Kiki Halbert Designs

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Photo Tinting Tutorial - Gimp and Photoshop Elements

I'm here today to share with you my technique for tinting photos. I don't use any special styles. It's probably a little more time consuming than a style. But it's something anyone whose program uses layers can do. And it's a great way to get your photos to work with those papers or that kit you've just fallen in love with.

The papers I wanted to work with this time were the Rain Down on Me Volume 3 papers from Kiki Halbert. I think they are so pretty that I was just dying to work with them for a layout where I was the subject. (I think it is so important that we include ourselves in our scrapbooks.)


The problem for me is that I don't usually wear clothing that looks good with pastels. I'm a "bright colors" woman. In the photo I used for my layout, I was wearing a shirt that is three shades of green, including lime green. Not exactly perfect for those papers. But with a little bit of tinting, I can get the photo working with the papers.


To get started open your canvas in either Gimp or PSE. (If you use another program, you'll have to adjust the instructions to fit your program, but the basic concepts should work anyone whose program supports layers.)

Once the canvas is open, pull your background paper on to your canvas and then add your photo as a layer on top of the canvas.

Next, you need to duplicate your photo once. You can do this in both Gimp and PSE by going to Layer and choosing Duplicate Photo.

You now need to convert the duplicate photo to Black and White. To do this in PSE, go to Enhance and choose Convert to Black and White. You will then have to decide which Black & White style works best for your photo. In Gimp, you will go to the Colors menu and choose Desaturate. Once again, you will have to choose the option that works best with your photo.

Now that the photo has been converted to Black & White, create a duplicate of the Black and White photo as I described above.

It is now time to pick the color you want to use for the tint. I find that choosing a lighter color works best, but you'll need to experiment. In PSE, you will do this by clicking Select Foreground Color (it's the option at the bottom of the left side menu and PSE 7). You will then move your cursor over the background paper (select foreground color should remain open) and click on the color you want to use for tinting.

In Gimp, you will need to begin by highlighting the paper layer that will be your background for the layout. You will then need to choose the Color Picker from the Toolbar. (The Color Picker looks like an eye dropper and is right next to the magnifying class (zoom tool).) Now move your mouse over the background paper and click on the color you want to use.

Now it's time to create a new layer filled with the color you've just chosen. First, make sure your top B&W photo is the active layer. That way the new color layer will be right above that photo when it's created. In Gimp you will then go to the Layer menu choose New Layer, choose Foreground Color as fill type and then click Okay.

In Photoshop elements you will go to the Layer menu and choose New Layer. Once the layer is created (it will be transparent), choose the Bucket Fill option (on the left side menu it looks like a small paint bucket with the paint flowing out) and then click on your canvas. Your new layer will then fill with the desired color.

The next step in Photoshop Elements is easy peasy. Click Control + G and your color layer will not be the same size as your photo. You will now need to select a new Layer Mode. I find overlay works best for this purpose, but feel free to experiment until the photo doesn't look too dark and then right-click and choose Merge Down.

With Gimp, we have a little more work in front of us but not much. First, make sure your top photo is your active layer. Now right click on the photo and choose Alpha to Selection. You will then make the color fill layer your active layer and choose Copy and then Paste. You will then need to click the Create New Layer icon at the bottom of the layers toolbar. (It looks like a piece of paper and is on the left side immediately below the list of layers.) You will then need to drag your new layer immediately above the photo and then Delete the old color fill layer. Now it's time to choose a new Layer Mode and just as in Photoshop Elements, I recommend you use the Overlay mode. Now merge the layer down by right-clicking on the new color layer and choosing Merge down.

Now it's time to play with the opacity of the colorized photo and the B&W photo. In Photoshop Elements you do this by highlighting the photo layer you want to work with, clicking the down arrow next to Opacity and then sliding the slider that will appear. Normally, your B&W layer will be more opaque (say less than 50%) and your colorized photo will be more opaque (around 75%) but this is something you will definitely have to play with. Once you like the look of the photo, highlight all three layers, right-click and choose Merge Layers.

