Creative Memories Project Center - Digital

How to Create Your Own Embellishment Files in SBC+ 3

Here's a How To Video or if you prefer, Here are some step by step instructions.

1. From the Welcome screen click on the Manage my content Icon.
2. The Content Ribbon displays.
3. Select the folder where the new content will be stored.
4. Next create a new package in the folder to import your content to.

Packages
You can create your own personal library of favorite elements, including papers, embellishments, shapes, edges, corners and colors. You can save free art, art you personally created, or single elements saved from your projects or created elsewhere. All of your saved and created items need to be stored in a package.

To create a new package, click Create on the Content panel. Then from the pop-up menu, select Create user content package. The Create a new package dialog displays. Enter a name for your new package and choose a folder to put it in. Your new package is now displayed under the My Stuff folder. To import items into your new package click on it then select the embellishments Icon in the Get from file section. The Get Images from folders dialog box displays. Browse to the appropriate folder. Next select the images you wish to import. For this example we are choosing two images and will then click on Get selected images. The images are now imported and display in the Content manager section ready for you to use.

Hope this helps!

Digital Tip & Technique - Outlining Text

Looking for a quick, easy, and effective way to make your titles pop on a page?  Try outlining them by following these simple steps:

1. Type the title, flatten it, and color it as desired.  If you have used Fancy Fonts instead of text, there is no need to flatten the title.

2. Copy the flattened title and paste it four times.  Make these four copies the color you want the outline to be.

3. Use the Arrange (SBC3) or Layout (SBC+) ribbon to align all five copies of your title. [Select all five copies of the title, and on the Alignment section of the Arrange ribbon, choose the icons that are second from the left and the next to last in the top row. This will stack all five copies one on top of the other.]

4. Move the original title to the front (it's easiest to do this on the elements panel - put it on top).

5. On the elements panel, select the first copy of the outline title.  Using the arrow keys on your computer keyboard, move this copy one or two clicks to the left.

6. Next, select the second copy of the outline and move it the same distance to the right; in the same manner, move the third copy up and the fourth copy down.

7, If you are satisfied with the look of the outline, select all five copies and group them together.

This method can be used on word art, embellishments, and fancy fonts, too.  For a slightly different look, you may want to experiment with the Glow feature in SBC3 (Format ribbon, Shadows).

Many thanks to CMC Shelley Alexander of Sydney, Australia, for creating and sharing this method and the instruction sheet with me!  Have fun with it! 

Digital Scrapbooking Idea - Italy

Ingredients:

• StoryBook Creator Plus 3 Software
• Jewel Vacation Digital Additions
• Digital Overlays – Swirls
• Shapes – Geometric
• Fonts Used - Perpetua Titling MT, Base 02

How to Create:

1. Create a new 12 x 12 page.
2. Using the Geometric Shapes, create a black rectangle and size to fit page. (turn off layer for now, click eye on layer in Elements column on left side of screen. Working on a black background can be difficult; this will make it easier to see while you are working on the page)
3. Add an Empty Photo Frame to page. Click on Insert Tab top of screen, Empty frame under Photos. Size photo box to 1.25” x 4.25”. Copy, Paste four times (Right click on photo box > copy. Click on page > right click > paste.
4. Add text box to page, type the letter “I” (font Base 02, size 120). Each letter should be placed in an individual text box. Repeat this for each letter “T”, “A”, “L”, “Y”.
5. Using the Alignment Keys (under the Arrange Tab top of screen) line up your photo squares, make evenly spaced and center on page. Top of picture boxes should be at 2” mark.
6. Line top of each letter with bottom of each photo box and center letter.
7. Add swirl overlay to page. Using cutting tools (Cut & Fill tab top of screen > Custom > cut curved path > cut around shaded area). Cut away pieces of the swirls and place swirls on bottom left side of left photo box and top right side of right photo box.
8. Select five photos of your choice from Memory Manager and add to project. 
9. Next you will need to flatten each individual photo box and letter.Start at left side, Click on Swirls, hold down shift key and continue to click on far left photo box and letter “I”. Click on Arrange Tab, top of screen, click Flatten. Repeat for each photo box and letter. Photo box and “T”, etc.
10. Click on Flattened left photo box, go to photos, right click on desired photo, click on fill selected element with this photo. Box will fill with photo. Continue for each photo.
11. Turn bottom layer back on (click eye).
12. Add “Our Trip” embellishment, make white and opaque to 30%, add text box and center over “Our Trip” and type text, make text white. Add separate text box for date.

