Susan Ewart

17 minutes ago, Mary Solaas said:

I have another layout in my Chattanooga Trip Album.

Fabulous mask!  What a beautiful bridge that is.  This is quite the undertaking, and it's going to be a wonderful album.  Will you print it?

1 hour ago, Julie Magerka said:

Susan, did you get it installed, and have you played with it yet? Just curious.....

I had some problems with it and decided not to install.  It is not expensive to buy and I will go that route, when and if I decide if I need to have it vs. I want to have it.  Their website says $20 (presumably USD) and for commercial use.  Mary and Donna have used it though so they might have some good input for you.  I will buy it eventually, maybe, but right now I have to keep on learning what PSP can do because I'm really good at collecting stuff (including nifty programs) that go un-used as I dont have the amount of time I need to put into them to be proficient enough to make good use out of the purchase.  It's really hard for me to have restraint.  I'm thinking a better choice would be to save my money for a tablet, that I would make good use of I'm sure.  

10 minutes ago, Ann Seeber said:

I'll leave a .zip in the Facebook Files section for you.

Awesome.  Thank you Ann.  I didnt know you could send ZIP files through FB.  Something new I learned today, starting off the day right.

22 minutes ago, Ann Seeber said:

Susan, I have dandelion seed-head photos from a layout I did previously. See if you want anything from this...

Wow, Ann, I love the 3 across the middle.  And I did not knowabout the bees.  I've always loved dandelions.  I'm sure my neighbours didnt care for my yard, but they are happy colored flowers to me.  I had company last year when their best blooms were out so I missed out.  I find the first blooms are the biggest and best looking. And the shear numbers are larger in the first bloom of the season compared to later in the summer.

4 hours ago, Cristina said:

Susan, those pinwheels look amazing. I love the papers with different edges... Very creative!

I also like to watch as the scripts run...It's like magic! The bows' scripts are one of my favorites to watch.

Thank you. The creativity on the edges is all Carole.  You get multiple options, it's very cool to change the order of the papers to see the difference in the pinwheels.  And really, the creativity on the papers is from Carole too, through watching "A Beautiful Mess".  I'm just watching "Art Media with PSP".  I dont think I even paid attention to those tools.  I know I want a Wacom tablet for Christmas this year.

58 minutes ago, Mary Solaas said:

Me too!!!

 

4 hours ago, Cristina said:

Seeing Corrie's and Julie's comments, you are not alone, Susan!... Guilty too! ...I downloaded free kits when I started here on the Campus, and some I've never used... So when I think of deleting, I have the same thought... Who knows? ? 

We are all in good company then. ?

I'll take them, especially the seed heads.  I want to photograph them in the studio, but by the time I get in the house and upstairs, they are lost their seeds.  I used the bigger more robust Western Salsify last year (they look like ginormous dandelion seed heads) .  Oh, for sure I need a DELETE key for the house too!  And I could also use a DO-OVER key to fix mistakes, in whatever form they take in life (eg, leaving the stove unattended and melting the colander, putting the dust pan away like I did EVERY OTHER TIME.....until one time, I didnt and ended up with a torn hamstring) .

4 minutes ago, Corrie Kinkel said:

Thank you Susan, the wire flower came from my stash and I think it was by Marissa Lerin, but I have it for a very long time now and never used it (like many other things I gathered).

I have a lot of stuff gathered too, and never used.  In a perfect world I'd delete the stuff I never use because it makes it hard to scroll through and  find the stuff I do use.  But then I think, what if I might need it....

4 hours ago, Ann Seeber said:

Just read this article in the Washington Post about a family's mailbox being taken over by mysterious miniatures. This article is free for non-subscribers with this link.

what a delightful surprise to find.  So nice to see a happy feel-good story.

27 minutes ago, Cassel said:

Interesting ideas. I'll see what can be done. It would make sense to have that "hidden" on the bottom!

some gardening books on the bottom shelf, since these plants dont need water, they would be safe there.  Or extra pots stacked, or a bag of soil.  

I cant find the post about our purchases from the recent sale so I'm posting here.

I had a pinwheel party tonight.  There is limitless combinations you can try, it was fun.  I used papers from just watching A Beautiful Mess masterclass.  And one has gradient on the folded forward part (pink&orange) that I had made previously.  It's really quite something to watch it come together.  

3 hours ago, Corrie Kinkel said:

At first I couldn't come up with an idea what to make. I don't like to fold my photos in real life so why would I do that digitally! In the end I folded the background paper with a small fold and made a folded ribbon with a button, then a cluster with 2 other buttons and the frames. At first I wanted to have some text too but in the end I didn't like it, so no text. The last Q&A session had among others a question about how to make a string to tie a button and that's what I practiced here with the buttons. Now I have a template for strings when I need them, very nice. Of course the photo is mine and it is of a field full with dandelions which I saw last week on a walk. I already have lots of photos of all the pretty spring flowers and blossoming trees in my neighborhood and used those in many layouts, therefore now something else. Enjoy!

Very nice Corrie.  Love the frames too, they look like weathered metal.  I also like dandelions and cant wait till they pop up in my yard.  Your cluster is well done, I particularly like the colorful wire flower. 

1 hour ago, Mary Solaas said:

I've decided to use it as a standalone also.  Can't fight it.  It's an interesting app.  Already did a sample out of it that I used to create a paper.  Guess I was inspired by Donna.

