What are you working on (in April 2025)?

[Cassel]

It is a new month and new projects.

Show off what you are working on in April be it a scrapbook page, a collage, a tutorial, or anything else you want.

We are curious and want to see, learn, and get inspired.

These threads are quickly becoming a fantastic source of inspiration, support, and friendship. Keep them coming!

Remember to size down your image to about 600x600 pixels and save it in .jpg format before posting it (if you are creating a double page, you can resize it to 1000 pixels in width if you don't want to post the pages separately).

Here are a few guidelines for everyone:

• when you post a project, give as much information on your sources or techniques used. It will help others who are curious and would like to do the same.
• if someone uses something that you like on their page, ask where they got it. Sometimes, you can go get it too and it will be better quality than trying to extract it (as it would have been resized to post in the forum anyway).
• if it is something that they did from scratch, ask how they did it. It would be so helpful to everyone!
• if you like a photo and would like to “play with it”, ALWAYS ask permission. Sometimes, there are some limitations and the person is not allowed to let others use it. Don’t get them in trouble. Usually, people are happy to say yes (if they can) when you ask politely. And if you get permission, you might get a better-quality image than the resized image anyway.

[Ann Seeber]

Happy April. Here is my new April Wild Cat Calendar for 2025. All elements are from Panthera.com. The template is from Carole's Calendar Workshop in October 2024. The April 2025 font is Aviation Cocktail with a chisel effect as it is hard to add shadows with such a dark background. I isolated the photo frame using a selection/select borders and promoted it and then filled it with the PSP leopard pattern from my materials palette and treating it to an outer and inner bevel. 

Edited Tuesday at 10:32 AM by Ann Seeber
forgot a detail

[Cristina]

Lately, I have worked with PSP only to create stuff for the Build-A-Kit Workshop.   Most of the time, I watch and practice tutorials for Affinity and PSE. 

 I came upon one tutorial from Affinity Revolution that I liked very much because of its simplicity: adding Shine/Glow to an object.

There is a Masterclass—2017 Fantasy World—where Carole adds this glow feature, among other great techniques she teaches, and I have always liked it very much.

The Affinity technique requires adding a black layer, changing the Blend Mode, and painting with white.

These are the two photos offered to practice along, and the same pictures with the effect I added.

Not everything in Affinity is perfect, but I do like this app.

Edited Tuesday at 01:00 PM by Cristina

[Cristina]

This uses the same technique for the Glow but adds a few more steps to the other parts of the photo, including Gaussian Blur and Curves Adjustment Layer, among other adjustments. The photo is also from Affinity Revolution.

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 11:56 AM by Cristina

[Cristina]

This is the Fantasy world Masterclass I mentioned.

 

[Sue Thomas]

There is also a tutorial in the blog, on how to light up a street lamp.

[Corrie Kinkel]

  On 4/1/2025 at 12:39 PM, Cristina said:

This uses the same technique for the Glow but adds a few more steps to the other parts of the photo, including Gaussian Blur and Curves Adjustment Layer, among other adjustments. The photo is also from Affinity Revolution.

 

 

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Thank you for this tip. Lately I too worked most of my time the for the Build a Kit, but in between looked at some Affinity Revolution tutorials. I like the way how she (Ally) explains everything; it reminds me a bit of how Carole teaches and perhaps that is why it feels familiar. This tutorial I haven't seen, but when I have time I certainly will!

[Corrie Kinkel]

  On 4/1/2025 at 6:49 PM, Sue Thomas said:

There is also a tutorial in the blog, on how to light up a street lamp.

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That is what I wanted to mentioned but you already did. I have used that one many times if I needed such an effect because it works behind a window as well.

[Sue Thomas]

  On 4/1/2025 at 6:58 PM, Corrie Kinkel said:

That is what I wanted to mentioned but you already did. I have used that one many times if I needed such an effect because it works behind a window as well.

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Me too!  All to often we think and do along the same lines.  Is it next week you  fly out to your family?  The weather is marvelous here in West Wales.

[Sue Thomas]

  On 4/1/2025 at 6:55 PM, Corrie Kinkel said:

Thank you for this tip. Lately I too worked most of my time the for the Build a Kit, but in between looked at some Affinity Revolution tutorials. I like the way how she (Ally) explains everything; it reminds me a bit of how Carole teaches and perhaps that is why it feels familiar. This tutorial I haven't seen, but when I have time I certainly will!

