Scrapbook Oasis

Photoshop on the Cheap

If you’ve ever wanted to find a good alternative for Adobe’s Photoshop that wouldn’t cost a proverbial “arm and a leg”, look no further than Paint.Net. After spending some time with GIMP and other alternatives for our PCs, we have really begun to appreciate the look and feel of Paint.Net. Of course, the icing on the cake is that the program is free!

Paint.Net provides most of the features of Photoshop without all the complexity and should suit most users for quick photo editing tasks and some intermediate ones as well. Even if you have some experience with layering and photo montages you should feel right at home with Paint.Net.

We’ve managed to handle all of our editing challenges with Paint.Net and love the fact that it’s fast and doesn’t take up a lot of room on your hard drive.

Give it a try and start working on those pictures, your Scrapbooking projects will love you for it!

Holiday Tag Class 2009

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to get to share another night with you this year making gift tags for the upcoming holiday season.

We will be making 15 tags in class, but your kit will provide you with supplies to make 30 plus tags. Lots of fun little crafty bits are involved including felt, doilies, yarn, little birds, stitching, and handmade flowers just to name a few.

Your kit will also include a Catslife Press, wood mounted rubber stamp that has been designed with this class in mind. But one that you’ll be able to use for year-round gift giving. You’ll be one of the first to have it!

After this class you will be all set to include a little handmade goodness on holiday gifts for your family and friends. Come join us for lots of fun! Call the store today, 949.756.2729 or reserve you spot online for this very special class!”

Nora Griffin

 

Class Details:

Friday, November 20th - 7:00 pm
$27 – Prepay (No Cancellations)

Reflections 2010

We are thrilled that Reflections has announced the opening of registration for Reflections 2010! It's so exciting to see that registration opened earlier this year because it allows for an excellent payment option to be offered to everyone. All those details will be explained in just a moment. First, let's go over some of the finer points of Reflections 2010!

The dates have officially been secured the! Reflections 2010 will be on April 30th - May 2, 2010 with registration beginning on Thursday, April 29, 2010.

The Highlights

Here's the full scoop… During your 3 day extravaganza you will be treated to:

·         3 full days of classes
·         7 amazing designers   
·         3 hour long, technique packed classes
·         Breakfast provided - Friday
·         Lunch provided - Friday, Saturday and Sunday
·         Make 'n' Takes
·         Isle Carnival
·         A special event on Saturday night
·         Getting Ready Crop Thursday night
·         Crop rooms open until midnight on Thursday, Friday
          and Saturday

Plus lots and lots of surprises along the way!

Other Great News

The pricing for Reflections 2010 is only $459, which includes all the great goodies listed above! You won't need to pay extra for anything. You get it all! Plus, if you pay in full you will receive an exclusive project designed just for you!

To allow all of you to attend Reflections 2010 we are offering an amazing payment option. Contact Reflections to find out about your payment options today!

The Teachers

Now for the news we are most ecstatic about… The line up of teachers we have thus far! The additional 3 instructors will be announced soon, but the first four pack quite a punch!

Kelly Goree
Maggie Holmes (Back by popular demand!)
Elizabeth Kartchner
Katie Watson

3 more amazing artist will be announced soon!

Each instructor will create a special project that is exclusive to Reflection attendees and will not be available anywhere else. This is our way of ensuring a unique experience for everyone.

Location, Location, Location

The Hyatt Regency, Newport Beach is a gorgeous facility that will provide you with a warm, inviting location to make you feel welcome and at home. Unparalleled service awaits you within this beautiful hotel. Whether you live in the area or are from out of town, we invite you to experience the uncompromising hospitality and outstanding personal attention that awaits you.

The Hyatt Regency Newport Beach is the quintessential Southern California seaside resort. At Hyatt Regency Newport Beach you will be spoiled with spacious guestrooms, three sparkling swimming pools and beautiful grounds. It is Hyatt's attention to detail and exceptional customer care that makes it the perfect fit for Reflections 2010.

The best part however are the amazing room rates we have secured for all Reflection Attendees. We will be announcing all these details shortly!

Start Planning

To start your planning contact us directly at, info@reflectionsevent.com and we will answer any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing all of you at Reflections 2010 for an amazing scrapbook retreat!

Thank you - Reflections!

iCandy for your iPhone

Flickr currently reports that the camera that is most used by it’s members is… you guessed it – the venerable iPhone. If you’re among one of the many people that take most of your pictures with this handy gadget then we’ve got a great way to punch up your pictures and turn them into some serious ‘artwork’.

Web | Urban Software has released a real gem in its FotoMuse App. With a couple of clicks and swipes you can turn even the most mundane picture into something that will turn heads both on the screen and in your latest scrapbooking project.

Of course, you’re limited to the resolution provided by the iPhone itself but we’ve had great results with the new ‘high res’ version all the way up to the 5x7 photo size.

FotoMuse is definitely worth the price of admission and allows you to create some really great pictures without all the technical stuff getting in the way. If you need a little inspiration you can get some ideas from the FotoMuse Flickr group. Get a copy and start having fun today.

ID Tags for everything

Sometimes the easiest solutions are right under our nose. In this case, they’re right under our pet’s chin. Getting some almost indestructible ID tags is just as easy as heading out to your local pet store and making them yourself. You can pick from a variety of sizes, shapes and colors to get exactly what you want.

For a couple of dollars you can get a bunch for camera bags and equipment, your luggage, your kid’s athletic gear, backpacks, computer bags, purses or anything else you’d like to get back if you manage to misplace it. And by the way – they work great for pets too!

Always exploring

It seems that photographic styles are endless and when you add Photoshop to the mix, things can really get out of hand. Lomo, HD, InfraRed, Vintage, B&W, Bokeh – where does it all end..?

We’re constantly looking for new ways of having fun with pictures and now we’ve discovered one more app to add to our arsenal: TiltShift Generator.

Though it’s a bit hard to explain, you basically use the website/App/iPhone App (use one or use them all) to create the effect of old vintage photo stock or if you’re clever enough, you too can change your pictures to look “miniature”.

This little app opens up another avenue to make good pictures look better and great pictures look incredible. The best part is that it’s quick and easy and doesn’t require a lot of “in depth” knowledge to get started. If you’re curious about some examples you can take a look at what other people are doing with it on Flickr.

Get yourself a copy and start having fun today…

Keeping your camera secure

Every DSLR comes with a neck strap and most of the time that will be all we’ll ever need. There are a variety of different products to help keep your camera secure including designer straps and over the shoulder versions of the trusty neck strap. Sometimes these options work and sometimes they create other problems while solving others…

Here’s a clever alternative for all those of you who fancy themselves “DIYers”. With a little patience and some simple tools you can create a stylish, yet simple way to keep your baby safe and secure.

If you’re feeling a little adventurous, here are the steps to help you make your own “Dashing DIY Hand Strap”.