This week’s Adobe Photoshop or Elements tip of the week is now available on video. This weeks tip is on Resizing Templates in Photoshop and PSE.

Today’s Template Challenge is a first – the first time we’ve used an 8.5 x 11 template. Can a two-pager be far behind?? Judging from the gallery, which, by the way, rocks with creativity and inspiration, most of us are 12x12 scrappers; but that doesn’t mean we can’t be inspired by and use 8.5 x 11 templates. Cathy Zielske’s Layered Template No. 01 was wildly popular when it first appeared in the store, and I’m still in love with its clean lines, focus on photos, and room for journaling. And if you use an 8.5 x 11 template on a 12x12 page, an added bonus is all that lovely white space.

Patricia (iUma) reduced the size of the template, placed it on the right side of her page, and added an extra photo of her grandson at his soccer game. I love how she used some of the negative space in the photo for part of her title. I’m also digging her use of patterned paper, the multiple mats, and the terrific combination of colors – what an inviting page!

Credits: Cathy Zielske’s Layered Template No. 01, Glorious Days Solids Paper Pack, Glorious Days Paper Pack, Little Enamel Accents: Sports, Cut Ups: Soccer, Tonals: Orange Paper Pack

Ever creative, Janet (JALong) used the template to set down some observations about herself “here” and “now.” I love color scheme she’s using for her AAM pages and the stack of photos of her down the side is terrific. Janet is a master at adding the little touches to a page that draw the eye back for one more look, things like clever title work, stitching, and brackets.

Credits: Cathy Zielske’s Layered Template No. 01, Mail Room No. 01 Paper Pack, Stitched by Anna Lime No. 01, Purely Happy Paper Pack, Scallop Strip Masks, Stitched by Anna Borders Red No. 01, Stitched by Anna Bitz White No. 01, Little Bits Alphabet, Basic Paper Alphabet: Notebook, Jelly Alphabet No. 11, Stitched by Anna Circle LoopDaLoops No. 01, Wire Rimmed Alphabet No. 01, Little Round Tabs, Flossy Stitches: Orange, Photo Corners Colors No. 01, Stacked Color Photo Frames No. 01, SprayPaint No. 01 BrushSet, Staple Its, Assorted Tapes No. 03, Essential Words Hand Drawn Value Pack Vol. 01, Stitched by Anna White No. 03

I also reduced the size of the template and rotated it so that I could use a single portrait-oriented photo of my little munchkins. One thing I love to do with templates is fill some of the spaces with patterned paper instead of a photo. That’s what I did to create a backdrop for my title and an element cluster. And Katie’s Wild Horses Brushes and Stamps provided the perfect finishing accent.

Credits: Cathy Zielske’s Layered Template No. 01, Autumn Honey Paper Pack, Roughed Up Solids: Earthen Paper Pack, Wild Horses Brushes and Stamps, Wild Horses Element Pack, On a Branch Stamps and Stickers No. 01 (recolored), Stamped Edgers Brushes and Stamps No. 01, Chipboard Buttons: Mapped No. 01, All Set: Days, Date Tags No. 02, Patterns Petite No. 04, Story Strips, Fasten Its, How’d They Do That? No. 19: Recoloring Essentials

I hope you’ll join us in breaking new ground by creating a page with Cathy’s cool template. Pick it up for 30% off today, and post your finished page in the Template Challenge Gallery.

Hello everyone! Are you ready to travel with me to the sunny state of Florida, USA, for the next interview of one of our dear Designer Digitals friends? I interviewed, Barb, aka Sawdust, and, I think you’re going to enjoy getting to know her better, just as much as I did. She’s one of the many friendly faces we meet in the Designer Digitals Gallery.

Barb, please introduce yourself. We’d like to know more about your family and how you got started creating digital scrapbooks.

I have been married to my husband, Jim, for 45 years. Just for the record, I definitely was a child bride!! LOL We have three children, two sons and a daughter, eight grand children and two great grand children scattered across the states.  My husband and I were both born and raised in Ohio, raised our family there and moved to Florida after they were grown.

I was a former paper scrapper… well…really I was a former paper scrapper collector, which I believe a lot of paper scrappers are. I really collected more paper and embellishments than I ever scrapped. I had anything and everything new. I was so busy collecting that I scrapped very little!! I somehow became a regular on the Memory Makers Magazine forum. It was there that I met my very special friend Terry (MIDA78466) We chatted back and forth and then started “PMing” each other. That progressed to daily phone calls…me in Florida, she in Texas!! We still talk daily, once in a while, more than that. It was just one of those relationships that was meant to be, I guess.