In Gimp, we are going to do much the same thing. Highlight the photo layer you want to work with and then slide the Opacity slider that is located right above the list of layers. My opacity recommendations are the same as I gave for Photoshop Elements. Once the photo looks right to you, you will right-click on the top photo layer and choose Merge Down. You will now have two photo layers and will once again do Merge Down for the top photo layer.

Congratulations!! You now have a tinted photo.

Here is how my layout turned out.  I could have gotten by with not tinting the photo because of the green, but I think tinting it really allows is to work with the papers.

 (full layout credits here)

If you have any questions, post them in the comments and I will be glad to answer them. And if you use my tutorial, I would love to see what you did with it.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Layout contest

Hi everyone! I hope you've been taking advantage of Kiki's 30% off Designer of the Month sale over at Scrapbook-Elements. Now is the time to unzip those kits and get scrapping. You could walk away with a $5 gift card to Kiki's SBE store!

Here's what you have to do:
1. Create a new layout with any Kiki Halbert Designs products.
2. Upload your new layout to a gallery of your choice (SBE would be nice, but is not compulsory).
3. Post a link to your layout in the comments to this post by 11 April 23:59 EST.
Everyone who posts a layout by the deadline will be entered into a random draw for the $5 GC. The more layouts you enter, the more entries you get into the drawing.

I'm looking forward to seeing all your layouts!

Monday, March 28, 2011

It's true! I'm having a CT Call!




Do you enjoy scrapping with grunge, glitter, and eclectic designs? I’m looking to add some layout artists to my existing team.

I have two design lines and love making pretty kits for everyday use, and grungy boy kits too!

Layout artists monthly requirements are simple:

1 layout per kit downloaded, or element/paper pack.
Post to 3 galleries, link where you can.
One blog gift per month (cluster, QP, freebie, etc).
You aren’t required to blog.

Ready to have fun? Send me an email with the title “CT Call” to kikihalbertctcall@gmail.com with:
- your name and a short bio
- your current creative teams
- a link to your best gallery
- a little note about why you want to join my team.

Deadine: April 10th

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Messy AND Pretty? How? Come see and WIN!

Hi everyone! Kiki here with some new exciting releases at my store at Funky Playground Designs. First up is a cute little kit for all your messy ones called Mud Puddles.


Splash!! Who can resist a mud puddle? Here's a fun little kit for all those dancing-in-the-rain and splashing-through-the-puddles photos. The color scheme is neutral enough for boys or girls, big or small. A ton of fun elements include (of course) dirt and splotches, hand-drawn cars and kids, as well as everything else you'll love like journaling mats, brackets, frames, tags, stitching and more. Put your rubber boots on, go and have some fun outside this spring...and don't forget you're camera!16 papers, 12 little boys and girls, 3 brads, 2 cars, 1 worm, 1 dirt and stitch splat, 1 tied tag, 1 tag, 1 tie, 4 frames, 1 hinge, 1 star stamp, 1 sand scatter, 1 mud splat, 2 staples, 2 ribbons, 1 wagon.

It's an adorable way to scrap those little messy kids, big or small.


As well, you'll find my collab with Dawn in her store this week....Spring Bouquet:


Daybreak Scraps and Recherché by KH Designs teamed up to create this pretty Spring kit. Includes 20 elements, lower case alpha, and 13-12x12 papers. Created at 300dpi for maximum print quality. Elements include: 3 word labels, 1 threaded button, 1 ricrac, 1 ribbon, 1 sunshine, 1 circle flower border, 2 frames, 1 acrylic cloud, 1 fiber, 1 flowerpot border, 1 realistic flower cluster, 3 flowers, 1 clip, 1 bow, 1 journal mat


They are both on sale this week as well.....so hop on over to pick these beauties up this week!

If you make a layout with either of these kits, come back and link us up in the comments and you could win my next release! We'll choose people at random from the comments.

