Wuvies Whimsies Designs

Archive for January, 2010

Todays layout took me a bit longer than I expected because I had to learn to do something new. I had to learn to get rid of red eye. You know that red glare that makes your photo look like either the spawn of Satan or a rabbit with a drinking problem.  I had been doing it basically by hand and not doing a very good job at it, so today I decided to find out the right way.

I wish I had went looking a long time ago! It is one of the easiest tutorials ever! Here check it out – Remove Red Eye

So my photos went from this -

Quintin Laugh

Quintin Smile

To this -

A Baby Will

Much better right?

This is my newest grand baby, Quintin.

The Digital Kit is Winters Peace Value Collection by Lauren Bavin

I have had a lot of people compliment me on the layout I did where I had turned a photo of myself in to a sketch.

2010 Dreams

Several of them wanted to know how I did it. It is a super easy effect that I learned a long time ago, so I thought I would write up a small tutorial showing how.

I use Photoshop CS4, but I know this will work in CS3 and in Paint Shop Pro 12.  I have done it in all of these. As far as any other graphics programs, I can not tell you because I have never used them.

Okay, on with the tutorial -

This is the photo I will be using. It is the same one I used for the layout.

me before sketch effect

STEP 1 –  Duplicate Your Photo Layer

Once you have opened your photo in Photoshop, right click on your photo layer and choose Duplicate Layer.

Duplicate Photo Layer

STEP 2 - Desaturate Layer

Go to your Image Menu and under Adjustment, click on Desaturate.

Desaturate Photo Copy

Now you photo copy layer will look like this.

Desaturated Photo Copy Layer

STEP 3 – Duplicate Desaturated Layer

Now duplicate your Desaturated Layer

Duplicate Desaturated Layer

STEP 4 – Invert Layer

Now go back to the Image menu and under Adjustment, click on Invert.

Invert Copied Desatured Layer

This will give your photo a negative look.

Inverted Layer

STEP 5 – Change Blend Mode to Color Dodge

Right click on your Inverted Layer and change the mode to Color Dodge.

Color Dodge

This will change your layer all white. Do not panic, this is a good thing. Trust me.

STEP 6 – Blur a Sketch

Go to your Filter Menu and under Blur, click on the Gausian Blur.

Gaussian Blur

This is where you get to use your own judgment on how you want your sketch to look. The key to a nice looking sketch effect is to adjust the Radius amount in the Gaussian Blur box until your image looks like a sketch. You don’t want to much, so I advise you to start at 1 and don’t go higher than 4.

Keep it Small

So, there you have it. The easy effect of changing a photo in to a sketch.

This is my Before -

and this is my After -

After

Hope you enjoy the tutorial and make sure to give it a try.

Thanks for Stopping By.

I am an early riser. Generally, I get up about 4 or 5 am. Not always because I want to, but the cats or grumpy old dog have picked this time to get hungry or go outside. One of the draw backs of having a big dog is he is just tall enough to stick his cold wet nose right in my face. Trust me, this is not a pleasant way to wake up.

The animals have gotten me well trained now, so I just automatically wake early, feed them let them out, fix hubby his lunch and start my day. It’s such a quiet peaceful time and it is easy to think and focus. I often will start a layout first thing so I can work on it during the day. One of my goals for this year is to do at least 3 or 4 layouts a week.

This morning I started my layout and it just seem to fall right in to place. As soon as I open the kit, the inspiration was there and I knew what I wanted and was even able to find the photo I wanted. I just love days like this.

Sleepy Time

This is my son Eric and his new baby boy Quintin getting in some real quality father son bonding in the recliner. Wonder which one drools more?

Credits:

Hush a Bye VC by Nicole Young

I get in these quirky moods, and I just make up my mind I am NOT going to take anything seriously for at least 24 hours. During this 24 hours you might as well not even bother trying to get a straight answer or even a little bit of comforting from me. It’s not going to happen. You are going to get wise cracks, giggles, smirks and the occasional eye roll no matter what.

I don’t do it maliciously, or to make anyone feel bad. I think it is a built in coping mechanism I have that doesn’t allow me to implode with all the seriousness that fills our lives. I don’t really have control of when these moods strike, I don’t wake up in the morning and say, “I am going to be a smart-a$$ today.” No, I don’t even know it is one of those days till I start listening to what is running through my head or coming out of my mouth.  A sure sign is when my hubby asks me a question and then sprays his drink out his nose at my answer.

Well, today is one of those days for me. I have gone through most of the day, humming silly songs, making wise cracks at the TV and even when it came to doing my daily layout, I just had to turn it silly.

Note 2 Self

This really did start out to be a more serious layout, but I guess you can’t pick your moods.

Credits:

January Life Journal by Teresa Loman

Just remember – Life is like a hot bath. It feels good while you’re in it, but the longer you stay in, the more wrinkled you get.

Actually, not lazy, just not running behind or getting frustrated due to to many things and not enough time. I have got the laundry in the dryer, dishes done, kitchen clean, cats fed, but getting ready to piss them off. They hate the vacuum and I am getting ready to turn my white, gray and black furball rug back in to the light brown and beige rug it really is. At the rate these animals shed, I truly don’t understand why they aren’t all bald by now. Are they getting secret shipments of Rogain? I swear the amount of hair I empty from my vacuum would make wigs for several sheep dogs and a llama. It’s not because I don’t vacuum often. I do it at least twice a week and sometimes 3 if something happens, company or I just feel vengeful at having been woken up at 3 am because a cat dish is empty. I don’t dare do it daily, because as I said they do hate it, remember, they know where I sleep.
So anyway, house work is right on track, meat for dinner is thawing, the television is on for the noise in the background, vacuum is waiting, cats are glaring, dog is outside probably chuckling to himself and I am just finishing up a new layout while waiting for the dryer alarm to go off. All is right in my house.
Here is the Layout I did during breaks

My 2010 Dream

Credits:

Digital Kit – Free Your Mind VC by Nicole Young (link will be added as soon as DSP is back up)

Well, alarm going off, time to finish laundry and then terrorize the cats. (I wonder if they know just how much I enjoy it?)

Today is laundry day around here, which means I have 20 to 30 minutes between loads. For me, that is just enough time to work on a scrapbook layout. If I try to do a layout without any interutptions, I will catch myself sitting for hours, over thinking and getting frustrated. Often deleting the whole thing.

If I work on a layout for a little while, then get up to do chores, I come back with fresh eyes and ideas. I don’t get bored, or frustrated and less layouts get deleted. Plus, my chores don’t seem so tedious because I have my mind on something else.

Here is todays layout, Princess Makayla.

Princess Makayla

This was taken when she was visiting Disney World in 2008. She really is my little princess.

Credits:

Digital Kit – Follow Your Passion by Teresa Loman