suruha-freespirit

Final Parts Freebie - "I Love..."

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:21:00 +0000

I'm feeling really poorly this morning, so, here are the previews with links. Click on each preview to go to the downloads, then, on Miss Edna's preview to go to her blog for her downloads.

Part 5

Part 6

Miss Edna's Preview

I hope you enjoy it!
Hugs,
Su

"I Love..." Freebie Parts and 'Recovery'

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:29:00 +0000

A good Monday to all! I hope everyone is staying warm. For Florida, 20 degrees is cold! It's been in the 20's two nights in a row. During the day, it barely made it up to 40 degrees. My drafty old 'cracker' house is cold!! My house sits above the ground a foot to a foot and a half. Nothing is protecting us from the cold drafts underneath. It's wonderful in the summertime, allowing breezes to flow all around the house. Needless to say, come winter and we have to run the heat in excess. We have to bundle up - indoors! Everyone has slippers and 'footies'. You have to! Even with the heat cranking, like it is now, my feet are like ice cubes! Brrrr!
I want to tell ya'll about something I found. One of the wonderful ladies in my group, Digital Whisper, is offering a free course called, "Recovery". Stephanie has this to say in her opening,
We are all in recovery from something.... and the entire human race is in spiritual recovery right now!
It does not matter what you need to recover from... the important thing is that you know you need to walk down this path for a while!
You could be in recovery for drug or alcohol abuse, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, a difficult relationship, a difficult childhood, depression, grief, of not loving yourself, of enabling the people around you and many, many more things....

"Recovery" sounds like just what I need! There will be daily 'lessons' which are mailed to you in your inbox for a daily cleansing, as Stephanie so writes on the blog, "Inspiration for Life". She is going to be using a text for the course, but, it isn't necessary in order to take the course. She does give the info on obtaining a copy if you like. She suggests keeping a little notebook or perhaps a journal. The daily classes are real short so they can be done quickly, a plus for our busy lives, eh? I know I hemmed and hawed as to whether to sign up or not. As a rule, any self-exploration/discovery I have ever engaged in has been painful! It has been 'good' pain, but, pain, never the less. I am not looking forward to opening myself up, right now, anyway. But, I know from experience that this is what makes it or breaks it for me. You might say, the more painful the lesson, the more help it is to me. These things always take a certain amount of gumption to take on, but, if I can't do this for me, no one else will. I think that is the key, here. This is not for anyone but me! I don't know about you guys, but, I have spent a lifetime waiting on others and making sure my loved ones had everything they needed. What about me? I need. So, I signed up. LOL The classes start today, so, if you think you might be interested, go see and sign up, in the side bar, for this. Like Stephanie told me, I can always 'un-subscribe' if I don't like it.

Today, Miss Edna and I are giving out the next two(2) parts to our February kit, "I love..." Last week you got the QP's. This week, as well as next, there are two parts, full of elements and papers so you can create your own pages. Typical of me, I forgot to add the TOU's and Sources for this one. My bad! However, this one is for Personal Use only, please. My supplies came from "123RF Stock Photos" and "Barry's Place", a wonderful place with all kinds of tubes and .pngs in stock.

Below are my two previews. Click on the first one for Part 3 and the second one for Part 4. Then, below that, you will see Miss Edna's preview. Click on it to go to her blog to see her parts and download them.

Part 3

Part 4
Miss Edna's Place
As usual, all of my past links are still available. My next project is to put all of my goodies up on one page with links. Like a gallery, folks will be able to view a preview, then, click on it to go to that post. I just have to figure out how to do that! LOL
Until then,
Keep Smiling!
Hugs,
Su

New Freebie Collaboration - "I Love..."

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:52:00 +0000

Happy Monday, folks! Boy, this year is zipping right along, now, isn't it? I think time passes a lot quicker when you are old-er. When we were kids, it seemed like it took forever for one's birthday to roll around! Or, Christmas! Or, summer vacation! Remember that? Some school years, it seemed like June was never going to come! I'm sure some of the teachers felt the same way. LOL But, now, as an older person, time just ZOOMS by! What do you think?
I've given you a couple of things in the past few weeks - a tutorial and some textures. Now, I give you a couple of links to sites I know you will find of interest. The first one is 'Vintage Feed Sacks'. If you fancy 'The Graphics Fairy' site, you'll love 'Feed Sacks'! They are similar, in some ways, in that they both 'clean up' some of the images for you. They also have 'suggested uses' in common, both offering sweet ideas to which to use the images. But, the images are all different. I think that, between the two sites, they have the vintage image 'market' cornered! LOL What one doesn't have - the other has. Not really, obviously, but, you really don't need too much more than these two fab sites! I've written about 'Graphics Fairy' in the past and, quite honestly, you'd have to live under a rock not to know about it! Now, check out Feed Sacks.
This next one is the perfect combination of resources for me! Sugar Butt Designs, yes, Sugar Butt! This perfect combination? Tutorials AND resources! OMG! If you don't heed any of my suggestions, do heed this one! What she does is gives you a little, easy-to-follow tutorial that shows how to create say, a felt texture, for instance, in Photoshop. She gives you the tutorial and samples to go with it for you to see what she means. This post is all about felt, cardboard and metal textures, three different downloads.

Each file has a sheet like the one above, then, any samples that might be included. In addition to tuts, she also has a great list of links in her side bar! Categorized links!! LOL She has other items and she sells at one of the shops, even. So, her blog isn't all just tutorials. I wish I knew 'her' name, but, whatever it is, go check out her site!
This next site is what I refer to as a 'PSD Blog', meaning the site is aimed at Photoshop users as their main content. PSD Dude is up there with some of the best. If it isn't, it soon will be! It's going great guns! Every couple of days, I get an e-mail notification for some cool freebie or another. Tutorials, brushes, patterns, templates, shapes, etc., they're all available here. Speaking of shapes, there doesn't seem to be too many of those to download for free across the web. But, here, they have a good selection! There are several I have never seen before. You have to register. That is the only drawback as far as some folks go. You can sign up for the e-mail alerts or the RSS stream. Give them a whirl! I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Winding up today's list is Best Photoshop Tutorials. WAIT! Don't skip over this because of the name of the site. Tutorials are just a mere section of this site. They have everything you need for Photoshop! If they don't carry everything, they have the links to it all. LOL There is quite a page full of Photo Effects, such as cartoon, out-of-bounds, Andy Warhol, etc. There are actions galore! The textures are the 'cream of the crop', to me. Same as the brushes and the fonts. Here is an image of the most recent brushes they offer:

There seems to be a good blend of actual downloads from this site and articles of images that link to at other sites. This is fairly common. I do it! LOL The folks who post have a good eye for what is popular in the design world. Pay these folks a visit and see what all they have! Have fun! LOL
And, finally, this month's freebie from Miss Edna and I. This month we give you "I Love..." It's for whatever you love! It doesn't have to be a person - you can love horses, or chocolate, or diamonds. You get the idea! LOL Today, we give you the QP's, two(2) of them. This is Parts 1 and 2. Then, next Monday and the Monday after that, we'll give away two parts each time for a total of six(6) parts from each of us. Three Mondays, 12 parts total! LOL Click on the preview to go to the download. Then, click on Miss Edna's preview to go to her blog to download her parts.
Parts 1 and 2

Miss Edna's Preview

And, that's a gonna do it for this Monday! I've been spending a little more time with my blog, so, I may be back before next Monday. Either way, be sure to come back for the rest of this fun kit. I've seen Miss Edna's parts and they are awesome!!
Until then...

