Butterflies



3x5 collage card made for Altered Designs monthly lottery with a butterflies theme... 

Take a background card and use a Flourishes Clouds stamp with Summer Sky Memento ink. Add some scraps cut into strips for the ground, and a punched sun and clouds. Then layer on a whole bunch of German scrap elements and decoupage with tons of fluid matte medium, finishing with a few absent-minded pen outlinings. Leave to dry overnight wrapped in wax paper under a heavy book.

I love Photoshop Elements User magazine and website, and also Elements Village, their online member community. They've really been good helpful resources lately for the questions I've had. I was stumped as to how I was gonna transfer over the signature Art by Aimeslee brush I'd managed to make, because I've now forgotten how I did it or even where I went to learn how to make it.

So, I went over to those nice places and rooted around the search box. Within minutes of reading results, I'd found something to try and it worked. Can't get better than that! (You have to save through the Preset Manager into a separate folder...mine is "A's Homemades", and it is where I will save all my homemade brushes.)

Now, I have to disclose that I subscribe to Photoshop Elements User magazine, and may get a little something more than those who do not subscribe whenever I log onto their website. I don't really remember. I just log on and window shop the candy store. (And I am not being compensated for these positive observes...they don't even know I'm writing this.)

The magazine is great. The latest one came today and there is a tutorial for virtual airbrushing portait photos to minimize wrinkles, double chins, pimples, and facial tones. Also a couple of cool goulish effects for eyes and making bodies ghostly. Online are video tutes for using Elements to get those iPhone Instagram and Hipstamatic effects, post production (which is how I would prefer to do that anyway as opposed to having to choose the effect when I shoot the photo).

I have to say, this magazine rocks and is timely and contemporary. No more learning how to just make cute tubes and masks. Between Elements User and permanent access to Kim Klassen's PSE classes, I may eventually master this software. I used to be able to do a tute once and I remembered it forever. Now, it goes in one ear and out the other, so I find that I have to do something over and over and over in order to retain it. Ugh, well atleast I can do that to retain it. I guess it could be worse. (not much, winkwink)