cindys732003
10-26-2009, 12:04 PM
A while back I was challenged by Mint Chick Kirstie to do a white space layout. Normally this is kind of difficult for me as I like to keep my photos on the larger side and fill the page with lots of color, papers, elements etc. Miss Mint and I had the same challenge idea, so we thought you might all enjoy it as well. One way to figure out a quick design for a white space LO is to take a template and shrink the layers on it. That is your challenge. Take any PC template (mine, Miss Mints, any past PMP templates, the current freebie (http://www.peppermintcreative.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=85_19&products_id=896) in the store) and SHRINK IT! Don't be afraid to alter other ways as well, rotate it, move the layers to a different position on the page etc. etc. There are so many possibilities.
Now, to give you a few examples of the challenge. I took this template (Cindy's Templates Set 30)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/CSchneider_ScrapSnap30_page4.jpg
I shrunk the layers and created this LO, Spooktacular Tiger (http://www.peppermintcreative.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7305), from the new template:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/kitty-catweb.jpg
There's a couple of advantages to doing this, (1) you can make use of templates that are not quite your style but you like the design of (2) you can get a totally different look from a template that you have already used before....make the most of your $$$$ and (3) Use those photos that might not be of great quality. I think the ones I used here were taken with my old 2 megapixel camera back in 2003. It's not quite as noticeable how bad the pics are when you shrink them LOL!
Here are some other examples of templates that I shrunk:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/examplescopy.jpg
In case you are unsure about how to shrink the layers of a template properly I did a quick tutorial (this was done in Photoshop CS2) for you:
1) Click on the top layer of the template in your layers palette (the TITLE layer in my case):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/ss1b.jpg
2) Scroll down to the last layer you want to shrink as a group (do not include the Background layer or any other papers you want to keep at the larger size). While holding the SHIFT button click on that last layer you want to include, this should highlight the all the layers of interest in your layers palette
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/ss2b.jpg
3) Click Edit--->Transform---->Scale
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/ss3b.jpg
4) You can now play with the Scale Percentages at the top of the screen, make sure the lock button (in the middle of the percentages) is clicked so the layers will shrink proportionally (width and height).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/ss4b.jpg
I chose to shrink 70% in this case
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/ss5b.jpg
5) Remember while all the layers are highlighted you can move them as a group to somewhere else on the page or rotate them as well.
Hope you have fun with the challenge. Make sure to post your LO in the gallery and link it up here by Mid EST Nov1st. Can't wait to see what everyone does! :)
Now, to give you a few examples of the challenge. I took this template (Cindy's Templates Set 30)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/CSchneider_ScrapSnap30_page4.jpg
I shrunk the layers and created this LO, Spooktacular Tiger (http://www.peppermintcreative.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7305), from the new template:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/kitty-catweb.jpg
There's a couple of advantages to doing this, (1) you can make use of templates that are not quite your style but you like the design of (2) you can get a totally different look from a template that you have already used before....make the most of your $$$$ and (3) Use those photos that might not be of great quality. I think the ones I used here were taken with my old 2 megapixel camera back in 2003. It's not quite as noticeable how bad the pics are when you shrink them LOL!
Here are some other examples of templates that I shrunk:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/examplescopy.jpg
In case you are unsure about how to shrink the layers of a template properly I did a quick tutorial (this was done in Photoshop CS2) for you:
1) Click on the top layer of the template in your layers palette (the TITLE layer in my case):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/ss1b.jpg
2) Scroll down to the last layer you want to shrink as a group (do not include the Background layer or any other papers you want to keep at the larger size). While holding the SHIFT button click on that last layer you want to include, this should highlight the all the layers of interest in your layers palette
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/ss2b.jpg
3) Click Edit--->Transform---->Scale
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/ss3b.jpg
4) You can now play with the Scale Percentages at the top of the screen, make sure the lock button (in the middle of the percentages) is clicked so the layers will shrink proportionally (width and height).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/ss4b.jpg
I chose to shrink 70% in this case
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/cindys732003/ss5b.jpg
5) Remember while all the layers are highlighted you can move them as a group to somewhere else on the page or rotate them as well.
Hope you have fun with the challenge. Make sure to post your LO in the gallery and link it up here by Mid EST Nov1st. Can't wait to see what everyone does! :)