Brine Design

Oh My! P52 Subscription Available Now!

2012-01-07T10:54:00.003+11:00

So do you want an added incentive to help you keep up with P52? I've got one right here: purchase a full six-month subscription so you don't have to worry about co-ordinating your supplies or thinking up a fresh template or running out of themed papers ... it's all right here.

The subscription service includes the bundle pack (4 x layered templates, 20 papers, journal cards and accessories, plus a bonus pack each month, which may be overlays, stickers, word art, ribbons).

So effectively, you are getting a bunch of supplies for only committing $7.48 each month, for six months. The total value is almost $90 but you can lock in a 50% discount for 6 months, and pay only $44.88. Sounds ok? You bet!

Go check out the details here.

For those who may have already purchased the bundle for January, and are keen to purchase the subscription service, contact me to sort out a further discount, ok?

Happy Project 52/365/howevermanyIdoisok!

Project 52: January Collection

2012-01-03T20:56:00.002+11:00

So the moment has finally arrived - the unveiling of my Project 52 collection! If you haven't already been to check it out, then click here to visit my shop.

Project 52 is what YOU want it to be - it can mean taking one photo a week and creating a layout based upon that photo, or it can mean taking copious photos all week and documenting them in your journalling and layout. Don't be bogged down by rules, it works so much better if you find a method that suits you. I guarantee your family will be grateful for anything!

With that in mind, I've tried to cater to a few different methods (my own included) by including a series of four templates for you to use through the month. You can choose to use the same one over and over again, or you might want to mix and change it up each week. Some weeks you may have a lot of photos (especially if there was an event on!) and some weeks you may have just the one photo that deserves to be enlarged for all to see.

With my papers, I've included 20 - yes 20! - digital papers for you to choose from for the month. They include solid colours, which I find work best behind multiple photos so you don't distract and create a visual frenzy! But there are also a lot of patterned papers for those who love variety and pop. They also make for a great stash-builder!

The journal packs include all that you might require to document your week - journal cards of various design and shapes, attachments such as stitching, staples or brads, and other little extras such as stickers, calendars, date brushes or overlays that add that special something.

Each month I'll also do an element pack add-on which can be used throughout the whole year as you collect more Project 52 packs from my line.

I've sized the journal cards to match the templates in the set, so those of you who are beginners can easily slot the cards in over the top of the template mask without the need to resize.

There are also drop-shadows included on the templates for those times when you get behind and feel like you're pumping out pages in a hurry - drop shadows can be time-consuming and sometimes you just need to have them already done for you! You can turn the shadows invisible if if you wish to make your own.

There will be a new pack coming out each month, in a different colour scheme but which works well with the other packs in the series - so your end product will produce a cohesive and unified Project 52 album.

Project 52 January Collection

Here - save 35%

Project 52 January Journalling Pack

Here

Project 52 January Paper Pack

Here

Project 52 January Template Pack

Here

Project 52 January Add-on: Sticker Set

Here

For those of you just toying with the idea, I have some other templates that you can use over and over again, just like I did in 2010 (and probably will do again in 2011).

Project 52: Every Week Layered Template

Here

Or you just want some stickers and title word art to add to your own project...

Here

And here are some gorgeous layouts from my superb Creative Team (pssst, watch this space for a CT call soon, as I am keen to add to my talented team!)

Coming in 2012 ...

2011-12-28T10:17:00.001+11:00

Do you love the little things, but find it hard to remember them when you need to? Do you love taking photos but find it a hassle to get them printed out?

Some of you who have been following this blog for a few years will know I am a big fan of Project 52, or Photo a Day, or 365 - whatever you like to call it. I have been creating a photo diary keepsake every year for the past few years and now its in my blood - I cannot give it up.

It's evolved from the way I first started out, with rigid instructions to take artistic shots once each day throughout the year. Now I just take it as it comes - there's some days when nothing happens and so I don't take a photo. Other days, several things might happen that I want to remember, so I take several. And they all go into my Project 52 album like that.

As long as they all fit on a 2-page spread, with plenty of room for the journalling (I write because I cannot remember one day from the next - how the heck am I going to remember details 10 years from now?) I see fit to call it my Project 52.

I've honed my experience of Project 52 down to several key factors; I mention some of them here, here, here and here.

In a nutshell:
1. Make yourself a template or a set of templates that can be easily customised (or buy some if you don't need the strain!) and stick with them. It gives your album a unified look - especially if you plan on using whichever scrapbooking kits you like from week to week.

2. Don't make it a chore. Set aside a specific time of the week to sit down and do it. Mine is Sunday night. I try and do this week's layout, and if I have time left over, I will make up next week's background and elements so it's ready to just slot in the photos and journalling next week. So work ahead if you can.

3. Take a photo even if it's not the best light or situation - even if it's just to jog your memory when it comes time to write up the week's activities.

4. Give yourself some breathing space to add more photos when you need to, and less on other days. Clip a patterned paper on anywhere there are blank photo spots ;) It actually ends up looking better than having too many photos all next to each other.

5. I will be putting out a Project 52 scrapbooking line this year (to help me keep up too!) and I've arranged it so each month you get 4 layered templates, a scrapping kit that co-ordinates all month long, some little journalling extras that slot into the templates WITHOUT having to resize, and from month to month, all the kits will co-ordinate, but in different colours and patterns.

At the end of the year, you will have a beautiful album to show off to your family and friends. Or to keep to yourself (especially if you've written something bad about your neighbour, hahaha!)

So keep an eye out in my store for my Project 52 line in my store. First one goes up on January 6.

Here's a sneak peek.

Good luck with it, I'd love to hear how you're going with it as the year progresses, ok?

Zig Zag Scrap SALE 40%

2011-12-17T08:13:00.001+11:00

As all this Christmas cheer spreads around at this time of year, we thought we'd spread it a little farther and host a 40% storewide SALE!

So if there's anything in my shop that you've had your eye on, now is the time to steal in and grab it!

Merry Christmas everyone, exciting times ahead!

Christmas Twinkle Collection: everything you need for your holidays!

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000+11:00

Ho ho ho!
I am so excited to present you with my latest collection, Christmas Twinkle!
I hope it has everything you might need for scrapping up your Christmas photos, for wrapping up your small gifts or making your teacher's presents, creating your own photo cards and for decorating your tree!
The Christmas Twinkle Collection comprises:
An Element Pack full of unique and classy items to embellish your cards and pages with;
Two Paper Packs full of stunning 12 x 12-inch digital papers;
Three alphabets;
A hybrid pack to make cute 2-inch circular paper ornaments, which includes patterned paper unique to that pack; and
Three layered templates sized 4x6 inch to make your own Christmas cards (simply clip some digital paper, insert a favourite photo, save as a jpeg file and take it to your photo lab!)

Take a look!

Grab the full collection here.

Visit my store here.

And looky what my fabulous Creative team has done with this! Talk about inspiring!

Hope you all have a wonderful, magical Christmas!

Blog Changes

2011-12-05T22:26:00.001+11:00

Just making a few changes around here... There may be a bit on inconvenience as I figure out how to transfer all my widgets and links. Stay tuned ...

Autumn PotPourri in store!

2011-12-04T07:56:00.001+11:00

Hiya!
Just a quickie post to tell you lovely ladies out there that Autumn PotPourri is now available in the store. Thanks for your patience, we've had horrible electrical storms here and our power has been out (which for us also means no water and no septic too, yuck!)

Grab it here.

Thank you again for your patience :) As a token of my appreciation for all the lovely comments about this little kit, and because I had to keep you waiting (ggrrrr) here's a 15% discount coupon for the first 5 customers.

Type in this code at the checkout: patienceVIRtue

Thanks again!

More stitches! And a Little Bit of Nostalgia ...

2011-11-25T00:00:00.000+11:00

So I've returned to work in an office full time and it's doing exactly what I've geared all my goals toward since I was 11 years old. I'm back in a newspaper newsroom, doing exactly what I'm comfortable with and what I feel I know like the back of my hand.

After so long working from home and raising my babies myself, I was worried I would be so "out of it" that I wouldn't remember what to do once I sat in that desk. But that's not the case at all. In fact, the job is very similar to the very first job I got as a cadet journalist, only now I have a lot more wisdom that only comes with age and the experience of raising three kids! So I'm feeling like I'm caught in a time-warp where the last 15 years haven't happened - before kids and experience on a metro daily newspaper. It's not a bad thing, it's just weird. The juggling of the kids' extracurricular activities and work hours has been complex, notwithstanding the fact that dear hubby has been working in Sydney of late. But honestly, he is going so far out on a limb to help me adjust to this big life change. He even packs the kids lunches at night! Well, ok, he's packed mine too on occasion!

This is the first time I've ever pictured this scenario, as I had always planned my career up to the point of having children, then after that I was happy to be a completely devoted work-from-home mum. I never envisioned going beyond that point, yet, here I am. Working in an office again, as a mum. And a journo. And I'm so much more relaxed about it all.

So, what does that mean for my designs? I'm not sure at this point. I plan to continue but at a more relaxed pace. I still have hundreds of projects on my hard drive that are itching to be put into the shop. I am still overflowing with creative ideas for kits and templates, and I still enjoy making these to sell. But I am wondering if I haven't sacrificed my own scrapbook albums along the way. My kids milestones' are piling up and I have no layouts to showcase and commemorate them. This keeps me up at night. Much more so than worrying about whether something I published today will get me and my company sued tomorrow. And now my design time is even more finite, it's going to be hard to fit everything into my day.

Add to the mix my newfound enthusiasm for community volunteering as a Scouts leader (because I'm soooooo into canoeing and camping! No, really, I am. Seriously.) and becoming a soccer coach (even though I know not the rules of ANY sport!) and I find life is all happening around me whether I am ready for it or not!

Do any of you out there ever feel this way too?

Anyhoo, here's something that's overdue to come out and will be popping up in my store this week.

Included in the download are 25 separate stitches, all measuring almost 12-inches long, and a stitch hole if you prefer to add those to your background. They are available in Personal Use and Commercial Use versions. AND if you are one of those scrappers who prefer to work all off the one png sheet, I've catered to you too, by adding in the uncut version as well as individual png files.

So I hope to see you hanging out at Zig Zag Scrap, the girls are so wonderful there and I feel so lucky to be a part of the team!

Catch'ya on the upside.

DSA Blog Hop & ZZS Blog Hop!

2011-11-06T06:03:00.002+11:00

Hey Digi Scrap Addicts blog hoppers!

With the sudden closure of 9th & Bloom, I'd like to point you all to my new store at Zig Zag Scrap. Not all my products have been installed there yet, but I hope you'll find some of your favourites in the 35 that are there. The rest are coming soon. There's also a 50% store-wide sale going on too, just sayin'. Check my previous post for a peek at some of my grab bags (PU and CU). Been playing around a lot with decorative stitches lately (wink wink).

Here's Autumn Potpourri

Download includes 5 patterned textured papers, and two layered templates (PSD and TIFF versions) with journalling prompts and separate custom shadow layers. Enjoy :)

(Download link now expired! Please find this in my shop soon.)

So you've probably hopped here from Amy Stoffel's blog. Now it's time to move along to Jen's Yurko's blog.

If you didn't get the chance to download my Zig Zag Scrap Memory Keepers blog freebie from yesterday, you're still in with a chance! It's an absolutely stunning blog train, and the full kit will be available in the shop soon.

Pack includes: 1 x png frame, 1 x decorative stitch stem, 2 x worded journalling cards, 1 x solid Kraft cardstock and a string flower.

(Download link now expired! Please find this in my shop soon.)

If you are following the ZZS blog hop, you would have just come from Damayanti Studios and this is the last stop on the blog train. If you want to check the master list of participants, click here. While you're there, join in some fun activities!

Have a great weekend!

Both downloads have now expired and the items will be installed into my shop soon.

Welcome DSD buddies! Blog Hop Freebie!

2011-11-04T17:02:00.025+11:00

Busy weekend? Tell you what, head on over to my shiny new store at Zig Zag Scraps and you'll save yourself a lot of shop-hopping and sore cyber feet!

There's also a lot happening in the forum - lots of games and GREAT prizes to win in the challenge section! Did you know you earn shop points when you buy too?

Here's some of what I've got going live 5pm this afternoon: (quick! Before they sell out, lol!)

Here's where all the action's at this weekend! Great prizes up for offer in the forum. Also, did you get a load of the blog hop?? Whew!

And here's what you've been waiting for! My contribution to the Zig Zag Scraps blog train, Memory Keepers.

