Tutorial: Grand Ol' Banner

Every year we get together on the 4th of July with my hubby's family, and since it's one of my favorite holidays, I told them all I want to host the festivities at our house each year. I wanted to make a cute banner to display for the party.

Here's what you need:

• Fat quarters (18 x 22) of your choice in fabric (I had 6 different patterns)
• 3 feet of matching bias tape

1. First, I cut my fabric into triangles. If you fold your fat quarters in half and cut them this way, you can get 7 flags out of each piece of fabric. The two pieces on the fold can be put together to form one flag.

2. I didn't want frayed edges, so I sewed two triangles together on the wrong side, then turned them right-side out. They looked kind of small, but after ironing the seams flat they look just right.

3. Sew the bias tape onto one side of your flags. Open your bias tape up and sew your flags on with a straight stitch just to the side of the fold. I didn't pin (I hate pinning) I just added the flags as I was going along. If you're confused or you're a visual learner, check out this fabulous (and funny) video tutorial from Angry Chicken.

4. Fold the bias tape over and sew a zig zag stitch along the edge to secure it.

And there ya go... an adorable banner for any holiday or celebration - just customize the fabric to your occasion!

Scrap Saturday - Blending Masks in Photoshop

This week I'm going to show you a technique to blend two photos together. This is useful when you have two similar photos and you want to use some of both - like swapping a person, or "opening" eyes of someone who blinked, or changing a head of a blurry child. It's actually really easy. Here we go:

Open your two photos side by side and make sure they have the same lighting and coloring. If not, do some tweaking. For this tutorial, I'm going to assume they look very similar. I have two photos of my cute hubby and Harvey gardening, but Harvey is pretty blurry in the first. I want to swap him out.

1. Choose one photo to be your base, and drag the other on top of it. Change the opacity of the top layer to about 45%. This is so you can see both pictures at the same time.

2. Rotate or resize your top photo and move to match exactly where you want to replace. For example - I matched up the plant since Harvey had moved for the second photo. If you are changing two parts and both don't match up in the same photo - duplicate your top layer and turn one off while you work on the first.

3. Change the opacity back to 100 percent on your top layer.

4. Turn on a layer mask by clicking on Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All. Now it will seem like the top layer is turned off, and you will only see the bottom layer.

5. Choose the brush tool.

7. Click the little arrow next to the black dot to open the brush preset ticker. Move the hardness slider all the way to zero. This will make your brush strokes blend from one photo to the other.

6. Brush over the spot you wanted to change and your top layer will show up. You can change the size of your brush in the preset ticker or by using the shortcut keys [ for smaller and ] for larger. The brush tool will make your top photo show up, and the eraser tool will make it disappear again.

8. Use the eraser tool to make parts of your top photo disappear again. Play around with the eraser and brush tools until your photo looks close to how you want it. If there are parts that you can't blend - like the top of Harvey's head in my photo below - you can use the cloning tool in just a minute.

9. Merge the two photos together by clicking Layer > Merge Layers (or just hit Ctrl + E).

10. Choose the clone tool, and choose a point to copy by clicking while holding the Alt key. Brush over the last spots you need to fix, and you're all set!

Here is my finished photo in a layout:

Simple 4th Decor

Framed Flags:

I usually have 5x7 photos from our last family photo shoot in these 8x10 frames (the big family portrait is the one on the left). All I had to do was purchase .49 cent flags, tape them to a white paper background and put them in the frames. I left our family pictures in the frames to make switching things easier when the holiday ends.

Chunky Number 4:

I had this idea in my head for a while. I love decorating with numbers, so why not use one for the holiday named after one?? This would have been easier if I could had found a precut number in a style I liked at the craft stores, but I made it work anyway (and saved money in the process!). I went to my local hardware store, and found a bent 2x2 in their scrap pile. They sold all 12 feet to me for a quarter. I had my sweet hubby cut it in pieces and glue it together with liquid nails, which we already had on hand. I painted it white and propped it up in a corner on my kitchen counter.

I love my simple, yet classy Independence Day decor ideas.. will you try them??

Patriotic Centerpiece

To make this festive centerpiece, just stuff some red, white and blue tissue paper down into a vase, and add some greenery on top. I wrapped the white tissue paper around the bottom of the greenery to hide it.

Then, to add a little whimsy, I added the stars. Here's how you make them:

1. Download either the large star outline, or the small star outline, and print it onto colored paper.

2. Cut out your stars. You need two for each. Using a glue stick, rub glue all over one side of a star. Lay one end of a pipe cleaner in the center of the star, and put a matching star over the top. Smooth and hold both stars until the glue dries.

Super easy, right? Try it!

Scrap Saturday - Selective Coloring in Photoshop

*** If you're here for the blog train, keep scrolling down! ***

This week I'm going to show you how to change one color in a multi-colored element. It's SUPER easy, and I was so excited when I figured out how to do this...

I'm working on a layout that has a brown background, so I didn't want the alpha to be brown as well. Plus, the alpha has a white mat behind each letter, and I didn't want to use the Hue/Saturation option in Photoshop because I wanted that mat to stay white. So, lets just turn the brown part - green.

