Pocket Style Tips: Digital Templates & Page Protectors

Pocket Style Templates

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Since Project Mouse has come out, SO many people have asked me if sell pocket style templates. I've considered it, but I feel like there are so many people who already sell digital Pocket Style templates, that it wouldn't be something original for me to create and sell. I'd basically just be copying someone else's ideas in a sense. So my answer is no, I don't sell them. BUT I know lots of great places to get them.

Krista Sahlin wrote a PERFECT article on her blog with lots of great links to buy templates, digital plastic page protectors and even links to a couple fun freebies. This is a must-read article for those looking for pocket style templates.

Digital Page Protectors

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When I started doing pocket style I was trying to decide if I wanted to do all my pages with the plastic digital page protectors that many designers have been releasing. I bought a set from Valorie Wibbens and started to play around with them.


Unfortunately, this set of page protectors doesn't come with the template layers underneath. You can buy them separately, but I decided to save my money and make my own template underneath.

I learned that the page protectors definitely look cute, but they sort of give you a grey "filmy" look.

This is a close up of one of my weekly journal pages with NO page protector:


And here it is with the page protector laid on top, as the very top layer.


I know some people dig this look but its not for me. I like my photos, papers & other embellishments to look bright, crisp and clear. So . . . what to, what to do . . .

Turning down the opacity level on the page protector seemed to work a little. But then I was loosing the look of the pockets. A couple gals from Sahlin Studio CT taught me to just laying things ON TOP of page protectors - so put the page protector at the very bottom of all the layers. Then you still get the cute look of the page protectors borders and dividing lines, but keep all your crisp layering. It actually looks very cute this way. Here's the same close up as above, just with the page protector moved to the bottom layer.


Much cuter than I would have expected! So simple, just moving it to the bottom.

Another trick I discovered is:

* Duplicate the page protector layer (command + J on a mac or Layer > Duplicate Layer > click OK)
* Then put one page protector on the very bottom of all the layers and the other on the VERY top.
* Change the blending mode of the TOP page protector to "Hard Light".

This is the result:


You still get a slightly plastic pocket look over the top, and those same cute dividing plastic pocket borders.

While I am happy with this last "hard light" method, in the end I've decided that I won't be using page protectors in most of my pocket style scrapping for 3 reasons:

1) I like the freedom to create ANY configuration of "pockets" that works for that page and not be limited to the page protectors pre-designed pocket arrangements.

2) I also like a little freedom to let tags and things overlap a tiny bit. When using a digital page protector I felt like I HAD to keep everything inside the pockets. (I know, duh that's what pocket style is all about, but I like a little bit more freedom.)

3) I think that if I did an ENTIRE album with page protectors I would get sick of looking at those little pockets and borders page after page after page once the book was done and printed. I still like the page protectors to use on a random everyday scrapbook page. But for my 2 "album" projects (Project Mouse and Weekly Journaling) I think it would start to look repetitive and annoying after 100+ pages!

Here's an everyday layout I did using the same Valorie Wibbens page protector and my "hard light" method.

(click image to enlarge)

[CREDITS HERE]
LOVE the pocket look like this!! SO CUTE. I still don't think I want an entire book of this, but on an occasional page here and there - yes, please!

*DISCLAIMER! THESE ARE JUST PERSONAL PREFERENCES!!!* If you LOVE an entire album full of digital page protectors, AWESOME!! Send me a link to your book and maybe I'll see the light. Like I keep saying - I'm totally in an experimental phase with Pocket Style digi-scrapping. Learning as I go!

Do you use digital page protectors? Which ones are your favorites? Do you have any other tricks I haven't discovered?

Hope you're all coming along with your Project Mouse and other pocket style digi-scrap pages. I'd remind you that we have a Project Mouse Flickr Group where you can come browse Project Mouse layouts and add your own too!! I love seeing all the LOs there. And they don't have to pocket style! ANY LO using Project Mouse is welcome!! Happy scrapping.

Tips from Britt: Template Tutorial

I'm totally addicted to templates. I use them ALLLLLL the time. Plus, I really like to MAKE templates, so I figured it was time to write a tutorial about how I use a template.

Now, this is how I use a template. I don't claim to know the perfect way, or the best way. I just figured I'd share how I do it.

I scrap in Photoshop CS3, so this tutorial will be shown using that program. But using a template in other versions, as well as Photoshop Elements, is a very similar process. I also use a Mac. So when I say "Command", you Windows users replace it with Control. Ok?

First thing first. I open a template that I like!

Once I have my template open, I go to Image > Duplicate and then click OK. Then close the original template. If I don't do this right away, I'll forget and end up saving over my template on accident with my own page. But if I remember to duplicate it, then the original template is safe and I can use it again some day if I want.


**Download this freebie template I used as at the end of this post!!**

(Bonus Tip: It's fun to flip a template, rotate it, shrink everything or enlarge everything and make the template a whole new page. You can get multiple uses out of the same template! To rotate or flip a template I just go to Image > Rotate Canvas. To shrink or enlarge everything, I highlight all the layers - except the background - Command + Alt (or Option) +A and then transform until I like it.)

Next I like to add my photos. I can't really make a final choice for papers or elements, until I see how my photos are going to look on the page so I can coordinate it all.

I open my photos in Photoshop and do whatever actions, editing, etc. that I want to do with them. Once I have them edited to my liking, I simply copy the photo, and paste it into my template.

To copy the photo I hit Command + A, which is Select All. And then Command + C, which is Copy. (To turn off the marching ants, or deselect just hit Command + D.)

You can also drag and drop into your template if that's easier for you. Again, this is just how I do it, and I like to copy and paste.

Then I go to my template and click on the photo layer in the Layers Palette that I want my photo to go on. This way, when I paste it, it will paste on top of that layer.