And keep your eyes open for a special event coming up in which YOU can participate and get my products for free!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Go Scrap Yourself and freebies!!

Hi Gang, and Happy FRIDAY from Jennifer (DigiScrapMommy)!! Kiki is Designer of the Month at Scrapbook Elements, her CT is designing gifts for YOU. Okay, here is my very first ever, ever, freebie! 

I just love Kiki's kit, "That's Me", so I had to use it.  I also found some great quotes to use when we create pages about OURSELVES.  Which, if you haven't done one, you need to!  Your loved ones will appreciate it forever.





Download HERE and don't forget to spred the word...



Notable QUOTES to use on your "self" pages...

And remember,
no matter where you go,
there you are. 
~Confucius

I took a deep breath and
listened to the old bray of my heart. 
I am.  I am.  I am. 
~Sylvia Plath


Your soul is all that you possess. 
Take it in hand and make something of it! 
~Martin H. Fischer

The finest thing in the world is
knowing how to belong to oneself. 
~Michel de Montaigne


Thursday, March 24, 2011

Free Quickpage and Template

As I'm sure y'all know by now, Kiki Halbert is currently the Designer of the Month at Scrapbook Elements. To help Kiki celebrate, all week members of her Creative Team are giving freebies to all of Kiki's fan. And today is my term.

I have for y'all today a template and a quickpage. The quickpage was created using the template and To The Moon and Back from Kiki Halbert.


If you haven't been over to check out To the Moon and Back, I highly recommend you do so.  This is a beautiful kit.


Now as promised, here is the link to pick up your template and quick page. I hope you enjoy them. And be watching the blog for another freebie on Friday.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Freebie Alert !


Good morning dear digiscrappers!!!! Wendy here to bring you another freebie , continuing to the celebration of Kiki's designer spotlight at Scrapbook-Elements!
Hope you all are enjoying this amazing celebration.
I prepared this LO using Kiki's kit " To the moon
and back" and now is with an incredible sale at SBE.
Here you will find a couple of printable cards, one with the word art and the other without it, enjoy it!

Download HERE







Tuesday, March 22, 2011

And the giveaways continue!

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying the freebies and the awesome sale as we celebrate Kiki's designer spotlight at Scrapbook-Elements!
Today I have two freebies for you, made with the Dreamer Combo Pack (currently on sale at less 30%).

First up is a cluster frame made with the girl part of the combo, Girl U R a Dreamer.
 
(Click on the preview to download the freebie
Your next freebie is a quickpage made with Boy U R a Dreamer.
(Click on the preview to download the freebie)
That's it from me! Hope you'll be back here tomorrow for more freebies and fun.

Monday, March 21, 2011

A freebie from "That's me"

This is a very special week on Kiki's blog.  The CT has decided to salute Kiki this week since she is designer of the month at Scrapbook Elements.   This week we will be featuring some kits from SBE and freebies to go along with them.  We hope you will enjoy this special and remember to check out her store, because she will have 20 selected kits on sale, so you don't want to miss out.

Today, I will be highlighting "That's me"  I love this kit with its rich colors and the word art tags are great!!!


This is what the frame looks like


Here is my quick layout using the frame. 


Sunday, March 20, 2011

Kiki is Designer of the Month

Did you know that Kiki is Designer of the Month at Scrapbook Elements?  We are all so excited for her and she is pleased to be able to showcase her items.  This week is dedicated to Kiki's kits at SBE.  Be sure to check back to see the great freebies the CT has for you!!!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Layouts without Pictures

Let's face it. We have phone camera, purse cameras, hd video cameras and dSLRs, but we still don't get photos of all the moments we want to remember. I can't count how many times I've said "I wish I had my camera with me" or "I wish I had a better camera with me". What I should have done was come home and created a layout to capture my memories even without a photo. But did I do that? No. :O(  So, I know there are already great times lost to my memory. And that makes me sad.