Pack includes: 1 x png frame, 1 x decorative stitch stem, 2 x worded journalling cards, 1 x solid Kraft cardstock and a string flower.

((Download has now expired. Look for this item as part of the store collaboration at Zig Zag Scrap))

Have a great weekend!

New Store in time for DSD!

2011-11-03T09:02:00.000+11:00

How's everyone shaping up for DSD - International Digital Scrapbooking Day? It's generally the equivalent of "Boxing Day Sales" here in Australia, and that means, it's BIG! But you don't have to camp out the night before to get in line for the shop doors to open, and there's no chance that you'll get trampled in the rush to get in! Yay!

Well looky here .... This place sure looks like it's going to ROCK during DSD .... Hhmmmm, what a nice friendly happening new place I've come across here ..... (wink wink!)

Oh, what's that? Just in case you missed it ...

Zig Zag Scraps Shop

Stay tuned for an excited new designer opening there in the nick of time for DSD!

9th & Bloom has shut down

2011-10-30T09:45:00.000+11:00

Hey everybody,

It's with a lot of sadness I have to tell you all that 9th & Bloom is to be shut down immediately because of an ownership malfunction (! No other way to put it!) regarding Paypal.

Please do not try to checkout with any of my designs, as you will not be able to process it through to completion, and if you do, the download links will not process, and I won't be paid anyway :( It is the same for all designers there at the moment.

It's been a thoroughly alarming 24 hours and I am SOOO not into all this drama and chaos. I'm without a shop for the time being, and it's still too early to announce any decisions regarding the future of Brine Design scrapbooking kits. I'm thinking I'll retire them for the time being, I'm feeling so completely gutted from this.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience you may have had at the checkout for the past 24 hours. I'm still not aware of the full extent of it all.

I'll continue my blog and will announce any decisions on here, or on the facebook page. So stay with me!

New Release: Tatch-Its Series! CU and PU

2011-10-14T15:59:00.000+11:00

So it's finally time for me to raid my hard drive and get some of these babies out there on the shelves!

For a long time I've been wanting to make up some useful practical element packs that serve the scrapper well in every situation. I'm talking about go-to packs full of staples, stitches, fasteners, tape - you know, stuff that you use over and over again on every layout. Generic in look, but classy in that they add all the realism to your page. I just hate it when kits don't come with something to attach ribbon or note-cards with.

And I know that if you scrap anything like me, you really just stick to your favourite staple, favourite stitching line, favourite button or brad, when attaching stuff. If I find something that prints out fantastically on my page, then that's it. Done. It's my new must-have accessory on every page for the next few months or so (or until I find something better).

So I've made up all these packs, and called them the "Tatch-It Series". There will be a lot of them. I mean, a LOT! There are still more in the works. And just when I finish packaging up a new lot, another idea strikes me down and I feel obliged to provide it, hehe hee.

For the first time ever, I've made up some Commercial Use packs as well. These are intended for other designers to use when making their own kits, or for scrap-for-hire artists to use when making hybrid projects for their customers. So if you're planning on making a profit using these designs, then you will need to buy the CU version ($2 extra). But, if you're happily going about your business scrapping your own memory pages for your own unprofitable enjoyment, you get the cheaper version.

Here we go, enjoy the ride!

Some CT inspiration ...

Milmomma (using Dew Indulgence Mini Kit and Dew Indulgence Alpha Set)

MummytoThree (using a River Rose kit from 9th&B)

Be sure to keep checking back here on my blog for more Tatch-Its releasing soon!

Freebie: Monster Mash Blog Hop!

2011-10-07T15:00:00.020+11:00

What better way to start out my new store with a blog hop! Woo hoo!

We've got a build-a-kit event happening, where you can snap up some great packs to mix and match your way to a mega kit! I love this type of shopping! Just grab those packs you love, find some co-ordinating paper or alphas, and away you go. Everything is priced really low too!

Here's what I've added to the mix:

Find it here for $1.99

Grab it here for $1.99

And you're still awaiting for something more? ok,ok ....

Here's a little sweetener just for showing up, lol :)

Download from here

Now, I'm the last in a long line of goodies, so if are unsure if you've missed something along the way and you'd like the full list of contributors, pop in to the 9th & B forum over here. All hoppers should have their parts up by 3pm October 8 (Eastern Aussie time).

Grand Opening Sale!

2011-09-30T08:16:00.044+10:00

Hi all!
Thank you for the lovely well wishes! Today (September 30) I am opening up in my new shop - da-dah-daahhhh! (insert drumroll please)

I've moved on over to 9th and Bloom, check out my goodies for a 30% discount! I haven't been able to load everything up into the shop yet, so if you have been waiting for a sale to buy something that you can't find in the new store, just send me an email or a comment and I'll work on it :)

I am currently lapping it up at the beach! Isn't it a bummer when real life holidays get in the way of a cyber sale (lol!)...

Some of the goodies:

Birdhouse Ruffles Collection

Birdhouse Ruffles Hessian Tags

Birdhouse Ruffles Die-Cuts & Banners

Birdhouse Ruffles Element Pack

Moving House Element Pack 1

Moving House Paper Pack 1

Leaving FPD today ...

2011-09-16T15:32:00.000+10:00

Well, an opportunity has arisen that I can't say no to, and I've decided it is time to say goodbye to my homeground at Funky Playground Designs. I feel like I'm leaving the nest, or moving out of home for the first time!

It's been a whirlwind of a ride, and I am really so grateful for all the friends and support I've gained during my time there for the past 10 months. It will be a sad farewell, so I won't say much for fear of blubbering....!

But, there is good news, I will be having a grand opening at my new shop next month, with 30 per cent off everything! Can you guess where it is? And I'm currently working on a very cutesy collection to help celebrate the grand opening, can't wait to reveal it!

Riding High on a Design Wave!

2011-09-09T13:00:00.081+10:00

I've had a whirlwind of a time for the past 12 weeks participating in various design competitions, first for DigiScrapConnect's The Design Factor, then at DigiScrapAddicts Designer Apprentice.

In both competitions, industry stalwarts set up challenges for competitors to complete, like making a mini kit which meets certain characteristics, or making three alphas in a certain theme, or whatever. We needed to complete something every week, and omg, it was a hard slog by the 10th week! Designer Apprentice then had judges score your designs out of 20 (for quality, how well you followed the challenge brief, preview aesthetics, colour scheme and how well the kit content matched your theme. Now, I'm not usually a theme-specific designer, but this competition called for it! It stretched me in ways I never imagined, and when I signed up for it, I was so worried about how well I'd do and how public it would be if I failed!

But guess what? I WON!

Check out the complete scoreboard here.Challenge 5 was short a judge, so it was only out of 80. Woo hoo! Finally cracked 100%.

This field started off with this many participants:
New Designers:
2 am Designs
3 Li'l Monsters Designs
Amanda & Millie Designs
Blue Heart Scraps
Bonnie Blou Designs
Brenda Neuberger Designs
Brine Design
Christina P
Damsel Designs
Digi Deborah's Designs
Digital Harmony
Digital Monsoon
dreamynest
Farynar's Wings
Foosa Moon Creations
Fran B
fromPenny
In The Small Things
Jellebelleke's Designs
Jennifer Z Designs
Julie Enriquez Designs
Kat Tankersley
Keep In Touch Designs
Kern's Kreations
Kim Hackworth
LadyBug Designs
Lilacs In Bloom
Made By Me Inspirations
MHK Scrap Bytes
Nirah's Designs
Ohana Designs
Pamla Klenczar
Paper Capers Designs
Paper Garden Projects
Penny H
Rhonda Sunflower Designs
Rumki Designs
Sherry Lynn
Star Traveller
Studio CinCo
Sunshine Artz
Sweet Sunshine Designs
Truman Studio
Whimzie by Lishi

So I've won some awesome prizes too;

1st Place:
A Wacom Bamboo Craft Tablet and Photoshop Elements
EBOOK: An Insider's Guide to Designing donated by WendyZine
1 year subscription to The Designer Studio by Amanda Rockwell
Guest spot at our sponsoring store ScrapMatters (time and duration of guest spot to be determined by store owner)
1 banner and 2 blinkies from Little Boxes Boutique
$25 coupon to Rachael's Scrap Store
$25 coupon to Scrap Matters
$20 coupon to Miss Tiina at SugarHillCo
$20 coupon to EyeInspire
$15 coupon to ThatGirl at SugarHillCo
$10 coupon to Andilynn Designs
$10 coupon to Chelle's Creations at ScrapOrchard
$10 coupon to WendyBird Designs at Brownie Scraps

Eeeeeek! Can't wait to see if the Bamboo tablet is better than my current one! And to go on a huge shopping spree, woo hoo! And the chance to design at ScrapMatters just blows me away!

Here are the entries I submitted:

Whew! Still trying to recover from such a slog! Well, that's it for the design competition wrap-up. I am making all of these babies available in my shop very soon.

New Release: Lifted Frames 5

2011-08-25T13:52:00.000+10:00

Well, it's all happening and I'm really, really dying to get back into my normal routine. Only a few more weeks to go of my second design course and yet another designer competition, then I'm back to normal. I've received a few goodies in the mail too, since my last post, and I can't wait to share them with you! Eeeeek!

Here's what's new out today - two packs of frames.

The first pack has been made especially for Photoshop Elements users who cannot warp or bend their shadows. I've made a shadowless frame with light texture that you can use as is, or cover with your own patterned paper. I've also included a paper-flat shadow version and a lifted-corners version, so PSE users are completely covered! And if you want, say, the lifted corner shadow but have recovered the frame yourself, you can simply place the re-covered frame in the layer on top of the lifted frame and it will work.

The second pack is for those who would like a bit more control over their shadow (also easy to use in PSE) as it includes the shadows on separate layers which you can turn on and off to your liking. You can also play with the blending modes to create some awesome effects!

In each pack I've also included a few exclusive fasteners to attach your frames to your page. There is a spotty dotty tape piece, two buttons, two cross stitches and a zig-zag stitch.

So, here you go!

Grab this {cheaper} pack here.

Grab this layered pack here.

As always, my new releases are 20 % off for the first few days.

Freebie Mini Kit: Dew Indulgence & Printable Chore Charts

2011-08-07T09:28:00.001+10:00

Hey guys and dolls,
Well, it feels like I've been to a sad funeral, with the closing of Two Little Pixels. I really loved that store, all the designers in it, the clean look of it, and yes, I shopped there quite a lot - before and after I joined the team as a designer :) It was a really successful shoppe.

So it is a really sad farewell for me, as a designer and also a customer, and no doubt the owner Sharon and the rest of the team are feeling the same way too.

But, time to soldier on, and in case you didn't already know it, I have been selling my designs at Funky Playground Designs too, which is also a great looking funky place to be (with a great forum community!)

Here are the latest releases I have there - two printable chore charts. The perfect way to get your little ones you start helping around the house, and learn about manners and responsibility too!

This digital chore chart is ready to print out and use as is, or you can customise it to suit your family. You can pre-place the stickers onto the chart, then print for a snazzy "routine" chart to keep your child on track each day.

Or you can leave the chart blank, print it out and print/cut out the stickers so you can attach them as the week progresses, when your child has completed each task. I've used it both ways myself!

Grab it here

The best part is, they are on special for only $1.50!

I've also been rather busy competing in design competitions and races. You'll see more of that later. But for now, I have an exciting new freebie mini kit for you. I'm really happy with this one, as I'm not a yellow scrappy person. But I think these colours work this time.

Dew Indulgence is again a kit inspired by interior design and dew drops. So it's all about those little things you see out your window on a fresh new morning, covered in dew. It also marks the start of a new day and all the wonderful possibilities that go with it.

Hope you likey ....

Link expired. Please find this mini in my shop :)

Tutorial: Realistic Stamping Across Layers

2011-07-27T00:00:00.001+10:00

: Credits: Digital Papers – Red Ivy Design; Elements – Red Ivy Design paint splotch, paper flower & leaves, Brine Design hanging frame, date stamp, polka dot stamp, & word strips; Rob & Bob alpha stamp; Font – Smiley Monster; Software – Adobe Photoshop Elements & ACDsee Photo Manager.

*This tutorial is written for beginner digital scrapbookers who use Adobe Photoshop Elements, but the basic principals should work on any photo editing software.

