Download the Quicktime video here.

This week’s episode has been released for the Paperclipping Members. If you’re not a member, you can watch a trailer of the tutorial by clicking on the video above.

In this in-depth video I show you step-by-step in Photoshop Elements how to…

1. Isolate a subject in your photo so you can give it/him/her special attention.
2. Boost the color of your subject while making everything else black and white.
3. Make your subject stand out more by darkening your background and boosting the highlights in your subject.
4. Make your subject stand out by blurring the background.
5. Smooth the edges of your isolated subject so it doesn’t have that yucky “cut-out” look.

You’ll be able to do the above with your own Halloween zombies, their bloody sores, or with cute little girls at tea parties (below)–whatever you think needs special attention above its background. Check out this Before/After example where I left Blake’s sores and tongue a subtle red and brought him forward from his background, then see the layouts below for two examples:

To see what it takes to become a Paperclipping Member so you can watch episodes like this one, please visit the Membership Information Page.

Below are the layouts I featured in the episode…

The Making Of A Zombie

Journaling to Blake reads: Your makeup is on and you have no problem getting your act together, getting into character. I love how you love playing the part.

Girly Tea Time

Journaling to Trinity reads: I had such a fun day with you at this tea party. We looked at art on the street, shopped a cute gift shop and tried hats and teas. Fun girly day.

Want to try it? Once you do it you’ll want to do it all the time. It’s fun. Enjoy!

Do you remember the collage of heritage photos I made for a layout about my dad’s crazy 1940’s baby stroller? There was a request for me to make a tutorial on how to wrap a collage of photos with a frame like I did on that layout. Today’s episode for the Paperclipping Members will walk you through it step-by-step using Photoshop Elements. The good news is it’s very easy!

Below is the one I made in today’s tutorial…

Not a Member? Wish you could watch this and all the other archived videos? Please click here to see why it’s so worth it to get a Membership.

Related tutorials:
Digital Word Art
Make A Grid Collage In Photoshop

In this free episode of Paperclipping, you’ll learn how to position, resize, and recolor digital word art in Photoshop Elements. You’ll also see why Ali Edwards’s digital products are just as perfect for heritage photos and projects as they is for modern ones. You’ll find The Story Word Art + Hand Drawn Brushes by Ali Edwards, featured in the tutorial, at Designer Digitals, and they’re 30% off right now!

You can watch the video above or download the high-quality version instead.

To learn more about this layout and the hidden tag that contains historical information watch episode 99. If you liked today’s tutorial, follow the link to see why you’ll probably enjoy a Paperclipping Membership.

Layouts From A Previous Paperclipping Live

I haven’t had a chance to share the scrapbook pages from Dedra Long’s visit to Paperclipping Live a while ago. Here they are below…

Hello Kitty

two 12×12 pages

The photo on the left is myself around 4th grade–just a little older than my daughter, Trinity, in the photo on the right. I chose pictures of us in similarly shaped outfits and poses to emphasize the theme of commonality. Journaling reads: I adored Hello Kitty as a little girl and still do at age 36. I love her oval round face and the simplicity of her design. As a kid I didn’t get enough of her to feel satisfied so I love getting to enjoy her again through Trinity, who loves her too.

Layout By Dedra Long

Journaling to her daughter reads: You and me spending time together…these are some of the times I cherish most…I always love to walk in the studio to see the newest setup you have put together…It usually look something like this…the princess laptop, crayons, paper and scissors…you usually have the princesses singing the alphabet and you join then…then it’s math…in the end you show me your latest work of art…I will never forget.

The Details

Almost all of the scrapbooking items on both layouts are from Theresa Collins. I salvaged all the Hello Kitty items from actual H.K. stuff–a backpack, a watch, party invitations, plus there are a few pictures. The spinner arrow underneath the tiny H.K. on the clock is a Tim Holtz spinner that I painted pink.

Want help layering embellishments the way you see them layered in the center circle? If you have a Paperclipping Membership, I recommend watching Paperclipping 94 where I showed the techniques and principles of layers that lead in a “crescendo” toward a climactic point.

