Simple Memory Pages

[Kathy]

I made a few simple pages for a friend of mine who recently had a baby and sent me her pictures through the Yahoo albums. No frou-frou or wild backgrounds. It would have been nice I think to add some drop shadows to the individual pictures or a bevel on the single picture so that it appears matted, but therein I encountered a problem.

In using light, simple backgounds, the shadows and bevels are way too dark or shall I say intense. I know I can change shadow distance, bevel width and direction , but is there a SIMPLE way to lighten only the drop shadow or the bevel?

Now to the embarrassing part ...... I suppose I have to post. I hope I interpreted Wendy's instructions correctly.

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pi...qyGDBBcNk86zpw

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pi...ZkpZ3IW7zGA308

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pi...tnvwe3GlcRsYl0

All comments appreciated.
Thank You!
Kathy

[Mary]

Kathy - those are GORGEOUS! I don't know what instructions you were following but I would say you excelled!

[Wendy]

Kathy,

They are lovely ... congratulations on a job well done

My favourite is the last one

Well you can't lighten a bevel and I can't think of a workaround to that one ... but I'll have a think about it

Drop shadows ... for a much more adjustable drop shadow try this:

Say you have added photo to a montage and its that you want the drop shadow on.

Duplicate the added photo layer call it shadow
Move the shadow layer below the added photo layer
Select the shadow (layers palette Control Click on the thumbnail)
Edit>Fill Selection>Black

... Now this is your drop shadow so move it into place using the move tool.
Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur to soften the edges
Lower the opacity to give a lighter shadow.

Hope this helps

Wendy

[DanielleL]

what a cutie! Top right pic in #2 made me smile.


Danielle

[Kathy]

Thank you Mary and Wendy for the kind comments .

Thank you Wendy for the helpful instructions. I'll give it a try. Wendy .... I thought you said your mother was coming to visit ... how do you find the time to be so helpful. Much appreciated.

Kathy

[Wendy]

Kathy,

We collected her this morning and she decided to take a nap before dinner ... so I sneaked off to visit the forum

Now I really do have to go to prepare dinner.


Wendy

[SarahMB]

Very Beautiful Kathy. I love simple layouts.
SarahMB

[slophotos]

These are "simply" beautiful! Have you considered submitting them (particularly #2) to Simple Scrapbooks as they have a small digital section now?

What instructions of Wendy's did you follow?

One always says of course that their baby is the most beautiful, but Riley sure runs a competetive second! What blessed parents (and doubly to have such a sweet friend as you).

Slo

[Wendy]

hi Slo,

I think that Kathy meant my instructions on how to post to Pixentral

Wendy

[Kathy]

Wendy,

I tried your technique and it worked wonderfully. Thank you! I have used drop shadows before where I thought they were a little too intense . This is a great work around! I tried it on the "8 Weeks" page, but I think I still prefer the original. It will definitely be a technique that I will keep in my back pocket.

Slo,

Thank you for the very nice comments. I have not heard of Simple Scrapbooks. I am pretty shy about submitting my stuff for public display.

And Wendy had it right ... I was referring to How to Post to Pixentral.

Sarah,

Thank you.

I see that you are a fellow Canadian.

Kathy