PET Creative Homework week #40

[lisabee]

Hi everyone,

Got that midweek feeling? Well to help us through it, here is this week's creative homework assignment.

Thanks to you all for participating last week. We had some marvellous creations.


As always this assignment is open to EVERYONE who is reading the forum.
Please join in and share your images.
If you see an image you like and would like to comment or have a question, here is the link to the accompanying comment thread

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?p=323334#post323334

Have fun! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Thanks to Reka for suggesting this week’s tutorial – ‘Creating an embroidered look’.

http://animationartist.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=191500

If cross stitch isn’t your cup of tea, please don’t despair, some of the default patterns in elements can be used and create interesting results or you can create and/or save your own pattern to use. So please give it a whirl even if you are not usually into embroidery. ;)


Some notes I made going along
1. the cross stitch is there to download and can then just be opened into elements and then saved as a pattern (edit>define pattern)

The tut then explains there are 3 ways to use a pattern, you don’t need to use all 3 ways, he uses C. the pattern adjustment level. This means you can resize the pattern and move it (if necessary) while you have the pattern layer dialogue box open. (or double click the mask to open the dialogue box)

Use the pattern
The pattern adjustment layer is in the drop down menu of adjustment layers at the top of the layer palette (PSE5)
Also using the adjustment layer gives you the mask so you can paint on that if there are any areas of your image where you want the original to show.
Towards the end of his instruction he says ‘rasterize the layer’ – now as far as I can tell this isn’t available in Elements, I skipped it and I think it still worked ok.

Finishing touches
Steps 2 and 3 – I found confusing – I opened a solid colour adjustment level underneath the top layer, filled with white (or 50% grey), then inverted. I think this worked but found it hard to see the difference.

Have fun, experiment and I look forward to seeing your creations.

[lisabee]

To get us started...this is a very 'pretty' technique

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1dwbM2VPSQ1ybUZ8qVpU4GjLOeX7He1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1dwbM2VPSQ1ybUZ8qVpU4GjLOeX7He1)

then I had a go using a default pattern in elements, but after I applied the pattern I decided to let the statue come through by itself

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/18mnjRHK68DDpSo7oquebvDFU6vUp_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=18mnjRHK68DDpSo7oquebvDFU6vUp)

I shall be having another go later, :)

Lisa

[jo]

Well, this is intriguing. I didn't exactly follow the directions, so I'll have to try another one where I do all the steps in the right order, but this is what I did on the first try.
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1quprN31Tnkb7gpJ2R1IwwcgI4sAgR_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1quprN31Tnkb7gpJ2R1IwwcgI4sAgR)

[smiles]

Well, several years ago I paid big money for a crossstitch software that never came close to this! This is awesome, especially for me as I have always enjoyed cross stitching! Ok, here is mine!
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1FpZT4i2x2aPRhsDkIZMIadYlpHeZ0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1FpZT4i2x2aPRhsDkIZMIadYlpHeZ0)

[jo]

OK, here's another one where I almost followed the directions. I made the mosaic a little bigger (35 or 40, I think) and the pattern fill percent the same as the mosaic.

But I got lost on the finishing touches and decided to forget about it. I like it without the "canvas" showing through.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1jpQXNSjHG9UdOINTKm0nimpKcFaLS0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1jpQXNSjHG9UdOINTKm0nimpKcFaLS0)

[fdlite]

Ok, here (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=195ul2MzgqTz70r83aqbBY69ParBUh) is a rose.

For the life of me, I can't seem to just post the picture.

Dane

[Martha]

Here is mine. I did not quite understand how to do the finishing touches. Like you, I did not see any difference when I did what I THOUGHT the tutorial was saying to do. A vwry interesting technique! Thanks for sharing.
Martha
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/152mfQFKruiOscIZuGdZPknuzMf1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=152mfQFKruiOscIZuGdZPknuzMf1)

[CarolR]

Here is my cross stitch picture. I didn't care for the pixilate because it blurred it too much for my taste -- so I didn't do it. :D

I, too, didn't get the "finishing" technique.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1fEQO5KKWFsKSBfEquCkKIg6daoo8_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1fEQO5KKWFsKSBfEquCkKIg6daoo8)

[kimmer]

I like this effect, but I really need to learn more of the basics--
how do I make a frame for this--see my horrible try at it.
How do I correct the mistake in the upper right corner of the "frame" I tried to cover it with a brush stroke or a cloning, but nothing happened.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1wLzWhWeQ7kk14hldC0tAmNuGHF6_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1wLzWhWeQ7kk14hldC0tAmNuGHF6)

