selected. If you wish, check the files to make sure everything is okay, and then delete the big fat psd files if you wish. And then sit back and admire all that empty space on your hard drives. Think of all the new kits you can buy and scrap with now!!! J

A designer's tip for you ...

You'all know Hummie, don't you? She has a wonderfully inspirational blog here, and this week it was my turn to offer up a 'designer's tip'. This is what I shared with her blog readers ...

My scrapping style is predominantly simple, incorporating lots of white space. I almost always use two ‘visual aids’ when creating a page … a grid that I use to help position my photos, and the ‘visual triangle’ principle.

Grid: I imagine a three by three grid is on top of my page, and place the eyes of my subject in my photo, or point of interest in my photo, over one of the intersections.

You can see that Natasha’s eyes are close to the intersection of the top right corner part of the grid.

Visual triangle: my visual triangle ties my page together. You can see that there are three flowers on my page that make up an imaginary triangle. This creates a virtual boundary for the viewer’s eye, linking all the layout elements together, and creating a feeling of ‘organized space’ on the page.

I was also asked to share my favourite kit ... hard to do, cos I don't sell stuff I don't like, rotflol! But since I had to choose ...

The Girly Collection 1 ... a pretty set of four minikits of girly goodness!



Wild Child minikit: 5 papers, two frames, three felt flowers, three buttons, notepaper, two ribbons, gold staple and 3 'dymo' tapes. These papers are 12 in x 12 in, and the elements and papers are created at 300 dpi.

Summer Freckles minikit: five papers, two felt hearts, one frame, tape, two ricrac, staple, card, two buttons and one green clip. These papers a12 in x 12 in, and the elements and papers are created at 300 dpi.

Day Dreaming minikit: five papers, three tags, three buttons, two scrolls, frame, notepaper edge and zigzag stitching. These papers are 12 in x 12 in, and the elements and papers are created at 300 dpi.

Frivolous minikit: five papers, three buttons, two flowers, two bows, frame, tag and silver brad. These papers are 12 in x 12 in, and the elements and papers are created at 300 dpi.

You can find the Girly Collection 1 here ...

Zoom zoom ...

[Click here to see layout. Credits: Paper from Good Things #37 - Faraway minikit, tape and staple from Good Things #24 - Sweet Pea minikit (recoloured), frame from Small Packages - Frames 1, arrow from Small Packages - Doodles 2, all by [ksharonkdesigns] at pickleberrypop. Star from Tracy Ann Designs Lucky Dip August. Fonts: Century Gothic, CK Classic.]

I thought I would play along in Round #2 of the Bliggity Bloggity Boo challenge ... what's that, I hear you ask? Well, it is all about ... 'Blogs that inspire you. Let's blog about the blogs that inspire us at the moment. This doesn't have to be scrap related, it could be general life related! Feel free to share as many or as few as you like but make sure you put a link so that we can go check them out too!'

So here are five blogs I enjoy visiting ... (I'm not including my ctm and friends' blogs, as I would have to choose, and I don't want to do that, so I am doing blogs that aren't personal friends, kay?)

Blog 1 ... Antique Mom

Blog 2 ... Sprague Lab

Blog 3 ... Notes from DigiScrapInfo

Blog 4 ... 3191

Blog 5 ... {me}

Blog 6 ... {A}

NEWSFLASH!!!
There's a new blog on the block ... and I'm breaking my 'no friends' rule, cos this blog is written by a verrrrry talented friend. She makes me look sooo good, lol. Visit here to enjoy her blog, ... and scroll down towards the end and read the very powerful 'Words to live by' post. It gives me a whole new set of reasons to scrap.

Ready, set, CRAWL!

[Click here to visit layout. Credits: Paper and ribbon from Peekaboo Frippery Rainbow, flowers from Something Fresh, frame with photo corners from Something Pretty, all by Tracy Ann Designs. My staple. Fonts: Adler, Arno Pro.]

I created this layout of our girl just about to get mobile using the very pretty papers in Tracy Ann's Peek-a-Boo Frippery Rainbow Papers collection ... isn't it a gorgeous paper pack?

Off to fill a lolly bag ... you have heard about our pickleberrypop celebrations, haven't you? Lots of things happening ... read all about it here and here. Make sure you check it out, it involves presents and prizes and SALES!!! More next time! :)

Time out ...

[Click here to visit layout. Credits: Frame from Small Packages - Frames 1, Simple Joys kit, by [ksharonkdesigns] at pickleberrypop. Font: Century Gothic.]

Digi you know ...