What are you working on in August (2023)?

[Sue Thomas]

1 hour ago, Sue Thomas said:

I could do a work around, by lowering the opacity greatly, and precisely aligning the photo to the  book.  Doing rounded corners would be more difficult.  This  book mock up doesn't have rounded corners.

The only way  I could think of around this is to use the selection tool, point to point, flood fill, and then negative image.  The only problem is the edges aren't  sharp, but a bit jaggy, due to the selection tool, especially on lines on an angle. 

[Cassel]

1 hour ago, Sue Thomas said:

The mockup links you sent me, are not working for me. The mask you used in the tutorial is how it should be.  In this mockup and the others, you'll notice the mask is all white, I've included a screen shot.  Being a PSD file, how would I overcome this blip? Changing the mask isn't that easy.  I decided to create some books to use in future projects. This  particular mock up I found on creative fabrica. I'd appreciate some suggestions please.  

Yes, being PSD files, they are not always the best to use with PSP, but sometimes, you can just rearrange the layers (move it out of the group) and create your own PSP mask from any shape. Notice that in this mockup, the shape is clear below the mask layer, so you can use that particular layer to either move it out, or make a selection of it, and in the mask layer, invert the selection and fill the outside in black. That would then become a PSP mask.

[Cassel]

7 minutes ago, Sue Thomas said:

The only way  I could think of around this is to use the selection tool, point to point, flood fill, and then negative image.  The only problem is the edges aren't  sharp, but a bit jaggy, due to the selection tool, especially on lines on an angle. 

You can also make the selection using the Pen tool. That might give a better edge.

[Sue Thomas]

3 hours ago, Cassel said:

You can also make the selection using the Pen tool. That might give a better edge.

I didn't think of the pen tool.  I used the magic wand before the  point to point tool,  on the shape  below, like you suggested  above, but again it doesn't create nice smooth edges.  I'm going to  try the pen tool,  as it is a vector. Thank you.

[Julie Magerka]

On 8/26/2023 at 5:50 PM, Sue Thomas said:

What a  magical layout you created.  I like the  tilted frames, and the background paper.  To answer you question, yes we do have fireflies in Saskatchewan.  We have 9 species, there are  over 2,000 species world wide.  I have seen them at night.  Not as many any more  as there used to be.  With all the beetle and bug species I have found and photographed, I have never come across a firefly beetle, which is a member of the  Lampyridae  family.  When we first moved here I was mesmerized by their sheer numbers and the  light show they displayed. 

When I first moved here and walked the dogs near dark, the fireflies would be all around. Now, only a few in the yard. But I'm happy to see them nevertheless.

[Julie Magerka]

On 8/27/2023 at 1:03 PM, Rene Marker said:

We would do this too. Even with holes punched in the lids for air, they wouldn't light up that long so we would usually let them go when they started "dimming".

I was reading about them, captured in jars. They will last longer, apparently, with something damp placed in the jar. But they must be released or their little short lives will be much shorter!

[Julie Magerka]

On 8/27/2023 at 10:33 AM, Susan Ewart said:

Oh wow, that is something I've always wanted to do.  are they really bright?

It's almost a rite of passage for kids to do the mason jar thing in areas where these little critters show their lights.

[Jannette Nieuwboer]

 

I've done some research on the fireflies, here is my result. It's from Wikipedia. there are more than 200 firefly species. I did not have time to do anything with the photos. It's more informative.  The text is from the first photo.  I've got them from the internet:

Close-up view of a bioluminescent beetle Elateroidea (Lampyridae Ototretinae Stenocladius or Rhagophthalmidae), on a leaf. This specimen measures about 20 mm (0.79 n). The species produces and emits light, via a chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted into light energy. The principal chemical reaction in bioluminescence involves some light-emitting molecule and an enzyme, generally called the luciferin and the luciferase, respectively. Oxidation of organic compounds induces photon emission. The intensity of this light can be perceived by the human eye in a radius of 2 m (6.6 ft). This is a long-exposure photograph (1.3 s) made with a tripod and a macro lens, in the middle of the night (2 am). In conditions of ambient darkness, the adjustment of the manual focus is difficult, and the camera settings (ISO and depth of field) should be done according to the mobility of the living organism, which may lead to motion blurs. At any time, the insect can also decrease the intensity or even completely stop emitting its light (example here). A soft and diffuse auxiliary lamp has been brought to reveal the details of the animal. Bioluminescent beetle species are in regression in the world because of the phenomenon of light pollution, insecticides, and climate change. This specimen comes from the island of Don Det, Si Phan Don Laos, a wild area far from any major city. This image won the 1st prize in the Wiki Science Competition category Wildlife and Nature from France.