Blessings and Hugs!
Su

Burn and Dodge 'Non-Destructively' Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

It has been some time since I posted any kind of tutorial. I think it is time. I've been using a technique. lately, that I learned recently. It is a tutorial for using the 'Dodge' and 'Burn' tools easily and 'non-destructively'. The goal in Photoshop, ideally, is to effect 'non-destructive' editing. That is when all of the filters and adjustments are on separate layers, thus, making the editing of those layers a snap. This is so that one can save the .PSD file and come back to it at a later time and still be able to affect changes to it. Clear as mud, right? LOL
When one uses the 'Burn' tool, it affects the actual layer. It darkens, or 'burns', the image layer, so that, if you changed your mind later, you would have to re-upload that image and start over. For this reason, I seldom used either of these tools. Supposedly, if you add too much 'Burn', you can undo it by going over it with 'Dodge'. It never looks right, though! It's hard to 'Dodge' over the same exact spots as the 'Burn', as well.
With this technique, all of your 'Burn' and 'Dodge' effects are on their own layer, not the image layer. When you use either of these tools, you can't get any results by applying them to the empty layer just above the desired layer. Unless, that is, that layer is filled. Fill it with 'Edit' > 'Fill' > '50% Grey' and change the blending mode to 'Overlay'. It will be as good as invisible. Yet, when you apply 'Burn' and/or 'Dodge' to it, they will show up just as if you applied them to the image layer itself. Try it!
Here are a couple of screen shots to show what I mean. I'm using some vintage frames from Star Sunflower Studios, "CU4CU Frames 5 Freebie", available HERE. For the purposes of this tutorial, I am going to 'age' one a little more with the 'Burn' tool.
Here is what I start out with:(I am using CS5 for this tutorial)

While the layer I want to 'Burn' is highlighted/selected, click on the 'New Layer' tab at the bottom of the Layers Palette.

Go to 'Edit' > 'Fill' > '50% Grey'.

When the box pops-up, select '50% Grey'.

You will see this:

This is when you need to change the blending mode to 'Overlay'.

And, voila! Good as invisible!

But, as you see, because the frame is transparent, the 'Grey' is showing in the blank spaces surrounding it. We need to clip the Gray layer onto the frame with a 'Clipping Mask'. Right-click over the Gray layer and select 'Create Clipping Mask'.

This is what you end up with:

It looks just like it did when we started! Yet, look at the Layers Palette. Now, we have an invisible Grey layer in there and that is where we are going to add the 'Burn' and 'Dodge'. After selecting the 'Burn' tool, go up to the Menu Bar and set the 'Range' to Mid-tones and the 'Exposure' to 10% to start out.
With a soft brush around 200px, burn around the edges, or where ever you wish to add the burn. Here is just a wee example:

This isn't a real good example, but, you can see that the 'Burn' tool worked great on the Gray layer. Zoom in on the above image and see how the Gray layer is 'Burnt'. I simply ran it around the edge. If you don't like the results, delete that layer and create a new Gray layer. Easy-peasy! The 'Dodge' tool works, as well, though, I only added a little bit right in the middle of the frame. Give it a whirl and see what you think! If you use these two tools to add shading and highlighting to an image, this will give you a little more leeway. Try different blending modes on the Gray layer, or leave it on 'Overlay'. You could even duplicate the Gray layer several times to get a heavier effect. This image is with the Gray layer duplicated only once:

The original 'Frame' layer is completely intact, too! We haven't touched it. If you save this file, as is, with the layers not merged, in .PSD format, you can return to it at any time and change any part of it to adapt to your needs. Change the color, using the 'Adjustment Layer' feature, also at the bottom of the Layers Palette. Those adjustments go to their own layer right above where you need it. Here, I added a violet color adjustment layer with an 'Hue' blending mode applied to it.

I got this:

Font: KingThings - 'Willow'

Cool, huh? LOL And, if I ever need a green label, it's simple a matter of turning off the violet color layer and adding a new 'Color Adjustment Layer' for my choice of green. I can change any part of it! This will certainly be useful for photo-manipulations, particularly, if you are having problems getting the light right. You can try it out on a Gray layer until you get the results you like.
I know that there are other ways to go about every thing I have shown you here. There are keystrokes that could be used and other ways to 'Fill' a layer. But, to try to keep this short enough so as to prevent 'Novel-length' status, I leave them out, this time. See what I made? I needed one for my blog, anyway. I moved all of my 'blinkies' to their very own page and need a new button to click on to get there.

I hope this is understandable. If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to ask in the comments below. Be sure to stop by Star Sunflower Studios and get your own set of these frames. By the way, there is a PS Shape in the file with the frames, too. Say "Hi" to Sü for me! LOL
FYICommon 'Umlaut' letters:Type 'Alt', then, the number combination.Alt + 129 = ü
Alt + 137 = ë
Alt + 148 = ö
Now, when ya'll go see Sü, you can impress her by typing her name in the comments as she does! LOL
I have a freebie in the works. It will be up in a day or so. Also, don't forget Monday, Miss Edna and I come out with our February freebie. It's purdy! LOL
Until then...
SMILE, YA'LL!
Hugs,
Su

Blog Changes and a Freebie

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:49:00 +0000

Good Tuesday, All! You may notice I have been heeding Tom's advice on my blog. It was hard not to, since he gave such wonderful feedback. I placed all of the blinkies, which once filled my side-bar, to a page all their own. There is now a button, labeled 'Blinkies' in their place. Click on it and go see all the wonderful friends and associates of mine.
Next, I created a few more 'Pages'. These may be accessed from the 'Menu Bar' across the top of the page, right under the header.
'Resources' is for Photoshop pre-sets, such as brushes, styles, actions, etc, as well as textures, vectors, etc. If it is used in Photoshop, those links are here. In fact, this page has been here for a while now.
'Stock Resources', is a listing of such sites as 'Flickr', 'StockExchange', 'Deposit Photos', etc. These are sites that specialize in stock photos. I have found a bunch of them! I believe these are all free, too.
'Deviant-Art Stock Providers' is just that. DA artists are often left out of 'resource lists' and they shouldn't be. A lot of lists mention DA, as a whole, but, rarely go into each of the artists/providers. This list will be helpful if you like to do photo-manipulations, or want to incorporate artsy images/elements into a project. DA is an artsy community, so, much of their offerings are geared towards art. You can find patterns, brushes, actions, textures, and whatever else you need to be creative.
Artistic Spirit is a page of my artwork. My digital interests are split between Scrapbooking and my art. Including both on my blog is something I have been wanting to do for a while. While I just started this page, I haven't posted but a few pieces. I intend to add more. I have them! LOL
By creating separate pages for much of the content that was crammed into a skinny, little side-bar, I feel I have made the links easier to see and use. They have become the 'feature', rather than a side note. Accordingly, this left my blog posts much easier to see and read. Next, I wanted to change out my blog's design. I have always loved the cluttered look as I am a kind of 'sentimental and have to keep it near me' sort of person. I don't necessarily horde things, but, I like to put things out to see and admire. I also like bold colors. But, there is a time and place for them. Tom made a point to me and that was that the 'content' was paramount. My own remark was that it did seem ironic to post all these links and banners to other folks blogs when I wanted folks to notice my posts. I totally support the folks whose links I have posted! I didn't eliminate them entirely either. I just moved them to place all their own! This radically cleaned up my page!
I left a few things in my side-bar: the RSS Feed, About Me, the Archives List, Followers, Labels, etc., all blog function related info. I left only a couple of personal things, such as the DeviantArt banner and one group badge for Digital Whisper. While I am proud to be associated with many wonderful sites, to me, that may not be something other folks are interested in. They want to see what I have to offer them. All the links to the sites I like are still here, just on their own page now.
I went with a simple blog template. Now, my posts literally 'pop'! Well, I think so. LOL The soft color is soothing to the eye. While I was on eye-appeal, I took Tom's advice and changed out my font. I admit, it was hard to read. I am pleased with the results.
The next thing to work on is my header. I have been experimenting with different ones. I am still not sure what I want, but, I want it to reflect my own artistic personality. You may see something different up there from time to time.
So, that is where I am. Working on the blog will, hopefully, be good for readership, but, it has also been a good project for me while I am going through adjustments. Working 'behind the scenes', so to speak, has been therapeutic. It gives me time to be 'pro-active', rather than 're-active' to my world. I've not really been 'here' lately. I don't feel I am able to give anyone my all. When I go through an adjustment phase, such as I am currently doing, it is best to keep to myself. Some medications can affect one in certain manners, if you know what I mean. There is no telling what I may post. LOL It's just a precaution.
I've had these soft textures for while. Today, you can have them if you like. They're all textured differently, and softly. The colors are random, but, I included some neutral toned textures that you can color to your hearts content. Or, you can use them with a blending mode to add just a hint of texture to a layout or page you create. Just click on the preview to go to Minus to download.

