Photoshop Express Beta
By Pixel Mom | March 27, 2008
Adobe Photoshop has launched a new Beta version of a Photoshop Express for photo hosting and editing. I played with this today and decided this is a great way for those who don’t know how to use or can’t get into editing software to play with their photos for free. You have multiple options from color pop to fixing blemishes and much more. Photoshop Express also offers 2 gigs of storage. It’s worth it to at least check out.
Check it out here: Adobe Photoshop Express
Topics: Photoshop, Photo Editing | 1 Comment »
Reflections
By Pixel Mom | June 6, 2007
Here is a quick and easy lesson to create a mirror word images in Photoshop that you can use for websites, digital scrap book pages or anything your creative mind can find use for.
Step 1: Start by opening a new document page; what ever size you would like to use then type something. I would start off using a simple and bold font.
Step 2: Create a new blank layer and name it MIRROR WORDS. Make sure the background layer is NOT visible and merge the blank layer and the word layer by pressing CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + E. Photoshop CS2 automatically creates a new layer when doing this.
Step 3: We are now going to turn the MIRROR WORDS layer upside down by going to EDIT > TRANSFORM > FLIP HORIZONTAL. Change the transform option to SKEW and stretch it just a little so it isn’t perfectly strait with the top.
Step 4: After you flip the image you want to match the bottom edges to the master words. If any of the the “mirror” are over lapping the top words erase them so there is a even line between them.
Step 5: Select LAYER STYLE and GRADIENT OVERLAY . Use two colors one being the color of the font, the other the color of the background. You can customize your colors by clicking on the color box and a new window will open. Click on the small box in the left colorUse the dropper and click on the font color and click ok. Set the layer style to REVERSE; if needed, so the text color is on top.
Step 6: Change the visibility but lowering the OPACITY in the layer box. I usually go down to 50% or less.
Step 7: Lower the saturation (Remove some of the color) by going to IMGAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > HUE/SATURATION. Reduce it by 10 to 25% so it’s just a little less saturation.
Step 8: Blur slightly by going to FILTER > BLUR > GAUSSIAN BLUR. You just need a little feathering / blurring so 1 to 2 pixels should be fine.
Step 9: Select the original text layer and using LAYER STYLE add a DROP SHADOW according to taste.
YOUR DONE! Now you can do what every your imagination tells you to do with it!
On a side note you can basically use the same steps above with photos and other pictures for a reflection effect with a little playing, blurring and using the smudge tool.
Topics: Photo Editing Tips, Photoshop | No Comments »
BlondeStar
By Pixel Mom | May 30, 2007
sorry I had to….LOL
Topics: Welcome | No Comments »
Genius Kids
By Pixel Mom | May 28, 2007
Mom’s are great and being one the most important and special job in the world. But one thing that we do that I never understood is comparing our children and their milestones, you know “Johnny took his first steps!” to hear “my Molly is running in a 3 mile race and she’s only 10 months old”. Well you know what I mean. We always try to make it seem like our children are better then yours and when they aren’t we worry ourselves to death that there is something wrong that our 2 year olds can’t play piano while riding a bike.
So for all us paranoid and annoying moms who try to make ourselves feel better and truly believe our children are prodigies here is proof your child isn’t as smart as you think (I’m not going to say these are all real but if they are………ouch”
Topics: Life, Family/Parenting, Fun Stuff | No Comments »
Sharing Some Photos
By Pixel Mom | May 22, 2007
Sharing some photos fro Crystal Cove in Orange County California. I’ll be sharing some more ghost town photos next week.
and poor Squidward but MAN this thing was HUGE!
Have a safe and Happy Holiday Weekend
Topics: Welcome | 1 Comment »
Reality TV, yes I do watch it!
By Pixel Mom | May 17, 2007
And I watch it a lot. I love AI and survivor and you can’t make me go or do anything during their time slots. That said I keep hearing people crying over Melinda being voted off of AI last night. I completely agree with the vote and couldn’t stand her another week myself. Her voice, body style and performances bugged me and put me to sleep. Really can you see yourself buying her albums? I know I am getting old but I’m not that old.
Anyways good bye to Shrek, I mean Melinda and good luck to the final two. My vote goes to Blake by the way
.
Topics: Fun Stuff | No Comments »
Flashback Wednesday
By Pixel Mom | May 16, 2007
So one of the fun things about being a mom in the world today is the amazing knowledge available with just the click of a mouse. Now take this wonderful idea and add in sharing memories and flashbacks from being a kid with your kids and what do you get? A day spent watching old t.v. shows and cartoons with your kids realizing that it was/is almost a miracle your brain can function with all the crazy things we watched and your kids going……”I don’t get it!?” At least my three year old enjoys it.
So just for giggles I thought I would shake up some of those old brain cells and Flashback to a couple of my favorite programs as a child growing up in the 70’s & 80’s.
I loved this show but have to wonder, what kind of drugs were they taking?
My favorite of all time!! The Bugaloos!!
I could have and wanted to post hours of my favorite videos but these are enough for now. But what is really amazing is thinking back to being a kid. It’s cool reliving the childhood year but also thinking about my parents, and my friends parents compared to today’s parents and how I realize how paranoid today’s parents have become.
I remember being 7 or 8 years old and staying home alone from school if I were sick and my parents would call and check on me. I also remember going out to play with my friends and just having to be home by a certain time, not really knowing exactly where I was going or what I was going to do but just doing it. Of course my parents knew all my friends but as a child of the 70’s and 80’s I was free. Free to explore, free to be a kid and free to learn about my world.