By Katharyn Brine,
Brine Design

One of the reasons I was reluctant to get into digital scrapbooking when I first saw it, was the complete and utter fear my pages would end up looking like it was done on a computer – flat, dimensionless, and just downright wrong if there happened to be anything slightly “bulky” depicted on the page.
What I am aware of now though, is that a) I was looking at really bad pages! b) It all comes down to shadowing and your ability to mimic real-life (and often imperfect) craft situations.
Take stamping, for instance. In paper crafting it’s messy, splotchy, and rarely comes out exactly where you planned it – your titles are always a little bit haphazard – and if you stamp across several layers of papers, there is just no way to escape that clean line between those layers of papers where the paint didn’t quite catch. It’s what gives your page the “homemade” look, which I totally support (I mean, who wants it to look like it was done in a factory?).
There is a way to make your digital pages imitate this effect too. Here’s how ...

Step One:
Open Photoshop Elements, then open all the jpeg (papers) and png (elements) digital supplies you will be using on your page (File > Open > navigate to your supplies folder). Create a new canvas to work on (File > New > Blank File. Set size at Width: 12inches, Height: 12 inches, Resolution: 300 pixels/inch, RGB colour, Background: white). Begin creating your page by double clicking on your papers and dragging them onto your canvas (it should be the last white square in your bin at the bottom of the screen).
For my project, I used a background solid colour, and a strip of patterned paper. To “cut” the strip, I double-clicked on the paper so it was in my main workspace. Then I changed tools to the rectangular marquee tool (top left corner of tools palette). I clicked-and-dragged a rectangle shape of “marching ants” over my paper to the size I wanted to cut out. Then copy (Ctrl-C) the selection (whatever is inside the marching ants). Double-click on your project canvas, click on the top most layer in the layers palette, and “paste” your paper strip over the top (Ctrl-V). Drag the paint element onto your project page. Everything looks very flat and dimensionless so far.

Step Two:
Now select your paper strip layer, Ctrl-click on its thumbnail image in your layers palette, so that marching ants surround your paper strip. With your stamp (or painted element) layer highlighted, click on Layer > New >Layer Via Cut. This cuts and duplicates part of your stamp onto a new layer. Now you need to swap your layers around in the layers palette, so the original stamp layer is below your paper strip layer.

Step 3:
Now you need to move your copied part of the stamp just slightly so it appears offset from the remainder of the stamp on the lower layers. To do this, click on the copied stamp layer in your layers palette, select the Move tool (cross in top left corner) and slightly move your copied stamp to the right and up a bit. You may need to zoom in on your stamp to be more accurate. To do this, select the zoom tool from your palette, or use your scroll wheel on your mouse after setting your preferences to do so (Edit > Preferences > General > check “zoom with scroll wheel”).

Step 4:
Now you need to add shadows to each layer of paper to make your stamp appear more realistic. But I’d advise you to go on and complete your layout first, before starting shadowing. If you are anything like me, you’ll be tucking things behind and in front of layers and changing it all about until it all looks ok together. When you are done, assess your page and pick out the bulky elements, such as buttons, chipboard, felt and rosettes – these will need to appear further away from your background, than the thinner papers and journalling cards do.
To add shadowing, you can either use Photoshop’s preset drop shadows (go to “Effects” palette above your layers palette; pick the second icon “layer styles”; choose “drop shadows” from the pop-down menu. Then click and drag an appropriate shadow style onto your element on the canvas.
To make a customised shadow layer for each element (which I thoroughly recommend if you have a little bit more time), do this: Ctrl-click on the element layer’s thumbnail. Ctrl-click on the new layer icon (to create a new layer beneath the element layer). Press “d” on your keyboard to change the foreground colour palette to black. Select the paint bucket tool and, with the new empty layer highlighted, “fill” the marching-ants shape of the element with black. You won’t see anything different on your canvas yet. Still in your layers palette, change the opacity of the black shape layer to about 65 per cent. (You can play with this setting later). Alt-D to get rid of the marching ants. Go to top menu and select Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and choose an appropriate level of blurriness dependant on how far away you want the elements to appear from your background. I chose 20 pixels for my paper strip custom shadow. Now complete for each element and layer on the page!

When you are finished, don’t forget to save your project as a PSD file (if you want to work on it again later), save as a jpeg file (if you intend on printing it out). Close all your digital supplies without saving any changes you made to them, to keep them in the same condition you bought them in!

For more tips, tutorials, and chatter visit my blog: www.katharynbrine.blogspot.com.

$2 Tuesday at Two Little Pixels

2011-07-26T00:00:00.000+10:00

This is one of my most popular selling kits - Cooper - and guess what day it is today? $2 Tuesday at my Two Little Pixels store.

So, why not take advantage of this discount and pick up my ...

Cooper Element Pack

Grab it here

Cooper Paper Pack

Grab it here

But it's discounted to this low price for one day only!

Closing Down Sale

2011-07-23T15:59:00.000+10:00

Visit my 2LP discounted store here.

Well, it is with a heavy heart that I tell you all that my good ol' Aussie shop, Two Little Pixels, is closing down in two weeks.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you wonderful fans for buying from me at that store, and to the people behind Two Little Pixels that made it such a success. Yes, it was successful, it's just also very time-consuming to run a shop, and that's the reason it's closing down.

So while we say goodbye to one of my favourite shops, I hope that you will follow me to my other store, Funky Playground Designs.

Everything I sell at Two Little Pixels will be discounted 40 per cent - the biggest discount I've ever applied (and will ever apply!) so if you've been storing up your wish lists in the event of a sale, now is the time!

Many other designers there will also have a large discount, and some are even quitting designing for good, so you will want to check out the goods before they close their doors forever - August 5, 6pm AUSSIE time (GMT +10).

Bye bye Two Little Pixels :(

$2 Tuesday at Two Little Pixels

2011-07-19T00:00:00.000+10:00

Kids are back at school today, poor little critters, it's so cold waiting at the bus stop!

Here are my $2 offerings at Two Little Pixels for today only.

Kendi Papers

Here

Kendi Templates

Find it here

Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday, leave me a comment so I don't get lonely :)

New Release: Interior Chic

2011-07-18T05:56:00.000+10:00

So I've been watching a lot of an Aussie renovation TV show called 'The Block' and am so inspired by interior design at the moment!

This kit is what I would decorate my top-floor city apartment with, if I had one, lol. Think cushions, fabrics, wall prints and wallpaper ... Soooo wish I could decorate somewhere in my house right now. I actually live in the bush and my home doesn't have a white spot in it, thanks to three messy young kidlets!

Available at Funky Playground Designs and Two Little Pixels.

Here's some creative inspiration ...

Blake

Hybrid tin from Crazymumm

Toadhughes

and because I like this colour scheme so much, I've splashed out on some gorgeous blinkies, do you want to wear one? Thanks to the talented Laura Banasiak.

Fan Blinkie

$2 Tuesday at Two Little Pixels

2011-07-12T00:00:00.000+10:00

It's that time again already! The year's going by so quickly, it's scary! Wish Winteer would stop, I was over it by the end of Autumn, lol!

Here's what I'm offering for $2 each today only, at my Two Little Pixels store.

Blake Element Pack

Here

Blake Paper Pack

Here

But remember, it's only on Tuesday - gone tomorrow!

New Sketch Action Coming Soon!

2011-07-11T15:05:00.000+10:00

I've got a new Action set coming into my stores soon! Readers of my column in Scrapbooking Memories Magazine have already read about it and seen what it can do (seeing as the current issue has come out earlier than it's 20 July schedule!)

So readers, consider it a sneaky preview!

I do apologise to those readers who have contacted me looking for this set - and I'll be sure to let you all know when it is available on my shelves. This Sketch Action Set is currently being tested for it's application in additional software - at the moment it's only been tested in Creative Suite 5.

It will be available within days, so sit tight! The discounted price will be available for a week after it's released.

I do hope you enjoyed the article, and have given it a try yourselves! If you haven't recieved your issue of Scrapbooking Memories Magazine yet, I'm sure it's on it's way. And for those of you who are overseas and unable to access it, I'll be posting the article and tutorial here on my blog, two months after magazine publication.

$2 Tuesday at Two Little Pixels

2011-07-05T00:00:00.000+10:00

Hiya guys, it's that time of week again where some very special bargains can be found in my store at Two Little Pixels.

Here's what I'm offering up for a meagre $2 today (and it will be around for a lot longer than that half a cup of coffee will be, hahaha!)

Here

Good luck with your scrapping today :)

Freebie Kit: Toothless

2011-07-03T11:32:00.000+10:00

So, I've got two boys who are running around the house in various stages of toothlessness. A while back, I posted about a hybrid project where I made a tooth fairy collecting can - something to put the teeth in until our fairy makes her way to our part of the world to pick it up. (And yes, she has forgotten to come once or twice. But it was only because she thought the teeth were sooooo special, and she wrote a glittery fairy-dust notelet of apology...)

Anyhoo, you can check out the cans that I made here, using ordinary containers I had lying around the house. Now, if you haven't already made some of these yourself, I'd love to give you a kit to do so! For FREE! Yay.

Think you could use this? If not, you could at least record the occassion when your baby first loses his/her first tooth (and second and third, seeing as they seem to happen in rapid succession after that first one!)

I've attached the download link to my facebook page, seeing as there are more of you guys following me over there. So head on over here and pick it up (click on the pink VIP button on the left of my Facebook Fan Page).

This kit will be available for one week only, before it's replaced with a new freebie! If you missed out on any previous freebies, they are (or will be soon) available in my shops at Two Little Pixels and Funky Playground Designs, cheap as chips!

I'll be back to share some inspirational pages / projects from my Creative Team very, very soon ...!

New Release: Home Office Love

2011-07-03T08:37:00.001+10:00

Well, I'm a little late getting this post to happen, I've been so busy creating another fan freebie!

It's no surprise that I absolutely love browsing the stationery shelves at the supermarket or office supplies store. I just can't get enough of it - my favourite kind of shopping!

With this kit I hope to inspire you to create a workspace for yourselves that reflects your creative side - be that a home office or your cubicle at work. When you are surrounded by bliss, you're sure to fall in love with your work all over again!

And I for one, just cannot go past a cute rolodex! I think I should start collecting them, lol! Available in the Brine Design shop at Funky Playground Designs, and Two Little Pixels. They are on special for the weekend :)

My lovely inspiration girls ...

Demetria

Becki

Caroline

Blake

Trish

and some hybrid goodness from Lucy!

Have a great weekend everybody :)

$2 Tuesday at Two Little Pixels

2011-06-28T00:00:00.000+10:00

Another Tuesday, another bargain! Check out my Two Little Pixels Store!

AlphaClips Blue

Find them here.

Lifted Frames Set 1

Find it here.

But you've only got today to grab them, they are back to their regular $3.99 tomorrow!

Fan Freebie! Boardwalk Mini Kit

2011-06-25T13:18:00.000+10:00

Yeah, yeah, I know - it's about time! Wish I could churn out kits faster, but it's just not gonna happen when I value quality and cohesiveness so much, lol!

So, here it is! Finally, a big fat thank you to all of my Facebook Page fans (we're almost at 500!!) who encourage me to continue this designing journey and are also good for a laugh too!

This is Boardwalk, a mini kit built from scratch that incorporates a plethora of new techniques for me. I hope you like it, it's meant to inspire you to scrap those beach photos and holiday snaps that you always seem to have a bundle of.

Click here.

Once again, thank you for all your support!

$2 Tuesday at Two Little Pixels

2011-06-21T00:00:00.000+10:00

Here's what I've got for you today at Two Little Pixels, for a measly $US2. What a bargain! I'm never going to get rich this way, heehee!

Find it here.

You'll pick it up here.

Happy shopping (or should I say robbing??)

$2 Tuesday at Two Little Pixels

2011-06-14T12:00:00.001+10:00

Hey guys!

Just another quick post today to let you know what I've marked down at my Two Little Pixels store this Tuesday.

Cooper Spotty Dotty's (paper pack)

Find it here.

Cooper Solids (paper pack)

Find it here.

Woo hoo!

Tutorial: Transform Your Handwriting Into A Font

2011-06-14T00:00:00.002+10:00

Katharyn here! The only drawback to digital scrapbooking is that it can make your page seem less personnal because it’s all typewritten, rather than handwritten. I remember finding a stash of my mum’s school books when I was little and I sat there marvelling at how neat she had been as a student, and how creatively she signed her maiden name. I loved too, the awareness that she had been there, done this, put pen to paper and expressed herself on this very page - long before I was a twinkle in her eye. Well, now there is a way to get this onto your digital layout. There is a way to preserve old handwritten documents. A way to hand-write your own journalling from your computer keyboard (and delete away any mistakes!) And a way to create your own unique decorative fonts to use over and over.