Digital Scrapbook Project Idea - In My Daddys Arms

Ingredients:

• StoryBook Creator Plus Software
• Digital Embellishments - Elements (Available August 1)
• Discover Power Palette for background paper
• "Love Defined" Word Art Freebie (click here to download)
• Overlay Freebie (click here to download)
• Font Used - Century Gothic

How to create:

1. Drop any basic grunge style paper in the background and then change the colors and saturation as desired.
2. The little dots along the side were created with circle shapes, I aligned about 5 and then copied and pasted them as well as change colors and Opacity to create the effect shown.
3. To cut the picture into soft waves:  drop the photo on page and then go to your shapes and select the wavy shape under the "Geometric" category.  Stretch the shape to match the width of the photo size, and the depth to match however many waves you would like to cut out of the photo.  In this Case I cut out 4 waves! Tip:  When cutting, start by putting a heavy shadow on the photo.  This allows you to see where you have made your cuts therefore making them more accurate. I finished by adding 3 of the same photos overlapping in the corner... just zoom in and adjust to your desire!
4. For the Photo in the top left corner, adjust the Edge blending quite heavily (located under tools... look for "More").  You can also intensify this look by dropping the Opacity and adding a soft edge frame under the photos ribbon!
5. Add photo to lower right corner, then give white mat to photo. Give heavy shadow. Copy and paste two more times, then layer and arrange as shown.
6. Behind the Wavy Photo is an embellishment from the "Elements" digital kit called "Elements-Painted Bubble Wrap".
7. The Black Distressed lines above and below the photo are also from elements called "Elements Grunge Scratches".

Give the wave a try!  It's alot of fun!!

SBC+ Tips & Techniques: Photos Ribbon

Do you spend a lot of time cropping and editing photos in Memory Manager, and then find that you don't even use them in your Storybooks?  Save time by using the tools on the Photos and Enhance ribbons of Storybook Creator Plus, and you can adequately edit almost all of the images that you actually use in your books!

Now that you can quickly add individual images from Memory Manager to the Storybook project that you are working on (use the 'Share' function in MM 3.0), it's even easier to just start with a few photos and go from there.  I usually bring 10 - 20 of my five star images over from MM to my SBC+ project - just enough for a two page spread.  I rarely edit in MM, unless I need to use the clone tool or other tools that are not available in SBC+.  This way, I don't waste time 'fixing' images that I may or may not use.

The top page shows some of the ways that you can get photos that you might not have known about, but the second page is where the fun really starts!  I almost never crop images any more - I use the Zoom tool on the Photos ribbon instead.  Play around with it and find out for yourself how versatile it is.  Also, be sure to experiment with "Photos in Frame" so you can see the differences between this tool and the Rotate tool on the Layout ribbon.

Remember, push all the buttons and click on all the drop down arrows that you see!  That's how you'll learn what you can and can't do.  Have fun with it!!

Digital Embellishment Idea - Ice Cream Cone

Instructions on how to create a super cute ice cream cone for your pages! Enjoy!

SBC+ Tips & Techniques: View Ribbon - Snap to Grid

Snap to Grid is a feature found on the View ribbon which can be turned on to help you position your elements. The grid is invisible at all times and cannot be seen. 

You can set spacing between grid lines by choosing from a range of preset measurements (1/16", 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", 3/8", or 1/2"). The grid includes an option called "Snap to Grid", which aligns objects to the nearest intersection of the grid or to another object as you draw or move objects.  You may also adjust the rotation (1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, or 90 degrees) When Snap to Grid is set, each time you move or rotate an object it will move only the amount you specified.

This feature is useful for creating specific layouts.  It's not hard to use - just try it out and play with it.  You can easily set the grid and turn it off as needed while you work on a project.  Be sure to choose "Snap to Grid" and then click "OK" after you have set the grid increments that you want!

The final feature found on the View ribbon is the Screen Layout, which allows you to view the Photos panel as a separate panel at the bottom of your screen rather than on the right hand side of the screen (the default view).  Simply click the second screen layout icon in the Settings section of the View ribbon.  To return to the default view, click the first icon.

SBC+ Tips & Techniques: Home Ribbon - Saving & Importing Pages

Have you ever wished you could use one of your favorite layouts in another project?  Or would you like to create some borders or other decorations that could be used again and changed to suit the project?  You CAN do all that and more - here's how!

