Video Tutorial from Chelle's Creations about Using Templates in Photoshop Elements

Learning to use templates is a digi-scrapping MUST. It's a big time-saver, and if you know how to use templates, you also have a good start on knowing how to use layers, another Photoshop must. :) Chelle also has lots more tutorials on her YouTube channel.

I thought I'd share this here because it's one of the things people ask me about a lot. You can also download the template she uses for demonstrating her template. The link to the free template is in the "About" the video section on the YouTube video page: Digital Scrapbook Tutorial - How to use a Template in PSE

Disney-inspired Camera Strap Cover

In the category of "things I've been meaning to post for a looong time" is this Mickey Mouse camera strap cover. I had made a minky cover before, but I had been in a rush and sewed it in such a way that it couldn't be removed for washing. For round 2, I chose one of my favorite colors, red, and added some buttons in a classic Mickey Mouse shape, inspired by a pin I saw for sale at Disneyland.

This picture is, ummm, terrible, mostly because since the strap was attached to my DSLR camera at the time, so I snapped it with my dumbphone.

New Year Notebook & Calendar Freebie!

*** Sorry about the oops on the freebie link! This has been fixed! ***

For 2013, I'm keeping a notebook of gratitude, writing down 3 things each day for which I'm thankful. I'm writing more about what's on my list and why I'm doing this on my personal blog. Here, I'm sharing the journal I made for this adventure.

I knew that it would be easier for me to keep up with my commitment if I had a specific place to track my list. So because I love pretty things, I made this ring journal. The calendar pages are made with Captivating 2012: December by Captivated Visions and the Calendar font (available free at FontSpace.) Most pages are 3x5 cards, and the covers are made from chipboard, the covered with some graphics I printed from free downloads available at aholyexperience.com:

•  Complete Joy Collection (scroll down a bit and look for the words "How to Make Joy-in-a-Box: Download the Completel JOY Collection (all completely free)")
• Joy Dare Collection (scroll down just past the list of "10 Wondrous Links for Your Advent Weekend" and in the blue box, look for the words "Print the whole year's collection of Joy Dares right here.)

Since I was creating calendar pages for myself, I packed them up as a free download for you. These are sized for my project, so each calendar is about 2.5" x 2.75". In months where only the last 1-2 days wrapped onto a line, I combined  mine, but I also created a version that is not combined. For example, here are the two grids for June 2013:

Here are is the freebie for you! (Click the image to visit box.net for the free download.) *** LINK UPDATED 1/19/13. ***

If clicking on the image doesn't work, please visit this link: https://www.box.com/s/0wkodix7oqmf52izj6o6

Artsy Birthday Wrap

My nephew turned 4 recently. Knowing he would be more interested in what was IN the Box than ON it, I re-used some plain brown packaging paper to wrap his gift. Thinking I would write a little something cute on it with some Sharpies, I grabbed the pens and sat down.

Some time later....