How To Round Photo Corners from Designer Digitals

I have just finished reading the auto insurance quotes that was forwarded to me via email when I stumbled upon this great tip from Designer Digitals on How to Round the Corners of Photos using Photoshop. Recently, I've been trying to edit some of my photos and frantically searched for this tip on the web but found nothing. Thank you Designer-Digitals because your newsletter for today containing this tut just came in time. Take a look on my take below and if you have time, try to do this editing tip by yourself. By the way, I've copied and pasted their tutorial but should you wish to view and be guided by a video, here's the link.

In Photoshop and Elements, there is more than one way to do almost everything, so if one way doesn't feel natural to you, there's usually another workaround. Last week's tip showed one way to create a mat around your photos (or other page elements) using the Stroke function. This week's tip shows you another way to get around in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements to create rounded photo corners and mats.

Begin by creating a new document at 300 pixels per inch or opening a piece of digital background paper. Press the letter D on your keyboard to change the Foreground/Background colors to the default black and white.

Get the Rounded Rectangle tool which is hidden beneath the Rectangle tool in the Tools panel. You can either click and hold the Rectangle tool or right-click to reveal the hidden tools. Select the Rounded Rectangle.

The next step is to make your choices in the Options Bar:

Choose the Shape Layers icon (Photoshop only) and the Create a New Shape layer icon, then adjust the radius. The lower the number, the sharper the corners of your rounded rectangle will be. Larger numbers produce rounder corners.

Now click and drag out a rectangle the size of your choice. Holding the Shift key as you drag creates a square.

This creates the rounded rectangle mat on its own shape layer.

To add a photo placeholder, Ctrl click (Mac: Cmd click) the thumbnail of the shape in the Layers Panel. This places a selection around the mat.

Choose Select > Modify > Contract from the Menu bar and type in a number. The higher the number you choose, the larger your mat will be.

Now click the Create a New layer icon in the Layers Panel. Select Edit > Fill selection to activate the Fill dialog. Choose a fill color and click OK. Press Ctrl D (Mac: Cmd D) to remove the selection.

Now you've made a mask that you can digitally "glue" paper and photos to.

Click on the top layer and then hold the Ctrl key (Mac: Cmd key) as you click the bottom layer. Get the Move tool and drag the pair onto your scrapbook page.

Still using the Move tool, select the top layer of the mask pair. Drag the photo onto the layout and position it over the top mask layer. Alt click (Mac: Opt click) between the photo and top rectangle layer to create a clipping mask.

Use the same technique to clip patterned paper to the larger rectangle.

Where Oh Where??

He's so adorable, right? This is one of the photos I've been longing to scrap. A boy themed digital kit complete with cars or truck and truck accessories elements are the perfect tools to do so. Which reminds me, I think I have the perfect one stashed in my hard disk. I also have Photoshop CS3 installed. The two things that are just lacking are the drive and time. Oh, mojos..where art thou?

Valentines Gift.

As early as now, I know a lot of the gals and ladies out there are getting ready to be swooned this coming "love" season. It'll be Valentines in less than a month and I bet, confectionery, flower, card and jewelry shops are all getting revved up, thinking of new promos and stuffs in anticipation of the said season.

For the guys out there, these faux sapphire earrings may be a great suggestion. They will surely knock off your girl's feet. These high quality and well-crafted eye candies are artistically made by Holsted Jewellers. If your wallet can't afford those expensive genuine gems, synthetic sapphires will do since they are as classy and elegant-looking as the original ones. These will make a great addition to your girl's lovely collection of jewelries.

Of course, the traditional gifting of flowers and chocolates remains a top favorite to many.

Help

Way back schooling days, I often commute and pass by the busy and filthy roads of Quiapo and Taft Ave (Escoda) on my way home. Often times, I see pathetic young beggars lying on the side streets sniffing solvents. Seeing such is really disturbing especially that they are still minors. I can’t help but wonder what they will become as they grow older. They are in danger and must be saved.

If you or someone you know needs help of a drug rehab or alcoholism rehabilitation, start doing your part of saving them. You can do so by calling a caring drug counselor. From there, you'll be guided what to do. You will be assessed and provided with treatment referral options depending on your needs. As concerned loved one or a friend of a "user" you can also do your part by reading more about drug education and information so that you'll have a better understanding of their plight and provide assistance better.

Recovering.

Have you noticed how the world has now recovered a bit from last year's recession? Although I couldn't say yet that life is better now because prices of commodities are still surging every now and then, I observed that a lot of companies have resumed hiring and opening job vacancies once again. In fact, in my husband's office, he said that their Recruitment center is back to its normal crowd thickness with lots of hopeful applicants filling the place.

If you have access to the web and you are just within the ares of Center City, Main Line, New Jersey, Wilmington, and Delaware Valley, then a philadelphia job may be just waiting for you. CHeck out PhillyJobs.com, work on your resume and start job searching.

Digiscrapping Forum and Directories

As I always say, it's been ages since I scrapped. So when my sister-in-law asked a favor from me to design and scrap his son's 7th birthday invite, I was surprised to see that there are now a lot of new artists (kit makers) and online stores in the digiscrapping world. While the best way to find and search for their products is through the renowned digiscrapping forums, directory submission of their sites would really also help in marketing their products. After all, search engines and online directories are the easiest means to find whatever we're searching for on the web.