I love my son's gawky handwriting atm. His teacher wants him to neaten up, but I secretly hope it stays like this a little while longer!

Credits: Designs by Anita and Siamese Studio Collaboration: Love Notes

Method 1: Scanning and blending. This option is good for preserving children’s handwriting, digitising your late Grandma’s handwritten recipe books, or your old school love notes. It’s the option to use when you can’t get them to fill in a font template. Scan the note in at high resolution (300dpi). Save the file as a jpeg, PNG, or GIF. Open it in Photoshop Elements and place it on your page. You will have a lot of scope to resize, so play around. Add some digital cardstock below your note layer. Then, with the note layer active, adjust the opacity so the background cardstock texture starts to show through. You could even play with blending modes here, such as overlay or soft light. My layout uses normal blend at 35% opacity (with a shadow layer behind it too, which makes it slightly darker.) This gives the effect that I let my child write on a good piece of bazzill cardstock, when actually, it’s just a cheap white printer sheet of paper. Creased and all!

Method 2: Scanning and extracting each letter manually, or using a pen tablet. This method is good for handwritten titles, or short blocks of text. Write your alphabet onto a white piece of paper, using a black pen. Fine-point permanent markers work best, but again, you can play around for different effects. Leave enough space around each letter to enable you to “cut” around it digitally, later on. Scan in at high resolution 300dpi and save as a jpeg. Open the image in Photoshop Elements. Also open a new document (file>new>blank file> with these specs: 12inch, 12inch, RGB colour, 300dpi, with a transparent background). Now you need to extract the letters from the background white paper you wrote them on. With your note layer highlighted in the layers palette, select the magic wand tool and press anywhere on the white of the paper. Marching ants should surround all your letters and the border of your page. Now press select>inverse and then copy it (ctrl>C). Bring your transparent canvas back up into your workspace and paste (ctrl>V) your selection on a new layer. All your letters should appear, but some might have white stuck inside the letters. To tidy this up, click with your magic wand tool on the remaining white pieces and hit your delete button. Of course, if you are lucky enough to have a pen tablet, you can skip the whole scanning and extraction process and write directly onto a transparent canvas. Now save your new canvas full of letters as a PNG file to preserve the transparent background. To use them, you will need to select each letter with your marquee tool, and copy and paste them individually onto your layout page.

Method 3: Making your handwriting into a True Type Font. Now we are getting more serious, and a little bit professional J. There are programs out there in cyberspace that actually do all of this fiddly stuff for you. And some of them are free! They involve printing out a grid for you to write your letters onto, and scanning them into their software program. Take care to follow their instructions carefully, such as not crossing any lines, keeping your letters within the guidelines. I actually drew some line guides on another sheet of paper and sat it behind my template paper (to see faintly through it) so I could comply with this, because my handwriting is usually all over the place. If there is even a speck of dust somewhere within your template, it will turn out as a letter in your font! So clean off your scanner! The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow. The hardest part is writing out your alphabet in the boxes and trying not to make it too neat and unbelieveable!! But that wasn’t a problem for me, as you can see J. Some of the websites that do this include: fontifier.com (costs $US9 to download your font), yourfonts.com (costs $US9 too), and fontstruct.com (for making decorative fonts). These programs will copyright your font and turn your file into TTF format, which means you can install it onto your computer and use it the same as you would other type functions, from your keyboard. To install: these next instructions apply to my PC, but I’m confident font installation for Mac, which also uses TTF, will be quite similar. Copy (right click mouse>copy) your font file that you downloaded. Go to your control panel (Start>Control Panel) find the “fonts” folder. Paste your font inside this folder. Restart your computer and you will have your own font installed!

Method 4: Buy a font-creation software program. Now you’re getting professional! These programs allow you to tweak your handwriting, adjust your leading (type thickness) and kerning (spaces between characters), capital letter heights, or manipulate it into something completely stylised, unique and different. You’d follow this method if you are a serious font fanatic! Programs such as FontLab, FontCreator, TypeTool, Fontographer and Adobe Illustrator vary vastly in price, so it may be a good idea to trial them online before you commit to buying.

New Release: Penelope Bundle

2011-06-10T00:00:00.009+10:00

Know what the gorgeous name Penelope means? It is Greek for "Dream Weaver". Don't you just love it! If you are one of the lucky ladies to own that name, you can pick up a further discount coupon to buy this kit today. Just leave me a message on my blog here (this post please) with a link back to your profile, so that I can verify your name, Penelope.

Fun, huh? Wonder how many of you are out there...

Introducing Penelope, a kit about daydreams.

Here at FPD and 2LP

Penelope Element Pack

FPD & 2LP

Penelope LT50

FPD & 2LP

Penelope Solid Paper Pack

Here at FPD and 2LP

Penelope Paper Pack

Here at FPD and 2LP

Penelope Silk Bouquet

At FPD & 2LP

Do you want some inspiration? Here's what my fabulous Creative Team did with it!

In no particular order ...

Ulrika

Angela

Becki

Blake

Brittney

Aren't these adorable? I thought maybe a coffee table setting in a basket, or a kids bedroom mobile - it's such a funky little design, truly inspiring! She calls them Large 0-Calorie Strawberries!

Caroline

This kit, and all the separate pieces, are on sale for 20 per cent off for the weekend.

$2 Tuesday at Two Little Pixels

2011-06-08T08:53:00.000+10:00

Hey guys!
Not sure if you know about this or not, but in case you don't, one of my stores, Two Little Pixels, has a gorgeous selection of goodies marked down to just $US2 every Tuesday! These are genuine bargains, and some weeks it can include full kits, Commerical Use items, and new releases.

Here's what I am offering up today (and there is still a little time to get yourself a bargain today!)

Find it here. ($1.87 Aussie Dollar!)

Find it here. ($1.87 Australian!)

So why not check it out for yourselves, you won't be disappointed.

Tutorial: Organising Your Digital Stash

2011-06-06T16:55:00.000+10:00

Hello Peeps! Katharyn here, from Brine Design. Today I'm going to tell you a bit about organising your digital stash, and I bet I get tons of feedback from people who do it differently!! LOL! There are thousands of different methods and I've only got limited space to present them to you, so I've chosen just a few that might help you out. You'd better go grab your coffee now, because this is a bit lengthy!

Time to Get This Stuff Sorted

By Katharyn Brine

Credits: Papers – Brine Design; Elements - Katie Pertiet (file system & library cards, safety pin tag, chrome button alpha, stacked frames), Brine Design (notecard, ribbon, paisley chipboard heart), Connie Prince (concertina floret, string, pointer sticker), Vinnie Pearce (silk flower recoloured), Cinzia Loosemore (paper clipper), Mindy Terasawa (paint splat), Michelle Underwood (ticket), Carrie Stevens (glass dots), Shabby Princess (string flower), Pattie Knox (staple). Font – Teacher’s Pet. Software – Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 and ACDSee Photo Manager 2009.

Just like traditional paper scrapping, it’s important to organise your digital scrapbook supplies so you know: 1. what you’ve got; and 2. where to find them. You can feel pretty silly going about your downloads only to find you’ve re-purchased something you’ve already got! It’s worse still to be deep within your creative zone busily making a page, when you discover you can’t find that awesome element you wanted to use, because it’s lost amongst copious amounts of digital folders somewhere on your computer drive. It can turn a 30-minute layout into a 3-hour layout that never gets finished. To speed up your productivity during your valuable, precious scrapping time, there are benefits to keeping everything consistently organised.
There are a few different ways to go about this, depending on your scrapping method, time and budget. There is no right or wrong way to do this – and you will probably try a few systems before you find one that works for you. But the first thing I’d do is sort out where you are going to save your scrap supplies, ie. a specific external hard drive, separate/with your photos, and what program you are going to use to “sort” them, if any.

Method One: Manually finding the files exactly where you saved them in the folder you downloaded them in. If you are a visual person and inspired by more than just the name of the kit, you will need to view them as thumbnails (View > Thumbnail). Not all files will be visible (they will just show a “PSD” icon, for example) from outside Photoshop. Not all designers place their kits into folders before zipping, so you may need to create folders yourself, if you don’t want loose files all over the place. I do not recommend this method because you will be a lot slower at finding stuff than your computer is. Especially when your stash reaches a healthy 500GB! Yes, errr... it happens.

Method Two: Building an ongoing catalogue of the items you’ve downloaded, sorting and “tagging” into categories that are appropriate for your style of scrapping. To do this, you will need to become really familiar with your particular photo browser, or go out and purchase yourself a software program specifically designed with digital scrapbookers in mind. I’m talking about ACDSee, iPhoto, Adobe Bridge, Picasa, or Shoebox. I currently use ACDSee. This type of program allows you to search by keywords, file size, file type, designer, last time used, chronological order, and more. Sorting by file size means it automatically puts previews up the top, papers in the middle and elements at the bottom. Very convenient. You can adjust the size of your preview thumbnail. You can change the background colour of your thumbnails so white items show up better on screen when you’re browsing through your stash. These programs can also extract a multitude of zip files at once.
If you decide to use Photoshop Elements, be aware that you’ll be tagging both your photos and kits, and both will be mixed in together in your organiser/browser. Most scrappers tend to use different programs for photoand digital supplies.

Categories:
If you simply scrap with one kit at a time, the only thing you are going to need to tag is the preview image. You might also want to keep a few odds and ends that you use every time you scrap, for instance, stitching, in a favourites folder too. You might also like to organise the kits into themes or colour combinations.

If you like to use bits and pieces of everything you’ve got, you are going to need to tag each item in your kit. Sounds time consuming at first, but when you get into the habit of tagging a kit straight after downloading it, then it just becomes part of your system. If you already have a huge stash that needs taming, consider a tutorial on “batch-processing” – where you can sort and tag a multitude of files simultaneously.
Good categories to start with are:

Alphas (if no preview is provided, just tag letters A,B,C)
Actions
Borders
Brushes
Colour (red, blue, yellow, metallic, etc)
Doodles
Embellishments : flowers, stars, charms, flourishes, bubbles, butterflies & birds, food, hearts, jewels, shapes, teddies, trees, etc.
Fasteners: staples, prongs, brads, buttons, clips, tape.
Favourites
Fonts: calligraphic, handwritten, serif, sans serif.
Frames: single, clustered, stacked, 3D, storyboard
Haberdashery: stitching, ribbon, beads, fibres, string
Journalling: labels, tabs, tags
Kits
Masks
Overlays
Paint
Paper
Quick Pages
Subjects: Christmas, Birthdays, Easter, Holidays, etc.
Stamps
Stickers
Templates: 1 photo, 2 photo, 3 photo, multi-photo, etc.
Tutorials
Word Art

Of course these categories will vary depending on your scrapping style. No point tagging alphas if you only ever use text fonts. Another pointer here: don’t bother tagging something you hate – you are never going to use it, you cringe each time you see it – just delete it!
This method is great for those who download about five kits per week. It may be too time-consuming for more extravagant shoppers. It requires discipline.
Yet another tip – don’t make a miscellaneous folder – you’ll end up dumping everything in there. Pick a category, or tag it into two or three categories, based on what you’d be likely using it with.
Remember that tagging an item is not copying it, it’s just providing a handy shortcut, so your computer goes looking for the file instead of you having to do it manually. So don’t go deleting your file folders from your hard drive just because you’ve “tagged” them in your catalogue!

Method Three: Sorting and/or tagging by designer or shop. This is especially handy if you like to participate in online challenges which require their own store product. Also handy if you submit your layout to Scrapbooking Memories and need to provide a list of suppliers! This method is for scrappers who download about 10-20+ kits per week.

Whichever method you choose, please remember to back up your catalogue as well as your file folders. You do not want to be left re-tagging everything all over again if something goes wrong!
If you've found this at all helpful, please leave me a comment and say so! Or if you've found a better method, post us a link and share :)

Helpful sites:
http://www.simplescrapper.com/2009/06/02/organizing-digital-scrapbook-supplies/
http://thedailydigi.com/digital-scrapbook-organization-3-ways/

New Release: Cooper Quick Page Album

2011-06-03T09:30:00.000+10:00

Well, you may have just seen this one before, if you're a fan of Brine Design on Facebook (and if you're not, why the hell not? You get to see all the fabulous layouts my CT does for me, you get the occassional discount coupon and there are free kits on there too, you know!)

This album was given away to my Facebook fans a couple of months ago and is now available to purchase, for anyone who missed out. You can pick it up at Funky Playground Designs now, and Two Little Pixels (after 6pm tonight Aussie time).