Be sure to check back next Monday for the first of another neat set of our freebies kit from the collaboration with Miss Edna!
Until then...

Credit: Shutter-Shooter@DA

Hugs,
Su

Final Parts "Ladies' Night Out" Freebie

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Greetings!
Here are the links to the last 2 downloads for "Ladies' Night Out". Click on each preview for a different download. Below that is Miss Edna's preview. Click on it to go to her blog for her downloads.
Part 5

Part 6

Miss Edna's Place

Do enjoy!
Su

My Blog Featured on Blog.Fan Extra's "30-Minute Redesign"

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:51:00 +0000

Hello, and a very warm greeting to you! I am here. LOL My health issues needed some attention, so, I am working at it - for all I am worth! I am too young for this! LOL
I have something of interest happen that I want to share with you all. I am a member of FanExtra. FanExtra is a resource for web, and other design, with articles, awesome tutorials and cool downloads, both free and premium. Check out my rendition of a recent "Flying Pig Photo-Manipulation" tutorial they featured:

Tom, the owner, has a keen sense of what works. His 'brand' has grown to include PSD.Fan Extra and the newest, Blogs.Fan Extra. One of the long-standing features of FanExtra has been "30-Minute Redesign." Whilst kicking off the new Blogs.Fan Extra, Tom did a redesign of this blog - suruha-freeespirit. I was so honored to have him choose my blog! What do I know about web design!? LOL I would be honored, too, to have you all take a look at Tom's redesign article at the Blogs.Fan Extra.

Tom's analysis and subsequent suggestions are a godsend for me! I admit, I was confused about how to lay out my blog - the sidebar, the widgets, and, oh yeah, the articles. I tend to forget they are the key function of any blog. What was too much? What were my weaknesses and my strengths? I hadn't a clue! I would see something on another blog and like it, then, I would try to apply it to mine. The results didn't necessarily jive with the rest of the blog. But, I thought it was neat and kept it.

I've tried a lot of things since I started my blog a few years ago. I think most of us do this! One trial was a music player. I added one not long after starting my blog. Then, I visited other blogs with music players and, my goodness! They were not always so cool, after all! Not to me, anyway. Say, I am perusing your blog. I've clicked over via a link or typed in your URL. As I begin to look at all the pretties, BAM! Depending on your player's volume settings and my own pc's volume settings, I would be assaulted by a loud, obnoxious sound, which, eventually, I would recognize as music - a song! LOL Music, I love! But, not just any music and not just any old time! And, honestly, one's music choices have very little to do with whether or not I liked the content. There are times, in fact, where the content was passed over by me just to escape from the music! Have you ever done that, closed a page because you couldn't find the music player to mute it? LOL

I don't know about others, but, when I started blogging, it was to be 'about me, by me, for me'. Ultimately, however, as I started receiving comments from the folks that read my posts, I began realizing how much impact a post can have - or not - on others. What Tom showed me is that the content is the point. The rest, the widgets and blinkies and cutsie things are fun, but really, totally unnecessary, usually distracting, in fact! We so want to have people enjoy our blogs, but, yet, more often than not, we smother our pages with other folks' blog links! Go figure! Hey, I am all for supporting my friends and the folks whose work I adore. I like to share my good finds with others, as well. But, first, and the most important thing, we have to get folks to want to read our blogs before we can share with them, eh? We can't speak out for, or against, something if no one is listening, now, can we? This redesign sure opened my eyes.

As a bonus, Tom sends the redesign's .PSD file, to help me start! It's all FREE!

Check out the Fan Extra network and see for yourself some of the awesome things they offer. (You can even suggest your site for an upcoming "30-Minute Redesign". It's all FREE! There is a new one each week, I believe it is!) As a Premium Member, you would not believe the quantity and quality of the offerings! You don't just get new premium content here and there - it comes out at least three or more times a week! FYI, the Premium Membership is a deal at $9.00 a month. Quarterly, Semi-Annual and Annual rates are even better. That gives you access to all of the content on the entire Fan Extra network!

MightyDeals.com

I subscribed while there was a special going on through Mighty Deals. It just so happens that there is a similar offer going on right now! Instead of the annual rate of $69.00, for a short time, you can get the same deal for $29.00! Check it out at Mighty Deals. Don't lollygag!
A great big THANK YOU to Tom at Blog.Fan Extra!
Su

"Ladies Night Out" Freebie - Parts Three and Four

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:08:00 +0000

My mother asked me to post her links for the new parts to the kit. Below are the previews with the links to the downloads. Beneath those is Miss Edna's preview and the link to her blog.

Part Three - http://www.mediafire.com/?6da6frprckddaax

Part Four - http://www.mediafire.com/?07wojm030v347b2

Miss Edna's Blog - http://www.missednasplace.blogspot.com
Mom is not feeling well and should be back soon.
For Susan

New Freebie - Ladies' Night Out: Pts 1 and 2

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:36:00 +0000

Good Monday, all! I hope all is well with everyone. I'm hanging in there. Getting through, then, past the holidays was hard. We made it, though. Another whole year and we do it all again. Not! I can't do this anymore! I hate the holidays and every year, I think, this year will be better. It just seems like they get worse! I'm a very emotional person and I am in a 'state' the entire month of December and into January. This year, maybe I will just go somewhere that month. LOL The moon? I dunno. I just know I cannot keep doing things the way we've done them in the past. So, my project(s) this year is/are working on improving every aspect of my life that I can.
I'm not a drinker, but, there is a slogan I learned: God, grant me the serenity to change the things I can, the courage to accept the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference. Those words are so true to what I need to do. Sometimes, I feel like I am 'kicking a dead horse', with some of the things I attempt to do. Other times, I keep putting up with something that could be changed and I don't. I just keep putting up with it. What I need to do is to make changes in some areas and accept things in others. THAT is why I need the wisdom! I guess everyone needs to do this. This ought to be an interesting year, none the less! LOL
I hope 'Santa' was good to you! I got an external hard drive - another one. I've filled two and I'm on the third. LOL Considering I have memberships to half a dozen sites with downloads, it's no wonder! Some memberships I have are those I've won. Then, I pay for a couple, too, because I got a great deal or something. LOL I don't think I pay full price for any of them. That's the way to do it, thought.
I've been collecting some stock images, as well as, design-related goodies for Photoshop. I use them to do photo-manipulations. If you are ever interested, I have a DeviantArt account where I post the art I create. I have definitely learned a lot more from doing photo-manips than scrapping. But, I just love scrapping!
I apologize that I got this posted so late, well, for me. I had pc problems this morning. I tried uploading the zip to Minus, then, Box, then, 4Shared. You know I was desperate to have tried 4Shared even! LOL I couldn't get the file uploaded and it was these QP's! I notified Edna and then, started searching for a reason. I think I got it. I found something about a corrupt ActiveX file in my research. So, I downloaded and installed an updated version. I think it must have worked because I am able to upload now. Whatev! LOL
So, this week starts a new collaboration with Miss Edna and I. God Bless Her! She had to call me and 'shake me to' a couple of times when I got overwhelmed. She's an awesome listener and always seems to know just what to say that will give me hope. Thank you, Edna! This month's kit is "Ladies Night Out". It is a fun little kit with goodies that will appeal to the party scene or the ladies who love to have fun! I think you will like it! Today, as is our custom, we give you two(2) parts. Then, each week, on Mondays, we give you two(2) more parts, for a total of three weeks. The first parts are two(2) Quick Pages. Then, subsequent parts will be design elements for you to make your own layouts.
Today, we give you Quick Pages. Click on my preview below to go to the download. Then, click on Miss Edna's preview to go to her blog for hers. Have fun and enjoy!
Parts 1 & 2

Miss Edna's Preview (Click to go to her blog)

Do come back next Monday! Until then...

