A cool Photoshop Plug-In

I read a LOT of blogs from fellow crafters, sometimes too many. When I find something that gives me the Ahaa moment I realize it is worth the time I spend. A fellow paper crafter had a post about this cool Photoshop plug-in called Kaleidoscope. I wasn't able to get it to work with the 64 bit version of Photoshop CS4 but it does work just fine with the 32 bit version.

So what can you do with a few ordinary photos? Here's one of a daffodil.

Here's the same photo with the effect where it looks like I took an aerial shot of a field of flowers.

Here's a photo of the Wright Brothers monument in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Here's the same photo with the effect but I used different settings than I did with the flower.

Finally, here's a photo of my kitty BC who by the way is doing very well. If you remember (and even if you don't) he was VERY sick around the Christmas holidays in 2009. He was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease and is on prescription food and 1/2 tablet of Prednisone every three days. His last blood test in October was good and hopefully his next one in April will be the same.

Here's the first version of Kaleidoscope but it is a bit creepy with all those heads.

I did the effect again and came up with something a bit different that you'd never guess started out as a cat.

If you have Photoshop or Photoshop elements give it a try. Warning it is a bit addictive.

Until my next post,
Diane

Gatefold Album

This was a really easy project to put together and I got it on sale so that made it all the better! This is a Deja Views Fall Gatefold Album from the Sharon Ann Timeless collection. It came on a 12x24 piece of double sided cardstock. The pieces were perforated so you just punch them out and then assemble.

There are two signatures that I sewed with waxed linen thread and then added the ribbon for look.

All the coordinating embellishments came on the cardstock too so you know it was going to work together.

Until my next post,
Diane

The original steampunk artist?

This January 2011 issue of the Smithsonian magazine has a great article about an artist I'd never heard of. Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a portrait painter but when you see how he portrayed his subjects you'd think he was the first steampunk artist ever.

Until my next post,
Diane

Happy Birthday Edgar

Today is the 202nd anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allen Poe. I haven't read that much of his work...it's on my list of classics but I just haven't gotten to it yet.

I was reading the newspapers my neighbor saved for me when hubby and I were out of town skiing and visiting family when I saw this one from Bizarro. It is timely for the anniversay of the great writer and since I'm a big fan of A. A. Milne's series it was a perfect match.

Until my next post,

Diane

Simplicity Card

Here's a Technique Junkie designed Pinwheel card that I made for a recent swap. I used mostly patterned paper except for the hot pink portion in the pinwheel which was embossed. I used a simple punch in the corner and then added a sentiment stamp by Hero Arts.

Until my next post,
Diane

Thanks! card

I sent this card as a thank you for Christmas gifts received. I sent is over two weeks ago so I'm timely with my thanks just not with my posts. The background paper is by K&Co. The stamp is by Impression Obsession. I colored it with Marvy watercolor markers to get the different colors on the flower and petal and outline.

Until my next post,
Diane

You're only a kid once card

Here's a card I made for a birthday using the simple layout from Boxer Scrapbooks that I learned at a show last year. I've made a bunch of cards using this layout since it is so versitile. The paper is from various sources, the stamp is by Inkadinkado. It is a two part stamp, the inside says "but you can be young a lifetime". I used decorative scissors on the edges of the brown paper and a few accent stripes of gold with a peel-off.

Until my next post,
Diane

Wow...card

Here's the last card (for now) using the Anne Taintor playing cards. Like the others I used the Faux Marble Technique from the Technique Junkies Oct/Nov 09 newsletter. For this one I used Ranger Distress Inks in Crushed Olive and some swirls that I cut with my Silhouette

Until my next post,
Diane

Embrace Life card

Back in mid October I attended another Stamp Scrap Art Tour convention in Hampton. I have been taking classes there and this year I took two with Sarah from the Paper Cut. This class used images printed in black and white or color on printable acetate. This acetate can go through either an ink jet or laser printer. We stamped the cards with a lot of different background stamps by Impression Obsession. They have about 75 of these huge bachground stamps. They make a special acrylic handle to use these big stamps since sometimes you don't get a good impression. It really works, I bought a show special the next day with three background stamps and the handle.

Until my next post,
Diane

Rainy Day Photoshop Action

One great thing about Photoshop is that you can change the look and feel of your photos. In this case the day I went to visit Tuckahoe Plantation it was overcast but certainly NOT raining. But through the magic of photoshop and free actions that you can download from this site (and others) is that you can change the weather.

Here's what it really looked like:

Here's what it looks like with a bit of faux rain drops on the lens:

How about a bit of condensation too:

Have fun making a rainy day.

Until my next post,
Diane