And that brings me to the point of this post. Scrapping without photos. I've seen more and more layouts without photos and I'm glad. Just because we don't have photos does not mean the moment wasn't important. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but that doesn't mean we can't use a few words to convey the importance of a person or event for us.

That is exactly what I did in my layout "Besties". This is about one of my best friends in elementary school. I don't believe I have any photos of her or of us. But I still want to create a layout about our friendship, because it was such an important friendship when I was in the 1st and 2nd grade.

Here's my layout about Tracy using That's Me from Kiki Halbert Designs.



I love this kit that I used to create my layout. It's feminine without having too many pastels. And that is right up my alley. And because Kiki is currently Designer of The Month at Scrapbook Elements, you can pick up That's Me for 30% off.


Does "That's Me" not meet your needs right now? Well, if you head over to the Designer of the Month section at Scrapbook Elements, you will find several kits from Kiki Halbert on sale for 30% off. Don't miss this chance to pick up some great kits at a discount.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A freebie and more....

I recently did a freebie with Kiki's colab kit "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows". Go to Funky Playground to grab this one. I did a freebie cluster frame and decided to add it to a layout so you could see just how it looked. I then got the idea to alter the background a bit to use the frame again. By playing with your papers, you can achieve a whole new look. Here is the frame:


Here is the frame with my picture:

This is the first layout I did..fairly clean and simple. Two papers and journaling with the frame added. So easy!!!!:


This time i added a few more papers. If you want to experiement, paper is the way to go. this kit is perfect for Mardi Gras and Spring!!!



Now I guess you want the freebie frame...


Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Tomato & Egg Stirfry Recipe

I'm back with another easy recipe when you are looking for something quick to make after work.  Cause after working all day, a two-hour prep meal just doesn't sound like a fun idea.  This week, I am sharing Tomato and Egg Stirfry.
SERVES 4

* 3 eggs, beaten (not egg substitute)
* 1 large tomato, rinsed and diced (fresh tomatoes, not canned)
* 1 large green onion, rinsed and chopped

1. Take a pan (or wok) and put it on medium high heat to dry water off of it, if there is any; If not, let the pan heat up a bit and put some oil in the pan so there is just enough to cover the bottom of the pan (about 2 1/2 - 4 tablespoons of oil).
2. Wait about 3-4 minutes, put the CHOPPED green onions in the hot oil (if you put the onions in and the oil doesn't sizzle or sizzles very little, wait until the oil sizzles before stir frying) and stir fry just until its aroma permeates the air.
3. Quickly pour the eggs into the pan in a circle, so that it is spread out in the pan.
4. Allow the eggs to cook for 1-2 minute and then stir fry until the eggs are well done; Try to cut the eggs into small pieces with the spatula as you stir fry.
5. Put the tomatoes in the pan and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
6. Put a few dashes of salt into the pan and stir fry again until the juice comes out of the tomatoes.
7. Taste a small piece of egg to see if it is salty enough; If not add more salt; The amount of salt varies by taste and size of tomatoes and eggs; The dish will taste better with slightly more salt than what your accustomed to if you're eating this with white rice.
8. Serve immediately, preferably with rice.
As usual, I have two recipe cards.  One is 8x8 and the other is 4x6.  I have to admit that I really like the way these cards turned out.


The recipe cards, as well as the preview, were created using Lollipops, Sunshine and Rainbows from Recherche by KH Designs and Jennilyn Designs.  This is such a bright, happy kit.  Perfect for all those summer photos that are just around the corner.


I hope you enjoy the recipe cards.  This really is a fast, yummy recipe for an easy weekday supper.

Monday, March 07, 2011

Layouts from Kiki's "To the Moon"

I looked through the gallery at Scrapbook Elements to see what lovely layouts had been created from Kiki's latest kit "To the Moon and Back"...there is so much talent and so many ways to use this kit!



I really like this layout for its simplicity.  Don't be afraid to use "white space" in a layout.  You can make it look very good and it also makes for very quick layouts!

