Help this photo please

[Shari]

Hi
Thanks Will - I think I did this right. Wow I am learning sooo much these days. This is just a photo I took thinking to make a card to send my aunt in Switzerland. I would like to maybe emboss the Merry Christmas but I don't know how. I tried from Scott's book but I can't seem to get into the text box again. This is all such a learning curve - but it's coming. Thanks all.
Shari http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1vdmVxpt5HtCAkYg4Rghq4q6IBMgt1

[GaryK]

Hi Shari

Very nice photo and great subject for your card.

When you say you can't get into the text, does that mean it is not available anymore? Is it on its own layer? If so then it must have been simplified, or you should be able to just click on the text layer and it will become active again.
Im not an expert, but I think in this case if you emboss it, you might lose it into the background. Try a drop shadow on the text or maybe try changing the colour.

Hopefully more suggestions will come up soon.

[Pauline]

Embossing would work fine as it has a shadow around it. For something I don't want to stand out too much, I like the clear emboss. That's what I used for the shores of Lake Simcoe. The thing is once you apply the style you can't change the text, you need to delete it and start over. In other words, you can't type something else, or change the type of text. You really need to experiment and see what looks good. The setting you have is beautiful and you don't want to over power it with text. When someone's eyes roam through the picture they shouldn't see the text first as it's in the background. The flowers are the center of interest. I think I would try making the text smaller so that it looks like it's carved into the fire place. Maybe it won't look good. Maybe it might. Give it a try and see.

If the mantle top had been visible you could have even made the text look like it was sitting on the mantle. The options are limitless. Try something and save it. Try something else and save it under a different name. Then you can compare them and pick the one you like best. Some times I even make multiple layers and turn off the eyeball. Say have 3 layers of the same text, and you could just click on each eye ball off and on and chose which one looks better. When you decide delete the ones you don't like. :)

[willpresley]

One thing to consider is selecting the type tool -- then click on the text and if it has not been simplified you're good to go with changes.

[Shari]

Thanks for your suggestions Pauline. Wouldn't you know my printer ran out of ink so I think I will pack it in tonight and try when I a fresh tomorrow. This is just a photo I took of flower arrangements I made for my friends with red glasses from "Winners". Then when going through the photos I thought it might look nice as a card. I was used to Print Shop where you could just change the font and style in a click. I will get used to this with all your kind help. There are so many things I would like to try but there is a time element with the Christmas projects I have started. I just can't seem to leave this learning alone though - in other words I am addicted!. Thanks again.

[Pauline]

Shari, you're in good company. We've all been there and of course still are here! :p Sometimes I find a project just falls together and sometimes it doesn't. You start with one idea and you might end up with something totally different in the end. That is the beauty of it. There is no wasted time for effort as it's all a learning experience. It's so easy to experiement and save different versions. It's very easy to be creative. I found the best projects I've done have been ones that I am just relaxed and enjoying working with. Once you put pressure on yourself and try to hard they just never seem to turn out as well. (at least not for me anyway)