Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:37:44 — 89.5MB)
The Topic
Cheryl Ashcraft of Fiddle Dee Dee Designs joins us to discuss tips and tricks to make our layouts look like paper. From fast and easy to in-depth (some call it crazy-making) tweaking and everything in-between.
Joining the Discussion:
Cheryl Ashcraft (ScrapOrchard)
Peppermint Granberg
Katie Nelson
Steph
From the Mail:
-
Is that real?
-
Paper scrapbooking gallery at Two Peas
-
Paper scrapbooking gallery at Scrapbook.com
-
To shadow or not to shadow
-
Tracie Stroud’s Rock the Shadows
-
One Little Bird Designs’ Shadow like Me
-
Eraser tool in Photoshop and Elements
-
Washi tape tutorial by Peppermint
-
Fonts don’t float
Picks:
Cheryl: Asana
Peppermint: onOne Perfect Effects 4 Free
Katie: Spring Break freebie from Persnickety Prints
Steph: Gorillapod
Sponsors:
For the best deal in digital scrapbooking, become a member at TheDailyDigi.com.
Thank goodness you all come back week after week! I would be devastated if you stopped. I look forward each week to the digi show. The comment on, “….sometimes, I want to throw in the towel…. ” I say, no, no and No. So, glad to hear you will continue to keep coming back
I just ran across something that I thought you all would find interesting. This story: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/28/hive_mind_photo_fail/
points to a big problem with photos and their metadata on the web.
This blog post: http://blogs.loc.gov/digitalpreservation/2013/04/social-media-networks-stripping-data-from-your-digital-photos/
goes into more detail about it.
And this table: http://www.embeddedmetadata.org/social-media-test-results.php
is mentioned in that blog post. I found it fascinating, and distressing, to find out that if I really want to preserve my photos’ metadata, I better have a direct copy of my own. Social versions are NOT the same.
Hi guys – just want to chime in and say what an awesome show that was. Cheryl was an awesome guest. I just wanted to let you know that you guys are awesome also. One time you guys did a show from one of my ideas and I was so proud that I told everyone at work. I may be in a high position at work but I felt “vulnerable” because I was so excited and I thought they might think I am a geek or something. My husband even said he was proud of me. So, when you guys think about packing it in, please know that you have made a difference in our lives and even though we have never met you guys, you all feel like friends to a lot of us.
Great show! I am so glad you ladies do this week after week, I can’t believe anyone can complain about anything you do. Haters gonna hate, I guess. By the way, I just got my ScanMyPhotos.com order back yesterday and I couldn’t be happier. Thanks for the recommendation!
I have not found the book yet but I did watch this TED talk by Brene’ Brown and it was great. This could also help the person in the mail section to continue to be vulnerable.
http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html
Thanks for another great show! I love listening to your podcast and hope you never quit recording them. You girls have helped me a lot, given me ideas, inspiration and software and apps to try. I was happy to hear Peppermints pick this week. I use onOne’s Perfect Suite 7 and I love it. I have tried Radlab, but onOne is my favorite. Anyone looking for this type of software should give them a try.
Thanks for another fun show, ladies! And I’ve often referred to some of my pages as element vomit as well, haha! (Nowadays it’s more paint vomit)
For gesso or a heavier paint splat, not a mist or wash, I use Peppermint’s vellum shadow. It works for me in giving just that smidge of depth. If it’s too much I adjust the size. For the rest I actually use your technique of “Fonts Don’t Float” and sort of blend parts of the paint into the background
That tutorial still falls under my “OMG Blew My Mind” scrapping category 
I use the fonts don’t float technique for paint too! I recently made a jump from pse to ps and for blending options alone I will never go back.
…and obviously I’m commenting as I’m listening, because a huge shoutout to the awesome that is the TLP FB hop kit, Jump for Joy. I am NOT a big fan of any kind of hopping whatsoever, at least not after the first blog hop I ever did during my first NSD
However, I went and a-hopped for this kit and it’s amazing! Gorgeous palette and such pretty, pretty things inside.
(incidentally, Katie, the hubs and I will be on vacation for NSD–yes, I had my obligatory “how could you?!?!” rant to him about scheduling it then–but I am seriously considering bringing my laptop with me because I found out our hotel has Wifi. It’s either that or shop through the hubs’ iPad
)
I totally think you should shop on vacation because that would be fun! I’m not sure it’s socially proper to digi shop while at a wedding though. lol!!!
