Jen's Digital Creations

Tuesday's Template #9

2011-02-15T08:34:00.000-08:00

Click on the template for a free download link

Sample Layout:

ingredients used on this layout:

Digital Stickers: Red Eye Frogs, Assemble Your Own: Frames - Bamboo, Hula Sue Collection Biggie, Mischief Maker Collection, 1 Scrap Girls Eternal Love Collection Mini and Brush Set, Space Kids Collection Mini, Batik Paper Biggie, Brush Set: Paint Stroke, AMC_Happy Font

Tuesday's Template: #8

2011-02-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Click on the template for a free download link.

Sample Layout:

ingredients used on this layout:
Back Porch Collection Biggie, Kingdom Collection Biggie, Noteworthy Embellishment Biggie,
Shabby Fabulous Collection Biggie, Yesteryear Collection Biggie

Template #7

2011-02-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

Click on the template for a free download link.

Sample Layout:

ingredients for sample layout are linked as follows:

Artisan Blue Collection

Adjusting Photo Colors and Lighting

2011-01-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

I have learned a few tips and tricks here and there from various sources on how to adjust photos using Photoshop Element. I thought I'd share them with you. These are real basic steps, but hopefully they will help someone.

What I tend to use most of the time is my Create Adjustment Layer tool. It is the black and white circle icon on the layers platte. I like to have my adjustments on their own layer so I can easily turn them on and off if I don’t like what I see. Where as if I do things to the actually picture itself, I may have a lot of undoing to do if I find I am not happy with the adjusting. Does that make sense?

I’ll take you step by step what I did to one of my photos.

So, I clicked on the Create Adjustment Layer icon and from the drop down menu I usually choose the Levels option. I then play with both sliders to get just the right lighting. Sometimes this is all I need to do.

However, I might need to go a step further. This photo has too much yellow in it so to remove it I will choose Hue/Saturation from the pervious drop down menu.

I then slide the Saturation slider a little to the left and the Lightness slider a little to the right.

And finally, I might make further adjustments with the Brightness/Contrast options from the Create Adjustment Layer as well.

Here is the before and after. It isn’t perfect, but it is better.

Other tips:

In some pictures where the lighting is good but I want more vibrant colors, I will usually use the Hue/Saturation layer and move the Saturation to the right until I get my desired effect. And if I want more muted tones, I move the same slider to the left.

I also use Actions I have bought from Scrap Girls and The Coffee Shop Blog has some great FREE actions and editing tips.

I hope this helps a little. Good luck and Happy Editing!

Awesome Templates!

2011-01-24T04:39:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Stylish Frames from Scrap Girls. There are only three templates in this pack but they are so fun and versatile! I have used them a few different times and can't wait to use them in many more layouts.

Here is just a sample of a couple of my layouts using these AWESOME templates!

ingredients for sample layout are linked as follows:
ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Stylish Frame, Rock and Roll Collection Biggie, Digital Stickers: Music - Percussion, Digital Stickers: Christmas Penguins, AMC_Happy Font, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Embed 1801

This is a two page spread

ingredients for sample layout are linked as follows:
ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates: Stylish Frames, A Tour Across Europe Collection Biggie , ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Europe and Australia Biggie, Expedition Collection Mini, Destinations Collection, Lettering Delights Painter's Hand Font, Lettering Delights Chicken Scratch Font

Tuesday's Template: #6

2010-10-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

Click on the template for a free download link.

I created this template for a sketch seen in one of Scrapbooks etc. magazines (Vol. 11 Issue 7).

Sample Layout:
ingredients for sample layout are linked as follows:
Witch's Brew Collection, Spellbound Collection Mini, Bewitched Collection, Abracadabra Collection Mini

Tuesday's Template: #5

2010-10-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

Click on the template for a free download link.

Sample Layout:ingredients for sample layout are linked as follows:
Garden Plot Collection Mini, Noteworthy Collection Biggie, Fruit Smoothie Collection Biggie

Tuesday's Template: #4

2010-10-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

Click on the template for a Free download.

Sample Layout:

ingredients for sample layout are linked as follows: My Sweet Baby - Boy Collection, Cabana Collection Biggie, Fleeting Moments Collection Biggie

Tuesday's Template: #3

2010-09-28T05:53:00.001-07:00

Click on the template for a free download link.

Here is my sample layout.

Tuesday's Template: #2

2010-09-21T04:40:00.000-07:00

Click on the template for a Free download.

Sample Layout:

ingredients for sample layout are linked as follows: Shark Lagoon Collection , Story Time Collection Mini

September's Scrap A Recipe: Amish Friendship Bread

2010-09-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

Fall is almost here and home made bread is a delicious way to celebrate the season.

Amish Friendship bread is one of my family's absolute favorite. Probably because it is more of a sweet dessert bread and mmmmm, so good. Don’t let the ten day process fool you, it really isn’t that time consuming or hard to do. The idea of Amish Friendship Bread is that you make two loaves for yourself and family to enjoy and pass a starter along to your friends so they can make and enjoy this delicious sweet bread in their home as well.

Feel free to print these recipe cards off and use them in your own kitchen or pass along to a friend. To save, just click on the image. Once it is enlarged, right-click and choose Save As from the drop down menu.

Created from the Josh & Megan Collection.

The Recipe:

In order to make this bread you first need a starter. The easiest way to obtain a starter is to receive one from a friend. But if none of your friends has a start you can try this recipe:

1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 c. milk

Day 1: Combine ingredients in a large, deep glass or plastic container. Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon (not use metal). Cover bowl loosely with paper towel. Store at room temperature (don’t refrigerate).

Day 2, 3, & 4: Use wooden or plastic spoon, stir mixture once each day.

Day 5: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk. Stir.

Day 6, 7, 8, & 9: Use wooden or plastic spoon, stir mixture once each day.

Day 10: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 milk. Stir. Measure out 3 cups of the mixture. Give 1 cup each to three friends in a plastic gallon size bag with the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Save the remaining cup for yourself.

Now that you have a start follow these directions:

Day 1: Do nothing

Day 2: Mush and burp the bag

Day 3: Mush and burp the bag

Day 4: Mush and burp the bag

Day 5: Mush and burp the bag

Day 6: Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk to the bag mixture. Mush the bag.

Day 7: Mush and burp the bag

Day 8: Mush and burp the bag

Day 9: Mush and burp the bag

Day 10: Pour entire contents of the bag into a large non-metal bowl. Add 1 ½ cup sugar, 1 ½ cup flour, 1 ½ milk. Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon. Fill four plastic gallon size bags with 1 cup of the mixture. Save one for yourself and give the other three to friends with a copy of the directions and recipe.

Preheat oven to 325º
Add the following ingredients to remaining batter and mix with a wooden spoon:

3 eggs
1 cup oil or 1 cup applesauce
½ milk
½ tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
2 cups of flour
1 large box or chocolate or vanilla instant pudding
Raisins (optional)
Nuts (optional)

Grease 2 large loaf pans. In a separate bowl, mix an additional ¼ cup sugar and 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with half of cinnamon and sugar mixture. Pout batter evenly into pans. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over tops. Bake 1 hour or until done. Cool until bread loosens evenly from the side of pan. Enjoy!

Tuesday's Template: #1

2010-09-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Click on template to download for FREE!

Sample Layout:

Ingredients for sample layout are linked as follows: Bliss Collection Biggie, Josh and Megan Collection Biggie, Inspired Collection Biggie, Life's Canvas Collection Biggie, Assemble Your Own Zoom Pages: The Bee's Knees, Just Be You Embellishment Biggie, By Hand Word Art Mini