Photo Expressions

New from Reminisce

Here's a whole bunch of different papers and stickers that have recently come in from Reminisce:

   

Justrite Stamping Basics

Here's some helpful information from Justrite Stamps on using their fabulous system.

New from Justrite Stamps

Here's a sampling of some of the new stamps from Justrite Stamps

 

Creative Corner with Hero Arts

 Have you heard about the new digital art CD's from Hero Arts? They're chock full of over 100 embellishments that can be printed for all your papercrafting projects.  You can re-size them any size you need for your project, print them out on cardstock, and then colour them in with your Copic markers or other colouring tools. Here's an article from www.heroarts.com about how to use them!

By Shari Carroll

Whether you're new to digital or just pressed for time, Hero Arts digital images are quick and easy to work with.

No need for a expensive software program with this technique, just print your images from Word.

Using images in Word:

1. Open up a new Word document.
2. Click "Insert".
3. Click "Picture".
4. Find your digital kit, click "Open"
5. Locate the Stamps folder, click "Open".
6. The picture will now be inserted into your word document.
7. Click on the image and drag the corner to re-size to your liking. Tip: Use the ruler on the screen as a guide for the size you wish to create.

Creating a print Document in Photoshop:

1. Create a NEW project, size to 8.5 x 11" at 300 dpi.
2. Open images from the Stamps folder contained in the digital kit.
3. Select the image and click "open"
4. Resize the image by selecting "Edit", "Image Size". Type the desired size in inches.
5. To duplicate your image, find your layers to the right of the screen, right click on the image layer, select "duplicate Layer". Click on the new image layer, move to the desired area on your project.
6. Repeat the duplicate layer until you have the desired amount of images to work with.

Printing Tips

• Select "print" from the program you are working in. When you get to your printer software screen, select "best quality" or "photo".
• Select semi-gloss photo paper 8.5"x11".
• Use a smooth bright white cardstock as your printer paper.

Here's a video by Hero Arts for those of you that learn better by seeing!

Words to the Rescue

Words to the Rescue, the sentiment guide for the tongue tied

Stuck for the right words? Don't have a clue? This book helps you put your heart on paper to appreciate, encourage, and support the people you care about.

You've got the card. Pen is in hand. You sit down to write. Then it strikes: total brain freeze. You desperately want beautiful and thoughtful words to flow. But your mind is as blank as a white sheet of paper. What do you do?

Now there's help. Words to the Rescue, the sentiment guide for the tongue tied is an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to express their feelings in writing, but doesn't know what to say. The 152-page book offers over 1000 clever, inspirational and thoughtful short sentiments organized into twelve chapters: congratulations, birthday, romance, sympathy, encouragement and more. Words to the Rescue makes a welcome gift for spouses, relatives, friends and co-workers. Here are some excerpts.

Page 98: "I'm not just mad about you. I'm abnormally insane."
Page 68: "Life is full of rainstorms. Think of me as your big umbrella."
Page 127: "My thoughts are like a boomerang. They always return to you."
Page 12: "Loving you has been the most satisfying and rewarding part of my life."
Page 99: "My philosophy of life is simple. Making you happy makes me happy."
Page 93: "Roses are Red. Without you I'm blue"

About the Author:

Steve Fadie is passionate about the power of words. He enjoys creating original, personal greeting cards for family and friends. An advertising writer for 30 years, he recently started Orange Sky Books after a job layoff from one of the nation's largest ad agencies. Words to the Rescue is his first book; thoughtfully crafted over fifteen years.

We have already sold out of 2 full shipments of this book and are half way through our 3rd shipment. Don't miss out! It's a fabulous resource to have on hand for those moments when you can't seem to find the right words.

New from Hero Arts

 

These little 2x3" Poly Clear sets have big imagination. Each set includes gemstones. They are perfect for making cards and tags of all kinds.

 

HA's Poly Clear stamps peel off their backing and stick to acrylic blocks for easy positioning.

Formatted for use on PC or Mac, these CD's contain over 100 images and extras. Use with your favorite design software to create cards, scrapbook pages, hybrid creations, and more.

Pack of ten A2 archival and acid-free envelopes with assorted colors on the outside and white on the inside. Ink jet and laser printer compatible.

Project 2010 - Keep it Simple - A Freeing Approach

Project 2010

Designed to help you:

Create Memories,
Share your Memories,
Preserve Your Memories.

You have permission, to simplify in 2010! Please don't make memory keeping harder than it needs to be. You have heard me say this almost a million times now, but I'm going to say it again! "They won't care what company the patterned paper is from, or what technique you used, or whether you spent 15 min or 2 days preserving the memory.  They will care that you did it, and they get to enjoy it!"

That is it - that is all that matters. I guarantee you, that it won't matter if you decide to do this as a scrapbook page, or in a regular photo album, or in a photobook.  Choose the one that works for you, or choose a combination of them.