Some samples of what you can do with it ...

milmomma

Angela

toadhughes

Blake

luvmykids

So you think you can do something with it? I'd love to see what you create - leave me a link in the comments and I'll check it out :)

Thanks, I'll see you back here soon.

New Creative Team Announcement!

2011-06-03T09:06:00.000+10:00

I'm so excited with this new bunch of layout artists! Thank you to all who applied, there is so much talent out there!

The new additions to my already fabulous Creative Team are ... (drumroll...)

Welcome to the team ladies! I can't wait to get you started, we have a few new hybrid artists with us too, so that is a terrifc bonus - especially for all you traditional paper scrappers out there! You'll be able to see how digi can work for you too!

They of course join my already fabulous crew ...

Click on their names to be taken to their blog (if they have one) to learn more about them and become inspired!

A note for those who applied and didn't get in - please don't be discouraged. It's all about numbers and who fits best into the various tasks I have set out. It has nothing to do with the quality of your work!

Thank you again to all who applied, I was bowled over with the talent and passion out there for digi scrapping! I look forward to showing off their beautiful creations ...

Calling all spectacular Layout Artists! {CT call}

2011-05-24T20:26:00.002+10:00

It's time to bulk up my close-knit little Creative Team :)

If you are a fan of my designs and think you've got enough pizazz to show off my designs in a freakishly gorgeous way, send in your apps!

{and even if you don't think you're good, I'll bet somebody else does! Give us a look at what you can do!}

Call closes in one week, so hurry!

Click on image to see enlargement! For those of you who can't, here are the details:

Email me kbrine.design@gmail.com (that's kbrine[dot]design[at]gmail[dot]com) with your screen-name, best gallery, other CT duties, blog, & scrapbooking experience. Entries close May 31.

Layout Requirements:
1 layout per kit downloaded
Posted in 4 galleries (2LP, FPD + 2)
3 month term

Promo Requirements:
Enable each kit in 4 forums
Update Brine Design Facebook Page
3 month term

In return, you get full access to my shops.

Clip it On! New Alpha Clips out today

2011-05-20T00:00:00.001+10:00

Check out these cute little Alpha clips, I'm so stoked with how they came out! Use them to attach notecards, journal forms, photos or embellishments to your page in a unique and funky way.

AND they come with the stuff you see in the preview (not the adorable little three-year-old - she's mine to keep!) . So that is the hanging frame, hanging tag and chipboard flower in the blue pack, and the hanging frame, journal card and chipboard flower in the pink pack.

They are 20% off for the weekend only (Aussie time = GMT+10) for US$3.19 (full price US$3.99.

Grab it at 2LP and FPD

Grab this at 2LP and FPD.

Here's an enlarged look:

And here's som inspiration from my Creative Team:

Katharyn {me}

Becki

Sophie

So what are you waiting for?

Passionflower Winner Announced!

2011-05-11T12:33:00.000+10:00

Firstly, some housekeeping (oh, yay...)

Last week I offered one very lucky person a chance to get my Passionflower collaboration for free, simply for posting on my blog. I went with random.org as I only got 5 entries, and choosing one would be far too personal and the last thing I want to do is make anyone unhappy or miffed! So, it pulled up my own comment first up, and this is the winner second time around ...

Commenter Number 2

Suzy said...: Aw happy birthday and happy mothers day! me too except I'll bet you are younger :)The new kit is beautiful - really love the spectrum of colors. You're stuff is new to me but not for long ;); 6 May 2011 12:17 PM; Suzy, I'm going to comment on your blog because I don't have your email addy.; Thanks for playing!

Freebie: Facebook Hop

2011-05-07T12:00:00.000+10:00

A bunch of designers from Funky Playground Designs are doing a "facebook hop" as part of our iNSD celebrations. So if you want to pick up some quality samples, join the ride!

We've all used this colour pallette:

And here's the paper pack that I made.

And please remember to say thank you, it's just good manners, ok? :)

JenB http://on.fb.me/h4NV2p
Valarie http://tinyurl.com/3grtp6w
Michelle http://www.facebook.com/MichelleBattonDesigns | Michelle Batton Designs
JenC http://www.facebook.com/jencdesigns
LuvEwe http://www.facebook.com/luvewedesigns
Misty http://www.facebook.com/MistyOBrienDesigns
Shannon http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shanmo...3794251?v=wall
Alyssa http://www.facebook.com/TheStudioDemo
Cara http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Tomato-Digital-Design-Cafe/114572178893?ref=s
Donna http://www.facebook.com/donnaduncombedesigns
Amber http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ruby-L...s/305798741506
Sherri http://www.facebook.com/sherritierney
Andrea http://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Green-Frog-Designs/200121793352010?sk=wall
Tracy http://www.facebook.com/trixiescraps
Roseytoes http://www.facebook.com/roseytoesdesigns
Brine Design http://www.facebook.com/BrineDesign

Celebrate iNSD with a giveaway + SALE!

2011-05-06T00:00:00.006+10:00

So are you all geared up for the biggest day of the digital scrapbooking year?

International Scrapbooking Day {iNSD} is the first Saturday of May, and oddly enough, this year that happens to be my birthday! Yay! I would normally set aside the whole day to participate in blog hops, forum challenges (where the shops give out coupons for uploading your layouts with their products) and general heavy-duty shopping for goodies.

Most items this weekend will be on sale, and in digiland, you know that's going to be a steal because everything's already so darn cheap at full price!

This is the first year that I'm on the other end of the stick, so to speak, by being one of the designers offering up all these inspiring goodies!

Let's see what today's new releases are from ME!

Available here.

This is a collaboration between May, of Siamese Studio, and myself, called Just Me. It's a general "all-about-me" kit packed full of goodies that you will be able to use over and over again on all types of pages. Plus, there are some really, really nice little elements you will want to save for a page about yourself, just because they are too pretty and delicate to waste on anyone else!

I loved working with May, and we worked so well I don't know who inspired who more, we just kept coming up with so many ideas! This is one of my favourite colour schemes too. Siamese Studio sells at Funky Playground Designs.

Available here and here

This next one is also a collaboration kit between Danielle Young Designs and myself. Danielle sells her stuff at Oscraps and A Cherry On Top, and she is a top-class act! It's also a general versatile kit that can be used for any page really, male or female!

And guess what? We'd both love to offer you a chance to WIN this kit, simply by adding your comment below. Danielle's giving away one on her blog too, so head over there for another chance. But makes sure your comments inspire me, ok? I like a good laugh too (hint, hint!).

The winner will be announced, um .... very soon (!). (With my birthday and Mother's Day in the same weekend, I'm going to be extremely in demand!) You can enter as many times as you like, but make sure each comment is different.

I'm also releasing some of my back-log items, like these lifted frames. (Bah! Such a boring name, but my mojo was lojo!) The idea behind these is that people who use PSE can now get the warped shadow look. It used to bother me that I couldn't lift my frames and papers when making a layout. But these should help if you've experienced that frustration too.

Available here and here

They are made in layers so each frame, photo mask and shadow is on a different layer for you to manipulate to your liking. You can "cover" the frame by simply "clipping" your patterned paper onto that layer (in PSE you press cntrl-g).

Available here and here

Freebie: Tossing out Coupons!

2011-04-26T13:22:00.045+10:00

So who wants to go shopping?

I'm back from holidaying at Jindabyne, in the Snowy Mountains, where my family and I went trout fishing for six days. And gee, I feel blessed! We caught 20 fish, smoking and cooking them a few hours after catching them in the evenings.

I became acquainted with Butterscotch Schnapps, and it likes me very much because it gave me no headaches or silliness - just pure gratitude for the gorgeously vivid sunsets and sunrises over the lake.

I had my very first internet cafe experience (what a novelty) because I had a magazine deadline while I was away. How many caramel lattes can one have while trying with all her might to send ONE email to the UK, without success? Hmmm, it was good to then be free of the computer for a while - so much happens when your eyes are open like this, instead of being glued to a monitor, lol!

I got to test out my first aid skills on an 87-year-old man who had fallen from his quad bike and become trapped beneath it. Fair bit of blood, and well, because he was "older" I wasn't sure if his eyes were glazed over like that because he was out of it, or because he was just old. He was shaking quite badly too, which was a bit alarming until he informed us he had Parkinson's Disease, lol. Glad to say he turned out ok, a few skin tears (to the bone) and concussion but relatively well off, considering. I don't know what it was, but the two of us seemed to connect - his eyes were wise and very embarrassed at all the fuss going on around him. He couldn't really talk much, but we shared quite a few knowing smiles as I held his hand and we listened to the various tales of what had happened to him flying around us - they seemed to grow with the excitement, lol. But all he wanted was to get back to his wife June, get back on his bike (which was wrecked). He was desperate not to go back into hospital, where he'd just spent a week. Everyone kept admonishing him for riding the quad bike at his age, but I could tell he wouldn't be swayed - he'll be back on it as soon as it's fixed up. And why not? He was out there, rounding up cattle, giving his work dogs a run, fishing morning and night - living life. So much more enjoyable than being cooped up inside a hospital room waiting to die. I hope I'm a comfortable risk taker at his age.

Dana had her first ride in a boat, and wouldn't stop waddling all around the edges (totally freaking me out). She kept yelling out "faster! faster!". The boys got to pull in a couple of fish too, Riley is so proud to be a fisherman! Harvey was responsible for gutting and cleaning them too (growing up so fast!).

I was responsible for eating them.

And EGGS! I've been a farm girl all my life, and it's been my chore all through childhood and now parenthood, to feed and water the chooks and collect eaggs, which I've NEVER liked to eat. All of a sudden, on this trip, there was a shiny new egg-poaching pan that I HAD to experiment with. OMG. I poached myself six eggs each morning, some for lunch and sometimes even for a quick snack before heading out for night fishing in the evenings. I couldn't get enough and I am now proud to say I like my eggs runny, gooey but not raw. The whites have to be opaque, the yolks liquid. But not so runny they fall through your fork, no. Dexter-style. Now I just have to get all the kids to eat them too.

Unfortunately, none of these photos go with any of my journalling ... but that happens. All the action pics are on DH's blackberry, which of course I can't have access to to download all the whopping fish photos. But you can use your imagination, hey?

Anyway, today's "freebie" is a 25% discount coupon, to use in my FPD shop. You can use it for anything in my shop there, and the new "Reflection" goodies out tonight are also discounted - so you get a double-discount if you go shopping this weekend.

Type in smellsfishy? in the coupon box during checkout, and you'll see the discount off your order. Coupon expires April 30.

Have a great weekend!

Tutorial for Photoshop CS5 Drop Shadows!

2011-04-15T09:59:00.002+10:00

Hi everyone! Petra here for Brine Design and I have a tutorial for you today on how to create drop shadows and a 'custom' drop shadow on your pages with Photoshop CS5. If you have another photo editing program maybe you can figure it out if you have these options on your software as well. In any case, I have seen many drop shadow tutorials around but all are for older versions of Photoshop and not for CS5 and CS5 has made our life so much easier!

So here I put 2 papers, a journaling tag (that already comes with its own shadows), a ribbon and a bird. All these items are inside Kathy's gorgeous Hot Cross Fun kit.

In the first picture you can see I haven't used any drop shadows and how flat it looks. So we definitely want to change that! Don't mind the 'design' of my page; I didn't focus on that I just want to show what you can do.

To start, I clicked on the blue paper layer in the layer palette on the right of my software. I right click on the layer and choose Blending Options like in the picture below.

Then in the drop shadow box, you can change the Opacity, distance etc. to your personal preference. Each item is different but in case of background papers I change the values to:

Opacity of the drop shadow to 45%.

Change the angle of how the shadow falls from 120 to 55;

Distance to 10

Spread to 2

Size to 10 pixels and click OK.

Now none of these are set rules! You can change this to anything you personally like!

These are just settings I usually use.

Next up is my ribbon and when you place a ribbon on a flat surface, it will not have an even shadow along the ribbon like Photoshop will do for you when you click the Drop Shadow option so you want to adjust it a little bit to make it look more realistic. You may also want to do this with paper, to slightly warp the paper drop shadow to make it look like a corner of a page is slightly standing up or on a flower etc. Just play with it as you like!

Okay so you create a drop shadow on your ribbon like you did the previous layer only this time I made my shadows Distance 12 pixels, spread 2 pixels and Size 12 pixels to have it stand out a little bit more than the paper shadow.

So when you created the drop shadow for your ribbon layer, then right click on the Drop Shadow Layer you will see attached to the ribbon layer and click on Create Layer!