First, open the item that you want to recolor by going to Image > Adjustments > Replace Color. A new window will open.

Next, click the colored box at the top of the window - and it will open a Color Selection box. Click right on the element - on the color you want to change, and click OK. That color will show up in both the Color Selection box, and the top box of the Replace Color window.

Now, you need to choose the color to change the element. Click the bottom colored box, and the same Color Selection window will open. You can move the sliders around to find a color you want, or - what I usually do - click on an element in your layout that you want to match. I clicked on the little green string in my layout. Click OK.

Now, you can view right on your open element what it will look like, and there is one last thing you can tweak so it's just how you want it. Move the "Fuzziness" slider back and forth until you find the spot that changes all of what you want to change, but nothing more. Then click OK. Now you can drag it over to your layout. And that's it! Just make sure you don't save that changed element over the original!

Here's my finished layout:

(credits and comments)

As always, don't hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions (or compliments!) - I'm happy to help! 

Firecracker Favors

My favorite holiday is coming up... the 4th of July! I've already got lots of fun things planned for my annual family barbecue, and I'm SO excited!

First up... Firecracker Favors:

Aren't they adorable?? I got this idea from Family Fun, and they were super easy to make...

For each firecracker, remove the outer wrapper from a roll of candy (I used lifesavers). Wrap the inner lining with colored tape. Insert foil party picks into the center of the roll.

Even if you aren't having a family barbecue, they look great as a table centerpiece, and I bet kids will love putting them together. Try it!

This Much Card and a Kid Canvas

Father's Day ideas continued...

I decided to show you the things Harvey and I made to give to Justin. First up...

"I Love You This Much Card":

Pin It

It's super easy...

1. Trace your child's hand, then cut out two copies. My paper was double sided so I made sure that when the thumbs match up - the yellow side would be inside, and the blue side would be outside.

2. Cut out a strip of paper and fold it accordion style. Use letter rub-ons or stickers to add the words "I Love You" on the outside, and "This Much" on the strip of paper. 

3. Glue the ends of your accordion strip on the insides of the hands and your card is done. :)

Kid Canvas:

Then Harvey and I made a little canvas (4 inches x 4 inches) to hang on the wall in Justin's office at work. I purchased small ones so we could add to them each year and hang them in one grouping.

Pin It


I prepainted the canvas in green, then set Harvey in the bathtub with blue paint and a brush and let him paint his own "picture." I did the footprint when he was about 9 months old. Then I wrote his name and age right on the canvas with a colored marker.

Every year I'll have our kids paint their own picture on a matching canvas to add to the collection.

Scrap Saturday - Rounded Corners

Getting rounded corners on your digital layouts is SUPER easy. In fact... it's even easier than using one of those corner punches that kill your fingers while making a paper layout. :)

I added all the steps onto one print screen.

It only takes three steps:
1. Make a new layer on your current layout.

2. Choose the Rounded Rectangle Tool by right clicking the shape icon in the tool palette. The shape tool is right under the little arrow.

3. Enter the radius you want. The higher the number the more rounded the corners. I added a few to show you some examples. Then just click and drag to draw your shape on the layout.

Some other tips:

• Hold down the shift key while drawing your shape if you want a perfect square.
• Try to make the shape you want the first time - resizing from a rectangle to a square will make the corners look funny.
• "Crop" your photos with rounded photos by following the steps above, then clipping your photo to that layer. Do this by moving your photo layer directly above your shape layer. Select the photo layer, and hold down Ctrl + Alt + G. Your photo will only show up in the shape. (For a more detailed explanation on clipping masks with print screens, click here.)

Have fun! And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment! Need a little inspiration? Here's a layout I made with rounded corners:

Thinkin' About Dad

So.. Father's Day is in 10 days. Yeah - already. Here are a few ideas for you...

Shirt Card:

All you need are two papers, and two buttons.

1. Cut one paper into a piece 4 inches by 11 inches. Fold it in half so you have a card base that opens "up" and measures about 4 inches wide by 5.5 inches tall.

2. Measure one inch from the fold and draw a line 3/4 inches toward the center on both sides of your card.  Use scissors to cut through both papers at the marks.

3. Fold these pieces in to the center of the card, so the top corners meet in the middle.

4. Download this tie pattern...

Here is an alternate link to download the file: Shirt Card Template

...and use it to trace and cut a tie out of your second paper. Glue your tie in the center of the card.

