I'm *trying* to join y'all...

sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
...but this digital scrapbooking stuff is soooo overwhelming! I really want to get into this stuff, tho. It's quite apparent that I'll never get around to hauling out my box of Disney scrapbook fodder, spread it out, and use it. I think the no-mess approach with the digital format is riiiight up my alley. I love love love doing trip reports. I think this could be my next favorite thing!

I bought Photoshop Elements and have been playing with it a little. I have never used a graphic design or technical photo editing program before so I'm literally looking at the screens like :veryconfu. It's like someone yacked a bunch of foreign mumbo-jumbo on my computer and I'm trying to figure out what any of it is. I guess I need to try to use the tutorials or find a program or online course to teach me the basics because I'm utterly lost.

As for the download kits, I've downloaded some. I also downloaded some of Disney clipart. The clipart I'm guessing I use as another "layer", right? With the download "kits" (I need to look at this stuff more) do you cut out the pieces and bits you want to use and modify them to layer in with everything? Also, can I take the scrapbook papers, stickers, park maps, and other bits that I've collected over the years & do high resolution scans to use in my digital layouts?

Soooo, even tho it's not Disney here's my first attempt at playing with Photoshop Elements. This is one of the dolls in my collection. I hope to use this program/format to document & display each of my babies in the Cabbage Patch online club I belong to. As you can tell, I've been fighting with the text. Grrrrr.....

LucyLinPractice_edited-1.jpg
 
unkadug

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Your first attempt looks pretty darn good to me. I can't help you with elements as I've never dealt with anything but Photoshop 6 and CS. There are lots of good free primers on the internet. The best way to learn is practice.

Have fun!
 
eagles

eagles

Active Member
the best thing you can do is EXACTLY what you did! jump in and play with that program. i have elements but an older version, its 4.0. i think they are up to 7.0 now.

the only advice i can give is to make sure you "save as" you original photo so nothing will happen to it. plus make a seperate layer for every thing. you will be able to make changes so much easier. plus you can hide a layer if you want to see what it looks like without it.

YES, you can scan in you tradional papers and use them. i have done that myself.

all your kits that you are downloading, please take this warning to heart, (don't ask how i know this), backup your kits! backup your photos! you never know when your computer might crash, and you might get lucky to beable to retrieve your stuff, but you also might not :cry:

can't wait to see more of your work (even though you went to the dark side) :lol:

am i the only one that converted back to tradional?:shrug:
 
mastif

mastif

New Member
im just DL photoshop too and i'm trying to learn it too! it's soo confusing! what I found helpful was these little tutorials on youtube for creating effects. Try itout, it really helped me!
 
mouselvrmom

mouselvrmom

Well-Known Member
Yay!!! We love when people join us! :D

I can't help you at all try to figure out your program, but I can't wait to start seeing all those layouts from you!
 
HollyBelle

HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
Louella is right... jumping in and playing with the program is the best way to learn. I see you've already figured out how to add shadows and bevel images... so you're definitely on the right track. Layers are definitely the key to using digital programs... pretty soon you'll be seeing everything in layers!! :D

When you download scrapbook kits, you usually don't have to "cut" out the elements, for the most part that is done for you already. However, I download a lot of stuff that has to be painstakingly cut out. I've also cut a lot of "signage" out of my own pictures so they look good on the page. Knowing how to do this will open up a whole world of possibilities.

Also, I would suggest downloading some extra fonts just to give you some variety with the text. Once I found some scrapbooking fonts, I had all kinds of fun options for titles. Check out the ones on the following site, they're free... http://www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts/freescrapbookfonts/


Have fun! :sohappy:
 
HollyBelle

HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
You're welcome, Jenn! Ever since I downloaded them I've been mixing and matching fonts and I think it brings so much to the page.
 
mouselvrmom

mouselvrmom

Well-Known Member
I think you're right. I have downloaded many fonts, but I think these ones were really cute and more geared toward scrapbooking than most.
 
Disneyfalcon

Disneyfalcon

Well-Known Member
I just saw this thread! Welcome Sweetpee!!

I think your fist page looks great! I was completely lost the first time I opened elements. JessicaSprague.com has some awesome online classes for photoshop and elements users. You can go at your own pace, and go back and rewatch them over and over. They have been a great help to me.

Layers are awesome. I also always save a .psd file with all the layers, and a flattened .jpg version. If you decide you want to change something, that .psd file is a lifesaver.

Take a look at the Disney kits thread, there's a lot of freebies, and some cheap kits to help you get started.

Holly's right, the kits are amazingly user friendly.:)
 
KnK

KnK

New Member
I still am inspiring to HollyBelle's greatness when it comes to digital pages!

Computer is dead currently, so back to the paper version only.
 
K

Kellybell

New Member
Congratulations! What a great 1st attempt! I have elements myself (6.0) and I am totally self taught! Just playing around with it as much as possible that is how I learned everything that I know! Good Luck can't wait to see more of what you come up with! :)
 

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