Photoshop will now create a separate drop shadow layer. Make sure you highlight that new Shadow Layer!

When you sure the Drop Shadow Layer is highlighted, click on Edit -> Transform -> Warp.

You will now see this box pop up around the ribbon with dots in several spots. When you drag one of these dots you will see your shadow starting to move.

Well you don't want to overly move it but also keep in mind in which direction you have all your shadows go because shadows going into different directions looks weird when you look at your end result. So in this case I would imagine the ends of the ribbons would stick up a little bit so I am dragging the shadows on each end a little bit away from the actual ribbon to make it look like the ends are sticking up.

You can see here how I dragged the ends a little bit.

So when you have the drop shadow the way you want, click on the Move Tool to Apply your changes. You then want to make sure you link the ribbon layer AND the shadow layer together so they become one layer again.

You do that by holding down the CTRL-key and click on each layer so they are both highlighted. Then click on the chain link icon so they are linked together.

In the picture below you can see that both layers are now linked by the chain icon behind the layer names.

I have also added a shadow to the bird and made the distance further away on that to make it look like it's flying over the page.

And here is my end result. I hope you can see the difference drop shadows make to your page and that you found this tutorial useful!

Again these rules are not set in stone; it's just one other way to do drop shadows!

Happy scrappin'!

Gearing up for Easter? Have some Hot Cross Fun!

2011-04-08T09:19:00.004+10:00

Hi everyone! Petra here for Brine Design.

I know Kathy lives in Australia so it's now Autumn over there but here in the USA we finally have Spring!! If only the snow and ice would immediately disappear and not come back until the end of the year (or if you're a professional driver like myself you won't mind if it never comes back!). Spring means fresh new leaves, flowers, grass, the clean crisp air and of course the promise of new beginnings.

Brine Design's new kit is called Hot Cross Fun and has those beautiful, vibrant spring colors we all love so much. Because how can you not?

Nothing more fun than to spend time outdoors and live right in between all those colors, which you can see especially around Easter with all the colored eggs and decorations!

So here's your kit to scrap those Easter pictures with or your pictures of the bulbs that just starting to pop up.

Preview Kit:

Preview Elements Only:

Preview Papers Only:

You can buy Hot Cross Fun in a kit, or just the separate element pack, or paper pack. All are available at Funky Playground Designs or Two Little Pixels.

Here are your links for easier shopping (we're all about making things easier for you!!)

FPD:

2LP:

Here's some inspiration from the team.

Check back here soon as Kathy has several new kits lined up that you don't want to miss!!

Tuesday Tutorial: How to Stickerise Your Title

2011-04-04T00:00:00.022+10:00

Today's tutorial is also being published at Funky Playground Designs here.

Digital stickers are a hot item in scrapbooking at the moment, and I’m going to show you a way to make them yourself using word art elements from your digital stash, or text you have written as titling. Stickerising (yes, I made that word up!) is great for giving your older supplies a new lease of life, or for making a title really “pop” on your page by giving it a contrasting background.

All steps are depicted using Adobe Photoshop Elements 6, but your own photo editing software should follow the same basic principles.

Step 1:

Open a new blank file in PSE (I sized mine at 12inch x 12inch, 300dpi and white background).

Find your word art element and drag it onto your PSE workspace. Now drag it onto your blank canvas. This automatically copies your word art so you don’t mess with your original file.

Re-colour your word art now (I re-coloured it pink) or leave it as is for a black and white sticker.

With the word art layer highlighted, Ctrl-Click on the thumbnail in the layers palette. This will bring up “marching ants” around the outline of the word.

Step 2:

Now go to the top menu and press Select > Modify > Expand. Type in 10 pixels. Click ok. The marching ants will now surround your text without touching it. Now Select > Modify > Smooth and type 3 pixels. This will soften the curves around your lettering.

Step 3:

Create a new layer beneath your word art layer (shortcut: hold down Ctrl as you press “new layer” icon in your Layers Palette). Change your workspace foreground colour to grey. Select the paint bucket tool on the left hand menu and click anywhere inside the marching ants shape to fill the area surrounding the text with grey. Repeat Step 2 again if you are creating a three-layered sticker like mine, expanding further from your new grey shape and filling with a contrasting colour (I have used white).

Step 4:

Press Control-D to get rid of the ants. Merge all visible layers (except the original white background layer) from the drop-down menu on the layers palette. If you want to save your sticker for future use on another layout, File > Save As > name it and save as a PNG file. This ensures the transparent background. Saving as a jpeg file will cause your sticker to be permanently “stuck” onto your white background canvas – not a good look! Otherwise, it is now ready to click and drag onto your layout page canvas. Make sure to apply shadows behind it to make it appear more realistic.

Whah-La! Finished!

Credits for main layout: Brine Design LT13, Danielle Young Designs Here's To You kit, Amanda Taylor word art.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, please tell me by writing a comment! For further mini tutorials and freebies, tips and inspiration, visit my blog often.

Pirates Not Allowed! {DST Blog Train}

2011-04-01T00:00:00.007+11:00

Welcome to my little corner of the world! If you haven't been here before, let me introduce myself. I am Katharyn, founder of Brine Design. I sell digital scrapbooking kits at Funky Playground Designs and Two Little Pixels.

I've only been selling kits since November 2010, but I have BIG plans on the horizon, heehee! I prefer to make and play with kits that have a traditional paper-like style. I usually scrap with my kits myself before I release them onto the unsuspecting public, because I want to know for sure that they are useful!

I scrap to record memories and document the little everyday happenings that go on in my cute little family. I don't ever want to mass-produce layouts or kits - especially if that means sacrificing my own scrapping time. I just enjoy scrapping first and foremost, and I like designing because I like sharing this brilliant craft with people from across the globe!

So here is a small kit I created for the April DST blog train - all about combating the terrible, unscrupulous digital pirates out there who rob me each and every day. Not only do they steal kits for themselves and proclaim them as their own, they also upload to kit-sharing sites and share them with strangers who pay them good money! Unfair? You betcha! Not only is it limiting the number of designers who want to continue designing because they are sick of spotting their designs under somebody else's name, it means more designers are hestitant to offer freebies and samples of their work because these freebies are usually the items that are pirated the most.

Here's my free kit to help out this cause:

Download here.

Available for free for a limited time.

Now, if you're following the DST blog train, you would have arrived here from Robyn Pali Designs. Your next stop is Jen Maddocks Designs . For a full list of blog contributors, check out the DisgiShopTalk forum or my list at the end of this post.

If you'd like to see more of my kits and digital wares, visit my shops at Funky Playground Designs and Two Little Pixels.

Thanks for dropping by, and please take the time to leave a thank you in my comments - I LOVE getting your feedback!

Bloglist:

1. Trish H. Designs
2. KimericKreations
3. Kat's Creations
4. JayaPrem's Hangout
5. Jen C Designs
6. Hot Flash Designs
7. jusme digital
8. MagsGraphics
9. Pixiemama Designs
10. Nibbles Skribbles
11. Sprouting Seeds Studio
12. Studio RA Designs
13. Kate's Digital Designs
14. JW-DigiScraps
15. Delicious Scraps
16. FoxyDesigns
17. *Designer Removed*
18. Misty O'Brien
19. Scrap with AW Design
20. Mikki Designs
21. Psychozoe_Designs
22. ChristinaP
23. Wishing Well Creations
24. CharmCityScraps
25. Digital Creations from Millstream Cottage
26. HunnyBee Design
27. Marie H designs
28. wilma4ever
29. JennCk Designs
30. RebeccaPSP Designs
31. Sweet Tomato Designs
32. Shel Belle Scraps
33. Wyld Web Designs
34. Bonnie Blou Designs
35. Ocean Wide Designs
36. Mandy King
37. Eyeinspire
38. Mommyish
39. Designs by Angel
40. Benthaicreations
41. CC’s digital designs
42. Polka Dot Pixels
43. Alejas Designs
44. Ronda's Scrap Bits
45. Trixie Scraps Designs
46. Designs by Connie Prince
47. Sherwood Studio Designs
48. My 4 Princesses Designs
49. Blue Flower Art
50. Just Creations
51. Digital Harmony Design Studio
52. Digilicious Designs
53. Anelia.net
54. A-liya's dreams
55. Snackpackgu's Designs
56. Angel Hartline Designs
57. Inspired Designs
58. MoonDesigns
59. Jen Reed Designs
60. Willow Grace Designs
61. Steadfast and Immovable
62. t for me designs
63. Aimee Harrison Design Studios
64. Hornbuckle Designs
65. Sugar Kissed Designs
66. Digi Deborah Designs
67. Scraps By Mara
68. BeeHaven Designz
69. MaitriScraps
70. Snips and Snails Designs
71. Word Art World
72. Luv Ewe Designs
73. Ramona Memories
74. DigitalGator Designs
75. Jeanine DeOre Design Studio
76. Girl Boy Girl Designs by Jen Balding
77. Albums to Remember Designs
78. ViolaMoni
79. ColleenLynch
80. Diamond Ink Designs
81. Color With Caryn
82. Circle Of Life Studio
83. Doodling Divas & Wild Roses Doodles
84. Bon Scrapatit Designs
85. Designs By Tracy
86. Brandi White
87. Munchkyn Scraps
88. Nette's NightOwl Works
89. Scrapper's Delights
90. Albina Design
91. Armina Designs
92. Z Pink Boudoir Designs
93. Unforgettable Moments
94. The Brown Owl
95. Four Little Pixels Designs
96. Pardon the Mess
97. Mistica Designs
98. jumbbumble designs
99. Robyn Pali Designs
100. Brine Design
101. Jen Maddocks Designs
102. Design by Anita
103. eqrAveziur graphic and design

Introducing Blake + Freebie!

2011-03-25T12:17:00.001+11:00

So .... We've all done it! Fallen for the ultimate bad guy, only to have our hearts broken for the trouble.

What is it about bad, bad boys that is so magnetising? And just how bad does he have to be to get your attention? Oh sure, you may be all mature and grown up now, but I'm sure you've got a good story to tell.

We all do. Some memories may be more horrifying/dramatised than others...

Petra here for Brine Design with a new kit! The latest release is called Blake {Bad Boys Bite}. I'm sure you have (or have had) a bad boy in your life. Well now's the chance to pour all your feelings about that bad boy onto your pages! They can be good or bad feelings; we sure would love to see the results you come up with! And of course, this is a great way to share your good, bad and ugly stories with your children and/or grand children one day!

Grab it at FPD or 2LP

Grab Elements only at 2LPor FPD.

You can get just the papers here at FPD and 2LP

But if you want the BEST deal, grab the bundle - it includes five additional papers (including my favourite from this kit) and two quick pages!

Available here at FPD and 2LP.

Every part of the collection is discounted 20% for a limited time only!

And because Katharyn values your blog visits and shop support, here's a freebie for you! I've made this quick page for you to download with Blake and left lots of room for your own journalling, or if you purchase the kit, you may add your own touches to it and personalize it some more :)

Download Freebie Quick Page Here!!

And here is some inspiration for you by the Creative Team!!

Demetria

Zeb

Margote @ 2LP

Sandrine @ 2LP

Glynis @ FPD

Katharyn

Until next time! Petra

Tuesday Tutorial: Saving Sharp Layouts for the Web

2011-03-22T11:59:00.000+11:00

So I haven't learned anything new this week in Photoshop, I've just been flat out churning out kits instead! But I'm not going to leave you hanging (been doing that a bit lately, sorry, my baaaad!) and I wanted to share with you a nifty way to sharpen and resize your layouts for premium web viewing.

Flatten your layout page
Resize it to 600px x 600px (most online galleries go with this size) at 300dpi
Control-J to copy the image on a new layer
Activate the new layer, then go to topline menu bar. Select Fliter>High Pass>Radius o.3px (or somewhere there, play with it for each image)
Image will turn almost solid grey - don't panic!
Change the blending mode of the layer to "Linear Light"
Save for web > jpeg, under a different name.

Don't do this to your full-size pages that you wish to print out though. It only works well for web-viewing.

Hope this helps you a bit :)

Meet me @ 2LP with a freebie template and coupon!

2011-03-18T12:39:00.000+11:00

Hello!
This is a quickie post today - telling you to hop on over to the Two Little Pixels blog to pick up today's freebie from me. It includes a paper, PSD lifted photos (attach your own papers to the frames, or leave white as is) and a butterfly element. Then take advantage of my coupon for my 2LP shop, for a limited time only. Would love to see your layouts in the gallery over there too, you never know what RAK (random act of kindness) might fly your way ... Enjoy!