I know it is hard to let go of those perfectionist tendencies, but the reality is, most people don't have tons of free time to dedicate to memory keeping. Don't stress out for 2 hours over the "perfect shade of blue" to go with your photos". It doesn't matter! You could even put green with your photos, and they won't care! They are going to look at the photos and your story. And however it is done, they will love it!

Try an experiment with me (humour me!). If you don't like it, you can always not do it this way the next time.  But promise me you'll try this once. It is very freeing. And the end result, is that in a week, in 55 minutes, you will have a great layout done in a few minutes a day. You may get so excited, that you do all the steps in one day and repeat them over again.  That is okay too. If you are a scrapbooker, follow these steps. If you would like to use a regular photo album or are short on time, skip down to the bonus step.

Here are your steps for the week:

Fri - Saturday:
Go to your printed photos pile and pick out 10 photos that you love that you would love to do something with. They don't have to be the same theme or subject, and they definitely don't have to be chronological.  Remember, you are humouring me here. Just go with it. Total time 15 min (more if you sit there and smile and reminisce over your photos. - See how nice PRINTED photos are!) Note I gave you two days, in case you don't have any PRINTED photos, to give you an extra day to get some printed!) You may or may not use them all on your layout.

Sunday:
Go to your stash of products (I know you have one!) Now this is important:
  -set a timer for 5 minutes. NO MORE. Now take your photos, and pick out 3 sheets of cardstock and 2 patterned papers that roughly go with your photos. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. It has to be done! Time 5 minutes.  That is it!!!!!
  -Now take another 2 minutes, and pick out some letter stickers or a die cut font, or a preprinted title you want to use for a title.
  -Take another 3 minutes and pick out any embellishments you want to add to the page - ribbon, brads, buttons etc.

Total time 10 minutes = 1 page kit done! I'm not kidding here - challenge yourself to do it within these time limits.  It actually isn't hard when you let go of the pressure that it has to be perfect.  Yes, if you spent 2 hours, you MIGHT come up with a combo that is a little more perfect, but that is 2 hours of your life wasted, when what you can come up with in 10 minutes is great.

Monday - go back to your space and roughly layout your papers and photos and embellishments into a layout. (Hint, a page map or sketch is very helpful here.) Again, don't stress out over making it perfect. Go with your first gut feeling. Crop any of the photos that need cropping. Total Time = 10 minutes.

Tuesday - adhere the parts of your layout down to the page, add any embellishments, title etc.  Total Time = 10 min.

Wednesday - Journal - yes JOURNAL. (preferably in your own handwriting, but if you must, the computer is okay.) Take 10 minutes, and write down why you love these photos. Slip it into a page protector. Total time = 10 minutes. Smile!

Thursday - share your completed page with someone.  They will love it. Time spent sharing - as much as you like!

End result - 55 minutes spent over the course of one week to get a memory down on paper with some photos that you love. Anyone can do this!

Bonus: Even quicker way: Use a photo album or scrapbook album with 4x6 page protectors - pick your photos, slide them into the page protectors, take one or two of the pockets and add in some journaling and maybe a decorative piece of paper and embellishment. Share with someone. Total time - under 30 minutes. Yes this counts as a memory preserved!

New Idea Books

January Cards is full of ideas for Wintertime, Thank You, Invitations, Stitching, Quick & Easy, Mini Cards, Friends, Embossing, Digital and more!  You'll love their AMAZING Style Challenge section, where they feature four readers to showcase their talent in amazingly different ways! The Ultimate Card Class features Hambly Studios. Papers and transparencies boast colorful modern butterflies and doily motifs, and are fun to pair with adorable die-cut shapes and screen-printed rub ons for a totally unique look and limitless embellishing possibilities. You'll love the Cards designed in this month's 'class'! Their Designer of the Month is Ashley Newell. Ashley's lovely style is simple and balanced - look closely and you'll notice carefully crafted details that maker her work stand out. Learn more about Ashley and her fantastic style and tips in this month's issue! Packed with inspiration and excitement! You don't want to miss this issue!

Paper Crafts magazine's A Card a Day inspires readers with cards for every traditional holiday as well as some non-traditional ones too. Like a yearly calendar, A Card a Day is divided into months, and will guide you through tons of new ideas for every card making occasion imaginable. Each month begins with a fresh and seasonal project from perennial favorite designer Wendy Sue Anderson as well as useful tips and techniques. You'll also find helpful sections on basic tools and supplies, using color combinations, and hints for basic organization and storage. Whether you're a seasoned card maker or just getting started, this book will be a treasured resource for years to come.

 Life is busy! To help you make the most of the creative time you have, this idea book has over 90 awesome ideas for easy-to-create layouts, mini albums that can be pulled together in an evening, fun (and fast) home décor ideas, and fabulous cards. So find a few spare minutes, bookmark your favorite ideas, and let the creativity begin!

