At the same time, I was learning how to use a new Mac computer. This is a challenge, as I do already have some Photoshop skills, but I am learning how to do it all over in a different platform.

I set off on my iMac at home, and armed with a few concepts; I headed to the Two Peas Digital Kit area and chose a few products that had sparked my interest. I downloaded a few full kits, and a few elements of other kits. I knew for sure that I wanted to use the labels that Rhonna Farrer designed, and the Journaling Kit from Sande Kreiger. (For more information on how to download kits, visit the F.A.Q. section of the Digital Scrapbooking area on Two Peas). I ended up downloading more kits and products than I had intended, because I just loved how cool everything looked!

I first attempted to print out one of the labels from the Vintage Label Kit. With Photoshop open, I selected the file that I wanted from the kit folder. I played around with the design of the label a bit, to make it bigger for the layout I had in mind, by going to the “Image Size” control. I didn’t realize that the size was including the white space around the label, so the first time I did this; the actual label was quite a bit smaller than I had intended it to be. So I had to back up and crop down the image to cut out the white space around the label, and then resize it to the dimensions I desired. I printed it out on my photo printer, onto heavy matte photo paper and I had my label! I added it to the layout I was working on, and I had a great accent exactly the size, shape and color I wanted.

I felt pretty good about this success! So I decided to attempt to use Sande’s journaling line sets. They are brushes, and they had to be downloaded into the brush tool set (to learn more about how to use and install brushes, visit the Digital Articles Section in the Digital Scrapbooking area of Two Peas). I had to have someone show me where to find these, and how to figure out which brush is actually selected. I think you’ll find that there is always someone willing to help even the most novice digital scrapbooker on the Digital Scrapbooking Message Board! The brush image on the tool menu is very small, and hard to figure out. I am sure there is a really easy way to figure this out, but I ended up just selecting one and then dragging my mouse around on top of the blank new document I had started to see what it was. There has to be a “proper” way. This just worked for me. I selected the journaling lines set I wanted and attempted to make a long strip on the blank paper. I made a really funny error here, in that I didn’t change the color of the brush I was attempted to lay down on this blank white paper. So I kept clicking and trying to make the impression of the image on the paper and nothing was happening. I was about to give up, when I realized, that I hadn’t changed the color of the brush, so I was laying white on white! It was a slap your forehead kind of moment.

Once I changed the brush color to black, I was full-speed ahead. I stamped the line set on the blank paper twice, one on the top of the sheet, and the next right below it, to make a long journaling column. I cropped the page to be just the size of the journaling column, and then reduced it to the size I wanted it to be. Printed it out on cardstock, and took it to my scrapbooking table. I added very little to it, and actually journaled less than I thought I would. I added some letter stickers, a few puffy stickers from SEI and added it to my design. Super easy. Next time, I am going to try to change the color to something other than black. Meet Lucy, our new puppy:

I could totally do this digital stuff! I was hardly doing anything when you consider that people do their entire layouts in digital, but I was finally taking the cool products that I have been seeing on Two Peas and making them work for me, in my paper scrapbooking!!! And unlike the actual paper scrapbooking products, I was able to change the size and color of the products to make them how I wanted them to be. This is huge for me. I love it!

I was on a roll, and next I grabbed one of Rhonna’s frame kits – the polariod photo edges. I opened up the folder from my desk top and dragged the selected edges into Photoshop. Then, I resized the photo I wanted to use to fit within the frame’s edges. Then I copied and pasted the photo into the frame window. Going over to the layers menu on the right side, I dragged the photo layer to be below the frame layer, so that any hangover of the photo was covered by the white space around the edge frame. I then just played around with each layer individually to make sure each was placed where I wanted them to be. At this point, I emailed Rhonna and begged her for the plain black drawn paw print from her Free Pea Kit from July, which includes all kinds of pet images. She graciously sent me the little paw image. I dragged the file into Photoshop, resized it to the size I wanted. And did a ‘select all’ to copy it and then pasted it into the photo/edge file. I moved it around, tilted it to the side a bit and plopped it on the photo.

Opening the text tool, I created a small window in the corner to overlap the paw image. I selected a font from the list (just some random handwriting font. Note to self: I need to get all my Two Peas fonts onto the new computer!) After changing the size a few times to get the letters the size I wanted, I played with the other font tools to make it bolder, wider and taller than it was originally. And I was set. Look what I made!! (Can you tell I’m in love with Lucy?)

After all of these little successes, I decided I had time to try ONE more thing. I have it in my head that the most important thing I wanted to do with some of these new digital products is print them on transparency paper. I just love the look of the printed transparencies and being able to make my own is a dream come true. So I went for something simple. I downloaded the Swirl Border kit by Rhonna, opened the file and dragged the border I wanted into Photoshop. I played with the size a bit, and left it black and simply printed it out on transparency paper. Apparently, I should have also cut more of the excess off, because when it printed it not only printed the swirly border, but also a grayish background all over the transparency around the swirl. I am going to have to figure that one out yet (or ask on the digi message board!) But for now, it served my purpose and I was pleased with my little creation. I added it to my layout with a staple and I was happy as could be.

So…… are you a paper scrapper? One who doesn’t want to try digital scrapbooking or think it’s not for you. Take it from me, a tried and true die hard paper scrapper. YOU CAN DO THIS! And reap the benefits of that much more product choices for your work…. Ones you can play with and make whatever size you want! Do it. Try it. And make sure you let me know how it goes. Good luck and don’t be afraid to ask questions of our new Digital Garden Girls…They are here for you!