Saturday, December 31, 2005

Cruise Kit - My First

As promised, I am going to let you sit next to me while I figure out how to create an original kit design using PSE3.0 (and maybe CS2, since I just downloaded (dl) the trial).
I just came back from a cruise with Royal Caribbean that stopped in such exotic locales as Jamaica and Grand Cayman. It was an awesome trip and one that I wanted to remember. So I decided to do a kit based on the boat. There were so many awesome patterns, textures, and ideas throughout the entire ship that I took more pictures of the ship details than I did of the vacation!
Can you see me walking around with my camera taking pictures of the carpeting? The fabric on chairs? Ship sails? Maybe you can, because you've done it too! My head was hurting after a while trying to take in all of the rich design features available. I have picked a few and am going to use them to create my kit entitled Radiance.
I'm going to create a post for each element, so bare with me. I think I'll start with a background paper (BG).

Hi ya! Intro Post

Welcome to my little corner of the world. My name is Gary, but most people on the internet know me as ScrappyGuy. Yep, I am male and I am a scrapper! I’ve been scrapping for just a little over a year. I started out right after hosting a Murder Mystery party with a 50’s theme. My friends all dressed up in poodle skirts, slicked back hair, and bobby socks. It was so much fun that I wanted to show it off in a way that went beyond putting pictures in a photo sleeve. Within two days I had googled scrapbooking and a whole new world opened before me.
My growth as scrapper has been an interesting one. I think I bought every single tool on the market, as much paper as I could stuff into my closet, each embellishment that caught my eye, and ebayed way too many auctions. After my one year anniversary on November 2 of this year I took stock of what I had accomplished. I had seven albums, completed 15 gift albums, 28 cards, and countless swaps. However I still had TONS of material left over. I was a little embarrassed at this expense and started looking for a different way to control my spending.
I had heard people referencing a photo manipulation program called Adobe Photoshop. Saw the price and, after picking my eyes up off the floor, started conniving. How could I get the money for that? Short story short, I scrapped the money together by tutoring after school and bought it. I was so excited to load it on my computer so imagine my surprise to find out that I couldn't do it!! I was running Windows ME (don't get me started) and it wouldn't support PSE. I had to WAIT some more until I could get a new computer. Once that was accomplished (more tutoring) and installed I clicked on the little icon to open up my first Adobe Photoshop Elements creation. From then on I couldn't figure out a D$%^^ thing!
Yeah, I cried a little. But I picked myself back up and went googling. Did you realize that there are 3,100,000 posts for 'adobe photoshop tutorials'? So happy to discover that fact. I started reading and reading and reading some more. I found wonderful websites that walked me step by step through creating LO's and manipulating elements around. Once I got the basics down, I flew!
Words like Scrapbook_Bytes.com, ShabbyPrincess, and TheDigiChick began to enter my vocabulary. I downloaded every single freebie I could get my hands on. What a mess that was. HA! After careful research and a few swift kicks in the rear end by more knowledgeable people, I organized my files and began to play.
As I grew more familiar with the ins and outs of PSE, my brain kept telling itself, "You didn't have to pay $6.50 for this kit. I can do that!" I fiddled around a little and yep, I can do that. I can create background paper. I can craft a brad and even create grosgrain ribbon! But I wanted to learn more. I wanted to go all out and MAKE MY OWN KIT!
Do you know how many tutorials explaining that are in google? None. And I have tried finding something every which way I can.
SO, here’s my idea: I am going to record my journey of self-discovery and share it, with anyone that will listen that is. Will you join me? I hope so!