Cassel

At this point, I can't give a reasonable comparison as I am still learning about Affinity, trying to replicate effects/functions from PSP, and discovering new ones. As I dig further, I do find many things are similar, some things are easier, and other things are almost impossible, or even missing in Affinity (like the simple Repeat command in PSP is missing in Affinity). I surely will have a blog post on this at some point, but right now, I would not have enough information and experience to have a fair comparison.

For those of you who had issues with the template for day 5, I have fixed it. Thanks for catching it.

The idea of one photo a week was quite popular in 2024, and it encouraged participants to take photos and showcase them without having to create a whole layout for them. In 2025, I will offer you a little twist on this. Again, the idea is only to showcase a single photo at a time. You can showcase them as a flashcard, emphasizing the letter (you can use these free cards as a basis to create your own). Of course, if you want a different format, you can use a polaroid frame, a slide, or a playing card (like Susan was doing in 2024). Choose the format you want, and keep it throughout the year. But just make sure to emphasize the first letter! Every 2 weeks, you will be asked to take a picture of something, at home (or around your home) that starts with a specific letter of the alphabet. The goal is just to be on the lookout for ANYTHING that can be photographed. You can stage the object however you want, or just take a picture of it in its natural environment. For example, you can showcase your favorite Mug, or your Pillow, or your Fireplace. You can practice your photography skills if you want, but you can just capture things as they are. Let's just encourage each other. This is a no-pressure thread. And if you skip a letter or two, you can always come back. You know your alphabet so you can easily catch up, whenever you need to. Let's continue with the letter I. It could be your trusty Iron, a well-stocked Ice cube tray, your favorite Insulated mug, or the handy Ink pen on your desk! What will you showcase?

Apologies for not showing up last night for the daily feedback. I am paying for it today as you have been so productive! This is going to be a longer post! @Jeni Simpson I would have expected that shadow to be the correct size but maybe it "disappeared" when you resized the page? If you look at the shadow of the element on the left end of the Tulip, it does have a much more obvious shadow, making it look thicker than the title, but then, if the title is overlapping that paper, it should have a comparable shadow too. When you have text that is not a title, be careful with shadows. If they are too harsh, it makes small text hard to read, but if they are very faint, it makes the text look blurry. It can be tricky to use shadows on small text, which is why I tend to avoid it altogether. @MoniqueN. You got a great start with Affinity. I know that it feels really odd at first, and you will be searching for the tools that are otherwise familiar, but they will be somewhere else. Over time, you will see all the advantages that Affinity can offer. For the shadow on your Scone palace layout, remember that it shows on the bottom right of any element. If that area is covered by another paper or a photo, then it is not as visible. You can always add a "reverse" shadow in the same way as you might have done in PSP. @Cristina In the layout At the beach, did you treat both greenery as painted on the background? If so, it looks great except for the fact that a painted element would not overlap the photo or extend past the paper. If you were to offset your leaves a tiny bit, they would blend very well with the watercolor feel of the blue paper. @Sue Thomas Thank you for sharing the links for the technique related to multiple surfaces (I had forgotten about its mention in the Master Class). I am sure you will like Affinity. But I also know you will not ditch PSP, especially since you can't use my scripts in Affinity! 🙂 I am glad you enjoy those lessons. @Julian Adams I am glad that you worked on that FB header and you shared it. Maybe others can be inspired to use those extra templates if they don't want to (or have time) to make a scrapbook page. On its own, PSP does not create wordart, but you can use PSP tools to create them. Sue is our "wordart specialist". We also have some classes inside the membership dedicated to Wordart. @bina greene That is PURRFECT. I hope you add those layouts to the gallery at DS too! 🙂 @Deana Davis Maybe I could add a tutorial for those "wonky" letters. @Ann Seeber Nice layout about Kosovo. Be mindful of the shadows on elements that should be close to the paper, like stitching. Any element that has thin sections can look like they are floating if the shadow is offset too much. In the last page, it LOOKS like the middle strip of paper has an unexpected blurred edge. Do you see that too? @Jacques Beautiful photos and lovely layout! @gwen jewitt There is no issue is starting late. I am sure you will catch up. It is great that using the same supplies, it looks completey different as you have adjusted the color. @Hank Sobah Great layout Let's play. You might want to adjust the photo used in the background as it looks like you resized it sideway so it looks a little squished. The other ones are fine. The same thing happened in your last layout. Remember that if you need to resize, you HAVE to use a corner handle, and NEVER use the side ones! @Donna Sillia It is interesting that you added a bevel to one of the branches that overlapped the photo and not the others. That is definitely adding that little touch of realism. @fiona cook Using templates is a way to save time in creating a page. Using the Brush tool instead of the Fill tool is a great workaround. Maybe this article could help you with the Fill tool. @Susan Ewart I feel for you, having to work instead of playing with PSP. I don't remember how I managed to do all I did in the store and the Campus while I was still working full-time. The bevel on your title is creative and very effective! @SharlaBeautiful photos on a beautiful layout. I am a bit concerned about the shadow on the title. It looks like it is in the wrong direction in addition to giving a blurry look. Is it due to the resizing? or maybe not? @EukaDid you intend to lose the texture on the leaves? I think the color is great but maybe you could add a Blend mode to recover the original texture. Thanks for mentioning FXplorer . I'll look into that too as a possible resource to feature on the blog. @Bee Kelly Great work. Did you check all the shadows? It looks like one photo is missing a shadow. And for the title, especially since you have a stroke around the letters, it looks like stickers, and would need a shadow too. Although you can surely work on both programs, I wonder how easy/difficult it will be to handle different tools in different places to do the same thing. But it is up to you. We'll be here for you either way. @Anja Pelzer Wonderful page. all those decorative elements really emphasize your photos. @Harmony Birch It is never too late to start. @AprilDawn Great to see your projects. Yes, Affinity is an interesting program and it does have great features and advantages. To answer Julian's question about Affinity, we decided to add that program to the Campus for a few reasons: 1- yes, the development of PSP has stopped (but there is no indication that it will stop working) 2- Affinity can do some things that PSP can't (we were hoping they would be added to PSP but now, without development, it is unlikely to happen) and 3- Affinity is available on Mac and iPad, unlike PSP, so we could reach out more users. It is NOT meant to replace PSP, but to add to anyone's graphic toolbox.