SMILE!
Hugs,
Su

Final Parts "Home for the Holidays" Freebie

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:06:00 +0000

Here are today's two downloads. The previews are linked to the downloads. Then, click on Miss Edna's preview to go to her blog for her two parts.:
Part 5:

Part 6:

Miss Edna's Blog:

Enjoy, ya'll!

Thank you!

"Home for the Holidays" Freebie Pts 3 and 4

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:40:00 +0000

Good Monday, Everyone! I am finally semi-caught-up! LOL I have been super busy with online things! I am finally at a lull. But, it has been fun. Today, the fruits of my labour, and Edna's, come to fruition in the kit part of "Home for the Holidays". Last week, we gave you the two QP's. This week and next we will be giving you the papers and elements for you to create your own layouts. I've been so busy, after I post this, I am diving in to Photoshop for some fantasy manipulations. Heh-heh! So, shall we get started?
Miss Edna and I have been creating our own freebies, which we give away for free, for a year now. Starting on the second Monday of the month, we give them away on our blogs. We do two(2) Quick Pages on the first Monday, then, the next two(2) Mondays are for us to give to you our elements and papers so you can create what you like. All of my past freebies are still available for download, so, feel free to go back and see what you may like. I believe Miss Edna's links are still active, too.
Click on the preview, either one, to go to Minus.com to download your two(2) parts this week. I have my previews separated by elements and papers, but, either preview will take you to Minus. Be sure to click on the arrows at the bottom of the minus download page to download both parts. THERE ARE TWO PARTS TO DOWNLOAD. LOL Then, beneath that, you will find Miss Edna's preview. Click on it to go to her blog to download her two(2) parts.
Pts 3 and 4

Now, click on Miss Edna's preview to go to her blog:

Alrighty, then! LOL Have fun! And, do come again! Next Monday will wrap up this kit's downloads for you. Until then...

SMILE!
Hugs,
Su

"When I Grow Up" Freebie for You

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:32:00 +0000

Check it out! LOL It's a Saturday and here I am! LOL I have a little something I want to share with all of you. It's a mini-kit, made with some beautiful elements from Addie's Designs over at Cool Scrap Digital. I've been a long-time reader of CSD's excellent newsletters. They're chock-full of goodies. This month, though, I noticed the challenges. This challenge that I participated in was the 'CU Pack for a PU FREEBIE Challenge (NOV11-DEC11)', hosted by none other than Addie herself!
If Cool Scrap Digital is new for you, go to their site and see what they offer. In addition to some awesome designers and great scrappin' supplies, they have quite a lively forum!
Addie gave us an assortment of elements, a castle, a couple of unicorns, some baubles and, well, you have to download it to see. We were to make a PU Mini-Kit, a QP, a Layout, whatever with them. I chose to do a mini-Kit, which, if you know me at all by now, it is NOT mini! It is three(3) parts, but, they are all right at 30mbs each.
Click on the preview to go to Minus.com to download. From the window you arrive at, you can click on the arrows at the bottom to go to each Part, until you collect all Three(3). Please, this is for Personal Use only.

I've been real busy, but, that means I have been very productive! LOL Monday, there are two more Parts for the collaboration with Miss Edna's Place, "Home for the Holidays". Then, I will be sharing some more goodies with you.
Until then,

Hugs,
Su

New Freebie, 'Home for the Holidays' and Vintage Links

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:30:00 +0000

Good Monday, All! Boy, oh, boy! Christmas is flying at us at the speed of lights! LOL Just under three weeks away, it will soon be all over. Christmas is a really hard time for me, but, I won't go into that here. Just suffice to say, it isn't my happiest time of year, even with my birthday a mere two days before the big day.
On to other things, I found a website, or maybe I should say, 'a series of websites' that I hadn't ever seen before. I'm probably the last person to find out about them! LOL But, in case they are new to you, too, I offer you 'Images by Kim'. She has her store, where you can purchase all the necessary, and not so necessary, items for both digital and hybrid crafting and scrappin'. I might add, too, that her prices are fabulous! Her collage sheets are priced a bit lower some of the other shops. Then, there is her blog, 'Art and Images By Kim'. Here, you will find Kim's posts on 'Altered' Art, including, but, not limited to, tutorials, examples and resources that are free to use. In the right-hand side bar there are links to her 'free' images, or, go to that page here. You are really in for a treat! She has all kinds of collage sheets, ephemera and vintage images! Here's just a sampling:

And, that doesn't even do justice to her things! You really must see them for yourself!

Everything I have to share with you all today is 'vintage'. Another interesting website that I found is the Vintage Ad Browser. On these pages you can find advertisement ephemera, organized by decade. Here's a couple from Coca-Cola:

Even if you don't use the images for your crafting, some of them are really neat to look at! Give it a visit and see!

Have you ever visited the Smithsonian? If you've never been, you can still reap some of the benefits of that amazing place! 'Galaxy of Images' from the Smithsonian Institution, features some of the museum's images. The variety is endless, so, I won't try to list what they have there, but, it is phenomenal!

Vintage book pages, vintage ads, and all kinds of old images are shown in the Smithsonian's massive collections. It's a cool site! Check it out!
That's going to have to do it for today. Otherwise, I'll never get this posted for you all to have your newest freebie from Miss Edna and I. We have the first two parts, the QP's, for our December collaboration, 'Home for the Holidays'. When I think of Christmas season, I think of baking together in the kitchen and old, handmade ornaments my children made me in school. I think of home. That is what inspired this collection. Memories are our look into the past and those things we have reserved to cherish. They represent our own stories, if you will. While some things are fairly standard for all, each of us has our own special memories that we have maintained, and often embellished, that identify who we are. We get a sense of comfort from the home-spun memories we carry with us. What do your memories feel like?
Every month, Miss Edna and I create a freebie kit to give away. We do our give-aways on Mondays, usually starting with the second Monday of each month. We give away two parts each per week, for three weeks, for a total of twelve parts. All of my past freebies are still up and I believe Miss Edna's might be, as well. So, feel free to go back and find all you like.
Below is my preview. Click on it to go to Minus.com to download. Both QP's are in one file, so, this is Pts 1 and 2. Then, click on Miss Edna's preview to go to her blog for her two QP's. They're sure pretty!
Pts 1 and 2

Miss Edna's Preview

There you have it! Be sure to come back next Monday for more of this cute kit. Until then,