I am SO HAPPY that you girls keep coming back each week. I’ve learned so much, and had so much fun listening. I was shocked to hear that you get negative comments from listeners. As I was listening to that part of the show I realized that some of my favorite moments are when things go slightly “wrong” — a “flubbed” intro or an unexpected aside — because that’s when it feels like I’m just having a coffee with a few of my girlfriends to talk about digital scrapbooking. It’s that authenticity that makes the show so magical, and that make me feel like I can be a part of the discussion — I don’t have to be perfect to create something amazing. It’s like the paper pages you were talking about — the little “imperfections” make it feel touchable.
Yet another GREAT show! This is my first time to comment although I always have a lot to say (in my head) while I’m listening. I finally got all the digi shows listened to and am now going through withdrawal with just 1 episode a week. I’ve learned so much, Thank you!
I have been learning about digital scrapbooking since January of this year and just recently actually did some layouts –What a blast.
So I do have a question – I remember (at least I think I do) you talking about when you have a “stamp” go across the edge of a paper onto the background paper and how to make a break in the ink along the edge. I would like to use that technique but I can’t find that tutorial. I’ve been looking for days with no luck. I just can’t seem to find the right search terms. Can anyone help?
Hi Michelle,
Here is an old tutorial I made regarding the stamping technique:
http://jenflaherty.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/design-house-digital-international-scrapbooking-day-blog-hop/
Please excuse the boring blog, I am in the process of updating it and it looks pretty awful right now.
Another really quick way (read: less OCD) is to just add a layer mask and “erase” part of the stamp away. You wouldn’t get the offset, but it would still look better than just stamping and leaving it. You could also use the eraser tool, but I never like to recommend this because it is so permanent.
(Quick tip: To get straight lines, click where you want to start erasing and then shift + click where you want to stop erasing. Voila! Straight lines!)
Michelle,
I believe that this is the tutorial at The Daily Digi that was referenced: /fonts-dont-float/
I use PSE 11, so the blending techniques that are described in the article don’t work for me. However, Tangie Baxter has an awesome set that’s right at $4 that works in PSE and allows you to achieve these similar results: http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Papeworn-Art-Styles.html
Good luck and have fun!
Thanks for keeping it real every week ladies! I love listening to you because you either remind me of myself or those I love.
I recently fell upon Carol Tuttle’s Energy Profiling system, and one thing that she reiterates over and over is that every energy is beautiful, and we can really see it when we stop judging, both others and ourselves. There is beauty in every style, and I think vulnerability brings out the most beautiful in all of us. Sometimes a challenge to try vomit style or simple style scrapping may make one feel vulnerable or out of place, but the beauty comes where you make sure that no matter what, it’s you. Because you are beautiful, and whomever happens upon your pages in the future will be more interested in you than whatever techniques you’ve used. They will love it because it is you. So do as Steph always says and make your heart sing.
Hi guys! I just wanted to let you all know that I absolutely LOVE the show. Thanks so much for putting yourselves out there each week to bring us such interesting and useful information about this amazing hobby.
Unrelated to this week’s topic, but always of interest, I just wanted to let you all know that Adobe has released a public beta for LR 5 which supports PNGs!!!! No more converting your digital stash!
In addition, it can build Smart Previews, which allow you to store your supplies on an EHD, but still be able to use them even when the EHD is disconnected! (Although, I have actually had trouble with this feature.)
Anyway, you can find the download here:
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom5/
Thanks for all you do!
Oh man I am so excited – I wasn’t going to upgrade but now I see that I for sure will spend the eighty dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am using adobe bridge but sometimes my system gets so bogged down I have to kill everything (programs that is).
All those PNG’s I have converted
Good to know they have reacted to their customers needs and desires. Thanks for mentioning this.
Ok. After using the beta I realize my information about the Smart Previews was incorrect. You CANNOT drag them into PS. However, the PNGs work great and this is still reason enough for me!
I did the same last night. Some of the pngs had this weird red color on them when I was playing with the filters but it is still beta so I am not too worried. Plus it was probably something I did anyway.
Ok ladies I have a persnickety question. Have any of you ever had something cut off the edge o.f your print? I have quite a few early layouts with stuff a little too close to edges. I have had books printed at 2 different places and dont really care for the look of either. I just want your opinion before I fork over cash again. Thanks.