Terry made the jump to the dark side!  She tried and tried to persuade me to try digi. She said you will love it…and I don’t have anyone to talk digi with!  Ugh. I had absolutely no desire to go digi. NONE. She was relentless!! Finally, she bought me an online class!!! Now what could I do? I was stuck for sure. She was sweet enough to get me the class, so I was going to be sweet enough to take it. (She’s was pretty sneaky doing that!) That one class literally changed my life. We just talked about that the other day. She said it was the best money she ever spent…I had to agree!!

That’s a heart warming story, Barb! Have you had the opportunity to meet your good friend, Terry, or any other digital scrappers from Designer Digitals?

Oddly enough, we have only met in person one time!! It was great. We met in Orlando when she had a continuing education class. It was then that both of us met Linda (earlofoxford).  I have also been blessed to meet Lynn (grandmalynnie) and her sweet husband, Dick! Everyone on the forum is a special, special person. And, as everyone knows, we probably know each other better, never having met in person, than people who live next door to each other. We are all family here. Thank you Katie and Randy for giving this great gift to us!

What are your favorite subjects to scrap?

My favorite subject to scrap has to be slices of life. I love looking at life from a different perspective than others and scrapping that. I also love scrapping pages for others who don’t scrap at all. They are always so thrilled to see something on a page other than just their picture.  I am doing an album for an old friend in Ohio and having a lot of fun with that, especially since it is of her kids that grew up with ours.

Creating scrapbooks for others makes you special, Barb. I think that is a super thoughtful thing to do. What software do you use?
I scrap using CS4 because my daughter is very nice to me!! I learned the basics with that first “gift” class I took and have continued with classes and searched tutorials on the web for new things to learn.  There is always something exciting to learn in digi!

Do you have advice for the many new digital scrappers who are increasingly joining the Designer Digitals community?
As far as favorite supplies that I would recommend for beginners, it has to be templates. At first I felt like a lot of beginner digital scrappers that it was cheating to use a template that someone else had made. But I soon got over it. I also would tell beginners to get kits so they have elements and papers to go together until they build their stash, some alphas, of course, and a few flourishes and I personally have to have some loop da loops by Anna Aspnes!

You live in a great state for vacations. Would you recommend some places to visit that you love?

I love living in Florida. I would recommend somewhere air conditioned, LOL! Really, people need to get over the heat issue. It is beautiful here, even in the summer. You get used to the heat. I would say Busch Gardens, Disney, Universal and my favorite to recommend, the Kennedy Space Center. I love that. And be sure to take both tours. The second one, that most don’t take, is really the more fascinating.

I enjoyed a visit to your gallery, Barb. Even though it is very difficult to pick just one layout to highlight, which layout from your gallery do you choose?

My favorite LO would have to be the one of my husband. I wanted to do a LO that told them something about their dad.  And this was truly him. So it is my favorite.
Barb’s Favorite Layout

That’s a wonderful tribute to your husband, Barb. Thanks, so much, for taking time to share with us and thanks for being an important part of the Designer Digitals community.

Wow the gallery has been rocking after our amazing full day chat day and some amazing bargains to be had on the sale !

For Just My Type this week I found an amazing piece of typography to use as inspiration. Sometimes its not what we expect. The fonts don’t matter. In this case they don’t emphasise or assist in any way. It’s the way that the letters are placed and the big thing here is the placement of the words. Also the fact that you are giving a message but by crossing it out – almost stating a fact ! Going against the grain as such.

Firstly Mel (Britgirl) has created a great layout with a few images of herself placed on the cardstock. The typography and words really tell us exactly who Mel is – but crossed out to emphasise the words “just me” .  Love it !

CREDITS :
Doodled Daydreams Kit
Out of a Box Overlays
Essential Words Hand Drawn Value Pack Vol. 01
All About Me HandDrawn Brushes and Stamps
Thin strip masks
Font – king things trypewriter

Then I loved Paula’s take on the inspiration. She has chosen to rather use the inspiration to show words to describe her special little girl and all the amazing qualities that karate give her.  Her choice of colours for the title are taken from the photo and that emphasises the words – I did my best !  Fantastic Paula !

CREDITS :
Maskros Solids Paper Pack
FotoBlendz Overlays No. 01
Essential Words Hand Drawn Vol. 02
fonts: Steelfish and Luna

Then on to my Layout.  My daughter, who is irritatingly organised, completed her nursery this week and she is so proud of it.  Now the 2 months wait for baba to arrive !  I chose to use words to describe her journey with this sweet little nursery !

Credits :
Lynn Grieveson - La Folie Kit

Congratulations to esther_a. Her layout 5pm chat or Then & Now has been selected as the featured layout of the week where she won a $ 5 DesignerDigitals Gift Certificate for product of her choice!