1. Duplicate the page you'd like to save.
2. Remove all images (right click each box and choose 'remove photo from frame'), papers (just fill the selected shapes with shades of gray), text (remove text; leave text boxes if desired), and embellishments (you can leave these if integral to the page, although you may want to fill them with shades of white or gray) from the duplicate page.  This will leave you with a 'gray box' page.  All elements should be 'live'.  Save your changes to this page. [NOTE: Do NOT use 'save pages as' - just save the page as normal!]
3. Create a blank Storybook project specifically for saving templates and pages.  I have created books like this for each size Storybook.  I name mine "Sample 12", "Sample 11", "Sample 8", etc. based on the page size.  Save it in the same place you save your other Storybook projects. 
4. Open the new project (Sample 12) and on the Home ribbon, click 'Import Pages'. The "Get pages from folders" dialog box will appear.  Scroll through the directory of folders that appears until you find your Storybook Projects.  Open the one that contains the original and new 'gray box' pages.
5. All of the pages from that Storybook will show up in the window to the right of the directory.  Scroll through until you find your new 'gray box' page. [NOTE: If the pages shown have a red X on them, they are not the same size as the book you are trying to import them into and you will not be able to select them. Just check to make sure you've opened the right size project!]  Select the page(s) you want to import, and then click "Get Pages."  The page will show up as the last page in your open project.
6. After you have imported the 'gray box' page into your Sample project, be sure to remove it from the original Storybook.
7. When you want to use a page from your Sample book, simply import it into the desired project as described in steps 4 and 5.  For more information on this, please refer to your SBC+ User Guide (click on the yellow button with the question mark in it at the top right of the Storybook screen).  This information can be found on page 100 of the User Guide.
8. You can create whole books of live pages like this, and you can make pages of borders or other decorations as well.  Remember not to add photos or papers to your Sample book pages - you'll want to store them here for use over and over.
9. As always, have fun with it!

SBC+ Tips & Techniques: View Ribbon - Designing Your Cover

Ready to put the perfect cover on your
StoryBook?  Be sure to use the View Ribbon to make sure everything is just where you want it!  First, go to the Home ribbon and change from "Pages" to "Cover" in the View section.  You'll be able to view the default cover, which will either be an empty cover (if you have started with blank pages) or it will be the cover that comes with the pre-designed pages you are using.  You may choose to select a different cover template, or you may import an existing cover.  Choose whichever of these suits your current project. 

Next, go to the View ribbon and look at the last three icons in the Preview section.  You will be able to see exactly what will appear on the completed and bound front cover, spine, and back cover.  Be aware that much of the 'total' view of the cover is not seen on the finished book due to the binding process.  Use the ruler at the top and left side of the editing screen and the properties key (right click on any element, then choose properties) to help you position the elements on your cover.

Notice on the example page that you can fill the entire cover (front, back, and spine) with one photo.  You can add other photos on top of it, or you can fill the cover with lots of photos.  You can select a single image and add a title, you can put images on the front and not the back, or you can have images on both the front and back.  You can design the cover any way you want it!  You may use any paper you have or any color as the background of your cover - add gradients, texture, overlays - design the cover just like it is another page!  The View ribbon allows you to see what the finished product will look like.

Add text boxes to title the book, and remember that you can even put a title, along with your name and/or the date, on the spine.  To add text to the spine, simply create a text box that is wide across and narrow from top to bottom.  Go to the Layout ribbon and rotate the text box 90 degrees to the right (clockwise).  Using the Spine view, position the text box such that it will be visible on the spine.  The actual text box can be slightly larger than the unshaded area on the Spine view as long as you are certain that the text itself will be printed only on the spine.  This will allow you to use the largest font possible to create the text you'd like.  I love adding my name to the spine and feeling like I am a published author!

The cover of your book will set the tone for the entire book, and an interesting cover will invite people to pick it up and look inside!  Putting the title and date on the spine will allow you to quickly choose the book you want off the MANY StoryBooks on your shelves.  Have fun with it!

SBC+ Tips & Techniques: View Ribbon - Previewing Pages

If you are working on a Storybook project and
you don't know about the View ribbon, stop working NOW and read this!  The preview section of the View ribbon allows you to choose the way you look at your pages as you are making your book.  When the view is set on 'All' you can see the page and anything else on the editing screen.  Sometimes I choose to do my wand work on the white area of the editing screen.

If you are working on page prints (and not a Storybook) you'll want to see the Page view and/or the Trimmed view to see what your finished and printed pages will look like. 

When working on a book, it's very important to manually choose whether your page is a left-hand or right-hand page so that you will see what elements may be cut off by the binding or 'lost' in the gully of the binding.  Because you can reorder your pages at any
time, this is something that you will need to
do for EACH page that you are working on - it
is not an automatic function! 

The settings section of the View ribbon allows you to either view your photos at the bottom of the editing screen (separate from the other 'panel' parts - pages, papers, shapes, and embellishments) or as part of that panel on the right hand side of the screen.  This is a matter of personal preference, but keep in mind that viewing photos separately will cut into the space available to you on the editing screen. 

Snap to Grid is the other tool found on the Settings section of the View ribbon - we will talk about it later, or you can read all about it in the User Guide.

Keep working on your pages, push every button, and have fun with it!