Recoloring PNG overlays in Photoshop

Here is the first in a series of tutorials to recolor png/psd transparent overlays. Other tutorials will follow for programs such as GIMP, Word, and Elements users.
There will be a free overlay with each tutorial. Click HERE to download todays free PNG transparent overlay. It is commercial use friendly.

Once I have my transparent png open in Photoshop I like to go to Image>Mode and choose the color mode I would like to work with (RGB for printing on my home printer or CMYK for printing at my local Staples). Then I save my file with a new name so that I will always have my original overlay without any changes.
The next step is to choose the foreground color for the snowflakes. With the overlay layer selected go to Layer>New Fill Layer>Solid Color. Check off "Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask" and then OK (If you forget to check the box choose the color layer then Layer>Create Clipping Mask). Now your snowflakes should be the foreground color on a transparent background. Now we will color the background. With the overlay layer selected, create a new layer. Drag this new layer to the bottom of the stack. Choose a color for the background and use the bucket tool to fill the layer. Save your file and you are done!

This is just one way to recolor the overlays. Get creative with adding texture layers to the snowflakes, or background, or both. With this layer "sandwich" you can quickly create a series of different colored snowflakes by simply using your bucket tool to fill the color layers any color or texture you want. You can get extra creative by playing around with the layer blending modes too.
Tutorial Summary:

1. Image>Mode>RGB Color
2. Choose color for the pattern
3. Layer>New Fill Layer>Solid Color  check "Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask">OK
4. Layer>New> Layer (uncheck "Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask")
5. Drag newest layer to the bottom of the layer stack
6. Choose color to background layer
7. Use Paint Bucket to fill the background layer
8. Save

Enjoy creating!

Instant Downloads now on Etsy!

Lots of changes have been happening on Etsy for us digital designers in the past year. Crafthub.me started their instant download service last summer and now Etsy has their own. Personally I am sticking with the reliable Crafthub.me. so...

Here's a little how-to:
All of my kits for sale in my Etsy shop are now instant downloads through the Crafthub.me service. Once your payment is confirmed through paypal an email with a link to your personal download page is sent to you.

The lovely folks over at Crafthub.me have created a great tutorial on how to download your crafthub purchase:
http://www.crafthubme.blogspot.ca/2013/03/how-to-download-your-crafthub-purchase.html
If you don't receive your link within a few minutes of your purchase and you cannot access your order via the links below...please contact me. Sometimes the email will go to your spam/junk folder, so be sure to check there first.
Can't find the email...or did you forget to download your files right away? You can always try here:
http://etsy.crafthub.me/orders/

or here:
http://katieswish.crafthub.me/login

Have your Etsy email address and the order number associated with your purchase handy because you will need to enter that information.

What to do if your link has expired or you need a new link:
Please contact me via your etsy invoice(s)!

If the link you have was sent to you manually by me...and/or you downloaded the file with one computer...but now you want to download it to another computer (or laptop/ipad ect) you will need to contact me via etsy convo or email to have your link reset. The links will be locked to the first device that you downloaded the zip file to.

Lost all your files when your hard-drive died? I can resend you your link(s). Please contact me via your etsy invoice(s) for the fastest service. Sometimes it can take me a couple of days to get a new link out to you. If you are in a rush...and need them instantly, you will need to repurchase the kit(s). Sorry no refunds on these if you are in a rush and cannot wait for me to get back to you.

Happy creating!

iNSD weekend Giveaway

 A little note...this post is mostly geared to those that are interested in getting started in personal digital scrapbooking. Looking for the contest giveaway? Skip to the end of the post!

I am a little sad that I will be missing out on iNSD (inter National Scrapbooking Day) this weekend. We are heading up north for the weekend...and will likely not have an internet connection.

There will be some great freebies and sales to be had this weekend for iNSD. Persnickety Prints has a roundup of a bunch of the digital deals going on. The Daily Digi usually has a list of great deals too.

iNSD weekend is a great time to get started in digital scrapbooking. There are lots of high quality freebies and super discounts. It can be hard getting started though...as the learning curve is high if you've never used a program that uses layers before. I get lots of questions from customers about how to get started. I started a pinterest list of tutorials. My Digi Scrap Tutorials board has lots of links to some great tutorials found on the web.

