Rene Marker

I'm like Euka. I use my mouse and not the keyboard (except for text). However, I have set up a custom tool bar that has all the icons I use the most. Over 30 of them right at the top of my screen. Just click on it and it either activates the tool or brings up the box to make adjustments.

Yes, the tools are on the left of the screen but for say the pick tool, if that isn't the one selected in that grouping, you have to change it. With the pick tool being on my custom tool bar, I click on it and have the pick tool. The icons for items from the menus really saves time, especially something like drop shadow that is used a lot.

This is just something that I have done through many versions of PSP. In fact, I have a written list so that I can set it up when I get a new version (since most of the time that doesn't transfer from a previous version).

Post 74287 - Susan.

I hate when that happens! I can't remember exactly what I do to cause it to happen and can't open PSP to check if what I think is right. I'm thinking it has to do with linking layers (I do that a lot). The magic wand "all layers" usually checked after I do that. But don't quote me on that.

In response to #72404 Susan.

It depends. A lot of the templates I use do not have the papers stacked right on top of each other but offset somewhat. For those that are stacked right on top of another layer with no offset then yes, I do use the same shadowing. But if any part of the right/bottom side of the paper is offset then I might change the shadow because that paper would be farther from the background. It also depends on how it looks which is why I shadow from the bottom up. Also, the difference in the shadow is actually small. My normal paper shadow preset is 10-10-70-20. I might change it to 12-12-70-20. So a minimal change that most people wouldn't even notice.

It is really the elements that have more depth to them that might have more change in the depth of the shadows since when layering those elements in clusters, some are right on the background and others aren't and if any part of that element higher in the cluster appears to be on the background, it needs to have a deeper shadow. Again especially if it is on the bottom/right side of the cluster (since that is where the shadows are).

I actually paper scrapped over 20 years ago and lot of these techniques were taught to me then. I just had to learn how to convert to digital. I've seen some digital layouts done by people much more creative than me that have so much depth to them, I would think they were done with paper if I didn't know better. I strive to be more like them!

G is for Gardens. There is a garden in town that is in a triangle shaped area surrounded by 3 streets. It is on a main street in town as well. The local gardening club was instrumental in having this area made. One man in particular. He was the father-in-law of one of my Dad's brothers. His daughter (my aunt) helped him take care of it and also has the Master Gardener designation as did her father. A memorial plaque for Mr. Hepp is located there as is a flag pole that flies our country's flag (Mr. Hepp's career was in the Navy, over 20 years). My aunt still maintains the garden even now in her 80's.

I had some things come up this week and just now caught up on watching the videos. I ended up ordering a new computer on Monday but it won't be here for several weeks. Once it is, the scrapping shall begin again!

Just wanted to comment on lesson 5. I scrap with templates all the time and they all have placeholders. Like Carole showed, just because a flower is shown it doesn't have to be used. In the past I might have used stars or hearts instead or not use anything at all. The one thing I did learn early in my scrapping that was when applying shadows, to start with the bottom layer and work your way up the layer palette. Quite often if I have a stack of papers in varying sizes, it won't look right with the same shadow on every layer. Because as you go higher in the layers, you would be going farther away from the background paper if you were actually using paper. By starting the shadowing at the bottom, I can see how each layer will look as I go up the palette and adjust when needed.  I also tend to do lots of clustering (say over 5 elements in a cluster) and the top element of that cluster is farther away from the background especially if there is some depth to the elements below it. I also have drop shadow presets set up for my most used settings and it is just a matter of selecting which preset to use although I do sometimes adjust.

I have the open as layer script but never use it. I have 2 monitors and use a program where I can see all my supplies much easier than windows explorer. This program is open all the time when I scrap so I just drag and drop my chosen paper/element right into the layer palette (works with windows explorer as well) and the name of the paper/element shows as the layer name. I'll just say I don't like using the open command in PSP to find stuff. I have over 3000 folders with items to use in them (collected over a period of 14 years).

I do not have the clip to it script and don't plan on getting it at this time. Let's just say, I have a process down that works for me quite well.

I do like learning little things like changing the color on stitching in this lesson. I usually delete a stitching layer in a template because I never liked how it looked. Learning this will be something I can try in the future and I might learn to love stitching!

There was something very useful today that I hope to use when I can scrap again. That would be the lowering of the opacity of the photo to see the circle underneath it. I normally don't do it that way but I can see where it would help with my work flow.

