Mary Solaas

And this is the Extra 6. And I've got to go to bed. Good Night!

And now Project 6. My linoleum started out green, but I used Hue Saturation Lightness and changed the color. Title font is Aryaduta (CF). I extracted the chess pieces (only the white ones - I used Brightness and Contrast for the black pieces (duplicate copies of the white ones). Fun with the curled ribbon made with a script from Cassel. This mask is the one I talked about in the previous post - I made it with the watercolor brushes and some interesting twiggy brushes around the edges. I inner bevelled and drop shadowed the title. The white swirlly things on the paper in back of the masked picture were made with a brush I had made earlier playing around with the fancy squiggles and things that come with some of the fonts. I had forgotten how you made linoleum. I think I will play around with that again when I finally finish this workshop. One more project to go.

Project 5. Still behind. Using several layers for the background and the top layer was a pattern from a previous project and the blend mode. There is a brush that looks like a record (kind of) so I used that for around the original circle mask. I also used it for the records as elements. The font was Fresh Hansler Duo (CF) for the title. I used some different settings than I usually use for the Sun Records placque - inner bevel, and I used chisel on the paper behind it. This has been a challenging workshop and I do intend to finish it. I played around with creating a mask from those watercolor brushes from an earlier project and I'm also going to post a layout using the one I developed that uses some odd but interesting brushes around the edges. I think I learned more about blend modes this time as well as refreshing my understanding of how to make a mask. Anyway, it has been most interesting.

I'm working on catching up. I did do Project 4. Making the mask was interesting. Working on the picture you choose was great. I do like the McBad brushes if you use the F11 Brush Variance. However, I still do not understand it, but Carole shows us what settings to use. The picture is of Joe and Lucy on the NC beach last spring. I had fun making a silhouette of them. I did a kaleidascope (I can't spell) from the picture with a darken blend mode and then put a layer on top of white canvas which I texturized and used an Overlay bend mode and opacity of 83. Think it turned out pretty good. You can just barely see the kaleidascope pattern and so it doesn't distract from the picture. The title font is Cattleya (CF) and the state and date is Free Universal. The cluster at the bottom is mine.

I've done this workshop several times. Why is it so hard this time? This is the Extra for Project 3. The frame with the hearts had me going for hours trying to get it pink and not covering the picture. I saw where Ann Seeber said "I put an extra mat behind the mask group in order to color the framing and hearts." and so I did. Thank you, Ann. Then I spent several hours trying to get a background. I ended up with 3 layers: the perspective lines, a kaleidescope from a part of the picture, and a patterned layer of Canvas - all with different blend modes. The font is Feeling Blessed from CF.

I love what you do with the brushes. I'm going to have to work on that. You do beautiful work.

Me too. My granddaughter took that picture and she does like to hike. I really like what you did with the picture of that poor squirrel. Yes, it is interesting on how to change a patterned paper with using a different color layer in back of it and then lowering the opacity of the patterned paper. Isn't this fun!!!

This is certainly a busy workshop. So good!!!! I'm finally finished with Project 3 (yes, I know I'm slow). I played and played and played with the Reflection effects for this one. I do like Kalaidescope and this time I made several patterns and chose this one for my background. I also played with the reflective pattern. The frame I made (I can't believe it is so simple to make a frame)! Oh, the font is Barna from CF.

Sharon Thompson: love your library photo and layout. You know when I read Beauty and the Beast as a youngster, the part that fascinated me was when the beast gives her access to the library - what a treat that would be!!!!!

Wow, Anne - love the picture = but really like that background - how many layers cause it looks like you have an overlay over the kaleidiscope

And this is the 2nd extra for Day 2. Carole, I did try using the other patterns at a lower scale, but they lost their beauty and just didn't work as well as the plaid. Yes, I need to check out those other tutorials on the plaids - I remember that we did some different ones in the labs.

I know this is the 3rd day of the Mask workshop, but I'm behind. This is the extra for Day 2. The large photo is by Laurie Solaas, the 2 small photos are by Chris Solaas. The paper and elements are mine. the font is Aryaduta and inner bevelled and shadowed. I chose plaid again for the background. Used the colors from the ocean in the big pic. Using that same rectangle, I did a kaleidiscope pattern and a reflected pattern which I liked, but they were too powerful for the layout. I'll show those also.

I had forgotten how we had made that plaid for this mask. I kept trying to remember how we had done it with the rotating mirror. So, duh, I listened to the tutorial. Oh, Yeah!!!! So now I will try to remember how to make this plaid. Again I chose Memphis for the theme. The main pic is one I took from a painting on the wall of one of my favorite fast food places here. The other pics: the Big M bridge lit up was taken by my daughter, Anna. I took the St. Jude pic. The brad I used is one I developed to represent the pyramid in Memphis. The font used is Ambrogio.

And this is the 2nd extra. Think I'll save this in my cards folder. This is a picture of the crocuses in our garden last year. They haven't appeared yet this year.

This is the 1st extra for Project 1 - my daughter's and my favorite park near our home. Title font is Bollywod from CF. Date font is arial.

Memphis, TN is my theme. Fun relearning how to make a shape into a mask. I've been using the ClipToIt script so much of this year and last year (it's so easy and does all the work for you) but it is important to know what the steps are so that is how I shall continue. The journaling font is Arial. The pictures are mine.

Yes, inner bevel and a shadow. Thanks.

Lab 10 Mod 12. Finally finished Lab 10. Requirements: Round label, Word Tree, Holly leaf - all present and accounted for. I had a problem with the round label in trying to get text on it, but I finally accomplished it. The font is Winter Vibes from CF.

I'm hoping to get some practice with working with jpg masks. I had to try several times before I could use Carole's valentine mask.

I love it too. You do great work with the brushes. I'm still playing with that.

I was on my laptop when I did this. It doesn't have a tablet connected to it. So - I did this with the mouse. You can too. they are just straight lines so do not connect the segments and put the start just outside and press the shift key and place the end at the opposite side just outside. Simple. You can leave your pen strokes on the vector layer, but you will need to color your stripes on separate raster layers. In order to change my stripes to glitters, I made a copy of the pspimage and changed the vector layer on the copy to a raster layer. Have fun.

I have to quit playing around.

So here is one for valentines Day - anyone may have it if they wish.

I have to say that was fun! I do enjoy a challenge. Now that I have it in pspimage format and jpg, I can change the colors from tans to yellows, or blues, or greens, or pinks - hey Valentines!

I am attaching 2 screenshots of my attempt at the background paper. I started with the pen tool making the lines in white. I found that if I put the beginning and end of the line just beyond the edge of the paper, I can use the magic wand to isolate every other one of the resulting stripes so that I can put the light stripes on one layer and the darker stripes on another layer. That way also I can put a texture effect on one of the colored layers to give it more oomph. I hope this explains it.