February DIY Challenge (2025)

[Cassel]

This challenge has had great success in the past so we can continue to have it on a regular basis, don’t you think?

Just like those “some assembly required” kits that you can buy for a shelf, a chair, or a picnic table, I am including a 3600×3600 pixels canvas with some shapes.

You HAVE to use the shapes in the size and proportions they are. You can move them, rotate them, flip them, and rearrange the layering if you want but you cannot resize them or replace them.

You need to use ALL the pieces but you can add more if you want.

So it is like all the pieces to build a DIY shelf: you cannot change the size of the pieces but you can use them creatively.

Obviously, you will want to recolor them or replace them with papers, photos, etc. We just need to be able to recognize the initial shapes.

Here is a preview of the shapes involved. There will be a lot of layering involved to use all the pieces. 

Click here to download the layered template. I made it into a psd file so you can use it in Affinity too.

Post your projects in the gallery.

[Sue Thomas]

This one posed a slight challenge, as  it is busier than  what I like to go with with. Anyway, the size of each element  has been retained exactly as  it.  I came across the cutout script, which I must have missed, so I created my own cutout 'wonderland' word. 

[Susan Ewart]

  On 2/16/2025 at 1:55 PM, Sue Thomas said:

This one posed a slight challenge, as  it is busier than  what I like to go with with. Anyway, the size of each element  has been retained exactly as  it.  I came across the cutout script, which I must have missed, so I created my own cutout 'wonderland' word. 

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What a great use of all the elements.  For us viewers there is much see and discover.  and OMG that is a cute rabbit/bunny(?).  The way you have explained how your choose colors for your papers makes what you think is busy, not busy at all.  It all seems to flow together perfectly. Even your layout takes my eye around the layout from the big circles, down the 2024 to wonderland, up the two rectangles and across the upper squarish rectangles to the title.  At least that's how I travelled through.  Then I went back to take a look at your papers and wonderland cut out.  I like that shaded edge on the pink paper.  And I see the cut out around the two rectangles, it looks very cool.

[Corrie Kinkel]

  On 2/15/2025 at 12:19 PM, Cassel said:

This challenge has had great success in the past so we can continue to have it on a regular basis, don’t you think?

Just like those “some assembly required” kits that you can buy for a shelf, a chair, or a picnic table, I am including a 3600×3600 pixels canvas with some shapes.

You HAVE to use the shapes in the size and proportions they are. You can move them, rotate them, flip them, and rearrange the layering if you want but you cannot resize them or replace them.

You need to use ALL the pieces but you can add more if you want.

So it is like all the pieces to build a DIY shelf: you cannot change the size of the pieces but you can use them creatively.

Obviously, you will want to recolor them or replace them with papers, photos, etc. We just need to be able to recognize the initial shapes.

Here is a preview of the shapes involved. There will be a lot of layering involved to use all the pieces. 

Click here to download the layered template. I made it into a psd file so you can use it in Affinity too.

Post your projects in the gallery.

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I very much appreciate that you are now giving the templates as a psd file, thank you!!!😍

[Sue Thomas]

  On 2/16/2025 at 2:23 PM, Susan Ewart said:

What a great use of all the elements.  For us viewers there is much see and discover.  and OMG that is a cute rabbit/bunny(?).  The way you have explained how your choose colors for your papers makes what you think is busy, not busy at all.  It all seems to flow together perfectly. Even your layout takes my eye around the layout from the big circles, down the 2024 to wonderland, up the two rectangles and across the upper squarish rectangles to the title.  At least that's how I travelled through.  Then I went back to take a look at your papers and wonderland cut out.  I like that shaded edge on the pink paper.  And I see the cut out around the two rectangles, it looks very cool.

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I do appreciate your very kind words.  I try to make may layouts flow,  whilst retaining a balanced  layout without dirstracting from the  photos. It never ceased to amaze me what a varied selection of colours can be selected out using the dropper tool on photos.  Here is the  cut out label I  created myself, after discovering  the script.  As for the title I used the stencil technique on the edge.  I typed the word first, then on a new layer  created the stroke,  changed the stroke to a raster, to add the stencil effect.

[Corrie Kinkel]

My take on this DIY. I always like this challenge. Having said that I was happy with the PSD file, of course I had to use it in Affinity. Cristina pointed me to the Affinity Resolution Videos and that had a freebie bundle with 2 fonts, styles, background papers and textured papers. Firstly I looked at the videos and installed the goodies and then used them in this layout. It took me more time then it would in PSP but it is becoming more easy now because at least I know the utmost basics. I think there is much to like in this Affinity and a lot of actions are easier than in PSP. I'm hoping to learn new things in the Magazine challenge too. Besides my photos I used 2 brads for the small circles and arranged the rest of all the elements to my liking

[Sue Thomas]

  On 2/16/2025 at 11:13 PM, Corrie Kinkel said:

My take on this DIY. I always like this challenge. Having said that I was happy with the PSD file, of course I had to use it in Affinity. Cristina pointed me to the Affinity Resolution Videos and that had a freebie bundle with 2 fonts, styles, background papers and textured papers. Firstly I looked at the videos and installed the goodies and then used them in this layout. It took me more time then it would in PSP but it is becoming more easy now because at least I know the utmost basics. I think there is much to like in this Affinity and a lot of actions are easier than in PSP. I'm hoping to learn new things in the Magazine challenge too. Besides my photos I used 2 brads for the small circles and arranged the rest of all the elements to my liking

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A stunningly vibrant spring layout!  I was wondering if circumstances would allow you to make a trip this year to your daughter's.  8 weeks sounds like a long to wait, but before you know it you will  up, up  and away.  I will be making another tip  home in the near future, shortly after the new baby has been born in  mid March.

[Corrie Kinkel]

  On 2/17/2025 at 12:02 PM, Sue Thomas said:

A stunningly vibrant spring layout!  I was wondering if circumstances would allow you to make a trip this year to your daughter's.  8 weeks sounds like a long to wait, but before you know it you will  up, up  and away.  I will be making another tip  home in the near future, shortly after the new baby has been born in  mid March.

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Wow a new baby, will it be in Wales?

[Sue Thomas]

  On 2/17/2025 at 4:33 PM, Corrie Kinkel said:

Wow a new baby, will it be in Wales?

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Not this time.  It will be born in Truro, Cornwall.

[Corrie Kinkel]

  On 2/17/2025 at 7:16 PM, Sue Thomas said:

Not this time.  It will be born in Truro, Cornwall.

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There you will have not only a newborn to hold but nice weather too. How long are you planning to stay?

[Anja Pelzer]

wow great layout and wordart @Sue Thomas

oh and I love this wonderful spring layout @Corrie Kinkel

I bought the Affinity Photo  2 days ago and tried to use it in this challenge , it was fun to clip the papers so easy to the shapes, and I found make a bevel on the little circles with fx and 3d effect,

[Corrie Kinkel]

  On 2/23/2025 at 10:08 AM, Anja Pelzer said:

wow great layout and wordart @Sue Thomas

oh and I love this wonderful spring layout @Corrie Kinkel

I bought the Affinity Photo  2 days ago and tried to use it in this challenge , it was fun to clip the papers so easy to the shapes, and I found make a bevel on the little circles with fx and 3d effect,

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Nice you also are going to use Affinity. I'm still on the 90 days free trial, but I already decided that I will buy it afterwards. I like to learn something new and here is a lot to learn...............