Give yourself a reason to smile!
Hugs,
Su

Giving Thanks: Freebie and Warm Wishes

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:39:00 +0000

Good Monday, all! I hope everyone had a nice, peaceful weekend! Here, in the US, we are celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday. There is always something special about the whole family, standing around a well-laid table, with prayers and blessings for all that we have to be grateful for. We take turns, sometimes, telling what it is for which we are each thankful. It's fun and sweet to hear what the little ones say. If you've never done this, give it a try. Tape it, if possible, with video cam. It will be fun to compare them from year to year.
Anyway, I thought I would take a minute, before I give you the last two parts of this month's freebie collaboration with Miss Edna's Place, "Giving Thanks", and tell what I am thankful for. I am thankful for all the sweet and kind gestures from all the people I meet online. I am grateful for some wonderful friendships that have risen from meeting folks with similar interests. I was reading an entry over at "Free Pretty Things for You" blog about how Keren met her online friend, Angeline, from "Ruby Jean". They spent some time together and even created some pretties! (See either blog for details and links) It reminded me of my own chance to meet Miss Edna, earlier this year. Thing about it is this: you met, in the first place, because of your love of similar things. When you do meet, it is like spending time with your oldest, bestest friend in the whole wide world! You already have so much in common! If you ever get a chance, you really should try to get to meet some one you've known as an online friend. They're unique friendships. But, either way, I am just so grateful for the folks I have met. I only wish I could be a better friend than I am, what with my incessant and frequent bouts of 'down' town.
Last week, one of my close friends from my Digital Whisper group suffered an horrific, tragic loss in her family. Cindy Powell, or Cynthia, as you may know her, has suffered an immeasurable loss, losing not only her lovely DIL, but, two of her grandchildren, as well. Please, take a moment, visit the page Cindy set up and pay your respects. This has got to be the hardest thing in the world for any mother to experience. It is because so many of us are mothers that this event has devastated the entire scrapping/digi-art community. It is very sad! When you say your blessings, keep Cindy and the rest of her dear loved ones in your thoughts. Cindy is an integral part of the scrapbooking community, with a store at DigiScrapStation. She has a blog, "Art Studio", with all kinds of great tutorials and workshops for a myriad of techniques. She also does a lot of digital art and this is how we met. I made the connection to the scrappin' Cindy just recently. LOL I'm a bit slow!
So, at this time when so many of us are counting our blessings, I also think about those who have so much pain they must bear, like Cindy and her family. I think of my own pain and realize it is far better than it could be! I'm grateful for that! I think about how it would be nice if I could have all three of my children together on Thursday, but, I am just so grateful that they are healthy and happy. It seems a shame to think of my blessings when a friend has suffered such a loss. But, I know that all will be 'alright'. We have a common source of comfort - our spirituality. The love, the karma, if you will, that we all share in our kind gestures and writings, reigns supreme. We all connect on a certain level that supersedes the physical realm. In this level, we give our love and friendship to those we meet and we receive that same love back ten-fold. I have become richer than ever in the friends I've made. So, I share the wealth and say to you all, Peace and Love, my friends! May your blessings and prayers at Thanksgiving, and the whole year 'round, be granted speedily.
This is the time for the freebie! Today, Miss Edna and I give you the last two(2) parts to our collaboration, "Giving Thanks". The previous four(4) parts are in previous posts, still available, as are all of my past freebies. Click on the first preview to go to Part 5, and the second preview to go to Part 6. Then, click on Miss Edna's preview to go to her blog to collect her parts, too.
Part 5

Part 6

Miss Edna's Preview

Alrighty, then! That will do it for this month. December will bring another pretty collection, so, be sure to stay tuned. Enjoy your Thanksgiving. If you are in a place that doesn't celebrate this holiday, take a minute to be grateful, anyway, for all the blessings we have in our lives. For, we are blessed!
Until next time...

Enjoy a virtual kitteh kiss! Or, perhaps you prefer a 'Goggie' kiss!

Hugs,
Su

Holiday Heart and Freebie Parts 3 and 4

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:25:00 +0000

A good Monday to you all! Ready or not, the holidays are coming at us! Soon, we will be knee-deep in family, feasting and goodies galore. For fear of sounding negative, why is it that people save their 'best' for the season? People pull out their best china for the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, but, what about the rest of the year? We dress up on Christmas, but, what do we wear for a typical Sunday dinner? I've noticed a trend where folks volunteer at the homeless shelter on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but, there are needy people 24/7/365. We shop for months, stashing up a horde of gifts to give at holiday time, but, what do we do for those same people the rest of the year? See what I mean? I don't criticize any of these actions, at all. Rather, it makes me wonder why people, and I, don't do these things all year long?
My family and friends mean a lot to me, as, I am certain, does everyone's. I want them to know that year round - not just one or two days a year. There is a magic that seems to abound during the holidays. It is a feeling of warmth, home, and connection through love. Where did it go the rest of the year? If folks donned their 'holiday heart' all year long, we'd live with that magic on a daily basis. Wouldn't that make for a wonderful world?
The holidays have been the time when everyone reaches out to those they love. We let everyone know what they mean to us via pretty cards and unique gifts. Because we typically only do this at holiday time, it does make things special. As a child and then, a parent, 'maybe Santa will bring it to you' has been a catch phrase used year round when a child wants a nice, new toy. It lends a 'special' status merely by the mention of Santa. Yet, there are times throughout the year when someone could have used a perk or reward for doing things well, like a good report card or after a winning game.
The holidays have always been special to me, mainly as my birthday is two days before Christmas. Not many people can say that, on their birthday, there were lights and decorations and family and friends coming to call. A birthday without a Christmas tree wouldn't feel right to me. I wanted that feeling to last for the whole year. It can, sans the presents and cake, of course. LOL And, folks can be warm and generous and friendly all year long, even without a tree and carols.
I propose to you folks, my readers, that we find a way to exhibit out 'holiday heart' not necessarily daily, but, each and ever week that goes by, every month or even several times a year. Bring out those fancy dishes one evening. Serve lemonade in crystal glasses on the patio in the summer. Give a needy family a gift card for incidentals in a sweet card in late summer so they can have the things they need for the children to start school. Drop by and visit an elderly or infirm friend or neighbor one Saturday afternoon to see how they are and if they need anything. You know what I mean. Spread the love all year long! Maintain that 'holiday heart' and you will find that what you receive back feels just like Christmas morning did all those years ago as a child. The rewards to giving are as precious as the receiving. What it boils down to is this, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. We 'reap' what we have sown, so, imagine how rewarding a generous, touching gesture can be. It would feel like Christmas every day!
Alrighty, then, as I wipe that tear away and get down to business. Today, Miss Edna and I give you two more parts to this month's free give-away, 'Giving Thanks'. Last week we gave the QP's and this week we give you all the papers and elements for you to make your own layouts. As we give the freebies away by the week, we each give two parts a week for three Mondays of each month. That totals twelve parts you can collect! All of my previous freebies are still available and I believe Miss Edna's are, as well.
My previews are separated by papers and elements, but, each part has a scattering of both. Click on the element preview for 'Part 3' and the paper preview for 'Part 4'. (Parts one and two were the two QP's.) Then, click on Miss Edna's preview below mine to go to her blog for her parts. I do hope you enjoy!
Part 3

Part 4

Miss Edna's Preview(click to go to her blog)

Aren't they beautiful and warm?! LOL Don't forget to come back next week for the final parts to this sweet collection.
'Til then,

See? You're smiling!!

Hugs,

Su

New Freebie - Giving Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:59:00 +0000

Good Monday, All! I'm going to be short this morning. I have a half-way busy day today. It's a new month and a new goodie for ya! Miss Edna and I are bringing you "Giving Thanks", a pretty, little set of goodies to scrap what is important to you. I made a list for a project recently of things for which I am grateful. Family was at the top of the list. Health, friends, shelter and my art were some of the things I wrote. Then, I realized, my 'needs' have changed through the years. Well, obviously, but, what used to be important to me when younger, isn't as important to me now. And, things I never would have thought of are now paramount to my needs - like health. I sure wasn't worried about that when I was young! Now, it is a fact of life that my health is not that great. The thing is, we change and our world changes along with everything else. Our priorities change, too, as we grow. Is there one thing that I included then and now? I guess the one thing I am the most grateful for is wisdom. I pray for the wisdom to understand life and to grasp all that I can from it in my short time here. A lot of it is based on hope. I hope to understand. I hope to live long. I hope, I hope, I hope.... But, if we didn't have hope, there would be no point in moving forward.
One of the Quick Pages I did today is about listing that for which you are grateful. Maybe, it will inspire you. Miss Edna and I start out our freebie give-aways with a couple of QP's for you. We do our give-aways on Mondays, but, not the first Monday, of each month. We give away two(2) parts a week, each, for three weeks. That ends up being a total of twelve(12) parts you get, for free, from us in a month. All of my old links are still up if you want to go back and see what there has been. I believe Miss Edna's are still available, too.
So, today, Pts 1 and 2, two(2) QP's are ready! Click on my preview to download my QP's, then, click on Miss Edna's preview to go to her blog for her downloads. The next two weeks will be where we give away the elements and papers and such for you to create your own layouts. Here ya go:

And, click on image to go to Miss Edna's Place:

I must be going, but, I'll be back soon. Until next time...