Yes is the answer. But Persnickety will work with you. In reality though the printer has to have something to hold onto when it runs hence the loss. The last order I made I have several that this happened. Persnickety re-printed them for me. My advise is though to send you order in smaller batches. I have only had this problem when I sent a huge batch and I think they just got missed. I would never use anyone but Persnickety to print my layouts.
Thanks. I might just buy print credits during the sale next weekend anyway. I don’t think I will haver the time to upload between now and then anyway.
Books are different than prints. Yes, their books do require bleed added if you don’t want stuff cut off. I have toolkits in my store at Scrapbookgraphics to help with that. I worked with Persnickety on them so they have been approved and sanctioned.
Prints at Persnickety use a photo process instead and they have much more leeway in producing those without losing too much. However, I do have specs for those in my store as well if you are super, super picky about the way a print will look. I think it’s like 1/32nd on 2 sides and 1/64th on two sides, so very little lost there. Books are more like 1/8″ (or more if you are reducing to 10×10 or 8×8) and an additional 1/4″ on the binding side.
Such a huge help, Thank You! I will definately be printing layouts, not books at persnickety. I just have to decide 12×12 or 8×8! Think my layouts will look huge in 12×12 though. I might get one just to see.
Hello Digi Ladies – I’m new to drop shadows and every time they are mentioned on The DigiShow it seems that Anna Forster’s (Foster) name pops up. I too would like to have awesome drop shadows but I feel like I’m missing a step. Is there any way you can get Anna to agree to link to her drop shadow stuff so others like myself can be in the Drop Shadow Lovers Club?
P.S. Peppermint, I have your BPC Shadow class which explained a lot but unfortunately I’m running PSE11.
Thank you!
Hey Molly, I don’t use Anna Forrest’s stuff, but as an elements user I would totally recommend purchasing some shadow styles from one of the designers that offer them. I have Peppermint’s (one little bird designs) and I know there are other sets people love from Tracie Stroud, Sahlin Studio and others I am forgetting! Especially if you are lazy like me and want awesome shadows without doing the work. And bonus, styles are super easy to install inPSE 11.
Hi Molly!
What you are missing is the ability to get your shadow onto it’s own layer. If you are shadowing yourself, you can duplicate the layer. Select the bottom copy, lock the transparency and fill with black, brown or other dark matching color. Unlock the transparency. Use gaussian blur to blur the shadow. Bump it over left/right/up/down for the angle. Then smudge or skew it. Change the opacity and blending modes.
But, Anna has an script that will separate them all for you. And, I’m working on a little mini action. If you want to test it for me, contact me through my website wendyzinescraps.com and I’d be happy to send you a copy.
OK… can I be something of a rebel? First let me say that I am a HUGE devotee of the Digi Show, but the first thing I thought of when you introduced your topic was… “If we’re all DIGI scrappers, WHY are we so interested in making everything look like it is paper?” I guess I do get it if you ‘vomit’ elements all over your layout.
But just a shout-out to all those clean & simple scrappers… I don’t think a lot of shadowing is needed. I believe neither Ali E, nor Cathy Z do a lot (if any) shadowing.
Sorry… not trying to be negative, just trying to keep things a little simpler, I already over complicate my scrapping.
Again, thanks for all the info and fun on the show!
RitaQ
I guess the answer is there is no right answer. I agree CathyZ uses very little shadow as do many who share layouts at Designer Digitals. The programs have the means and if you want to use the tools to do it and it makes your heart sing to do it – then spend the time. If not then don’t. Your the Chief Executive Officer in charge of your pages and you get to make that decision – no one else. If they don’t like it – well that’s there problem. I’m also sure your future generations won’t be looking and saying “nice but it would have been so nicer if she’d of added some shadows”. They will be reading the journaling and looking at the pictures. Let us not allow others to make rules in scrapbooking. Scrapbooking should be guilt and shame free!
LOL Maybe it has to do with your background? I was never a paper scrapper. Seriously, I tried once and got 3 pages into it and hated it. I am just not good with scissors and glue and I couldn’t create what was in my mind’s eye with paper. So not coming from that background, I’ve never really worried myself about making it look more like paper. I just want it to look natural. However, I can totally see if someone comes from a paper background that they might want their digi pages to look like what they already loved. Just a thought.
