Playing with Photoshop

I had a boy at home today. He went to a birthday party and caught some bug (as did a large chunk of the other guests) so was pukey all weekend. He seems OK now but I kept him at home just in case. While he played Lego Star Wars on the Wii, I played with Photoshop and v2 of Topaz Labs Remask (an extraction tool). I bought v1 some time ago because it was so much cheaper than anything else and because I could actually get it to work (unlike the  OnOne Maskpro tool that I tried out). Version 2 was a free upgrade for v1 owners and is a totally different program. I really like it. I usually avoid extractions because they are so tedious and hard. I find this one almost fun to use (not to mention easy).

Anyway, I extracted my little spiderman from a photo he insisted I take the other day and played around with some of my supplies. He really likes the outcome (it is up on his wall)

Credits:

Urban Decay Element set by Nicole Young
Concrete Jungle Kit by Nicole Young
Lightrays and web from Woodlands Walk by Lauren Bavin
Scarecrow and tree from Ghoulies and Ghosties Value Collection by Carole Harden

2009 Christmas Card

I haven’t felt in the mood to do much of anything lately, but seeing as Christmas is rapidly approaching, I thought I should get my act together and make this year’s card:

Credits:
Merry Berry Time by Erica Belton
Wordart is an old freebie by Tina Chambers

October Photos

 

1 October

2 October

3 October

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5 October

6 October

7 October

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16 Ocotber

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31 October

Boys and Reading

It makes me very cross when I hear people say boys don’t read so I was delighted to find this article on boys and reading. Love this quote:

“Boys want the same thing that every reader wants--to open a book and find themselves in the pages.”

I am going to note down a few of their suggestions for future library visits. My eldest is a keen reader and I am hoping that the small boy will be as well.

September Photos

2 September

3 September

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7 September

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30 September

People of the Book

I just finished reading People of the book by Geraldine Brooks. Not one of our book circle final choices but it was on the wider list and I had heard a positive review of it on the radio some time back. Really enjoyed this one. More a series of interconnected short stories than a novel, I found its glimpses into the history of the Jewish people in Europe quite fascinating (and rather grim). You do have to keep in mind that this is a fictional history of an actual historic document, the Sarajevo Haggadah, but it is fascinating none the less.

Personally, I found it rather sobering to realise how quickly the conflict in Bosnia has faded into obscurity. It doesn’t seem that long ago and yet it is no longer mentioned. I was disturbed by the terrible things “civilised” people will do to those different from themselves, which the book describes time and time again throughout history. But mostly I was moved by the stories (the one set in the most recent past, being the least convincing). If the twist in the ending was a little far fetched, I didn’t mind. I enjoyed the ride. I enjoyed this one immensely.

A Couple of Birthday Layouts

I shocked myself by making some birthday layouts only a short time after the birthday!

Credits: Ainsley Value Collection
Hipster Graffitti Value Collection both by Suzanne C Walker
Positive Negative White Alpha by Lauren Bavin (recoloured)

This one was for the speedscrap this week. Not my fastest work – took me 55 minutes (I did have to edit most of the photos in that time though. One of the downsides of shooting in Raw). It looks much nicer when you can see the faces of his friends :)