Smile! You never know who is looking!
Hugs,
Su

Essential Gore Freebie

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:41:00 +0000

Greetings, all! I have been promising you all a goodie and I am back tonight to deliver. In celebration of Hallowe'en, I made a set for ya'll. I don't call it a kit, because the parts aren't meant to match each other. It is just a collection of things, both papers and elements. You might say that I have been working on this set of goodies for two or three years now. I started with a concept a few years ago and just played with it, here and there, since. This month, with Hallowe'en on the way, I spent more time on it and got it to where I think I can let it go. LOL

Before you all start worrying about me, this is my 'dark side' showing through. Lots of us have a dark side. It is that place that we hide from others, except maybe those close to us. It is that part of us that allows one's self to think bad thoughts. We'd never act on any of those thoughts - they're just there. I see them as a kind of counter-balance to my 'good' side. My dark side is my phobias and my fears. It's the memories of things that hurt, or really affected me, yet, normally, I don't like to recall. It's secrets and hushed tones. Ya'll know what I mean!

It may sound crazy, but, expressing this darkness with my craft, yields more creativity. I think that is why I have worked on it for so long. When I needed an outlet, I would play around with the elements or add a bit more texture to a paper. I was noticing how much better I have become with a couple of years of experience in Photoshop. There are a couple of items in here that I did in the very beginning that aren't all that great! They will do, though! LOL I don't know what I will do now that it is done. LOL I suppose I'll start another!

There isn't anything in this set that will be disgusting to anyone, I hope. It's just a lot of blood, tombstones, bats, you know, blood and gore. There are some whimsical goodies, as well. I separated the papers from the elements for the previews, but, clicking on either one will take you to Minus.com for download. At Minus.com, there are 4(four) parts for you to download. Click on either the list of files or use the arrows to the side to scroll to the next download link. I really hope you enjoy!

That's all I have for today. I will see you next time! Until then...

SMILE

Final Parts of 'Fall Festival' Collab and Links

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:56:00 +0000

Good Monday, All! I couldn't get out of my nice warm bed this morning! LOL It was a little cooler last night and it felt so good to nestle down in the covers. Alas, one can't spend the day in bed, so, I made it up and to the coffee maker. Now, I sit before my pc, bundled in my throw, sipping a good cuppa! Mmmmm! LOL

This is, by far, my absolute favorite time of year. I hate it when it is super hot out! It is a heck of a lot easier to get warm, bundling up, than it is to get cool if it's hot. In my old wooden house, one that is built up off the ground about a foot, it gets cold! Air circulates up under and the floors stay cold. My family has been the recipients of many a pair of slippers or booties through the years. My husband used to have a big ol' fluffy pair of 'Gumby' slippers.

The cats loved them! Gots to keep the feets warm! LOL

I have a few links for ya, mostly scrapbooking! I dunno. You may already know of these. But, just in case. Then, we'll get on with the freebie. First up is Zirconium Scraps. Sophia makes some pretty goodies! She has these Deco Elements that are to die for! There's a beautiful Autumn kiit there and some very pretty Victorian sets, too

You really must check them out!

Another nice scrapping site is JennyArt. There are some wonderful sets of goodies free to download for you. Much of the content is in Czech, but, there is English where it is crucial. Give it a visit. I think you'll be pleased.

Another one is One Cel. Here, you'll find quite a nice selection of pretties. There are Circus, Super Heroes and Wedding sets if you are interested. They're pretty!

One last link for you. This one is HG Designs. There are brushes that are different. There are also some freebie 'packs' that contain a myriad of elements for CU/PU use. Check it out!

Oops! I meant to show you something from DeviantArt! Inspyretash-Stock is the place to visit there! The list of contents, by categories, will give you a little idea as to what all she has there. If you don't check out any of the other links, do take a look at this one! She has EVERYTHING!! LOL

Hopefully, there is something for you at some of these sites. Personally, I think it's neat to visit these sites, see what the person is into, a little slice of another person's life. I find that fascinating!

Alrighty, then! Here is the last two parts for "Fall Festival'. Miss Edna and I give away freebie kits three(3) Mondays out of each month. Click on my previews to download each of my two(2) parts, then, click on Miss Edna's preview to go to her blog for her two(2) parts. The first Monday is QP's for you. Then, the next two Mondays bring you the elements and papers so you can create your own layouts. That's a total of six(6) parts from each of us, totaling twelve(12) parts! All of my previous kits are still posted and available. Just check them out and enjoy!

Part 5

Part 6

Miss Edna's Parts/Blog

And, that's a gonna do it for this month's goodies! Next month's is already on the hard drive; well, almost. Because of the season, I am also working on something else which I will bring you shortly. Muwahahahaha!! LOL I sure do hope you enjoy what we have to offer. Until next time...

Enjoy these beautiful Autumn days!

Hugs,

Freebie Collab Parts for Fall Festival

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Good Monday, everyone! I hope everyone is doing well. It's all good on this end. That's what I keep telling myself, at least. Positive thinking! LOL I finally got fed up with Firefox. Geez! I don't know if any one of you has had problems with the most recent updated versions. Everything from about 5.0 on up has been awful! They constantly froze up and the last one crashed around 4 - 8 times a day! I am using Google Chrome now and it seems good. It's hard changing old habits, though. Downloading is different. The toolbars across the top are, too. But, I'm getting it. I would get so frustrated with FF. So, we shall see with Chrome.
Chrome doesn't seem to be very compatible with Yahoo mail. Either that, or, it has to do with their recent mail over-haul. G-mail would make a lot more sense, but, good grief! When you've had the same e-mail address for forever, I don't even know what all would be involved! LOL I checked to see if you can forward Yahoo mail. You can if you subscribe to their Mail Plus for 20 dollars a year! I'm not ready to pay Yahoo 20 dollars just so I can receive all my mail at G-mail! With G-mail, it's free! Every piece of mail I get with G-mail gets delivered to my Yahoo inbox. It was something you can select in the 'Settings'. It was nice. Yahoo will import, but, it will cost ya for them to export! Bummer! LOL
So anyway! I've always been thrilled with those roadside produce stands you see in the fall. Apple cider, gourds, pumpkins, pies, all kinds of autumn-y goodies! It is rather like the county fairs that seem to pop up all over the place in the fall. Ours is usually the same week as Halloween. So, apple pies and Ferris wheels, quilts and blue ribbon jellies and jams! Mmmmmm! I love that stuff! I love autumn! This kit is a reflection of that. I didn't do so much Halloween-y stuff. (I'm thinking of doing a mini(yeah, right!) kit for ya'll!) But, I made up for it in popcorn wagons and livestock! LOL I sure hope ya'll like it and enjoy it! I had a blast making it! I'm sure Edna did, too!

Here are the next 2 parts of my collaboration with Miss Edna's Place. I have a confession to make. I had forgotten to place the little tag I put on the preview that says it is a collaboration with Miss Edna's Place. I went and fixed these previews. But, the previews inside the zipped files were zipped and uploaded already, so, just keep that in mind. This kit is a collaboration. Sorry 'bout that! LOL Anyway, as usual, we give away 2 parts a week on the first three(3) Mondays for a total of 6 parts a month - each. Last Monday we gave away the 2 QP's for Pt 1 and Pt 2. That is the post right before this one. (All of my links are still posted, too, if you want to go back and see what you might like that you've missed.) These are the kit parts, the papers and elements. These are for you to create your own layouts. Click on my element preview, the first one, to get Pt 3, and my paper preview for Pt 4. Below that, you'll see Miss Edna's preview. Click on it to go to her blog to download her two parts.
Pt 3

Pt 4

And, last, but certainly not least, Miss Edna's Place's preview:(Click to go to Miss Edna's blog.)

I still have so much much fun making these kits! I hope ya'll have some when using them! Thanks, you guys! See ya next week, if not sooner. Until then...

Fall Festival Freebie and Links

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:40:00 +0000

Good Monday to you! It's a new month and, so, we have a new kit for you. Autumn is my favorite time of the year. It's cool, here, this morning. I think it around 45 degrees out. I know! For many, that's a heat wave. For Floridians, it's the first time we can shut off our air conditioners. Savings! LOL My last utility bill was over 400 dollars! That is outrageous!