Oh. My. Stars. Just watched Peppermint’s washi tap tutorial, and I just had no idea what a difference that could make! Feeling as if I should go redo all my layouts using tape, although who’s got time for that? Will definitely be doing this going forward, though.
I loved Cheryl’s idea of looking at paper galleries and setting up little scenarios to see how the light falls and how differently shadows look. Not sure if I’ll go that far or be that detailed, but her pages are just beautiful and definitely show the care that she takes with the shadows.
I just started digital scrapping sincethe first of the year and I am hooked! I have been listening to all the archives and have learned so much. My question… I’ve just started learning about dropshadows and installed Peppermint’s “Shadow Like Me” in PSE11. Can I use too much dropshadowing? I don’t want to “overshadow” my paper. Thanks!
If your using Peppermint’s styles then you shouldn’t. But you can. Sometimes you see shadows that make things appear like they are floating on top of the page. This is too much in my mind.
Going back to Peppermint’s styles if you listened closely to the show she says her shadow on staples she never uses as is. When I heard her say that I was like ok that explains why I don’t that shadow in particular. So be prepared to fiddle with an individual shadow if it looks wrong. I for one have favorite shadows for certain items and I mix and match across the dropshadow sets.
Stephanie,
I finally did it! I printed my vacation pages at Persnickity Prints!
In the past I would home print, or print multiple pages on regular paper in color for my cheerleaders’ books. So never have I printed bigger than 8×8.
Holy Schmoly is a 12×12 big!
Even my staples are big and I dont get that… I thought elements are made true to life, so I typically do not resize. I love my prints, but very frustrated with my scrapping. I heard on this show (a little too late unfortunately) the tip to darken shadows before printing, Yes I agree that would have helped too.
Any quick tips on ensuring elements are true-to-life sizes??
I will keep my pages, heck! my partially blind mother-in-law will be thrilled!
PS. My other tip for realistic pages (although after printing, dont take my advice… is that I love using textured papers!
I had the giant staples issue when I first printed layouts. I have my rulers on so I can estimate the size now by moving my staple close to that to get an idea of the size before I place it. Some designers are better than others in the size of elements.
haha. thanks. I feel silly. great tip.
My tip is to print a page at home… even if it’s just black and white. You can select just a portion of your page and copy it and paste it onto an 8.5×11 without resizing it and print it out to check. That way you don’t waste ink and can see the actual size. Also, zoom in at 100% and see how things are in proportion to each other. In real life a staple is tiny, but a flower can be much bigger. A button is usually very small, so keep all that in mind.
Similarly, if you scrap 12×12, but print 8×8, you might want to resize a page and print at home to see how things hold up. Fonts can get too small. Elements might appear too big or too small once you reduce the page size down.
Large staples and buttons are a pet peeve of mine. I try to make mine “true to life” with the life being … my perception. But I think the argument can be made that people can always make something smaller if they want to, but they can’t make it bigger without losing image quality – so err on the side of enormous buttons so that if someone, for some reason, wants an enormous button they’ll have that option. I don’t subscribe to that school of thought, though. I guess if people want huge buttons or staples they’ll have to buy them from someone else. LOL
I had to press pause to come reply. I love last weeks show! I have purchased the book but I have to finish my stack before I start reading
. I started paper scrapping 30 years ago before there were any stores. I started digital before there were stores, there was only a yahoo group that used FTP (or what ever it was called). I have been through all the stages of needing support. Our family teases A LOT and I am in the minority cause we just have sons! However, hubby has ALWAYS been very supportive of my hobby of memory keeping, however he and said sons do not “get” the art part, they only “see” the photos. I also spend a lot of time on the photos (PS, LR, and TopazLabs) to “perfect” the pics. The guys do not even like B&W and absolutely rebel when I get a little artsy with a photo, I just stick out my tongue at them. My point is that I scrap memories for us, I do not even like to upload to galleries. My sons LOVE their old paper scrapbooks, they do not “see” the ugly scalloped shaped photos, the awful die cuts, etc. Short story long 
, I taught all of them early in my scrapping days to behave properly. Here is where our family humor shines. Before unveiling the pages for their viewing, we have to warm up our voices “Ohhhhhhhh, Ahhhhhhhh, I love it Mom.” They look at the page and we all giggle. My feelings are not hurt, they have looked and comment on that memory. As grandchildren are born, the boys pull out my books and compare their photos to their children. I love hearing the boys say “I forgot that” then they laugh about the memory.
