More Photo play

I read on Jessica Spragues Photoshop Friday about a great way to brighten up photos. I already use one similar to this, but I like this effect even more.

Before, the photo is a little under exposed, so I adjusted the levels before I applied Jessica's method.


Love this , turns a good photo into a great photo. You can find her method here.

Some layouts

I have been playing around, getting to know Photoshop Elements 6 better and am learning heaps. I am doing these photos as layouts in lieu of paper scrapbooking to save time and money. I wanted these photos scrapbooked but never seem to get around to doing the real stuff.

Because I am not going to upload these to any formal galleries, I didn't keep a notation of all the supplies I used. Living Kitchen Dreams is my blog which I kept doing the renovation time. I used elements from Jessica Sprague's 'Echoes of Asia', I've used elements from www. designerdigitals.com . The overlay on the last photo I made myself but the shape was inspired to Ali Edwards' overlays which are on her blog and are available through DD.

I was going to have this printed by shutterfly into a photo book, but I am not going to have 20 pages which I need for that. I have to decide how I am going to present the photos. I am not good at doing mini albums, so will seek advice from my friend who are good at making projects. I am just having an absolute ball doing this. I am so glad I took the 'Shoebox' class through Jessica Sprague's Website.

Using the class, I am able to go through my elements and they are easy to find.

Just Playing

Just playing around in Photoshop Elements. Date stamp is from Kate Pertiet at Designer Digitals, and journaling photo overlay is made by Ali Edwards and is also for sale at Designer Digitals.

Nature

Apart from sharpening, this is untouched by Photoshop Elements. The shot was taken from my kitchen window, handheld, no flash - right before sunset. The colours were breathtaking.

If I could bottle time

It’s days like today, that make me wish I could bottle time. I would bottle today and take it out when the children are not doing what they are supposed to, when they are fighting every second of the day, or when I am running around like a headless chook, or when I am feeling overwhelmed with the sheer volume of what I need to do. I need to bottle days like today, so I can take little sips to remind me of all that I have which no matter how mundane, is a wonderful life. If I could bottle today, I could sip and savour the moments I have spent with my children which are full of fun, love and laughter. I could relish in the moments where we just sit and play together and just enjoy the sheer joy of being together.

The day didn’t start off on the right foot, the kids had been great, I snoozed in until nearly 9am, and they were on the playstation. I had a shower, and they started to fight. I cooked them pancakes for breakfast, and Sammy and Mickey fronted up to the breakfast bar, with a sour disposition as they’d argued about something. After telling them that they were ‘ungrateful sods’ they sparked up a bit and enjoyed lots of pancakes. Mickey ate ten of them...... I did the ironing and set Billy-Joe a task of reading the ‘destructions’ for ‘Cluedo’. When I’d finished I sat down and read them too, and decided against trying to teach the little ones how to play. Instead we played a long session of ‘Game of Life’. Sammy didn’t want to play, but I made him, and he thoroughly enjoyed himself - as did we all.

Then the kid sat down and watched ‘Hoodwinked’ while they ate their lunch and I pottered around on the ‘net. I made a yummy pumpkin soup and let it simmer on the stovetop until dinner time. I also finished the third page of my Reno book which I am going to have made from Shutterfly - only 17 pages to go lol.......

My favourite show, ‘Prison Break’ starts tomorrow so I think I will stay up late and watch some old eps I have on DVD.

The weather is still forecast to be wet for tomorrow so we will head out and get some more movies and renew the PS game.