Halloween is fast approaching, too! It's fun dressing up the children and seeing them trick-or-treating. To me, the whole year is hinged on these few weeks. Historically, this is the time of the harvest. This is when we reap what we have sown. People give thanks for a bountiful crop and healthy livestock. Festivities abounded the world over. This was the time when folks stocked up for the long, cold winter months. Long ago, your goal was to have enough from the harvest to endure these months. What you didn't grow, you traded or bartered to get. Obviously, you dealt only with other local folks, assuring the freshness and quality. These occasions are what maintained a sense of community. What a long way we have come, eh? Now, it is almost a novel concept to 'buy locally'. Do you know where your head of lettuce came from? Maybe humanity is coming full-circle. Localized trade and resources are the goal, these days. Our ancestors could teach us a few things.

True to the season, I found a cute website that you will get a kick out of. 'Haunted Portraits' is a trip! I can't give you an example here, but, you'll see why if you go there. Check out the menu panel for all of it! It is fun!

Textures are addictive! Anyone who has ever applied a texture with an 'Overlay' or 'Multiply' Blending Mode will attest to this. They can change the entire theme of an image or piece. I've shown quite a few folks' websites who deal in textures, but, I guarantee they are only the tip of the iceberg. I keep one eye out for them while perusing the web. So, it came as no surprise to stumble upon another one. This one is different. Free Textures at 'Hadania's Blogspot' is unique. Across the top are choices in which to view the textures, such as 'Classic', 'Flip-Card', 'Magazine', 'Mosaic', etc. The link I give is for the 'Classic' view, which sets up the textures in a blog-type format. 'Flip-Card' shows collections. Click on one and a page will open up with all the textures in that collection or artist. As for the textures, they are some of the best I have seen! Some have been 'pre-made', in that there is some design or pattern in them. Others are just the textures. Either way, they are NICE! Here is one of the textures with a floral theme blended in.

And, one without any 'theme'.

You really must check out these Free Textures!!

Want to take a little trip down Memory Lane? Then 'Museum of Childhood' is what you want! They have collections of antique toys, games to play and neat things for children to make. The Museum is a place you can go to at the Victoria and Albert Museum, if you live nearby. The online pages give but a glimpse into what they have at the museum, but, it is awesome! Give it a glance!

The last link I leave you with is special to me. If you like anything 'Victoriana', then, this is your Nirvana! LOL Victoriana is a magazine that exhibits and goes into anything from the Victorian age. What I liked is that there are 'e-books' that you can download, for free, on a variety of topics. I clicked on the 'Blog' menu item to see what they had. That led me to an article on Fabric Swatchbooks. They feature vintage fabrics that are gorgeous! At the end of the article, they credit 'PowerHouseMuseum', with their 'Electronic Swatchbook' as their source. Select a year and/or colors and they give you fabric swatches for it. Their large, easy for downloading. They list their swatches as 'Public Domain' in Australia. You really should check it out!

Okay, I lied! LOL I'm giving you one more. This one has a bunch of Photoshop goodies! Camxso's DeviantArt site has a great assortment of patterns, brushes and shapes. There are also 'scrapbooking' goodies. You really must check it out!

So, we come to the monthly kit/freebie. Miss Edna and I have been busy again, this time with 'Fall Festival'. Today, we are giving you a couple of Quick Pages(QP's) to use. They are Pts 1 and 2. Then on following Mondays for the next couple of weeks, we'll give you the elements and papers, the kit in 4 more parts, for you to create your own layouts. Below are the previews. Click on mine and you'll be taken to the download page at Minus.com. Then, Miss Edna's preview will take you to her blog for her parts. If you are interested in previous freebies, all of mine are still up. Be sure to come back for more!

Mine(Pts 1 and 2)

Both QP's are in the zip.

Miss Edna's Place Preview

CUTE!!

So, that will do it for now. Do come back for the rest of the kit. I think you'll find it a little different than many of the Halloween-themed goodies out there, tho, there are some awesome goodies!

Until the next time...

http://freespiritarts.com/graphics.htm

Hugs,

A Tip and A Spooky Freebie

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 06:42:00 +0000

Lesa Snyder's 4-Day 'Photoshop CS5 Intensive' wrapped up today. Lesa is so knowledgeable! She explains things so thoroughly! I missed the first day, but, with what I already know, hopefully, it would have been 'old news'. LOL I doubt it. One can always learn something new! Some of the things she has taught that I did know, she has offered an understanding of why it works, or how, so, that is always nice. Understanding the where-to's and what-for's has always done the trick for me in remembering stuff. So, go Lesa! LOL

One of the areas I haven't really learned yet in PS is 'Smart Objects'. Somewhere, I got the notion that they were some special trick that everyone but myself knew. I caught that they were editable, but, I thought images already were if you saved the layers. It depends on what you do to an image, I guess. I learned how to use the 'Adjustments' on a separate layer so these could be turned off if desired. But, I did wonder about 'Filters' and some other things on a separate layer. That is exactly where Smart Objects rule!

Even if you are scared, like me, to try something new and tense-sounding, here is a super easy way to show you how they work. I Googled 'wild flowers' and got the poppy image from Kyle Veldhouse.com.

So, ready?

Open your image. Right-click over the layer and click 'Convert to Smart Object' from the menu. This is necessary in order to be able to apply a non-destructive adjustment. Next, go up to 'Filters'-'Blur'-'Gaussian Blur' and set it to the amount of blur you wish. This will depend on your image. For mine, I chose a setting of 3 point 4. When you click 'Okay', look at the 'Layers palette'. Now, there is a layer beneath our image, with a mask.

You can see, in my screen shot, that there is a small circular black spot on the mask. That is the next step. Just select a soft round brush and be sure the foreground color is black. By using black on my mask, I am 'erasing' the blur over just the red flower(even tho the filter is 'below' my image). Zoom in close and get the details on the edges for a more realistic look. By using a mask, if you make a mistake, just hit 'X' and the black and white will reverse. 'White reveals - black conceals' the image the mask is applied to. I'm not really erasing it. I'm covering it up. This is what I get.

Ta-da! I've added the blur all over, except over the one red flower! This is kind of a simplified technique, but, look at the possibilities now with the image. Say, I later tired of so much blur. All I have to go is go back to my image file(be sure to save it as a .PSD document). I can click on the 'Gaussian Blur' layer and still make adjustments! There is no need to keep a copy of my poppy image since I already have one in this file. No adjustments what-so-ever have been applied directly to the image. Rather, all the adjustments, filters, etc, are on separate layers.

If you're wondering what the attraction to all this is, the ultimate goal of Photoshop learning is to do all of your adjustments and fixes, to all your lovely photos and/or creations, non-destructively! Having your tweeks and filters and all that stuff on separate layers from your image is so nice! A prime example of needing this set-up is those times when you are half way through, say, a beautifully textured paper and you don't like one part of it. If you've Blurred it or applied any other 'destructive' technique to any part of what you are doing, it can't be 'undone'. Not unless, that is, you just did it! I have applied Gaussian Blur to different layers of something I'm working on so many times, it's insane! I had to delete that layer and go find the texture, or whatever, that I had, so, I can try a different filter or adjustment on it. By doing things with Smart Objects, I would merely have to delete the filter layer and do another.

I realize this is but one teeny-tiny way that you can use Smart Objects, but, getting a good basic concept of how they work really does help! I found that, after I grasped this concept, the rest of Lesa's class made so much more sense to me! I had no idea what Smart Objects were all about! LOL

Give it a try! If Smart Objects are new to you, too, you'll begin to see the importance of using them.

I can't leave without a little something for you all. This is a set of six papers, grunged out, each bearing a different spooky, Hallowe'en-y symbol. I did them just for fun and just for ya'll. I don't know what you might use them for, but, do with them as you like. The texture came from LostandTaken.com. The symbols are shapes from ActionFX.com.

Speaking of ActionFX.com, if you head on over there, right now, you can get a year of his super Photoshop goodies for $16.95! Can you believe that price! But, hurry, 'cause Al is getting the site all loaded up and refurbished, then, his prices will go up. It's worth it either way. You name a pre-set, ie brushes, patterns, styles, actions, etc., Al has it - lots of it! He caters, too, to the scrapbookers, as well. There are tutorials, plus, he has a custom photography service that yields some beautiful pictures! Oh, and his terms are that you can use use his stuff commercially.