That's It Pansit!

For the third time in a row, I'm ending my day mentally drained but fulfilled. Thank you Lord for the strength and wisdom that let me accomplish all these. Has still a lot of tasks in my list but it's kinda late and my boys are both sound asleep already. My back's yearning for the bed and my eyes are ready to shut any minute. Not needing of any natural sleep aids because I'd be in dreamland the moment I lie down or the laptop shuts down. So that would be it for the mean time. Ciao!

More "Lose Weight" Kits.

It seems a lot has really vowed to get slim and healthier this year as part of their New Year's Resolution. Here are some more digital kits that you can use in documenting your own journey to a slimmer, healthier you. This can be also be used in scrapping a collection of your healthy recipes and diets that work. I've always thought of creating a photobook of my compiled recipes but I haven't found time to start that project.

Shaping Up Doodle Pack

If you are getting rid of belly fat or trying to lose some weight and wanted to document your journey through digiscrapping, check out this latest digital doodle pack from Kate Hadfield Designs.

It's also the perfect elements to use in scrapping your New Year's resolutions to eat healthily and exercise more. This kit contains the following hand drawn doodles: apple, bathroom scales, 2 boxing gloves, broccoli, "Fit for life" wordart, hand weight, kitchen scales, knife and fork, lettuce, plate, skipping rope, spring onion, stopwatch, tape measure, training shoe, vitamin bottle, water bottle and weights.

This is exclusively available at The-Lilypad.com at a discounted price of $3.59 (20% of all weekend) plus you get additional 15% off when you are signed up to Kate's e-newsletters Check out the coupon code below the latest newsletter.

Sports Themed Kits.

If you digiscrap and have a little athletic boy just like me, I bet hunting for the cutest sports themed digikits keeps you busy in the digiworld. Perhaps the elements you are looking for are more of different types of balls like basketball, soccer ball, volleyball then other sports' equipment like bicycle, tennis racket, basketball hoop, a baseball bat, bowling pins and a lot more. Other sports-related elements such as images of the best joint supplements may also enhance your layouts. To help you in your digi goodies hunt, let me share you a few store links I've compiled:

On A Roll.

On a Monday at this time, I now feel so satisfied with my output. I was able to work on my promise to the husband to check on the pricing of the toyota accessories he needs online, wrote 9 out of 11 writing deliverables and it's just 3:42 PM. I've never felt so productive and it's good to be like that on a Monday. Here's to more productivity for the rest of the week.

Wedges Then...Flats Now

Oddly, my shoe fascination now is all about flats. I got two new flats (similar to the style of this Christian Louboutin flats) that I requested from the husband as Christmas gifts and I so love them.

It's totally different from my inclination a few years back especially when I was still in college. I used to wear wedges a lot! Well, so that I can somehow catch up with my classmates' heights. You see, I'm not that blessed vertical measurement wise so high platform and high heeled shoes were the only way to go. I'm actually clueless how come there was a sudden fascination to flats perhaps, I've finally realized that petite is actually cute. :)

Ipod Kits

I'm very sure that a lot was gifted with their much-awaited ipods this past Holiday season. Congrats for having your wish granted. You might have really been good. Anyway, if you are a digiscrapper, I bet you've been looking forward to scrap those Christmas memories and of course, those presents received. Now for your ipod, you might want to use these digiscrapping kits that have ipods as one of its elements. Perfect, isn't it?

Three Weddings.

December is the month of weddings, at least here where I hail from. It was proven again as we got three wedding invitations last month but we attended just two. Two of those fell on the same date and time. One here in Quezon City while the other in far away Quezon province. Even if we try to compromise, it was just impossible to attend these two even if we try, not unless, we possess a teleporting power.

Anyway, what I love about weddings are the bountiful food, merriment and of course, the contagious bliss, love and happiness exuded by the couple. From the bridal march up to the final moments of celebration in the reception, witnessing such union brings forth so much joy and excitement to everyone. One can't get enough. Perhaps, if guests can go and witness their cancun honeymoons, they would also gladly tag along. Actually, not really to witness but to join the couple in experiencing the ultimate and magical Cancun vacation. Who doesn't want that especially if we're talking about the Gourmet Inclusive dining concept of the Karisma Hotels?

From Aunt To Nephew.

Whether I like it or not I like it more, I'll be forced to open my Photoshop one of these days. Just like in their previous Christenings and birthdays, I am once again tasked to make my nephew's 7th birthday party invite this coming month end. No complaints actually but the problem is just that I can't still find my groove back. As you know I haven't been digiscrapping for months now. I did whip up a layout last month but I just used ploppers or quickpages for our Christmas tags. On the contrary, I like it actually that I'll be forced to digiscrap, who knows, this is the fuel I need to jumpstart and wake up my artistic side that has long been sleeping.

Okay, so I guess my task of reading about motorhome insurance have to be postponed for a while. An aunt asked my help to review proposals for their newly bought motorhome. I knew nothing about these actually but just lending a hand to an ever kind aunt.

So there from an aunt to a nephew...they both have my services. I'm so sweet, am I not?