Happy Birthday with Primrose Lane

Hey there, Lisa here again today!

The other day I needed a birthday card and when I was going through my stash I noticed that I didn't have many very many, and those are the cards I need the most!

Then I got the Primrose kit and it is perfect for birthday cards!!

Like usual I used the same design and made 2 cards. I love the soft colors in this kit!!

Happy Tuesday!

InLinkz.com

Project Life with Primrose Lane

Hey there! Lisa here today!

I'm quickly learning that using a Noel Mignon kit is the easiest way to complete a project life layout. I'm having so much fun working on this project.

Noel does such a good job combining products. The papers all coordinate so perfectly and the extra little embellishments especially the journaling cards (I added some from the store too) work together effortlessly to make the weekly layouts beautiful!

I'm working on getting caught up right now so this is the week of March 12-18, but the April kit still worked perfectly with my pictures and stories. 

Happy Monday!

Supplies used:

InLinkz.com

Project Life Pages with NoelMignon Kits!

I've been taking my own pace at Project Life. Even though it seems like so far my pattern is to catch up on a month at a time, I'm hoping to change that soon... but even if I do that all year, that's okay with me, because I love my pages and I think they capture a different side of things that my layouts don't always get. 

Here's some snippets of pages, using odds and ends from my NoelMignon kits! 

(Some of the Charm School and Hudson Valley Kits used here)

If I don't have enough for a full two page spread, I use a 6x12 page protector + a 12x12 page protector. It's just right! Above, the right hand side is a 6x12 page protector and it's laying on top of the next week. 

Some details- using Lily Bee Designs here and some more of the Hudson Valley kit! 

Decorative tapes and labels are my best friends for this project! 

Don't forget to add inks and paints- I love they way they look in a "structured" project like this!

I've been keeping a close eye on the Dollar Spot at Target- this pad of weekly planning sheets is perfect for summing up a week! 

How is your project life going? :) How are you making it look like YOU?

6x6

Hi!
Happy Wednesday!
I've got a simple layout to share with you today using the Primrose Lane kit.
A couple years ago I started a 6x6 mini album for some of my running stuff.
It is a 2-ring binder from American Crafts with page protectors so I can keep adding to it as I do more races.
Well I ran a half marathon here in town back in February that I need to add to the album.
And that is where the Primrose Lane kit comes into play!
:)

Voila!
Another page to add to my album!
*****
Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great day!
:)
gretchen

1-2-3-4 Embellishments

Hi, Everyone! Jana Eubank here. I'm back again today to share another Primrose Lane layout with you. This time I challenged myself to create a page with embellishments in a 1-2-3-4 format. Can you spot them?

I used one decorative brad, two wooden butterflies, three wooden spool accents, and four flowers. Instead of putting buttons on the button card, I used flowers . . . kind of an unexpected twist, right?

I loved this border paper included in the kit, but I didn't want to cover up any of the flowers that were printed on the paper. I used my detail scissors to carefully cut around the flower image and then tucked my photo underneath.

Next time you create a project, challenge yourself to a 1-2-3-4 embellishment challenge! We would love to see where it takes you!

Until next time, Happy Spring!

Jana Eubank

First Primrose Lane Kit & Spot Colored Photos

Happy Monday, Everyone! I have my first Primrose Lane Kit layout to share with you today. This kit sold out quickly, but if you would like to sign up for the Waiting List a Kit Subscription, be sure to check out the information in the sidebar of THIS PAGE.

COLORFUL PERSONALITY

Every day my daughter comes home from school, strips off her "regular" outfit, and puts together a perfectly, crazy & colorful outfit of her choosing. These ensembles make a daily appearance and totally crack me up. I wanted to record this fun part of my daughter's personality on this page.

I began the page with a full-color photo, but as I built my page, it looked way TOO chaotic with her colorful outfit. I decided to change the photo to black and white, and then spot color her Strawberry Shortcake Sunglasses to call attention to her fun and funky personality. It's easier to do than you might think!

Here is how you create a Spot Colored Photo in Photoshop Elements 5.

1. Open your photo file. Make sure your "Layers" palette is visible by selecting Window>Layers.

2. Create a duplicate layer of your photo on top of your original image. Select Layer>Duplicate Layer. A window will pop up and ask you to name this new layer. The default will say "Background Copy". You can leave it as is, like I do, or rename it whatever you would like.

3. Next, we will change the top layer, or the "Background Copy Layer" to black and white. The original colored image layer underneath your Background Copy Layer will remain untouched.

4. In the Layers palette, make sure the duplicate layer, or top layer, is highlighted. Select Enhance>Adjust Color> Adjust Hue/Saturation.

5. A window will pop up titled "Hue/Saturation." Select the box in the lower right corner that says "Colorize". Next, change the Hue to 0 and the Saturation to 0. Adjust the lightness, if desired. (If you would like your top layer to be Sepia toned, change the Hue to 35 and the Saturation to 25).

6. Next, select your eraser tool in the toolbox and adjust the size of the eraser tool, if needed. You can do this in the top of the toolbar, or by pressing the "[" or "]" keys.

7. Carefully, erase away the top black/white layer to reveal the colored image below in the areas you desire. When you are finished, flatten the image to save as a new jpeg file. Do this by selecting Layer>Flatten Image . Then choose "Save As" to save your newly created photo.

8. Print out and scrap!

See! Easy-peasy! And a great technique to use when you want to call attention to a particular part of your photo.

I hope you enjoyed this quick-tip today! See you again soon!

Jana Eubank

Inspiration Sunday- Photography Edition

I know one of the hesitations I had when I started getting into photography was that I didn't have a "fancy camera/DSLR" (at the time), and I didn't have special photo editing software. So I had to learn how to work with what I had available and to get creative with that! I think that was some of the best ways I could have learned how to take better looking pictures. Today's Inspiration Sunday focuses on two things that everyone has readily available: posing and props. 

It's crucial that when you take pictures, you pose your subject in a flattering way. Depending on if it's an infant, child, woman, man, couple, or group, there are a lot of little tricks that can work to your advantage for each type. Here's a few I dug up for you today: 

8 Different Flattering Poses for Women: 

(source: http://www.ashleysisk.com/)

Common Posing Mistakes and How to Fix Them: 

http://www.iheartfaces.com/2012/03/photography-posing-mistakes-tutorial/

 

(source: I Heart Faces)

Before I go take family portraits, I love to study different types of posing and sketch out a few ideas that I think would work for the family I'm photographing. This next link has LOTS of fun ideas! 

50 Outstanding Examples of Great Family Portraits

For a lot of us, we're doing candid capturing of everyday life. This is one of my favorite articles (and series of photographs) about taking pictures of your kids: 

Photographing Your Own Children

Another simple way to make photos stand out is with props:

I've seen lots of different materials being used lately as backdrops. Why not dye an old lace tablecloth or curtain a fun color? 

(source: Kara May Photography)

Or what about the twinkle of white lights? 

(source: Pinkle Toes Photography)

A simple word or sign can make all the difference in setting a tone for a 

photograph or series of photographs:

(source: Polish My Crown)

(source: meg duerksen)

This is a GREAT article on using multiple props. 

 Or if it's really impromptu, even just chalk! 

(source: Favim)

(source: Tara Whitney- unknown photographer from contest)

Click through here for more chalk fun photographs! 

(source: I Heart Faces)

You can also check out my own photography pinterest board... I've been gathering ideas there for a while now. There's so much amazing inspiration out there on this subject, and it doesn't cost any extra money or lots of fancy equipment! :) Happy snapping!