Helen left me a comment about my new signature and asked how it was created..so I thought I'd share some of the elements that went in to making it.
WARNING - The following information may lead you into another hobby...I WARN you, if you are computer minded...it is as addictive and as fun as quilting....
I spent A LOT of time this week browsing the internet for more info and tutorials on digital scrapbooking and I'm no way an expert, but I have learnt several new ways to make my pictures more interesting....Really it all started after I found Marica's blog...a fellow quilter who showcases her photography in the most beautiful way and I wanted to figure out how I, too, could do the same. At the same time, My Live Signature wasn't working and I thought it would be a great time to put my new skills to the test.
First you need some sort of photo editing software. I use Gimp...partially because we run on a Linux system and partially because it is FREE. Once you get the hang of it, it is as easy (or hard as the case may be) to use as Photoshop.
Next I gathered my supplies...like real scrapbooking it's all the graphics that make up an image...the background paper, the frames, the doodads (ribbons, buttons, etc.) I found these are easy to find on the internet. Here are 3 websites that can get you started. DigiFree, Krissy's Scraps and Shabby Princess. Like I said, they are just the start and they have links to so much more! (You have been WARNED...)
Next I went to Youtube and searched for digital scrapbooking and there is upteen links to good videos (here's just one user) that explain the process of layering up your image. Like the real thing it's just adding layer upon layer to create the design. So in the case of my signature I have a background picture, then a strip of white where the opacity has been lowered, then a stitching layer for the graphics that go along the top and bottom of the white bit, then a layer of doodads to make up the flower, then a layer of text. Once I was happy I merged the image as one, added a drop shadow and then uploaded it to flickr.
WARNING - The following information may lead you into another hobby...I WARN you, if you are computer minded...it is as addictive and as fun as quilting....
I spent A LOT of time this week browsing the internet for more info and tutorials on digital scrapbooking and I'm no way an expert, but I have learnt several new ways to make my pictures more interesting....Really it all started after I found Marica's blog...a fellow quilter who showcases her photography in the most beautiful way and I wanted to figure out how I, too, could do the same. At the same time, My Live Signature wasn't working and I thought it would be a great time to put my new skills to the test.
First you need some sort of photo editing software. I use Gimp...partially because we run on a Linux system and partially because it is FREE. Once you get the hang of it, it is as easy (or hard as the case may be) to use as Photoshop.
Next I gathered my supplies...like real scrapbooking it's all the graphics that make up an image...the background paper, the frames, the doodads (ribbons, buttons, etc.) I found these are easy to find on the internet. Here are 3 websites that can get you started. DigiFree, Krissy's Scraps and Shabby Princess. Like I said, they are just the start and they have links to so much more! (You have been WARNED...)
Next I went to Youtube and searched for digital scrapbooking and there is upteen links to good videos (here's just one user) that explain the process of layering up your image. Like the real thing it's just adding layer upon layer to create the design. So in the case of my signature I have a background picture, then a strip of white where the opacity has been lowered, then a stitching layer for the graphics that go along the top and bottom of the white bit, then a layer of doodads to make up the flower, then a layer of text. Once I was happy I merged the image as one, added a drop shadow and then uploaded it to flickr.The last bit of info you need is the html. Which is the following
<a target="_blank"><img style="border: medium none; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;" src="INSERT THE HTTP LINK HERE" /></a>
Once you have mastered layering and using all those yummy graphics to create decorative pictures you can then explore other areas of gimp..like getting your pictures to follow a shape...like I did here.
