BOOTCAMP July 2020

[Ann Seeber]

I was poking around with some Quick Pages hoping to try out the new script I got from Cassel. I found a photo to display that made an amusing observation but didn't really know how to proceed with the script. I had two images open - the Quick Page and my photo. I layered them together and applied the script but just got several black masks.. which I don't understand at all! I finally put the photo and quick page together my old-fashioned way but I'd really like to know how the script is supposed to work.

 

Here's a screenshot of my desktop when trying the script and here's also the Quick Page and also my  final design.

 

Oops, sorry, forgot to resize the Quick Page base.

[Fay Burnett]

Carole … Yes, there is a definite legibility problem with the text but what I did to try and correct this was not done using a drop shadow.  I duplicated the text layer, moved the duplicated layer below the original, used the Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment to make the text white (-100 saturation, +100 Lightness).  I then tried two further adjustments … (1) moved the white text a few pixels to the right and a few pixels down, (2) using a second copy of the original white text, I did a Gaussian blur of 3.  I kept viewing the results of first one and then the other.  I eventually settled on (1) but was not satisfied even with that.  The real problem is the background which has a slight embossing effect and blurring this would have made a big difference in the clarity of the text with no need of a drop shadow, etc. which I would not normally use for such journaling.  I should have played around more with that and perhaps changed the font for the text.  I just wasn’t feeling up to playing around with it.  It’s always easier to use non-patterned papers but I so love designing and using patterned papers that it often makes problems with journaling that I wouldn’t otherwise have. ?

 

 

[Fay Burnett]

Carole … Yes, there is a definite legibility problem with the text but what I did to try and correct this was not done using a drop shadow.  I duplicated the text layer, moved the duplicated layer below the original, used the Hue/Saturation/Lightness adjustment to make the text white (-100 saturation, +100 Lightness).  I then tried two further adjustments … (1) moved the white text a few pixels to the right and a few pixels down, (2) using a second copy of the original white text, I did a Gaussian blur of 3.  I kept viewing the results of first one and then the other.  I eventually settled on (1) but was not satisfied even with that.  The real problem is the background which has a slight embossing effect and blurring this would have made a big difference in the clarity of the text.  I should have played around more with that and perhaps changed the font for the text.  I just wasn’t feeling up to playing around with it.  It’s always easier to use non-patterned papers but I so love designing and using patterned papers that it often makes problems with journaling that I wouldn’t otherwise have. ?

 

 

[MoniqueN.]

Carole, the first kit you mention in the project #5 mail, is parked, can't be reached.......

[Brad Jones]

I guess I was feeling cocky about getting the last episode done relatively easily, so this one gave me a good kick in the pants.

 

I have no idea how many times I started over completely as by the time I would save a step, errors had crept in, but I think I did learn quite a few techniques.   As our first three shot,  I managed a lot of problem solving, as in how to get around all of my errors that PSP had it's own ideas about.  One cute thing I learned was how to do point to point to encircle the images and saving that to flood.  There are a whole pile of other things, but my mind is so numb, now, I can't think of a thing.

 

It seems every time I get desperate  and try making a loom video to show the steps to crash, Loom gets to be an issue and doesn't work right until the first time I manage to get thru the project (more or less).  I could publish the link to my latest in here, but since it is an hour and 41 minutes long, I will send it separately and let you trash it.

[Ben Vienerius]

You are never to old to learn. Paint shop Pro was my first tool to make frames, effects, movement and design. Still it was my goal to make designs like the pro did. I never forgot PSP though. Using Paint Shop Pro 20 ultra at the moment, next to several grafic programs. I put my first steps during all those years online on a site, https://www.aqua1955.nl/creasite  If you like to go there, be my guest. klick on the bearded man to get in. Cassel, I only can say thank you ;) You're a gift to people that like to do something with their computer, beside mailing, banking and chatting. Wish you all the best with your bootcamps. Hope those who entered the Bootcamp will come in, as I did. My last work I did with several stones, found inside the ground.

[Henry Schellenberg]

Hello,

Can you believe it, I completed Project #5 on time. Mind you my wife has been a widow for the last ten days or so. I did most of my last two project by a lot of trial and error. I find this is how I learn. I could do with a new memory system but I guess this one will have to do. I like the merge feature, a valuable tool among so many yet to be discovered.

Thank you Cassel.