Here are a few more tips on getting started:

1. Find your scrapping style.
This way you don't waste money, time, and harddrive space on stuff you won't use. Here are some links to free, open, digital scrapbooking online galleries.
My Scrapbook Art Gallery
The Daily Digi's Flicker Pool Digital Scrapbooking Inspiration

Open means that you can post layouts that contain digital supplies from any and all sources. There are also "closed" galleries belonging to digi scrap stores where you can only use digital items from their store designers...or a minimum amount (say 50%) from their designers on the layouts you share in the gallery.
Find some layouts that you really love and you will get an idea of the type of kits you will want to get started. I love pinterest for this part...you can get an idea of my personal style here. One warning...it's a large mish mash of a pin board!!

2. Read through the Daily Digi's Digital Scrapbooking Manual

3. Pick a program that has the ability to utilize transparent layers. It is very easy to find tutorials for using Photoshop Elements, and I suggest using this as your starting program...but up to you if you would like to give something else a try. Most programs have a free trial.

4. Download a few free kits and start learning how to use that program! Find a tutorial for creating your first page (link is for an Elements tutorial). This is the hardest part...learning how to use layers...ect. I am still learning new things years later btw.

5. Start a shopping list! This is where the open galleries come in handy. A list of the digital products used in each layout are added to the layouts description in these online galleries. (You will need to learn how to do this later if you wish to share your finished layouts in an online public gallery like one of the ones listed above.)

6. I am totally in love with The Daily Digi monthly membership. The Digi File members get over $50 of digital scrapbooking supplies, layout ideas, techniques, tutorials, and exclusive collections for only $7.50 per month.  Usually you get at least 7 full kits per month, plus extra goodies each month. There is a variety of different kit/designer styles each month too. The following is my personal affiliate link:

 (for those that don't like affiliate links....go here to signup or find out more)

7. Sometimes...try as you might...it may be too time consuming to get layouts done. Or the learning curve is just too great. There are also kits out there that contain what are called Quick Pages...or QP for short. A quick page is a finished scrapbooking layout...with a cutout area for you to plop your photo(s) into. Some designers will have a whole set of matching quick pages so that you can create an entire album in a very short amount of time. 

Here is a tutorial on how to use a Quick Page in PSE from the Designer Digitals site.

8. Starting something new can be overwhelming at first...take your time...go at your own pace...drink your tea (or other calming beverage of choice), and most of all have fun. Oh..and you might want to join a forum. The Digital Scrapbook Place has a Beginners Learning Digital Scrapbooking forum. There are hundreds of forums out there for you to find...simply do a google search for "digital scrapbook forum".

9. Need more help? There are also online classes that you can take. The JessicaSprague site has some great classes. Again...hundreds of online classes can be found by doing a google search for these. I suggest asking in the forums about a particular class first to be sure is it at the level you are looking for.

And last but not least is my iNSD giveway. 

It's been a while since my last contest/giveaway...but here it goes. Contest is open to all...One grand prize of digital kits worth $30 from my etsy shop are up for grabs. To enter once...add a little reply to this post ( a simple "hello" will do). To enter a second time you can do one of the following:

1. Follow me on pinterest or one of my pinterest boards

2. Pin your favorite product from my etsy shop and reply below with the link

3. Reply with a list of 3 of your favorites from my etsy shop

4. Reply with a link to something you've made using one of my kits (does not need to be 100% made with my digi products...Even a little snippet that you printed, cut and pasted to a card).

Contest closes at midnight EST May 7th 2012. Winner will be chosen at random...and announced May 8th. Good luck to everyone!

Getting Started in Digital Scrapbooking

There are so many tutorials on the internet for digital scrapbooking. Here are some of my personal favourites in no particular order:
Designer Digitals Getting Started in Digital Scrapbooking
Ali Edwards Scrapbooking with your computer
Daily Digi Unzipping files
Daily Digi Programs to use

And one of my customers asked if my prints will print as seen on their monitor:
Daily Digi Calibrating your monitor so prints come out exactly as you see them on your monitor

FAQ's

Q: I ordered a digital kit from your etsy store. What's next?
A: I check my etsy store frequently to see when orders come in. I then send out the links to the kits purchased to the email associated with your etsy account (unless you have supplied with with an alternative email address). It is a single secure, and unique link for each order. The link opens a new window that will contain all of your download links. Simply clicking on each link to activate the download process.

Q: How do I print your 12x12 inch designs onto 8.5x11 inch paper?
A: I recommend cropping them to 8.5x11 inch size in a photo editing software program such as Photoshop (elements) or a free editing program such as GIMP. Many printers have a "crop to fit" option in the advanced printer settings.