If Carole doesn't mind I'd like to share something I do when resizing photos. First of all, I take all photos with a regular camera and the size of the photo is larger than the 3600x3600 workspace. So I have to resize all photos to even begin. However, I use the Resize command with the setting as 50 or 60% and only resize the current layer. That gets it to a manageable size that I can then use the Pick Tool for any further resizing.  Another thing I do so that I don't have the issue that Carole had with the photo being outside the canvas is to use the selection tool (rectangle) and select any portion of the photo that would be outside the canvas. I then delete that area and continue on with the same process Carole used.  I just have always found that it is easier to do that than to try correcting after the fact.

Looking forward to the next lesson!

I used a kit by Kristin Aagard at The-LilyPad to do a dog layout. Kit for the solar eclipse in 2017.

I used a kit by Kristin Aagard at The-LilyPad to do a dog layout. Kit for the solar eclipse in 2017.

Edit: I don't know what is going on. First I couldn't post. Carole released it from spam and now the photos don't show up.

Sorry everybody. Evidently my computer issues are affecting everything I try to do these days.

F is for Fairgrounds. My town is the county seat (see "C") so the county fairground is also located here. Besides hosting the county fair, there is a huge July 4th festival hosted by the Catholic Church in town. 2022 will be the 72nd Annual Festival. There are other events there throughout the year as well. During the July 4th festival, there is a fireworks show. My house about 2 miles due north of the fairgrounds so I have a great view of the fireworks from my front yard. We used to be able to watch from the front window when we first moved here in the 60's but as the trees have grown over the years, I've had to start going outside and change my angle to get the best view.

There is a very active member of another scrapping forum I'm in that had to evacuate her home. She sent an email from her phone to one of the designers on the site. She has been told that the water is up to the roof line of her single story home. It is just her and her husband and they are both in their 60's. My heart aches for her because they could have potentially lost everything.

Several other members of that board also live in the areas with flooding. One has a son that has major flooding but has a 2 story house so they have been able to stay. Another member lives near the coast. She was saying that they could kayak in the man cave under their house instead of on the nearby water!

A local family with the last name of Erb has had a poultry business in the larger city nearby for many years. Several generations worked in this business which provided poultry to many restaurants in the state. My father was a high school friend of the son that eventually took over the business and continued that friendship until my father passed away. Because of the friendship the 2 couples were friends as well. This family had 6 children and the 2nd daughter and I were also high school friends. Eventually all 3 of her brothers ended up working in the business. The oldest of these 3 had the idea to start a BBQ chicken (and pork chops) business as a side business. They became very successful and even though I am not fond of BBQ chicken I will eat theirs. The original poultry business is no longer in business but the BBQ business is still going strong during the summer months. Back in the early 90's my Dad helped at one of their BBQ catering picnics... for a local plant picnic for over 200 employees. I took these pictures then and kept Mom company while he worked (she was in a wheelchair and needed help getting around).

Lyn Lou

PSP isn't the problem. The last 4 times the computer shut down on its own I didn't even have the program open. I'm now thinking that my power supply is going bad. IT guy is stopping by later today. I've actually been having problems with it since October and when I look back, this computer has had issues from Day 1. Now to figure out if it should be fixed or just get a new one.

Wapakoneta, Ohio

Hometown of Neil Armstrong, First Man to Walk on the Moon

(located on I-75 in west central Ohio, 90 minutes from Columbus, 90 minutes from Fort Wayne IN, 60 minutes from Dayton and just under 2 hours from Toledo)

D is for Downtown. Photos from the main street where all the old buildings that housed the businesses that were the backbone of the town in the 1800/1900's. Many of these buildings were built in the 1800's although some have had changes made to them over the years. The Downtown district has one long row of buildings on the north side of the street with the river behind it. The south side of the street has 4 sections because of the side streets that intersect the main street. The east end is defined by the railroad track and the west end has a major north/south street.

Today these buildings house local small businesses and restaurants. There have been many changes over my lifetime but it is still the backbone of the town.

C from my alphabet book about my town. We are the county seat so the county courthouse is located here just 2 blocks from downtown and across the street from the fire department (which was also had the police department in my youth) and the county library. The first courthouse was built in 1851 and the one shown here that is still used was built in 1893.

Here is the B page of my town alphabet album:

My street.

Yeah, my old brain just doesn't remember those types of things any more! I don't even remember what version of PSP I was using when I started digi-scrapping!

The one thing I do remember is that I could not figure out how to use quick pages since they weren't layered files. I gave up and to this day, do not like them. But then I now prefer to make my pages in my design style.