I use Command + V to paste. When you paste, you'll notice everything you paste goes to the dead center of the page. So you'll have to move your photo around and place it where you like it. You'll also notice my photo is bigger than the photo spot in the template. This is where Clipping Masks come in! Clipping Masks are a template's best friend.

I position my photo above the general area of the photo spot in the template, making sure that in the Layers Palette the photo is directly above the photo spot you want to clip to.



Then click Command + Shift + G (Elements users, you can just do Command + G) or right click the layer in the Layers Palette and select Create Clipping Mask. This will clip the layer that's highlighted to whatever layer is directly below it in the Layers Palette. So this should clip my photo to the photo spot.

Then I move my photo around, shrink it down, whatever I need to do to make the photo look good in the photo spot. (When you shrink or size your photos, make sure to hold the Shift key to keep the proportions and not skew the photo.) If you need to slightly change the shape of the photo spot to accommodate your photo, you can do that too.



Now, see how you can still see the "1" from the template on top of the photo? Those are just markers and are all on the "Delete This Layer" layer at the top of the Layers Palette. You can either delete this whole layer right away, or you can erase parts that start to bug you as you work. I normally just erase the parts that are in my way, or bugging me as I work, but I don't delete the whole layer because I like it to keep my place for the title, journaling etc. until I put those in.

SAVE YOUR PAGE!! Click File > Save As and save that layout. You don't want to lose your work!

I know some people merge their photos with the photo spot layers in the template, but I don't. Because sometimes I like to tweak the photo's position within the photo spot as I work. For example, if an embellishment starts to cover a face, I can move the photo over a little inside the photo spot to make it look better. So I just leave them as clipping masks.

Ok, so then I put the other photos in using the same process.

Next I'll put in my papers. I'll start with the background. I click on the bottom layer, named "Background". I'll open whatever paper I want for my background and do the same Copy & Paste process as I did for my photos. Command + A then Command + C and then paste (Command + V) it onto my template, directly above the background layer.



Then I put papers in all those paper spots. I do this pretty much exactly like I do the photos. I copy my paper, paste it on top of the paper spot, and create a Clipping Mask. Then I move the paper around until I like the part that's showing. I can shrink the papers down if I want a smaller pattern, rotate the paper. Whatever I want!

(Bonus Tip: Try putting extra photos into paper spots instead of papers!!)



(Save!! Save!! Save!!)

Now - a quick mention about shadows. Some templates include shadows, some don't. MANY of my templates do. I like to adjust shadows and make them look good as I go. Some people like to do all their shadow work at the end. If you like the shadows that come with your template, then GREAT! But if you want to tweak 'em, feel free! Change the angle, blending mode, opacity, whatever you want. If you'd rather clear all the layer styles and start fresh doing your own shadows, you can select all the layers (Command + Alt (or Option) + A) the right-click and select "Clear Layer Style".

Ok - all my papers and photos are in place. Time for the best part. Embellishing!! I love to decorate my page. There are place markers for embellishments, but, of course, you don't have to use them if you like embellishments in different places. Make sure you delete the embellishment place marker layer that comes with the template at some point.

I put in my title and journaling now too.

Keep hitting SAVE as you work! It's the WORST to lose your work.

Here's my page, once it's all embellished, titled, and journaled. And that's it! My template page is complete!!



Using templates is so easy! They make scrapping a snap. I hope this tutorial helped!!

Try it out for yourself!! This template is my gift to you!



{{ DOWNLOAD HERE }}

tips from britt: recoloring

Hi there! The Britt Girls informed me this past week that they used to really love the "Tips from Britt" articles I used to write for the ScrapMatters' newsletter back in the day. So I decided that I'd start writing them again on the blog!! Once a month (or maybe more) I'll post a Tip from Britt!

Today's tip is about RECOLORING. I wrote about recoloring in January of 2009, but I've learned a lot since then, so while I repeat a little of what I wrote back then, I'll also give you a couple new tips!

I don't know about you guys, but money always seems to be a little tight! And, not that I want to discourage you from shopping at Britt-ish Designs (hahah!) BUT I do want to show you how your digital products can go a long way, making your dollar stretch! Because face it, times our tough these days and we are all being a little more careful. Aren't we?

Recoloring is one of my very favorite things about digital scrapbooking. You can make your favorite papers and elements match in a snap! There are MANY ways to recolor, but I'm just going to share one quick tip so you can use your papers & elements again and again.

(My tips are all related to Photoshop CS3 since that's the program I use. But I know you can do similar things in Photoshop Elements and other programs too!)

"Colorizing". Say I have a patterned paper. I LOVE the pattern, but the color simply will not work for the page I'm creating. Most of you know to try recoloring by playing with the hue & saturation sliders. But sometimes, if your patterned paper has a lot of colors, that just doesn't make it match! Here's one solution - I select the color I'm trying to match (using the eyedropper tool - ctrl + I - makes it super easy to match exact colors in my photo) as my "foreground" color or what you might call your "brush color".

Then I go to the paper I want to recolor and make a duplicate of the paper (we don't want to edit the original paper and accidentally save over it or anything!!). So go to Image > Duplicate Image. Then close the original. With the copy paper open, select, Image > Adjustments > Hue & Saturation. Then on the little window that opens check the "colorize" box.
Before "colorizing":

After "colorizing":

Your paper will recolor itself all in shades of the color you picked. Its not always perfect, I almost always have to turn up the saturation, so play with the settings to get it looking right. And ta-da! You have a new paper that matches your new layout!!

To make the color match even better on this page after I colorized, I turned the saturation up, darkened it a bit, and turned the brightness down (Image > Adjustments > Brightness & Contrast).

Colorizing works great for ribbons, flowers, alphas all kinds of embellishments!

Hope this tip helped!