Q: I don't own any photo editing programs, can I still use your kits? 
A: You sure can! Many document editors can open the jpeg papers. Simply treat them like a digital photo and "import" them into your program of choice.
There are also some great free programs out there that will allow you more creative freedom. I recommend GIMP (a version is also available for mac users). http://www.gimp.org/


Q: How do I unzip the downloaded file?
A: In windows right click on the zipped file and choose "Extract All...". Choose your file destination by clicking on the "Browse" button. I recommend your desktop if you are unfamiliar with downloading products. Then click on the "Extract" button. Depending on your operating system you may end up with a folder within a folder - before you get to the individual jpeg papers. I do this to ensure that when you extract - the individual papers end up in a folder and not all over the place on your computer!

Q: Can I copy your kits to a disk for backup purposes?
A: Yes! I recommend that you make at least one backup of the files you purchase in case of a hard drive failure. The links I send eventually expire, but you can also request a resend of your purchases if you lose it. (Sometimes I save files in the wrong location...and can never find them again!! It happens to even the most organized of us!)


Q: What paper do you recommend to print on?
A: I recommend that you print on the paper or cardstock that is designed specifically for your printer. The printer companies spend lots of time, research, and money on ensuring their papers work well with their printer inks. They are chemically compatible for longevity! Piddix of etsy also has a great blog post about choosing paper for your project. I do not recommend printing on cardstock that you have found on sale or at the dollar store. These absorb more ink or will not print as cleanly as if you printed on sheets supplied by your printer manufacturer. You will not be saving yourself money by wasting ink or with poor printouts.

Q: I have never used digital papers/digital scrapbooking kits before. How do I get started?
A: There are some great tutorials on the internet. I recommend you start with some Hybrid projects. Hybrid means you are combining both traditional paper scrapbooking with digital scrapbooking. I am currently working on a link list of my favourite tutorials for getting started.
Designer Digitals has some great beginner tutorials: Getting Started in Digital Scrapbooking

Q: Help! I still cannot get my file unzipped!
A: Please send me an esty convo from your etsy invoice regarding the offending file. I will create a self-extracting file for you to download (note that it will have a exe extension and double clicking on the file will "install" it on your computer...which simply means that in will create the folder with all the files where you specify on your computer).

I will be doing a few blog posts on  getting started in digital scrapbooking. If you have any specific questions or tutorials please let me know here or on etsy!
Enjoy creating and discovering the world of digital scrapbooking.

Using Transfer Artist Paper or TAP on Fabric

This is the next installment of my transfer technique tutorials. There are many transfer papers out there and the most commonly known ones are T-Shirt transfer papers. One that is fairly new and less known is called Transfer Artist Paper™ or TAP™. It is the latest technology among the transfer papers on the market today. It allows the inks to combine with the polymer coating on the paper and, when heated, they fuse into the fabric and become a part of it. Other transfers sit on the surface and will fade, peel, crack, and wear away over time or with repeated washing. TAP works on cotton, cotton blends, polyester, silk, paper, leather, and many other media.

There are many others that have done very nice tutorials on this technique so mine will be brief and discuss my particular tips for using TAP™.  Great instructions are included for use with the actual product. Lesley is Queen for writing tutorials on the use of her product! Her book on using TAP comes out soon - see below for the links.

Supply List:

Inkjet printer (optional!!)

Markers, crayons, pencil crayons, stamping with inks (pigment inks work well)

Transfer Artist Paper

Fabric (or other media to iron your transfer to)

Iron

Instructions:

1. Prewash and dry your fabric using a mild detergent.

2. Prepare and print your design onto the Transfer Artist Paper. Keep in mind that the image will be a mirror of what you see on your screen. (also note that text must be in reverse or mirror image. I do this in Photoshop and then look at my design in a handheld mirror - just to be sure I got it right!). The TAP itself comes with great instructions for printing. (Also note that you can draw directly onto the transfer paper with markers, crayons, and colored pencils too!)

3. Preheat your iron to the correct setting for the fabric you are using (ie silk setting for silk, cotton setting for cotton ect) and NO steam!

4.Trim the transfer paper close to your image.

5. Place the TAP onto your fabric, then the included parchment paper and place iron on top for about 10 seconds. Check to see if your transfer worked by gently pealing up a corner. If not continue to iron in short amounts of time of about 10 seconds. When the paper peels up easily then your transfer is done!

6. Lesley suggests waiting a couple of days before washing your item. I personally have used these in a project that required little washing so it was months before it was washed - Today it looks the same as the day I created it a year ago!

 Pros of this method:

Being able to place your image where you want it

Finished piece has a nice hand to it - nicer than a silkscreened image in my opinion!!

