My first from scratch scrapbook project. Awhile back I enrolled in "Photoshop Elements Techniques". It's a website that has lots of information, tutorials, downloads, etc. for Photoshop Elements. The scrapbooking pages I have done so far are from kits and/or some creativity on my part. After doing a couple of tutorials on this new site, I have come to realize the power behind Photoshop products. I don't know how deep I will get into it as I am basically not artistic, but I have committed myself to wading through all the tutorials, etc. and hopefully some of will stick.

The tutorial I did today was to create a cutout, basically for a picture frame. Frankly, the instructions were not good, either in the tutorial or in the instructions for using Photoshop Elements located within the product. Point in fact, the tutorial called for using a shape for the cutout. Now, I knew what a shape was, there is a pull down where you can pick generic shapes to use as a cutout or frame or whatnot. But, I needed to go get a shape from an Adobe site. The instructions said to download it and install it by going to Edit, Preset Manager and loading it in through there. There WAS no shapes in the pulldown - brushes, patterns, etc. but no shapes. I clicked here and I clicked there to no avail. So I went into the forum and sent a note. Good thing I mentioned I was a blond, because when I got back to my project low and behold the new shapes were there in the pulldown. But they went away when I went back to my default shapes. What had I done to get them there in the first place? After some experimentation, this time I paid attention, it seems you click on the shape file and it temporarily puts the shapes in your pulldown. Now, this makes complete sense as there are probably lots of shapes I might want to download and use, but they would clog up my pulldown menu and probably affect computer performance if they stayed permanently. (Sort of like having 10 gazillion fonts installed - who?? me??) But, boy....you'd think they'd tell a person this. Once I had this licked I was back to the project and the next wall I ran into was a problem in the tutorial....the author was assuming I knew things I do not and that I would know I had to create a new layer for my "shape". LOL. It took me hours to complete the following, which I don't even care for particularly, but I did it ALL from scratch, including the pattern on the background. What you see here is what some digital scrapbooking sites call a Plopper - all you need to do is insert a picture between the parchment layer and the background and add some journalling and/or embellishment.



Oh, the shape, of course, is the peacock. Yah know, I don't even think I have a picture that goes with the frame. ROTFL....

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Jasmine, my adopted Siamese cat is a pretty good subject for photographing. She seems to like to pose. So, I was playing around today and made this page for her. Blue is definately her color.



Jazzy has all the typical Siamese characteristics....loves to talk. She never lowers herself to play with Baby Kitty's toys, but if you are careful she doesn't see you, you might catch her swat carelessly at a catnip toy...her head held high. Some more pictures in a little slide show.


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Clay comments on a scrapbooking site - I often post about the digital scrapbooking challenges I participate in and my last one I uploaded was Clay (as are most of them). When you upload the scrapbooking pages they are then available for view by other members and they often comment. The last one drew 7 comments, 5 of which went like this:

Nicely done. While not a huge fan of his (I'm more into country music), he is such a cutie, and the pics you've chosen to showcase are adorable!

I have heard of him but thats it , he is a cutie i will say that and great LO.

Great LO. While I've not heard any music from him in awhile, I still like him (and still think he should have won!).

This is a great layout ... could be a great promo for him! (Maybe you need to send him a copy!)

Great job with Clay's photos! I TOTALLY agree! He SHOULD have won but in the end he is the winner....he;s doing better...lol...

So, heck.....todays challenge was a simple layout with a main pic, three small ones, some journaling....so I uploaded this:



Well, I figure....if only one of them decides to go out and buy it I've done my part!!!

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ATDW

A Thousand Different Ways

We have snippets!!!! My jukebox is now updated with snippets of all 14 songs on A Thousand Different Ways which will be for sale on Sept 19, 2006. In addition, the album cover has been confirmed and although I posted it in my previous blog, it's so gorgeous I just have to post it again.




Enjoy the snippets. I cannot pick a favorite at this point and desperately want to hear the complete versions!!! Broken Wings and Lonely No More are especially screaming at me...

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A Thousand Different Ways

Gah. Last week we thought we had the album cover picture.

Love the picture, Love the bold typeface...... I am getting very excited about this album, I think it will surprise some people, fascinate some people, and entertain us all enormously. And, I certainly hope the "actual" album cover is even more striking than this one....cuz I like this one very much....

Although I have added a link to Clay's myspace account to the sidebar on the right, I want to put the link here Clay Aiken MySpace and I recommend going to listen to what is reported to be his first single off the new album. Notice I didn't say it IS the single off his next album as we haven't heard it from either he or RCA. I wasn't too sure about "covers" because of the negative value placed on the WORD covers. I have purchased cover albums and have always enjoyed hearing a favorite artist singing songs I have loved in the past. After hearing this song I can't wait to hear the rest of the songs, because "Without You" is stunning.

Hopefully, this album will be embraced by the fans as well as the general public. I think it will, the heavy promotion at Walmart in their SoundCheck series should be huge in first week sales. A few television promo's and appearances and we should be good to go. I get to see him in Hollywood at the Jimmy Kimmel show on 9/26!!!!

Check out my new counter for days, hours and minutes until the release of the new album.

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A Thousand Different Ways

Baby Kitty & the Lizard. The other day my (formerly) sweet and innocent kitten brought me a present, which she dropped right at my bare feet while I was sitting at my desk. The present immediately started to scurry around and I launched myself onto the top of my desk, getting those bare feet out of the way. As my camera was on the desk, I got a few pictures before I felt it was time to intercede and rescue the critter. Baby had to be locked in the laundry room as she was beside herself with the joy of the hunt and I was able to sweep the lizard back out onto the patio. I loathe the things, mostly because they can move so fast. Anyway, here is a little slide show of Baby Kitty's day.


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Clay's New Album. Finally, last week we got a press release and a song list for the new album, "A Thousand Differant Ways". And, then we got some pictures and a promo on ET with some more stellar pictures and images. Wow. Still, we haven't heard him speak. There are those who are wondering when the new hair will speak. Hah, maybe it won't. A sorta 2006 sexy male version of the Greta Garbo " I vant to be alone" personna. Nah, just joking, but there is a sort of mystery forming around Clay that is enticing and romantic.

Naturally, I had to do a scrapbook page......




As one DJ has been reported to have said, Hubba Hubba

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Clay Aiken
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