Did you find it easy to use, it looks complicated.  Worth getting then?  I'm happy to pay for it too, it's commercial use as well that way. Not that I'd ever sell anything but it covers me if I choose to.  And there is support.  I'm not so smart with technology (unless it's a camera).  

1 hour ago, Mary Solaas said:

Nope.  I even closed PSP after I added it in File Preferences Plug Ins and then reopened it and it doesn't show.

I decided I will buy the full version and use it as stand alone like I do with FF. the website shows it's only $20.  I want to see it in action before I buy it.  I will drool over what people make with it.  I hope you get it sorted out Mary.  You said you got the full version and you are still having troubles with it?  At least if you paid for it, the company should be obligated to help you get it straightened out.  Still, what a hassle.  

I couldnt make it work either.  Got the Software Informer stuck on my screen.  very annoying.  I'm taking a hard pass on this one.  I could see it when I was in PSP but it had an error and wouldnt work.  If I decide I want it, I'll pay for it.  There was also so other file it talked about in the readme that said I had to put it somewhere, I didnt really understand it and didnt know where to put it.  I didnt know if was supposed to put into 2023 plug program files or a file I have that is a general one under Corel that says Plug ins.  That's probably where I went wrong.  came home from work with a headache, probably not the night to be trying to figure stuff out I dont understand.  

1 minute ago, Cassel said:

And beware that you HAVE to INSTALL it today. There is a counter of some kind and if you download today and try to install tomorrow, it won't work (I have made that mistake in the past).

Wow, good to know.  I have to go to work and hopefully time hasnt run out when I get home. it's downloaded but not installed yet, I would have done it tomorrow.  Did you put it as a plug in in PSP or use as stand alone.  

10 minutes ago, Cassel said:

I guess it is ok here, but if you add a link it will be easier for viewers to get it, especially considering that it has to be installed TODAY only.

I went to the website (googled it) and only found a trial version for free and the full version is $20 (presuming it's USD).  I couldnt find anything free.  Looks cool though, and very complicated as well.

1 hour ago, Ann Seeber said:

I always start off with a Wildcat Calendar for the month. Here's May: The Sand Cat, a tiny, tough desert dweller. I also posted this on the Facebook group, Scrapbooking with PaintShop Pro in larger format that will print landscape, 11"x8.5" I have mine on my refrigerator.

Love this layout and the gradient is beautiful.  It's hard not to want to take these little spitfires home.  

1 hour ago, Ann Seeber said:

I experience the same lack of inspiration and I find going back to the Bootcamp to be helpful to me. I can help the newcomers and try to come up with something original for the familiar layouts. Helping others is the key for me.

That's a great idea Ann. 

38 minutes ago, Ann Seeber said:

I combined Carole's flowery spring frame with the flora font, added my great-grand Magic with a little linoleum as a background and two corner brushes and came up with this. I sort of thought the font would look a little puffy on its own but mine didn't so I helped it along with one of our title lessons from March. 

That's so perfect and precious.

1 minute ago, Cristina said:

Thank you, Susan. ❤️ And I agree...   After a while, I realized there was no point to keep trying; I had to give it a break...  As it was not working for me with layouts, I decided to do the Scripting Course, which lasts about 5 months (being 2 classes a week... I like the slow pace), and recently the Build-A-Kit Workshop... I am not saying I am back, but I am up to try it again.

It's all about baby steps and keeping it simple...at least that's what I tell myself.  and walking away when you need to, because sometimes that's just what you need.  With PSP and the Campus you always have a creative home to come back to. 

45 minutes ago, Cassel said:

I plan on another cohort for the scripting course. Last time, I started it in August, with 2 lessons per week (I was also making videos to illustrate the lessons and add information about changes in more recent versions). Maybe you would like to join then.

Very tempting.  Is it something I always have access to after the course is done? I feel it will be a steep learning curve for me, but the idea of learning something like that is appealing.  

14 minutes ago, Cristina said:

Susan, you can try and see if this is for you... Sometimes, the fear makes the spiders bigger than they really are. ?

So true.  I think I might give it try closer to the fall when I want to stay inside (when it's snow and -30).  

26 minutes ago, Cristina said:

Susan, It's so good when we have a happy accident, isn't it?

So many times, I struggled to get something I liked, so I stopped creating layouts...   I haven't done it anymore, as whatever I'd created was not to my liking...   Very slowly, I am back to working with them...  The Build-A-Kit Workshop helped during the no-creativity layout phase.

Cristina, I'm so glad you are back at it.  I know about a creative slump.  It is my norm to start any creative project and go through phases of liking and hating it.  Often having to set it aside for days (months and years too).  it's frustrating to sit down to create and there is nothing.  When I do photography (if I'n not in a current project) it takes me a while shooting to get warmed up.  My creative juices arent like tap I can just turn on, more like a slow leak that takes time to become a bigger leak.  Often doing something as far removed from photography and layouts gives me inspiration...as does the campus (in a big way). 

Want some really cool ways to make paper, I just watched the master class A Beautiful Mess.  It's really good and it just has you playing around with effects/techniques.  I highly recommend it. Sometimes creating with nothing in mind is a good place to get inspired

18 minutes ago, Michele said:

I'm making an effort to participate in more challenges and for a change everything is mine. I used cass's brad factory and filigrane scripts. It's my first 1-2-3 challenge so I hope what I did qualifies. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

 

WOWZERS!  Beautiful.