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Jannette Nieuwboer

[Cassel]

9 minutes ago, Jannette Nieuwboer said:

Ik heb wat onderzoek gedaan naar de vuurvliegjes. hier is mijn resultaat. Dit komt van Wikipedia. De foto's komen van internet. Er zijn meer dan 200 soorten. I did not have time to do anything with the photos. It's more informative. 

Wow... I didn't know that the caterpillar would also light up!

[Susan Ewart]

12 minutes ago, Cassel said:

Wow... I didn't know that the caterpillar would also light up!

Wow, fireflies are a marvel of nature.  And they have little soft fuzzy (I presume) grey fur coat.  Since I grew flowers I am getting the fuzzy soft looking bees at the flowers, so far I've seen 3 different looking ones.  Thaks for this post, it is really interesting information.  I wish we had them here.

[Suzy]

Susan, the outer part of a lightning bug is more like a beetle with little shine - it's not fuzzy at all. (no one here calls them fireflies, BTW).
I’m not sure why that looks like it has a gray over wash to it.

 I have steps in the woods and stepped on one this summer. The part that lights up will smear and stay lighted for a short time, maybe 30 seconds, even though it is no longer attached to the lightning bug.  Accidentally step on them for the record.

[Sue Thomas]

2 hours ago, Suzy said:

Susan, the outer part of a lightning bug is more like a beetle with little shine - it's not fuzzy at all. (no one here calls them fireflies, BTW).
I’m not sure why that looks like it has a gray over wash to it.

 I have steps in the woods and stepped on one this summer. The part that lights up will smear and stay lighted for a short time, maybe 30 seconds, even though it is no longer attached to the lightning bug.  Accidentally step on them for the record.

They are beetles, commonly called Fireflies, glow worms, lightning bugs.  They belong to the  Lampyridae family, the order of ( Coleoptera) beetles.  In the class of insecta  ( Insects). They produce light in special organs in their abdomens.  A combination of several chemicals, which they can control,  how and when to flash.   It's pretty fascinating really.

[Jannette Nieuwboer]

I've translated the Wikipedia text into English. Now Grammarly is repaired. 

On 8/29/2023 at 9:18 PM, Jannette Nieuwboer said:

 

I've done some research on the fireflies, here is my result. It's from Wikipedia. there are more than 2000 firefly species. I did not have time to do anything with the photos. It's more informative.  The text is from the first photo.  I've got them from the internet:

Close-up view of a bioluminescent beetle Elateroidea (Lampyridae Ototretinae Stenocladius or Rhagophthalmidae), on a leaf. This specimen measures about 20 mm (0.79 n). The species produces and emits light, via a chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted into light energy. The principal chemical reaction in bioluminescence involves some light-emitting molecule and an enzyme, generally called the luciferin and the luciferase, respectively. Oxidation of organic compounds induces photon emission. The intensity of this light can be perceived by the human eye in a radius of 2 m (6.6 ft). This is a long-exposure photograph (1.3 s) made with a tripod and a macro lens, in the middle of the night (2 am). In conditions of ambient darkness, the adjustment of the manual focus is difficult, and the camera settings (ISO and depth of field) should be done according to the mobility of the living organism, which may lead to motion blurs. At any time, the insect can also decrease the intensity or even completely stop emitting its light (example here). A soft and diffuse auxiliary lamp has been brought to reveal the details of the animal. Bioluminescent beetle species are in regression in the world because of the phenomenon of light pollution, insecticides, and climate change. This specimen comes from the island of Don Det, Si Phan Don Laos, a wild area far from any major city. This image won the 1st prize in the Wiki Science Competition category Wildlife and Nature from France.

 

 

[Michele]

44 minutes ago, Jannette Nieuwboer said:

Background is from Jessica Dunn. Font Futurex Vayager. 

Last year I got a present from Mother Nature as a dove was breading in my bedroom window.  An experiment to place different shapes made out of photos and add an edge around them. 

@Jannette Nieuwboer We have a new page for September. you might want to post this lovely layout there.

 https://scrapbookcampus.com/invision/forums/topic/1522-what-are-you-working-on-in-september-2023/

 

[Susan Ewart]

On 9/3/2023 at 9:42 PM, Sue Thomas said:

They are beetles, commonly called Fireflies, glow worms, lightning bugs.  They belong to the  Lampyridae family, the order of ( Coleoptera) beetles.  In the class of insecta  ( Insects). They produce light in special organs in their abdomens.  A combination of several chemicals, which they can control,  how and when to flash.   It's pretty fascinating really.

This is very interesting.  I wonder if scientific or medical discoveries have come from any of this class/order.