@Jenny MacKay Simple but effective. Such a nice memory with that 14 year old photo! Is the shadow missing on the scalloped circle in the second project or maybe it is due to resizing? @Carolyn Rye That wooden "paper" is very interesting. Did you adjust the color of the paint or was it already blue? @Jean Naumann That starburst paper really puts the focus on the photo! @Cristina Have you considered using the "text on different surfaces" for the datestamp? Since it is "printed", there should be some "misses" on the edges of the papers/photos. @fiona cook I hope you don't have any more issues with the sites today. Yesterday, there was an issue with the Campus but the store is on a different server so that is surprising me (unless there was too much traffic due to the birthday sale!). @bina greene Did you use a kit with wordart for the kitties title? It is cute! @MoniqueN. You are correct: sometimes, resizing will blur, but there is even a better way (that I discovered afterward): when you export a jpg version, you can set the size to 600 directly on that dialog window so you don't have to resize separately. There might be a way to handle the resizing in a better way, but at this point, adjust the size in the Export command and it will even save time. @Sue Thomas Interlacing is so much easier to do in PSP. Once I find a satisfactory way to do it in Affinity, I'll do a tutorial for it. So far, I find it still convoluted. @Euka Which font viewers are you using? For me, TheFontThing allows me to see fonts in Affinity, and others use NexusFont. @Jacques Your titles/taglines make me smile. I can just imagine Brian exercising. I heard once, of an instructor who copied all the moves of a 2-year old as a workout: she had a hard time keeping up with the toddler! @Leslie Pugs When you have small text, avoid contrasting stroke as it tends to distort the main color and makes the text much harder to read. @Donna Sillia The circle almost appears like a path going from one image to the other! @Hank Sobah Paste from Clipboard is only available in the Affinity program. In PSP, we don't need it. @Sharla Great choice of a font for your title. @Deana Davis Did you end up getting the emails? Even if you registered late, you should have received the emails with the lesson links. On the other hand, as a DIAMOND member, you can access all the lessons in the Workshop Index. For NexusFont, check out this article. @Bonnie Ballentine Hey, you find heat where you can!! This type of photo with a story can be a conversation starter over time! @Jeni Simpson Since your title as a nice outline, you could likely add a shadow to it as if it is cut out of cardstock. Especially when you have your title overlap the edge of a 3D element (with a shadow), it would be more consistent as it would give it also a 3D effect. If you want it to look like it is painted (no shadow), you have to make sure it does not touch the edge of any element. For anyone who wants to START using Affinity and you want to have more than the regular 7-day trial, let me know (someone emailed me but I lost the message so I don't remember who it was). I was given permission to give anyone participating in these workshop, a 90-day trial (of course, you can only use it once!)

Great to see many more projects posted in this thread. @Linda Rexford Are all the kittens "single-colored" while mom was "striped"? They look so cute!!! @Jeni Simpson That is a very nice set of papers that you used. I love that play on word! @AprilDawn That is such a beautiful photo! And well showcased! @Carolyn Rye It will be interesting that our Australian members might recognize things from that adventure. @Cristina Yes, copying and pasting from one image to another works just the same as in PSP. I guess some commands are pretty universal in most programs (you could even copy and paste into a Word document!) @Sharla Those white dots really match the image like snowballs! @Leslie Pugs I love the title! Have you tried adjusting the Levels on the photo? It could make the colors pop out even more. @Euka Very appropriate to use a wavy pattern for the title. @Ann Seeber That Blind effect matches very well the details in the photo! @DianeM The Float is still available under Window > Arrange > Float. I don't know if there is an actual difference in the result of dragging from Window into the Affinity program. It is not something I am used to do in PSP so I don't do it in Affinity. Maybe someone else could chime in with their experience. So far, if you are able to drag and drop, continue doing that. Maybe you will find some differences, or maybe you will find it works just as well. @Jacques Maude is the same age as my daughter (March 1989)! 🙂 @Susan Ewart The faint dots add just enough texture without being overpowering. That is the beauty of the dots being on separate layers, right? @bina greene Great interpretation and tweaking of the original template!! Is it just the resizing or are some shadows missing in the second template (on the photos)? @Hank Sobah That Earth Day layout made me smile! 🙂 @Anja Pelzer Meow! I love all animals, but I have a sweet spot for cats! @Sue Thomas Yes, some things are very easy with Affinity. Some of those were previously suggested for PSP but never got to the implementation stage! Keep those projects coming! And remember to update your profile so we know what program you are using. It will be easier to give suggestions and ideas knowing what program you are using.