New from Sizzix

We've got some great new dies from Sizzix! These are called Scoreboard Dies and are designed to cut through thick media such as matboard and chipboard.

 

We also have a new addition to our die cut centre: introducing the new Big Shot Pro!

 

We have some great new dies that work exclusively with this machine, take a look!

Our die cut centre is free for you to use when you purchase your paper at PE. When using your own paper, you can use the centre for 15 minutes for only $2.50! Come in today and we'll give you personal demo.

Creative Corner with Kaylyn

Take a look at these two great layouts from Kaylyn. This is the perfect example of a simple scraplift done twice, using different papers and theme for each layout. Although the basic design is the same, you end up with two completely different layouts!

So when you see a layout that you really love, make a copy or sketch of it, or earmark it in your book. Then, next time you're sitting down to create a layout, you can simply access these resources and spend less time designing and more time creating!

Hot Off the Press

Hot Off the Press is a new, monthly class being offered at Photo Express! It will feature new and exciting products that are 'hot off the press'! Join Kaylyn for February's 'HOTP' class and play with the new Whipper Snapper & Unity Stamps! 

For more information, or to sign up online, visit here.

Project 2010 - Do something with photos on your camera

Project 2010

Designed to help you:

Create Memories,
Share your Memories,
Preserve Your Memories.

To see past "assignments" (aka ideas to pick and choose), click on the Project 2010 category to the right.

This week's assignment is to help you do something with some of the photos you have already taken. Do you still have Christmas photos on your camera?(If you are the average person, I know you do.) It is time to get them off so that you can enjoy them. Each step can be done on a different day or do them all on the same day.

Step 1:
Download them to your computer (if you are unsure how, come in and ask us, we are happy to help. It is easier than you think!). If you don't have Christmas pictures on your camera, do these steps with what is on there.

Step 2:
Now you need a backup. PE has great Click Free DVD packs where all you do is insert, and it does the rest of your backup automatically.  We also have a click free 120gb hard drive that does the same thing. For avid photo takers like me, there is also a 500gb external hard drive! Another great backup is to upload your photos (for FREE!) to PE's online storage system called foto Depot.  (Hint: Don't sit and wait for your files to be uploaded; set it up, click upload and then go make dinner or go to bed, or work on some other projects on your computer. It takes a while to upload as the entire file gets uploaded, not like most places that just upload enough to print a 4x6). I do this with all my photos as soon as I download them, so then I am always ready when I need to print them.

Step 3:
Print your favourite ones.  With the Save Christmas Campaign going on until Jan 31st at PE, you can save 50% on foto depot. Details here. To print, you can order your prints on foto depot, or come in and use one of our kiosks to order, or even just stop in and give us your memory card, tell us how many prints you want, and come back to pick your prints up later (just like the old days!)

Step 4:
You are almost done, and this will feel soooo good! Take your printed photos and slip them into an album or take 30-60 min and create a scrapbook page. Slip your extra photos into album sleeves or a photo box. Now don't forget to journal - what funny things happened at Christmas, what was your favourite gift to give or receive, what is your favourite Christmas dish etc. This is the fun part when you look back at them.

Now doesn't that feel good knowing that your Christmas pictures are saved and ready to be enjoyed?! Seriously, take a short block of time each day for the next week and get this done! You won't regret it :)

Creative Corner with Creating Keepsakes

Tip from Lori Anderson, CK

Use Photoshop Elements to Blur the Background

Do you have a photo that would be great with a blurred background but you've already shot the photo in full focus? Create a blurred background effect in Photoshop Elements by following these steps:

1. Open your photo, and save it with a new name. Click on the Selection Brush Tool (grouped with the Quick Selection Tool), and highlight the part of your photo you would like to keep in focus.

2. Click on the Select menu and choose Inverse. The background of your photo will now be selected.

3. Click on the Filter menu, select Blur, and then select Gaussian Blur. Click on and hold the slider, and then move it to adjust the blur effect to your liking. You can also enter a number in the Radius box to achieve the effect. Click OK when you are finished. Note: To remove the dotted lines, click on the Select menu and choose Deselect.

Free Video Tutorial

Take This Tutorial With You!

For those of you that are on the go, we've recorded a Blur the Background of a Photo videocast for loading onto iPods, or you can download an MP3 file to listen to this tutorial on your MP3 player.

via www.creatingkeepsakes.com

"@ P.E." - Funky Photo Album & Flash Photo Tip!

Check out this week's installment of "@ P.E." TV:

Cutest Baby Photo Contest Video

Here is a short video of the Baby Contest winners from last year.  They are so cute! of course!  This year, we have a Winter Spirit theme to help celebrate the Olympics.  Will your baby be the winner?

Baby Contest runs from Feb 4th - 19th, 10-2pm daily (no photos on Sundays).  This year there are even more prizes with more local sponsors than ever.

Make sure to pass this along to anyone you know with a child under 5!