Today’s episode is for our Members. If you’ve ever struggled to make a rectangular collage using different-sized photos, you’ll appreciate this one. I’ve come up with a very simple formula to make that often frustrating task very easy! If you’d like to watch today’s episode, as well as the other 99 waiting for you in the archives, but don’t have a Membership, please visit the Membership Information Page.

Below are the layouts I shared in the episode…

Easter 08

You see that pink egg over on the far right? That was a tag from one of the goodies I bought the kids last year. I got a kick out of the fact that last year’s Easter came so early, the product manufacturers posted the date on all the tags…I guess to make sure we were ready!

Journaling on layout reads: We’ve been adjusting our Easter tradition a bit over the last few years. We moved the early morning hunt and breakfast outdoors last year. This year we hid plastic eggs instead of our colored eggs (we still color eggs, though). Blake has played Easter Bunny with Dad and I before waking up the kids for the last few years. And this year they got more stuff and less candy. One thing remains the same, though…total fun and the enjoyment of Spring.

The circular tag and title arch are the Memory Makers Noteworthy Glitter Die Cuts. The swirly flourish is from Bazzill.

Wonderful Beautiful Amazing

The overall up-and-down placement of the 2 large photo blocks, as well as the shape and placement of the two paper journaling blocks were inspired by a layout by Ali Edwards that appeared in Creating Keepsakes Magazine a year or two ago.

Journaling reads: We’ve been taking day-trips through the canyons near Superstition Mountain and Canyon Lake a lot lately. It’s only minutes from our home–one of the reasons I am so happy with where we live. We all love the scenic drive, looking at the cacti, cliffs, and joking about how Blake convinced Aiden that the winter moss on the rock walls is called, “souvenir” because Aiden wanted to collect some to bring home during this particular trip.

Today–Jan. 4, 2009–we took advantage of the rare overcast weather for great lighting and color saturation. Israel and I each brought our cameras and tripods and caught some fun memories while you kids climbed and played. I love this.

Typed journaling on photo: Trinity was having a hard time getting through the thorny path to join you on the butte. You went down and carefully led her, just like a gentleman. Later I thanked you and you said, “That’s okay. I enjoyed it.” What a cool dude…you make your mama so proud.

The digital text that I layered onto my photos (except for the journaling) are all from Ali Edwards’s Loving Life Word Art and her 12×12 Life text frames. I will demonstrate how to do this in Photoshop Elements in a future episode.

The butterflies and folliage rub-on’s are new from My Mind’s Eye. The more subtle rub-ons that add texture to the page are older ones from Chatterbox.

This video is available to members only. Learn about a membership here.

Of course, you can only crop your layouts as well as you photograph them. If you struggle to get straight photos, I recommend you also watch episode 86, How To Photograph A Layout, which is in the archives and available to the Paperclipping Members.

Below are the layouts I used in the episode…

Good Laughs

Journaling reads: At Disneyland. Dad was taking pictures of our perennial model, Trinity. Blake moved in on her scene and even while pushing him and his “rabbit ears” out of the way (#3) she kept up her pose.

Supplies: Cardstock (Bazzil, Stampin’ Up) * Patterned paper and patterned circles (Sassafrass Lass) * acrylic paint.

Trinity Paints

Journaling to Trinity reads: Kindergarten ‘05-’06. You blow everyone away with your steady hand, artistic eye, your use of color and your love of beautiful things. I love this painting because it reminds me so much of you.

Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill) * sticker journal spots (Creative Imaginations) * ink (Stampin’ Up).

Today’s Quick Tip is for Members, so if you would like to have access to this video, and all the others, click here to find out how other people are watching them.

This video is available to members only. Learn about a membership here.

For my example in the tutorial, I used an Ali Edwards photo overlay, which was a major part of my Week In The Life album. Here are two of the pages from my album using the overlay concept from the tutorial…

A Week In The Life

* * *

Album-Anthologie by Scrapworks

So many of you have been asking for tutorials on Photoshop, especially for digital techniques for photos, so today’s episode is one version of a technique I use all the time.

This one is for Premium Subscribers. You can learn more about the Premium Subscription by visiting the Membership Information Page.