I am also the family historian. I make genealogy books my siblings and I do not care if they like the pages or not, however they are all so grateful that I make them that they are all thrilled.
As I said, I have been through all the stages of needing validation but I have been scrapping for over 30 years. I am grateful that I have reached the point that memories are what counts. The kids love the ugly pages from their childhood. What if I became paralyzed from the need to impress others with my pages? I love the scrapbook saying “Better done than perfect.” I am not creative so I scraplift every page that I do, it does not end up looking like the original page however, like templates, it gives me a starting point and by darn, I love my pages! Amen
Oh my gosh, I LOVE the “warm up”! That is so sweet and fun. What a wonderful way to share memories with your family. You’re absolutely right, better done than perfect!
Sallie… I think I was ‘scrapping’ back with you 30yrs ago but I don’t think I realized I was doing it.
Point in hand… my son (age 32) was just visiting with his kids (3.5 & 5.5 ) and I dug out old ‘story books’ I had made for him when he was 3. One was a trip to Disneyland, one a Halloween Party, and one was his 3rd birthday party. They were made with cardboard from cereal boxes and duct taped together ~ too funny. Just a crummy photo and my story-printing. He loved looking at them with his kids. Makes me think I should do that small story book idea with my grandkids.
Rita, The cardboard/cerealbox books are coming back into style! They are on pinterest. Yes, that is fun for the g’kids and fun for them to help assemble them also. They like cutting up the cereal boxes. Also, Amazon has adorable printed duct tape.
I know I’m late to comment on this show, but I’ve been out of the game for a while and playing catch up.
Peppermint, you already know that you’re constantly changing lives with your picks (does it ever get exhausting being in a constant state of awesome?), but this time it wasn’t even a pick – it was something you casually mentioned in conversation that may well revolutionize the way I journal.
I had to re-listen to the episode and even then it took me a while to figure out the spelling – but I just have to say that OhLife is awesome! You also mentioned that you talked about it in a previous episode, but I couldn’t figure out which one. Anyway…
I have been in a mega rut, creatively speaking, for a loooooong time, and that simple little email from OhLife asking me about my day is just the kick in the booty I needed! I’m constantly jacked into my email anyway, Gmail automatically labels it as important so it’s always jumping out at me, and saving it as a draft and updating it through the day is genius!
I have kept a paper journal on and off since I was in fourth grade… yet I haven’t been able to put pen to paper in about a year. Maybe that was the problem! As my life becomes more and more digital why shouldn’t my journaling? Like you’re always saying – if it works for you run with it… so a big THANKS for giving me the tools I needed to run!
I’m sure you tire of hearing it, but I love listening to your show, it is always to uplifting and inspiring. Thanks so much for everything you do for the digiscrap community. Keep up the great work.
That’s awesome! I don’t know which episodes we talked about OhLife either. LOL I know it’s been picked before but maybe it was back on the Paperclipping Roundtable. It’s a great little tool, and I keep hoping that they don’t get bought out by someone and lose what makes the service great. It’s simple in a totally genius way.
She is so awesome isn’t she!?
I’m so curious now about non-homogenized milk. Is it really tolerable to lactose intolerant people, Peppermint? Why?
Oh, and as always, i loved the rest of the show too!!!
Ok, here’s the deal. Scientifically there shouldn’t be any reason why it makes a difference. Both homogenized and unhomogenized milk contain lactose. So if you’re lactose intolerant both will affect you. In my case I don’t think that I was ever actually lactose intolerant, dairy products just made me sick and I had a hard time digesting them – and I self-diagnosed that as lactose intolerant. I don’t have the same problem with the unhomogenized milk and that could be due to a variety of factors, such as that our “cream line” (unhomogenized) milk comes from local grass-fed, organic dairy farms. So I was a little ambiguous in how I worded that. It won’t spontaneously cure a clinically diagnosed lactose intolerance, but if you’ve just sort of assumed that’s the issue (like me!) then you may have a different experience with a less processed organic option. We were soy milk drinkers for a lot of years but both my husband I drink milk (and use other local, minimally processed dairy products) without issue now. Which is a big thing in Wisconsin! LOL