Henry

[sandra jones]

I am really enjoying boot camp and I am learning so much.   Carole gave a few suggestions on my scrap page from #3 on the bow and title and it truly made a difference. Thank you very much for the feedback.  The second photo is from Boot Camp #7.  I did the glitter rectangle it is very small behind the photos.  I also used a paint brush and added a little glitter to the bird and dragonfly .   The kit I used is called  "Sweet Spring" by cbj.  Unfortunately I dont know who Cbj is.  There wasnt any more information in my file.  This picture is of my grand daughter Summer on her second birthday.  She sure loved her unicorn!   I am loving all the scrap book pages that are being posted.  Great Job every one!

[Corrie Kinkel]

Hi Monique, have seen you already on Facebook and now I read that you have your PSP in Dutch. As a Dutchie myself I had the same problem that you are constanly translating. I solved that problem by changing the language of PSP to English! All the tutorials are much easier to follow that way. In your PSP go to:

 

1. Bestand - Voorkeuren - Taal wisselen

 

2. Selecteer taal

 

3. OK

 

4. Berichtenvenster - Opnieuw opstarten - OK

 

I found this the eyeopener of the Bootcamp! Good luck

[Bill Kelly]

Oh! I really like the text manipulation in Project5. And all the other tips as well. I started off thinking I was going to learn some things in PSP, especially layers. But, I learned to like scrapbooking as well. My children will be getting crafted cards again. Hmmm. I just noticed that shrinking the project down to 600 pixels made the text disappear from the journaling section. Not a problem in most uses I would suspect. The 2nd image is saved as a 50% jpg and the text is there.

[sandra jones]

After going over Bootcamp #7 again I realized that even though I watched the video I really didnt use the Guide or snap to.  So I redid a photo with my sons.

[Cassel]

Cathy, it is fun to see that you used different colors for the letters but unlike my example, you only used the first letter. That is a great interpretation while still using the technique.

 

Allen, a lot of baseballs there! Do you think that "logically" the balls should be under a ribbon and photos? Since they would only touch the corners of the photos, I think they would look good on top of them. I see that your shadows are toward the top right. They are consistent together, but I am curious if you have a particular reason for choosing the other direction?

 

Simon, sometimes, a tiny detail can elude us. After all, there are so many settings for each command and tool! Good job for not giving up.

 

Ann, you got the Clip to it script, which will clip a photo to the shape below. That works when you use a template, not a quick-page. When you have a quick-page, you actually want to do the opposite. When you have a quick page, just open the photo, copy and paste it on the quick-page image and move it below in the Layers palette.

 

Fay, what you did (instead of a shadow) is definitely another way to actually do a shadow. I think that if you were to add a blur and then, as needed, tweak with the Opacity of the layer, you can make the text more legible. You really don't want the white to be obvious, but just to make a distinction between that busy paper and the text. There is an article on ways to add text to an image. Some tips would apply to papers too.

 

Monique, thank you for letting me know about the kit. Strangely, it was valid just before the start of the Bootcamp as I checked all the links. I found a different kit that I have posted now.

 

Brad, you just need to breathe now! Yes, sometimes, trying to go too fast, one might miss a detail which makes everything go wonky in the end. I did get your link and do you know that you can edit and trim the video in Loom? You can do that OR let me know where to observe whatever was misbehaving. I would like to look at the correct thing!

 

Ben, I am glad to hear that you found an enjoyable activity in this Bootcamp, and mostly, that you will continue to learn and share with us!

 

Henry, sorry to hear about your wife being a widow during this Bootcamp, but happy you are with us! Maybe she will find your new hobby more interesting when she sees all the projects you do, and maybe, if you make a few layouts just about her! Many people create albums for their loved ones (we have a challenge in February called Love Story so stick around until next year!). If i could offer a suggestion on your last layout would be to maybe place those shapes UNDER the frame. I think they will fall off!

 

Sandra, CBJ is Created by Jill. What are the settings you are using for your shadows? They don't seem to be the same in your different projects. The guides will often make your works simpler when you want things even or lined up. The photos of your brother can probably use some brightness adjustments. Here is a quick way: go to Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Levels and from there, move the right node (it is white) toward the center until you find the photo looks to your liking.

 

Bill, I am glad to hear that you are enjoying scrapbooking. I find that is one very "productive" way to use PSP. It gets you to be creative, and also, at our age, a great way to document and share memories and stories. As for shrinking the project, yes, it SEEMS to get the text to disappear. That is due to the Text wrapping feature: it is enclosed inside the selection, and the selection itself does not resize. So, there are two ways to solve the problem: (1) to duplicate the text layer and rasterize that copy or (2) resize the jpg version of the full-size page.