Introducing Cooper + SALE + contest + freebie!

2011-03-11T10:00:00.030+11:00

Yes indeed! Thank God It's Friday and Thank God It's....Cooper!

Petra here with the latest news from Brine Design. Cooper is today's new release and full with beautiful and elegant elements and papers! In my opinion, it's a must-have! :D

Cooper has 46 elements and 26 papers (patterned and solids) and is available at Funky Playground Designs and Two Little Pixels. This week you will receive a 20% discount when you purchase Cooper!

Kathy also made an add-on for Cooper and an alpha and these are available at Polka Dot Plum.

Here are the links:

Cooper kit:

Paper Add-On:

Alpha:

Now speaking of Polka Dot Plum...Kathy is closing down her store at Polka Dot Plum on March 19th so the last day you can buy her products at PDP will be March 18th.

When you purchase an item or items there, you will receive a 30% discount which will show up in your cart! So take advantage of this great deal while you can!!

It starts today until March 18th!

And speaking of a great deal... don't we all love freebies and give-aways? Well we do have one today which you will get to in a minute, but this particular one we're going to talk about now is a contest of sorts! If you created or are going to create a page with at least 75% of Brine Design products (template is allowed) make sure to upload it to the gallery at either Funky Playground Designs or at Two Little Pixels. When you've done that, you can PM the link to Kathy @ FPD or at 2LP. She will pick a winner by the end of each month and the winner of the most beautiful LO will receive a coupon for Kathy's store!! So make sure to send in those links!! :)

The other freebie I just mentioned is a Quick Page I made for you with Brine Design's new kit Cooper. You can see the preview of it below and you can download the QP HERE.

I hope you'll enjoy this freebie!

Here is some inspiration for you! Pages made by the Creative Team with Cooper.

Enjoy this Friday and your weekend; happy scrappin'!

Petra

By Demetria

By Kim, also using the Vivacity template set

By Petra

By Jenny

By Azrood

Memi

Trish

Katharyn

Katharyn (pg1 and 2)

Organising your Digital Stash

2011-03-07T13:41:00.002+11:00

The latest issue of Scrapbooking Memories (Volume 13, No.4) is out in newsagents now! In it I have an article about how to organise all of your digital supplies, using several methods. Hopefully one of them should suit your style! You will need to buy the magazine to read the article. After two months, I will post it here on my blog :)

Also, have you voted for me in the 2011 Scrapbooking Memories People's Choice Awards yet? What, no? Well, better do it soon so we can BOTH win some yummy prizes!!! Voting closes TODAY!

It's a bit hard to navigate around the website (in my talent-less opinion, lol) but register or sign in to Craftlovers here, (at the end of the speil) then go here to post a comment to vote for one of the layouts below (copy and paste the layout name & details). Don't forget to also put in your own name and address too. You have a chance to win $100 worth of product just for voting! And I can win $500 if I win, which won't happen unless somebody votes for me ;)

Here are some of my layouts that have been published there lately:

Wonder What Might Have Been, by Katharyn Brine (Vol. 13, Number 1).

So The Story Goes, by Katharyn Brine (Vol. 13, Number 1)

My First iNSD! by Katharyn Brine (Vol. 12 Number 10)

Daughter & Mother, by Katharyn Brine (Vol. 12, No.4)

Thank you, and have a happy day :)

Tuesday Tutorial: How to Make Your Own 365 Challenge Templates + freebie

2011-03-07T11:43:00.000+11:00

I've adapted this tutorial from a magazine article I published in Australia's Scrapbooking Memories magazine Volume 13 No. 2.

Good morning fabulous people!

By now you would have heard about the 365 Challenge, where you commit to taking at least one photo each day of the coming year.

It’s developed into something of an annual scrappy diary for me, and I’ve practised, lamented and eventually honed it down to being just what I want as a momentous record of the year that was. I’ve been keeping it since December 2008. Sometimes successfully! Before that, I was writing onerous Christmas letters - during late December - and calling it a yearly round-up! Pfftt!

A lot of people get turned off by the overwhelming chore of it all. And that’s such a shame, because it makes such a beautiful, detailed keepsake for your children and grandchildren. Imagine how interested you would be to read and view the daily happenings of your ancestors, in “real time” as it happens!

Well, I’ve developed a way to make it slightly easier (I hope!). I think if you stick to a sketch or digital template each week, and get into the habit of decorating or embellishing and updating it every Sunday night (for example) then it becomes easier to just slot in your photos/ journalling whenever your inspiration hits. No creativity required, just pure unadulterated recording. And it does pay off – when your children or friends glance through your 365 Challenge albums and actually reminisce about the occasion depicted, it reminds you what scrapping is all about. Recording the memories. In such a way that they need no explanation from you. They just browse through that album & get a great sense for who you are as a family. Where you are up to in this phase of life. Ok. So I admit I can get a few months behind sometimes, but the joy of recording our year is what drives me to keep at it. And when I’ve pre-prepared pages like the one I’m about to show you, it is so much easier to catch up!

This tutorial is written for beginners using Adobe Photoshop Elements. The names of various actions may vary from one program to another, but the basic functions are the same across most photo editing software.

Step 1:

Open a blank canvas (file > new blank file) measuring 24inch wide, 12 inches tall with 3000dpi on a white background. This is our double page, which we can later crop into two 12 x 12 inch pages when our layouts are finished and we are ready to print.

Step 2:

Turn on your workspace grid (view > grid). Create a new layer. Select your rectangular marquee tool from the left-side menu and draw your photo shape. I take a lot of portrait-orientated photos, so I’m going with a tall rectangular shape. Select any colour other than white as your foreground colour, and click inside your marching ants shape to fill it with colour.

Step 3:

Control-D to get rid of the ants. Select the move tool (cross at top left menu). Press Alt and hover your mouse over the shape until the cursor changes to a double arrow. While still holding Alt, click your left mouse button and drag away to create a copied shape. Continue for the seven photos of the week, positioning them as per your design. They will automatically all be on their own layer. If you run out of space for all your shapes, there is a way to move and re-size them all together. Activate all the shape layers in your layers palette (control > click on each separate layer). With your move tool on, drag a corner in/out to resize, or move the whole lot by clicking anywhere within the bunch of rectangles and drag your mouse to their new position. Make sure a photo mask doesn’t cross the 12inch crop line in the middle of your canvas.

Step 4:

With your photo masks in position, add text boxes for journalling later on. You will need to add some “blah blah blahs”. Add your title, in this case “Week 1”. We can change this each time we make a new layout. I also like to include the actual dates. Save as a PSD file. Your template is now ready to use week after week by simply adding some digital paper and embellishments after you’ve clipped your photos to the masks. To do this, activate the layer the mask is on, drag your photo onto the canvas, and press Control-G. The photo layer slips into the shape. You can move the photo around or resize it as long as you have the photo layer active. Remember to save your completed 365 page as a different name and a jpeg file, and close your PSD template file without saving changes.

** There are a range of 365 Challenge template sets available in my shops at Funky Playground Designs shop, and Two Little Pixels. Some of them are:

I'm also giving away the tutorial template! Yay!

Download here.

Credits for Tutorial Layout: Brine Design patterned paper (365 Challenge kit), date tab, circle stamp, sticky notes, floss stitch; Siamese Studio staples; Traci Reed stitching (altered); Misty Mareda doodled camera sticker (First Day kit); One Little Bird “Smitten” alpha (altered).

Store CT call at FPD

2011-03-07T00:00:00.000+11:00

Hey all,

Just letting you know about a great opportunity to get onto the Creative Team at Funky Playground Designs store.

Here are the details, and good luck if you decide to apply :)

Introduction and new templates!

2011-03-06T05:40:00.009+11:00

It's time to introduce myself and not pretend I'm Kathy anymore I reckon ;P

Not too long ago I applied for Brine Design's Promo Team and here I am! My name is Petra, in the digital scrapping community I'm better known as Dutch_Diva.

I'm a 38-year old married woman and even though I'm originally from the Netherlands, I've been living in the USA since 2001.

I can tell you the very long story about how I ended up here but I guess it's not very interesting! If you would like to know just leave a comment and I will tell you the long story after all hehe!!

When I just moved here (USA - Florida) I worked as a front office manager for 2 Hilton hotels near Universal Studios and loved doing that until I got a new manager above me who loved to delegate and make herself look good, blah blah, so I resigned.

My husband was already driving a semi truck so he asked me why I didn't get on the truck with him for a few weeks so I could see some more of the country so I did. To make a long story short: I have been driving a big truck myself (as a team with my husband) since 2005 and we drive all over the country together.

That's why you see a lot more travel/landscape pictures on my LOs than people pictures :D

So enough about me, you're all here to see what goodies Kathy has made and I'm happy to tell you she made 2 beautiful templates that you can find within Two Little Pixels' Store Collab "Vivacity"! I just love the colors of this collab - so fresh and full of energy just like Spring which is coming to a lot of us! You can see pictures of the entire collab and one of Kathy's contribution as well and I hope you like it as much as I did!

Here are some inspiration pages from the team:

By Becki:

By Extase:

By Becki:

By Extase:

By Petra:

Looking forward to getting to know more of you out there :)

Petra

Get Two Little Pixels March Store Collab Here!!

Hammer Time made Sexy!

2011-03-04T00:00:00.004+11:00

My husband is really great at this handyman thing. He can fix drains, pipes, build sheds, build garden pergolas. He loves being outdoors and even does his own roofing, despite being wildly afraid of heights. I {heart} that he built my guinea pigs a massive fox-proof metal mansion complete with roof and in-wall insulation and an exercise ramp. He also installed taps all over our property - do you know how time-consuming it is lugging buckets of water to all your newly-planted trees? He has a constant tan on the back of his neck, and just above his undie-line on his back. I think this makes him extra sexy...

So what the hell has this got to do with scrapbooking? Well, today I'm releasing my very first collaboration kit, and it's all about your own Mr Fix It.

I teamed up with Amada Carlson, from Funky Playground Designs, to create something that you could scrap your man with. Any man will do, the one who usually helps you out with stuff around the house (brother? dad? uncle? boyfriend?) or even if you have a little man who enjoys getting his hands dirty!

Check it out:

It will be in Amanda's shop at FPD, and my shop at 2LP.

And here's some inspiration from my team:

oooh! eerr, how'd that get in there?

I mean, THIS is inspiration from the team ...

azrood

ve lomba

Becki

Petra

Cheryl

Cheryl's uses my Spritz templates too!

Sophie

Cheryl

Demetria

Zeb

Happy scrapping!

Spotlighted! + coupon ;)

2011-02-26T09:53:00.000+11:00

I've been interviewed by Lynn at MeSoScrappy! Yay! Go check out her post, it's wildly flattering! Woo Hoo! And there's a cute little coupon at the end, so go abuse those wishlists chickies!

New Today! Spritz templates and a bunch of Alphas

2011-02-25T08:54:00.000+11:00

About time I started making more alphabets, don't you reckon? But they are a bit of a pain to make, all that cutting and trimming and renaming of files. But anyhoo, I'm here to present you with my collection of Glass Alphas - hope you like :)

These are all available at Funky Playground Designs now, or Two Little Pixels from 6pm tonight, with 25% limited-time discount. Yippee!

This is available at all three shops: Polka Dot Plum, Two Little Pixels and Funky Playground Designs. Just click on the links along the top blog bar, or on the blinkies at the top left to be taken straight to my shopfronts.

Here's what Margote from 2LP made with one of these:

Happy Scrapping!

Tuesday Tutorial: Quick Easy Word Strips

2011-02-22T00:00:00.001+11:00

So this is a little one today: how to make quick and easy word strips for your journalling on your page.

Step 1:
Type out your journalling in a journalling box, as per normal. Use centre alignment. Adjust the line spacing to be a little wider than usual, to allow for your paper strips behind it.

Step 2:

Select your rectangular marquee tool and draw a long strip. Fill it in any colour. Use it as a mask to clip your journalling paper onto. I tend to use lighter papers so the journalling contrasts a bit, making it a lot easier to read. Just make one strip, merging those two layers together.

Step 3.

Select your "move" tool (top left corner), and press Alt as you hover your mouse on the strip. A double arrow will come up and that means you have now copied the strip. Click and drag it away from the original to see it. Repeat for the number of text lines you have. When you have positioned them, move the side edges in or out depending on the length of your text.

Step 4:

Now you need to make them look a bit wonky, so select your move tool, and spin the little circle only slightly to make the strip move slightly diagonal. Or you could move the corner arrows around a little. Now add shadowing, and it's done.