5. Add buttons to the collar to make it more realistic.
(Or, if you want to do it digitally, go here to download an awesome template from ScrapMatters.com)

Here are some clutter-free Father's Day gift ideas from a most wonderful blog - Rookie Moms:

1. Concert tickets. Use Pollstar.com to find what’s coming soon. Print a picture of the band and wrap it up.
2. Hotel night to spend with you. Plan a reservation for a date when you’ll be comfortable leaving baby with grandparents overnight.
3. Gym membership. He’s less likely than you are to take it as a hint.
4. Class or a single session of learning something new. Tae Kwon Do or drums are a longer commitment. Rock climbing could be a one-shot deal.
5. Arrange to fix something broken. His bike or that garage door lock. Tie a bow around it and reveal it at the right moment.
6. A humorous plaque. Put his claim to fame on something around the house, such as “Rick Ross: Winner of Least Used Snowboard in 2009 Award” attached to his gear. Or “Rick’s Throne” affixed to the toilet.
7. Entertainment. Use the iTunes store to buy a full season of a favorite cable show.
8. Tickets for a sporting event. Basketball, hockey, local college soccer games, whatever makes him happy.
9. Xbox LIVE Membership for the year provides more geeking out time.
10. Premium subscriptions to a favorite website like ESPN, Financial Times, or upgrades for LinkedIn (for the laid-off) and Flickr (for the social photographer). 

Still stumped? Check out Amazon.com's Father's Day Gift compilation.

My hubby loves to fish, so I'll probably get him a gift certificate at Sportsman's Warehouse for a fishing license and some goodies to fill his tackle box.

What are you doing to make your man feel special this year??

Scrap Saturday - How to Use a Template

So, for this week's tutorial I'm going to show you how to use a template. (Sorry Aliese, one more week...)

First of all, a template is a file with layers - each layer being a piece of your scrapbook layout. For example, I made up this template for Wendy's June blog challenge. (So download it, complete a page using her designs, and link your layout to this forum thread to join. The winner gets $4 to her store, and you get a free template. Who's complaining?)

Click HERE to download the template

Each thing is a different layer: all of those colored pieces on the edge are papers, each black photo, the journaling, the background and the white paper.

Open the file in Photoshop, and choose what pictures, papers and elements you want to use. In the template file, click on the layer you want your photo (called "photo 1" here).

Drag your photo on top of the template to where you want it. It will add your photo as a layer right above the one you've selected. Check to make sure your actual photo is the layer selected in the layers palette. Now all you have to do is create a clipping mask to make your photo "clip" to the black photo layer. You can find it in the Layers dropdown menu, or just use the shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + G.

You should see a little arrow coming from your photo layer to the black layer. Now your "clipped" picture shows up only where the layer below it shows up. Erase a part of that layer, your photo disappears in that area too. But (and this is the best part, in my opinion) you can change your mind about where you put your photo. Just click your photo layer and drag it, zoom in, or zoom out, to exactly the position you want it and it still shows up only where it's clipped. You can't do that if you crop your photo and add it to your layout as it's own layer. Here, I resized my photo to 120%, and rotated it a bit to center Harvey in the space.

Keep following this procedure for all the papers and such. I really like the above feature of a clipping mask especially for papers. Sometimes I don't like what part of a patterned paper shows up, so I can just move it around until I like what I see.

Finish your layout by adding your journaling, a title, and the elements. It's best to add your own elements in the places the elements are shown in the template, then just delete or turn off those layers (by clicking the little eyeball in the layers palette). Add shadowing and you're done! Seriously.. if you have any questions - DON'T hesitate to leave a comment!!

Here's my finished layout:

Done it lately? (June To Do)

(image via here)

The get-it-done list for June... straight out of the "gentle reminders" section of my 5 years of Martha Stewart Living magazines. Started late? Check out the other months here.

• Open the windows and air out the house. Do this while you can take advantage of breezy days this month, before the hottest summer weather sets in. proper ventilation improves indoor air quality and makes the house more comfortable.
• Rinse swimwear in cold water after each use. This will extend the life of the suit (especially when you're using a swimming pool, as chlorinated water can cause fabric to fade and lose elasticity). Gently squeeze excess water from the rinsed suit - do not wring- and hang to dry.
• Brush up on sun care basics. Choose a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, which blocks out 93 percent of the sun's burning ultraviolet rays. Apply generously thirty minutes before going outside; reapply every two hours (if you are swimming or perspiring, every forty to eighty minutes). If possible, stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the hours of the day when UV rays are strongest.
• Go from room to room, cleaning ceiling fans and light fixtures. Bring a cup to hold loose hardware if you'll have to remove pieces, such as domes. Turn off light fixtures, and stand on a ladder or sturdy chair. Use a soft cloth to apply surface-appropriate cleaners (household cleaner or oil soap for wood blades, glass cleaner for light bulb covers, and so on); dust cool light bulbs with a soft, dry cloth.
• Organize a tag sale. Clean out your closets, basement, and garage. Sort and price items you no longer need. Choose a weekend to hold the sale, and post signs. (Check local ordinances to see if a permit is required for the sale.) Invite neighbors to join in, as larger inventories attract more customers.
• Purchase passes. Don't wait till the last minute to buy permits for the beach, the pool, parks, and tennis courts, and remember to inquire about parking. If you plan to take instructional classes, sign up now.
• Car Care. Have the air-conditioning, cooling system, tires, and brakes of your automobile inspected before any extended road trips. Then vacuum, wash and wax it. Stash extra coolant in the trunk in case the car overheats. When you hit the highway, prevent engine strain - and save gas - by observing the speed limit.