What is your go-to type of "birthday cake"? I like the plain white cake if it is a baked cake (even if I love chocolate, I still prefer white chocolate). I love ice cream cake. I love the cheesecake that my husband makes. Share your favorites.

Thank you Cristina, for those great wishes. I really appreciate everyone here, in the Campus and in the store. You are all such a friendly extended family!

I am glad to see you all. We have almost 100 registrants. Based on this thread alone, I see that we will have both PSP users and Affinity users. For those who will be using Affinity, if you find any issues with the tutorials, things that are unclear, etc., let me know. It is the first time the Affinity tutorials will be in use. @Anne Lamp Even if you don't use templates typically, you will hopefully still gather some tips along the way. @Corrie Kinkel We will be looking forward to your projects upon your return. In the meantime, you can chime in. @Sue Thomas You will see that templates can be easy to use with Affinity. @MoniqueN. Are you referring to another Affinity Bootcamp? If so, yes, I am planning one for September. @Jacques I hope we will see more photos of your grandson!!! @fiona cook There is a basic template, used in the tutorial, and another one for DIAMOND members. Did you download the extra? @Hank Sobah Did you apply a pencil effect to the photo? It looks interesting! I would suggest that you check your drop shadows. It looks like they are even all around, which would not be the case if the light source is on the top left. @Donna Sillia Did you duplicate the dots layer to get the different colors? That is an interesting idea. @Bonnie Ballentine That layout made me smile. Looking at the "Bokeh" dots that you replaced with stars and pickleballs. It is so you!!!! @Jeni Simpson Great start. Are you new to Affinity or already familiar with it? @Anja Pelzer You tweaked that layout beautifully by adding lace and a cluster. For anyone participating in this workshop, make sure you add your program version in your profile so we can help you if you ever have any issue. You can follow this tutorial to update your profile. See you tomorrow!

Yes, as far as I know, 7 days is the default trial period. I will double-check with my contact at Affinity to see if I can still offer the 90-day trial that they offered in January.

Learning scrapbooking is often done with practice, looking around for inspiration, and trying to recreate projects we admire. Sometimes, we can be inspired by finished projects, but sometimes, we also have to use our imagination to interpret something. This challenge will allow you to envision something from a “boring” base, and you will have to imagine the end result differently. The sketch is only a written idea, and you can fly with it, modify it, and customize it to fit your vision, your photos, and your supplies. And if you want more information on using sketches, check out this article. Post your project in the gallery.

Over time, that must take a lot of space to keep all those bits and bobs!

Whether you qualify yourself as a hoarder or not, maybe you still hold on to some things that "you might use later". Over time, I am sure some of those things you have stored have found some use, many years later. Share some of those stories!

Let's continue this challenge for another year. We might be the ones taking pictures but we are not the feature of our layouts, so let's change that since we ARE important and have lots to say. Every month or so, the layout will be about YOU, and a prompt will be given. If you have taken the Story Week Challenge, you will find some similarities but it won't be the same. For the April layout, tell us about fears you had as a child. Did you ever have common fears when you were a child? Maybe fear of a monster under the bed or in the closet? Did you have a particularly unusual fear that you outgrew? That could be interesting to hear about. Remember that if you want to create pages for previous prompts, those threads will stay open. There is no right or wrong order to share about YOU.

The idea of one photo a week was quite popular in 2024, and it encouraged participants to take photos and showcase them without having to create a whole layout for them. In 2025, I will offer you a little twist on this. Again, the idea is only to showcase a single photo at a time. You can showcase them as a flashcard, emphasizing the letter (you can use these free cards as a basis to create your own). Of course, if you want a different format, you can use a polaroid frame, a slide, or a playing card (like Susan was doing in 2024). Choose the format you want, and keep it throughout the year. But just make sure to emphasize the first letter! Every 2 weeks, you will be asked to take a picture of something, at home (or around your home) that starts with a specific letter of the alphabet. The goal is just to be on the lookout for ANYTHING that can be photographed. You can stage the object however you want, or just take a picture of it in its natural environment. For example, you can showcase your favorite Mug, or your Pillow, or your Fireplace. You can practice your photography skills if you want, but you can just capture things as they are. Let's just encourage each other. This is a no-pressure thread. And if you skip a letter or two, you can always come back. You know your alphabet so you can easily catch up, whenever you need to. Let's continue with the letter H. It could be your favorite Hairbrush, a reliable Hammer, your cozy House slippers, or the handy Hot pad in the kitchen! What will you showcase?