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Those are so real looking, you did an absolutely outstanding  job.  The fantasy world masterclass is utterly briliant. 

[Corrie Kinkel]

  On 4/1/2025 at 7:53 PM, Sue Thomas said:

Me too!  All to often we think and do along the same lines.  Is it next week you  fly out to your family?  The weather is marvelous here in West Wales.

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I'm flying in 13 days now and the weather here is very nice as well. In California it is much warmer and I will need lots of sun lotion because the sun there is much stronger compared to the Netherlands. Silicon Valley is at the same latitude as North Africa! How long are you staying with your family?

[Sue Thomas]

  On 4/1/2025 at 9:47 PM, Corrie Kinkel said:

I'm flying in 13 days now and the weather here is very nice as well. In California it is much warmer and I will need lots of sun lotion because the sun there is much stronger compared to the Netherlands. Silicon Valley is at the same latitude as North Africa! How long are you staying with your family?

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I leave on the 5th May.  Unfortunately  time is flying by far to fast. 

[kasany]

  On 4/1/2025 at 10:30 AM, Ann Seeber said:

Happy April. Here is my new April Wild Cat Calendar for 2025. All elements are from Panthera.com. The template is from Carole's Calendar Workshop in October 2024. The April 2025 font is Aviation Cocktail with a chisel effect as it is hard to add shadows with such a dark background. I isolated the photo frame using a selection/select borders and promoted it and then filled it with the PSP leopard pattern from my materials palette and treating it to an outer and inner bevel. 

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Fine photo added to the calendar:)

[kasany]

You probably know Betty's website https://sites.google.com/site/createinpsp/home . The site   is full of text, files, masks, scripts for PSP. My recent work has been created on her tutorial. Background of the work is my APO's file. 

[Cristina]

  On 4/1/2025 at 6:55 PM, Corrie Kinkel said:

Thank you for this tip. Lately I too worked most of my time the for the Build a Kit, but in between looked at some Affinity Revolution tutorials. I like the way how she (Ally) explains everything; it reminds me a bit of how Carole teaches and perhaps that is why it feels familiar. This tutorial I haven't seen, but when I have time I certainly will!

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I also like how Ally explains things and how she is enthusiastic about the results. 😄 

Here and there, she doesn't mention the settings, like Flow or something like that, but this is seldom the case.

I watch many YouTube videos, and since they are connected to my email, I get some suggestions based on what I watch. So, many Affinity and PSE videos.

The first video on the subject, "To Add Light and Shine (Lamp & Necklace)," was made six years ago and is not by Ally but by Ezra Anderson, who founded Affinity Revolution with Ally.

If I see a video I want to watch and don't have the time at that moment (what happens all the time), I click Save + Watch Later.

Edited yesterday at 07:49 AM by Cristina

[AprilDawn]

I have used Cass edges 2 font, Sweetpea floral digital stamp from Beccys place here in Australia, Flora Free abr brush set, splatters were done with VM Filter Dribble also a watercolor brush to put behind the image.  The April month birthday flower is Sweet pea  and also diamond is the  gemstone  so i did this card for anyone who has a birthday in April.

best wishes to everyone,

Dawn.

 

[Cristina]

  On 4/3/2025 at 1:28 AM, AprilDawn said:

I have used Cass edges 2 font, Sweetpea floral digital stamp from Beccys place here in Australia, Flora Free abr brush set, splatters were done with VM Filter Dribble also a watercolor brush to put behind the image.  The April month birthday flower is Sweet pea  and also diamond is the  gemstone  so i did this card for anyone who has a birthday in April.

best wishes to everyone,

Dawn.

 

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What a lovely card, Dawn, with this nice sweet pea floral stamp plus all the details you added.

[Julie Magerka]

  On 4/2/2025 at 8:04 AM, kasany said:

You probably know Betty's website https://sites.google.com/site/createinpsp/home . The site   is full of text, files, masks, scripts for PSP. My recent work has been created on her tutorial. Background of the work is my APO's file. 

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I wasn't aware of Betty's site with the materials she offers. Thanks. But what does she mean by the "filters" needed to complete those layouts?