Thanks,
Kimmer

[Martha]

I think I did it correctly this time. I didn't simplify the layer in the first. Thanks for the clearer instructions.
Martha
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1O4OtJ4S4gErtw3D8N3FCL1LGSeM40_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1O4OtJ4S4gErtw3D8N3FCL1LGSeM40)

[TonyW]

Not much like embroidery and I lost a bit of frame along the way but an interesting technique and I did have to rasterize/simplify so I could color fill the white spaces between the stiches - although I made them so small I'm not sure there's much difference. Might have to try a different starting picture.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/12GF7cgwM7GyZMo2Rr8GfG9HTl8F_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=12GF7cgwM7GyZMo2Rr8GfG9HTl8F)

Tony

[emkayess65]

Lighthouses are a traditional crossstich subject.
So here is Challenge 246 crossstiched.
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1rQbh8s7aye2gYvEc6DCvVhpUq55L2_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1rQbh8s7aye2gYvEc6DCvVhpUq55L2)

I pludered around a bit till I got something acceptable.
Thank you Lisa for supplying the notes. They were extremely helpfull.
mks

[Bamagirl]

Thanks lisabee. I can see me using this for backgrounds. This was great homework.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1LvSWi0NAEVr3092SAi1P5Bd0jRFwX0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1LvSWi0NAEVr3092SAi1P5Bd0jRFwX0)

[Bayla]

Not sure if I followed the instructions properly but I seem to have produced a cross stitch picture!

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/13kfpVLxmo43Um0p4eiLJ0H6Ms3vd_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=13kfpVLxmo43Um0p4eiLJ0H6Ms3vd)

Bayla

[TonyW]

Thought maybe the best way to make it look more realistic is to start with the real thing - a tapestry of a cottage I knew well as a kid that my aunt did many years ago and that hangs over my desk. Just added the mosaic and coss stich pattern.


http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/12r3oVz1KCTW2k8NrSEIQfHQpuMln_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=12r3oVz1KCTW2k8NrSEIQfHQpuMln)

Tony

[Aussie Nan]

I found this one very challenging, and then still didn't get the finishing touches done. Even after many tries:)
I am giving up for now, but would really like a grey canvas so will probably pick it up again later. Die hard!:D

Toni

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1zQ8W6uMAbQalahLpEptPGFpVIz5gu0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1zQ8W6uMAbQalahLpEptPGFpVIz5gu0)

[hukari]

Everyone's looks great!

Here's mine:

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/12uN7LVXofcGcyGddsx76JbajulD7U1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=12uN7LVXofcGcyGddsx76JbajulD7U1)

[elementarymydear]

This one looked interesting so I thought I'd give it a try. Did not follow the directions, either. The mosaic effect made it way too blurred. So here's my attempt at digital cross stitching:)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/185ZRsqLz8Tne70eOq5flUEx6Qtvba0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=185ZRsqLz8Tne70eOq5flUEx6Qtvba0)

[swalkr]

Here is my rendition of the cross stitch tutorial. Some of the steps I just didn't do, because the end result was better than I expected. For some reason, I think the author of this tutorial made it harder than it needed to be.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1fWloBWNAD7EE5CgreWCUEh4xcr_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1fWloBWNAD7EE5CgreWCUEh4xcr)

[billz]

I couldn't think of any good subject matter, so I decided to go with a car.:o

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/10USp32lDNGPWDtrumZwbbSMmHGnR_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=10USp32lDNGPWDtrumZwbbSMmHGnR)

Bill

[jojo99]

I had fun with this weeks homework :-)
As someone with years of experience of cross stitch I was doubtful at first at how effective this technique would be.
I figured I would try a portrait and see if I thought it came close to the real thing and I have to say I was very pleased with my results :D
Jo

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1vmkZ9kdx6fVSx71lXGVythw17Kg_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1vmkZ9kdx6fVSx71lXGVythw17Kg)

[qcocoq]

Oh! I hope it's not too late. You all shared some fun creations. My niece is a firefighter and this is her first nephew laying in her helmet. I, too, only did the first part. I suffer from beginner's luck. I can never do the same thing twice and if I keep trying I completely flub it up.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/19VY852MW0aeftvndeg7HQgbA1ACi71_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=19VY852MW0aeftvndeg7HQgbA1ACi71)