[Frances Couzens]

Day 11, Page #5

 

This was a lot of fun. I liked so many things I learned, especially selecting the area for my text, merging layers, making letters from paper color.

 

I used elements and papers from a couple of the sample kits you provided links to: Eyeinspire and Nellie Bell's

[cindy harris]

My Awesome Teacher said:  "Cindy, everything is still going well? No issue in these projects? You are doing so well!"

 

Hi Carole,    Yes everything is going well,  No issues, and Thank YOu.    I was hoping this would be the one that had

 

the rope go around the words.  I have never been able to do that since the lesson. :(   I had so much fun on this, its

 

starting to be easier, no frustrations.  thank You.

 

Edited here:    I was going to Fla and scuba diving this summer but not now :(

 

 

[MoniqueN.]

Hi Corrie, I know I can change the language, but thanks for the tip. I prefer Dutch , but maybe during bootcamp it is "handig"om de Engelse versie te doen ;)

[Ann Seeber]

Frances Couzens: How charming! My cats do the same thing!! Nice layout; interesting effect on the frame. I plan on doing mine today and you are inspiring me! Thanks.

[Kathy Castonguay]

 I tried the font color change on the date.  Papers and elements created by me.

 

I'm so glad I followed your advice about duplicating vector layers, hiding one layer and converting the visible layer to  a raster.   My mistake was an easy rescue.

[Fay Burnett]

Here's my Project 4.  Used the colour change of letters in the title.  All papers and elements are my own design.

 

 

[Robert]

I played with the suggestion Carole made in a comment about repeating the Selection/Modify/Select Selection Borders.

 

In the one with the smaller borders (using her suggested 25 then 10 then 3).  For illustration only, I filled each section with a different color.  (Look at the 'full size' image - they do show up as smaller borders).  Unless I did something incorrectly, I could only fill every other selection.  I think the software looks at each action as a separate, discrete border.

 

The process seems to work best with relatively small values for the process.  When I tried larger values (100/50/25) I got a different looking border.  The small corners could not be filled.  However, the larger area filled with one color with a opaque border and slightly less opaque fill.  A happy accident as the border provides a different effect that may prove useful.   And, I'll play with the process more.

 

To all - I enjoyed looking at all the projects.  It appears we each learned skills we can use down the road.  Be proud of your results.

 

My humble advice is to continue playing around with PSP (or any software).  Just play with the settings (like I did with the borders).  If something works, and you can repeat the process: celebrate.  If what you try doesn't work: then you learned what not to do (or can try a different approach).  If your process provides an interesting, unexpected result, keep it in your hip pocket to be used in the future.  (As pointed out, keep notes on what you did.)

 

To Carole - Thank you for running the Boot Camp.  Having spent many years as a professional trainer, I know the amount of effort it takes to create a course.  Then there's the time you spend during the sessions and answering individual questions.  I appreciate your work on the campus.  Anyone who does this kind of work has drive and commitment to helping others.  In today's world, those attributes are important.  Again, thanks and appreciation.

 

Good luck to all.

[Ann Hassig]

I am so late to class, but I'll try to post if the technology will cooperate. I signed up for the bootcamp because I want to learn where to find the tools on Paintshop. I have been using Affinity for a few years but was given Paintshop by a friend who knew I was interested in photo editing and was going to throw it out. My interest is more in the artistic effects than in scrapbooking but I thought it would be a good way to start learning where things are.

[Kathy Castonguay]

I'm not sure this is the place to ask this question. If not just ignore it.

 

What is the easiest way to separate elements in a png file like this?

[Cassel]

Kathy, it is a cumbersome process to do it by hand although it is easy (just annoying). That is why I coded this script to do that faster. It will separate each element in separate images, although you would still have to name and save them manually. On the other hand, there is also a way to keep only one file, but separate those elements in individual layers, and also, there is a script for that. There is a video in the description.

[Kathy Castonguay]

Thanks Carole. I just bought both of your scripts to separate  those png elements.

[MoniqueN.]

Busy with project #5,

 

I'm at adding the text part of the project, but the cursor doesn't change in that thingy (disk?) you show in the video. What am I doing wrong? :)

[Cassel]

Monique, did you make a selection to get the text to wrap? If you don't have a selection, the cursor won't change as you will just add text "normally".