Sending My Love:

Credits: Danielle Young Designs "Black Tuxedo QP" and Brine Designs "School's In" paint splat.

I'll show you how to get that paint to work across the frame like that on a quick page (one that's already flattened and non-transformable) next time.

Cheers :)

Tuesday Tutorial: Learn More About Colours

2011-02-15T00:00:00.002+11:00

Joey's posted a great article about understanding the colour wheel when scrapping, over at the Daily Digi, if you'd like to check it out and excercise your grey matter. She features one of my layouts in it too, explaining how it uses ...

"Analogous – Colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel.

Analogous color chords are pleasing to the eye and are often found in nature. One way to use this color chord is by using a “gallon” of one color, a “pint” of another color, and a “teaspoon” of the accent color. SkrappyKathy’s layout is a beautiful example of this type of color scheme:

Best part is I didn't even realise I was doing it at the time, hooray! Hope you get some kind of scrapping time in today - even if it's just sorting out your digi files (like my plans for the next few hours ...) Sigh.

Exclusive Facebook Freebie

2011-02-12T16:44:00.000+11:00

Today's freebie requires a little help from you to unlock it! Go check out my updated Brine Design facebook profile and press "like". It will take you to a special unlock button :).

While you are there, why not check out what my creative team has been doing with my designs. Click on the Photo tab. Say hello

By the way, this quick page album has been created with my next kit, Cooper. It's not out yet, but you're getting a special peeky!

Grab Bag Mania!

2011-02-11T00:00:00.003+11:00

It's birthday time at Two Little Pixels and to celebrate three years of digi scrapbooking excellence, we designers have made up a heap of grab bags for you to purchase for only $4 each! There are so many goodies in this collection, which makes the price sooooo unreasonable, but anyhoo ...!! {It's definitely a steal for you guys!}.

Eeeek! I know it's a "grab-bag" so, technically, you are meant to buy it on good faith alone, the assumption being that there will be lots of extraordinary goodies in there for you. But can I give you a really blazen sneak peek? In my grab bag alone, I've included these new, exclusive kits:

Ever feel like making a non-photo layout? Well, these shadowboxes are the go. I made them for you to print out and put on your wall (you have the option of embellishing them more yourself if you want to) so that you may create gorgeous pages in a calm, peaceful environment. Of course, they would look pretty darn impressive on your kitchen or dining room wall too, you know. They have been saved at high-resolution so they print out as perfect enlargements. I think they'd look even better if you inserted them in a real-life white enamel frame too. That matt-on-matt look is really in at the moment. Anyway, they are little sayings to remind you of what's important.

Boring name. Not so boring product. I have visions of these little itty-bitties being placed on layouts with a clean background to create a kind of circular patchwork quilt-type look. But seriously, who am I to tell you what to do with them? I am really looking forward to how you guys put them to good use, on a layout page, on your journal cover, on your 365 Challenge booklet, on a hybrid OTP. There are no limits with these guys.

Getting back to making more templates, as this is what many of my fans/followers (gosh, I say that in the most humble tone) first started out with. These three 12inch square templates come in PSD and TIFF format, and include shadowing and additional elements as per preview (which you can turn on or off as you fancy).

Lastly, this alpha. Looks so simple, but let me assure you, it probably took the longest to make out of all this collection!

So, that's what? About ($3.99 + $3.99 + $3.99 + $2.99 = $14.96) nearly $15.00 total for only $4 bucks???!

But take note, the grab bag sale is only running from 11 - 18 February. After that, these items will be available at their full individual prices in store.

A reminder too, that all of these co-ordinate with the free Two Little Pixels blog hop Reflection kit.

Cool, eh?

Here are some pages completed by my wonderful Creative Team.

Cheryl

Tuesday Technique Tutorial: Cheat's Guide to Blurring your Photo Background

2011-02-08T15:35:00.000+11:00

Every Tuesday I plan to add something to your digi-scrapping arsenal. It may be something quick and light, something heavy and brain-puffing, or just something I've picked up along the way that I find useful when creating my pages.

Today, it's a cheat's guide to blurring out the background of your portrait photos (especially handy when you don't happen to carry around your bulky 300mm telephoto lens with you).

Here we go ....

This is my in-progress layout (created with Nina Scraps' new kit "Soft and Sweet" @ oscraps.com) that I worked on this morning. I'm thinking I could turn it in now, or be a bit more professional about it and get rid of that distracting stuff from the background of the photo (aka - half of mum's head and leaves and stuff).

So, what can I do about it? A quick fix is to apply a gaussian blur to part of the image.

To do this;

copy your photo layer (Ctrl-J),
turn off the bottom photo layer (press the "eye" next to the image in the layers palette)
activate the new, top photo payer (just click on it)
select a soft-edge brush and click on your eraser tool
rub out the subject you want to keep clear (in my case, it's my ugly double-chinned mug)

go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and type in a radius of 20 pixels (or 10 if that's too obviously blurred)

turn the other bottom photo layer back "on" (again, the "eye" icon)
Done!

Finished layout!

If you've got any tips yourself, or a way to do this better, share it! Also link me up to your online gallery if you use this tutorial for something you make - I would love to see it in action.

New Release: Kendi (& a discount coupon!)

2011-02-06T00:00:00.004+11:00

Introducing ... Kendi. It's an African name meaning "The Loved One". And that's what this kit is about. I'm reluctant to call it a Valentine's Day kit, mainly because I've already done one!! But my Valentina kit was a girly girly type kit, lots of pinks and browns.

Kendi can be used as a masculine kit, lots of deep rich reds, creams and browns. A little bit of glitter and some flowers here and there, but ultimately, you can scrap your man with it - AND show him without offending his eyes (with so much pinkness). Yay and hooray! That's my little sister and brother-in-law in the previews.

You can grab this collection in my shops at Two Little Pixels and Funky Playground Designs, or in the Plum Pickins section at Polka Dot Plum.

And here's a sweetner - a further 15% off the sale price of the bundle! Just enter this coupon code when you view your cart at Two Little Pixels: BD-kendi-kisses . This coupon expires at the end of February, 2011 (Aussie time GMT+10). Make sure you have logged in to the shop first, place the Kendi bundle into your cart, copy and paste the coupon code, and complete your purchase as per normal. Easy :)

M.A.S.S.I.V.E. Birthday Blog Hop Freebie!

2011-02-04T00:00:00.059+11:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

TWO LITTLE PIXELS!

Welcome to the Two Little Pixels birthday blog hop!

As you probably already know, 2LP is one of the stores I now sell my designs at, and I've gotta say, it is such a rush to be amongst such a talented group of designers there! A lot of them were designers whom I worked for last year as a Creative Team Member. Including (but not limited to) SAS Designs, Sabrina's Creations, Designs By Anita, Scooty's Designs, Siamese Studio (who has now left 2LP), and so many more! What a buzz!

So yeah, you'd probably see a lot of their wares in my own layout galleries because I used to go wild when I was a CTer!

To celebrate 3 years for the Two Little Pixels shop, we are giving away a massive - M.A.S.S.I.V.E. - freebie collaboration kit from all of our blogs. At the end of the blog hop, your kit should look something like this ...

Can you believe it!!!

So pretty.

And here is my contribution to this phenomenal blog hop - hope you like it!

(This link has now expired after 1718 downloads. Thank you!)
You can now get the full collaboration kit here.

This freebie ~~will be~~ was available for two weeks! Woo hoo!

But don't forget to leave me some lovin' comments as a good old fashioned courtesy. Deal?

Here's what some of my team have made with it.

Aren't they the best creative team ever!!

You should have arrived here from Rita's blog, Blue Flower Art . Now you need to hop along to Brandy designs. If you get lost along the way (or one of your munchkins has a catastrophe that you need to attend to, and come back to this later ...)

Here is the full list of contributors:

* [ksharonkdesigns] - http://www.ksharonk.com/

* A-liya - http://a-liya.blogspot.com/

* Anita Designs - www.designsbyanita.blogspot.com

* Blue Flower Art - http://ctrl-alt-doll.net/blog/

* Brine Design - http://www.katharynbrine.blogspot.com/

* Brandy designs - www.brandy-designs.blogspot.com

* cherpea designs - http://scrapea.blogspot.com/

* Deca Designs - http://decadesigns.blogspot.com/

* Extase - http://comblerlennui.blogspot.com/

* Eloise - http://crazy4kids.blogspot.com/

* jot & scribble - http://jotandscribble.wordpress.com/

* Jen - http://jenflaherty.wordpress.com/

* JRstudio13 - http://jrstudio13.blogspot.com/

* miss kim designs - http://www.misskim.typepad.com/

* Margote - http://scropisoeurs.canalblog.com/

* Rainy Dayz Designs - www.rainydayzdesigns.blogspot.com

* Red Ivy Design - http://redivydesign.blogspot.com/

* Roadside Designs - www.roadsidedesigns.blogspot.com

* Rebecca - http://rebeccasscraps.blogspot.com/

* SAS Designs - http://sasdesigns.blogspot.com/

* Scooty's Designs - http://scootysdesigns.wamby.be

* Tracy Ann Little - http://www.tracyannelittle.com/search/label/Blog

* Timounette - http://timounette.canalblog.com/

So get hoppin' ;)

PS: If you can't find the hop on someone's blog, just check back later, as this blog hop is global-wide and everyone is in a different time zone. It officially starts at 6pm Friday night, Australian Sydney time (GMT+10).

Scrapbooking Memories Article: How to Make Digital Stickers

2011-02-03T15:06:00.000+11:00

Got your copy in the mail yet?

If you haven't, sit tight - the Queensland floods and cyclones are wreaking havoc! What black cat crossed their path, I wonder? A bit further down south and we are having extremely hot, dry days and spending a lot of afternoons in the pool (lucky us). But we have all been glued to the news watching the horror unfold up north, and have discussed the possibility of donating a few (boxloads of) toys to those poor kiddies stuck inside barren, over-populated shopping malls while their homes are destroyed by nature's force. But Aussies are a strong, resilient mob and I'm confident this will not crush their spirits for long.

This issue (Volume 13, No.3) I give an easy-peasy tutorial on how to make digital stickers. It's something that comes in handy when you want to make your title "pop" a bit more off your page (or any kind of element, for that matter).

So go check it out, and take note of the new digital section in the magazine! It's glorious! And guess what? They are looking for more digital layout submissions. Why not give it a whirl yourself?

Here are the current submission calls:

Submission deadline: February 9, 2011

My favourite things: It’s time to scrap the things you love. Think about your favourite food, clothes, most treasured household item and the things you just can’t live without.

Digital: Calling all digi scrappers – we want you! Send us your works of art today.

$6 coupon winner announced!

2011-02-02T13:51:00.000+11:00

Last week I offered a chance to win a $6 coupon to my shop to buy anything of mine your little pretty heart desired!

Well, I am pleased to announce the winner - Alannah! She was the third person to post a comment. Thank you to the total 6 of you who applied!! (humph!) At least the odds were really, really good, hahhahhaa!

Alannah, I will email you with the coupon code. Happy shopping :)

CT call!

2011-02-02T13:25:00.000+11:00

... ok, I admit it, all this running around in digi land is making my muscles ache. So if you are good at tweeting, blogging, facebooking and enabling, APPLY, APPLY, APPLY!

Details (in case you can't read the ad)

Promo Team Call

You Get: free access to my kits

Duties: enable each kit @ 4 places

update Facebook / Twitter fan pages

update designer blog each week

make sale ads and promote as required

promote on your own facebook/twitter/blog

Apply: email your name, screen name, gallery, blog, CT teams to kbrine.design@gmail.com

Call ends in two weeks chickies!

New Release & Friday Freebie

2011-01-28T11:16:00.001+11:00

If you haven't already left a comment on another post here, do so, you've still got time to win a $6 coupon to my shop to PICK WHATEVER KIT YOU'D LIKE! Also, a reminder to go check everything out in my Funky Playground Designs or Two Little Pixels shops, because it's all 25 per cent off to celebrate my 25,000th blog visitor this week.

Onto other stuffs...

Introducing School's In, a new kit to coincide with the start of the school year here in Australia. It's about recording those first days at "big school", all the new routines, exciting changes and adventures ahead for our little munchkins. They grow up way too fast, don't they!

And here's what my Creative Team has made with it ...

And here's another freebie for waiting so patiently .... ;)

Download here.

PNG format (means you don't need Photoshop to use it!)

Don't forget that I thrive on lovely comments if you snap this up. I'd love to see your layouts too, leave me a link. You can grab the full kit at all three shops.