Dallas Stampede Circle Card

Hello this is Pam aka thebugbytes & today is my turn at http://shesasassylady.blogspot.com/

Thank you Sheila for having me in your blog

Since I will be going to stampede I decided to show the circle card I made.

And better grab something to eat & drink - for you are going to see lots and lots of pictures!!

Since I am just recovering and we had to make 100's of card I first planned just for basic if my back got worse. If I could get away with something later then all good. SO here is what I came up with for basic using Photoshop Elements (PSE). If things don't work out then all I had to do was print this out and bring with me.

So here was the basic

So let's briefly see some basic photoshop steps. (click to enlarge). If you do not want to see the steps skip and go to project pictures directly

First I googled a map and zoomed till I got Texas and then saved it.

I opened PSE (Photoshop Elements)

And opened the file

Then look to the right see background with a lock sign.Those are called layers. Usually first thing I do is double click and make that a normal layer. I hate the lock lol so this unlocks it for me

see double clicking brings that layer window - you can name (figure mostly below ;) my words)

Now name shows layer 0

Then I open a new file with the exact dimension I want - 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches and resolution at 300  for print quality.

Then I select move tool (the one on to left looks like arrow and has corner arrows too ) and the select the map image. Then I hold the muse and drag and then hold ctrl button and drop it in the empty image. Note since I chose transparent background in the new file I have got a checkerboard and not white. Layers added are usually transparent so that you can dress up layers. Layers are like dressing up dolls - a base image and then you can add on it clothes , hat etc.

Now it is added and you can use the handles to make it smaller. just click in the middle and move it too. When moving handles if you hold shift it will be proportional, ctrl will allow to move just one handle and holding alt will work like shift but image will be resized from center. Cool!

You can add a new layer. I did as I want to add things on the map. You can of course do things on same layer but then changing things is difficult. when you do layers you get more options in changing and easy to correct mistakes.

I first change the foreground color to pink. Click on the front box on lower left - when you first start out the background is set by default to white and foreground to black ( clicking on the small tiny rectangles below sets it to default). So here click on the foreground rectangle which is black box for me and then use slider and select the color zone and then inside the big window select the exact color.

 Then I selected the brush tool and changed size to what I wanted and then shape and I also changed the scattering to 120 or so to get dots instead of line.

 I used another layer and added a car from the customs shapes. Picture below shows where you get that option. See the rectangle tool on left which has a black outline - when a tool has a small arrow - means that there are extra options so hold mouse and pull on the arrow and you will get the drop down

Look at the shapes!!! wow

I just added another text layer and then I got the image below and saved it as both photoshop file (which preserves layers in case I want to correct and as jpg which flattens the image

 Now to print on a letter paper. I opened a new file. Again remember to set resoulution to 300 for print quality.

I dragged the image onto opened the ruler from view menu tab and checking ruler. I duplicated the layer. just click on layer till it is black and then right click and choose duplicate. Also you can do this by shortcut selecting image (click on image in main window) and then holding mouse - press alt till double arrow appears and then dragging and dropping) 

 

Once I duplicated I selected all the 3 layers (use ctrl while selecting). if your tool is on move you will see a bounding box around all 3 - then just go to top and press distribute and choose the appropriate. I chose horizontal centers and also chose align too and either lower or top as everything is same image

 So end result. Save and print and cut

Whew - That was end of photoshop lesson. Now for the project

I cut white cardstock 3 inch x 3 inch and then inked it with 2 shades of blue and then used cuttlebug swirl folder . My handy elf - my dear younger son - had fun cuttlebugging all the cards. I tell you that this guy is the next Tim Holtz in the making!!

So now I got this. Now that I had done this I was set for basic so I was set. But as I felt better having finished it I thought I would do more..

So in the front (raised swirls) I smeared diamond stickles to get the water like effect using my good ol' god given tool - fingers lol

Then at the back I just did the outer corners as the printed  paper is going to cover most of it.

Then at the back stuck the printed paper

Now comes what I want to cut which reflects what I want to represent. First my name -Padma- lotus (ja means born) and the butterfly for my blog - the bug I like (nopes cricky is not on my list) and also for my darling papillons (which by the way is my other blog for digital designs & photos). So I decided to spring load the butterfly. Wow ! what a term. I borrowed the idea from wobblers but no way was I going to make 100's of cards buying that stuff. So I made my own version. Didn't care if it wobbled or not (though it does - ;) but..). I wound 30 gs jewellery wire around momento marker - since that was handy but u can use sharpie or crayon and as the concept was water I did not want to mount it on tape. transparent doublesided tape was not strong enough and before some smarty pants says hot glue!!! I have told you before me & hot glue are not on talking terms!! So it was tacky glue. I just made a circle the shape and size of spring and then stuck that thing on - just place it gently. and add a bead of glue at the top. I did 8 at a time. I had already punched butterflies after inking using MS punch and blinged it. I just added them to the spring and moved them and allowed them to dry a bit and start on next batch of 8

Then I cut some lily's by searching in G and also some lily pads. I think lilies were from Mother's day Bouquet. I tried glimmer misting but did not like the effect as they created drop even if I held it far! While at Micheals found this pink acrylic glitter. I just added that to a disposable cup, added some water, some pearlescent acrylic paint and some drops of tacky glue and then mixed it with a brush and brushed it on. See I got to do some painting! Again another hobby and part of myself is gotten into the cards! Loved the effect

I then used McGill paper blossom tool kit to give dimension to leaf and lotus. My helper elf demonstrating as I photograph. ( A smacking kiss given to my helper. Hmm but the elf complains that is not enough . They want more nowadays . Sigh!!!- so ok - he gets some chocolates too :) )

Then I had the brilliant idea of using pipe cleaners as the center of the flower. So give it a curl and chop chop with cutter and glue dot them - 2 layers of flower alternatively stacked with pistol/stamen made of pipe cleaner at the center

Now the leaf. Ink the sides. I have used Tsukineko momento markers

Again the Mc Gill tool

Turn it over and add marker

So I arrange them and see how they look. Hmmm Something seems missing. Maybe a touch of pink on the leaves to draw the eye and make a triangle composition? Triangle, diamond (not square), cruciform and S shapes are all good composition tricks. So off to add some pink

A little better don't you think?

Maybe just a touch of bling. What about some pearls? Here is my leaf progression

Ok now - Just Right - atleast to me lol

So that's the front (or is the back?)

and the other side

So now off to do assembly line processing of 100 cards. I have finished the butterfly and the leaf and now working on lotus!! So see you again next time! Maybe at Dallas? :)