March Tutorial - Ready

Sorry... my computer is not helping. New one is coming this week!


I am getting the images in here tonight, and then I will add the text tonight, and double check it all in the evening. Sorry so last minute. My computer is really dragging and it's taking forever to do anything. :(


Hello scrappers! This is Jenn, jk703, here to show you a fun tutorial today - with two techniques! Super easy, and painless - a perfect tutorial! :P
I'm working with a combination of Mirjam's O Sol Mio and Me, My Selfie and I - from the most recent BYOC!! My template is from Traditional Templates Revisited by Scrapping with Liz. (Please note, I have also recolored the word art to the blue paper color.)


First... here is the layout that I am working on. I really love that photo, and decided to rescrap this photo to really show off the versatility of this technique! I like how it looks now, but I want to add a white "photo frame" around my picture.



Right now, I have the Move Tool selected. I double click on the right side of the layer (in the Layers Palette), and the Layer Style Menu pops up! POP! :) So, now I'm going to add a Stroke to the image, it's toward the bottom. Check that box off. Then I will choose the size of the stroke - or how thick I want my frame. I have chosen 40 pixels. But look again at the actual stroke, it's round on the corner, I would like crisp square lines that follow my image.


If you look, there is a drop down, and currently it is listed as Outside.


Click on that drop down, and then choose inside. Your stroke will then change to follow the lines of the photo, but the stroke is working from the edge of the photo in, rather than the outer edge and stroking out!


See, I think the white frame adds a little pop to the image, and also helps match that white flower to the page a little better.


Next, we are going to change the color of my photo and add texture. My image has an orange hue, as many sunsets do. I would like to add a bit more red to that. Command + (Win: Control +) click on the image thumbnail until you have marching ants around your image. Then choose Select > Modify > Contract.


Since we know how much of the stroke is since we just added it (40 pixels), we are going to contract the marching ants by that same amount.


Once you have contracted your marching ants, add a layer to the top of the image. To create a layer, click the New Layer button in the Layers panel, on the bottom row. You can hover over the buttons to see which one. It should be a square with a small triangle - looking like a Post It Note. You will want to fill the marching ants on that new layer with white. I pressed Command + Delete and filled in, though there is a slight edging around. Your layout will look similar to mine, here:


Next, bring in a paper that has a color and pattern that you want to show through onto your image. I've chosen this red one - it's got a texture that reminds me of burlap, and the pattern isn't all red, so I think it will look good. I clipped it to my newly created white filled layer.


Next, with the white layer selected, play and scroll through the blend modes to see what works with your image! Don't forget you can change the opacity of the white layer too! Here is a Soft Light blend mode with 60% opacity.


Here is just the Color Blend Mode around 60% as well, but it sort of looks pinkish. You can also duplicate the layers and mix and match your blending.


I really like the textured look of the paper coming through on my image, so I went with the Soft Light at about 70%. It does give it a grainy-ish look, but I think it fits!


There you go - adding a stroke to an image AND adding color/texture! Hoping you enjoyed today's tutorial!
Thanks for visiting!
Jenn | jk703

it's so pretty Jenn! definitely lightens and brightens that gorgeous photo in a new way! love it!

Thanks, Jenn! Does it read ok? I was trying to double check my steps, but PS crashed. The new laptop cannot get here fast enough!

If anyone wants to test it out... just to make sure I have the steps listed correctly, I would really appreciate it!

I'm sorry you have computer problems Jenn. That stinks. And then you will have to have the learning curve of switching to windows. I have to use windows sometimes for school projects and I'm definitely slower navigating bc I am mostly Mac for over a decade. Wishing you a smooth transition ....

I'll give it a go ... I thought it did read very well, but I will give the steps a quick run through now.

I just updated it with little tidbits here and there to try to be clearer. Thanks, Jenn!

I'm hoping the transition is smooth. Just a couple of bumps in the scrapping process. I use PC/Windows at work, so the basics are good. I just don't know how apps work, and getting the right ones that allow me to get close to my way of doing things in the past! I'm lucky since for the last 7 years, I use both systems regularly.

Jenn - All is good - except getting the marching ants ... I'm using PSCC and I either right click (and choose >Select Pixels) or Command Click (should be Control Click on windows?) on the Thumbnail to get the marching ants.
*Double clicking the thumbnail (or the space to the right of thumbnail) brings up the Layers Style window.


updated to add - and that is good that you are fluent on windows already due to work. whew! that will be a big help! :)

Yes, you're right. Thanks! All good now.

It seems to be in the air. I had computer problems too. One of my back up hard drives crashed this weekend so we started copying but while it's doing that I cannot really work.
Love the tut Jenn!!!

oh no. it's not fun when our gadgets give us problems! Hoping it's all figured out soon!

I agree that gadgets should do what they are supposed to do at ALL times! LOL
Problem is fixed. We synced the last files yesterday! Phew!