Here scrapmemories made a very simple by meaningful layout with background paper, a cluster frame and some ribbon.  This kit is very versatile and you can use it in so many ways.  I would love to see how you used the kit and feature it here on Kiki's blog!

Friday, March 04, 2011

Kiki's Damask Romance kit + a freebie!!!

Hi everyone.  Sharon here with one of Kiki's wonderful older kits and a freebie I did.  Damask Romance is a gorgeous kit for your heritage pictures or honestly, any other romantic picture would be perfect.  I just love this kit and after you play with it, you will too.  This kit has wonderful a vintage damask style that you will use time and time again.  I created a freebie for this and created the layout using an additional journaling tag in just minutes. 

Here is the kit available at Scrapbook Elements

Here is my layout...oh so easy!!


Here is the freebie...




I would love it if you would leave a comment and if you do a layout, I would love to see it.  Add it to the gallery at Scrapbook Elements and I will be on the look out!! Thanks!!

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Tease and a freebie..

Love freebies...yeah, you know it..admit it..I do too!  I have a freebie for you, but you need to come back tomorrow.  It will be worth the wait!   Lately I have been looking for any old pictures I could...I was really trying to connect with my past a bit, my parents, inlaws and my grandparents that I never knew.  I really missed not having grandparents and I need a way to come alive.  I am always on the lookout for beautiful vintage, romantic kits and Damask Romance is an awesome kit that Kiki released a while back that I decided to play with. It was perfect!!  Here is a little sneak of what you will get if you come back tomorrow. 

Don't forget.  Come back tomorrow...you can download the freebie and see a quick layout I did!!

Thanks!! Sharon

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Why Journal?

Lets talk for a little bit about journaling.  I know, it can be the hardest part of the layout for some people.  (Me included.)  Most of us haven't taken a creative writing class and we think our journaling is boring (at least I do).  But it can also be the most important part of the layout.

Let's face it.  None of us will be around forever.  And even if we somehow managed to pull that off, it might be that our memories won't be as good as we like.  Without journaling, your future posterity will think "wow, this is a pretty layout".  With journaling, they'll get to know more about you and your family.  And as a person who is very interested in family history, let me assure you that they will appreciate it.

Let's take a look at a layout I recently did with Winter Frolic from Recherche by KH Designs and Valarie Ostrom.  This first version is without journaling.


Without journaling, you can assume my cat's name is Lorenzo.  And you can see that Lorenzo is a pretty cat.  But you don't know much more.  But you deserve to know more because there is a story behind that name.


You don't have to write a small book for your journaling to be useful. As you can see I only wrote a couple of small paragraphs.  Here is how the journaling reads.
First, let me say Lorenzo is a girl.
We named her after she was rudely
kicked out of her first home.  We
didn't know if she was a boy or a
girl when we picked the name.

I had names with "snow" in mind.
Then David though of naming her
after the Prophet Lorenzo Snow,
so she became Lorenzo.  Later I
heard her called Arial and then
I knew she was a girl, but by
then was already Lorenzo to us.
The journaling isn't very long.  Only two short paragraphs.  But now you know that Lorenzo is a girl (something you never would have guessed from the layout without journaling).  You know that we are her second her home.  And you know how we picked the name Lorenzo.  You can convey a lot with just a few words.

You don't even need to write complete paragraphs to convey your message.  Here's a layout I created using Girl You R A Dreamer from Kiki Halbert Designs.


With this layout, I use short phrases to tell you just a little bit about what I enjoy doing most.  No actual paragraphs required.

I hope I've convinced you to include journaling on your next layout.  In the future, you will be glad you did.

Before I let you go, let me show you the two kits I used to make these layouts as they are both great kits and I highly recommend you check them out.

Winter Frolic, which I used for What's In A Name, is available in Recherche by KH Designs store at FunkyPlayground Designs.


For Just Being Me, I used Girl You R A Dreamer from Kiki Halbert Designs.  You can find this kit in her store at Scrapbook Elements.


I hope everyone has a great week and finds time to sneak in a layout or two (with some journaling).

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