You can wash it AND iron it without fear of damaging the image

Fairly economical - The ease of use and quality of the final product make it a great choice over other transfer methods.

Cons of this method: 

You are limited to the size of the transfer paper itself (though there is software available for which you can split a large image onto several sheets - you would then have to iron these seamlessly together - a difficult task and would require some practice for most!)

You need to mirror the image for text when printing - not all printers or programs allow this option

More expensive than T-shirt transfer sheets

Source Links:

Transfer Artist Paper:

Lesley Riley of Fabricologie

Interweave Store

Links for more Information about using TAP:

Book:

Lesley Riley's New book due out this May 2001: Create with Transfer Artist Paper
(who better to learn from than the creator herself!)

Linda Matthews Website - a talented textile artist who explores the limits of what can be done with TAP on fabric!


YouTube Video - How to use Transfer Artist Paper

How-To: Direct Printing on Fabric

Over the next few weeks I will be covering several different image transfer techniques. This first one is direct printing on fabric using an inkjet printer and fabric treated with a chemical to make it washable after printing. I love this technique...it is my personal favourite. I recently printed some striped fabric to use as legs for a stuffed doll. I will post the picture when she is all done.

Supplies:

Inkjet Printer that uses pigment ink ( I use an Epson printer)

TNA soap (also known as Synthrapol)

Bubble Jet Set and Bubble Jet Set Rinse (or Raycafix)

100% cotton or silk fabric

Freezer Paper (or Loomtak a self adhesive fabric stabilizer)

Iron if using freezer paper
Rubber gloves
Large bowl to soak fabric in
Funnel to pour chemical back into bottle when finished

Masking tape (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prewash your fabric with TNA soap

2. Rough cut your fabric to just over the largest sheet your printer can accommodate.

3. Pretreat your fabric with the Bubble Jet Set or Raycafix according to the directions on the bottle. Hang up and allow to air dry. Iron smooth.

4. Cut freezer paper (or Loomtak) to size and iron fabric to the wax side of the freezer paper. Trim off excess fabric. Also trim any loose threads that could get caught in your printer.

5. I like to add a peice of masking tape over the fabric edge that feeds into the printer. This prevents the fabric from pulling off the freezer paper as it feeds into your printer. (This is a must step for me as otherwise my fabric gets caught in my printer...big mess!!)

6. Print your design onto the fabric. Set your printer setting to paper (not high quality, or photo paper as this will add too much ink to the fabric and your image will be blurry.

7. Remove fabric from the freezer paper or Loomtak and follow the directions on your pretreatment bottle (Bubble Jet Set or Raycafix) for removing the chemical and excess ink from the fabric.

Pros of this method:

Very economical over purchasing printable fabric sheets.

No need to print in mirror image as with T-shirt transfer method.

Finished piece has a nice hand to it. No plasticky feel or look as with T-shirt transfers!

Fabric is machine washable and dryable with very little fading (10% is typical)

Cons of this method:

You are limited to the largest sheet size your printer can handle.

More time consuming then using T-shirt transfer paper or using pretreated paper sheets as you need to do the pretreatment yourself.

If you have unused sheets - these do not last long (couple of months at most) . I think the chemical must slowly evaporate from the fabric. I have not experimented with storing the unused sheets in sealed containers or bags though.

Supplier List:

C. Jenkins Co. - they are the manufacturers of Bubble Jet Set and you can get all the supplies you need from them (aside from the printer and iron)

Dharma Trading Co. - Great supplier for all sorts of image transfer supplies.

Inkbloom - the makers of Loomtak - self adhesive fabric stabilizer

G&S Dye - a Canadian (Toronto) supplier for Raycafix and fabric dying/printing supplies

Links for more information on this technique:

Bryerpatch Studio - lots of in depth info on using Bubble Jet Set

Video How-To using Loomtak

How-To for using Raycafix

ATC Holiday Gift Tag Freebie

Hello!
With all the gifts we give each year I am always in need of a stack of gift tags...instead of last minute runs to the store to grab more of these...this year I designed my own. And in the spirit of giving you can grab this freebie 8.5x11 300dpi jpeg sheet here from mediafire
This file is for personal use and for selling what you make with it...you must sell a tangible item made with this clip art file and not resell in any digital format. Thanks and happy holidays!

Mini Tutorial
Simply print onto cardstock, cut, add some brown paint with a sponge or brush (I used folkArt Antiquing Medium in Woodn' Bucket Brown by Plaid), punch a hole with your hole punch, and then add some dollar store ribbon. See my photos for inspiration.