I got side-tracked! Sorry! It's just that Al is one Hell of a great guy! LOL

Anyway! Click on the preview to go to Minus.com to download the papers, if you like them!

Until next time...

Dance on into Autumn!

Winter is on her way!

Hugs,

Freebie - Final 2 Parts

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:24:00 +0000

Good Monday, Everyone! So, the children are all settled into their school routines. Calm has returned, once again, to the old homestead during the daytime while they are away. This is 'MY' time! LOL I raised my family, dutifully, and lovingly, encouraging them on to adulthood. I looked forward to it! Of course, being a parent doesn't end the day the child moves out. Nope! Once a parent - always a parent! Still, I think every parent ponders what their life will be like when the children are no longer the central focus of their day. I didn't expect much. I had some things I wanted to explore - spirituality, knowledge, relaxation. But, I had spent twenty some odd years catering to my family's needs, I couldn't imagine anything else. So, when life suggested things would be better if my youngest child moved in with her two children, it wasn't a far stretch. Having the g-kids around is certainly a treat. Just not all the time! LOL So, though I love my family desperately, I look forward to everyone leaving each day. As I say, this is 'ME' time.

Now, I wrestle with my health. It hardly seems fair! LOL If I would have known I'd make it this far, I would have taken much better care of myself. LOL The worst part is just not knowing. How long do I have? Will it be enough to complete all I want to do? Will I become a burden to my family? There are loads of questions - few answers. I guess, like everything else in life, you just have to hold on and roll with it and see. But, I admit it - I'm scared. Scared and saddened by it all. My illness sure wasn't planned. It's not something I even considered. But, there it is. All one can do is keep pluggin' away, hoping for the best. Hope. That one word that keeps me going!

I created something that kind of reflects my life. You may need to enlarge it to see the detail.

Sources:

I don't mean to drag ya down. This is my reality right now. It's hard not to think of these things. I think that, by facing my fears and disappointments, inadequacies and strengths, my 'human-ness', it makes me stronger. No, not stronger, but, more able to accept things. There is a little prayer, I guess it is, that says:

Grant me the Serentiy

To accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And, the wisdom to know the difference.

It has become my mantra.

It is the final week for 'Chicken Anyone?' This week you will get the last two parts, more for you to create your own layouts. Parts 5 and 6 are each download-able by clicking on each of the previews below. Then, click on Miss Edna's preview to go to her blog for her two final parts.

Part 5

Part 6

Miss Edna's Place Preview

Be sure to come back every month for Miss Edna's and my freebies. In October we have another kit rolling and 'getting there' for you. Also, all of my previous links are still active. If you missed anything, you can still get it. I hope you enjoy!

Til next time,

Hugs,

Freebie Collab Pts. 3 and 4, Plus Links

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:11:00 +0000

Good Monday! Hope all is well with everyone. I had promised to post some links for ya'll and didn't have the time last week. For someone who doesn't work, I sure am busy! But, that's okay. I'll have plenty of time to rest when I'm down. LOL

If you are familiar with DeviantArt, you may know that this is a community of artists who protect their rights rather strenuously. They deserve that much. So, when one Chad Love Lieberman was revealed as having been selling other folks' art, you can just imagine the caustic effect. This isn't just a piece or two. This guy stole hundreds of pieces of art, removed the artist's markings, claimed them as his own and sold them in an online art site, Art4Love. The site is no longer active, obviously, but, the damage is done. Rather than try to give you all the details, the best thing is to read about it yourself. In particular, go to Alexiuss' page, click on the image to enlarge it and read about this dog! He even committed plagiarism of written pieces as well!

Can you believe someone could have the audacity?! Did he not think he'd ever be revealed as the thief he is? The DA community is abuzz with folks trying to find out if they were victims, or not. Fortunately, one wise member had the presence of mind to take screenshots of every one of the pages at Art4Love. From those, a list has been compiled and they are searching out the artists whose work was there. Art4Love is a Fraud is a website that has popped up as a result of this guy's actions. They have a listing of the art and artists, where possible, so, anyone who is in doubt can go check to see if they were victims. A class action law suit is no doubt in order, but, it will take time. If you have a DA account and believe you may have been a target, go see the lists. Rights are something we take for granted. When someone infringes on our rights it is disgusting! For that someone to gain monetarily from that infringement is down right mean!

I do have one link I'd like to share here. If you are a butterfly nut, as am I, you'll appreciate this site. 'The Butterfly Website' is just that. A site for all things butterfly. I stumbled across it searching for clip-art, which there are quite a few. There are articles on everything related to the little fluttering fauna, as well as, photos galore. There are guides to draw butterflies to one's garden, activities for children and links to other sites and places that know their butterflies. I found it quite enjoyable myself. You may, also.

One more and I'll stop. LOL I love flowers - any kind, any color! So, when one of my fave digi-designers, Karen, from Karen's Scrap and Graphics, introduced her mom, I was absolutely delighted! The flowers are painted with PSP and they are gorgeous! Pat's Flora and Fauna is the lady's blog. She has been giving away free samples of these beautiful buds. Go check it out! Pat sells them in Karen's store, so, you may want to check it out, too. They're worth it!

That will have to do for today. I want to get the next two parts to the monthly collab with Miss Edna posted for you. Last week we gave away QP's. This week we are giving away scrapbooking elements for you to design your own layouts. Below are previews. Though they depict the elements and papers separately, each download is a mix. Today, you get Pts. 3 and 4. Don't forget to come back next week for the rest of this fun kit, "Chicken Anyone?"

Part 3

Part 4

And, don't forget to visit Miss Edna's Place for her two parts:

I'm giving Minus.com a try with this set of downloads. They recently upped their file size max, up to 2 gigs per upload, so, they can accommodate this sort of download. There is a limit of 10 gigs per account for the free one. Give them a try! If you have any issues at all, please let me know. I don't anticipate any, but, just in case.

That will do it for today. If I can, I will post more links for you this week. I hope to! Until next time...

Hugs,

New Collab Freebie, "Chicken Anyone?"

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Greetings! Here's to those of us who are celebrating Labor Day! A day off! LOL This would have been a great weekend to get away, being a three-day weekend. We've had a good one, though. The children played in the pool, friends came over for the first Gator football game of the season, and we cooked on the grill. It's been alright!

Miss Edna and I are starting a new month's collaboration, "Chicken Anyone?" Today, we bring you the first two parts, two(2) Quick Pages. If you're new to us, we give away two parts a week for three weeks out of each month. The first two are the QP's and the remaining four parts are for scrapping one's own way. I'm working on a post with the links and articles I find for you, so, I won't be lengthy here. I'll get those up and posted before the week is out.

Here, below, is my preview. Click on it to go to MediaFire to download. They are labeled Pt.1 and Pt.2, but, are in one file. Below mine is Miss Edna's preview. Click on it and you'll be taken to Miss Edna's Place for her parts. We hope you enjoy these.

Pt.1 and Pt. 2

Miss Edna's Place Preview

Now, the family is waiting for me to go jump in the pool, so, I am off until next time! Do have a wonderful day and, remember,

Smile!

Hugs,

Freebie Collab - Last Parts "Tropical Sunset"

noreply@blogger.com (suruha) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:09:00 +0000

Today is the first day of school, here, and it is so quiet around here! LOL The children were naturally excited and got to wear some new clothes. I hope this year is a good one! Doggone it! I'm not sure this ol' lady has it in her to handle another sucky one.

Today isn't a very good day for me, so, I'm just going to post the last two(2) parts of the collaboration freebie with Miss Edna's Place, "Tropical Sunset". Each of my two previews below links to a part, the last two for this goodie. Then, below that, is Miss Edna's preview. Click on it and it takes you to her blog for her parts.

Part 5

Part 6

Miss Edna's Place Previews

I hope you enjoyed this collaboration. Next month we bring you another, so, do come back for a visit.

Thank you!

Su

I'm really trying! LOL

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