Seed pack tutorial

I've had a request to make a tutorial on how I make seed packs on Photoshop. I hope I can explain good enough for you to follow. So here goes..

1. I used Becky's template design, drawing a new one. Make a new layer. Use the brush tool. To make a strait line, I make a spot, and then hold the arrow key down, and put the brush down at the end of the line. Draw up the template, or use mine!

2. I wanted to use a piece of art I already had. You can use anything you like, pictures, textures.. etc. And decorate the template however you like.

3. I dragged my artwork under the template. My piece of art was not the right size, nor did I want to use the blue sky (extra ink!) To get rid of a color, use the magic wand tool, and then "select/similar". Delete the color.

4. I cut the drawing in half using the lasso tool to make a new layer via cut (shft/cnrl/j). and then moved them together. Cut it to fit into the square.

5. To type something, choose the type tool. I chose Harrigton, it's my fave font right now. I use a lot of fonts from Font Freaks and Font Mania. I extract the font to a folder called WINNT/fonts.

6. I did a double type and moved the second color down and over a bit. You can choose the color in the square up top. On the pack flap, I printed the words and then rotated them upside-down: "edit/ transform/ rotate 180o". This way, they will be rightside-up when the pack is glued together.
Now flatten all the levels. "Layer/flatten image" (on top bar)

7. I dragged 3 templates on a new page, 1163 by 827 pixels. The size of typing paper. Remember you can turn them "edit/ transform/ rotate".
Flatten this, all done! Print out, cut and glue!

If I left anything out, or didn't explain well enough, do please ask!

Comfy!

This week's topic for Studio Friday November 24th suggested by Lisa: COMFORT!


My feet are always tucked into these comfy slippers. My daughter gave them to me last Christmas, and I wear them all year long in my studio. Soft, squooshy, and warm. They keep my toes toasty. If my feet are cold, my brain gets distracted.

Seeds for friends

I was looking at Becky's seed envelope idea, and it inspired me to do the same! She has a great template that I used. I drew one up in Photoshop, and put 3 side by side to fit on a piece of typing paper. Printed it out.

Cut them out, folded and glued them. I left a little space to write which seeds go in.
And there you go! Packages to go, with seeds from my Windywillow garden, to share with my blogging friends!

This is me

This week's topic for Studio Friday, November 17th suggested by Jill: THIS IS ME!

A little collage of all the things that say "this is me and this is what I do".

1. a notebook/journal
2. a book about cats: my favorite animal
3. a book about nature
4. a few character figures from films I have worked on
5. a little birdie: I love small songbirds (I know it's a penguin, ah well)
6. Minnie Mouse: symbolising animation
7. a little basket of herbs: I love baskets, I love small things
8. a little vase of herbs: again, a small thing, and I love growing and using herbs
9. sketchbooks
10. a spider wearing barbie shoes: symbolising monsters, and I like spiders
11. lip balm: I need that!
12. a little basket with childhood toy: symbolising the child in me
13. a flip book: animation again
14. Loreena McKennitt CD
15. Mediaeval Baebes CD
16. a fairie
17. apple: my fave fruit
18. herbal tea
19. chocolate: mmm!
20. USB devise: symbolising computers
21. seeds: symbolising plants, trees
22. seashell: symbolising nature, and I like to pick up pretty things
23. wild earings, cat in a plane, alien, cat: symbolising craziness, sci-fi, and cats again
24. my needlework and threads
25. a green flower bracelet made by my brother: symbolising family love, hippy, fimo, and flowers
26. pencils, erasor, reinforcements: used to animate
27. a doily my Mom made: symbolising family and nostalgia

Acorn, Oak Sprite

"Colors burst in wild explosions
Fiery, flaming shades of Fall"

The Wild Hunt

'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world.
~William Shakespeare

Interconnected?

I'm a loner...
I live very far from my family. I live out in the country, far from everyone I know in Dublin. I don't mind.. it's quiet here. I like it.
I'm shy, so lose touch with people easily.
I talk with family over the phone, or Email, and rare visits.
It's ok, I don't really mind. I like being alone a lot of the time.
This may sound sad to all you who have lots of friends, but I'm happy here.
I have my garden, my cats, my hubby and occasional visits from my kids.
I'm a loner, it suits me.
The only thing that's connected in my studio are these two dolls dancing on a little green. Tra la laaa!

(posted very late for Studio Friday, cause I was too shy to admit all this because of what Nancy Bea said "Isolation can cause fear and despondancy: the artist alone in the ivory tower is often the one who commits suicide or stops working!" I don't feel that is true at all, at least for me.)
;-}