Now it seems like my children will never know this freedom until they are old enough to move out. I don’t want to be paranoid but all the other parents around me are and if I don’t give in to the “keeping them safe” mentality then that makes me an uncaring and bad parents. After my little Flashback today I really did a lot of htinking about myself and my kids and lastly my childhood.
First I loved my childhood and all the learning I did by just being out in the world and I want my kids to create their own memories.
Second, there has to be a happy medium of being a safe parents but not a paranoid crazy women society has made todays parents become. Kids need to be kids and this means getting hurt and doing bad things at times. In order to function on their own you have to take chances.
Finally, all the adults when us 30 somethings were kids are crazy. Either that or they were on some serious drugs and if we turned out ok. With such crazy people raising us then maybe we should trust ourselves a little more and how our kids will turn out. This means that maybe we did ok with what we taught them and so we should let them go have fun with out breathing down their necks. And who knows they may be ok, I mean we made it home safe didn’t we?
Ok I am crawling down off my soap box now. Just reliving my past made me realize if I don’t ease up I may just screw up my children’s future and not allow them to create memories of their own.
I’m off to watch some Electric Company with my boys now, man I loved that show!
Topics: Life, Family/Parenting, Fun Stuff | 1 Comment »
Quick Soft Focus Look For Portraits
By Pixel Mom | May 14, 2007
I love the look of a soft focus portrait. Here is a quick and easy way you can achieve this style yourself using Photoshop. Before we begin you need to make a duplicate copy of the picture that you want to work with.
Step 2: you need to make the layer black and white. You can do this by going to IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > DESATURATE
I like to up my saturation after I have done this but the best part minor facial flaws disappear and in turn you don’t have to do as much facial cleaning / cloning to get that perfect skin. After you get used to playing with layers and finding your preferred technique it will only take you a couple minutes to get the perfect effect you want to achieve.
here is your before
and after
Topics: Photography, Photo Editing Tips | No Comments »
What about mom?
By Pixel Mom | May 11, 2007
Mother’s Day is approaching fast I thought I would offer my advice for great gift ideas coming from, well a mom.
Usually I think of Mother’s Day and I think handmade macaroni necklaces and picture frames, flowers and cheap candy. Don’t get me wrong I do love Mother’s Day and it isn’t about the gifts but showing mom you love and appreciate her. But you want the truth don’t you? As nice and fluffly as we may think we want it the truth be told we want gifts! We want pampering! And we want to be the queen for the day. It is all about us and really it should be. So here is my list of top 10 things that I would love to make my Mother’s day extra special:
1. A break from cleaning all weekend. This doesn’t mean it just sits and waits for me to do it later. I mean get on your hands and knees and clean the toilet with a toothbrush kind of cleaning.
2. Take the kids out on the town. So the house is clean now take the kids out and keep them away for oh lets say at least 3 hours, longer would be great. I don’t know what it is but sitting alone in my clean home with no noise or whining is the most wonderful feeling in the world!
3. Beauty Sleep. Before the kids have a chance to wake mom up take them out for breakfast so mom can really sleep in. IF they have a chance to wake her up it is too late so you need to set your alarm and get them going before she hears a peep.
4. Breakfast in bed an old classic. Yes it is an old idea but still a classic favorite. Mom has slept the morning away and you are getting back from breakfast for the kids. Did you remember to order some food to go? Make sure you bring home something for mom and set up a breakfast tray for her since most likely it will taste better then your cooking anyways and the kitchen stays clean.
5. Flowers for Mom. Now Flowers are lovely but can be a little cheesy too. Let the kids hand pick flowers and give them to mom with breakfast, very sweet. A nice touch and twist on the typical bouquet is before mom wakes up you buy/pick or what ever your source a ton of different flower arrangements to set out through out the house.
6. Gifts from the heart. You don’t need to be rich to spoil mom we really do love hand made gifts. But put a spin on the cute stuff. Have the kids paint pretty pictures then frame them before giving them to mom. Smaller frames may be the way to go if mom has a specific decorating style so it is easier for her to find somewhere to put them.
7. Show Me The Money! This is even more special for the Stay at home mom. Just give her cash! Having the green stuff burning a hole in her pocket to spend any way she wants is a really nice feeling. Sometimes we SAHM’s feel a little bad about always having to ask for money and sticking to budget so as cold as cash may feel it truly is a special and the best gift!
8. Gift that keeps giving! pictures are nice but a camera to take pictures with is even nicer. I have a Nikon D70 and love it! It is my baby and hubby always has something to give me gifts for through out the year from lenses to flashes to lens filters. Now he always has something to think about when shopping for me.
9. Back and Foot Rubs. You can buy some nice oils and give mom a special day of pampering and make her feel like a queen. This means a rub that last longer then 15 minutes but don’t expect anything in return since this day is about her and only her. You can get your 15 minutes another time.
10. Saving the best for last, give her a get away. My husband has done this for me and it is the best gift in the world! Pay for a hotel room for a night or two and set her up wiht a bottle of wine, internet access and no calls from home allowed. She will check in with the family if she feels like it. Other wise leave her alone until check out time.
Anyways, Happy Mother’s Day to from this Mom to Yours!
Topics: Welcome | 2 Comments »
Just For Fun Mosaic
By Pixel Mom | May 8, 2007
Here is a fun little Flickr Toy to make your own Moscaic quickly and easily. I’ll post a tutorial later to show how to do this yourself in Photoshop another day, in the mean time have fun!
Here are some examples of what you can do with it.
Topics: Fun Stuff | No Comments »